The New York Yankees Baseball Blog

No Immunity for Roger

2008-01-13T08:30:00.001-08:00

I turned on ESPN at one point and thought I had accidentally turned on court TV, but alas it was only the continued coverage of Roger Clemens and his legal adventures. The Supreme Court hearing has already been delayed, so that more “evidence” can be gained in the whole situation. The chances of anything worthwhile being found in a few weeks on something that’s been scrutinized for over a month seems unlikely. It was also revealed that no one testifying will be granted immunity for their testimony. This should not be a problem for Clemens anyway if he is indeed telling the truth, then he should have no need for immunity. However, with no one having immunity, if Brian McNamee and Roger Clemens both stick to their stories then it would mean one of them would be perjuring themselves. Andy Pettitte, Chuck Knoblauch, and Kirk Radomski will also be there to testify and none will receive immunity. I’m not quite sure why Knoblauch is there, I suppose because he is Clemens’ former teammate during the time period in question and he was also named in the Mitchell report but I don’t know how much light he can shed on the subject. Plus, the man has suffered enough, let’s just leave Knoblauch alone (on an aside, it is interesting to think that maybe the steroids were what caused all of Knoblach’s throwing problems but that’s a discussion for another time). Anyway, it probably would have just been for the best for everybody if this hearing had just been done with sooner rather then later, since very little is likely to be accomplished. Nothing will change unless Clemens’ pulls a Mark McGuire on the stand in which case his credibility will be ruined. Even if McNamee admitted he was lying there would still be a lot of doubt around why he confessed and Clemens’ name will still not be fully cleared. This whole thing seems like it’s probably going to get a lot worse before it gets better, so let’s just get it over with so we can all hear about the scandal for a week or so and then move on with our lives.

The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty

2008-01-04T09:49:00.001-08:00

I recently made two joint resolutions, not New Year’s resolutions but just some general things I wished to work on in the future. The first was to read more and since I was on that trail I decided to work some baseball literature in with the more traditional literature. The first of these works I stumbled upon was The Last Night of the Yankees Dynasty by ESPN analyst Buster Olney. The last night of the dynasty is meant to be the night of November 4th, 2001, game 7 of the 2001 World Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The book goes through the course of that game inning by inning, batter by batter, throughout the duration of the book. Breaking up the action of the game itself is Olney’s reflections of all the players who made this game what it was, players from both teams, but also highlighted most of the player’s that consisted of the core of the Yankees’ dynasty years from 1996-2001. Before I began reading this novel, I thought to myself, what is this book going to tell me that I already don’t know? I knew that Buster Olney was a well established journalist and author, but I had seen the dynasty years, as well as the fall in the 2001 World Series first hand so, logically, I thought that I pretty much knew everything that was going to be said in this novel. I was mistaken. Olney wrote about the kind of experiences and stories of the team that one can only have by following the team as a beat writer for four seasons and by speaking with many of the players themselves. Olney delved into the finer points of the match up between Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling in this game, specifically the way Schilling idolized Clemens, detailed the eccentricities of players like David Wells and El Duque, and highlighted the suffering many players had to deal with deaths and illnesses in their families and how it brought the team together. Virtually every important piece from those majestic years had at least a couple of paragraphs written about them to emphasize their importance to the team. By the time the story reached it’s climax with Mariano Rivera entering for the 9th inning trying to hold on to his precious one run lead, even the most casual of Yankees fans would now be completely acclimated with the team. The reader begrudgingly reads the account of this ninth inning that broke the hearts of Yankees fans across the country, knowing the outcome and yet hoping that this time it turns out differently. They read about Mark Grace’s bloop single, and then hope that this time Rivera’s throw to second base is not errant, but of course it still finds its way into short center field. Eventually we are forced again to wonder if Scott Brosious should have made the throw to first base to try to turn the double play after forcing David Delluci out at third. He still does not attempt it and Jay Bell is still there safely at first base to eventually score the run that wins the World Series on Luis Gonzalez’s bloop single. My re-visit to the dynasty years made me realize how different the Yankees teams of the past few season have been from those years. Only Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte, and Mariano Rivera remain from those years. Most people would say that these teams lacked the heart of those teams, which may be true, but the real problem is probably that they just lacked the rock solid pitching of those teams. The new Yankees teams have been based on offense, as those old teams never had any of the sluggers that recent Yankees teams have bolstered. However, this may be changing. The offense is still there, but now with the young pitching Brian Cashman has built up the Yankees have a chance to see Chien-Ming Wang, Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, and Ian Kennedy become the new David Wells, David Cone, or El Duque for a new dynasty. Anyway, as for the book, The Last Night of the Yankees Dynasty is a thrilling ride through nostalgia for all those who still long for the days of the Yankees’ dynasty. I would recommend it to every and any Yankees fan. No matter how well you think you know those teams you will learn something new about the team and just flat out enjoy reading this novel.

Curt Schilling's Blog

2008-01-01T10:01:00.000-08:00

As a blogger, I sometimes make it a point to check out other people’s blogs to check out the competition. Whether it be the great Peter Abraham’s blog or just another amature, it is still beneficial to see other people’s writings to learn from. One blog that has been in the headlines several times for various reasons is the run by Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling. Schilling’s blog, named 38 pitches for some reason unbeknownst to me, receives a lot of views and a lot of comments. Needless to say, Curt is probably not thrilled with many of the comments he receives since he collects plenty of derogatory posts from his readers. The entry that has caused the most controversy recently was his post claiming that Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds should be forced to give back all of their awards after being named on Senator Mitchell’s report. The particularly interesting part about it is how unwilling he seemed to give Clemens the benefit of the doubt. Schilling basically owed his whole career to Roger Clemens. Clemens was always Schilling’s idol as a pitcher, so one would assume that he would be more likely to give Clemens more time to prove his innocence rather then just assume his guilt. When Schilling was a young pitcher with the Philadelphia Phillies, he lacked the work ethic he has now became known for having, until his idol Roger Clemens came along and gave him a lecture on the importance of a strong work ethic. Since then, Schilling in his prime was very much a similar pitcher to Clemens after having that talk with his hero. After Game 7 of the 2001 World Series when the two pitchers faced off to determine the outcome of the World Series, Clemens made a point to go find Schilling and tell him that he was proud of him, even after Clemens’ team had just lost. After all that, you would think Schilling would be a little more grateful for all the help and support he had received from Clemens, at least enough to defend him while the rest of the baseball world condemned him. Schilling stated that he believed Andy Pettitte’s admission of using HGH only twice while he was hurt (I thought it was kind of funny that he misspelled Pettitte’s name), but he could not muster that same kind of faith for Clemens. Perhaps it will turn out that Schilling was right about Clemens, and while he never said outright that he believes Clemens is guilty, he certainly seemed to be leaning in that direction. Either way, the point is whether it’s true or not, he should have had more faith in his fellow pitcher, and certainly should have kept this opinion to himself until more information is known. Maybe he should leave the blogging up to the fans.

Call To Arms: In House Options

2007-12-30T09:55:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I addressed the free agents and trade targets the Yankees could have inquired about to help improve their depleted bullpen. Since the only two of those players mentioned earlier (Latroy Hawkins, Jonathan Albaladejo) has been added to the bullpen, that means the Yankees will have to rely heavily on their current in house options for the bullpen. Hawkins looks like the favorite to enter the season as Mariano Rivera’s primary set up man, but he may have to earn Girardi’s trust before that happens. Kyle Farnsworth has proven time and time again how unreliable he is, but for lack of other options he may be given another chance to fill the role he was signed to fill. Hopefully, Albaladejo will not be buried in the minor leagues and obscurity after his trade in the same way that Chris Britton was last season. Speaking of Britton, he should be given every opportunity to win a spot in the bullpen out of spring training, as he is still only 25 years old and has posted ERA’s of 3.55 and 3.35 the past two seasons, as well as a strong season in the minors last year (2.51 ERA). Albaladejo has had similar success thus far in his career and is also only 25 years old and the two of them could prove to not only be reliable set up men for next year but for years to come. The rest of the Yankees bullpen will also have to consist of young, unproven arms but with plenty of upside.
One of those arms emerged at the end of the 2007 season and that arm belonged to Princeton alumni Ross Ohlendorf. Ohlendorf came over in the Randy Johnson trade as a pretty good starting pitching prospect. However, he had a dreadful year in AAA to the tune of a 5.02 ERA. His future appeared to be in doubt, but he received a September call-up nonetheless. The 25 year old quickly became a dangerous weapon out of the bullpen, showing impressive velocity while touching 97 mph with his fastball. In a limited role Ohlendorf recorded a 2.84 ERA with 9 K’s in 6.1 innings and even impressed enough to be included on the post season roster. If the Yankees had enough confidence in him to include him on the post season roster after only 6.1 innings in the majors that season then it would seem he would be given every opportunity to win a spot in the bullpen out of spring training, especially with all the young starting pitching depth the Yankees have created making him less needed as a starting pitcher. Another young pitcher made the scene with the Yankees last season and completely frustrated Yankees fan and his name was Edwar Ramirez. With a devastating change-up, Ramirez had completely dominated the minor leagues in the 2007 season, posting a 0.54 ERA in Trenton with a 17.82 K/9 and a 0.90 ERA in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre with a 13.29 K/9. Then, Ramirez was promoted the major leagues and at times was completely unhittable, but other times he couldn’t get an out. He ended up with a 8.14 ERA with the Yankees and was not included on the post season roster. Still, at 26 years old, a minor league ERA of 2.45, and the flashes of brilliance he showed there is plenty of reason to believe that Ramirez can be an asset out of the Yankees bullpen. However, with stories circulating about he was reduced to tears after a particularly brutal outing with the Yankees, it raised the question of if he is mentally tough enough to handle a high pressure set up role. Speaking of inconsistent, Brian Bruney is set to get another look this season, but with his wildness and the fact that he’s now arbitration eligible the Yankees may choose just to cut bait and move on without him. Bruney has show that he’s capable of dominating, like he did with the Yankees in 2006 with a 0.87 ERA, but also showed how quickly it can all fall apart with him due to his control problems, like in 2007 when he walked 37 in 50 innings and recorded a 4.68 ERA. Another option is Jose Veras, but no matter how much the Yankees seem to think that he’s going to eventually turn into a good pitcher it just doesn’t seem like that metamorphosis is going to happen. Veras is 27 now and yet to do anything with his career, with career ERA’s of over four in the minors and the majors. The Yankees now seem to be counting on 28 year old Scott Patterson, since they’ve included him on their 40 man roster; based on his 1.09 ERA with Trenton last season, but the former starter has been quite effective since moving to the bullpen and has impressive BB to K rates, so he may prove to be a useful piece. Sean Henn is a waste of time but he may receive one last chance just since the Yankees have no lefties whatsoever. Another option is for the Yankees to try to find the next Joba Chamberlain by seeing which starting pitcher in the minors is the most effective (probably Alan Horne) and using him in a similar fashion as they use Joba last season. Other then that, the only thing they have to hope for is that young bullpen prospects Humberto Sanchez and JB

Prospect Profile: Anthony Claggett

2007-12-29T20:14:00.001-08:00

Humberto Sanchez was thought to be the center piece of the Gary Sheffield trade, while Kevin Whelan was a nice addition, but most people forget that there was a third player in that trade. That third player is 23 year old pitcher Anthony Clagget. The Tigers idea must have been to capitalize on Clagget’s value while it was its highest, since the season prior to the trade Clagget was 7-2 with a 0.91 for single A West Michigan and gaining 13 saves while acting as the team’s closer for part of the season. The Yankees’ picked up all three of these players to help bolster their young pitching crew for the bullpen, since the rotation is already pretty well set up. Clagget was selected by the Detroit Tigers in the 11th round of the 2005 draft out of the University of California-Riversdale. Clagget has a 2.93 ERA in his professional career and has traveled rather quickly through the minor league system, ending the 2007 in AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, if only for one game. Despite being more of a ground ball pitcher, Clagget still has a pretty solid K/9 7.29 and an even more encouraging 2.93 BB/9 in his career. Despite not having as obvious control problems as teammate Kevin Whelan, the Yankees took a similar approach with Clagget to help his development and control. They started him out in 2007 as a starting pitcher rather then a reliever for the first time in his career, going 9-8 with a 3.69 ERA during that time.
Clagget does not have the power arm that many relievers have, but his repertoire of pitchers is still better suited for the bullpen. Clagget has really only mastered a fastball and a slider, a combination with not nearly enough variety to make him an effective starter. His fastball usually sits around 93 mph with not much movement and the Yankees still may or may not ask him to dump his slider for a curve ball, as they have asked many of their young pitchers to do. Clagget has a deceptive delivery, however, so it helps keep hitter’s off balance even with how little movement he has with his fastball. Clagget has decent control for this stage in his development, so that should work in his advantage. The fact that the Yankees’ bullpen has many holes helps give him a quicker road to the majors as well. If he pitches well enough, he may be given a chance to contribute with the Yankees at some point during the 2008 season, although it seems somewhat unlikely. Since he finished the season with AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, he seems likely to begin 2008 there as well in a crowded bullpen.

Santana Deal Likely After the New Year

2007-12-24T09:24:00.000-08:00

A certain team is about to receive a new pitcher at the beginning of the New Year. That new pitcher is none other then Johan Santana and at the current asking price, that team should not be the New York Yankees. The Twins have now stated that they plan to deal Santana after the start of the New Year and unless the Yankees intend to add Ian Kennedy to their deal of Phil Hughes and Melky Cabrera then the Twins intend to take the Red Sox offer of Jon Lester, Coco Crisp, Jed Lowrie, and Justin Masterson. It’s painfully obvious that the Twins are just playing the Yankees and Red Sox against each other and if this is what they plan to do then both teams, especially the Yankees, should just walk away. They know that the Yankees fear a Boston rotation with Santana and Josh Beckett and believe they can get them to cave into their demands to avoid facing Santana six or seven times a season for the next decade. The whole Santana fest has been a constant battle for control between the Yankees and the Twins. Hank Steinbrenner did the same thing when he set his deadline for the Twins to accept the Yankees offer which has long since passed, and yet like most of Hank’s edicts it does not appear to be as final as he makes it sound. Hank has already stated that the Yankees are not out of the Santana race, despite his deadline passing, but the Yankees would be wise to only do this deal on their terms and not the Twins. Giving up one of the big pitchers to get a deal done may be worth it but to give up two of them would not be worth it. I don’t have much to base this on but I don’t think the Twins intend to accept the Red Sox offer as it is now since to anyone with some baseball knowledge should realize that the Red Sox current offer is inferior to the Yankees offer. The Twins likely know this as well and are just trying to get the best offer they can out of the Yankees. If you look at it this way, no one should argue that Phil Hughes is better then Jon Lester and Melky Cabrera is better then Coco Crisp. Jed Lowrie is a nice shortstop prospect but isn’t as good as Jose Tabata and is close in value to Austin Jackson. The only difference is that the Twins have a bigger whole at shortstop then in the outfield. The biggest disparigy would seem to be between Justin Masterson one of the other pitchers the Yankees could offer. Masterson does not appear like a very special pitcher at all, as he’s recorded ERA’s of over four in three of his four stops in his pro career. Alan Horne and Jeffrey Marquez, among others, have much more impressive statistics to offer then Masterson. So this act of gamesmanship by the Twins should not fool the Yankees, as they won’t take an inferior offer just because they didn’t get what they wanted from the Yankees. They seem to forget that they don’t have to trade Santana, they could just try to win with him this year, even if it won’t be easy with Detroit and Cleveland in their division.

What to do with Joba

2007-12-24T09:23:00.000-08:00

Even though it’s been a debate for the past couple of months, the future of the Yankees’ young flame throwing pitcher Joba Chamberlain has become a real hot topic in the past few days. The debate now is over where Joba should start the 2008 season, in the starting rotation or in the bullpen. Throughout the entire duration of the 2007 season, Brian Cashman stated that Chamberlain would be in the starting rotation for the 2008 season. Contrary to that, Buster Olney reported a few days ago that Chamberlain would start the 2008 season in the bullpen, under the Joba Rules, for around the first two months of the season to keep his innings down. However, those reports are now being disputed, so as of now it appears the plan is for Joba to be a starting pitcher all throughout 2008. With so much indecisiveness amongst the Yankees’ hierarchy and the media, it begs the question of which situation is the best for Joba and for the Yankees? First, the case for the starting rotation. Common sense would tell one that 160-180 innings of Joba would be more valuable then 70 or so. The old adage goes that starting pitching wins championships. Joba has been groomed as a starting pitcher for the entire duration of his career, sans the last few weeks of last season. If the Yankees do decide to keep Joba in the bullpen for awhile longer, it may then be too late to move him back into the starting rotation. The longer they wait, the harder it will be to build his stamina back up to the level of a starting pitcher. Additional bullpen arms are easier to find then starting pitchers, maybe not of Joba’s caliber but at least reliable ones. Humberto Sanchez, JB Cox, and Kevin Whelan are just a few of the young bullpen arms the Yankees could have on the way in the not so distant future. In a way, Joba is also more proven as a starter then a reliever. Not at the major league level, but all of the incredible stats he put up in the minor leagues was as a starter not a reliever. For those worried about Joba holding up as a starter because of his weight, ask C.C. Sabathia how he’s doing as a starter at a similar weight.
As for the bullpen side, it has its definite advantages for the 2008 season. To put it bluntly, the Yankees bullpen as of now sucks. They are completely devoid of a truly dominant set up man, as Joba was at the end of the 2007 season, and in the current state of baseball it is difficult to win without dominant set up men. For example, he Red Sox had Hideki Okajima, the Indians had the Rafael’s (Betancourt and Perez), the Diamondbacks had Tony Pena (not the Yankees’ first base coach), and the Rockies had Brian Fuentes. That’s all four of the teams from both league championships, so it helps prove how much a dominant set up man helps a team. The Yankees’ current options as set up men, Kyle Farnsworth and Latroy Hawkins, do not exactly measure up to those other names. The Yankees’ are much thinner in the bullpen then in the starting rotation at the moment. With Chien-Ming Wang, Andy Pettitte, Mike Mussina, Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy, and Kei Igawa around, Joba is expendable in the rotation. Joba is not ready to pitch a full season’s worth of innings as a starter, so this bull pen situation for part of the year may be the best way to keep his innings down, as long as it is handled properly when he is moved back into the rotation. The Dodgers had a similar situation last season with Chad Billingsley and went about it the right way. Billingsley spent about the first two months or so in the bullpen, and then the Dodgers gradually conditioned him back to a starter by limiting his pitch count in his first couple of starts. A similar approach with Joba could work. However, if Joba pitches like he did last season out of the pen and the rest of the bull pen struggles; it may be hard to move him out of the role he has already conquered. Still, it is a somewhat nice problem to have to have a dominant arm who can help in more then one role, so really neither decision the Yankees could make would be all that bad.

Rocket's Dilemma

2007-12-19T13:04:00.000-08:00

While Andy Pettitte has admitted his mistakes after being identified by the Mitchell report, Roger Clemens has taken a very different approach. From the start, Clemens has strongly denied the accusations thrown his way from the Mitchell report. Clemens finally broke his silence in a stronger way by releasing this statement, "I want to state clearly and without qualification: I did not take steroids, human growth hormone or any other banned substances at any time in my baseball career or, in fact, my entire life," Clemens said in a statement issued by his agent. "Those substances represent a dangerous and destructive shortcut that no athlete should ever take." Pretty strong words, but that’s really all they are, just words. It has now become a battle of the words now, Clemens’ word vs. McNamee’s. In a different instance, I said I would believe Pettitte’s word after his admission, but this is a bit different. This time there is some reason to doubt what Clemens says since there is a witness whose testimony contradicts Clemens. Since there is still a lot left to be learned about this subject, I for one will be withholding judgment until more information becomes available. Clemens could help his case with more then a statement though, especially with something like a lawsuit against the Mitchell investigation or McNamee himself for slander or by taking a lie detector test. Either way, it is important for people to not jump to conclusions right away. After all, some people may remember right as the Mitchell list was being revealed that many inaccurate lists were produced with many players’ names who were not actually meant to be there. So I plead for everyone to wait until they declare one of the greatest pitchers of all time guilty, wait at least until he has a chance to fully defend himself.

Andy's Admission

2007-12-19T13:03:00.000-08:00

During the fallout of the Mitchell list, many of the player’s named on the report have taken different approaches to defend themselves. Some have vehemently denied the allegations, some of accepted responsibility for their actions, and some fell somewhere in the middle. Andy Pettitte is one of those guys whose admission was somewhere in between admitting guilt and denying the charges. After being named by his former trainer Brian McNamee, Pettitte admitted to using human growth hormone twice in 2002. "If what I did was an error in judgment on my part, I apologize," Pettitte said in a statement released by his agent. "I accept responsibility for those two days." No, it isn’t much of an apology. I’m not so much going to comment on Pettitte’s apology itself but rather the reactions it has received. Most Yankee fans were quick to accept his apology without a second thought, praising him for being honest and being able to admit that he made a mistake. Pettitte has always been thought of as a class act by the fans and the league. He was even trusted with a $16 million player option by the Yankees for the 2008 season, something that most players do not receive from their clubs. Journalists, on the other hand, were pretty quick to criticize Pettitte’s apology as disingenuous and a lie. Some journalists went far enough as to say that Pettitte was not using the HGH just to recover, but to gain a competitive advantage, as if they were stating this as a fact. How they could know what was going through Pettitte’s mind as he did it is beyond me, but apparently they’ve mastered the art of mind reading and perhaps should share the secrets of it. Journalists are often paid to share their opinion, but to accuse some one of a blatant lie with no proof and to do so in a way as if they were stating a fact rather then an opinion. I do have a specific article in mind while writing this but I will refrain from calling out a much more accomplished journalist then myself, even if I disagree with his tactics and opinions. Still, such a form of analysis is not only useless, but it irresponsible for someone in a position to influence so many readers. Anyway, as for Pettitte, I tend to believe what he says since I have no reason not to, nor does anybody else. Everything Pettitte says is in accord with what McNamee reported, so there is no reason not to believe him except for those of us cynical enough to automatically assume that he’s lying without any real proof of it. Granted, Pettitte’s apology showed his annoyance over the situation, but that could be because he truly does not believe he did anything wrong. After all, according to his and McNamee’s testimony, Pettitte only tried HGH twice in 2002 while in the disabled list, and before it was a banned substance by Major League Baseball. Those two times seem highly unlikely to effect his performance much, to say that anything he or the Yankees have done is tainted because of that would just be foolish. This story will likely remain in the news a little while longer, but by admitting this, Pettitte has likely ensured that come a few weeks from now, nobody will be talking about this ugly situation.

Shadow of the Day

2007-12-16T08:14:00.000-08:00

Title courtesy of an awesome Linkin Park song. The anticipation and trepidation of all of major league baseball, including the owners, players, and fans finally came to a culmination on December 13th, when former Senator George Mitchell finally released his report on the steroids scandal in baseball. The sun rose this morning and set in the evening, but everything in between from the baseball stand point consisted of Mitchell emptying the skeletons of the closet of major league baseball. The question is, what really changed? Sure, some players’ reputations suffered irreparable damage, but that’s really the only tangible change that amounted from this report. For those of you, like myself, who actually watched Senator Mitchell’s press conference, my condolences. The press conference was quite painful to watch, as Mitchell told the public absolutely nothing they did not already know. Steroids are bad for you? That might have been new information to someone who’s lived under a rock for the past decade, but for the rest of us every word coming out of Mitchell’s mouth was just recycled information that shocked no one. The only thing the public wanted to hear were the specific names on the list, and Mitchell did not even go over that specifically, he just released it in the report that he sent out. Some sources were premature with their versions of the list, causing many players to be falsely accused of something they had nothing to do with. Eventually the real list surfaced and it was a mixed reaction. Some names surprised no one (Bonds, Tejada), some were somewhat humerous (Chuck Knoblauch, Kevin Brown), and some no one wanted to believe (Clemens, Pettitte). It’s quite unlikely that the list revealed every player who ever used steroids, and even less likely that all the names will ever be found, but it’s a start.
Senator Mitchell advised MLB Commissioner Bud Selig to forego disciplinary action on the players who were named in the report. This is probably the right way to go, as many of the reports of steroid use by current players was still from several years ago before they were banned by baseball. Also, with very few of these names being connected to the scandal by a failed drug test or anything substantial it is hard to justify any sort of suspension. After all, some people’s names are linked solely on the word of a disgruntled clubhouse attendant and trainer so if it becomes a game of he said, she said then it would be impossible to suspend someone over it. The only punishment that will land down most of these players way is to be ripped apart in the court of public opinion, and for a select few, to be ostracized from the Hall of Fame. Other then that, nothing was accomplished by these reports. It is already a few short days past and people are beginning to forget it ever happened. The black mark will always remain on the players who were named, but nothing substantial will happen for the sport itself because of Mitchell’s investigation. Baseball had already taken the necessary steps to rid itself of this problem, with a vastly fiercer drug testing policy. The only thing it’s lacking at this point is a test for HGH, but they’re working on it. So with this Mitchell report gone and soon to be forgotten, hopefully Congress does not find it necessary to launch another pointless investigation, because I certainly do not want to waste another hour of my life watching a pointless press conference.

Latroy Hawkins a Yankee (unfortunately)

2007-12-12T19:06:00.000-08:00

Last week, I wrote an article about the possible free agents the Yankees could sign to strengthen their bullpen. Noticeably missing from that entry was any mention of Latroy Hawkins, the newest Yankee. That’s because I was only listing pitchers who would actually benefit the team. That may be a little harsh, but I’m not alone in my skepticism of this signing. The 34 year old right hander was recently signed to a one year, $3.75 million contract. The numbers don’t look bad when looked at alone, as he did have a very respectable 3.42 ERA in 2007 for the Rockies, although his 1.23 WHIP and low strikeout rates were a bit disheartening. When I say low strike out rates, I mean it as Hawkins only struck out 29 batters in 55.1 innings. Hawkins does keep his walks down as well, but with the amount of hits he gives up and the fact that he does not miss many bats would lead you to believe that his success relies heavily on luck. The stat used for this, BABIP (batting average on balls in play) showed how lucky Hawkins was last year, as his BABIP was a lucky .238. Luck like that does not often last, so I’m not expecting Hawkins to even come that close to matching his ERA of last season. His career mark of 4.68 is much more likely, and that’s only with consideration to the pure baseball aspect of it. That’s not even taking account of the fact that Hawkins is a choke artist. This can be best seen as his days as a closer both with the Minnesota Twins and Chicago Cubs. Hawkins blew 9 saves per year as a closer; he blew exactly nine in 2001, 2004, and 2005. Throw in his 4.63 career post season ERA and it becomes pretty clear that Hawkins folds under pressure. Why is this relevant? It is not only for when the Yankees make the playoffs (hopefully), but every game in New York feels like a pressure cooker. Plenty of pitchers of a higher caliber then Hawkins have come to New York and were crushed under the pressure and it seems like the likely fate of Hawkins. I’d go as far as to say that he’s the next Kyle Farnsworth. Besides, Cubs fans know what it’s like to have Hawkins and Farnsworth in the same bullpen, not good. So imagine the Yankees carrying a one run lead into the eighth inning in Fenway Park and Hawkins comes trotting out to protect that slim lead. How confident do you feel about that thought?

Prospect Profile: Kevin Whelan

2007-12-12T19:05:00.000-08:00

Staying with my theme recent theme of soon to be bullpen weapons for the Yankees, today’s prospect profile will be on Yankees’ minor league reliever Kevin Whelan. Prior to the 2004 season, no one would have expected Whelan to be involved in a discussion such as this, as Whelan was a catcher for his entire baseball career until then. Unfortunately, Whelan was not much of a hitter, as he only hit .245 and .233 during the 2003 and 2004 seasons respectively, but since he had a strong arm behind the plate he started to tinker with pitching. He still didn’t pitch as much as he would have liked to while still at Texas A&M due to an injury to another catcher on the team, but he did still manage to do enough pitching to compile a 3.57 ERA in 39.2 innings. This was enough of a sampling for the Detroit Tigers to select Whelan in the 4th round of the 2005 draft. Whelan continued to excel while picking up pitching basically on the fly, compiling a 2.25 ERA in low A Oneonta and a 0.73 ERA with A class West Michigan in 2005, while also sporting an obscene 14.25 and 16.05 K/9 respectively. Things got better from there in Whelan’s first full season in the minors, as he posted a 2.72 ERA with 27 saves while acting as high A class Lakeland’s closer. It was after that season that Whelan found himself as part of the package the Detroit Tigers sent the Yankees, along with Humberto Sanchez and Anthony Clagget, to acquire Gary Sheffield. Once the Yankees had control of Whelan, they took a very odd approach with his development. The Yankees had Whelan start out the 2007 as a starting pitcher in high A class Tampa in an effort to help him learn better control, and Whelan actually did very well, going 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA. It seemed at the time to have helped him with his control, as his BB/9 of 3.86 was quite a bit lower then his career rate of 5.14, although his K rates did decline a bit as a starter. The Yankees still seemed to have little intention of keeping Whelan in the rotation and he was sent back to the bullpen and promoted to AA Trenton. Things did not go as well for Whelan in Trenton, where his 2.98 ERA was good but his worst in the minors and his walk rate nearly doubled to 6.96 and he uncorked 8 wild pitches.
The thing that caught scouts eyes and kept Whelan as a pitcher was the fact that the first time he began pitching he was throwing in the high 90’s. 96 mph is the usual speed for his fastball and he also features a 2 seem fastball and a splitter that is usually in the high 80’s. As stated earlier, Whelan’s biggest flaw is his control. Whelan dominates when he finds the strike zone, as he overpowered hitters with a career K/9 of 11.59, but his 5.14 BB/9 is much higher then one would like to see from a reliever, or anyone really. Walks out of the bullpen can kill a team, but when a pitcher misses as many bats with K’s as Whelan does it makes it hurt a bit less. Still, he’ll likely have to work on his control if he hopes to become an elite reliever in this league. At age 23, Whelan is a little older then most players at this stage of development, mostly because he didn’t even start pitching until he was in college, so it hurts his long term value a bit, but he isn’t that far behind. With the current state of the Yankee’s bullpen, Whelan has a chance to make an appearance in the majors as soon as this season with a hot start, but it may not be until September call ups. Whelan could start the year in AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre if they want to be aggressive, but they may start him as Trenton’s closer to let him work on his control at a lower level a little longer. Either way, the Yankees’ are depending on Whelan as well as Humberto Sanchez and JB Cox to be fixtures in their bullpen for years to come, and to avoid bullpen scenarios as bad as they face in 2008.

Call to Arms

2007-12-08T10:59:00.002-08:00

With Joba Chamerlain back in the starting rotation (for now), one thing is for certain, the Yankees bullpen is atrocious. Even with Mariano River re-signed, the Yankees’ set up core at the moment consists of Kyle Farnsworth and a bunch of unproven young pitchers. Farnsworth is completely unreliable and virtually useless (or worthless as is the nickname often given to him with a play of words on his last name) so basically it boils down to depending on the kids to step up. That is, unless, Cashman brings in some more help form the outside to give Girardi something to work with. I’ll outline some of the out of organization options now and then next week I’ll take a closer look at the in house options. Anyway, many of the big name, big contract pitchers have already been signed, such as Scott Linebrink, Francisco Cordero, and David Riske but free agency does still yield some interesting options. Luis Vizcaino has declined the Yankees offer of salary arbitration, and seems visibly upset with how the Yankees are handling him so he seems unlikely to return. His agent does say though that he wants to stay in New York, but the Yankees just haven’t “stepped up their offer” enough to satisfy him. He is probably not worth the four year deal he may have required anyway, but he would still be a fairly reliable arm for at least the first two years of that deal. Ron Mahay, formerly with the Atlanta Braves, is an intriguing option mostly because he is left handed, but did finish last season with a 2.55 ERA. The only problem is that he is 36 years old and many teams are interested in him. Still, he should be Cashman’s main target as of now to give the Yankees’ their first reliable lefty bullpen arm probably since Mike Stanton (the first time). The other option via free agency, one no one seems to be talking much about, is Eric Gagne. Yes, the Yankees must surely be scared off by how poorly Gagne performed upon arriving in Boston, but the fact that Gagne stayed relatively healthy for most of the season should be a positive sign. Gagne declined Boston’s offer of arbitration and the Rangers have declared themselves out of the race for his services, so the competition for Gagne is decreasing. The Yankees are unlikely to receive the Gagne from his Dodgers days, or maybe not even from Texas, but are likely to receive better then what he gave Boston (what a bad trade for the Red Sox by the way).
Then there’s the trade market, which can be very unpredictable. I think this is where Cashman is likely to turn for bullpen help but I will not pretend to know who is available as well as Cashman. Perhaps the Angels have soured on Scott Shields enough after his rough stretch last season to trade him, but probably not. Cashman may have to load up on low risk, high reward players to try to hope enough of them pan out to form a formidable bullpen. The player I would target here would be Tom Gordon of the Philadelphia Phillies. Yes, he is 40 years old, due $5.5 million in 2008, and did have an injury rattled season with a 4.73 ERA, but it might not hurt to bring the former Yankee back. For those reasons, the Phillies asking price must be very low for him and with Brad Lidge in tow they do not need him to close. In 2006 Gordon posted a 3.34 ERA so the Yankees would be thrilled with it. It’s pretty unlikely that Gordon will return to his previous Yankee days in 2004 and 2005 where he posted a 2.21 and 2.57 ERA’s respectively, but there’s little risk in bringing Gordon in since Cashman would have to give up virtually nothing to get him and there’s still some upside. Throw in the fact that he is only under contract for next season (with a club option for 2009 with a $1 million buyout) it couldn’t hurt to give it a shot. Bullpen arms are so unpredictable anyway that most pitchers are long shots to perform at some point, and GM’s just have to hope the pieces fall in line properly to form a good bullpen. Cashman still needs to add a few pieces, though, before he can hope for that to happen.

Matsui a Giant Again?

2007-12-08T10:59:00.001-08:00

Not the Yomiuri Giants where Hideki Matsui began his career in Japan, but it was the San Francisco Giants that came calling for Hideki Matsui’s services. Despite the fact that the move makes almost no sense for the Giants, the rumors spread that late in the winter meetings the Giants and Yankees did discuss a Matsui to the Giants deal. Not much was said about what the Yankees would have received back but it’s safe to say that unless Brian Sabean, the Giants GM, is the worst GM in baseball (he’s probably up there actually) then it wouldn’t have been Tim Lincecum or Matt Cain. The Giants have been trying to pawn one of them off for an outfielder (Alex Rios of the Blue Jays mostly) but if they were smart then they would need more then Matsui to pry away one of their young aces. A package of Noah Lowry and one of the Giants young bullpen arms like Brian Wilson, Brad Hennessy, or Jonathan Sanchez surely would have been to the Yankees liking but would not make much sense for the Giants. If the Giants were a near contender that was only a piece away from actually contending then it would make sense to add Matsui to try to put them over the top, but nobody is going to confuse this Giants team with a contender. The Giants have an excellent nucleus of young pitchers, both in the rotation and the bullpen, but they have very little in the terms of young hitters. That’s why it makes some sense for them to trade one of their young pitchers for a young star like Alex Rios, but not for a 34 year old outfielder. The Giants thinking may have been around the marketing from the Japanese market by acquiring Matsui, but supposedly they have plenty of money to put a contender on the field they just do not manage the money wisely. The Yankees do seem pretty willing to deal an outfielder, whether it be Matsui, Damon, or Melky, to free up the log jam and perhaps to add another useful part, but it does not appear as if they will do so in this trade. The trade seemed to have been left for dead after the winter meetings and is unlikely to be resurrected, but the off season always seems to have a way of throwing these unexpected trades into the limelight, even if they never are completed.

Prospect Profile: JB Cox

2007-12-08T10:58:00.001-08:00

Once upon a time in baseball, it was unheard of for young pitchers to be groomed specifically as relievers or as closers. However, with starting pitchers no longer a given to pitch at least 8 innings every start as well as the evolution of the role of the closer, teams have realized the importance of a strong bullpen. Thus, the specialization of pitchers as relievers had begun, which leads us to our next potential Yankee star, James Brent Cox. JB Cox, as he’s often referred to as, would probably no longer be eligible for such a profile if not for elbow surgery prior to the 2007 season. If he was healthy, Cox would have likely been a part of the Yankees bullpen in 2007, but instead he had a ligament in his elbow repaired, but not replaced like it would be in Tommy John Surgery. Cox also injured his hand in a bar fight, but that was only a minor injury. The 23 year old right hander was selected by the Yankees in the second round of the 2005 draft out of the University of Texas. Cox had become a legend at the University of Texas as their closer in their national championship season of 2005. Cox had inherited the role of closer after former teammate and now Oakland A’s closer Huston Street had left to the major leagues, allowing Cox to record the final out of Texas’s magical season. Cox had ERA’s of 2.25, 2.12, and 1.73 respectively in his three years at Texas and his success continued upon entering the Yankees minor league system where he posted a 2.60 for high A Tampa in 2005 and followed it up with a 1.75 ERA for AA Trenton in 2006. When 2.60 is the highest ERA you’ve ever finished with then you know things are going well. Cox compliments these pretty ERA’s with low home run and walk rates as well as a 7.51 K/9 in the minors which was even better in college. In 290.1 career innings (college and minors) Cox has allowed only 7 home runs which is exactly what you want to see from a reliever. His 0.99 WHIP from the minors certainly isn’t bad either.
Cox throws a fastball, a slider, and a changeup, and also throws all his pitches in a unique arm angle that used to be nearly side armed in college but the Yankees have raised it up a bit to a more three quarters delivery. His fastball is usually clocked in the 93 mph range with a lot of sink that has compared to that of Derek Lowe’s sinker. His slider is right around 85 mph and has been said to be even better then that of his former teammate Huston Street. Cox only began working on his changeup later in his career as he started using it in the 2006 season. As of now it is an average pitch to give hitters a different look, but if it continues to develop into a plus pitch it will be the thing that solidifies Cox as an elite reliever. Many scouts compare Cox to Scott Shields, although Cox seems to lack Shields durability. The only thing that could really keep Cox from fulfilling his potential is the injury problems, especially since they’ve already set him back at least a year. Cox used to be the obvious heir apparent of the closer role once Mariano Rivera hangs them up for good, but now he’ll have to re-establish himself and compete with other pitchers like Kevan Whelan and Humberto Sanchez for the role. The journey back should start early next season, possibly even right from the start where Cox may be sent back to single A ball until he gets a better feeling of pitching again. Only then can he get back to where he was in AA Trenton and hope to advance further in the system. Cox certainly would have already been a staple in the Yankees pen if not for the injuries, and while its possible that a late season debut could happen, 2009 is looking a lot more likely.

Latest on Johan

2007-12-05T17:48:00.001-08:00

Writing something about Johan Santana has become a weekly staple for me, whether I like it or not. There may not even be a need for me to do so anymore, considering that Hank Steinbrenner took the liberty of putting a deadline on the Twins to accept their offer and since they did not meet that deadline, then supposedly they are out of the running for Santana. However, Hank has little credibility with these matters after declaring a similar assertion towards Alex Rodriguez. Rumors are stilly flying that the Yankees are indeed not finished with Santana, but a rumor could easily come out any minute to contradict that. It was only a few short days ago that the Red Sox appeared to be in the verge of completing a Santana trade, but apparently that has fallen through as well. The Twins must have come to their senses, since they had little reason to accept what the Red Sox were offering. A deal of Jon Lester, Coco Crisp, Jed Lowrie, and Justin Masterson should not have been enough to get it done. Even the most biased Red Sox fan should be able to admit that the Yankees package of Phil Hughes, Melky Cabrera, and one or two minor leaguers was superior to the Red Sox’s package. Despite the fact that the Yankees featured the superior offer, the Twins were still unwilling to complete the trade in a reasonable fashion. However, this can be seen just as much as the Yankees fault, since supposedly they turned a trade of Hughes, Melky, Mitch Hillogross, and Jeffrey Marquez. It seemed as if the Twins insistence on gaining Hughes and Kennedy was what kept the trade from happening, but apparently that was not the case. The Yankees have become quite frugal with their young players, which is really not an awful thing unless they plan on making any trades. There was a rumor of a three team trade with the Mets, Twins, and A’s regarding Santana, Jose Reyes, and Dan Haren, but it was already proved to be just that, a rumor. The Mariners and Angels are both rumored to still be the fringe of the talks, but neither seems like a likely destination for Santana. I’ll probably get to enjoy writing about this several more teams, as I don’t expect anything to be done for at least a couple of weeks.

Yankee Blockbuster

2007-12-05T17:47:00.001-08:00

The Yankees have been feverishly trying to manufacture a trade that suited them and they did just that. No, they didn’t pull of the trade for Johan Santana, but somehow between negotiating with the Twins, Brian Cashman was able to pull off a trade on the side with the Washington Nationals, sending right handed starting pitching prospect Tyler Clippard to Washington in exchange for reliever Jonathan Albaladejo Yes, while the Tigers are acquiring Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis, the Angels signing Torii Hunter, and the Red Sox potentially trading for Johan Santana, the Yankees are busy trading for the great Jonathan Albaladejo. Still, some times the small trades are the ones that end up paying dividends. It’s no secret that the Yankees bullpen needs help, so Albaladejo becomes an instant option for the bullpen next season, ready to compete with many other young arms for a spot. Albaladejo posted a 1.88 ERA in 14.1 innings last season for the Nationals as a September call up (also his only major league experience), but also has a minor league ERA of 3.54. Albaladejo was converted full time into a reliever in 2006 and has succeeded in his new role with his highlight being a 1.13 ERA with AAA Columbus last season before his call up. Albaladejo throws a low to mid 90’s fastball, a decent change, and a decent slider which the Yankees may attempt to dispose of in favor of a curveball. He has good command, but is a minor injury risk after suffering from some forearm problems and does potentially have a shoulder problem that could require major surgery sometime in the not so distant future.
Tyler Clippard, on the other hand, saw his stock drop tremendously during the 2007 season. Entering the season, Clippard was considered the Yankees second best pitching prospect behind Phil Hughes, but that was before Joba Chamberlain and Ian Kennedy became house hold names. Clippard’s 3.35 ERA for AA Trenton in 2006 as well as his good strike out rates and relatively low walks had the Yankees very high on him. Unfortunately, Clippard struggled mightily during his first stint in the majors, posting a 6.33 ERA despite a 3-1 record and despite his excellent debut outing vs the Mets. Clippard then struggled further upon returning to the minors to the tune of a 5.40 ERA in Trenton and 4.15 in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He then fell behind Chamberlain, Kennedy, and others in the pecking order, making it seem unlikely all along that he would make another appearance in pinstripes. Clippard may actually be happy about the trade, as he has landed in a tremendous situation to maximize his performance. With the Nationals, he’s likely to spend time in their rotation during 2008 even if he does not make the rotation out of spring training. A move to the NL and out of the AL east can only help his value as well. For the fantasy baseball players, Clippard should be a good deep sleeper for the 2008 season given his new situation.

Andy's Dandy Once Again

2007-12-05T17:46:00.000-08:00

The Yankees successfully landed themselves a left handed starter, but it wasn’t exactly the one they had been aiming for in the past week or so. While he may not be Johan Santana, the Yankees are still plenty happy enough to have Andy Pettitte back in pinstripes for one more season. Despite recent statements that Pettitte was leaning towards retirement, Pettitte has announced that he will return to the Yankees for the 2008 season. Pettitte received a contract identical to what his player option would have been, one year, $16 million. Sure it is still a lot of money for somebody who may post an ERA in the 4’s again but Pettitte provides invaluable leadership in the rotation and is the real ace of the staff. Pettitte was the most consistent pitcher last year and the one who could be trusted in the playoffs (sorry Wang). Interestingly enough, despite the fact that Pettitte has seriously considered retirement the past two seasons, Pettitte has made comments that he plans to pitch beyond next season, possibly for well after next season. Pettitte was quoted as saying “I really believe now, especially after playing with the Astros and pitching with my elbow the way it was when I needed surgery, I realize now I could probably go out and pitch until I’m 45 years old, because I was throwing 82, 83 mph and still being able to compete, maybe because I’m left handed or whatever. For me, the thing of me not being able to go out there and get any guys out, I think that’s so far down the road, probably, that’s never going to play into my decision.” Confidence is always a good thing to have, but being so confidant about being an effective pitcher until you’re 45 may be a bit too ambitious. It’s not exactly something you see every day, unless you’re name is Roger Clemens, although Pettitte could likely remain an effective reliever until then if he chose to since he is left handed. Perhaps he can work out a long term deal with the Yankees at some point during the season, although probably not one for another ten years. Regardless, the Yankees are thrilled to have Pettitte back as he is likely to repeat his 2007 performance next year while mentoring the young pitchers.

The Waiting Game

2007-12-02T09:30:00.001-08:00

I remember when Alex Rodriguez was going through all of his contract situations and how sick I was of hearing about it. There seemed to be something new about it everyday. After all of the Johan Santana rumors, I look back and realize how simple A-Rod’s situation was after all. The Santana rumors seem to change once every couple of hours, making it very hard to keep up on. I’ll run down the latest situation even though everything I wrote now could be completely different in a couple of hours. As of now the Yankees brass has decided to include Phil Hughes in the package for Santana. The package will likely now be Hughes, Melky Cabrera, and a third player. At one point, it was rumored that the third player would be Ian Kennedy, but it was proven to be nothing more then a rumor. Good thing that it was just a rumor or else the Yankees would have been fleeced by the Twins. It is hard enough to give up one of the big 3 pitchers (Hughes, Joba, and Kennedy) but to give two of them up would just not be worth it, not even for Santana. The Yankees have now listed five players as off limits for as the third player in the deal, those five being Kennedy, Austin Jackson, Jose Tabata, Alan Horne, or Dellin Betances. The Twins are likely not thrilled with what’s left for them to choose for them, but Humberto Sanchez, Jeffrey Marquez, Juan Miranda, Jesus Montero, or Brett Gardner appear to be their best choices. They reportedly have some interest in Alberto Gonzalez (for some reason) to replace Jason Bartlett, but another choice they could choose would be Ross Ohlendorf, who showed impressive stuff during his very short stint with the Yankees at the end of the 2007 season. This is the Yankees way of keeping the price down on Santana since they are already giving up a lot in Hughes and Melky. Reportedly, the Yankees have also given the Twins a deadline to accept their offer, although it was not said of when this deadline was. This is another attempt to gain some of the leverage back from the Twins but it remains to be seen of how concrete this deadline is.
Going on elsewhere, the Red Sox are weighing their own options on the Johan Santana front. The Red Sox are said to have come up with “new” offers for Santana, although those new offers are not known either. The Twins are still holding out for the Red Sox to offer a package that includes Clay Buchholz or Jacoby Ellsbury. The Twins much prefer Ellsbury to patrol center field for them over Melky Cabrera (who wouldn’t?), but it seems as though if the Red Sox and Yankees offer similar packages the Twins may take the Red Sox due to their infatuation with Ellsbury and Buchholz. The Mariners and Dodgers are said to have still been having conversations with the Twins about Santana, and the Mets still seem to be lurking in the shadows but are not serious contenders especially after trading away Lastings Milledge, so as usual things should come down to the Yankees and Red Sox. However, if the Twins become difficult to deal with, both teams have shown a willingness to walk away from the deal and pursue other options, namely Dan Haren in Oakland or Erik Bedard in Baltimore. Neither are the type of pitcher Santana is, but they are more affordable and under contract for longer. Regardless of what happens, this promises to drag out for a long time, unless a large amount of progress can be made during the winter meetings. Stay tuned folks, because this one promises to get a lot crazier before it gets any simpler.

"Lastings" Stock of Baseball

2007-12-02T09:29:00.001-08:00

I’m not sure if “Lastings” sounds close enough to the word “laughing” for that to work but I went for it anyway. The Mets essentially took themselves out of the Johan Santana sweepstakes when they sent former top prospect Lastings Milledge to the Washington Nationals for catcher Brian Schneider and outfielder Ryan Church. This is the same player who less then two years ago was being rumored to be a center piece of a trade for Barry Zito or Roy Oswalt. Now, he was traded for a catcher who batted .235 last season and an outfielder who hit 15 home runs. So while the Mets did improve their defense with this trade, they ended up getting a catcher who was worse offensively then Paul Lo Duca or Johnny Estrada and they got a younger version of Shawn Green. They essentially gave away Guillermo Mota in the process when they traded him for Johnny Estrada who they are now going to just cut anyway. While the Mets may have never really had a shot at Johan Santana in the firs place, unless they were willing to give up Jose Reyes, losing Milledge in this deal takes away a big bargaining chip for them. A package of Mike Pelfrey, Carlos Gomez, and Fernando Martinez is just simply not going to entice the Twins. Despite my bashing of this trade, I do not think they are going to miss Milledge all that much anyway. Milledge has become the definition of overrated and I do not know how he ever became such a top prospect to begin with. Milledge has a career .305 average in the minors, which is good don’t get me wrong but it’s nothing spectacular given that it’s been paired with only modest power and speed numbers. Milledge has also struck out more then twice as many times as he’s walked in the minors, has hit only .257 in the majors thus far, does not play the outfield well, has a bit of a diminutive stature, and has a less then stellar attitude. Mark my words that Milledge will never make one all star appearance (although on the Nationals his chances are better since every team has to have one all star so he could be their Mark Redman for the team). Still, the fact that the Mets have basically conceded defeat in their pursuit of a big deal this winter as well as failing to capitalize on Milledge’s reputation a few years ago does make for a good laugh. This may seem only loosely Yankee related but what can I say, I can’t turn down an opportunity to bash the Mets.

Prospect Profile: Humberto Sanchez

2007-12-02T09:28:00.000-08:00

Prior to the 2007 season, Brian Cashman was left with a decision of what to do with disgruntled outfielder Gary Sheffield. He had little attention of retaining him, so he decided to pick up his player option and trade him. A trade seemed like it would be difficult to pull of with a player who was older, missed most of the prior season due to injury, and obviously discontented, and yet Brian Cashman was still able to make off with the Detroit Tigers top pitching prospect as well as Kevan Whelan and Anthony Clagget. That top pitching prospect and center piece of the deal was none other then Humberto Sanchez. As is now, Sanchez may be the most hyped prospect with a losing record and career ERA over 4.00 that ever existed, but there are still reasons why Sanchez is so hyped. Sanchez’s career record is 30-31 and he does have a career ERA of 4.16, but this time the numbers do not tell the whole story. Injuries have completely marred Sanchez’s career, which is certainly cause for concern, but they have greatly hindered his performance as well. The 24 year old, Dominican right hander was originally drafted by the Tigers in the 31st round of the 2001 draft before being traded to the Yankees six years later. The real buzz around Sanchez formed in 2006 when he dominated AA Erie to the tune of a 1.76 ERA. It was that type of potential that kept Sanchez going through his various injuries and why he remains a top prospect to wait for once he recovers from Tommy John Surgery.
Sanchez features a 93-95 mph fastball, a curve, and a changeup much like many of the Yankees minor league studs. Sanchez was thought to be major league ready last season, and with all of the Yankees pitching injuries during the season it would have been almost a sure bet that Sanchez would have seen time in the majors during 2007. Unfortunately, Sanchez had Tommy John surgery during spring training and missed the whole season. This injury as well as many others are the biggest black mark on Sanchez’s resume. In fact they seem likely at this point to confine him to the bullpen rather then the rotation where he has started all but four of his 88 career minor league games. Sanchez’s stuff profiles perfectly for a bullpen role, but he’ll need to improve his control a bit to become a top flight relief pitcher. Sanchez’s career 4.56 BB9 is not horrendous, but it’s much harder to get away with that suspect control in the bullpen rather then as a starter. With the current state of the Yankees, Sanchez seems almost certain to be groomed as a reliever rather then a starter from here on out. Sanchez could be used to help the Yankees bullpen as soon as the midway point of the 2008 season assuming his recovery goes well. Given the depth of the Yankees starting pitching prospects, Sanchez can now be groomed to become a future closer, a role that many scouts believe he is suited well for. Either way, Sanchez appears set to become a large part of the Yankees future plans, as long as he can stay healthy that is.

Rowand or Jones?

2007-11-28T16:58:00.001-08:00

From 1995 through 2005 the Yankees were spoiled by having one of the best center fielders in the game roaming their outfield in the person of Bernie Williams. In 2006, they thought they had found their replacement with Johnny Damon, who was then quickly replaced by Melky Cabrera. With Melky Cabrera at the ripe young age of 23, it would seem that the Yankees would have no need to pursue a center fielder for years to come. Wrong. Melky is the assumed to be a big part of the trade talks with Minnesota for Johan Santana and the Yankees were already said to have been shopping Cabrera aggressively. Despite the fact that the Yankees would still have Hideki Matsui, Johnny Damon, and Bobby Abreu around (as well as Shelly Duncan and three very promising young outfielders in Jose Tabata, Austin Jackson, and Brett Gardner) the Yankees would still be likely to bring in a new center fielder to replace Melky. There have already been rumors that the Yankees have contacted Aaron Rowand about acquiring his services if Melky were to be dealt. Originally, the plan was for Torii Hunter to replace Melky, but with him now over with the Angels, the Yankees remaining options seem to be Aaron Rowand or Andruw Jones. The question then becomes, which one of the two would be the better option for the Yankees as a replacement for Melky Cabrera?
Oddly enough, the two players have a lot in common. Both are 30 years old. Both received Gold Glove honors last season (although Jones has 10 career while Rowand only has 3, even if the award is somewhat meaningless). Both are right handed hitters with good power, but despite these similarities, there is still a huge gap in the price tags of the two players. This gap is due to their performances last year, where Rowand hit .309 with 27 HR’s, 89 RBI’s, and 105 runs while Jones hit .222 with 26 HR’s, 94 RBI’s and 83 runs. Despite Rowand’s clear offensive advantage from last season, Jones still has a higher career OPS, leading .839 to .805. Rowand hits for a higher average while Jones has more power, neither one are much of a factor on the base paths these days, and both strike out far more then they walk. Oddly enough Rowand’s career on base percentage is only one point higher then Jones despite the higher batting average (.342 to .343). Despite the fact that it may be hard to tell which one is the superior option, many more teams have been in on Rowand then Jones. Rowand has been quoted as wanting a 6 year, $84 million deal, although it remains to be seen if he will actually receive it. Jones, on the other hand, may only receive a one year deal which he hasn’t been happy about, even though he maybe he should take that opportunity to build his value back up. Basically it boils down to this, Rowand is the safer bet, but Jones could easily be one of the best bargains in recent baseball history.

Richie Sexson at First?

2007-11-28T16:57:00.001-08:00

In the off season prior to the 2005 season, the Seattle Mariners tried to make a big splash by signing two big free agent bats. Unfortunately for them, those two bats happened to be Adrian Beltre and Richie Sexson. Neither of the two hitters have lived up to the contracts they signed and now both have become subjects of trade rumors. Adrian Beltre was a potential trade target of the Yankees before A-Rod was brought back, but now there is no need for him. Sexson, on the other hand, would still fill a large hole the Yankees have at first base. There are plenty of positives and negatives for brining Sexson in to finally give the Yankees some stability at first base. The obvious big negative is the fact that Sexson hit just .205 with 21 HR’s and 63 RBI’s and battled a nagging hamstring injury through much of the second half of the year. However, the big right hander has produced in the not so distant past. He’s hit 30 or more home runs in a season six times, and as recently as in 2006. Sexson will be 33 years old in December and still has an encombersome contract, so why should the Yankees want him? Well, they could see this as an opportunity to buy low on Sexson, as the Mariners attempted to place him through waivers although he did not clear. At age 33, there’s certainly reason to believe that he can rebound from last season, although even if he did the Yankees would still have to deal with his other shortcomings. Sexson strikes out a ton, never hits for average, and even though he is a big target he is nothing special defensively at first base. Since the Mariners were willing to attempt to send him through waivers, there asking price for Sexson is likely very cheap. It may even be possible that he can be had for Tyler Clippard alone (who seems to have fallen heavily out of favor with the Yankees). Basically, the only pros for Sexson are that he could come cheap in a trade and rebound and there are virtually no other options out there. Any trades for a better first baseman (like Justin Morneau) would require giving up prospects the Yankees are trying to stockpile for Santana and free agency yields no intriguing answers. Still, his underwhelming performance last season as well as his contract still leave the Yankees better off going with their own in house options of Wilson Betemit, Andy Phillips, Jason Giambi, and Shelly Duncan and possibly bringing Doug Mientkiewicz back into the mix. The Yankees have pieced first base together for the past few years and it seems like they will have to do the same for 2008.

Prospect Profile: Angel Reyes

2007-11-28T16:54:00.000-08:00

(Image not found for some reason, leading me to think he may be a vampire)

The Yankees minor league pitchers are well touted. While they all are very talented, they all have one thing in common, they are all right handed. The all right handed farm system is thrown off by one legitimate prospect in the Yankees system, and that is Angel Reyes. The diminutive southpaw was signed by the Yankees as an international free agent back in 2004. The 5’11, 170 lb starting pitcher is from the Dominican Public and listed as 20 years old (although it seems a bit debatable). Reyes is still a relative unknown, as he has only pitched in 30 professional games (19 starts), none above the A level. Reyes took the league by storm, as in his first professional season, he went 3-2 with a 1.35 ERA and 45 K’s in 46.2 innings in the GCL Yankees rookie league and finished up the season in low A Staten Island where he went 1-1 with a 1.53 ERA and 16 K’s in 17.2 innings. Things were going pretty well for Reyes, but the wheels came off in 2007. Reyes split the season between the GCL League, the A- class Staten Island Yankees, and A class Charleston, but only his first stop at the GCL went well. Things went particularly bad for Reyes with the Staten Island Yankees, when he completely lost the strike zone and was bombed to the tune of a 14.54 ERA. Things went a little better when Reyes moved to Charleston, but that still only lead to 4.56 ERA.
The only thing keeping Reyes from becoming an elite prospect in the league at this moment is his control. Reyes’ 64 to 110 career walk to strikeout rate is not great, but it is not horrific. He does though have the tendency to completely lose the strike zone, as illustrate by his 12 walks to 3 K’s in his stint with Staten Island. Reyes absolutely has the pure stuff to dominate, but like many young, inexperienced players control is a problem. Reyes features a 93-95 mph fastball, an above average curveball, and budding changeup that he has been working on, which could be an explanation for all of his walks. As long as the changeup develops then Reyes will have enough variety to be an effective starter, but his size may eventually lead to a move to the bullpen. A lefty throwing 95 mph is always a welcome addition to any bullpen. It certainly is not unheard of for smaller pitchers to be durable enough to last as a starter (Roy Oswalt for example). It is hard to say where Reyes will begin the 2008 season, it could be at any one of the three spots he pitched at in 2007, or the Yankees could be aggressive with him and start him in high A class Tampa’s rotation. However, it may be better to let him work on his control at a lower level, since the Yankees have little need to rush him. Regardless, 2008 will be a big year for Reyes to determine if he’s the pitcher who dominated in 2006 or the one who could not throw a strike in 2007.

Santana Bronx Bound?

2007-11-25T08:56:00.002-08:00

For the past two seasons, the Yankees have seen their “ace” Chien-Ming Wang take the ball in Game 1 of their past two playoff appearances, both resulting in early exits. The previous couple of years before that, the Game 1 starter was even worse. In fact, one could argue that the Yankees have lacked a true ace on their team since Roger Clemens retired (for the first time) and left the Yankees in 2003. The Yankees have failed to develop a new ace through their minor league system (although Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, or Ian Kennedy could change that) and aces just do not become available on the open market very often, at least not while they are still in their prime. This year is a rare example where one is available via trade. With the rapidly increasing salaries in baseball, especially of pitchers, the Minnesota Twins know that they are unlikely to be able to re-sign their current ace Johan Santana. The Twins have made their attempts to sign Santana to an extension, offering him a 5 year, $93 million extension that would have replaced his current deal, with Santana then counter offering with a 5 year, $126 deal. It still seems unlikely that the two will agree on a contract despite their seemingly disingenuous efforts, and both sides are open to a trade. Santana has a no trade clause, but only until the end of 2007 because he did not finish in the top 3 of the CY Young voting this season. The Yankees management has already stated that they plan to make a “good, strong offer” to the Twins for Santana, who knows exactly what that means, and then they would likely want to discuss a contract extension with him.
Santana’s credentials speak for themselves. The two time CY Young winner went 15-13 with a 3.33 ERA with 235 K’s in 219 innings. Santana is 93-44 with a 3.22 ERA and 1381 K’s in 1308.2 innings. Santana’s post season credentials don’t seem great, but since 2004 when he became the pitcher he is today he is 1-1 with 20 innings, 3 run ball in the post season. He even won a Gold Glove this year for good measure. This does not mean that Santana is a sure thing. His ERA was the highest since 2001, his second year in the majors and he coughed up a career high 33 home runs. When the numbers are still as good as they are its hard to argue with a small bump in the road like a little more home runs and little higher ERA. However, it could be seen that Santana’s heavy work load is catching up with him (219 innings + the past four seasons) even if he is only 28 years old. Santana will make $13 million in the 2008 season and will likely need around $20 million a year over a 5 or 6 year span in an extension. So what do the Twins for this God among men? They’ve been quoted as saying they want four young players, two of which who can be ready to be on their roster for opening day. The packages of players plus the amount of money it will take to keep him is an astronomical price to pay. The Yankees have plenty of players to offer who could be ready to help the Twins right away, namely Robinson Cano, Chien-Ming Wang, Melky Cabrera, Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, and Ian Kennedy. If the Yankees were to make a deal for Santana, it would likely have to include two of those players plus two of a group of the likes of Jose Tabata, Austin Jackson, Alan Horne, Jeffrey Marquez, Brett Gardner, or Dellin Betances. The Yankees have already shown a reluctance to part with any of the three big pitchers, and losing Cano or Wang would just be filling another hole by creating another. The Twins will surely want one of them, but it seems possible that the Yankees could dangle a package of Melky Cabrera, Jose Tabata, Alan Horne, and one of the other lower pitchers for Santana. Even though it is a fairly good package in its own right, the Twins are unlikely to bite at a deal like that though since they know the Yankees have better pieces to offer and because they may get offers from the Dodgers that include Chad Billingsley or Clayton Kershaw or from the Angels with Nick Adenhart as a center piece. The Red Sox could offer Jon Lester and Jacoby Ellsbury for him, and the Mets are likely to be in the race although it remains to be seen if a package with the likes of Fernando Martinez, Mike Pelfrey, Carlos Gomez, and Lastings Milledge will entice Minnesota. If the Yankees do go as all out for Santana as they claim, they certainly have the pieces to get him, its just a matter of how much they want to give up. Brian Cashman might be wise to just roll the dice and hope Santana does indeed hit free agency and just sign him then, rather then give up all of the young players. There’s always the risk that another team will trade for him and sign him to an extension, but it might be a risk Cashman should take if he wants to see the big 3 pitchers, Cano, and Wang in Yankee Stadium for years to come.

Thank You Kenny Williams and Wayne Krivsky

2007-11-25T08:56:00.001-08:00

The Yankees bullpen got a major lift last week, when relief pitcher Scott Linebrink signed a four year, $19 million contract with the Chicago White Sox. Linebrink was rumored to be on Brian Cashman’s wish list this off season and while the Yankees bullpen could use an upgrade, Linebrink was not the answer. Even if he is only 31 years old, Linebrink’s best days appear to be behind him. Their was a day when he was one of the best setup men in baseball, especially in 2005 when he posted a 1.83 ERA but things have not gone as well since then. Linebrink’s ERA leaped to 3.57 in 2006 and he was traded mid season in 2007 and finished the season with a 3.71 ERA. Linebrink may be wearing down from his heavy workloads, as he’s appeared in 73 games the past three seasons and pitched 92.1 innings the season prior to that. Basically, he’s become the Scott Proctor of the National League and if he had come to the Yankees he seemed likely to end up as another Kyle Farnsworth. To a lesser extent, the Cincinnati Reds General Manger Wayne Krivsky should be thanked for spending an inordinate amount of money on Francisco Cordero, another potential target of Brian Cashman’s this winter. Cordero is a decent pitcher, but he’s not worth a four year, $46 million contract. It’s true that the bullpen needs a face lift, but the free agent relievers are not the answer. The only ones Cashman should consider signing are Luis Vizcaino and Ron Mahay, Vizcaino because he’s proved he can be a moderately effective pitcher in New York, and Mahay to finally have a reliable lefty. Since bringing in veteran relievers can be very unpredictable, Cashman might be better off just relying on the young pitchers to piece together a bullpen. A combination of Edwar Ramirez, Chris Britton, Scott Paterson, Ross Ohlendorf, and later in the season of Humberto Sanchez, JB Cox, and Kevan Whelan will likely be enough to form a stable bullpen, assuming some of them step up their game. The only problem is that unless one of them takes a huge step up, the Yankees will still lack a dominant setup man like Joba Chamberlain was at the end of the 2007 season. Still, its better then giving Scott Linebrink a four year deal to turn into a mop up man.

Prospect Profile: Brett Gardner

2007-11-25T08:55:00.000-08:00

Over the past few seasons, the Yankees have accumulated an entire starting outfield of future potential stars in their minor leagues. The first two I have already highlighted in previous profiles, and they were Austin Jackson and Jose Tabata. The last one of these outfielders is Brett Gardner, who is quite a different player then the other two. Tabata and Jackson both figure to hit for some decent power in the big leagues. Gardner, not so much. Gardner is a pure speedster, as he possesses by far the most blazing speed in the Yankees minor league system. Gardner, the 5’10, 180 pound lefty, was selected by the Yankees in the 3rd round of the 2005 amatuer draft. Gardner landed this draft spot after his junior year at the College of Charleston in which he hit .447 with a .506 on base percentage and 38 stolen bases. Throughout his professional career, Gardner has accumulated 114 stolen bases as opposed to being caught only 22 times. That is nearly an 84% success rate which is outstanding for a player in this stage of development. To help compliment his speed and baserunning ability, Gardner knows how to get on base, as he has accumulated a .288 batting average and .381 on base percentage throughout his minor league career. Gardner’s career .755 OPS is good but not great because of his severe lack of power. Gardner has hit only 14 career home runs between college and the minor leagues (6 in the minors, 5 of which coming in his first professional season at Staten Island), a few of which may have been of the inside the park variety. Gardner will likely never develop much power, probably not even of the 10 home run a year type, but that just is not his game.
As said, power is not Gardner’s game, since he is likely to be primarily a leadoff hitter when he reaches the major leagues. Gardner’s walks, above average on base percentage, and burning speed make him seem like a perfect leadoff hitter, but he will have to cut back on his strikeouts to truly become a premier table setter. Gardner has a 163 to 211 walk to strikeout ratio, which is not horrendous but leaves something to be desired. Gardner may also need to work on his bunting skills as a leadoff man, since he only has successfully done so 8 times in the minor leagues (but 47 in college). If Gardner can cut back on his strikeouts and perfect his bunting, there is no reason to believe that he can not become one of the top leadoff hitters in the league. Gardner’s speed also makes him an asset in the field, as it gives him fantastic range in center field. However, his route taking is said to still need some work, and he does not possess the strongest of arms. Still, unless he is continued to be blocked by Melky Cabrera then there is no reason to believe that he cannot remain in center field. Gardner is, perhaps, ready to become a fourth outfielder in the major leagues, but with the already crowded Yankees outfield it is unlikely to happen in the 2008 season, barring injury. Besides, Gardner has seemed to have trouble immediately adjusting to a higher level, but eventually adjusts. Gardner ended the 2007 season in AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and that’s where he’s likely to begin the 2008 season. A hot start and an injury or two could land the 23 year old Gardner in the majors, but 2009 seems more likely.

Melky on the Block

2007-11-21T11:53:00.002-08:00

Prior to the 2006 season, the Yankees picked the wrong time to go out and get a center fielder. The best option at the time was Johnny Damon, so Brian Cashman went out and got him. Damon did not even last two seasons as the Yankees center fielder, as he found himself in left field, DH, and on the bench in favor of youngster Melky Cabrera. Melky made his debut during the 2005 season in which he hit only .211 and did not field well and quickly found himself back in the minor leagues. His future was uncertain at that point, but due to a quick start in the minors and the Yankees outfield being decimated by injuries, Cabrera found himself a regular role with the Yankees in 2006 and he went with it and hit .280 and played a good left field. Cabrera was set to become a fourth outfielder for the Yankees in 2007 but he eventually overtook Damon as the everyday center fielder, but his offense took a bit of a step back as he hit .273 and walked less often. It would seem as if Melky has his role set as the Yankees center fielder as the future, as he is still just 23 years old, but now the rumors are coming that Melky Cabrera is on the block. Rumor has it that Brian Cashman is aggressively shopping Cabrera for pitching, and is then ready to make a bid for Torii Hunter. Sounds like a good plan, but even the best laid plans of mice and men go awry. No team will be willing to trade a top of the line starter for a package that features Melky as the center piece. As I have hinted at before, I am one of the believers that Melky is overrated. While he is still far from his power prime, he does not project to ever top 20 home runs, nor does he have the base stealing ability to make him a huge contributor offensively. Also, Melky’s defense is nowhere near as fine as it is made out to be, as he often takes bad routes to balls and his range better suits him for a corner spot anyway. A possible destination for Melky was supposedly to Oakland in a deal for Dan Haren, but there is no way that Melky could be the center piece in a deal for an elite pitcher like Haren. The best the Yankees could hope for was to send Ian Kennedy, Melky, and possibly two lower prospects like Tyler Clippard or Jeffrey Marquez in a deal for Haren, but it would still be worth it considering Haren is only 27 and can pitch in the American League. If the Yankees were successful in doing this, they would then attempt to sign Torii Hunter, which would be no small feat considering the rumors that 5 teams are already in the hunt and the Rangers have offered him a 6 year deal. The Yankees would be wise to refrain from going to six years with Hunter, especially with alternatives like Andruw Jones and Aaron Rowand available on the market. So in an ideal world, Cashman would be able to swap Melky and others for Haren and then sign Hunter, but needless to say we do not live in an ideal world, so don’t look for this to come to fruition.

Coaches in Place

2007-11-21T11:53:00.001-08:00

While the big question of who would be the Yankees next manager was answered a few weeks ago with the hiring of Joe Girardi, the coaching carousel has only made its complete stop now. The Yankees 2008 coaching staff has finally been announced with a mix of new and old faces. Girardi is obviously the manager and Kevin Long and Tony Pena have returned to their previous positions. Dave Eiland has been promoted from the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre pitching coach to the Yankees pitching coach, Rob Thomson is the bench coach, Bobby Meacham is the third base coach, and Mike Harkey is the new bullpen coach. The last two of these served under Girardi in 2006 with the Marlins. This seems to me to be the perfect mix of retaining the people who know the organization well, but still allowing Girardi to bring in his own people to make him feel comfortable. Ron Guidry may have been a personal favorite for what he did with the organization, but it’s hard to argue letting him go, Eiland just seems to know pitching better judging by the fantastic starting pitching seen in the Yankees minor league system (although a lot of that can be contributed to single A Tampa pitching coach Nardi Contreras). Larry Bowa will also be missed for the work ethic he instilled in the players, especially Robinson Cano, but Girardo should instill enough work ethic in his players to make up for it. For those who don’t know about the new coaches, Eiland was with the organization for six seasons and spent last September with the Yankees after the AAA season ended, he has a especially strong connection with the young pitchers who recently went through the minor league system. Kevin Long is entering his second season as hitting coach and has been greatly credited for Alex Rodriguez’s success last season. Thompson has served all throughout the Yankees system for the past 18 seasons. Pena is returning despite not being chosen for the Yankees vacant managerial spot. Both Meacham and Harkey are former Yankees players who served under Girardi in Florida and have served throughout baseball for many years. So while the Yankees on the field product is shaping up to look pretty similar to its 2007 counter part, the coaching staff certainly had a drastic make over from last season.

Three Mo' Years

2007-11-21T11:51:00.000-08:00

While he does not seem happy about it, Yankee fans should rejoice that Mariano Rivera has given the Yankees a verbal commitment to accept the three year, $45 million offer. Rivera was holding out for a fourth year or at least for an option year tacked on at the end. Rivera has been continuously ignored in his requests to take care of a contract extension before this season, of the departure of Joe Torre, and now of not getting the fourth year in his contract at all. He was also annoyed at comments directed at his advanced age. Sources close to the closer noted that he was quite upset with the whole situation, but he could not have been that upset if he is still going to accept the contract offer anyway. It speaks to how badly Rivera must have really wanted to stay a Yankee if he still took the offer after everything. Despite what he said, it never really seemed like a real possibility that he would sign somewhere else anyway. $15 million a year is plenty fair for a closer who took a small step backwards last season anyway, but it is also money well spent to keep the greatest closer of all time on the team. Retaining Rivera allows the Yankees more time to groom a new closer, or at least hope that a better on then Francisco Cordero becomes available on the open market. Since Rivera will likely remain as the closer through the duration of his contract (even if he may not be the best pitcher in the bullpen at the end of the contract), it will give the Yankees three years to see if Humberto Sanchez, JB Cox, Kevan Whelan, or any of the other young pitchers have what it takes to step up and replace Rivera. It also gives them more tie to evaluate Joba Chamberlain in the starting rotation and see if that or the closer’s role will be better suited for him. Mariano Rivera once said that he wants to pitch in the new Yankees stadium and this contract will allow him to do so and then some (barring a catastrophic injury). It also brings the Yankees within one step (two if you count Luis Vizcaino) of bringing back all of their important free agents, with Andy Pettitte still in limbo as of whether or not he wants to pitch again. Even if Pettitte does decide to hang them up, at least Yankee fans can be comforted by the thought of hearing “Enter Sandman” being blasted from the stadium sound system for another three years.

Not So Welcome Back

2007-11-17T11:54:00.000-08:00

The Yankees dropped the biggest bomb of the off season not only on the other teams, the fans, but probably even surprised themselves with this move. The Yankees and free agent third baseman Alex Rodriguez have agreed to the outlines of a 10 year, $275 million deal even after management made it abundantly clear that they would not negotiate with A-Rod if he opted out of his contract. Throughout all of the drama, A-Rod has merely ended up right where he started, but he did manage to thoroughly top his old record setting contract. Brian Cashman has supposedly docked Rodriguez the $21 million the Yankees lost by his opting out of his old contract (the money the Texas Rangers were set to pay A-Rod), so this could have been nearly a $300 million contract if not for that fact. This whole situation puts Yankee fans in an awkward predicament as of how to feel about A-Rod. Many Yankee fans, myself included, were furious at A-Rod after his ugly divorce from the team. The type of hatred around the baseball world directed at A-Rod was incredible, and many people were just plain happy to have him off of the team. Right when most people were ready to move on to a life without A-Rod in pinstripes, he is thrust back into the scene with a complete reversal what everyone expected to happen. While nothing is official as of yet, those people who were bashing A-Rod a week ago, again like myself, I even wrote an article about him being on steroids, now have to learn to live with him once again, like it or not.
From a purely baseball perspective, this is a no-brainer. The Yankees needed a third baseman and they got the best available one, and they did so without giving up any prospects as an added bonus. The Yankees needed a power, right handed bat and guess what, they got the best one again. They were able to keep him away from the Red Sox or Angels as well, so there is no arguing this signing from just the on the field aspects. The money should not be the cause for concern either, as even if this $275 million deal is record setting; it’s not all that extravagant given the situation. Scott Boras did want that $350 million deal at one point, there were rumors of him receiving up to $40 million a year, and with teams like the Red Sox, Mets, Angels, Dodgers, Giants, Cubs, and Marlins (yes the Marlins) all rumored to be in the hunt it is a safe bet that A-Rod could have received at least the same amount he got from the Yankees, if not more. Where this move can be criticized is from the public relations stand point and from how his teammates will accept him back after all the drama. The Yankees management did make it abundantly clear that they would not negotiate with A-Rod if he opted out and they did go back on their word. Hank Steinbrenner now claims that A-Rod wants to be a Yankee to justify this move, but they may lose some credibility here. However, to some it may appear as if Scott Boras over estimated the demand for his client and since that $350 million deal was not out there he had to come crawling back to the Yankees. I was looking forward to having a bit of a lower payroll, but this deal will blow that completely out of the water as the Yankees are likely to end up back around $200 million, but that is just something we will have to deal with. The biggest concern is that not only has A-Rod alienated the fans but he may have done the same with his teammates. It may be awhile before he is joking around in the dugout with Melky Cabrera and Robinson Cano again. A-Rod will have to do a lot of apologizing and justifying of his decision to opt out before his teammates (especially Derek Jeter) will accept him back. The bottom line is that A-Rod is now a Yankee once again and the pressure will be on him will be even greater then ever. If Rodriguez does not deliver a championship during the next decade he is signed for then it would be tough to justify bringing him back amidst all of the controversy. This is assuming he even does officially sign this contract they have agreed upon and with the way this process has gone so far, would anyone really be surprised if another twist in the saga was forthcoming?

Still Say no to Lowell

2007-11-17T11:53:00.000-08:00

Once a return to the Bronx seemed immanent for Alex Rodriguez, I thought that at least it would mean that the Yankees were safe from spending an exorbitant amount of money on Mike Lowell. Well I was wrong. Even with the whole at third base seemingly filled by A-Rod, the rumors of the Yankees pursuit of Mike Lowell live on. Now, the Yankees are reportedly interested in Lowell making the move to first base, although Lowell has not made it clear whether or not this is a move he is interested in making. The contract has been reported to be for four years and somewhere between $50 million and $60 million, but there are also reports that the Yankees have taken the offer off of the table. The fact of the matter is that Lowell is not any better of a fit for the Yankees at first base then he would have been at third, and may even be worse. These were my recent thoughts on Lowell as a hitter, so I won’t go into great detail again on that aspect. The big problem with him now, aside from the fact that he’ll be older, overpaid, and not as good a hitter as he was with Boston, is the way he does or doesn’t fit the team. Lowell has never played first base in the major leagues, but he did play eight games there in the minor leagues with the last time being in 1998. Even though the move to first base for an infielder is often not thought of as a big deal, his inexperience at the position could certainly hurt the team especially considering the amount of ground balls Chien-Ming Wang and Andy Pettitte (assuming he returns) induce. The Yankees need for a power right handed bat is also greatly reduced considering the return of A-Rod, making Lowell less needed. Bringing Lowell in would certainly mean that somebody else would have to be discarded, as he would create a big logjam at first base and DH. Doug Mientkiewicz would obviously not be re-signed, Andy Phillips would likely not be needed, Johnny Damon is set to play left field while Matsui is expected to DH most of the time, and Jason Giambi, Wilson Betemit, and Shelley Duncan would be set to be strictly bench players. The best solution would probably to just eat Giambi’s salary and cut him since no one is likely to take him in a trade, but that will probably not happen. The fact of the matter is that Lowell does not provide enough of an upgrade at first to justify creating such a log jam in the team, not to mention that his salary is likely to bring the Yankees salary back up to well over $200 million. Once again, just let the Red Sox have him.

Welcome Back Jorge

2007-11-13T13:35:00.000-08:00

A collective sigh of relief was heard from Yankee fans when the announcement broke late last night that the Yankees have re-signed catcher Jorge Posada to a four year, $52.4 million deal. At first glance, a four year deal for a 36 year old catcher may not seem like the greatest thing in the world, but the Yankees had little choice but to do so in this situation. Posada is likely to find himself as a first baseman at the end of this deal, possibly even by the halfway point of it if the Yankees can ever find a suitable replacement. Still, a $13.1 million average salary is hardly excessive for a man who batted .338 with 20 homers and 90 RBI’s, well its not excessive for the Yankees anyway. Posada gave the Yankees and their fan’s a real scare by waiting until right before the Yankees exclusive negotiating window closed and with all the rumors about the Mets trying to pry him away. Fortunately, the Yankees will not have to face a world without Jorge Posada, at least not for another four years anyway. In a way, Posada was the least replaceable of the Yankees free agents, as at least Joba Chamberlain could replace Mariano Rivera and there are some options to replace A-Rod, but there is virtually no one to replace Posada. Jose Molina likely would have been re-signed as the Yankees starting catcher if Posada has left, which would not have been pretty. Priority number one for the Yankees should be to develop a catcher to replace Jorge Posada, as finding one via free agency is never an easy thing. The top current options are Jesus Montero (raw and challenged defensively) and Francisco Cervelli (a bit offensively challenged) to one day replace Posada, but since both have questions and Montero is still a ways away, an option C may be needed if Posada is moved to first base earlier rather then later. Fortunately for Yankee fans, this is a problem that can now be put off a little longer.

When Personal Predictions go Wrong Part 3

2007-11-13T13:34:00.001-08:00

In the culmination of my personal predictions, I will share my predictions for the individual seasons of most of the Yankees players for last season as well as their actual line so we can see how well (or poorly) I did. I was pretty aggressive for the most part with my predictions so bear that in mind when most of the players did not live up to my predictions.

Johnny Damon- Project: .305/15/75/110/20
Actual: .270/12/63/93/27

Needless to say Damon had a disappointing season due a large part to various injuries. Damon even found himself completely out of the lineup for quite some time, being replaced in center field by Melky Cabrera, despite not being placed on the disabled list at any time. A strong second half put Damon back in the Yankees’ plans in a new position of left field, the place he appears set to spend most of his time in the 2008 season, assuming he isn’t traded.

Derek Jeter- Projected: .325/10/80/110/15
Actual: .322/12/73/102/15

Pretty typical Jeter season, and a rare good prediction on my part. I figured Jeter would regress somewhat from his MVP caliber 2006 season, but not to a huge extent and that’s pretty much what happened. The only real disappointment was Jeter’s defense which took a step down, even though it was never as good as advertised anyway, which cost him another Gold Glove.

Bobby Abreu- Projected: .310/20/100/100/20
Actual: .283/16/101/123/25

Abreu’s lesser then expected average is thanks mostly to an abysmal first two months of the season. Abreu caught fire from there and proved his doubters wrong and proved he is still one of the best all around hitters in the game. His hot second half made it an easy decision for the Yankee’s to retain him for the 2008 season and he seems like a good bet to have a similar line from his 2007 season.

Alex Rodriguez- Projected: .320/40/120/100/15
Actual: .314/54/156/143/24

I figured Rodriguez would bounce back from an average 2006 season with a big 2007, but not this big. I refuse to make any further comment on this player.

Jason Giambi- Projected: .270/30/100/70
Actual .236/14/39/31

My first real stinker of this section. I anticipated a drop off from Giambi but I thought he would DH most of the time so it would keep him to just a moderate drop off. Instead, he had a huge one but he did miss a large portion of the season with injury. Still, he never seemed to have much of a role with the team and does not appear to have one for next season either.

Hideki Matsui- Projected: .290/25/95/80
Actual: .285/25/100/100

Once again healthy, Matsui put up his typical work-man’s like season. Matsui gradually made the move from left field to DH, a place he expects to see a lot of time in the 2008 season. The move may help Matsui rest his aching knees and put up a better offensive 2008 season, but I would expect Matsui to quietly put up another fine season like this one.

Robinson Cano- Projected: .345/20/80/70
Actual: .306/19/97/93

I figured Cano to take some steps forward this season, but I was admittedly a little aggressive with Cano’s batting average, as I also picked him to win the batting title. Cano made his strides in the run producing department, despite batting in the bottom part of the order for most of the season. Cano has already established himself as arguably the best second baseman in the American League. With A-Rod gone, Cano could bat higher in the order and is a good bet to top 100 RBI’s for the first time in his career next season.

Jorge Posada- Projected: .270/18/70/70
Actual: .338/20/90/91

How was I supposed to know a 36 year old catcher would suddenly have his best offensive season? Posada surpassed everyone’s expectations and put himself in line for a big pay day and an unheard of likely three or four year deal for a 36 year old catcher. The Yankees have little choice but to meet those demands.
Doug Mientkiewicz- Projected: .240/5/40/30
Actual: 277/5/24/26

Mientkiewicz season was as hard to predict as his last name is to spell. I thought he would see less time as the season went on due to his poor offense, but he ended up missing time mainly because of a concussion and a wrist injury. He did all theYankees needed while in the lineup so he has a chance to be brought back in a similar role for the 2008 season.

Andy Phillips- Projected: .260/10/60/40
Actual: .292/2/25/27

I was really looking forward to see what Phillips could do with a starting job, but it never materialized. First, Josh Phelps was chosen over him to platoon with Doug Mientkiewicz, and then when he finally got his opportunity he played sporadically and ultimately succumbed to a broken wrist. Phillips may have one last chance next season, as the first base spot is still wide open, but if he does not step up next season then its hard to believe he will get another chance to make it in the big leagues.

Melky Cabrera- No Projection
Actual: .273/8/73/66

I had no idea what to make of Cabrera at the start of the season when he was simply the fourth outfielder. Cabrera became the Yankees everyday center fielder and could be so for a long time. I’m not as high on Cabrera as some, but at least next season he’ll be easier to get a read on.

Chien-Ming Wang- Projection: 17-6/ 3.56 ERA
Actual: 19-7/3.70 ERA

Despite missing the first month of the season with a hamstring injury, Wang still managed to win 19 games for the second consecutive season. Wang established himself as the Yankees ace, well at least in the regular season. Some Yankee fans, like myself, are a little upset with Wang still over his performance against the Indians this season, but winning heals most wounds so if he performs next year it will eventually be forgotten.

Mike Mussina- Projection: 15-7/ 3.45
Actual: 11-10/ 5.15

Yikes. I couldn’t have picked this one much worse if I tried. Mussina fell off dramatically from a superb 2006 season and it was enough so to even have him removed from the rotation temporarily. Mussina may be finished, but he could be capable of bouncing back some what to at least be a serviceable fifth starter, as evidenced by his strong comeback once placed back in the rotation. I would still be surprised to see him post an ERA under 4.50 next season.

Andy Pettitte- Projected: 16-8/ 3.75
Actual: 15-9/4.05

Pettitte’s return to the Yankees was an unmitigated success, as he was at times their most consistent starter. Pettitte’s numbers could have been even better with some better run support and a meaningless, last start of the season in which he got shellacked. Pettitte could put up a similar season next year if he chooses to pitch again, and the Yankees are desperate to have him back.

Kei Igawa- Projected: 8-8/4.38
Actual: 2-3/6.25

I figured Igawa would be either really good or really bad, and since I couldn’t decide which one I just went in the middle. Unfortunately, I was kind of right since Igawa was horrendous. Igawa didn’t even last in the rotation for most of the season and is in limbo for the 2008 season, if he isn’t shipped off to San Diego or some other team.

Carl Pavano- Projected: 0-0/0.00
Actual: 1-0/4.76

My projection was sort of a joke, saying that Pavano would not pitch at all this season just like the 2006 season, but I was not far off. Pavano only pitched 11.1 innings this season and is already done for most of the 2008 season because of Tommy John Surgery. The Yankees may now just cut him to free up a spot on the 40 man roster, and they might as well and just end one of the worst signings in their history.

Say No to Mike Lowell

2007-11-13T13:33:00.001-08:00

Losing Alex Rodriguez to his own enacted free agency has left a big hole in the field and in the line up for the New York Yankees. Brian Cashman will be searching frantically for a replacement all throughout the off season, whether it’s an internal option, through a trade, or through free agency. Hopefully Cashman chooses to pursue a trade or an internal option, because the only viable option through free agency is Mike Lowell. Sure, Mike Lowell did hit .324 with 21 HR’s and 120 RBI’s last season. Sure, he was the World Series MVP and is a former gold glove winner, but there’s no other way to describe a Mike Lowell signing by the Yankees but as a mistake. Lowell’s numbers look pretty, if you don’t look back to his dreadful 2005 season with the Marlins, but the man who began his career with the Yankees back in 1998 is sure to command a deal greater then what he’s worth. His commands are still high enough to keep the Red Sox from resigning him as of now even though they have made it blatantly obvious that they want to keep him. Lowell’s OPS during his big performance in his walk year, a year many players play over their heads just for the big pay day awaiting them, was nearly 70 points higher then his career average and at age 33 it’s unlikely that it’s due to a breakout season that he can maintain throughout his career. Lowell greatly benefits from playing half of his games at Fenway Park; he’s become good friends with the green monster, and it is no coincidence that his career was revitalized when he came to the Red Sox. Lowell’s fielding has taken a step backwards as well, as he had a new career high in errors this season that cost him the Gold Glove, even if it was still only 15 errors. Lowell is the right handed bat that the Yankees could use, and they would not have to give up any prospects for him, but with options like Eric Chavez, Scott Rolen, Adrian Beltre, and Miguel Cabrera available via trade there are just better options out there. Let the Red Sox have him.

A-Roids?

2007-11-10T09:13:00.001-08:00

The ongoing steroid investigation led by Senator George Mitchell has had mixed results thus far. Many names have been outed recently for human growth hormone including Rick Ankiel, Mike Cameron, and Paul Byrd and many more names are expected to be known in the coming weeks. On the other hand, even though these names are known, not much has been done about it. There is still no test for HGH, no suspensions have been handed down to those players who have been named, and the supposed “big list” of players that are to be named in this investigation keeps having its date of exposure pushed back. Now its been made known that a list of eleven free agents has been floating around, all of which are have been named in Senator George Mitchell’s report for using performance enhancing drugs. One of them is Jose Guillen, and another is likely Mike Cameron, so that leaves nine more to speculate. I am not going to slander any athletes by accusing them of something I have little proof of at this point (except Barry Bonds, I mean come on) but if there is one athlete who I have little reservations of accusing him then it is Alex Rodriguez. Call me bitter about his departure from the Yankees, but Rodriguez is without a doubt the most intriguing possibility to be named among the eleven. It is not completely without evidence either. A-Rod has been one of the most prolific home run hitters in the game for the past decade or so, and not to mention the rumors about Jose Canseco supposedly having “stuff” on A-Rod that he would reveal in his next book. Canseco may just be trying to sell his book, but so far he has been right about his accusations. However, A-Rod may be a big guy but he has never had the giant increase in muscle or head size that would lead you to believe that he started taking steroids. A-Rod’s work ethic has been well documented as well, so it could be seen as an explanation for his physique. On the other hand, A-Rod impeccable health records could be contributed to the accelerated healing abilities caused by the use of human growth hormone. Many of the other offenders did not fit the profile of a steroid abuser either (Rick Ankiel is probably 150 lbs on a good day). If A-Rod were to be named as one of the eleven, it would be a huge blow to Major League Baseball as they were counting on him to one day validate the all time home run record again, but he may be no more authentic then Bonds. Senator Mitchell has claimed that this list as well of the rest of the names will be revealed by the end of the year, so until then we can only speculate on Rodriguez and the way he has achieved his milestones.

When Personal Predictions go Wrong Part 2

2007-11-10T09:12:00.000-08:00

Part Two was going to feature my picks for the AL and NL awards as well as the predictions for individual Yankee players, but when I saw how long it took just to do the awards I figured it would be best to save the Yankees players for their own section next time. These picks actually went a bit better then my standings predictions did and I dare to say that some of the picks were actually good, gasp! Alright, let’s get down to it and start with the AL and keep in mind again that these were my pre-season picks.

AL MVP- Travis Hafner. After batting .308 with 42 HR’s and 117 RBI’s in 2006, I thought Hafner was ready to take the next step from All Star to MVP. He just made me look plain foolish though by batting .266 with 24 HR’s and 100 RBI’s even. As a DH he would have had to have been head and shoulders better then any other hitter and I thought he could do it, but with this set back at age 30 it makes you wonder if Hafner will ever take that next step that I thought he would in the 2007 season.

AL CY Young- Johan Santana. This seemed like a pretty safe bet at the time, but Santana had a somewhat sub par season, for him anyway. He went 15-13 with a 3.33 ERA and 235 K’s which is a fine season, but not quite up to par with his previous CY Young season. Some years that season would have still won him the award, but Josh Beckett and C.C. Sabathia made it difficult to justify that. The fact that he gave up the most home runs in the league is a concern, but the bigger concern is that this minor setback could be a sign of Santana’s heavy work load (he’s pitched 219+ innings over the past four seasons) could be catching up with him, even if he is only 28 years old. It should be something to consider for any team thinking of trading for him or later signing him as a free agent.

AL Rookie of the Year- Alex Gordon. Leading up to the season, all I heard were George Brett and David Wright comparisons for Alex Gordon. Many believed that he could walk in as a rookie and post a 20/20 season. Well, I fell for the hype and Gordon did not live up to it in his rookie season. Thanks mostly to a horrendous start in which he looked overwhelmed, Gordon hit only .247 with 15 HR’s and 60 RBI’s. Not great, but it should not diminish the prospects of his career and for you fantasy baseball players I consider him one of the best post-hype sleeper picks for the 2008 season.

AL Batting Champion- Robinson Cano. After finishing only a few points short of the batting title in 2006 with a .342 average, I thought 2007 would be Robinson Cano’s year. Well its not often that a player can lose nearly 40 points off of their batting average and still hit .306. Cano took many positive steps forward this season, but he wasn’t a contender for the batting title so I was wrong yet again.

Manager of the Year- Eric Wedge. Finally, a pick that might actually come true. Wedge led a team who did not make the playoffs a year ago to the AL Central Division title and to the ALCS, so he should get some votes if he does not outright win the award. Terry Francona is his biggest competition for the award and for me actually getting one of them right.

NL MVP- Albert Pujols. Pujols always seems like a good pick to win the MVP award, but of course he waited until I picked him to have the worst season of his career. Of course, the worst season of his career is still a .327-32-103 line but it was his lowest HR and RBI totals of his career. There’s no chance of him passing the likes of Matt Holliday or Prince Fielder for the award, so I’m wrong yet again.

NL CY Young- I thought this was a great pick at the time, thinking Zambrano was a prime candidate to break out this year. Well, he won 18 games, but lost 13 and had a 3.95 ERA. Not exactly a CY Young season, as he battled inconsistency all year long. Still, I may not be afraid to pick him again next season and chalk this up to an off year.

NL Rookie of the Year- Troy Tulowitzki. I picked Tulowitzki mainly for lack of a better pick but he made me look good, unlike everyone else, when he hit .291-24-99. Combine that with a superb defense at shortstop and its likely enough to propel him past Ryan Braun for the award. Still, I’d be worried about a sophomore slump for him in the 2008 season as his resume suggests that perhaps that is the kind of line he should have posted in 3 or 4 years, not his rookie year.

NL Batting Champ- Miguel Cabrera. Cabrera’s average had climbed from .268, to .294, to .323, to .339 in each of his seasons in the majors, so I figured if he continued to improve or at least stayed near his .2006 title he seemed like a good bet to contend for a batting title. Well he his .320 but it was not enough to surpass Matt Holliday. There still seems to be a batting title or two in Cabrera’s future at some point.

Peavy in Pinstripes?

2007-11-10T09:10:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately, the short answer to that question is no. This is the time of year when the general managers meet and wild rumors begin to circulate everywhere. Something to keep in mind about me is that I love hearing about these rumors so expect many articles discussing rumors that I have heard. One of those rumors, which actually had some validation, was the Padres sending their ace, Jake Peavy, over to the Yankees in exchange for Phil Hughes and Melky Cabrera. I’m sure most Yankee fans were salivating at this thought but apparently this rumor is all but dead at this point. Peavy is two years away from free agency so the Padres may have been thinking about selling high on their young ace while they had the chance. Peavy was 19-6 with a 2.54 ERA and a major league leading 240 K’s in his likely CY Young award winning 2007 season. In his young career, Peavy is 76-51 with a 3.31 ERA and has twice led the league in ERA and twice in K’s. Phil Hughes is a great young prospect but his ceiling is to become what Jake Peavy is now, and Peavy is already there so that is a part of the trade that the Yankees do without hesitation. As I’ve hinted at before, I think Melky Cabrera is quite overrated, on defense and offense, and will never be much more then he is now so including him in the deal wouldn’t hurt, especially if it led to a signing of Aaron Rowand or Torii Hunter. However, while Jake Peavy is the ace the Yankees have been lacking (no Wang is not that ace), and is only 26 years old, there are many things about Jake Peavy that would drive Yankee fans crazy. For starters, if you move Jake Peavy out of the best pitcher’s park in the majors, out of the pitcher friendly national league, and into the division with the best offenses in the AL East it would be hard to expect Peavy to repeat his prior successes. Not only that, but Peavy has been just brutal in the post season. Peavy is 0-2 with a 12.10 ERA in the post season and this is not even including his ugly outing in the Padres one game tie breaker game against the Rockies this season in which he allowed 6 ER in 6.1 innings. That type of performance in the playoffs in New York is enough to get somebody crucified. The moral of the story, no trade or player is perfect, not even Jake Peavy.

When Personal Predictions go Wrong

2007-11-07T13:40:00.000-08:00

At the start of every season, people often like to make their own, personal predictions on the upcoming baseball season. Well before the start of the 2007 season I decided to make some of my own, ranging from the entire standings of the MLB, the playoffs, the awards, and individual statistics for the most of the Yankees players. I did this during my intro to psychology class last semester because, well I was bored and I could not draw stupid sketches forever. I thought it would be fun to share my predictions because, well, the suck. For now, I’ll start with sharing my predictions for the standings and the playoffs, and next time I’ll finish up with the awards and the Yankees player’s predictions. Let me warn you, things are about to get ugly.

AL East- 1st. Yankees, 2nd Red Sox, 3rd Blue Jays, 4th Devil Rays, 5th Orioles. I would not have been able to look at myself in the mirror if I had picked anyone but the Yankees to win this division, so I didn’t. I picked the Yankees to win it and the Red Sox as the wild card, but it ended up flip flopping. The teams were so close that I can’t kill myself on that one. I was a little aggressive in picking the Devil Rays to finish out of last place for just the second time in their team history because I thought their young talent would propel them past the hapless O’s, but it didn’t happen.

AL Central- 1st. Tigers, 2nd Indians, 3rd Twins, 4th White Sox, 5th Royals. I was very tempted to pick the Indians over the Tigers but resisted thinking the AL Champs plus Gary Sheffield would still have enough to take the division. Well they didn’t. I was also tempted to pick the Indians as the wild card but didn’t do that either. Oops. I knew the Twins without Francisco Liriano would not be able to contend this year so at least I was right on that one. The White Sox and Royals, they’ll probably be getting similar projections from me for next year.

AL West- 1st Angels, 2nd A’s, 3rd Mariners, 4th Rangers. My best picks yet, sadly. The Angels were the only division winner I picked correctly sadly enough. I thought the A’s would find enough young pitching to at least compete but they didn’t this year, so the Mariners surprised me and everyone by finishing second and the Rangers surprised nobody by finishing last.

NL East- 1st Mets, 2nd Phillies, 3rd Braves, 4th Marlins, 5th Nationals- I picked the Phillies as the Wild Card but they went a step further and unseated the Mets due to their epic collapse. I thought the Nationals would be one of the worst teams of all time but they weren’t even in last place. Maybe next year they’ll be as bad as I thought they’d be this year.

NL Central- 1st Cards, 2nd Astros, 3rd Cubs, 4th Brewers, 5th Reds, 6th Pirates. This was one of my worst calls ever. I guess I didn’t expect Chris Carpenter to be out for the season but I should have known an 83 win team that didn’t get any better was likely to regress even further after losing Jeff Suppan, Jeff Weaver, and Jason Marquis. At least the Reds and Pirates were as bad as I thought they’d be, but the Reds will be one of my favorite sleeper picks for next year.
NL West- 1st Dodgers, 2nd Padres, 3rd Giants, 4th Diamondbacks, 5th Rockies. Hmm, I guess I picked the Rockies, the NL champions, to be in last place. Oops. That’s not even counting the fact that I picked the division champions to be in fourth place. I’m going to pretend that didn’t happen. I don’t really regret it since the Dodgers did have a talented team, and they’ll likely be my pick again this year and the Rockies and Diamondbacks also seem like good bets to regress next year.

Ok, with the division winner’s set up and virtually all wrong anyway it hardly seems mentioning who I picked to go through the playoffs, but I’ll do it anyway. I had the Yankees vs the Angels and the Red Sox vs the Tigers in the ALDS, with the Yankees and Tigers advancing and then the Yankees advancing to the World Series. In the NL I had the Mets over the Cards and the Phillies over the Dodgers in the NLCS So my World Series ended up being the Yankees vs the Phillies and I of course picked the Yankees to win it all. Whether I truly believed it or not is debatable but I knew I could not bring myself to pick against them, we’ll see if I’m able to do it next year.

Defense by the Metrics

2007-11-07T13:39:00.001-08:00

More so then any other spot, statistics are a huge part of baseball. They can be used to prove or disprove virtually any point and these days there seems to be a statistic for everything. Beyond the regular statistics lie the saber metrics, the stats that often get so complex that it could make someone’s head explode. These saber metrics are used for hitting, pitching, fielding, base running, and basically every aspect of the game. These masters of the saber metrics came up with a list of the best and worst defensive players by position for this season. A friend of mine showed me this list from a discussion board, but I was unfortunately unable to ascertain its original writers or location, but it looks legitimate to me nonetheless. As far as I can tell, the list is based on errors, fielding percentage, and more complicated range statistics but fails to explicitly mention the specifics of the list. Some of the things on the list are obvious, like Manny Ramirez being the worst left fielder, Ryan Braun the worst third baseman, and Greg Maddux the best fielding pitcher but it also has its surprises. Most of those surprises happen to be at the Yankees expense, as the list has Melky Cabrera as the second worst center fielder, Bobby Abreu as the fourth worst right fielder, and Derek Jeter as the second worst shortstop. It should be noted that they had Chien-Ming Wang as the second best fielding pitcher and Robinson Cano as the fifth best second baseman, but a lot of Yankee fans would likely be upset by that list. The truth is, they should not be. Bobby Abreu does not have a lot of range in right field and is terrified of running into the wall and shies away from it. Melky Cabrera still takes bad routes to fly balls which is keeping him from being as good of a center fielder as everyone thinks he is. Jeter’s errors count were his highest since 2000 and most scouts believe he has well below average range as short stop, despite his multiple gold gloves. As Yankee fans, we tend to build our own perception of the defensive capabilities of these players based on what we see. However, Yankee fans have conjured a false sense of achievement for particularly Jeter and Melky’s defense since they are so far off from what advanced scouts and statistics prove. The Gold Glove awards that just came out don’t prove anything when it comes to defense, as they are based solely on reputation and on their offense, which really isn’t what the award is supposed to be based on. This graph gives a much better view on defense then these awards ever will.

5 Burning Questions

2007-11-03T15:16:00.001-07:00

Now that the off season has officially gotten under way, it is time to think about what needs to be done this off season. While some questions like the manager and A-Rod’s situation have been answered, there are still plenty of questions that need to be answered. I’m going to list the five most burning questions that face the Yankees this off season.

5.)? What to do with Kei Igawa?- The Yankees spent a total of $46 million to obtain Igawa in the 2007 off season and have gotten virtually nothing back for their investment. Igawa was 2-3 with a 6.25 ERA and bounced back and forth from the starting rotation, minor leagues, and bullpen. Igawa just does not seem to have the command or stuff to get be an effective major league pitcher, despite a few flashes of brilliance. He doesn’t even seem capable of being a situational lefty, as lefties batted .320 off of him. Igawa is still likely to see some time in the rotation next season with some injuries and when the young pitchers need rest, but it will likely be his last chance to prove himself to the Yankees. This is assuming the trade talks between the Padres and Yankees do not heat back up again.

4.) Who’s on First?- First base was a position in disarray during the 2007 season and it seems likely to be that way again in 2008. The free agent market at first base, like most positions this off season, is quite thin, so there are not a lot of options there. In 2007, Doug Mientkiewicz, Andy Phillips, Jason Giambi, Josh Phelps, and Wilson Betemit all spent time at first and a similar platoon is likely next season. Cashman could re-sign Mientkiewicz and all would be the same, which could be seen as a good or a bad thing. Without A-Rod it may be harder to cover up that spot in the batting order, but Mientkiewicz’s defense will still make up for it.

3.) Fortifying the Pen- Down the stretch, the Yankees bullpen was one of the best in the league thanks to Luiz Vizcaino, Joba Chamberlain, and Mariano Rivera. Unfortunately, the bullpen could be without all three of them in the 2008 season. Rivera seems relatively certain to be back and it would be wise to bring Vizcaino back, but without Chamberlain there is still a big hole in the bullpen. Vizcaino is better suited for a seventh inning role, so a top set up man should be a priority. The free agent market holds such options as Francisco Cordero, Eric Gagne, or Scott Linebrink but none of them are likely to be as dominant as Chamberlain was down the stretch. The Yankees will likely depend on some of the young guns to step up and take on the role with Edwar Ramirez, Ross Ohlendorf, Humberto Sanchez, and JB Cox being the top candidates.

2.) Bringing back their guys- So far the Yankees are only one for three in bringing back their impending free agents since Abreu is back but Joe Torre and Alex Rodriguez are not. They will have to be better then that the rest of the way if they intend on putting a contender on the field next season. It’s imperative that Cashman be able to coax Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, and Andy Pettitte back next season or else there will be just too many holes to fill. For Posada and Rivera, its more about throwing money at them but Pettitte will have to be convinced to stave off retirement for another season and his veteran presence will be needed to lead the rest of the young pitching staff.

1.) Who’s at third?- The title may be a bit repetitive sure, but its mainly because the Yankees now have two holes to fill at both corners on the diamond. With the departure of Alex Rodriguez, the Yankees are left with not only a big hole in the line up but another one in the field. The Yankees only major league ready options that are already in house are Wilson Betemit or Andy Phillips, with a move of Robinson Cano possible as well. Minor leaguers Marcos Vechionacci and Eric Duncan can both play third (especially Vec) but neither have proved ready for major league pitching. The only real free agent option is Mike Lowell, but the Red Sox are likely to retain him and he will not be worth the contract he receives anyway as he played well over his head for his walk year, is helped tremendously by Fenway Park, and he is a bit older but I digress. Trade options include Miguel Cabrera, Eric Chavez (my personal favorite chose), Hank Blalock, or Joe Crede but most of them will require giving up some young talent. I expect Brian Cashman to say soon that he is ready to go into the season with Wilson Betemit as his staring third baseman, but he said the same about Bubba Crosby as his center fielder in 2005. That is just a negotiating tactic, but Cashman will have to be creative on this one if he hopes to make the team forget about Alex Rodriguez.

Highest Payroll No More?

2007-11-03T15:15:00.001-07:00

The Yankees have been much maligned in the past decade or so for having by far the highest payroll in baseball. Since baseball is the only sport without a salary cap, the Yankees were really the only team in sports being criticized for this. Why they are criticized more then a team like the Florida Marlins where the fans don’t show up and the owner just pockets all of the money is beyond me, but that’s neither here nor there. The Yankees payroll used to be much higher then any other team in baseball, but the gap is closing fast. Teams like the Red Sox and Mets are quickly gaining on the Yankees and could be on the verge of passing them. This off season, the Yankees have trimmed their payroll from $195 million to $135 million (including Pettitte’s player option which has not been exercised yet) but does not include the likely re-signings of Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera, as well as other players who may be signed. Those players are likely to bring the payroll up to the $160-170 million range, which is still much lower then past years. Other then re-signing Posada and Rivera, there are not a lot of places to spend a substantial amount of money on, other then signing a 3rd baseman like Mike Lowell which would be a horrendous decision in my opinion. The days of a $200 million payroll seem like they are over for now, thanks mostly to A-Rod’s opt out. The money saved from A-Rod not only makes it easier for Cashman to re-sign real Yankees like Posada and Rivera, but it will also keep some of the critics ff of the Yankees backs now that they have shaved nearly $40 million off of their payroll. There is even an outside shot that the Yankees could not have the highest payroll in baseball next season, but it would likely take a huge contract like one for Alex Rodriguez by the Red Sox or Mets. At least if the Red Sox sign A-Rod, they’ll officially cement themselves as the new evil empire which would at least be a load of the Yankees minds.

Can (or should) A-Rod be back?

2007-11-03T15:14:00.000-07:00

Alex Rodriguez has opted out of his contract with the New York Yankees and is a free agent, and while Hank and Hal Steinbrenner and Brian Cashman have reiterated that they will not negotiate with A-Rod, his agent Scott Boras has said that the Yankees can still negotiate with his client. The question is, should the Yankees consider this? A-Rod’s departure leaves a huge hole in the line up and at third base, and it’s always nice to add (or keep) the best hitter in the game. However, a reconciliation of this marriage is near impossible. The Yankees organization and their fans are too scorned by Rodriguez’s actions to accept him back at this point and Brian Cashman and the Steinbrenner’s would just look foolish if they went back on their strong statements against A-Rod. This is not even to mention the astronomical price tag on A-Rod. Reports have been leaked that Scott Boras is demanding a $350 million contract from the Yankees in order to even negotiate with his client! This is a contract which is nearly $30 million a year for 12 years and Boras is never going to sniff a contract like this unless one of the 30 MLB teams suddenly becomes run by a group of apes. No one player is worth that kind of a commitment, even if he is the best player in the game and it will only lead to athletes’ contracts being even more absurd through the years. While it certainly wouldn’t hurt to bring 54 home runs and 160 RBI’s back to the team, its time to accept the fact that the Alex Rodriguez era in New York is over and was pretty much a failure. I am not going to rip A-Rod again in this column, even if he does deserve it, but his two MVP awards do not make up for the fact that he failed to deliver a championship to New York.

Los Angeles Yankees?

2007-10-31T15:24:00.000-07:00

With the news of the Yankees managerial change came the subsequent news of another managerial change in the majors. The Los Angeles Dodgers made a move of their own, when their former manager Grady Little “resigned” and is set to be replaced by none other then Joe Torre. Grady Little must really hate Joe Torre, as he has no essentially cost him his job twice (the other time being when Torre’s Yankees knocked Little out of the 2003 playoffs). While nothing is official yet, Torre is expected to be offered a three year deal in the vicinity of $3.5-4 million per year (yes it is less then the Yankees offered him). Torre did not wait long to get back into the managing scene, as I for one expected him to sit out a year before returning, but he wasted little time. The fact that he did waste such little time may hint at how hostile Torre has become towards the Yankees, but maybe he just find the right situation at the right time. Torre does, after all, now lead a talented young team with bright young stars like Chad Billingsley and James Loney and no one should be surprised if they are successful next season. Torre should also like the fact that while he’s staying in a large market, he no longer has to face the absurd expectations of being forced to win every year. Los Angeles fans are much more tolerant of losing then those of us in the New York area. In addition, Torre is likely going to be joined by his former bench coach Don Mattingly. Mattingly is likely to be either Torre’s bench or hitting coach as he seems just as scorned by the Yankees as Torre. Mattingly will also enjoy the prospect of being a part of the same team as his son, Preston, someday as his son is currently a prospect in the Dodgers minor league system. Mattingly still likely believes that his best road to managing someday is to tail on Joe Torre’s coat tails. Either way, do not expect to see Torre or Mattingly at Old Timer’s Day any time soon.

Girardi In Charge

2007-10-30T20:15:00.000-07:00

The Yankees direction less off season finally got a little direction with their new manager being announced. Joe Girardi has agreed to a 3 year, $7.5 million contract to become the new manager of the New York Yankees. Girardi follows in the footsteps of another Joe, Joe Torre, but is a needed change of pace from the man who preceded him. It was a rare occasion for Yankee fans to witness Torre being ejected from a game, as he was the consummate example of cool. Girardi is likely to be ejected twice as often as Torre was during his tenure if he should spend an extended period as manager. Girardi’s not Lou Piniella by any means, but he’s certainly more hot headed then Torre. Girardi spent four years as a player with the Yankees and won three World Series titles (1996, 1998, 1999), spent 2005 as the Yankees bench coach under Torre, and in his only season as a manger Girardi won the NL Manager of the Year award in 2006 with the Florida Marlins. Girardi led a Marlins team that people expected to be one of the worst teams of all time to a respectable 78-84 record. Girardi is known to be good with young players and the Yankees have plenty of them, his relationship with the veterans on the team is still undetermined. Girardi played with several of the players on the Yankees currently, Jeter, Posada, Rivera, and Pettitte to be specific, so he will have to earn the respect of his former teammates. Girardi is also known for his work ethic, as he often does the exercises and drills with his players as he still has the physique of a marine. He will also have to prove that he can get along with Hank and Hal, as Girardi’s tiff with Jeffrey Loria, the Marlins owner, caused his exile from the team, but if they were willing to hire him over Don Mattingly then they most be somewhat affectionate for him. Still, Girardi has some awful large shoes to fill, as the man who preceded him never failed to make the playoffs, so Girardi will be expected to do the same even after losing this season’s MVP as well as possibly some other players. The Bosses would have hesitated to fire Mattingly after a lost season, but they may not hesitate so much to do it to Girardi if need be.

Bombshell Laid on the Bombers

2007-10-29T07:47:00.001-07:00

I told myself I would try to write as little about Alex Rodriguez and his contract situation as possible. That was before Sunday night. That night was the night that the story was leaked that Rodriguez would opt out of his contract with the New York Yankees. A-Rod had within ten days of the World Series to make this decision, but apparently he must have known all along that this was going to be his course of action, or else he did not have a whole lot to think about if he was able to make that decision this quickly. The message was passed along by his agent Scott Boras to Brian Cashman through text messages of all things. The excuse, A-Rod is concerned about the direction of the team and the uncertain situations of Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, and Andy Pettitte and does not believe ten days would have been long enough to evaluate the situation. Yea, like anyone buys that one. Rodriguez could not care less about his former teammates situations make no mistake of that, he simply is chasing the money and obviously did not wish to remain with the Yankees. The Yankees, mainly Hank Steinbrenner, have reiterated their position on not re-signing Rodriguez due to the opt out. Without the money being sent to the Yankees from the Texas Rangers, the Yankees no longer seem willing to commit so much of their own money to Rodriguez. Besides, the opt out was really an insult to the Yankees anyway. As of now, this appears to be the end of the Alex Rodriguez era in New York. Perhaps the only positive from the situation is that he totally stole the Red Sox thunder.
Allow me to paint you a picture with my imagination brush. A-Rod is pretty much done as a Yankee, so any number of teams could be pursuing him. One of those suitors is likely to be the Boston Red Sox. Imagine the day that A-Rod returns to Yankee Stadium in a Red Sox uniform. Imagine that A-Rod has one of his typical seasons and is selected to the All Star Team, in Yankee Stadium, as a member of the Boston Red Sox. A-Rod will become public enemy number one in New York and the boos that will rain down on him will be off the charts. People who could not even get into the game would likely stand outside the stadium and boo just to let out their hatred on this man. A-Rod will always be known in New York as the man who could not handle the pressure, who could not produce in the big spot, could not deliver a Championship to New York, and ran away for a bigger pay check. Apparently $27 million a year is just not enough money to feed your kids. Is it not most people’s desire to make more money? Sure, it is but when you are already the highest paid player in the game and are being offered a $3 million raise per year from your team then the “wanting more money” excuse will not fly. He should not expect to make a whole lot more from another team anyway. It will be a sad day when A-Rod is inducted into the Hall of Fame and will have no team’s hat to wear into the Hall. All he should wear is a big dollar sign on his cap, as that was the only place his loyalty fell to.

Contract Gate Part 178

2007-10-27T15:43:00.001-07:00

On the ongoing drama that is A-Rod’s contract situation, the latest news in now that Brian Cashman is near ready to propose a contract extension when they meet with him. The reports are that the extension is expected to be right around 5 years for $150 million. You don’t have to be a math major to realize that this $30 million per season extension is set to break records that this contract already held. A-Rod would then be under the Yankees control until the 2015 season and his contract from hereon out would be worth $231 million. Still, as astronomical as this all sounds it would still be a far cry from what could possibly come out of this situation. At one point, Scott Boras was talking about A-Rod possibly commanding an astounding $40 million per season! While it is still $3 million more then A-Rod had been set to make a season with another extra 5 years tacked on, it’s conceivable that Alex Rodriguez may even see this offer as an insult. This is obviously a more then fair offer but with Scott Boras behind the scenes he is almost certain to try to squeeze more out of the Yankees. If the Yankees can actually land A-Rod at this price then it would almost be a bargain to keep the best player in the game for a price tag that at least didn’t hit ten digits. One could argue that there may be better things to do with the money that could field a whole team, but Rodriguez’s production would still be impossible to replace in the Yankees lineup by just one player. This offer could be seen as a test to A-Rod’s loyalty to the Yankees, as if he truly wants to stay a Yankee no matter what then he should jump at this offer. If he’s been listening to Brian Cashman’s statements about not pursuing him if he opts out of his contract then he should take this offer. The window for A-Rod to opt out of his contract will be closing soon, as the Red Sox are likely to finish off this World Series sooner rather then later (yea I said it) so 10 days later he’ll have to make his decision. Cashman is trying to end this soon as he’d probably like to put this and the Yankees managerial opening behind him as soon as possible. Unfortunately for him, even after the two biggest off season priorities are taken care of he’ll still have plenty of work to do.

A Good Start

2007-10-27T15:42:00.001-07:00

The Yankees off season may have begun quite a bit sooner then they would have hoped for, but the real off season is about to get under way. The Yankees off season, unlike most recent years, will mainly consist of keeping their own players under contract. At one of their many meetings, the Yankees hierarchy has decided that their first move of the off season will be to pick up Bobby Abreu’s $16 million option for next season. That was probably the easiest decision they’ll have to make this off season. Abreu finished up the 2007 season at .283-16-101-123-25 and there’s no reason to believe that he’s not capable of putting up a similar line next season. After a May in which Abreu hit only .208 most people were glad that the Yankees could rid themselves of Abreu this off season and were hoping to do it even sooner. However, in a second half that he hit .305 with 11 HR’s and 60 RBI’s Abreu again put himself back into the Yankees plans for the 2008 season. Abreu’s patient approach at the plate still fits in perfectly in the Yankees’ lineup and sets up the rest of the hitters that hit behind him. The tougher decision will come for the Yankees after next season when they have to decide whether to sign Abreu to a new contract or to move in a different direction. Abreu will be 34 at that point and will if he has another season like this one then he will likely command a four year commitment to re-sign. At that point, it may be time to hand right field over to top prospect Jose Tabata or at least require a short stop gap before he is ready, which would make Abreu expendable. It all makes you wonder what the Phillies were thinking when they gave Abreu up for a bunch of no names (CJ Henry and Matt Smith were the biggest names of the deal, wow).

Prospect Profile: Eric Duncan

2007-10-27T15:41:00.000-07:00

Once a shining star from Seton Hall Prep School, Yankees minor league slugger Eric Duncan has fallen on some hard times. Duncan has failed to hit above .250 since 2004, but things were not always such a struggle for Duncan. Duncan was once highly touted, as he was selected by the Yankees in the first round of the 2003 draft. The 6’1, 205 lb 3rd baseman debuted in professional baseball as an 18 year old and debuted he did, when he hit .278 with the GCL Yankees and was then promoted to the single A Staten Island Yankees where he hit .373. Unfortunately, Duncan’s stock was never that high again. Duncan’s power improved, as he hit 16 home runs in 2004 and then 19 in 2005, but his batting average plummeted to .257 and then .235 respectively. Back problems hindered Duncan from then on out, as he never seemed to truly bounce back and prove himself in the minors, and he has compiled just a .250 average in his minor league career. Despite not really seeming to improve much, Duncan has steadily climbed the ladder in the Yankees minor league system as he finished up the 2007 season in AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Duncan was touted as a power hitter when he was drafted, but with 60 career home runs in 1878 pro at bats, the power has not exactly translated. Duncan will either have to vastly improve his power numbers or his batting average if he ever hopes to be a useful regular in the big leagues. Duncan has had a decent walk rate in the minors (237 in his career) but they fail to adequately offset his strikeouts as he has whiffed a disturbing 454 times in the minors (nearly a 2-1 K-BB ratio). Duncan began toying with 1st base in 2006, likely because he was being blocked at 3B by Alex Rodriguez and 1st base was his fastest track to the majors. The Yankees were surely hoping that Duncan would step up and claim the Yankees vacant 1st base job, but he failed to do so. First base is still wide open for the Yankees, but Duncan would have to improve dramatically to be an option for the Yankees any time soon. Duncan’s 17 errors in 34 games in 2003 and 26 errors in 123 games in 2004 seemed to indicate that first base or the outfield would have been Duncan’s eventual home anyway. Duncan will be 23 at the start of the 2008 season, so there is still time for him to turn it around and become a contributor in the majors. However, it now seems like Duncan’s ceiling is a Shelly Duncan type career then of a truly top prospect. Duncan will likely begin 2008 as AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s everyday first baseman, and it seems very possible that Duncan could spend time with the big club next season.

Calling Your Bluff

2007-10-23T13:36:00.001-07:00

Alex Rodriguez’s contract situation is something that promises to be the Yankees main storyline throughout the off season. In fact it is probably the only thing that will take the attention off of the Yankees managerial opening. Once that position is filled, Brian Cashman and the rest of the Yankees front office will turn their full attention to Alex Rodriguez. Brian Cashman has made his opinion on the infamous opt out clause pretty clear, that if A-Rod opts out of his contract then the Yankees will not negotiate with him. Cashman is, however, prepared to possibly offer Rodriguez an enormous contract extension to sway him away from opting out. If this were true, it would be bad news for A-Rod and Scott Boras, as without the Yankees in the mix A-Rod will never be able to receive the record breaking contract he covets, as his price tag is unlikely to be brought up as much by the other teams. Cashman has reiterated this statement several times, but it remains to be seen if he will stick by these statements should it actually happen. Brian Cashman does not want to be the man that allowed one of the greatest players who ever played the game to walk away from the Yankees, so I for one wonder if he will stick by his words if A-Rod should become a free agent. These statements by Cashman could simply be a ploy to keep A-Rod from opting out so that the Texas Rangers can continue to send the Yankees money for A-Rod’s contract. The fact of the matter is, 54 home runs are irreplaceable in any lineup, even the Yankees, and Wilson Betemit or Mike Lowell would be far from adequate replacements. Much has been made of A-Rod’s post season play, but the Yankees need him, plain and simple. Cashman would not look good if he were to go back on his statements and still offer A-Rod a huge contract after he opts out, but he would likely take the hit for the good of the team. I, for one, do not believe that Cashman is just going to sit on his hands and allow A-Rod to go sing with the Boston Red Sox or some other team. Only time will tell, but it promises to be a dark cloud hanging over Yankee stadium until it is resolved.

Those be Fightin Words

2007-10-23T13:35:00.001-07:00

After Joe Torre’s declination of the Yankees contract off and his press conference last Friday, most people were quick to attack the Yankees front office for not trying harder to keep Joe Torre around. Well, the Yankees front office is attacking back. Hank Steinbrenner showed that the next generation of Steinbrenner’s will not be much kinder and gentler then George. In reacting to Joe Torre’s statement that the Yankees contract offer was an insult, Hank Steinbrenner essentially told Joe Torre that he had no right to complain and that the Yankees made his career. “Where was Joe's career in '95 when my dad hired him?" said Hank. “My dad was crucified for hiring him.” He also went on to say that he believed the contract was completely fair and that he had hoped that Torre would accept it. He backed off his statements a bit, calling Torre a great manager and class act, but the message was clear that Hank was not happy about Torre’s reaction to the contract offer. The Steinbrenner’s were likely also upset about the media’s portrayal of the situation, as mostly everyone sided with Joe Torre. If nothing else, these statements cemented Hank Steinbrenner as a potential strong leader and perhaps as a worthy successor to his father. He may even end up with sole possession of the team if he wrestles the rest of the power away from his brother Hal. George Steinbrenner never would have shied away from a confrontation, even with a beloved figure such as Joe Torre, and Hank has show that he is not afraid of that either. Maybe he does have what it take to survive in this town…

Prospect Profile: Jeffrey Marquez

2007-10-23T13:34:00.001-07:00

Remember the days when the Yankees farm system was described as one of the most barren in baseball? Well as I’ve been highlighting those days are long gone, especially in the pitching department. The next in a long line of these young pitching prospects is Jeffrey Marquez. The 23 year old right hander was selected by the Yankees in the first round of the 2004 draft. The 6’2, 175 lb starting pitcher has never sported an ERA over 4.00 in his professional career. He debuted with a splash with the GCL Yankees with a 0.63 ERA and 18 K’s in 14.1 innings as a 19 year old. Marquez has a career minor league ERA of 3.40, but his K rate was not quite as good as indicated by his rookie showing, as his 6.78 K/9 is good but not amazing. Marquez has given up hits, as he’s allowed 474 in 458 innings, but his real strength is his control, as he has a superb BB/9 rate of 3.12 (better then a 2-1 K-BB ratio). Marquez most recently went 15-9 with a 3.40 ERA for the Trenton Thunder in the 2007 season.
Marquez features a repertoire that has become typical of a Yankees minor league pitching prospect (as this is what minor league pitching coach Nardi Contreras believes are some of the best pitches to throw). He features a four seem and a two seem fastball, changeup, and curveball. Marquez is somewhat of a sinkerballer, but his fastball can reach 94 mph and comparisons to Chien-Ming Wang are not unwarranted. Other then his sinking fastball, Marquez’s changeup is also one of the best in the minor leagues, while his curveball is above average as well. Marquez will get many groundball outs in the big league’s, but should maintain a better K rate then Wang has due to his changeup. Marquez certainly has the talent and the track record to start the 2008 season in AAA, but with the crowded rotation in the Yankees upper minor leagues, he may have to wait for his chance and start the year back in AA Trenton. Still, a fast start and Marquez could easily find himself in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Marquez has the talent and potential to even reach the major leagues at some point next season, but that seems unlikely. As long as the wheels don’t come off this season, then Marquez seems to be a lock to make his major league debut by the all star break of 2009.

An offer he shouldn't have refused

2007-10-20T09:19:00.000-07:00

The long wait is over… sort of. Joe Torre has officially turned down the Yankees offer of a one year, $5 million contract with an extra $3 million in incentives and an option for a second year. This effectively ends Torre’s 12 year run as Yankees manager in which he led the Bombers to one of their most successful runs in franchise history. The week and a half long hold out ended in a conclusive manner with Torre’s rejection of the team’s offer. It begs the question of why Torre did reject it. Was it the $2 million pay cut of his base salary? Perhaps, it is a substantial pay cut, but even with that he still would have been the highest paid manager in baseball and if Torre led the team to the World Series then he would have received $1 million more then he had been getting paid in recent years. Many are calling this an unfair offer that Torre had no choice but to reject, but since when is $5 million a slap in the face? Lou Piniella and Tony Larussa have a comparable track record to Joe Torre but did not feel insulted when they were offered less money then Torre was offered now. If Torre loved this job as much as he often stated he did, then he should not have let that pay cut effect his desire to return to the team.
On the other hand, Torre should have no need to prove himself to the Yankees organization, as he has taken this team to the World Series in half of his years as the Yankees manager. The incentive laden contract essentially is telling Torre to prove himself, so it could be seen as insulting. Torre even stated during his press conference that “that kind of motivation was not needed” and that he took them “as an insult”, so it seemed to be quite the mitigating factor in his decision. Also, I’m sure if my boss wanted me to come back to work at severely reduced pay I’d be upset as well. Either way, Torre is gone and the Yankees will have to move on with a new man in the dugout. It is indeed the end of an era, but all good things must come to an end and whoever does replace Torre as the Yankees manager will still have a talented team to work with, so the Yankees success does not have to end just because Joe Torre’s reign has. Torre’s relationship with the organization has also taken what may be irreparable damage, as when asked about a possible return to the organization for an event or some sort of role, Torre could only say “I’m not prepared to comment on that right now”. Yea, that’s a no.

Mo' Problems

2007-10-20T09:18:00.000-07:00

As if the Yankees did not have enough drama going on already, the will have to face the reality of what Joe Torre’s departure will mean for the rest of the players. The first and most obvious impact will be on free agent Mariano Rivera. Rivera was quoted as saying after the news about Joe Torre broke that the Yankees were “1 of 30 teams now”. Rivera seems genuinely upset at the Yankees organization not only for the way his contract situation was handled but now that Torre will not be back as the Yankees manager. These problems stem all the way back to spring training when Rivera stated his preference to have his contract situation resolved before the season started and then his displeasure when it wasn’t. He later stated that he would test free agency, that the Yankees would not get any home town discount, and now that they are just one of 30 teams. Losing the greatest closer of all time would obviously be a huge blow to the team, and it would likely cause the Yankees to reverse course and revert Joba Chamberlain back into a reliever. There is little doubt in anyone’s mind that if need, Chamberlain could do for the Yankees what Jonathan Papelbon has done for the Red Sox, but he still will not be Mariano Rivera. The Phillies are the most prominent pursuers of Rivera’s services, but it could be conceivable that most of the teams in the league would be willing to convert their current closers into setup men to make room for Rivera. The loss of Rivera would also be detrimental to the psyche of the Yankee fans, as they will be without Joe Torre and now Mariano Rivera and it could set a bad trend for other players with questionable returns such as Jorge Posada and Andy Pettitte. My gut instinct still tells me that as long as the Yankees are willing to match any other offer he receives on the open market; Rivera will still be a Yankee next season. Cashman would be wise to resolve this situation quickly if for nothing else then to help sway the other free agents to stay.

If not Joe, then Who?

2007-10-16T13:35:00.000-07:00

Joe Torre’s status as the Yankees manager continues to be left in limbo, and could remain so for awhile even after the meeting of the Yankees hierarchy meets in Tampa. I have stated that I, personally, still believe that Joe Torre is the best choice for the job, but assuming he does not return to the Yankees for a 13th season, then who should replace him? The names that have most often been mentioned for this position are Tony Larussa, Don Mattingly, Joe Girardi, Buck Showalter, and Bobby Valentine. Perhaps the best news for Yankee fans is that the Cincinnati Reds already hired Dusty Baker as their new manager, eliminating any chance of him becoming the next Yankees manager and ruining the careers of Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, and Ian Kennedy. Anyway, I’m going to outline the pros and cons of each of the 5 main candidates to replace Torre should he not be brought back.

Tony Larussa

Pros- Larussa is by far the most experienced and well established candidates on the list. In 28 seasons as the manager of the Chicago White Sox, Oakland A’s, and St. Louis Cardinals, Larussa has compiled a 2375-2070 record (.534 winning percentage), five pennants, and two World Series rings. The four time Manager of the Year ranks 3rd on the all time managerial wins list behind only John McGraw and Connie Mack. Larussa led the 83 win Cardinals to the 2006 World Series title and probably does not receive enough credit for leading a not so talented team to a championship.

Cons- A lot of people believe that Larussa was fortunate to walk into good managerial situations like with in Oakland with “the Bash Brothers” and his early Cardinals years again with Mark McGuire and later Albert Pujols. He’s also only managed in a smaller market city such as Oakland and a city where they love everything in St. Louis, so its uncertain whether he will be able to handle the scrutiny in New York. Even more uncertain is whether he could handle George Steinbrenner. He’ll also likely command at least the same amount of money the Yankees have been paying Joe Torre over the past few seasons.

Don Mattingly

Pros- Donnie Baseball appears to have been mentored by Torre personally to take over the managerial job someday, and this may be the day. Mattingly is also a “true Yankee” which could appeal to the fans and to the Boss. He also knows the current team well after serving as bench coach and hitting coach before that.

Cons- The obvious one is that Mattingly has no managerial experience, but everyone has to start somewhere. Also, Mattingly would feature the same style of managing that Torre used, and teams often would like to head in an opposite direction when changing managers.

Joe Girardi

Pros- Girardi already has a Manager of the Year award under his belt after only a season as the manager of the Florida Marlins in 2006. Girardi led a Marlins team that everybody expected to be one of the worst teams of all time to a 78-84 record. The fact that the Marlins took a step backwards this year to a 71-91 record without Girardi would seem to indicate that he had something to do with their success. Girardi also seems skilled at handling young players, which the Yankees now have plenty of.

Cons- Girardi still has limited experience and that experience was with perhaps the smallest market out there. Girardi also feuded with Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria, which led to his exile from Florida, so it makes you wonder how he will get along with the Steinbrenner’s. There also remains several of Girardi’s former teammates on the Yankees, which could make it harder for Girardi to command respect from those players.

Buck Showalter

Pros- The two time AL Manager of the Year has experience in New York, as he managed the Yankees from 1992-1995. In Arizona, he arrived with a 65 win team and then turned it into a 100 win team in one season. In 1995 he led the Yankees to their first playoff berth since 1981. His stricter and harsher managerial style would be a nice contrast from Torre’s laid back style.

Cons- Showalter has been out of baseball for a year now and his inability to take a blooming Texas Rangers team to the next level is discouraging. His .514 career winning percentage as a manager is not all that inspiring either. He has also never brought a team to the World Series.

Bobby Valentine

Pros- Bobby Valentine has plenty of experience in New York, managing the New York Mets for seven seasons and leading them to the 2000 World Series. His style is also quite different then Joe Torre’s, but that’s about where the good things end.

Cons- Valentine has been out of American baseball since 2002, as he has been managing a team in Japan for several years now. He claims to be happy in Japan and in no hurry to return to Major League Baseball, so it would likely take quite a commitment from the Yankees to pry him away. His .510 career winning percentage is also less then stellar.

New Bosses in Town

2007-10-16T13:33:00.001-07:00

In breaking news, George Steinbrenner is old. At 77 years old, his health is declining at an unconfirmed rate and it is no secret that he can’t be “The Boss” forever. At one point, it seemed almost certain that Steinbrenner’s successor would be his son-in-law Steve Swindal, but after a drunk driving incident and a divorce from George’s daughter, Swindal is no longer an option for that position. That left the question of who would be the sole successor to Steinbrenner completely unanswered. Well that question has now been answered, well sort of. Steinbrenner’s sons, Hank and Hal, have taken over as the main heads of the Yankees organization, with George still a “main consultant” of the team. Supposedly, all decisions will be finalized by Hank and Hal, but assuming that George is still lucid, you can bet that he still has the final word on all matters. Once George passes on, it now seems rather certain that Hank and Hal will share the duties as long as they are both willing, similar to the situation the New York football Giants were put in when their owners Wellington Mara and Robert Tisch passed away and their sons took over the franchise together. I’m not saying that George is about to suffer a similar fate, but this seems like a sign that his health is not as great as it once was. Hank and Hal Steinbrenner will have to make an immediate decision on the future of the Yankees managerial position, as well as future decisions such as the details of the new Yankee Stadium. One thing is for certain, Hank and Hal have some big shoes to fill if they hope to live up to the dynamic reputation of their father.

Prospect Profile: Austin Jackson

2007-10-16T13:32:00.001-07:00

The Yankees outfield of the future is beginning to get a bit crowded. With Melky Cabrera already a fixture of the future in CF for the Yankees and stud prospect Jose Tabata on the way, the Yankees will have little need to sign a big time outfielder in the foreseeable future. Not to be overlooked is yet another rising outfield star in the Yankees system, Austin Jackson. Jackson was drafted by the Yankees in the 8th round of the 2005 draft out of high school and he is a 6’1, 205 lb right handed hitting center fielder. The 20 year old was not expected to sign with the Yankees when they drafted him, as he was a highly touted basketball prospect as well (a 4 star guard from rivals.com) and already was offered a full scholarship to play basketball at Georgia Tech. However, like many other young multi sport athletes, Jackson chose baseball and began the 2005 season with the GCL Yankees. He hit .304 in 2005 and in his first extended play in 2006 with single A Charleston, Jackson hit only .258 but stole 36 bases. Jackson has hit .283 overall in his minor league career with 17 HR’s, 120 RBI’s, and 79 SB’s in 1176 at bats and is showing the signs of a 5 tool player. Jackson has above average defense in center, an above average arm and speed but not amazingly so in any of those categories. The biggest concern with Jackson should be his strikeouts, as he struck out an astounding 152 times in 2006 as opposed to only 60 walks.
Austin Jackson is still a very raw talent, as he was not focused 100% on baseball until he was drafted by the Yankees. Now that basketball is out of the picture, Jackson should continue to improve and has the potential to be a Tori Hunter type hitter but with less defensive skills. A few all star appearances are not out of the question. Jackson did strike out 51 times less in 2007 then in 2006 so it is a promising sign of his development. At only 20 years old, Jackson appeared in three games for the double AA Trenton, but did not bat. As noted earlier, the Yankees young outfield is becoming crowded and with the veterans blocking him and Jose Tabata ahead of him in the pecking order, Jackson may have to wait awhile before receiving an extended look from the Yankees. Since the Yankees have no need to rush Jackson, he may begin the 2008 season in single A Tampa, but they could be aggressive and start him in Trenton. Either way, he’s likely to finish the year in Trenton and is unlikely to see the big leagues before 2009 at the very earliest.

Rocket's Farewell

2007-10-13T11:47:00.002-07:00

Lost in the shuffle of Joe Torre’s job being in limbo, another early exit for the Yankees from the playoffs, and all of the other general mayhem in Yankee land is that last Sunday, October 7th, we all likely saw what is to be the end of Roger Clemens career. While no official announcement has been made yet, and likely won’t for awhile, Clemens last pitch in Game 3 of the ALDS vs. Cleveland was likely his last pitch of a storied career. Clemens performance this season has likely dropped off enough where he will finally decide to hang ‘em up for good. Clemens body no longer seems able to withstand the wear and tear of even a half a season, as he battled many injuries ranging from his hamstring, groin, and elbow throughout the season. Clemens finished the 2007 campaign at 6-6 with a 4.18 ERA and finished his illustrious career 354-184 with a 3.12 ERA and 4672 K’s. Clemens ranks 8th on the all time wins list and 2nd on the all time strikeout list and is obviously a first round ballot hall of famer. Which hat he wears in the HOF is another question, although it still seems likely to be the Red Sox. Clemens has won 2 World Series rings, both with the Yankees, and has appeared in 6 World Series all together (1 with Boston, 4 with the Yankees, and 1 with the Astros). Clemens work ethic and conditioning are well documented, and it’s the main reason he’s been able to pitch to the age of 45. At some points, even as late as the 2006 season, it seemed as if Clemens would be able to pitch forever. However, seeing as how his ERA nearly doubled this year from last year’s 2.30 ERA, the Rocket may choose to finally call it a career now that he no longer seems capable of performing at the level he has been accustomed to.
Of course, in another twist of events, when asked about retirement on October 12th, Clemens would not rule out another return in the 2008 season. When asked about retirement, Clemens said: "You know, I haven't been very good at this. I thought last year was good. I thought three or four years ago was good.” On the other hand, Clemens wife Debbie has been quoted as saying that she thinks its time for Roger to finally retire. "I think he's ready to do the barbecue and come home,” Debbie said of her husband. Clemens seems unlikely to make a decision anytime soon, but if some team is still willing to give him a pro-rated $28 million for half a season then he may be tempted to return for a 25th season. The Yankees seems unlikely to go that route again, unless Clemens agrees to a severely reduced pay (fat chance) or perhaps if it would sway Andy Pettitte to return next season. The Astros seem somewhat feasible to land Clemens for next season even after being burned by him last season, if nothing else then for the crowd draw. If this truly is it for Roger Clemens, one of the greatest pitchers of all time, then it is somewhat sad that he exited to a smattering of boos in his last appearance, while leaving after an injury in the playoffs. At least he can look back at his exit in the 2003 World Series to see his proper farewell, the first time he retired.

The Lesser of Two Evils

2007-10-13T11:47:00.001-07:00

Yankee fans are put in an awkward situation for this year’s ALCS. The matchup between the Cleveland Indians and the Boston Red Sox makes a Yankee fan wonder: who to root for? Of course, a lot of Yankee fans will choose option C of apathy, but the true baseball fans will still at least have moderate interest in the outcome. To root for the team that just knocked ours out of the playoffs, or to root for our arch-rivals. Neither side seems too attractive, but Yankee fans are likely to hear a lot less smack talk from Indian fans if they win then if the Red Sox were to win it all. Of course, there’s also less shame in losing to the World Series champions, so if the Indians were to win it all then it could soften the blow that the Yankees took by losing to them. Unfortunately, the Red Sox are already up one game to none in the series, but it is still very conceivable that the Indians could come back to win the series, especially considering the Red Sox will be pitching Tim Wakefield for the first time in nearly a month for Game 4. If the Red Sox were to win the World Series for the second time in four seasons then Yankee fans will never hear the end of it, so that is the main reason I will be rooting for the Cleveland Indians in this series. At least the Rockies could make this argument irrelevant with the way they have been playing.

Prospect Profile: Marcos Vechionacci

2007-10-13T11:45:00.000-07:00

The last time the Yankees promoted a homegrown infielder to their roster to play a major role, his name was Robinson Cano. Needless to say that promotion has gone well, so who else do the Yankees have lurking in their minor leagues as far as infielders go? One of those lurkers is third baseman Marcos Vechionacci. Vechionacci, now 21, is a 6’2, 170 lb third baseman with experience at SS and 2B and has the makings of a future gold glover. His defensive prowess is equal to modern day stars such as Eric Chavez and Scott Rolen, the two players he is most often compared to. Vechionacci was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Yankees pack in 2002 as a ripe 16 year old and has now spent 4 seasons in the Yankees minor league system. Vechionacci has had only moderate success in the minor leagues thus far as he is a career .258 hitter in his minor league career with 16 homers and 190 RBI’s in 1613 AB’s, as well as 40 stolen bases. Vechionacci came out of the gates strong, hitting .336 in the Yankees GCL Rookie League as an 18 year old and then .292 in low A Staten Island. However, he has failed to hit higher then .266 at any level since then, but has been able to move through the Yankees minor league system, ending up in AA Trenton at the finish of the 2007 season.
Make no mistake that Vechionacci’s claim to fame is his fielding, but he is believed to one day become a legitimate 5 tool player. Vechionacci also features a keen eye at the plate, but he also compliments that with plenty of K’s. This may keep Vechionacci from becoming a typical .300 hitter in the majors unless he cuts down on the K’s, but he could become something of a Troy Glaus hitter with Scott Rolen’s glove. Vechionacci has featured a clean bill of health throughout as well, never missing any significant time due to injury. Vechionacci could begin the 2008 season with the AA Trenton Thunder and with a good performance could quickly find himself in AAA Scraton/Wilkes-Barre and as one of the first men available as a replacement for the big club. The biggest variable for Vechionacci’s arrival date as a major player for the Yankees is whether Alex Rodriguez sticks around after this season with the Yankees or not. If A-Rod should leave, Vechionacci could be up as soon as next season, as the Yankees will hesitate less to rush him due to the steady defense he can deliver right away. However, if A-Rod wishes to remain in New York then Vechionacci could automatically find himself just as trade bait, as he’ll be blocked by A-Rod, Cano, and Jeter/ Alberto Gonzalez at all of the positions he seems capable of playing. Vechionacci will have to have a strong season in 2008 to become a main focus of the Yankees plans for the future regardless.

So Long Joe

2007-10-10T13:28:00.001-07:00

Some current Yankee fans are not even old enough to remember a time when Joe Torre was not the Yankees manager. I’m almost one of them, only vaguely remembering the Buck Showalter regime. Torre has been the Yankees manager for the past 12 seasons, compiling a 1173-767 record as the Yankees skipper, winning four World Series, 6 AL Pennants, and appearing in the playoffs for all 12 seasons. Think about it for a second, Joe Torre went to the World Series in HALF the years he was manager of the Yankees. Those World Series appearances combined with his .605 regular season winning percentage still are not enough to satisfy George Steinbrenner. Torre is on the verge of likely being “fired” (his contract is technically up but it is essentially a firing) despite the success he has had. Steinbrenner seems to desperately want another World Series ring before he passes and Torre’s recent failures in the playoffs have tested the Boss’s temper for long enough. The new Yankees manager will likely come from a list of Tony Larussa, Don Mattingly, Joe Girardi, Buck Showalter, or Bobby Valentine, but what exactly are any of them going to do that Joe Torre would not have done (except perhaps manage the bullpen a little better). This isn’t about whether or not the Manager’s role is overrated (which it is) but if Torre already has the player’s respect and proves he can get to the post season year in and year out then why dump him? Say what you will, but Joe Torre is still the best man for this job, as the other candidates are either unproven, proven but not proven to be any good, or seemingly unable to handle the pressure in New York as opposed to that in say Oakland or St. Louis. Throw in the fact that keeping Torre may help significantly in keeping Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, and Andy Pettitte and it almost seems like a no-brainer to keep him. Alas, Torre still remains unlikely to return next season, the end of an era that has seen as much success for the Yankees as any other. It’s sad, but nothing can last forever, and Joe Torre should be remembered as a great Yankee, have his number retired, and always be cherished in the hearts of the fans who were fortunate enough to witness this monumental run.

New York Yankees vs. Cleveland Indians Series Wrap Up

2007-10-09T19:35:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, this is also a season wrap up after the Yankees were defeated in the ALDS by the Cleveland Indians, culminating with the 6-3 defeat Monday night. The Yankees were unable to mount a Dallas Cowboys type comeback as the ‘Boys simultaneously did as the Yankees went down. The Yankees failed to escape the first round of the playoffs for the 3rd year in a row, failed to appear in a World Series for the 4th year, and failed to win a World Series for the 7th year in a row, a drought of immense proportions for the Yankees. Chien-Ming Wang, pitching on 3 days rest, failed to make it out of the second inning and capped a dreadful series for him as well as for Yankees captain Derek Jeter. This series marked the end of many era’s, the most likely being the last of Joe Torre as the Yankees manager as well as the end of Roger Clemens career in a not so fitting way, as well as what could potentially be the end of Alex Rodriguez, Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, Bobby Abreu, and Andy Pettitte in pinstripes. It’s unlikely that Cashman will let most of those guys escape but it could be a potential doomsday for the Bombers to lose such a huge portion of the team. Here’s a breakdown of the series as a whole from the Yankees perspective:

Would- Have Been Hero: Johnny Damon- Damon has created quite the resume of his postseason pedigree and this series proved that he can do it with the Yankees just like he did with the Red Sox. Yankee fans will remember Damon’s heart breaking grand slam off of Javier Vasquez in Game 7 of the 2004 ALCS that put the final nail in the Yankees coffin, but now that Damon is doing it for the Yankees its much easier to swallow. Damon had 2 HR’s and 5 RBI’s this series, as well as a tremendous catch in left field in Game 4 that saved a couple of runs and gave the Yankees a legitimate chance to come back in the 9th. His play this series has even likely saved his roster spot for 2008, as he seems unlikely to be shopped after his strong second half and performance in this series.
Runners Up- Andy Pettitte and Robinson Cano

Goat- Chien- Ming Wang: It could be argued that Wang single handedly cost the Yankees this series with his putrid performances in Games 1 and 4. Wang went 0-2 with a 19.06 ERA this series and now features a career playoff ERA of 7.58. The 19 game winner only pitched a combined 5.2 innings in his 2 starts and left the Yankees in a big hole in both games. There is little doubt now that Andy Pettitte should have started Game 1 of the series and is the Yankees true ace. Wang also proved that he should never again be considered one of the elite pitchers in this league, at least not to the extent that Josh Beckett or C.C. Sabathia are true aces.
Runner Up- Derek Jeter (Batted .176 this series)

Turning Point: “Bug Gate”- Joba Chamberlain picked a bad time to blow his first career save in Game 2 of this series, although he did so without even allowing a hit and it was aided by a swarm of bugs. This swarm can be taken as nothing short of an omen out of the Bible for the Yankees, as Joba’s wild pitch and subsequent blown save put the Yankees down 0-2 in the series and gave them a hole they were never able to climb out of.

This series certainly did not go the way the Yankees wanted. Despite the fact that the Yankees were the 2-1 favorite to win the World Series, they fell to the team they swept twice during the regular season and went into the night and into what is sure to be an uneasy and eventful off season. I plan to go more deeply into different aspects of the series, this is just the general wrap up so don’t fret my loyal readers.

Big Game Wang?

2007-10-06T07:36:00.000-07:00

Chien-Ming Wang has been the Yankees ace for the past two seasons now, winning 19 games in both seasons and recording ERA’s of 3.70 or lower in both. However, that success has not carried over in October for Wang, at least not to the same degree as it was in the regular season. After Thursday night’s debacle in Cleveland, Wang now features a post season pitching line of 1-2 with a 6.00 ERA and a 1.56 WHIP in 18 career post season innings, 3 starts. Sounds bad right? However, it’s still better then it looks, as Wang’s numbers are now quite skewed by his one really bad start on Thursday, as prior to that he had a sparkling post season ERA of 2.75. In the 2005 ALDS against Anaheim, Wang pitched well enough to win but his defense let him down as he was charged with 3 unearned runs and Wang won game 1 of the 2006 ALDS against Detroit, pitching a workman’s 6.2 innings, 3 ER performance. Thursday’s 4.2 innings, 9 hit, 8 ER disaster left his post season numbers as what they are, but to call him a choker would be unfair. Wang’s 5-7 BB-K ratio is a far cry from his regular season 59-104 he sported this year, so perhaps his nerves could be affecting his control, but that’s a number more likely effected by his style of pitching and lack of K’s in general. Two things, however, a fan should like about Wang for post season play would be his control of the running game, as opposing runners have been caught 22 times and have stolen 32 bases on him in his career, and the steady, reliable defense he brings from the pitcher’s position as he only has 2 career errors in 146 total chances. So what does this all mean, it means the Yankees ace is not in the same league as Josh Beckett or Brandon Webb, but the Yankees should still not hesitate to send him out for a possible Game 5 rematch with Sabathia and should still remain confident in the quit Taiwanese pitcher who never seems to get rattled, even after a start like his in Game 1.

Individual Player Grades: The Pitchers

2007-10-06T07:35:00.001-07:00

Chien-Ming Wang- Despite missing the first month of the season with a hamstring injury, Chien-Ming Wang still managed to win 19 games for the second consecutive year and with a little better luck he could have easily recorded his first career 20 win season. Wang finished the year at 19-7 with a 3.70 ERA, a near carbon copy of his 2006 season in which he finished second in the CY Young voting. Wang won’t finish that high in the voting this season with superior competition, but a second straight highly successful season should ease the Yankees worries that 2006 could have been a fluke and they should now know that they can count on Wang as their ace for years to come. Wang should be receiving a long term contract extension from the Yankees any time now and his substantial raise from $489,500 in 2007 will be well deserved.
Grade- A-

Andy Pettitte- Andy Pettitte’s return to the Bronx should be seen as an unmitigated success, especially when one remembers back to April when Pettitte was the lone fixture in a Yankees rotation in flux with injuries and indecision. Pettitte got off to a fantastic start to the season, sporting an ERA under 3 as late as June 14th, but was plagued with poor run support for the early part of the season as he only had a 4-4 record at that point. Pettitte finished the year 15-9 with a 4.05 ERA, but his ERA should have been lower if he were not knocked around for 9 runs in 5 innings on a meaningless game in the second to last game of the season. Pettitte still had a fine season and the Yankees would welcome him back should he decide to pitch another season and pick up his player option for the 2008 season.
Grade- B+

Roger Clemens- The Rocket’s return to the Bronx made its share of headlines, but Clemens actual return to the mound may have paled in comparison to its build up. Clemens pedestrian 6-6 record and 4.18 ERA hardly seem to be worth a pro rated $28 million, but its also important to remember that the Yankees really began to take off when Clemens arrived and his mentoring to the young pitchers helps make up for his somewhat mediocre pitching. Clemens battled a myriad of injuries this season, ranging from a fatigued groin, foot, hamstring, and elbow problems, but that should be expected from a 45 year old pitcher. The 2007 season seems almost certain to be Clemens last now that his performance is starting to substantially drop off and his body is breaking down, but Roger Clemens is certainly hard to predict and another mid season return in 2008 can not be ruled out. If Clemens delivers in the post season, then I’m sure the Yankees will think he’s worth every penny of that pro rated $28 million.
Grade- C+

Mike Mussina- After a stellar 2006 season in which he went 15-7 with a 3.51 ERA, the wheels came off on Mike Mussina’s 2007 campaign. Not even in his wildest dreams did Mussina envision himself being exiled from the Yankees rotation at any point in time, but sure enough Mussina was yanked from the rotation in favor of rookie Ian Kennedy. Moose did eventually regain his spot and pitched quite effectively for the most part after doing so, going 3-0 with a 3.35 ERA after being reinstated in the rotation and regaining Joe Torre’s trust. He even pitched himself back into the plans for the post season rotation. Mussina’s overall line of 11-10 with a 5.15 ERA is still not what the Yankees wanted after signing him to a 2 year deal this offseason and he’ll still likely have to battle for a rotation spot next season if he’s not traded or out right released.
Grade- D+

Phil Hughes- The long awaited debut of the Yankees phenom Phil Hughes finally happened this season with mixed results. Hughes looked awful at times but brilliant at others. Many will remember Hughes masterpiece against the Texas Rangers in his second career start when he was taken out of a no hitter in the 7th inning due to injury. Hughes overall line is 5-3 with a 4.46 ERA and Hughes was on a roll to finish the season and its questionable on whether he should have been in the Yankees post season rotation over Mike Mussina. These were my thoughts earlier on Hughes pitching but in brief his velocity is down and his pitching is more of a finesse style then the power pitcher he was touted as in the minors. I expect Hughes to break out and possibly be the Yankees most effective starter next season, but Hughes still had a respectable debut this season.
Grade- B-

Kei Igawa- I would not even bother listing him but with the Yankees paying a $26 million posting fee for him plus his 5 year, $20 million contract I really have no choice but to grade Igawa. To say Igawa’s signing would was a disaster would be an understatement, as Igawa was awful for the Yankees this season going 2-3 with a 6.25 ERA and being banished to the minor leagues. The Yankees are still on the hook for Igawa for 4 more years which makes it even worse, but he appears likely to be traded this off season, most likely to San Diego who has expressed interest in him. The only thing that will save him from an F is his 6 shut out inning relief performance against Boston earlier this season.
Grade- F+

Carl Pavano- Remember him, the Yankees opening day starter in 2007? Most Yankee fans would like not to, but his four year, $39.95 million contract can not be forgotten as the Yankees are still on the hook for Pavano for one more season. Pavano underwent Tommy John Surgery back in June and will be out for the first half of the 2008 season, as if it really matters. Pavano will not pitch for the Yankees again and his signing will go down as one of the worst in Yankees history. He was 1-0 with a 4.76 ERA before being shelved for good.
Grade- F

Joba Chamberlain- The converted minor league starter to reliever, Joba Chamberlain took the league by storm as a rookie. The flame throwing right hander went 2-0 with a 0.38 and 34 K’s in 24 innings. Joba’s 98 mph+ fastball and devastating slider have been the cause for his instant success as a reliever, but his plus curveball and changeup are going to waste in the pen and still show that his future should belong in the rotation. Chamberlain’s future is as bright as can be regardless of where he ends up and this small sampling is enough to make Yankee fans salivate.
Grade- A

Luis Vizcaino- Vizcaino’s numbers make him look like a starter, he was 8-2 with a 4.30 in 75.1 innings. But he was just an overused bullpen arm with a lot of vulture wins. Vizcaino was a reliable setup man for Torre throughout most of the season after struggling in April, but he’s miscast as an eighth inning setup man and better off used in the 6th or 7th inning. At a decent price he could be brought back for next season (he’s a free agent), but Brian Cashman will have to find someone better for the eighth inning if Joba Chamberlain does indeed re-enter the starting rotation.
Grade- B-

Kyle Farnsworth- When Farnsworth was inked to a 3 year, $17 million deal prior to the 2005 season he was expected to take Tom Gordon’s role as Mariano Rivera’s top setup man. That hasn’t worked out, as Farnsworth posted a 4.80 ERA in 60 innings and never really found a role on the team. Farnsworth has proved that he can not pitch more then an inning at a time or on back to back days and remain effective, so the brittle right hander has proven almost useless in the Yankees pen. Combined with Farnsworth’s bashing of the organization mid-season it was a surprise Farnsworth was even still on the team after the trade deadline. It would again be a surprise if he was still on the team next season.
Grade- D-

Mariano Rivera- These were my previous thoughts on Mariano Rivera but the great Yankee closer may not have had his best season but he’s still better then 99% of the closers out there and remains among the elite. Rivera had 30 saves and a 3.15 ERA, the first year in which his ERA was over 3 since his rookie season in 1995. The Yankees should still consider themselves lucky to have the best there ever was at the closer position and should re-sign him to a 2 year, $20 million or so contract this off season while they groom a replacement.
Grade- B+

Prospect Profile: Alan Horne

2007-10-06T07:32:00.001-07:00

In another example of just how deep the Yankees pitching depth in the minor leagues really is, Alan Horne is another fine young pitcher in the Yankees system and going into the 2007 he may not have even ranked among their top 5 pitching prospects. The 24 year old Horne went 12-4 with a 3.11 ERA and helped the Trenton Thunder to the Eastern League title and was named their Pitcher of the Year. The 6’4, 195 lb right hander had 165 K’s in 153.1 innings. His 57 BB’s may still be a little high but it’s an improvement over his 61 in about 30 less innings in 2006. Horne’s 2006 season in Tampa was rather average, 6-9 with a 4.84 ERA combined with his 4.70 ERA post all star break this season leave some doubt about how good he can be, but Horne still has a rather high ceiling overall. Horne features a fastball that can range from 92-96 mph on a good day, but if he muscles up a little he could easily notch it up to consistently 96-97, and also a plus curveball and a newly refined cutter that he now has good control over. His changeup is still below average for now and he’ll likely need to refine it to become a truly dominant pitcher. Another concern with Horne is his health as Horne has already had Tommy John surgery and battled hamstring issues last season. Horne was selected in the 11th round by the Yankees in the 2005 draft after leading the University of Florida to the College World Series. Horne will likely begin the 2008 campaign with AAA Scranton/ Wilkes Barre and could be one of the first pitchers called up if one of the Yankees starters is injured. If the real Alan Horne is the one from the first part of last season then he has the talent to be in the majors midway of next season, but with all the young pitching ahead of him in the depth charts, Horne may have to wait until 2009 to get his real shot at the big leagues.

Yankees Individual Player Grades- The Hitters

2007-10-03T12:51:00.001-07:00

Now that the regular season is over, it’s time to hand out the regular season grades to each player, this time I’ll be grading the position players and next time will be the pitchers. These grades are based solely on the regular season and mostly on what each player’s expectations were and whether they lived up to them or not, standard F-A grade system.

Jorge Posada- 2007 was Posada’s finest season yet, and at age 36 that is no small feat for a catcher. Posada hit .338 with 20 HR’s and 90 RBI’s, with his batting average climbing an astounding .60 points in one season. Posada’s defense did take a bit of a hit however, as Posada was the second least efficient catcher in throwing out base runners this season, only ahead of Jason Kendall. The defensive fallout may seem like a blip on the radar but it’s the only thing keeping Posada from receiving a perfect score this season.
Grade- A-

Doug Mientkiewicz- Doug Mientkiewicz got off to a miserable start for the Yankees at the plate, as he hit just .154 in April. After missing a large part of the season with a fractured wrist and being forgotten behind Andy Phillips, Mientkiewicz hit .429 since returning from the DL while providing stellar defense at 1B throughout it all. He’s even likely played himself into substantial playing time throughout the postseason, and for a guy who many expected to be lucky to break the Mendoza line this season, that’s not half bad.
Grade- B-

Jason Giambi- Nobody expected Jason Giambi to regain his 2001 AL MVP form, but he was certainly expected to contribute and whether he did or not is arguable. To be fair, Giambi did battle foot problems throughout most of the season but that hardly seems to make up for his .236 BA. His .356 OBP is still not bad but Giambi has become some what of the odd man out and will remain so in the playoffs with Hideki Matsui being relegated to DH duties at first. Not what one would want from someone making over $17 million a year.
Grade- D+

Robinson Cano- Robinson Cano was a steady player before the all star break (.274, 6, 40) but was spectacular after the break (.343, 13, 57). Cano has become arguably the best second baseman in the AL and second in baseball behind only Chase Utley. Despite nearly a .40 point drop in batting average from last season, Cano improved in most aspects of his game this season, hitting 4 more home runs (15 to 19), scoring 31 more runs (62 to 93), and driving in 19 more runs (78 to 97). To be fair, Cano did have nearly 150 more at bats then last season, but the progress he’s made has to be encouraging.
Grade- B+

Derek Jeter- After a season in which he hit .343, drove in 97 runs, scored 118, stole 34 bases, and finished second in the MVP voting, Derek Jeter has regressed quite a bit in all of those categories in 2007. Still, it’s hard to argue with a .322 BA. Jeter’s fielding percentage fell slightly as well from .975 to .970 and he made three more errors, but another gold glove may still be likely due to the lack of validity that award carries. October is still time for Jeter to sine though, as Jeter is a career .314 hitter in the post season and he holds the record for most post season hits with 128 for now.
Grade- B-

Alex Rodriguez- Nobody was quite sure what to expect from Alex Rodriguez following another dismal post season showing in 2006, and his early error in Game 1 of the season seemed like a bad omen for the season. However, Rodriguez put everything behind him and had an epic season, hitting .314 with 54 HR’s, 156 RBI’s, 143 runs, and 24 SB’s. A-Rod even cut his errors nearly in half this season from 24 in 2006 to 13 so a Gold Glove would be warranted, even if it is a meaningless award. A-Rod is sure to claim his second MVP award as a Yankee, but it will all mean nothing if he continues to drive in 0 runs in the playoffs. Still, as this is nearly a regular season grade, Alex Rodriguez will earn the only perfect grade of any of the Yankees hitters.
Grade- A+

Hideki Matsui- Matsui’s April, consisting of a .207 batting average and a hamstring injury, was cause for a lot of concern after his injury plagued 2006 season as well. Once Matsui returned form the DL his batting average came along, but the power was still lacking as Matsui only had 8 home runs at the start of July. Matsui’s hot July put that fear to rest with 13 home runs and Matsui finished with a workman’s like .285-25-103-100 line. His defense has declined in left field even further, however, as Johnny Damon has taken many of the starts in left with Matsui being relegated to DH duties, as will be the case in the post season. Still, Matsui’s steady production cannot be overlooked and he should make good on the final 2 years of his contract.
Grade- B+

Johnny Damon- Johnny Damon opened the 2007 as the Yankees starting center fielder but finished the season as somewhat of a role player. Damon was nicked up through most of the beginning of the season so his play slowed down considerably, as he hit just .229 in April. Damon started to be benched frequently by manager Joe Torre, meanwhile Melky Cabrera asserted himself as a regular and stole Damon’s old position as the starting center fielder. However, Damon flourished in his new role, as he hit .297 in August and .313 in September with diminished playing time. Damon has started most of his game at DH or LF nowadays and once again finds himself penciled into the starting lineup more times then not. It’s beneficial to the team that Damon has succeeded in his new role, but his overall line of .270-1263-93-27 still leaves a lot to be desired.
Grade- C+

Melky Cabrera- Melky Cabrera was the antithesis to Johnny Damon, he started year off as a role player but eventually became the starting center fielder and is likely to remain so for the Yankees for years to come. Melky, like many of the Yankees hitters, was off to a slow start when he hit just .200 in April. Melky took off in June and never looked back, well except for a sup-par September in which he struggled and only hit .180. Melky still lacks the power the Yankees would like to see from an outfielder and lacks the speed to make up for it, but this is less of a problem with him as a center fielder rather then a corner out fielder. Melky’s overall line sits at .273-8-73-66-13, which is comparable to his stats last season, but something that is somewhat alarming was his plummeting K/BB rate which fell from 59/56 last season to 68/43 this season. If the trend continues then Melky may not remain a viable regular for much longer, but for now he still had a solid season.
Grade- B-

Bobby Abreu- Bobby Abreu, again like most of the Yankees hitters, got off to a rather slow start, hitting just .253 in April and bottoming out with a .208 May. There were talks that he was washed up and rumors of the Yankees trying to trade him. The old adage says “Sometimes the best trades are the ones you don’t make”, and that’s certainly the case with Abreu. Abreu rebounded to go .305-.390-11-60-64 after the All Star break and was a huge reason for the Yankees comeback to make the playoffs. Abreu’s final line broke down at .283-16-101-123-25, a spectacular all around season. He drove in 100 runs for the 5th straight season (6 out of 7), but failed to draw 100 walks for the first time since 1998. Abreu still enjoyed a fine season and made it an easy decision for Brian Cashman to pick up his option for next season.
Grade- B+

Same Old Mo?

2007-10-03T12:49:00.001-07:00

After his blown save on September 28th against the Orioles, there was a surprising amount of criticism thrown in the direction of Yankees closer Mariano Rivera. Rivera gave up 3 earned runs on 3 hits to blow his fourth save of the season in 34 chances. Most of the concern about Rivera stems from his age as at the age of 37 most players’ best days are behind them. In some ways, there may be some reason to be concerned as this is the first season since his rookie year in 1995 that Rivera will finish the season with an ERA over 3.00, but that really should be the end of the concerns. A 3.15 ERA is still nothing to sneeze at, nor are 4 blown saves. In addition, Rivera’s WHIP, a far better indicator of a pitcher’s performance then ERA, is still lower then his 1997 WHIP of 1.19 and comparable to his 2000 WHIP of 1.10 and no one was questioning Rivera based on his performance then. In comparison, the Cleveland Indians closer, Joe Borowski, has blown twice as many saves as Rivera and has an ERA nearly two runs higher then that of Rivera’s (5.07). October is Rivera’s time to shine as well, and while there may be a few notable blow ups in October for Rivera (Game 7 of 2001 WS and the 2004 ALCS), but Rivera is the best there has ever been in the post season when it comes to closer, featuring an all time line of 8-1 with a miniscule 0.80 ERA. No player can last forever, and Rivera will break down sooner or later, but the Yankees and their fans have no reason to worry about Rivera for this season and it begs the question of who would you rather have as your closer in a big spot? Joe “sure I led the leagues in saves but I suck anyways” Borowski? The Yankees would be wise to give Rivera at least a 2 year deal this off season while they groom their new closer and Rivera will likely deliver during those two more seasons.

Prospect Profile: Jose Tabata

2007-10-03T12:48:00.000-07:00

After being one of the Yankees brightest stars in the minor leagues, Jose Tabata has become somewhat of a forgotten man in the Yankees farm system. This is due mostly to Tabata’s wrist injuries and the subsequent wrist surgery that cut his 2007 season short and caused him to miss time during his season in single A Tampa. The #6 ranked outfield prospect by scout.com in 2006, Jose Tabata is a 5-11, 160 lb outfielder from Venezuela. Tabata is still only 19 years old so there is certainly plenty of time for him to put his wrist problems behind him. Tabata was signed as an international free agent by the Yankees in 2005.
After hitting .314 as a sixteen year old in the Yankees GCL rookie league, the buzz around Tabata began to grow exponentially. Tabata’s legend only grew after hittng .298 with the low single A Charleston River Dogs and by the time spring training of 2007 rolled around Tabata even hit .429 with the Yankees during spring training. However, his following 2007 season with the high single A Tampa Yankees was derailed by his wrist injuries and eventually cut short by the surgery. Still, Tabata proved he could handle the next level while not even being 100% healthy, hitting .307 with 5 home runs while in the line up. Overall, Tabata has hit .305 in his minor league career. Some scouts have compared Tabata’s offense to that of a young Manny Ramirez, but the fact that he only hit 13 minor league home runs in his three seasons makes you wonder if he really will ever develop that type of power. Tabata is regarded as a far superior defender then Ramirez, but he’ll likely land in one of the corner outfield spots in the majors, especially considering Melky Cabrera’s emergence as the Yankees centerfielder of the future. It’s tricky to try to predict Jose Tabata’s time of arrival since it also depends on the Yankees plans with their other outfielders. Tabata has the talent to potentially be with the Yankees at some point next season, but New York’s crowded outfield likely will not make room for him until Bobby Abreu, Johnny Damon, or Hideki Matsui are gone. Damon and Matsui have two years each left on their contracts and Abreu has a one year option for next season that is almost certain to be picked up, so if his success continues Tabata could have a starting spot in right field ready for him in 2009.

ALDS New York Yankees vs. Cleveland Indians Series Preview

2007-09-29T12:53:00.001-07:00

Back on May 28th when the Yankees were 21-29 and when they were 14 and a half games behind the Red Sox it hardly seemed like I would be writing a preview of their playoff match up, but here we are four months later and the Yankees are gearing up for their 13th straight playoff appearance. It’s crazy to think the last time the MLB playoffs were held without the Yankees in it was back in 1993, when I was 5 years old. Anyway, the Yankees have drawn the Cleveland Indians in the first round of the playoffs this year and it appears as if it should be a nail biting, to the end series. The specifics of the series have yet to be determined; mainly if the Indians will be going in as the #1 seed or the #2 (the Yankees play the Indians regardless since they can not play Boston in the first round). This matters because of the new rule implemented by Major League Baseball that the team with the best record in the American League will get to choose the dates of the ALDS, mainly on whether they want an extra day off or not. I am going to go under the assumption that the Yankees and Indians will play a normally scheduled series and will preview each game of this series.

Game 1- Chien-Ming Wang vs. C.C. Sabathia
Joe Torre has not announced a playoff rotation yet, but it seems likely that 19 game winner Chien-Ming Wang will take the ball vs. one of the Indians Cy Young candidates and fellow 19 game winner C.C. Sabathia. At one point there were rumors floating around that Wang will be held to game 3 of the ALDS due to his starkly better numbers at home then on the road (2.75 ERA at home, 4.91 on the road) but Roger Clemens health has likely nixed that plan. Wang is 2-1 with a 3.72 ERA career vs. the Indians. Sabathia, coming off his best season yet and a possible CY Young award, will certainly get the nod for game 1 by manager Eric Wedge. The Yankees may have been 6-0 vs. the Indians this season, but they did not face Sabathia this season. Sabathia is 1-7 with a 7.13 ERA career against the Yankees, but has not faced them since 2004 and is a much different pitcher now.

Game 2- Andy Pettitte vs. Fausto Carmona
The Yankees and Indians will both throw their second aces for Game 2, the veteran Pettitte vs. the youngster Carmona. Carmona will be the third 19 game winner to pitch in this series. Pettitte is 6-7 with a 4.50 ERA in 100 career innings against the tribe while Carmona is 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA in his brief career against the Bombers. Carmona has alternated good and bad months this whole season (April-5.40 ERA, May- 1.94, June-4.82, July- 2.56, August- 4.68, September- 2.77 ERA) so perhaps the trend will continue and October will not be kind to Carmona. Andy Pettitte will look to continue his second half dominance where he has gone 10-3 with a 3.31 ERA since the all star break and look to build upon his substantial playoff resume in which he is 14-9 with a 4.08 ERA in the post season.

Game 3- Paul Byrd vs. Roger Clemens
This could turn out to be a completely different match up but so far this appears to be the probably pitchers in the first game of this series in the Bronx. Roger Clemens will throw a simulated game before the series to make sure he’s ready to go, if not then Mike Mussina will likely take this start. Eric Wedge has not decided on whether Paul Byrd or Jake Westbrook will start Game 3 but Paul Byrd’s 15 wins could get him the nod. If the Indians find themselves down 2 games to none at this point they may opt to start C.C. Sabathia on 3 day’s rest but only if they had the league’s best record and had the extra day off thrown into the series. Byrd is an unimpressive 1-4 with a 4.44 ERA career against the Bombers while the Rocket has dominated the Indians in his illustrious career, going 24-8 with a 3.21 ERA against the tribe. Clemens is 14-9 with a 3.66 ERA career in the post season.

Game 4 (If Necessary) - Jake Westbrook vs. Mike Mussina
Phil Hughes has been dominant in his last several starts, but Joe Torre is still likely to trust the veteran Mussina for game 4 and keep Hughes as reserve should Clemens not be able to go or if somebody gets knocked out early. The Indians may go back to Sabathia or Carmona for this game almost regardless of the situation, certainly if they have the extra off day, based on Westbrook’s performance against the Yankees (2-4, 5.29). Mussina put his playoff rotation spot in jeopardy with his 5 inning, 6 ER performance against the Orioles on Friday but Mussina has still pitched well overall since being reinserted in the rotation and he has Torre’s trust. Mussina is 11-9 with a 4.78 ERA career against the Indians, however he is 7-8 with a very respectable 3.40 ERA in the post season.

Game 5 (If Necessary) - Chien-Ming Wang vs. C.C. Sabathia (again)
At this point it’s impossible to tell if both managers will stick to their regularly set playoff rotations, or even if this game will happen, but if this series plays out as closely as it seems like it could then this game will happen.

Yankees Key Player- Alex Rodriguez
In case you haven’t heard, A-Rod has struggled a little bit in the playoffs for the Yankees. A-Rod’s overall postseason line is still pretty good, .280-6-16 in 132 at bats but the power and run production are notably missing. The pressure is on after A-Rod batted .133 against the Angels in 2005 and .071 against the Tigers last season with no RBI’s in either series. A-Rod is coming off of a monster season and an eventual MVP award, but all of it will be for naught if he has another performance like the past two seasons and the Yankees go down quietly to the Indians in another playoff disappointment. The boo birds will be back on A-Rod as soon as he arrives back in New York for Game 3 if he does not produce and it could easily spell the end of Alex Rodriguez’s career as a Yankee.

Indians Key Player- Joe Borowski
The Indians bullpen has gotten a lot of credit for being one of the best in baseball, and rightfully so thanks to Rafael Perez and Rafael Betencourt. Notably missing from that list is the Indians closer Joe Borowski. Borowski is among the league leaders in saves with 44, but his 5.15 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, and won’t get him confused with Mariano Rivera anytime soon. Pitching wins championships, but that’s just as much about the bullpen as the starting pitching. Borowski already notoriously gave up Alex Rodriguez’s walk off grand slam earlier this season and I do not think there would be a single Indians fan that would be comfortable seeing Borowski come in to nail down a one run save opportunity in the playoffs.

Series Prediction- Yankees win in 5 games, but who really knows what will happen in the playoffs, how many people picked the Cardinals to win it all last year?

Prospect Profile: Andrew Brackman

2007-09-29T12:51:00.000-07:00

Brian Cashman’s recent success in drafting pitching prospects is almost unprecedented; especially when you consider that he drafted Joba Chamberlain and Ian Kennedy in the same draft. The Yankees most recent first round pitching prize is the towering Andrew Brackman, drafted with the 30th pick in the first round of the 2007 draft out of North Carolina State. Brackman is a monster of a man at 6-10 and 230 lbs and he can bring the heat, featuring an upper 90’s fastball that is consistently clocked at 95-97 mph. Brackman also features two off speed pitched with a knuckle curveball in the low 80’s and a changeup in the mid 80’s. The most obvious comparison for Brackman, given his stature, would be San Diego SP Chris Young, but Brackman throw’s harder then Young, giving him an even greater upside. Like most tall pitchers such as Young or Randy Johnson, Brackman still struggles with repeating his delivery somewhat as evidenced by a higher then average walk count, featuring a BB/9 of 3.77, 6.04, and 4.27 in each of his 3 years at NC State.
Overall, Brackman was 11-7 with a 3.80 ERA in his three collegiate seasons, but those numbers are somewhat skewed by his injury riddled sophomore season in which he had a 6.35 ERA and walked 19 batters in 28.1 innings. Brackman had ERA’s under 4 in his freshman and junior seasons and featured a K/9 for his college career just under 9 (149 K’s in 149.1 innings). Many scouts believed that Brackman would be a top 5-10 pick, so why did he fall to the Yankees all the way at number 30? Mainly for two reasons, the injury problems and his agent is the notorious Scott Boras. The injury concerns turned out to be warranted, given that Brackman underwent Tommy John surgery shortly after being drafted. Sounds bad right, but the surgery is not as big of a deal as it used to e and the Yankees fully believe it will correct all of Brackman’s health concerns and he will be ready to contribute after he recovers for years to come. Brackman will miss most of the 2008 season, but if he recovers quickly enough he could make a few starts for the Tampa Yankees to get his feet wet and then start the 2009 season back there. Mostly due to the injury, Brackman has little chance of joining the big club before the 2010 season but he is just as capable of anybody as making a Joba Chamberlain or Ian Kennedy type soar through the minor leagues.

Prospect Profile: Jesus Montero

2007-09-25T17:24:00.001-07:00

The Yankees have been blessed over the past 8 years or so by the fact that they have never had to worry about who would be calling their games behind the plate for them. Jorge Posada has had a brilliant career in pinstripes, even enjoying one of his finest seasons in 2007. However, Posada is 36 years old so he’s already past the point where most catchers begin to break down. Thus, the Yankees must begin their search for their catcher of the future. Perhaps the most likely suitor for this position is Jesus Montero, but it would have to be the far off future. Montero is not even old enough to vote yet, he won’t turn 18 until November. Montero was given a $2 million signing bonus after being signed by the Yankees out of Venezuela in 2006. Montero is a big kid at 6’4, 225 lbs, which leads many to believe that he will not stay behind the plate but the Yankees seem confident that he can remain at catcher. Montero’s biggest selling point is his power, which at such a young age is usually the last thing to develop but Montero is already being touted as one of the best power hitting prospects to come out of Latin America since Miguel Cabrera. Montero held his own in his first test in professional baseball, hitting .280 with 3 homers and 19 RBI’s and an impressive .366 OBP in 107 at bats for the GCL Yankees. The three home runs aren’t many, but every scout agrees that the power is there. The sky is the limit for Montero given that he isn’t even old enough to buy a Playboy yet. The Yankees could choose to start him in the GCL again next season, or they could be aggressive and start him off with the Single A Tampa Yankees, or perhaps compromise with the A- Staten Island Yankees. Jesus Montero’s defensive development and whether he switches to a different position will greatly effect how soon it takes him to reach the big leagues, since his offense likely will not take long to develop. Still, I wouldn’t expect to see Montero with the Yankees any sooner then 2010 and even that would be something special, since he would still only be 19 at the start of the 2010 season.

Phil Hughes: The Finesse Pitcher?

2007-09-25T17:22:00.000-07:00

Before the average Yankee fan knew who Joba Chamberlain and Ian Kennedy were, the only pitching phenom they were looking forward to was Phil Hughes. However, Joba Chamberlain in particular has stolen Hughes’ thunder, but it’s not just because of Chamberlain’s other-worldly performance. Hughes, the Yankees prize pitching prospect has disappointed somewhat in his rookie season while going 4-3 with a pedestrian 4.80 ERA. Hughes has pitched better of late, allowing 3 ER or less in his previous 4 starts, but the overall numbers are still not what the Yankees would have envisioned from Hughes after watching his masterpiece against the Texas Rangers in only his second career start. The main reason for this is Hughes simply is not the same pitcher he was during that start or during his brilliant minor league career. Throughout his minor league career, Hughes was touted as having a plus fastball at around 94-95 mph but that velocity has not been seen from Hughes since he returned from his hamstring and ankle injuries. Hughes has been consistently at 91-92 mph since returning, which has likely led to his increase in walks as he shy’s away from bats now that he may no longer believe in his stuff. Hughes sports a BB/9 of nearly 4 (3.73) which certainly is not terrible, but it is a large increase from the 2.16 ratio he sported in his minor league career. The most likely reason seems to be that Hughes may not be 100% healthy yet; his ankle may still be a problem with pushing off the mound which could explain the loss of a couple mph of velocity. Another rumor abounding is that Hughes’s delivery was changed after his injury by the Yankees hierarchy and that he doesn’t have the same giddy up on his fastball. However, I personally have not been able to locate any footage to prove or disprove this rumor. Either way, the fact that Hughes has still been able to be competitive without his best fastball speaks volumes to the quality of his secondary pitches (curve and changeup mainly), as well as really makes one wonder what Hughes will be able to do if he recovers his velocity and health next season.

A-Rod's New (or not so new) Location for 2008

2007-09-25T17:19:00.000-07:00

It’s impossible to ignore the coverage that Alex Rodriguez’s contract situation has been getting really all season. The most recent news item being the Cubs rumored offer of a $30 million per season, 10 year deal and eventual part ownership of the club. While it may be early to start worrying about A-Rod’s destination, all of the buzz around the topic seems to warrant some speculation. Here I am going to outline what seems to be the 5 teams A-Rod is most likely to play for next season.

5.) The Boston Red Sox- Mike Lowell has had an outstanding season at 3B but he is an impending free agent. The Red Sox could also attempt to move A-Rod back to SS and dump the struggling Julio Lugo. The Red Sox nearly acquired Rodriguez prior to the 2004 season so the interest is likely still to be there. The Red Sox are one of the few teams with the payroll capable of meeting A-Rod and Scott Boras’ demands and they would surely jump at the chance to scorn the Yankees by taking away their star, but they still seem like a long shot considering that if A-Rod wants to escape the pressure of New York, then Boston is not the best place to go.

4.) San Francisco Giants- The Giants have officially severed ties with Barry Bonds and will be looking for a new face for their organization. They showed last season that they are capable of making the big signing by outbidding everyone else for Barry Zito (it’s debatable on whether that’s a good thing or not). The Giants would likely be tantalized by the possibility of seeing the all time home run record being broken by one of their player’s twice within 20 years and by A-Rod’s leadership to the young players they hope to be bringing up soon. Still, while being handicapped with Barry Zito’s contract the Giants may not be able to afford Rodriguez.

3.) Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim- For years the Angels have seemingly been a power hitter away from being a perennial World Series favorite. Vlad Guerrero can’t do it all on his own after all. The Angels appeared set at 3B for the future, but former super prospect Dallas Mcphereson’s stock has plummeted, so A-Rod could be the perfect fit for the Angels to pair along with Vlad. A-Rod played on the west coast the majority of his career so he’d likely be very willing to go back, however once again the money likely is not there for the Angels to land A-Rod.

2.) Chicago Cubs- The Cubs must have the money to land Rodriguez based on the outlandish rumors of their potential offer. Once again, it’s rumored as $30 million per season over 10 years with part of the money deferred to partial ownership of the team down the road. With Aramis Ramirez just recently signed to a multi year deal and seemingly unable to be placed anywhere else on defense, the Cubs would also likely give A-Rod the opportunity to return to SS. Another factor is Lou Piniella, who A-Rod is a very close relationship with from their days in Seattle, with A-Rod even calling Piniella “a savior”. If A-Rod does choose to leave the Yankees then it seems almost certain that he would go to Chicago.

1.) The New York Yankees- It may seem a bit anti-climactic but chances are that Alex Rodriguez will still be a Yankee in 2008. He could just choose to not opt out of his contract and end all of this controversy; however he likely will opt out anyway just to make some extra money (I guess $25 million a year just isn’t enough). Even though Brian Cashman has said if A-Rod opts out that he would not be part of the bidding for Rodriguez. Still, Cashman would not want to tarnish his image by allowing one of the greatest players ever to play the game walk away. Add in the fact that the only alternatives currently on the roster would be Wilson Betemit or Andy Phillips, Cashman will likely do anything in his power to keep A-Rod in pinstripes. Some other options at 3B next year for the Yankees should Rodriguez leave would be signing Mike Lowell or even a trade for someone like Eric Chavez or Hank Blalock. What will likely be the biggest determining factor is how A-Rod fares in the playoffs, if he has another showing like last season’s ALDS against the Tigers or 2005’s ALDS against the Angels and is booed mercilessly by the crowd and torn apart in the tabloids then do not expect to see A-Rod return to the Yankees.

Prospect Profile: Dellin Betances

2007-09-22T08:45:00.001-07:00

Just because Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, and Ian Kennedy are in the majors now doesn’t mean the Yankees don’t have any intriguing prospects left in the minors. One of the most exciting, although relatively unknown, prospects left in the Yankees minor league system is SP Dellin Betances. Betances, a 19 year old right hander measuring in at a staggering 6’9 and 215 lbs, was selected by the Yankees in the 8^th round of the 2006 draft out of high school. Betances turned heads immediately after being drafted, while making his pro debut in the Yankee Gulf Coast League team, posting a 1.16 ERA and 27 K’s in a short sampling of 23.1 innings. Betances opened the 2007 campaign with the Single A Staten Island Yankees, finishing with a solid yet somewhat unspectacular 1-2 record and 3.60 ERA. The strikeouts were still there (29 in 25 innings) but his control faltered as he walked 17 batters. Betances’ battled an inflamed right elbow and did not pitch many innings due to the shorter season in the New York- Penn League.

Dellin Betances right now is a 3 pitch pitcher, fastball, curveball, and changeup. Betances got through his high school pitching career mostly on the strength of his fastball, which is clocked consistently between 93-97 and as high as 98. The strength of this fastball helped him post a Senior year in high school in which he pitched 40 IP and recorded over 100 K’s. Betances only developed his curveball and changeup after entering Yankees camp, one of the reasons he fell to the Yankees in the 8^th round. Like many tall pitchers, Betances still has some trouble repeating his delivery, which likely effected his control and caused all those walks in Staten Island. Due to the fact that he is still only 19 years old and with the young pitching depth ahead of him, the Yankees will likely be very patient bringing Betances through the system, but a start of the 2008 season with Single A Tampa, a full season league, seems likely. A fast start could propel Betances through the system in Joba Chamberlain or Ian Kennedy fashion, but unless he further develops his secondary pitches and can master his pitching motion, a future in the bullpen may be a possibility. Don’t expect to see Betances with the big club any sooner then 2009 at the absolute earliest.

Yankees Vs. Red Sox Position by Position (Part 2)

2007-09-22T08:42:00.001-07:00

Last time, I detailed the starting line ups of each team by position, but to wrap this comparison up I will compare the starting rotations, bullpens, closers, bench, and managers. I’ll break down the starting rotation pitcher by pitcher to get a better look at it.

Aces- Chien-Ming Wang vs. Josh Beckett

Wang and Beckett have both been the steady rocks in their rotations and should both have top 5 finishes in the Cy Young voting. However, Wang’s 3.72 ERA and 18 wins both fall short of Beckett’s marks of 3.14 ERA and 20 wins, not to mention the obvious edge Beckett has in K’s (180 to 94, nearly 2 to 1). Their head to head matchup on September 15^th also echoed Beckett’s advantage, with the Red Sox and Beckett taking the win.

Advantage- Red Sox

#2 Starters- Andy Pettitte vs. Daisuke Matsuzaka

Its more difficult to pinpoint Boston’s number 2 starter, but with the amount of money and hype behind Dice-K he should take the spot. The fact that the Yankees number 2 starter is clear is an advantage in and of itself. Pettitte has been just as reliable as Wang and could even arguably be called the Yankees ace. Pettitte is 14-8 with a 3.79 ERA and could have a much better record if not for early season bad luck. Pettitte has played the role of the stopper for the Yankees during his entire career in the Bronx, with a career record of 70-33 following a Yankees loss. Matsuzaka, on the other hand, has been a relative disappointment in his first year in the league after the huge posting fee the Red Sox paid for him. After paying $51.11 million just for the rights for Matsuzaka plus a 6 year, $52 million contract, Dice-K has gone 14-12 with a 4.41 ERA in 190 innings. Dice-K was recently pushed back in the rotation to give him some extra rest as well as set up the Red Sox rotation for the post season. Despite the hype, Dandy Andy has been the better pitcher this season.

Advantage- Yankees

Old Reliables, #3’s- Roger Clemens vs. Curt Schilling

The 45 year old right hander, Roger Clemens, has been a moderate disappointment since signing his record pro-rated $28 million deal. Clemens has gone just 6-6 with a 4.18 ERA in his return to the Bronx. Curt Schilling, a relative youngster compared to Clemens at age 40, has not had one of his better seasons either at 8-8 with a 3.97 ERA. Both pitchers have had to deal with various injuries over the season (shoulder for Schilling, groin, foot, and elbow for Clemens) but that’s to be expected from two pitchers who are a combined 85 years old. Between them, Clemens and Schilling have a combined 1277 games played and 569 victories. The big difference between the two? Clemens is 1-0 with a 0.75 ERA vs. Boston this season and Schilling is 0-3 with a 5.51 ERA vs. the Yankees.

Advantage- Yankees

Old but Less Reliable, #4’s- Time Wakefield vs. Mike Mussina

Phil Hughes should probably be listed as the Yankees number 4 starter, but Joe Torre has made it clear that right now Mussina is the favorite to be the 4^th starter come playoff time, if one is even necessary that is. Mussina had recently been banished from the starting rotation in favor of rookie Ian Kennedy, but since being inserted back into the rotation Mussina has delivered. In 2 starts Mussina has pitched 12.2 scoreless innings, but still features an ugly 10-10 and 5.01 ERA overall. Wakefield, the 16 game winner, has gone in the opposite direction, going winless since August 25^th and allowing 4 ER or more in his past 3 starts. Wakefield is 16-11 with a 4.73 ERA overall. If not for inning limits on both teams younger guns, neither of these starters may be in the post season plans but right now both appear to be the probably Game 4 starters for their respective teams. Since Wakefield has never been pulled from the rotation, he should get the edge over Moose.

Advantage- Red Sox

The Young Guns, #5’s/6’s- Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy vs. Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester

Let me just run through the numbers quick: Phil Hughes is 4-3 with a 4.75, Ian Kennedy is 1-0 with a 1.89, Buchholz is 3-1 with a 1.59 (and a no-hitter), and Jon Lester is 4-0 with a 4.45. The Phil Hughes vs. Clay Buchholz debate is one that may go on between the two teams for the next decade, but there is no denying that Buchholz has gotten off to the better start in the majors. After returning from cancer, Lester has been a solid but not brilliant starter, while Ian Kennedy has been brilliant in a small sampling of 3 starts. The ceiling for the Yankees 2 young guns in the future is likely higher, but for this season I have no choice but to call this one a draw, due largely to too small a sample size from all 4 of these pitchers.

Advantage- None

Closers- Mariano Rivera vs. Jonathan Papelbon

Red Sox nation is already willing to anoint Jonathan Papelbon as the new Mariano Rivera; he still has a long way to go before being adequately compared to the greatest closer of all time. While it may be true that Papelbon’s ERA is nearly a full run lower then Rivera’s (1.96 to 2.94) and Papelbon may have 5 more saves this season (35 to 30), Rivera still owns a rather decisive 443 saves to Papelbon’s 70. Oddly enough, both closers have struggled against each other’s teams, with River having several high profile blown saves against the Red Sox and Papelbon already suffering 2 losses to the Yankees this season. Rivera, the 1999 World Series MVP, is 3^rd on the all time saves list and his post season pedigree still leaves him second to none when it comes to closing the door on the opponent.

Advantage- Yankees

Set Up Men

If I were writing this in June, there would be no question that the Red Sox core of set up men was far superior to that of the Yankees. Luis Vizcaino was a mess, Joba Chamberlain was still in the minor leagues, Eric Gagne was in Texas, and Hideki Okajima was dominating every hitter he faced. However, Luis Vizcaino has a 2.51 ERA since the All Star Break, Joba Chamberlain has a 0.49 ERA and 24 K’s in18.1 innings, Eric Gagne has single handedly lost 4 games for the Red Sox and has a 9.00 ERA since being acquired by the Red Sox, and Hideki Okajima’s ERA has risen nearly a run and a half since August 1^st before being shut down for several days to rest. Apparently Theo Epstein has never heard the expression, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.

Advantage- Yankees

Bench

The Yankees bench can often be mistaken for another team’s starting line up. Their bench on any given day could consist of the likes of Jason Giambi, Johnny Damon, Wilson Betemit, Doug Mientkiewicz, Shelley Duncan, and Jose Molina. It’s a stark contrast to the Yankees bench in the beginning of the season that featured the likes of Will Nieves, Miguel Cairo, and Josh Phelps. The Red Sox feature a bench consisting of Doug Mirabelli, Alex Cora, Eric Hinske, and Bobby Kielty. However, they will receive a dangerous weapon off the bench once Manny Ramirez returns from his vacation and Jacoby Ellsbury can be a serious threat both at the plate and on the basepaths. Still, the fact that the Yankees have extraordinary power on their bench and guys capable of starting on most teams as opposed to the Red Sox group of actual bench players wins out.

Advantage- Yankees

Managers- Joe Torre vs. Terry Francona

Joe Torre has 2061 wins as a manager, 8^th all time, and 4 world series rings. Terry Francona has a seemingly comparably weak 568 wins, 89^th all time, and one World Series ring with the Red Sox, although it was a big win. Still, Francona is a relative novice at managing when compared to Joe Torre, one of the best managers of this generation.

Advantage- Yankees

The in depth comparison of the Yankees and the Red Sox is complete and with the Yankees 6-2-1 advantage in the second portion combined with their 6-3 lead from the first half, the Yankees have won this little fake competition 12-5-1. A pretty large advantage for the Bronx Bombers, which surely helps explain how they have been able to make up so much ground in the standings. Still, the best team in paper is far from a lock to actually win anything, so as they say, that’s why they play the games!

I Told You So...

2007-09-22T08:39:00.001-07:00

In my “I told you so” moment of the week, Ian Kennedy was scratched from his scheduled start on Saturday due to a strained upper back. At least it wasn’t an arm problem, but those 165.1 innings were sure to catch up to him at some point. This should be the perfect reason to just shut down Kennedy for the season, which could turn this back injury into a blessing in disguise. However, indications are that he still may pitch make a start some time next week, which with another good outing could still put him in consideration for a spot on the post season roster. If Kennedy pitches and his back is still bothering him then it’s asking for arm injuries if he tries to compensate for his back. The question is, why even risk it when it’s completely unnecessary? If Roger Clemens leg problem, or one of his other million health problems he’s had this year, turns out to be serious then it could be somewhat justifiable to use Kennedy again, but it would still be better to go to Kei Igawa (did I really just say it was good to go to Igawa?), Chase Wright, Tyler Clippard, or Matt Desalvo for a start. Plenty of other teams are shutting down their prized pitchers (Devil Rays with James Shields, Giants with Tim Lincecum), and now its time for the Yankees to shut down theirs.

Yankees Vs. Red Sox: Position by Position

2007-09-19T20:03:00.002-07:00

After their series together last weekend, many people still counted the Yankees out for the AL East. One of those people was me, as you’ll find out I tend to be a pretty pessimistic fan since I’m just generally pessimistic when it comes to most aspects of life. It takes a big man to admit that he was wrong, and I’ll admit that I was wrong by pronouncing the AL East over after the Yankees failed to sweep the Red Sox. With the deficit in the AL East now only 2.5 games, the Yankees and Red Sox seem fairly evenly matched. This got me to thinking, how evenly matched? So I decided to do a position by position look into comparing the two teams, this time I’ll compare the hitters and next time will be the starting rotation, bullpen, manager, bench, etc. I originally intended to do one position at a time for the rest of the season, but my brilliant mathematical skills told me that there was only 2 weeks left in the season and not enough time. So let’s get this thing started:

Catchers- I can give you my in-depth analysis on this position but I think I’ll just let the numbers speak for themselves.

Jorge Posada- .337, 20, 85, 88, .425

Jason Varitek- .254, 13, 63, 53, .358

As the kids say these days, ‘Nuff said.

Advantage- Yankees

1^st Base- While he may be injured at the moment, Red Sox 1B Kevin Youkilis has had a breakout season this year, posting a .288, 16, 81 year with his patented .392 OBP that has earned him the nickname “The Greek God of Walks”. The Yankees, on the other hand, have had their 1B position in flux for most of the season, manning Doug Mientkiewicz, Andy Phillips, Wilson Betemit, and Jason Giambi there throughout the season. The lack of one true starting first baseman gives the Red Sox the edge here.

Advantage- Red Sox

2^nd Base- This is perhaps the most interesting position battle between the two teams. After a dreadful start to the season, Red Sox rookie Dustin Pedroia has rebounded enough to put his name into the AL Rookie of the Year discussion with a .320, 7, 49, 79 line. Robinson Cano enjoyed a similar start but also experienced a similar rebound with a .302, 18, 87 line. The extra power and run production gives Cano the edge over Pedroia

Advantage- Yankees

3^rd Base- Mike Lowell has put together his finest season of his career while hitting .329 with 19 HR and 109 RBI’s. If he played any other position, he’d win his matchup, but not the one against Alex Rodriguez and his major league leading 52 home runs.

Advantage- Yankees

Shortstop- After finishing second in the AL MVP voting last season, Derek Jeter has digressed a tad this year while dealing with several nagging injuries. A digressed Jeter is still hitting .319 with 95 runs scored. Julio Lugo may beat Jeter in stolen bases 30-13, but Jeter is statistically superior to Lugo in every other major category and provides invaluable leadership to his team as their captain.

Advantage- Yankees

Left Field- The matchup of the power-hitting, defensively challenged left fielders. Manny has not been Manny this year, as Ramirez has hit only 20 home runs and driven in only 86 runs. This is affected greatly by the fact that Ramirez has not played since August 28^thdue to an oblique strain, but he never did seem quite like himself this season, never going on one of his typical extended hot streaks. Hideki Mastui’s 24 home runs and 98 RBI’s are not many more then Ramirez but Matsui also missed time this year with a hamstring problem. This could easily be called a draw, but Manny, the 2004 World Series MVP, gets the benefit of the doubt if he returns healthy for his Hall of Fame pedigree and his ability to deliver in the clutch.

Advantage: Red Sox

Center Field: Coco Crisp, the man people believed would make Red Sox nation forget Johnny Damon, has for the most part disappointed in his two years in Boston, with his stellar defense being his only redeeming quality. Melky Cabrera has usurped the starting center field job from Johnny Damon and his steady hitting and defense makes him a better overall play then Crisp.

Advantage- Yankees

Right Field- At one point in the season, both teams would have been willing to drop their Right Fielders, Bobby Abreu and JD Drew, for next to nothing. The difference now is that Bobby Abreu has went on to post an excellently balanced .287, 16, 98, 111, 24 line while JD Drew has been arguably the biggest bust in baseball with a .261 average and an abysmal 8 home runs. There’s been a lot of talk about Derek Jeter’s lack of power this season, he has 3 more home runs then Drew. A-Rod had nearly twice as many home runs as Drew has… in April.

Advantage- Yankees

Designated Hitter- The Yankees often platoon Johnny Damon and Jason Giambi at DH, with Hideki Matsui seeing some time there as well when he’s not in left field. However, even if you combine both Damon and Giambi, they both fall short of David Ortiz’s numbers. Combined, Damon and Giambi only have 25 home runs to Ortiz’s 31. That’s even comparing it with a disappointing year for Ortiz’s standards. Big Papi wins this one.

Advantage- Red Sox

With the starting lineup finished, the Yankees hold a commanding 6-3 lead over their division rivals. Next time I will conclude this segment with the rest of the team. I intended to start doing a “Prospect Profile” with every column, but given the length of this article it will have to wait until next time.

Ian Kennedy: Will Your Arm Fall Off?

2007-09-19T20:03:00.001-07:00

One of the main reasons that the Yankees have been able to salvage this 2007 season, as well as a main reason for Yankee fans to have optimism for the future, has been the bright young pitching starts. In particular, the trifecta of Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, and Ian Kennedy is 3/5 of a starting rotation that fans are hoping to see in pinstripes for years to come. While all 3 are now contributing at the major league level, its important for fans and the organization to remember that these three are still verdant kids and need to be protected to a point. For the most part, Brian Cashman and the rest of the Yankee hierarchy have done this, especially when the now infamous “Joba Rules” are considered, but the one person who could be in danger of overuse is Ian Kennedy. There are no “Ian Kennedy Rules”, but with the number of innings Kennedy has logged on his arm this year then perhaps some rules should be instituted.

Combined with the minor leagues and major leagues, Ian Kennedy has pitched a total of 165.1 Innings (146.1 minors, 19 majors) as of the time I’m writing this, September 19, 2007. Kennedy’s career high in innings pitched previous to this year was 117 during his sophomore year at USC in 2005. That’s already nearly a 50 inning increase in Kennedy’s first full year in professional baseball. Compare this to another young pitcher, Justin Verlander, who pitched only 130.2 innings combined in his first full year in professional baseball. Another comparison is for his teammate, Joba Chamberlain, who has followed Kennedy throughout the Yankees minor league system this season, and who has totaled only 106.1 Innings this season.

The solution? Simple, just shut down Ian Kennedy now and re-insert Mike Mussina as the normal 5^th starter. There’s no real need for the Yankees to continue with this six man rotation, especially with just two weeks remaining on the regular season. Kennedy is still scheduled to pitch Saturday at Toronto, and if his recent string of success continues then the Yankees may feel compelled to include him on their postseason roster, either as a starter of a long reliever. If this happens then Kennedy might as well change his name to Mark Prior. Would Kennedy be a more reliable long reliever then Mike Mussina? Perhaps, but not nearly the upgrade that would be worth risking his future anymore then the Yankees already have with his excessive innings.

Handicapping the AL CY Young Race

2007-09-17T23:55:00.001-07:00

Another race that likely came to an end after Saturday’s action was Chien-Ming Wang’s chances at the Cy Young award. After allowing 5 ER in 5.2 innings at Fenway on Saturday, Wang stands at 18-7 with a 3.82 ERA. Wang was a long shot for the award in the first place but combined with Josh Beckett’s dominating performance and his 19^th win, Wang’s chances seem to have faded. His really only chance in the first place was to become the AL’s only 20 game winner and for the other favorites to struggle down the stretch, but that seems unlikely now. Wang will likely get 2 or 3 more starts depending on how the Yankees handle their rotation down the stretch so 20 wins is certainly still a possibility, but his ERA and K’s simply don’t stand up to the other top pitchers in the American League. The Yankees are without a Cy Young award winner since Roger Clemens won it in 2001, although many can argue that Mariano Rivera deserved it in 2005 over Bartolo “What the hell happened to my career” Colon.

The AL Cy Young Race is a two horse race now in your humble author’s opinion, and those two horses names are Josh Beckett and C.C. Sabathia. If not for injury, Erik Bedard, surely would have been the front runner, leading the league in K’s before succumbing to a strained oblique. John Lackey and Kelvim Escobar have had fantastic seasons but will likely cancel each other out in the voting, Johan Santana has not been nearly as dominant as he usually post all star break, Dan Haren has faded after a superb first half, and Fausto Carmona is still overshadowed by Sabathia, leaving C.C. and Beckett as the main contenders. Here’s how they stack up: Josh Beckett is the MLB leader in victories with a 19-6 record, a 3.20 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and 180 K’s in 188.2 innings. C.C. Sabathia, on the other hand, stands at 17-7 with a 3.21 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and 198 K’s in 227 innings. As you can see, Beckett has the upperhand in winning percentage, ERA, WHIP, and K/9. Sabathia’s biggest strength is how many more innings he’s pitched, which could help one make the argument that he’s been more valuable to his team. Still, the numbers don’t lie and Beckett bests Sabathia in most of the important categories.

Prediction in Cy Young voting 1. Josh Beckett

2. C.C. Sabathia

3. Fausto Carmona

4. Chien-Ming Wang

5. John Lackey

Your 2007 American League East Champions: The Boston Red Sox

2007-09-17T23:54:00.000-07:00

The immediate impact of Saturday’s 10-1 defeat at the hand of the Red Sox, other then a lot of bumps and bruises on both sides, was the Red Sox virtual clinching of the AL East crown. Sure, the magic number for the Red Sox to officially clinch the AL East stands at 9 going into Sunday night’s finale at Fenway, but realistically the magic number stands at 0. The Yankees needed the sweep to put a rational level of fear into the Red Sox heart’s of a 1978-esque comeback. The Yankees now stand at 5.5 games back with 14 games to play (13 for the Red Sox). Basically this means their chances of overtaking the Red Sox over the final two weeks of the season has become non-existent. After tonight’s game, the Yankees have 7 home games remaining (3 vs Baltimore, 4 vs Toronto) and 6 road games (3 @ Tampa Bay, 3 @ Baltimore). The Red Sox, on the other hand, have 6 road games (3 @ Toronto, 3 @ Tampa Bay) and finish the season with a 6 game home stand (2 vs Oakland, 4 vs Minnesota). For argument’s sake, let’s say the Yankees defeat the Red Sox tonight and pull back to within 4.5 games. Let’s say the Red Sox finish the season 6-6, a very generous figure for the Yankees, which would put them at 96 wins. Assuming the victory tonight (which is a big assumption with a questionable Rocket making the start), that would put the Yankees at 85 wins, and would then require a 11-2 finish to match the Red Sox at 96 wins. Tonight’s game also determines the season series between the two teams and a potential tie breaker should they wind up tied in the end (ala 2005). Even with the favorable schedule, an 11-2 finish is never an easy thing to ask for, and asking the Red Sox to only go .500 the rest of the way with only a slightly less favorable schedule may be even more to ask. So Yankee fans, the stretch of 9 straight divisional titles has likely come to a close, but so what? Tip your hats to the Red Sox and say “see ya in October”. The Yankees still maintain a 2.5 game lead on Detroit in the wild card and still control their own destiny in that race. Keep in mind that a wild card team has been a part of the World Series in every year since 2002 (Angels, Marlins, Red Sox, Astros, Tigers) and 3 of them have won it during that span (Angels, Marlins, Red Sox). Is it impossible for the Yankees to catch the Red Sox, of course not, nothing is impossible, but is it highly improbable? You be the judge.

About your author

2007-09-17T23:50:00.000-07:00

Since this is my first blog entry, I figure I’ll take a moment to introduce myself to my readers. My name is Joshua Jongsma, I’m 19 years old, from Hawthorne, New Jersey and I’m in my second year at Seton Hall University. I’m a journalism major and an aspiring sports writer so this blog seems like some pretty decent experience to me. As well as being a full time student at SHU, I also work part time as a chef in this quaint little restaurant called the Glen Rock Inn. I’ve been a huge sports fan for awhile now with my main passions being the New York Yankees, the New York Giants, the New Jersey Nets, and Seton Hall Men’s Basketball. Perhaps I’ll be starting a blog on all of those sports eventually but for now I’ll be starting with my Yankees blog and we’ll see how that goes.