Spring in the air at Legends Field
By Chris Girandola / Special to MLB.com
Legends Field came to life Tuesday morning, and winter receded a little further into the background. The Yankees' first full-squad workout of Spring Training signaled a parade of superstars out of their clubhouse, and a longer parade of fans to watch them
In Florida, baseball and warmer weather have again kept their perennial date. The thermometer has been a little behind the pitchers and the catchers, who worked out in uncommon chill when their own drills began last Thursday.
But on Tuesday, shades of the old Bronx Zoo -- the Mike Mussina-Carl Pavano and Alex Rodriguez-Derek Jeter stories rattled the cages -- was replaced by a beehive.
After Jeter held the obligatory conference in the first-base dugout, he joined the hustle and bustle of the locker room.
The usual suspects and the new faces all took their places in the clubhouse. Except for that of Bernie Williams -- but it was apparent that camp had moved on without his presence.
Andy Pettitte was back in pinstripes where it seemed he should have always been.
Jason Giambi and Johnny Damon, whose lockers sit side-by-side, shared offseason stories with reporters.
Hideki Matsui sat at his locker in one corner of the clubhouse and worked on his pants, pulling and twisting them into shape. Doug Mientkiewicz and Andy Phillips talked shop about which glove they like to use the best, sharing and trying on each other's favorite mitt.
And a few lockers away, Bobby Abreu held court with fellow Venezuelens Miguel Cairo and and Alberto Gonzalez along with Dominicans Melky Cabrera and Humberto Sanchez as the group discussed the recent Caribbean World Series, won by the Dominican Republic.
It was strange to see more players than reporters surrounding Abreu, considering a year ago, just a few miles down the road in Clearwater, the slugger dominated most of the attention in the Phillies camp.
But such is the case with the jammed-marquee Yankees.
Fans lined up at the front of Legends Field well before the gates opened at 10 a.m. ET. When the word came, they rushed in faster than the bulls in Pamplona and, when the entire team sauntered out to the outfield area to stretch, a thunderous applause erupted from the stands as if Game 1 of the playoffs had begun.
"This is what it's all about," said Pat Amodio, 46, an engineer from Washington, D.C., who is in town with his family to see the Yankees. "You get that feeling like baseball is back. To see them up close like this, it just typifies what Spring Training means and the Yankees define it."
Yes, spring had definitely arrived.
Appropriately enough, as the Yankees spread out to warm up and play catch, the sun beamed down onto the field at Legends.
And, unlike the chill of Monday, it finally felt like things were in their proper places.
If the 70-degree weather suggested it, then Jeter and A-Rod playing catch confirmed it.
Soon, fans shed their windbreakers and donned suntan lotion. They shouted the names of their heroes in hopes a ball or an autograph might be had.
The atmosphere screamed of Spring Training and, when Damon exited the batting cages after smacking a home run and yelled, "Yeahhhhhhhh," the players knew it as well.
After practice, right-hander Tyler Clippard, 22, who is in Yankees camp for the first time, possibly summed it up the best: "It's hard to explain. To be surrounded by all these future Hall of Famers and to be a part of the mystique of the Yankees is pretty special. And, today, when everybody is here and the weather all of a sudden warms up like this, it seems like it all works out perfect. It's just a really special day."
The first of many special days, which is a thought that warmed participants and spectators as much as the sun itself.
Jesus Christ - if that isn't the best sports/thread title evar!!!1!
And it's so fucking true, too.
Oh, and nice to see that there is an article that isn't focused on the bullshit "cooling" between Jeter and ARod. Seems the last few days all the papers could talk about was that. Who cares if they're friends or not? Just win the damn series already.
Disappointed that Bernie's not there, but more disappointed with his behavior.
Psyched for Yankee domination again.
Is it April yet?
Hey A-Rod, I've got your back
By Jim Caple
Page 2
I admit it. When the Yankees opened camp with their traditional first fundamental drill -- Alex Rodriguez inserting his foot in his mouth -- I was ready to ridicule A-Rod just like everyone else. After reading his comments about his declining friendship with Derek Jeter, my initial thought was to describe my own evolving relationship with A-Rod:
The reality is our friendship has cooled since Alex left Seattle. We aren't blood brothers anymore and we don't have sleepovers four or five nights a week anymore. Not that we ever were or did, but still, it's different between us now. In fact, the last time we spoke, he turned to a teammate and said, "Do you smell something?" and then walked away without giving me a hug. I don't know why our relationship has changed, though sources close to both of us suspect that it has to do with a 2001 article in which I wrote that A-Rod "never had to be the leader" with the Mariners and that he was "greedy and insincere" and "a traitor" and "a loser" and that he cheated on his income taxes and sold heroin to the clubhouse kids and that he was so cruel to animals that "he literally showed me the many ways there are to skin a cat." So we don't go out for dinner three or four times a week anymore (which we never did, even though I would have been more than happy to do so as long as he was willing to pick up the tab). …
Then I thought about detailing the troubled history of the Jeter/A-Rod friendship …
June 16: After three years, eight months, 17 days and three hours, Derek still hasn't returned my copy of "The Poisonwood Bible." I wonder whether he's even read it.
July 12: Derek went to see "Pirates of the Caribbean 2" without me!
A-Rod takes most of the heat, but Jeter has had bad postseason series, too.July 23: Derek removed me from his friends list on MySpace. What does this mean?!!?!?!?!
The column went on in that vein but by the time I finished writing, I thought, "Why? What's the point? Do we really need another column mocking A-Rod?"
I mean, what has he ever done that is so bad? Despite his best efforts at living a clean, responsible life, he has a worse reputation than Terrell Owens. I know I've mocked him as much as anyone, but now I mostly feel sorry for him. He's one of the best players in the game, and people act as if he's Bubba Crosby. Enough is enough. Forget the soap operas that stem from his silly insecurities -- any day now I expect him to shave his head -- I'm going to root for A-Rod this season. No more cheap shots, no more easy punch lines … from now on, I'm his No. 1 fan. Not quite like Kathy Bates in "Misery," but I'm pulling for him all the way.
And here's why you should root for him as well.
Root for A-Rod because years from now, you'll be bragging to your children and grandchildren that you saw one of the greatest players who ever took the field. You'll be able to say, "I saw Rodriguez hit .358 with 36 home runs and 123 RBIs in his first full season. I saw him hit 409 home runs by the time he was 30. I saw him win an MVP at shortstop for a last-place team one year and then win an MVP at third base for a first-place team two years later. I saw him hit .315 with four home runs in three American League Championship Series. I saw him play in 10 All-Star games his first 11 seasons."
It may not sound as sweet as telling your kids, "I saw A-Rod hit a World Series-winning home run in the bottom of the 10th inning," but it certainly sounds much better than telling them, "I threw fake dollar bills and garbage at A-Rod because he signed a contract that I would have killed to get."
Root for A-Rod because if you don't like Barry Bonds challenging Hank Aaron's home run record, just wait -- Rodriguez might wind up passing Bonds in a decade. A-Rod hasn't testified before a grand jury that he "unknowingly" took steroids, but he has hit 464 home runs, which is a total Aaron didn't reach until he was two years older than Rodriguez is now and a total Bonds didn't reach until he was almost four years older. Trust me, if A-Rod does set the home run record, you'll not only be rooting for him then, the commissioner will show up to see it.
Get off A-Rod's case, already. He has already hit 464 home runs at age 31.Root for A-Rod because despite all you hear about him choking in the playoffs (and yes, he has stunk the past two Octobers) he still has nearly as high a career postseason OPS as Jeter (.847 to .863). A-Rod also hit for a higher average and produced more runs in the 2004 postseason than Jeter did. In fact, Jeter has played in 24 postseason series and hit .233 or less in nearly one-third of them. That's not to knock Jeter, but only to point out that if you play enough postseason series, you're going to shine in some and stink in others. Give A-Rod another chance this fall, and he will rise to the occasion. Especially if he feels as if fans would rather see him succeed than bitch about his failures.
Root for A-Rod because, other than saying stupid things, he never does anything to embarrass his team or the game. He never gives less than his best. He never approaches the game with anything less than complete professionalism. So what if he can't help himself from making ridiculous statements in an attempt to please everyone at all times? There are far worse crimes for an athlete -- and we complain about them all the time.
But mostly, root for A-Rod because if he has another MVP season and shines in October, all those obnoxious Yankees fans will have to shut up and quit blaming him for everything that ever goes wrong with a team that has needed better pitching ever since it let Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte go.
Tell your statistics to shut up
After another winter in upstate New York, my friend Scooter is so desperate for spring training (he bought tickets to all the Giants games in Scottsdale even though he doesn't root for San Francisco) that he recently has taken to connecting players from different eras a la "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" on the baseballreference.com tool, The Baseball Oracle. His most recent connections: Luke Easter and Steve Christmas, Cookie Lavagetto and Candy Maldonado, Birdie Tebbetts to Mike Parrott, Three-Finger Brown to Antonio Alfonseca (who has six fingers on each hand) and Larry Sherry to Bill Terry to Ken Berry. Yes, this is a man who needs to get to Arizona. …
I may be alone on this, but the incredible outrage over the DirecTV deal seems all out of proportion to what is actually happening. I appreciate a lot of fans are upset about losing their baseball package -- I know the problems with satellite dishes -- but remember that we're talking about something that wasn't available to everyone in the first place. Hard as it is to believe, some people still don't have cable, and of those who do, only a small percentage actually subscribed to Extra Innings. Further, with ESPN and local team coverage, there is hardly a shortage of baseball on TV these days. If you're desperate, you can get XM Radio and listen to any game you want (don't columnists always tell us radio is the preferred medium for baseball anyway?). Or you can pay to watch the games on MLB.com. Also, the shift to DirecTV isn't just about a short-term increase in revenue; it's also being made in part to help baseball eventually get a TV channel that unlike the NFL package, won't be a premium service. Again, I understand why people are upset about this and I think a fair compromise would be for baseball to thank fans who paid for the old package by giving them a free year of coverage on MLB.com. …
If you feel as if the Cubs sold out by finally placing advertising on their outfield walls, don't. Outfield advertising goes back to baseball's good old days, when the game was supposedly pure (well, other than that color line thing) and Fenway's Green Monster was a giant Lifebuoy advertisement. So there is another ugly billboard in baseball. Get used to it. …
And finally … More proof that ballplayers live in a different world: Ken Griffey Jr. says he broke his wrist in a fall wrestling with his son on the family yacht. …
From left field
Ron Santo is up for another Hall of Fame vote this weekend, and if there is any justice in the world, the veterans committee will finally welcome him. Santo won five Gold Gloves, played in nine All-Star games, led the league in on-base percentage twice, hit 342 home runs and drove in 1,331 runs, and yet he still doesn't have a plaque in Cooperstown. What does a guy have to do to get in?
Well, it would help if he wasn't a third baseman, the toughest position at which to reach the Hall of Fame. After more than a century of major league baseball, only 13 third basemen have been judged worthy of Cooperstown, and three of those played in the Negro Leagues. That means less than one third baseman per decade gets into the Hall. No other position has so few players in the Hall.
The third basemen, as defined by the Hall of Fame, in Cooperstown:
Player Skinny
Frank Baker Home Run Baker led AL in homers four years; never hit over 12
George Brett Two batting titles, MVP and most of his 1,595 RBIs at third base
Wade Boggs Five batting titles and .328 career average
Jimmy Collins Only 1,998 hits, most before AL existed
Ray Dandridge Solid hitter and one of best fielders in Negro Leagues
Judy Johnson Team captain of Pittsburgh Crawfords
George Kell 10-time All-Star and .306 career hitter
Freddie Lindstrom .311 lifetime average
Eddie Mathews First third baseman with 500 home runs
Brooks Robinson 15-time All-Star, MVP and still the fielding standard for 3B
Mike Schmidt Unprecedented combo of power and fielding
Pie Traynor .320 career hitter
Jud Wilson Excellent hitter, still was playing in Negro Leagues at age 51
Infield chatter
"A great day for America, not such a great day for NASCAR. A bunch of drivers have been fined for putting jet fuel in their cars. That's the equivalent of steroids in NASCAR. It's very easy to tell which cars are on these steroids. They're the ones with the shrunken ball bearings."
-- Colin Ferguson
Jim Caple is a senior writer for ESPN.com. He can be reached here. His Web site is back up at a slightly different address, jimcaple.net, with more installments of 24 College Avenue. In addition to "The Devil Wears Pinstripes," his new book with Steve Buckley, "The Best Boston Sports Arguments: The 100 Most Controversial, Debatable Questions for Die-Hard Boston Fans" is on sale now.
I have a great feeling for this year. I really think the Yanks are gonna surprise alot of people. Some predicitions..Pavano will be great this year and Phil Hughes will see some serious time in the majors and dominate.
any of you locals planning on attending more games this year and next, before they make the stadium asplode?
its my dream to get season tickets again for me and my pop
Fuck the yankees...that is all.
Being embarrassingly jealous is not an attractive quality, hon...
No, no jealousy dear...just pure hate. And im not even a redsox fan.
Then, you're not even in the running.
And you have no excuse to hate the best gobdamned team in the universe, other than to be plain old jealous.
The Cardinals sure mattered last year.
Quote:
MisterJLA said:
The Cardinals sure mattered last year.
Then go talk about them on the Cardinal thread....
oh but i do have reason....You see when i was but a lad my father decided to take me to my first ever playoff game(of any sport). We got tickets to Game 3 of the 2001 ALDS...im sure all you yankee bastards remember that game (and that particular play) against my A's. So because the yanks ruined my first ever playoff experience...i hate them. Hell, even if we had one that series i still would hate them just because of that game.
so i reiterate. fuck the yankees...that is all.
Guys, let the Yankees fans have their little place. It's the only place where the Yankees actually matter.
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Brad Lee said:
I'm bitter that people ignored my hockey threads.
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Knutreturns said:
oh but i do have reason....You see when i was but a lad my father decided to take me to my first ever playoff game(of any sport). We got tickets to Game 3 of the 2001 ALDS...im sure all you yankee bastards remember that game (and that particular play) against my A's. So because the yanks ruined my first ever playoff experience...i hate them. Hell, even if we had one that series i still would hate them just because of that game.
Ok, so you're jealous that the Yankees are better than your team. Got it.
Sure, Harley, suuuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrre.
You do know that the Tigers have the bragging rights this year, right? Last season did happen. You are my bitch right now.
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Knutreturns said:
Fuck the yankees...that is all.
I am rolling with knutreturns at an accelerated pace on this one.
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harleykwin said:
Quote:
Knutreturns said:
oh but i do have reason....You see when i was but a lad my father decided to take me to my first ever playoff game(of any sport). We got tickets to Game 3 of the 2001 ALDS...im sure all you yankee bastards remember that game (and that particular play) against my A's. So because the yanks ruined my first ever playoff experience...i hate them. Hell, even if we had one that series i still would hate them just because of that game.
Ok, so you're jealous that the Yankees are better than your team. Got it.
Harley, you are a wonderful girl and I would without question fuck you for an extended period of time in a diverse array of positions, but I'm afraid I just can't let you get away with this nonsensical rambling about the yankees not being deserving of our undying hatred.
Quote:
Brad Lee said:
Sure, Harley, suuuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrre.
Wow. Didn't think you'd so easily acknowledge that you're a bitter bitch about those hockey threads. Good on you for being able to admit it.
Quote:
You do know that the Tigers have the bragging rights this year, right?
And you do know that the ongoing magnitude of the Tigers' suckage far outweighs one decent season, right?
Quote:
Last season did happen. You are my bitch right now.
Oh dear. I hit a nerve.
I didn't realize that someone so self-righteous could stoop to such language! 
So, "I'm your bitch" because I hurt your feelings about your hockey threads, or because you have to admit that the Tigers had only one decent season after being the biggest fucking joke for years on end? (Remember 2003? Oh, and "go Randy!" 
and even after he was fired they still continued to royally suck!) Jesus, Brad, it was about fucking time they did something right. Yet, you didn't see me raggin' on them for their win, did you? No. I come into a Yankees' thread to joke around and cheer for my boys, and people come in here to bitch and moan about them - and that's ok, because for the most part its all in good fun - friendly rivalry and all that - and because at the end of the day the Yankees are legend - and everyone is jealous of a legend - especially whiney, sanctimonious creatures like yourself.
Oh, and how many times have the Tigers actually won the Series?
Yeah, I thought so.
But you go on and milk that win for as long as you can, honey.
Quote:
Captain Sammitch said:
Quote:
harleykwin said:
Quote:
Knutreturns said:
oh but i do have reason....You see when i was but a lad my father decided to take me to my first ever playoff game(of any sport). We got tickets to Game 3 of the 2001 ALDS...im sure all you yankee bastards remember that game (and that particular play) against my A's. So because the yanks ruined my first ever playoff experience...i hate them. Hell, even if we had one that series i still would hate them just because of that game.
Ok, so you're jealous that the Yankees are better than your team. Got it.
Harley, you are a wonderful girl and I would without question fuck you for an extended period of time in a diverse array of positions,
Quote:
but I'm afraid I just can't let you get away with this nonsensical rambling about the yankees not being deserving of our undying hatred.
so sammitch...how much do you hate the yankees?
Gah!
And you seemed so nice when you first got here...
Quote:
Knutreturns said:
so sammitch...how much do you hate the yankees?
As much as a Red Sox fan who [unlike others here] won't be converted just by one woman, no matter how hot she may be.
Quote:
Captain Sammitch said:
Quote:
Knutreturns said:
so sammitch...how much do you hate the yankees?
As much as a Red Sox fan
I didn't think anyone could hate the Yankees as much as a Red Sox fan...
Quote:
who [unlike others here] won't be converted just by one woman, no matter how hot she may be.
I'll get you my little pretty...
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Captain Sammitch said:
Quote:
Knutreturns said:
so sammitch...how much do you hate the yankees?
As much as a Red Sox fan who [unlike others here] won't be converted just by one woman, no matter how hot she may be.
Real Red Sox fans don't have to ramble incessantly about how much they hate the Yankees, pushing forward the false stereotype that Red Sox fans are jealous of the Yankees (we just sit back quietly and let the Yankees fans babble on about 26 rings while trying to avoid the facts behind 2004). They also don't slam other Red Sox fans for their ability to pay compliments and respect where due. Just because I'm apparently the only true Red Sox fans on these boards and the only non-Yankees fan who can read these threads with a clear head shouldn't make you jealous of me. What should make you jealous is that I'm a real Red Sox fan and you're a poser who can't get behind the Cubs or White Sox for whatever reason. Beeeeeeyotch.
PS: I was in the stands for Game 3 of the 2003 ALDS near where Trot Nixon hit the game-winning home run. Then I watched as the A's choked their way through the rest of the series and whined afterwards about "obscene gestures". Fuck the A's. Buncha whiny bitches.
PPS: Fuck the Yankees, too. But not as much as the Choakland A-Holes.
Quote:
Joe Mama said:
Quote:
Captain Sammitch said:
Quote:
Knutreturns said:
so sammitch...how much do you hate the yankees?
As much as a Red Sox fan who [unlike others here] won't be converted just by one woman, no matter how hot she may be.
Real Red Sox fans don't have to ramble incessantly about how much they hate the Yankees, pushing forward the false stereotype that Red Sox fans are jealous of the Yankees (we just sit back quietly and let the Yankees fans babble on about 26 rings while trying to avoid the facts behind 2004).
Hush, you!
Quote:
PPS: Fuck the Yankees, too.
Oh, bite me you jealous bitch.
Is it April yet? 
Quote:
harleykwin said:
Hush, you!
2004...not a great year for the Yankees. On my birthday they tied a few records for a single game loss. And, of course, I don't have to remind anyone - particularly Yankees fans - about that year's ALCS.
So I will: greatest choke in the history of the game AND the first time a choke of that proportion ever happened in baseball.
Mo---> 
Quote:
Oh, bite me you jealous bitch.
Is it April yet?
Not yet...not soon enough. How's that Pavano working out for you?
Quote:
Joe Mama said:
Real Red Sox fans don't have to ramble incessantly about how much they hate the Yankees, pushing forward the false stereotype that Red Sox fans are jealous of the Yankees (we just sit back quietly and let the Yankees fans babble on about 26 rings while trying to avoid the facts behind 2004).
Disliking a team doesn't require envy of that team. Similarly, envying someone doesn't always equate to hating someone - just look at Jealous Rob and PJP. I talk about hating the Yankees because, well, it's fun, and it just so happens that I don't especially like the team.
Quote:
They also don't slam other Red Sox fans for their ability to pay compliments and respect where due.
All of us ogle the one solitary photo of Harley, and all of us descend to shameless lechery and fall over each other in a desperate hopeless quest to grasp those delightful boobies and that succulent ass, but that doesn't mean we go off half-cocked and jump ship at the slightest hint of flirtation from the salacious wench!
Quote:
Just because I'm apparently the only true Red Sox fans on these boards and the only non-Yankees fan who can read these threads with a clear head shouldn't make you jealous of me. What should make you jealous is that I'm a real Red Sox fan and you're a poser who can't get behind the Cubs or White Sox for whatever reason. Beeeeeeyotch.
I didn't get behind the Cubs or Sox because I'm not from Chicago. I didn't get behind the Indians because as a native of Cleveland, I know that hometown pride here brings nothing but depression. I starting liking Boston a short while after my favorite ballplayer (Manny) was traded there. Since that time (coincidence?) the team has played at an outstanding level and given me a number of new reasons to support them. And the Dropkick Murphys (one of my favorite bands) have supplied Red Sox Nation with quite a memorable anthem. I think my citizenship in the Nation is legitimate, my geographic location and dislike of the Patriots notwithstanding.
You're still bald. And gay. And "Tessie" sucks. Now "Skinhead On The MBTA" and "Finnegan's Wake", on the other hand...
Quote:
Joe Mama said:
Quote:
harleykwin said:
Hush, you!
2004...not a great year for the Yankees. On my birthday they tied a few records for a single game loss. And, of course, I don't have to remind anyone - particularly Yankees fans - about that year's ALCS.
So I will: greatest choke in the history of the game AND the first time a choke of that proportion ever happened in baseball.
Mo--->
I don't like you, and your momma dresses you funny.
Quote:
Oh, bite me you jealous bitch.
Is it April yet?
Not yet...not soon enough. How's that Pavano working out for you?
If he actually plays, I'll let you know!
Quote:
Captain Sammitch said:
half-cocked and jump ship at the slightest hint of flirtation from the salacious wench!
I like it.
Quote:
Joe Mama said:
Quote:
Captain Sammitch said:
Quote:
Knutreturns said:
so sammitch...how much do you hate the yankees?
As much as a Red Sox fan who [unlike others here] won't be converted just by one woman, no matter how hot she may be.
Real Red Sox fans don't have to ramble incessantly about how much they hate the Yankees, pushing forward the false stereotype that Red Sox fans are jealous of the Yankees (we just sit back quietly and let the Yankees fans babble on about 26 rings while trying to avoid the facts behind 2004). They also don't slam other Red Sox fans for their ability to pay compliments and respect where due. Just because I'm apparently the only true Red Sox fans on these boards and the only non-Yankees fan who can read these threads with a clear head shouldn't make you jealous of me. What should make you jealous is that I'm a real Red Sox fan and you're a poser who can't get behind the Cubs or White Sox for whatever reason. Beeeeeeyotch.
PS: I was in the stands for Game 3 of the 2003 ALDS near where Trot Nixon hit the game-winning home run. Then I watched as the A's choked their way through the rest of the series and whined afterwards about "obscene gestures". Fuck the A's. Buncha whiny bitches.
PPS: Fuck the Yankees, too. But not as much as the Choakland A-Holes.
wow. the enemy of my enemy is my enemy?Damn dude i thought our common hatred for the yankees could unite us. Guess not. I didnt complain about that series at all (except for the A's decision to let terrence long bat the last out of game 5). But thats fine. I also agree that the Yanks suffered the worst choke job in the history of sports and cheered my ass of when the redsox won that series and the next one...all out the window now.
still....fuck the yankees.
Quote:
harleykwin said:
Gah!
And you seemed so nice when you first got here...
you havent seen my nice side yet pretty lady...
Quote:
Joe Mama said:
Quote:
Captain Sammitch said:
Quote:
Knutreturns said:
so sammitch...how much do you hate the yankees?
As much as a Red Sox fan who [unlike others here] won't be converted just by one woman, no matter how hot she may be.
Real Red Sox fans don't have to ramble incessantly about how much they hate the Yankees, pushing forward the false stereotype that Red Sox fans are jealous of the Yankees (we just sit back quietly and let the Yankees fans babble on about 26 rings while trying to avoid the facts behind 2004). They also don't slam other Red Sox fans for their ability to pay compliments and respect where due. Just because I'm apparently the only true Red Sox fans on these boards and the only non-Yankees fan who can read these threads with a clear head shouldn't make you jealous of me. What should make you jealous is that I'm a real Red Sox fan and you're a poser who can't get behind the Cubs or White Sox for whatever reason. Beeeeeeyotch.
PS: I was in the stands for Game 3 of the 2003 ALDS near where Trot Nixon hit the game-winning home run. Then I watched as the A's choked their way through the rest of the series and whined afterwards about "obscene gestures". Fuck the A's. Buncha whiny bitches.
PPS: Fuck the Yankees, too. But not as much as the Choakland A-Holes.
God Bless You Mama.
Rob...when are you gonna make me a mod of this forum so I can start taking care of business?
Quote:
Knutreturns said:
wow. the enemy of my enemy is my enemy?Damn dude i thought our common hatred for the yankees could unite us. Guess not. I didnt complain about that series at all (except for the A's decision to let terrence long bat the last out of game 5). But thats fine. I also agree that the Yanks suffered the worst choke job in the history of sports and cheered my ass of when the redsox won that series and the next one...all out the window now.
still....fuck the yankees.
Nah. We's cool. I just had to respond to Sammitch's swipe and you got caught in the crossfire. Blame Sammitch, the bastid. Try to rattle my cage...
Quote:
harleykwin said:
Quote:
Brad Lee said:
Sure, Harley, suuuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrre.
Wow. Didn't think you'd so easily acknowledge that you're a bitter bitch about those hockey threads. Good on you for being able to admit it.
Quote:
You do know that the Tigers have the bragging rights this year, right?
And you do know that the ongoing magnitude of the Tigers' suckage far outweighs one decent season, right?
Quote:
Last season did happen. You are my bitch right now.
Oh dear. I hit a nerve.
I didn't realize that someone so self-righteous could stoop to such language!
So, "I'm your bitch" because I hurt your feelings about your hockey threads, or because you have to admit that the Tigers had only one decent season after being the biggest fucking joke for years on end? (Remember 2003? Oh, and "go Randy!" and even after he was fired they still continued to royally suck!) Jesus, Brad, it was about fucking time they did something right. Yet, you didn't see me raggin' on them for their win, did you? No. I come into a Yankees' thread to joke around and cheer for my boys, and people come in here to bitch and moan about them - and that's ok, because for the most part its all in good fun - friendly rivalry and all that - and because at the end of the day the Yankees are legend - and everyone is jealous of a legend - especially whiney, sanctimonious creatures like yourself.
Oh, and how many times have the Tigers actually won the Series?
Yeah, I thought so.
But you go on and milk that win for as long as you can, honey.
I make you waste your time on crap. I win again!
That's the best you could come up with?
But when your team sucks as badly as yours does, I guess there's nothin you
can say.
The more you say, the more I win.
If that's what you tell yourself to make yourself feel better.
No, it's what you tell me, baby!
Quote:
Brad Lee said:
The more you say, the more I win.
Dude, you're not basams. For one thing, you don't quote The Big Lebowski nearly often enough.
Quote:
Joe Mama said:
You're still bald. And gay. And "Tessie" sucks. Now "Skinhead On The MBTA" and "Finnegan's Wake", on the other hand...
Congratulations. Your comeback skills have improved enough to move you up to seventh grade this fall. We're all proud of ya, Little Davey!
Seriously, though, I own just about every track the band's ever recorded (maybe not legitimately but I just don't know how to quit BitLord), and Finnegan's Wake is near the top of my list of favorites. I mentioned Tessie (well, referenced it) because it's one long ode to the Sox. Fields of Athenry is probably my favorite right now.
And I notice you didn't try to dispute any of my other points. Though I am a little disappointed I still haven't found my way back into harley's sig...
Quote:
Captain Sammitch said:
Quote:
Joe Mama said:
You're still bald. And gay. And "Tessie" sucks. Now "Skinhead On The MBTA" and "Finnegan's Wake", on the other hand...
Congratulations. Your comeback skills have improved enough to move you up to seventh grade this fall. We're all proud of ya, Little Davey!
Seriously, though, I own just about every track the band's ever recorded (maybe not legitimately but I just don't know how to quit BitLord), and Finnegan's Wake is near the top of my list of favorites. I mentioned Tessie (well, referenced it) because it's one long ode to the Sox. Fields of Athenry is probably my favorite right now.
And I notice you didn't try to dispute any of my other points. Though I am a little disappointed I still haven't found my way back into harley's sig...
Because I don't care about your other points. The fact that you need to justify your Red Sox and Dropkick Murphys fandom to me is reward enough. As is knowing that I'm quoted in Harley's sig...and you're not. 
I'd close this post with a winkie graemlin to let you know that I'm returning the cage rattling that you gave me, but that's too G-Man for my tastes.
yeah, so...
2007 New York Yankees Capsule
By Jim Keller PA SportsTicker Baseball EditorSay Hello To: 1Bs Doug Mientkiewicz, Juan Miranda and Josh Phelps, LHP Andy Pettitte, RHPs Chris Britton and Luis Vizcaino
Say Goodbye To: C Sal Fasano, 1B-OF Craig Wilson, OFs Gary Sheffield and Bernie Williams, LHP Randy Johnson, RHPs Jaret Wright and Octavio Dotel
Projected Starting Lineup:
C - Jorge Posada (leads all catchers this decade with 163 HR, 626 RBI and 561 walks) 1B - Doug Mientkiewicz (.781 OPS this decade second worst among all first basemen) Andy Phillips (.675 OPS in 2006, .657 OPS in first three years) 2B - Robinson Cano (.362 with 23 2B, 11 HR, 57 RBI in 207 AB after hamstring injury) 3B - Alex Rodriguez (5-46 postseason with 1 HR, 2 RBI since Game 4 vs. Boston in '04) SS - Derek Jeter (5th player in 75 years to hit .340, 90 RBI and 30 SB in same season) LF - Hideki Matsui (hit .412 in September after returning from fractured wrist) CF - Johnny Damon (.324 with 6 2Bs, 4 HR, 13 RBI in 17 games vs. Red Sox) RF - Bobby Abreu (2nd this decade with 300 2B and 787 walks; career-low 15 HR '06) DH - Jason Giambi (27 HR, 72 RBI before All-Star break; 10 HR, 41 RBI after)
Projected Starting Rotation:
RHP - Chien-Ming Wang (Cy runner-up was 10-2, 3.13 ERA after All-Star break) RHP - Mike Mussina (holds AL all-time record with 15 straight 10-win seasons) LHP - Andy Pettitte (.500+ record 12 straight; 14-1 in Sept. since 2002) RHP - Carl Pavano (big bust since signing huge deal after 2004 season; hurt in '06) LHP - Kei Igawa (27-year-old 3-time strikeout champ in Japan; 14-9, 2.97 ERA in '06)
Projected Closer:
Mariano Rivera (2.29 ERA and .596 win percentage best all-time among closers)
Spring Training Battles: The everyday lineup is set with Mientkiewicz platooning with Phillips or Phelps, but can the Yankees resist putting Giambi back at first to get Cabrera in more often? The Yankees will have a big void at the back end of the rotation if Roger Clemens can't be lured. Pavano has been working hard and factors in, but stud Philip Hughes, Humberto Sanchez and Jeff Karstens also will compete.
Minor League Report:
Ready in 2007:
Philip Hughes, RHP
In the 6-5, 220-pound Hughes, New York has one of the top pitching prospects in the game, and general manager Brian Cashman refused to trade him last July.
The righthander was a combined 12-6 with a 2.15 ERA in 26 starts between Class A and AA in 2006. He walked 34 and struck out 168 in 146 innings. In three minor league seasons, Hughes is 21-7 with 54 walks and 269 strikeouts in 237 innings.
A 2004 first-round pick, Hughes has a mid-90s fastball that he can cut or sail, an outstanding curveball and advanced command for a 20-year-old.
Humberto Sanchez, RHP
The 23-year-old Sanchez, acquired from the Tigers this winter in the Gary Sheffield trade, is a native of the Bronx and was 10-6 and ranked second among all Tigers minor leaguers with a 2.63 ERA and 129 strikeouts in 20 starts at Class AAA Toledo and AA Erie in 2006. He struck out 129 in 123 innings, while allowing 97 hits and 47 walks.
After going 5-3 with a 3.86 ERA in nine starts with the Mud Hens, elbow problems shut him down during the second half of the season. He has a clean bill of health.
At 6-6, 230 pounds, the righthander sits in the 93-96 miles-per-hour range with his heater and has improved his control. He is a better changeup and work habits away from being a front-of-the-rotation pitcher.
Tyler Clippard, RHP
At just 21, Clippard will be ready for Class AAA this season and could make his debut in Yankee Stadium before the 2007 season ends.
The 6-4 righthander was 12-10 with a 3.35 ERA in 28 starts at Class AA Trenton, in 2006, including a no-hitter. He walked 55 and struck out an Eastern League-high 175 in 166 innings. He fanned 181 batters in 154 innings in 2005.
Clippard has a projectable 6-4, 200-pound frame that likely will increase his low-90s fastball as he matures. Until that happens, he will utilize an outstanding breaking ball and changeup as his out pitches.
Down the Road:
Jose Tabata, OF
One of the youngest players in organized ball, Tabata followed a smashing debut season in the Gulf Coast League in 2005 with a banner campaign at low Class A Charleston before a thumb injury shut him down in July.
Tabata hit .298 with 22 doubles, one triple, five homers and 15 stolen bases in 319 at-bats as a 17-year-old. He walked 30 times and struck out 66, an excellent ratio for a player his age,
The 5-11 Venezuelan has excellent bat speed with power potential and an advanced approach at the plate. He has plus speed and just needs more experience tracking fly balls to become a quality major league regular.
Juan Miranda, 1B
The 23-year-old Cuban was signed to a four-year deal worth $2 million this winter. He is a lefthanded-hitting power prospect who can play first base or a corner outfield spot.
Miranda is a former teammate of ex-Yankee Jose Contreras, is 6-0, 220 and hit .303 with 27 homers in Cuba from 2002-04. He is expected to start in the Class A Florida State League.
Quote:
Rob Kamphausen said:
any of you locals planning on attending more games this year and next, before they make the stadium asplode?
its my dream to get season tickets again for me and my pop
they's on sale now!
Updated: March 7, 2007
Hughes represents Yankees' new direction
By Jayson Stark
ESPN.com
Archive
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. -- It isn't often in life that we can see the future. But the New York Yankees can.
And its name is Phil (Don't Call Me Philip) Hughes.
But not just because Baseball America ranked this 20-year-old buzz-master as the No. 2 pitching prospect in the whole sport, behind only Daisuke Matsuzaka.
And not just because a bunch of Yankees legends have been tossing around a torrent of "young Rocket" Roger Clemens comparisons all spring.
And not just because his minor league career has been so spectacular (21-7, 2.13 ERA, only 150 hits in 237 1/3 innings).
None of that, to be honest, is the big news here. The big news is that, for maybe the first time in the Emperor Steinbrenner era, it's finally safe to sit back in spring training, watch a sensational Yankees pitching prospect do his thing and not pose what used to be an automatic question:
What team are they going to trade him to?
Asked Tuesday, on an afternoon when Hughes spun two shutout innings against Cleveland, whether Hughes is a sign that those days -- the not-so-good-old trade-'em-all-away days -- are over, GM Brian Cashman replied, succinctly: "Yes."
Phil Hughes, you see, is the symbol of a staggering new development in this sport: The Yankees are trying to be a baseball team again.
As opposed to the universe's most expensive A-Plus Rental Center.
Hughes, who stands 6-5, 220 pounds, has added a slider and changeup to his arsenal.Not that it wasn't fun running the payroll up to $220 million, having a pitching staff that made more than the entire AL Central and cornering the market on all living multi-Cy Young Award winners. But the Yankees finally have caught on to something:
Bringing in those gazillion-dollar, superstud hired guns hasn't worked so well.
But those Chien-Ming Wangs and Robinson Canos and Melky Cabreras -- who must have slipped into town while everybody was busy watching the A-Rod and Randy Johnson news conferences -- all seemed to manage just fine. And the Yankees finally have concluded that that might not have been an accident.
"Wang and Cano and Cabrera all basically came up, and the expectation from the press wasn't there to impede their efforts," Cashman said. "And so, all of a sudden, before you know it, you have a guy [Wang] who finished second in the Cy Young award voting. And you have a guy [Cano] who made the All-Star team.
"And it's like wow, it just happened so quietly and quickly -- versus the other way, where you have some big press conference for some massive free-agent signing or trade in the winter, and they're supposed to be the reason that you're going to win the next five World Series in a row. And then they're getting booed for going 0-for-4, or having back-to-back bad pitching outings. It's almost like the cards are stacked against you that way. So this is a better way to do it -- and certainly a cheaper way -- if you get the right talent."
Well, if there's one thing they all seem to agree on, it's that Hughes is exactly the right talent.
He's 6-foot-5, 220 pounds. He launches baseballs with a smooth, compact delivery that has drawn comparisons to Clemens and Curt Schilling and Mike Mussina. And his four-pitch repertoire is so dominating that he turned the entire Eastern League into a collection of .179 hitters last year.
So Hughes is shaping up as the centerpiece of Cashman's new, welcome-to-the-21st-century blueprint for the Yankees. Why buy an ace down at the old Mercenary Mart for 100 million bucks when you can grow your own?
But before we hand him his first Cy Young trophy, let's remember something:
He's only 20.
He's younger than Tyler Hansbrough and Acie Law IV and Darryl Strawberry Jr. He's so young, he thinks of the wild card as a baseball phenomenon that has been around most of his life.
So even if Hughes already knows he won't be allowed to make this team out of spring training, he also knows -- because everyone knows -- that it won't be long. Which means the biggest question most people will have about him isn't whether he's talented enough to pitch for the Yankees.
No, the biggest question is whether he's mature enough to handle the most turbocharged universe in baseball.
Amazingly, everyone who knows him has no doubt whatsoever that he has the maturity.
"His age, to me, is irrelevant," said his agent, Nez Balelo. "He could pass for 25 years old. You could have a legitimate conversation with him about business. Or you could have a legitimate conversation with him about the game. He could sit down with Andy Pettitte or Mike Mussina and have a conversation about how to set up hitters. You can see this guy's maturity level. He doesn't act like a guy who's 20."
"It's really unusual to see a guy that young who handles himself the way he does," said 32-year-old catcher Jason Brown, who caught Hughes in Trenton last year. "He's not like a normal 20-year-old. I know, looking back, how I was when I was 20. And man, it was nothing even close."
But people have been saying stuff like this about Hughes since he was 17. Balelo tells a story about the day in 2004, when the Yankees invited Hughes their new No. 1 draft pick, out of Santa Ana, Calif. to meet them on a trip to Dodger Stadium.
They gave him a uniform, then marched him out to the bullpen before a game to throw for Joe Torre and pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre.
When a group of fans around the bullpen began hooting at him, Stottlemyre walked over to Hughes and asked: "Is all the yelling bothering you?"
"I don't even know what you're talking about," Hughes replied.
"And he really didn't," Balelo said. "He was in such a zone. And he's been that way his whole career."
We've seen enough players get overwhelmed by New York to know it isn't for everybody (not mentioning the names of any 6-foot-10 left-handers here). But it doesn't seem to faze Hughes, even though he grew up nearly 3,000 miles away.
"I'd rather be in a situation like the Yankees," he said, "where there's all this attention and media coverage. Some people think it's added pressure. But I just try and enjoy it."
If there's one word that describes his demeanor, he said, it's "calm." He gets that from his dad, Phil Sr., a retired Naval officer and "the most unrattled guy you'll ever meet." It's a quality, Hughes said, that "has really helped me a lot."
"I'll get in situations sometimes where I'll get a little bit rattled," he said. "But it never really snowballs. I always have the ability to slow down and take everything back to the basics. And that's definitely something I'm thankful to have."
We wish him luck maintaining that calm when it's September in Fenway, and Big Papi is standing 60 feet away, and the entire fate of Yankees-Red Sox civilization rests on his next pitch. But if you review Hughes' minor league career, it's obvious nothing has discombobulated him yet.
His highest ERA at any stop was 2.27 (in the Florida State League). He has averaged at least one strikeout per inning at every level and at least four times as many strikeouts as walks at every level. And he never has allowed a baserunner per inning anywhere.
So Torre says the Yankees would like to see Hughes experience a little failure someplace before they beam him into the Bronx. But they're running out of places he could experience that failure before the big leagues.
The closest Hughes thinks he has come to tasting any negativity was last year in spring training, when the Yankees ran him into a couple of big league exhibition games at age 19, "and I didn't do well at all, and it was a big shock to me."
But he reacted exactly the way the Yankees hoped he would -- by realizing he couldn't get by with the fastball-curve combo he'd been using to cruise through Class A ball. So he dedicated his summer to mixing in his slider and change, and really pitching. And he has an Eastern League ERA title to show for it.
So by the time Hughes rolled into his second big league camp, he was almost as big a story as the Jeter/A-Rod No More Sleepovers Saga. If the GM was holding out any hope he could just sneak this guy into the big leagues some month with no pressure or expectations, well, he knows now there's no shot of that.
"Yeah, his [expectations] now are starting to get overblown," Cashman said. "For instance, the day last week he pitched a batting practice and he wound up on the back pages being compared to Roger Clemens. That's probably not healthy."
But one guy who isn't worried is Yankees scouting director Damon Oppenheimer. There has been so much focus on Hughes for so long already, Oppenheimer says, "It was a more gradual thing for him to get used to. It's not happening all at once."
And the mere prospect of being a Yankee -- so foreboding for some people -- isn't as intimidating for a guy like this, who has known nothing but being a Yankee, he says.
"You can be sitting there in Tampa, getting ready to start up a workout, and in walks George Steinbrenner," Oppenheimer said. "So I don't know if there's the same pressure to being a Yankee when you grow up with the expectation of doing things like a Yankee."
Well, if it means anything, Hughes says he wouldn't want any other kind of expectation. He likes the idea of looking around the clubhouse at "eight or nine future Hall of Famers." He likes the idea that, on the day he was drafted, he had to do a conference call "with about 20 newspapers." He's excited by the thought of having "to make that big pitch in front of 50,000 people."
And if he's as sincere about that as he sounds, he is on the cusp of doing something no Yankees No. 1 draft pick has done in 38 years -- actually winning a game for the Yankees. (Bill Burbach, the Yankees' top pick in the first-ever draft in 1965, went 6-8 lifetime.)
"Hopefully," Hughes said, "I can wipe that stat out. Soon."
Jayson Stark is a senior writer for ESPN.com.
If they don't take Hughes with them at the end of Spring Training then he will be with them by May or June.
The Yankees are going to surprise alot of people this year.
click on my Jeter Banner for neato things!
Quote:
PJP said:
Updated: March 7, 2007
Hughes represents Yankees' new direction
By Jayson Stark
ESPN.com
Archive
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. -- It isn't often in life that we can see the future. But the New York Yankees can.
And its name is Phil (Don't Call Me Philip) Hughes.
But not just because Baseball America ranked this 20-year-old buzz-master as the No. 2 pitching prospect in the whole sport, behind only Daisuke Matsuzaka.
And not just because a bunch of Yankees legends have been tossing around a torrent of "young Rocket" Roger Clemens comparisons all spring.
And not just because his minor league career has been so spectacular (21-7, 2.13 ERA, only 150 hits in 237 1/3 innings).
None of that, to be honest, is the big news here. The big news is that, for maybe the first time in the Emperor Steinbrenner era, it's finally safe to sit back in spring training, watch a sensational Yankees pitching prospect do his thing and not pose what used to be an automatic question:
What team are they going to trade him to?
Asked Tuesday, on an afternoon when Hughes spun two shutout innings against Cleveland, whether Hughes is a sign that those days -- the not-so-good-old trade-'em-all-away days -- are over, GM Brian Cashman replied, succinctly: "Yes."
Phil Hughes, you see, is the symbol of a staggering new development in this sport: The Yankees are trying to be a baseball team again.
As opposed to the universe's most expensive A-Plus Rental Center.
Hughes, who stands 6-5, 220 pounds, has added a slider and changeup to his arsenal.Not that it wasn't fun running the payroll up to $220 million, having a pitching staff that made more than the entire AL Central and cornering the market on all living multi-Cy Young Award winners. But the Yankees finally have caught on to something:
Bringing in those gazillion-dollar, superstud hired guns hasn't worked so well.
But those Chien-Ming Wangs and Robinson Canos and Melky Cabreras -- who must have slipped into town while everybody was busy watching the A-Rod and Randy Johnson news conferences -- all seemed to manage just fine. And the Yankees finally have concluded that that might not have been an accident.
"Wang and Cano and Cabrera all basically came up, and the expectation from the press wasn't there to impede their efforts," Cashman said. "And so, all of a sudden, before you know it, you have a guy [Wang] who finished second in the Cy Young award voting. And you have a guy [Cano] who made the All-Star team.
"And it's like wow, it just happened so quietly and quickly -- versus the other way, where you have some big press conference for some massive free-agent signing or trade in the winter, and they're supposed to be the reason that you're going to win the next five World Series in a row. And then they're getting booed for going 0-for-4, or having back-to-back bad pitching outings. It's almost like the cards are stacked against you that way. So this is a better way to do it -- and certainly a cheaper way -- if you get the right talent."
Well, if there's one thing they all seem to agree on, it's that Hughes is exactly the right talent.
He's 6-foot-5, 220 pounds. He launches baseballs with a smooth, compact delivery that has drawn comparisons to Clemens and Curt Schilling and Mike Mussina. And his four-pitch repertoire is so dominating that he turned the entire Eastern League into a collection of .179 hitters last year.
So Hughes is shaping up as the centerpiece of Cashman's new, welcome-to-the-21st-century blueprint for the Yankees. Why buy an ace down at the old Mercenary Mart for 100 million bucks when you can grow your own?
But before we hand him his first Cy Young trophy, let's remember something:
He's only 20.
He's younger than Tyler Hansbrough and Acie Law IV and Darryl Strawberry Jr. He's so young, he thinks of the wild card as a baseball phenomenon that has been around most of his life.
So even if Hughes already knows he won't be allowed to make this team out of spring training, he also knows -- because everyone knows -- that it won't be long. Which means the biggest question most people will have about him isn't whether he's talented enough to pitch for the Yankees.
No, the biggest question is whether he's mature enough to handle the most turbocharged universe in baseball.
Amazingly, everyone who knows him has no doubt whatsoever that he has the maturity.
"His age, to me, is irrelevant," said his agent, Nez Balelo. "He could pass for 25 years old. You could have a legitimate conversation with him about business. Or you could have a legitimate conversation with him about the game. He could sit down with Andy Pettitte or Mike Mussina and have a conversation about how to set up hitters. You can see this guy's maturity level. He doesn't act like a guy who's 20."
"It's really unusual to see a guy that young who handles himself the way he does," said 32-year-old catcher Jason Brown, who caught Hughes in Trenton last year. "He's not like a normal 20-year-old. I know, looking back, how I was when I was 20. And man, it was nothing even close."
But people have been saying stuff like this about Hughes since he was 17. Balelo tells a story about the day in 2004, when the Yankees invited Hughes their new No. 1 draft pick, out of Santa Ana, Calif. to meet them on a trip to Dodger Stadium.
They gave him a uniform, then marched him out to the bullpen before a game to throw for Joe Torre and pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre.
When a group of fans around the bullpen began hooting at him, Stottlemyre walked over to Hughes and asked: "Is all the yelling bothering you?"
"I don't even know what you're talking about," Hughes replied.
"And he really didn't," Balelo said. "He was in such a zone. And he's been that way his whole career."
We've seen enough players get overwhelmed by New York to know it isn't for everybody (not mentioning the names of any 6-foot-10 left-handers here). But it doesn't seem to faze Hughes, even though he grew up nearly 3,000 miles away.
"I'd rather be in a situation like the Yankees," he said, "where there's all this attention and media coverage. Some people think it's added pressure. But I just try and enjoy it."
If there's one word that describes his demeanor, he said, it's "calm." He gets that from his dad, Phil Sr., a retired Naval officer and "the most unrattled guy you'll ever meet." It's a quality, Hughes said, that "has really helped me a lot."
"I'll get in situations sometimes where I'll get a little bit rattled," he said. "But it never really snowballs. I always have the ability to slow down and take everything back to the basics. And that's definitely something I'm thankful to have."
We wish him luck maintaining that calm when it's September in Fenway, and Big Papi is standing 60 feet away, and the entire fate of Yankees-Red Sox civilization rests on his next pitch. But if you review Hughes' minor league career, it's obvious nothing has discombobulated him yet.
His highest ERA at any stop was 2.27 (in the Florida State League). He has averaged at least one strikeout per inning at every level and at least four times as many strikeouts as walks at every level. And he never has allowed a baserunner per inning anywhere.
So Torre says the Yankees would like to see Hughes experience a little failure someplace before they beam him into the Bronx. But they're running out of places he could experience that failure before the big leagues.
The closest Hughes thinks he has come to tasting any negativity was last year in spring training, when the Yankees ran him into a couple of big league exhibition games at age 19, "and I didn't do well at all, and it was a big shock to me."
But he reacted exactly the way the Yankees hoped he would -- by realizing he couldn't get by with the fastball-curve combo he'd been using to cruise through Class A ball. So he dedicated his summer to mixing in his slider and change, and really pitching. And he has an Eastern League ERA title to show for it.
So by the time Hughes rolled into his second big league camp, he was almost as big a story as the Jeter/A-Rod No More Sleepovers Saga. If the GM was holding out any hope he could just sneak this guy into the big leagues some month with no pressure or expectations, well, he knows now there's no shot of that.
"Yeah, his [expectations] now are starting to get overblown," Cashman said. "For instance, the day last week he pitched a batting practice and he wound up on the back pages being compared to Roger Clemens. That's probably not healthy."
But one guy who isn't worried is Yankees scouting director Damon Oppenheimer. There has been so much focus on Hughes for so long already, Oppenheimer says, "It was a more gradual thing for him to get used to. It's not happening all at once."
And the mere prospect of being a Yankee -- so foreboding for some people -- isn't as intimidating for a guy like this, who has known nothing but being a Yankee, he says.
"You can be sitting there in Tampa, getting ready to start up a workout, and in walks George Steinbrenner," Oppenheimer said. "So I don't know if there's the same pressure to being a Yankee when you grow up with the expectation of doing things like a Yankee."
Well, if it means anything, Hughes says he wouldn't want any other kind of expectation. He likes the idea of looking around the clubhouse at "eight or nine future Hall of Famers." He likes the idea that, on the day he was drafted, he had to do a conference call "with about 20 newspapers." He's excited by the thought of having "to make that big pitch in front of 50,000 people."
And if he's as sincere about that as he sounds, he is on the cusp of doing something no Yankees No. 1 draft pick has done in 38 years -- actually winning a game for the Yankees. (Bill Burbach, the Yankees' top pick in the first-ever draft in 1965, went 6-8 lifetime.)
"Hopefully," Hughes said, "I can wipe that stat out. Soon."
Jayson Stark is a senior writer for ESPN.com.
Quote:
PJP said:
click on my Jeter Banner for neato things!
How'd you get it to link?
it really was neato!
good call, peejus
1-0!!!!
161 wins to go before we win the Series this year!
Pavano looked good....I was happy!
Quote:
PJP said:
1-0!!!!
161 wins to go before we win the Series this year!
Pavano looked good....I was happy!
Shouldn't that be "172 wins"? I mean, there ARE playoffs.
Y'dummy...
arod struck out 1st inning: chorus of boos
arod homered in the 8th inning: chorus of cheers
ahh, new york
A-Rod rescues Yanks
By Bryan Hoch / MLB.comAlex Rodriguez jokes that one way or another, he always seems to wind up in the middle of something.
He didn't seem to mind on Saturday, grinning from the center of a pile at home plate, his Yankees teammates alternating between slapping his head, offering high-fives or embracing the third baseman's body in appreciative hugs.
Rodriguez hit a game-winning grand slam off Chris Ray in the bottom of the ninth inning to sink the Baltimore Orioles, 10-7, and set off a raucous celebration at Yankee Stadium.
"It felt awesome," Rodriguez said. "I was so excited, I felt like a fool running around the bases, like it was Little League. I just remember I almost knocked [coach Larry] Bowa over at third. I saw the fans rocking behind him. That was kind of cool."
The grand slam -- Rodriguez's second home run of the game -- capped a Yankees' rally against the Orioles, bailing out starter Kei Igawa, who surrendered seven runs in a five-inning Major League debut.
Trailing by a run as they headed to the bottom of the ninth, Rodriguez said that he somehow knew the game was going to come down to him.
"You relish it," Rodriguez said. "As an athlete, you always want to be in that opportunity."
Trying to preserve a victory for Orioles starter Steve Trachsel, Ray retired the first two batters in the inning before Robinson Cano rapped a single up the middle and Derek Jeter walked, representing the winning run.
Bobby Abreu was then hit by a pitch on the left knee, hobbling the Yankees' right fielder as he limped down to first base. That set the ultimate stage for A-Rod, the one that plays out in the minds of sandlot players everywhere -- bases loaded, two outs, bottom of the ninth.
So much of Rodriguez's tenure has been mercurial, even boiled down to Opening Day. On Monday, Yankees fans needed just six minutes to boo him for a dropped foul pop-up, then cheered him as he came back later that afternoon with a home run.
The Yankees watch and wonder when the big moment is coming, the landmark occurrence that puts an end to these types of hot-and-cold receptions. As Torre said, "You'd have to be in that dugout to appreciate how much people pull for him."
Ray worked the count to a ball and two strikes against Rodriguez before a fastball rode up on Rodriguez. The Orioles' right-hander instinctively leapt as Rodriguez triggered a swing, as if to acknowledge his mistake and cry out for a do-over, but it was too late.
Rodriguez ripped the offering into the black seats beyond center field, with the ball making a jagged bounce up and to the left before being retrieved and landing in its ultimate destination -- a center shelf in Rodriguez's locker.
Rodriguez jumped as he approached home plate, discarding his helmet and sending it spinning toward Baltimore's third-base dugout, accepting a pounding at the hands of his teammates. He called it "one of the best moments for me" as a Yankee.
As Rodriguez made his way to the first-base dugout, manager Joe Torre placed his left hand on A-Rod's cap, ruffling his hair underneath the polyester covering.
Torre has been steadfast in his belief that too much attention is paid to A-Rod -- in the stands, in the newspapers, on 24-hour sports radio -- but he probably won't have concerns with what could be said after Rodriguez's Saturday in the park.
"It's one of those things when you get to a point," Torre said. "When do you have to stop proving yourself? I think that's what it's all about. When you set the bar as high as his is set, people sort of expect it all the time.
"This game has helped him. It's an important game, but it wasn't a game where the home run didn't mean anything. It was a huge lift for everybody. That's sort of a plateau -- people say [that] with men on base, he can't do this or can't do that. Well, there it is. Let's shut the book on that one and wait for the next chapter."
As a postscript, what remained of a Saturday afternoon crowd that endured Igawa's shaky opening cried out for their just rewards -- a Rodriguez curtain call.
It was an unlikely candidate who eventually alerted Rodriguez to their clamors, making contact with the third baseman's lower back and gently shoving him up the dugout steps to accept the crowd's warm embrace.
"I'm happy for him, that he came through," Jeter said. "That was a big hit for us. We needed that. We didn't want to waste another game."
Rodriguez said he appreciated the curtain call and the continuing applause and roars from the fans, which followed the Yankees as they made their way down the tunnel, satisfied with a Game 4 win that some players had even gone so far as to call "urgent."
"That felt really good," Rodriguez said. "They've been wanting to explode for three days. It was rocking right then."
Even through the tumult that seems to trail Rodriguez's every comment and mannerism, the All-Star maintains that he feels at peace; he has since reporting to Legends Field in Tampa, Fla.
Maybe it was uncovering the state of his friendship with Jeter, maybe it's because he claims to no longer over-analyze every single comment made about him in the mainstream media, or maybe it was just his due time.
Torre scoffs when players claim they don't hear the boos and cheers; they're described as ever-present, even if the best players can tune them out and work past the distractions.
Either way, Rodriguez walked off Saturday as a winner. No one would dare say otherwise.
"He's such a big part of this club," Torre said. "He sits in the middle of our lineup and the expectations are high. It's really tough for him to live up to them. Today, he did."
It was magical....I'm happy for Arod and I was happy to get the win. I'm not too worried about the pitching. Igawa didn't pitch as bad as his stats show. Same with the other pitchers. And Rasner who is pitching tomorrow will surprise alot of people. Look for him to become a big part of the rotation this year.
A pivotal role in the
Rotation of... Who???
Quote:
Knutreturns said:
Fuck the yankees...that is all.
Quote:
Knutreturns said:
I want to fuck the yankees...fuck them all.
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Rob Kamphausen said:
Quote:
Rob Kamphusen said:
I want to fuck the yankees...fuck them all.
do they all love the wii too...
if you're gonna fake a quote, you can copy and paste the other screen name so as to avoid embarassing spelling mistakes. that way, your cheap heat attempts can shine through!
i mean, do you wanna be beneath captain sammitch?
oh, wait hahaha
well played rob...yet still:
Quote:
Knutreturns said:
Fuck the yankees...that is all.
well, their pitching has been pretty crappy, ill give you that
hey look on the bright side. they love a-rod again.....for this week.
Quote:
Rob Kamphausen said:
if you're gonna fake a quote, you can copy and paste the other screen name so as to avoid embarassing spelling mistakes. that way, your cheap heat attempts can shine through!
i mean, do you wanna be beneath captain sammitch?
oh, wait hahaha
Wow, way to bring the A-game. That was weaker than Hogan's Wii skills.
there's the sammitch!
Quote:
Knutreturns said:
hey look on the bright side. they love a-rod again.....for this week.
i still don't really like the guy, but i'm anti booing him. its purdy difficult to deny he's the greatest player in the game. and its pretty dumb to complain about him having a horrible season, when horrible means 290 with 30+ homers.
yeah, he's been not so great in the post season. i get it. but, he's a big reason why they've made it the past few years.
i think he'll have a big season this year -- been a great start!
Quote:
Knutreturns said:
hey look on the bright side. they love a-rod again.....for this week.
That won't last long. 
Quote:
Rob Kamphausen said:
its purdy difficult to deny he's the greatest player in the game. and its pretty dumb to complain about him having a horrible season, when horrible means 290 with 30+ homers.
You really should choose your idols more carefully. Gay-Rod? I figured you might have learned your lesson after that whole restraining order business with Hulk Hogan, or maybe when your [wet] dreams were shattered upon learning that Batman and Mario are fictional characters. Though I guess I'm not surprised; you'd give JLA his bowling trophy before you'd deny your undying love for Liza Minelli. Oh, and Gay-Rod.
3 out of 10.
that was pathetic, even for you, sammitch.
...which, in and of itself is impressive. thats why i gave it 2 points higher than i originally intended.
That was some EPIC smack, Rob.
Give Sammitch his due.
They don't call him Jealous Rob for nothin!
Quote:
MisterJLA said:
That was some EPIC smack, Rob.
Give Sammitch his due.
invisible jla wouldn't be so naive
...i wish he was here
As surely as PJP will show Jealous Rob up yet again!
y'can't cheap heat pine to peejus until he's back from his trip.
at least appeal to someone here, like jla or bsams.
cripes, sammitch
Wankies and A's series starts tonight....
I swear this game is taking freakin forever...
arod just hit his 10th HR and 2nd walkoff HR of the season to beat the Indians.....they were losing 6-2 with 2 outs in the 9th and kept fighting!
down to the final strike 3 times! very fun game.
Six in the 9th and A-Rod's 10th caps Yanks' comeback
By Bryan Hoch / MLB.comAlex Rodriguez's second walk-off home run of the season capped a ninth-inning rally against Joe Borowski as the Yankees pulled out a 8-6 victory over the Indians on Thursday, completing a series sweep.
Borowski got the first two outs of the inning before Josh Phelps slugged his first home run as a Yankee, a solo shot over the left-field wall. Jorge Posada singled and Johnny Damon walked before Derek Jeter singled to draw the Yankees within three runs.
Bobby Abreu singled home a run before Rodriguez connected with a game-winning three-run blast over the center-field wall, just to the left of the spot where his grand slam had landed in an earlier game against the Baltimore Orioles.
The Yankees bailed out ineffective reliever Luis Vizcaino, who had surrendered the advantage as Cleveland put up four runs in the seventh, tying the game as Jason Michaels walked and came around to score on an infield groundout and serving up a three-run homer to Victor Martinez.
Abreu had a run-scoring single in the first inning -- one of four hits for the outfielder -- and Jason Giambi slugged his second home run in as many games in the sixth inning.
The Yankees' designated hitter pounced on an offering from Cleveland starter Fausto Carmona, slugging a solo shot into the right-field seats, Giambi's fourth homer. The right-handed Carmona allowed two runs and six hits in six innings, walking one and striking out two.
Right-hander Darrell Rasner started for the Yankees, following starts from Chase Wright and Kei Igawa to mark the first time since 1991 that the club had started three rookies in a series. Rasner surrendered a solo home run to David Dellucci in the fourth inning but limited the Indians to four hits, walking one and striking out three.
The Indians twice left the bases loaded, with Rasner pitching out of a one-out jam in the fourth and Brian Bruney escaping a none-out situation in the sixth.
i was sposda go to tuesday or wednesday's game, but all that fell through. mebbe after this road trip.
we should all meet up and get seats! drink some beers and throw shit around at people in mets hats.
Quote:
Rob Kamphausen said:
i was sposda go to tuesday or wednesday's game, but all that fell through. mebbe after this road trip.
we should all meet up and get seats! drink some beers and throw shit around at people in mets hats.
I'd go, but I'd just end up beaning Yankees and Mets fans, cuz you all look the same to me.
actually the yankees fans sniff each others butts a little more than the mets fans do. thats how you tell the difference...
awwww....you'll win a playoff series again someday.
just like im sure you'll try and buy another championship. hows that been working out for you lately?
We've had a chance to win every year....that's all a fan can ask for.
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Joe Mama said:
Quote:
Rob Kamphausen said:
i was sposda go to tuesday or wednesday's game, but all that fell through. mebbe after this road trip.
we should all meet up and get seats! drink some beers and throw shit around at people in mets hats.
I'd go, but I'd just end up beaning Yankees and Mets fans, cuz you all look the same to me.
We're comin' to get you, Boston!!!
Heh. Admit it, you thought - was gonna say "Barbara" dintcha?
A-Rod is a god.
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harleykwin said:
Quote:
Joe Mama said:
Quote:
Rob Kamphausen said:
i was sposda go to tuesday or wednesday's game, but all that fell through. mebbe after this road trip.
we should all meet up and get seats! drink some beers and throw shit around at people in mets hats.
I'd go, but I'd just end up beaning Yankees and Mets fans, cuz you all look the same to me.
We're comin' to get you, Boston!!!
I hope so. It'd be kinda silly if they didn't. Since Boston is their next scheduled opponent and they'd be forfeiting those games by not showing up. Which would be kinda silly.
Quote:
Heh. Admit it, you thought - was gonna say "Barbara" dintcha?
No. Not really. Didn't realize you were trying to make with the funny. Maybe if you sent me nekkid pics of yourself, I'd be inclined to laugh at this little joke. I dunno, what were we talking about again?
Quote:
A-Rod is a god.
BLASPHEMY!!!
(Blas-phe-yoooooooouuuuuuuuuuu...Eddie Izzard makes me laugh...)
There is only one GOD!!! And He is MisterJLA!!! Recognize!!!
(This no-selling of Harley's post has been brought to you by the letters J, M, and the number 13...)
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Joe Mama said:
Quote:
harleykwin said:
Quote:
Joe Mama said:
We're comin' to get you, Boston!!!
I hope so. It'd be kinda silly if they didn't. Since Boston is their next scheduled opponent and they'd be forfeiting those games by not showing up. Which would be kinda silly.
No, you're silly...
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Heh. Admit it, you thought - was gonna say "Barbara" dintcha?
Quote:
No. Not really. Didn't realize you were trying to make with the funny.
Quote:
Maybe if you sent me nekkid pics of yourself, I'd be inclined to laugh at this little joke. I dunno, what were we talking about again?
Yankee greatness, honey...
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A-Rod is a god.
BLASPHEMY!!!
(Blas-phe-yoooooooouuuuuuuuuuu...Eddie Izzard makes me laugh...)
Heh. Trying to ignore the truth doesn't make it any less true!
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There is only one GOD!!! And He is MisterJLA!!! Recognize!!!
Bah! Not until he posts nekkid pics of Gerard Butler!
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(This no-selling of Harley's post has been brought to you by the letters J, M, and the number 13...)
Sesame Street! Well, PJP is Ernie, guess that makes you Bert. I wanna be the Count...
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harleykwin said:
No, you're silly...
Yeah...
No, wait...YEAH!
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harleykwin said:Quote:
JM said:Maybe if you sent me nekkid pics of yourself, I'd be inclined to laugh at this little joke. I dunno, what were we talking about again?
Me gettin' buck nekkid for YOU, honey...
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MisterJLA is GOD. Heh. Trying to ignore the truth doesn't make it any less true!
I fixed this post for you as not to invoke the wrath of the one true GOD. You're welcome in advance.
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Well, PJP is Ernie, guess that makes you Bert. I wanna be the Count...
You keep talking like that and I'll have you..."have you", tee hee!...as Prairie Dawn!!!
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harleykwin said:
A-Rod is a god.
im glad i dont believe in idol worship then...
damn boston. those are some ugly-ass uniforms u got on there...
they must be ugly enough to distract Rivera...cause he is fucking up...
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harleykwin said:
A-Rod is a god.
FUCK Gay-Rod.
Oh, and Harley is hawt.
there is no other alternative...i must roll with captain samitch on this one...
i think i'm gonna have to roll with knute on this one
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Knutreturns said:
they must be ugly enough to distract Rivera...cause he is fucking up...
Rivera is a piece of shit Panamanian scumbag. Never liked the fucker. Torre should stop trusting that douche so much. Anyways hats off to Boston....good win for them.
Quote:
Captain Sammitch said:
Quote:
harleykwin said:
A-Rod is a god.
FUCK Gay-Rod.
Quote:
Oh, and Harley is hawt.
...and then you go and say something nice making me like you again...
Quote:
Knutreturns said:
there is no other alternative...i must roll with captain samitch on this one...
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big_pimp_tim said:
i think i'm gonna have to roll with knute on this one
So many Yankees haters... well, like Katt Williams says, at least y'all are doin' your job...
Shit, we were ahead for most of the game and then it went ka-plooey. Fuck.
What was with the icky green costumes? I mean, I get that Boston is filled with drunk Irish people, but...
Seriously, what was up with the green? That shit was fug.
ok, according to the NYT, the green was for:
"The Red Sox wore green uniforms and caps in honor of Red Auerbach, the architect of the Celtics."
hm.
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PJP said:
Quote:
Knutreturns said:
they must be ugly enough to distract Rivera...cause he is fucking up...
Rivera is a piece of shit Panamanian scumbag. Never liked the fucker. Torre should stop trusting that douche so much.
honestly, i can sorta agree -- at least against boston.
the yankees play the bosox 85 times a year, and have for the past 10 years. mo pitches in almost every game there. that means mariano is no longer "the secret weapon," he's an open book... who keeps getting open..er!
to his credit and skill, he is still able to dominate often in that scenario. but its no longer an automatic, all the time kinda thing. its time to start realizing that and not depending on it so much.
Quote:
Knutreturns said:
damn boston. those are some ugly-ass uniforms u got on there...
Yeah, who'd ever want to see their baseball team in ugly fucking green uniforms?
dont change the subject...even U gotta admit those things were ugly...
Quote:
Knutreturns said:
dont change the subject...even U gotta admit those things were ugly...
Would I buy one to wear? No. But they're okay for St. Paddy's Day and in memory of Red Auerbach. And don't you shush me when I'm zinging your Athletics-supporting arse.
all i know is if i was dead and i found out that they were gonna honor me with those uniforms...id have to come back and haunt someone. And your damn right im gonna sush you!
Quote:
Knutreturns said:
all i know is if i was dead and i found out that they were gonna honor me with those uniforms...id have to come back and haunt someone. And your damn right im gonna sush you!
That's the point. Zombie Auerbach could lead the Celtics back into respectability far easier than Danny Ainge. I called you an Athletic supporter...tee hee!!!
well i cant hate on you guys today...you did beat the wanks again...
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Knutreturns said:
all i know is if i was dead and i found out that they were gonna honor me with those uniforms...id have to come back and haunt someone.
heh.
Quote:
Joe Mama said:
Zombie Auerbach could lead the Celtics back into respectability far easier than Danny Ainge.
and heh!
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Joe Mama said:
Quote:
Knutreturns said:
damn boston. those are some ugly-ass uniforms u got on there...
Yeah, who'd ever want to see their baseball team in ugly fucking green uniforms?
heh.
Quote:
Joe Mama said:
Quote:
Knutreturns said:
dont change the subject...even U gotta admit those things were ugly...
Would I buy one to wear? No. But they're okay for St. Paddy's Day and in memory of Red Auerbach. And don't you shush me when I'm zinging your Athletics-supporting arse.
ok, this is what I first thought I saw you say:
And don't you shush me when I'm zinging up your Athletics-supporting arse.
Seriously, this is what happens when I read things without having had a morning cup of coffee first...
I thought they said, "zipping up"!
Ha!
I still need coffee...
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PJP said:
I thought they said, "zipping up"!
Of course you did. Chalk it up to wishful thinking.
Okijawa looks fucking aweshome! If papelbon's arm falls off at least you'll still have him.
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PJP said:
Okijawa looks fucking aweshome! If papelbon's arm falls off at least you'll still have him.
YOU SHUT UP! YOU SHUT UP ABOUT PAPELBON!!!
I caught the tail-end of yesterday's game (6th inning on). I don't care how hot A-Rod's season been so far, Jeter's the player that worries me every time he comes up to bat. After Papelbon struck him out I let out a long sigh of relief and settled into the belief that the game was over. By the way, is it just me or does Abreu look like LL Cool J with mild retardation?
heh Abreu always looks ugly......He is from the Family of Early Man for sure......but he can hit.
I'm bummed out the Yankees lost the last 2 games mostly because they were in both of them and should have won the first one. At the end of the year they will probably be 9-9 against each other....they are just so equal and powerful and wayyyy better thatn any shit teams from out in California like Oakland.
I actually will miss and hour an a half of tonights game....Sopranos and Entourage is more important.
Quote:
Joe Mama said:
I caught the tail-end of yesterday's game (6th inning on). I don't care how hot A-Rod's season been so far, Jeter's the player that worries me every time he comes up to bat.
Really? Jeter is a phenomenal player, and my fave, but given A-Rod's streak this season, I'm surprised he's not the one making you worry.
Quote:
By the way, is it just me or does Abreu look like LL Cool J with mild retardation?
Now, that's just mean...
Quote:
harleykwin said:
Really? Jeter is a phenomenal player, and my fave, but given A-Rod's streak this season, I'm surprised he's not the one making you worry.
A-Rod's been on a helluva streak, but streaks end. Jeter's been a consistent Sox-killer. I'll take facing A-Rod over Jeter any day.
Meanwhile, how sad is it that, whenever Rivera comes out to pitch, Sox fans give him a standing ovation? I agree with PJP here, Torre's best served using another pitcher. 37-year-old Mariano Rivera ain't scaring anyone on the Sox.
Quote:
Now, that's just mean...
No it isn't. It's a simple observation. Tell me I'm wrong. Every time I see him I expect him to throw on a Kangas bike helmet and garble his way through "I Can't Live Without My Radio".
Oh, and lest I forget: Mo. <--- Tee hee! I'll never get tired of that!
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Joe Mama said:
Quote:
harleykwin said:
Really? Jeter is a phenomenal player, and my fave, but given A-Rod's streak this season, I'm surprised he's not the one making you worry.
A-Rod's been on a helluva streak, but streaks end. Jeter's been a consistent Sox-killer. I'll take facing A-Rod over Jeter any day.
Now, that is quote worthy!!
Quote:
Meanwhile, how sad is it that, whenever Rivera comes out to pitch, Sox fans give him a standing ovation? I agree with PJP here, Torre's best served using another pitcher. 37-year-old Mariano Rivera ain't scaring anyone on the Sox.
Yeah, I know.
So much for his demands for "respect"...
Quote:
Now, that's just mean...
No it isn't. It's a simple observation. Tell me I'm wrong. Every time I see him I expect him to throw on a Kangas bike helmet and garble his way through "I Can't Live Without My Radio".
Oh, and lest I forget: Mo. <--- Tee hee! I'll never get tired of that!
Ok, now you made me giggle! People on the bus are staring...
Wait. 
there that's the appropriate response!
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PJP said:
they are just so equal and powerful and wayyyy better thatn any shit teams from out in California like Oakland.
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harleykwin said:
Ok, now you made me giggle! People on the bus are staring...
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PJP said:
is it a short bus?
There aren't any seats left on here Harley. Looks like you'll have to sit on my lap.
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Knutreturns said:
Quote:
PJP said:
they are just so equal and powerful and wayyyy better thatn any shit teams from out in California like Oakland.
The truth hurts, don' is baby?
Quote:
Captain Sammitch said:
Quote:
harleykwin said:
Ok, now you made me giggle! People on the bus are staring...
Quote:
PJP said:
is it a short bus?
There aren't any seats left on here Harley. Looks like you'll have to sit on my lap.
Cabana boy!!
I'm watching this game, but I'm so fuckin' tired I dunno if I'm gonna be able to stay up for it all...
Right now its 5-4 Yanks, so I'm crossing my fingers...
7-5
Jesus, fuck. I just
had to say something about the score...
Yes, the Yankees miss Bernie...
A-Rod is up.
Base hit.
I love Jeter.
Damon, Jeter and Abreu are up next.
One out away from sweeping us.
I could fucking cry.
OMG - Joe's right - he really looks like LL with a mild case of retardia!
Abreu, btw. Not my beautiful Jeter.
I shoulda said, "shuddup sammitch" too...
A few thoughts on last night's game, which I watched in its entirety even though I had to wake up early this morning for work - thank God for coffee!
1) Great game. Great series all around. You got both teams playing in April like it's September/October, great offense, great drama. This is why I love the Red Sox/Yankees rivalry.
2) Dear Coco Crisp: you catch that fucking A-Rod homer! You race over to the bullpen, you jump, and you catch that fucking ball! What you DON'T do is flip ass-over-tea kettle into the bullpen and not come up with it! Wily Mo Pena would've caught that ball! Fucker...
3) Speaking of Wily Mo, can we change his last name to Cerrano? Watching him get stumped by the off-speed stuff is painful.
4) I'm not up on my Yankees pitchers, but it seems like this year's staff ain't too great (bothe the starters and the bullpen). I know that there've been injuries, but WTF? I see the Yankees making an obscene push for Clemens before he returns to the Astros and then trading for a major name come July/August.
5) Did I see and hear Papelbon come out to "Wild Thing"? Lemme see if I'm clear - Wily Mo has a monster bat but can't hit the off-speed stuff, Wakefield is the veteran starter who throws junk, and our closer is a fireballer who comes out to "Wild Thing"? Has my favorite team adopted my favorite baseball movie as its philosphy? We already have the grizzled veteran on his last (gimpy) legs trying to capture one more moment of glory (though ours is a pitcher, not a catcher). If I find out our center fielder is mounting batting gloves on his wall for every base he steals, I will officially be able to die a happy man.
6) Prediction: A-Rod has a monster season and then, realizing that Jeter is STILL the heart and soul and mind and captain of the Yankees, opts out of his contract to play in Chicago or California. He does a series of interviews where he blames the NY media and fans for pushing him out of NY and Jeter for not being his BFF. When asked, Jeter responds, "Who?"
I'll say it again: Jeter terrifies me when he's up to bat against the Red Sox.
First off congrats to the Red Sox for winning the first of 18 games to be played during the regular season.....with that said......let's not get too carried away there Davey Boy Smith.
The first game we gave away......the yanks outpitched and outplayed the Sox.....until douche Mariano came in.
The next 2 games were right in the game till the end. The Yanks played well. I'm not happy they lost but I'm happy with the effort. I also happen to like their pitching quite a bit....except for the Panamanian scumbag fuckfaced douche. Yeah when the vets get back the Yanks will be much more powerful, but for now some very important parts of the Yanks future got some great experience and it can only help them. Karstens pitched pretty good for a guy that hadn't pitched in a game in about a month and Wright pitched 4 meatballs against a great hitting team, but other than that Wright did OK for his first time out. I'm glad it's April and we are dealing with these problems....let's see where these teams are at the end of September and October and we'll take it from there.
Quote:
PJP said:
First off congrats to the Red Sox for winning the first of 18 games to be played during the regular season.....with that said......let's not get too carried away there Davey Boy Smith.
The first game we gave away......the yanks outpitched and outplayed the Sox.....until douche Mariano came in.
The next 2 games were right in the game till the end. The Yanks played well. I'm not happy they lost but I'm happy with the effort. I also happen to like their pitching quite a bit....except for the Panamanian scumbag fuckfaced douche. Yeah when the vets get back the Yanks will be much more powerful, but for now some very important parts of the Yanks future got some great experience and it can only help them. Karstens pitched pretty good for a guy that hadn't pitched in a game in about a month and Wright pitched 4 meatballs against a great hitting team, but other than that Wright did OK for his first time out. I'm glad it's April and we are dealing with these problems....let's see where these teams are at the end of September and October and we'll take it from there.
Don't see how I'm getting carried away, Petros. I agree with your entire post. Plus, I'm far more critical of the Red Sox than the Yankees, when I'm not making Major League references. And it's 19 games, so there. Nyah.
PS: Mo. Mo.
I think that series was aweshome. Right now this rivalry is pretty much the only thing big enough to overshadow all the substance-abuse stories tarnishing the sport these days. The two best teams, EPIC rivalry, some (most?) of the best players in the game. Aweshome.
P.S.
Quote:
Captain Sammitch did follow up the 's with:
I wuv youze, harley
Quote:
Joe Mama said:
Quote:
PJP said:
First off congrats to the Red Sox for winning the first of 18 games to be played during the regular season.....with that said......let's not get too carried away there Davey Boy Smith.
The first game we gave away......the yanks outpitched and outplayed the Sox.....until douche Mariano came in.
The next 2 games were right in the game till the end. The Yanks played well. I'm not happy they lost but I'm happy with the effort. I also happen to like their pitching quite a bit....except for the Panamanian scumbag fuckfaced douche. Yeah when the vets get back the Yanks will be much more powerful, but for now some very important parts of the Yanks future got some great experience and it can only help them. Karstens pitched pretty good for a guy that hadn't pitched in a game in about a month and Wright pitched 4 meatballs against a great hitting team, but other than that Wright did OK for his first time out. I'm glad it's April and we are dealing with these problems....let's see where these teams are at the end of September and October and we'll take it from there.
Don't see how I'm getting carried away, Petros. I agree with your entire post. Plus, I'm far more critical of the Red Sox than the Yankees, when I'm not making Major League references. And it's 19 games, so there. Nyah.
PS: Mo. Mo.
"Mo" doesn't bother me. I hate him more than you do.
Damn that A-rod is good. To bad the yankee pitching couldnt get out little-league players to save their lives...
too bad they didn't give out world championships in April!
yeah cause the pitching is definitely gonna get better...
Quote:
Joe Mama said:
A few thoughts on last night's game, which I watched in its entirety even though I had to wake up early this morning for work - thank God for coffee!
1) Great game. Great series all around. You got both teams playing in April like it's September/October, great offense, great drama. This is why I love the Red Sox/Yankees rivalry.
It's certainly one of the reasons...
Quote:
6) Prediction: A-Rod has a monster season and then, realizing that Jeter is STILL the heart and soul and mind and captain of the Yankees, opts out of his contract to play in Chicago or California. He does a series of interviews where he blames the NY media and fans for pushing him out of NY and Jeter for not being his BFF. When asked, Jeter responds, "Who?"
This I totally agree with. I would hate - absofuckinglutely hate - to see ARod leave, ever, but if he did, I could see it happening like that.
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PJP said:
too bad they didn't give out world championships in April!
many teams covet them april rings! congrats, all around.
Quote:
Knutreturns said:
yeah cause the pitching is definitely gonna get better...
they're injury plagued.
mussina and CMW are out, which takes 35+ wins out of their sails. the loss of two starters means the bullpen is overworked -- to the point of needing to bring pettitte in as a relief pitcher. pavano and karstens are hurt, igawa is new... they're clearly in a rough spot.
the rotation will undoubtedly get better through out the season, if not just in the next 2 weeks.
Quote:
Joe Mama said:
Great game. Great series all around. You got both teams playing in April like it's September/October, great offense, great drama. This is why I love the Red Sox/Yankees rivalry.
i guess it was an OK series. i mean, clearly working out better for you than us. but, still, the three losses on paper look a lot worse than what the yanks got out of the series.
with all of the above mentioned pitching issues, and then considering they're without matsui, posada, and a fully healthy damon, i think the yanks did pretty damn well. game one was nearly a W, and the other two games were close, and the yankees were at, oh, 70% of where they could/should be. thats encouraging.
once the april ring ceremonies have concluded, i think the yanks will be just fine.
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Joe Mama said:
Prediction: A-Rod has a monster season and then, realizing that Jeter is STILL the heart and soul and mind and captain of the Yankees, opts out of his contract to play in Chicago or California. He does a series of interviews where he blames the NY media and fans for pushing him out of NY and Jeter for not being his BFF. When asked, Jeter responds, "Who?"
i dont think he's going anywhere. i think the yankees would try to shop him around before he'd opt to look around, and i don't think thats too likely, for love or price tag.
but, monster season? it seems to be an almost guarantee. hell, if the season ended today, it would have been a monster season. he's batting 400, and on a pace for 100+ home runs. he could get his 500th by the all-star break.
people can boo or cheer barry bonds all they want this year, and his legacy or disgrace will march on for yeras and years. ... 8 or 9 of them. cuz, major catastrophes aside (jinxes beware!), arod will be rounding the bases on his 800th homer before 2015.
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Knutreturns said:
yeah cause the pitching is definitely gonna get better...
we'll revisit this post in September, so you can eat shit. I'll remember it too. 
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Rob Kamphausen said:
i guess it was an OK series. i mean, clearly working out better for you than us. but, still, the three losses on paper look a lot worse than what the yanks got out of the series.
with all of the above mentioned pitching issues, and then considering they're without matsui, posada, and a fully healthy damon, i think the yanks did pretty damn well. game one was nearly a W, and the other two games were close, and the yankees were at, oh, 70% of where they could/should be. thats encouraging.
once the april ring ceremonies have concluded, i think the yanks will be just fine.
Leave it to Rob to argue a compliment meant for both teams. It was a good series FOR THE FANS. FANS were treated to a lot of offense, a decent pitching performance or two, and a great back-and-forth game on Sunday. That the Red Sox won the games is a bonus for RED SOX FANS, but YANKEES FANS can come away from this series with the knowledge that their depleted line-up still made a decent showing. No one was proclaiming the Red Sox World Series champs. Relax, Rob. You get Wang back tonight and the YANKEES will once again kill my fantasy team for the week when they decimate Kazmir...again.
heh....Rob will get his Wang back! Hopefully it won't be as small this time!
ARod hits homers and we
still lose...
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PJP said:
heh....Rob will get his Wang back! Hopefully it won't be as small this time!
Joey from Friends is a homo
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PJP said:
Joey from Friends is a homo
You coined that phrase...
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PJP said:
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Knutreturns said:
yeah cause the pitching is definitely gonna get better...
we'll revisit this post in September, so you can eat shit. I'll remember it too.
you do that...
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Joe Mama said:
Leave it to Rob to argue a compliment meant for both teams. It was a good series FOR THE FANS. FANS were treated to a lot of offense, a decent pitching performance or two, and a great back-and-forth game on Sunday.
what the fuck are you going on about?
i said it was an OK series.
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Joe Mama said:
That the Red Sox won the games is a bonus for RED SOX FANS, but YANKEES FANS can come away from this series with the knowledge that their depleted line-up still made a decent showing.
i also said that.
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Joe Mama said:
No one was proclaiming the Red Sox World Series champs.
the april rings weren't for you, they were for knut. but you can have some if you want.
unbunch yer panties, joseph.
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Rob Kamphausen said:
people can boo or cheer barry bonds all they want this year, and his legacy or disgrace will march on for yeras and years. ... 8 or 9 of them. cuz, major catastrophes aside (jinxes beware!), arod will be rounding the bases on his 800th homer before 2015.
Bonds Views Arod as the Future
By Tim Brown, Yahoo! Sports
The single-season home-run record has been Barry Bonds' for nearly six years. And what glorious years they've been. The career home-run record should be his in weeks, an event for which the commissioner and the standing home-run king might have other plans. Things come up.
While these are fine and hallowed records, and presumably mean something to him in the ways of work and reward and whatever else, Bonds said Tuesday that Alex Rodriguez can have them both. "I would be ecstatic," he said. "It wouldn't bother me one bit."
As for where that would leave him, Bonds laughed. "I'm happy with me," he said.
Bonds, at 42, has been on a decent enough pace – six home runs, five since April 13 – to stand at 740 career home runs, an inevitable 15 behind Hank Aaron. But, it is Rodriguez who has taken April with an astonishing 14 home runs, again raising the possibility that Bonds will hold the career record for as long as it takes Rodriguez to get there.
Rodriguez, 31, has 478 career home runs. Bonds, at about the same age, had 298.
i knew it was lopsided, but holy fuck, thats 200 "missing" home runs.
the article continues...
Bonds arrived here on Tuesday for the opener of a three-game set with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He went 0-for-2 with two walks in a 5-3 victory – the Giants' sixth straight. It is still ugly for him at Chavez Ravine, assuming he notices, assuming he cares. Part of it is the San Francisco Giants uniform, of course, and the other part, well, you know. The people chant things, toss cartoonish steroid bottles onto the warning track behind him, boo, all part of a traveling show for which only the faces change.
bwah hahahaha
Yanks Drop 6th
NEW YORK (AP)Phil Hughes showed promise. A.J. Burnett showed him how it's done.
Burnett dominated the struggling Yankees and outclassed their prized prospect on the mound, sending last-place New York to its sixth straight loss by pitching the Toronto Blue Jays to a 6-0 victory Thursday night.
"He's got the capability of doing that every time he goes out there. All we have to do is keep him healthy," Toronto center fielder Vernon Wells said.
Making his much-anticipated major league debut, Hughes received a rough welcome from the hard-hitting Blue Jays and a valuable lesson in power pitching from Burnett.
"I don't think you can really ever know what it's going to be like," Hughes said. "I made a few good pitches, but when you're falling behind so much like I was it's hard to put guys away. I really wanted to stay away from the walks, so when I fell behind I probably made too good of pitches and guys like Wells aren't going to miss those."
Missing injured Derek Jeter, the Yankees (8-12) are on their longest skid since also dropping six in a row from May 28 to June 3, 2005. They managed only four singles and are percentage points behind Tampa Bay in the AL East.
Next up, a three-game series at home against the rival Red Sox, who swept New York last weekend in Boston. The first-place Red Sox already have a 5 1/2 -game cushion over the Yankees, but Johnny Damon said there's no reason to panic -- yet.
"There's going to be panic soon if the winning doesn't start. We have to stay close," he said. "If we can't start getting victories, I'm sure there's not going to be too many happy people."
Wells went 3-for-3 with two walks for Toronto, giving him seven hits in his last eight at-bats and 11 in his past 14. Frank Thomas drove in two runs, and leadoff batter Alex Rios scored three times and knocked in a run.
The Blue Jays have won three straight, all against the Red Sox and Yankees, after losing a season-worst five in a row.
"We played some really good baseball the last three games against the teams we have to beat," manager John Gibbons said.
Still waiting for Mike Mussina to get healthy, the Yankees called up Hughes (0-1) from Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes Barre and handed him the ball Thursday even after a rainout Wednesday night gave them an opportunity to change course.
Considered one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, the 20-year-old right-hander from California became only the second pitcher drafted in the first round by the Yankees to reach the big leagues with New York. The other was Bill Burbach, who was selected in the first amateur draft in 1965.
Hughes, drafted 23rd overall out of high school in 2004, gave up a hard single to Rios on his second pitch. After Adam Lind struck out, Wells hit a loud RBI double over Damon's head in center field. He scored on Thomas' opposite-field single.
Wearing No. 65, Hughes settled down from there until running into more trouble in the fifth.
John McDonald reached on an infield single, though replays appeared to show he was out at first. He stole second and scored on Rios' single.
A single by Wells chased Hughes, and Thomas' sacrifice fly made it 4-0. With his family watching from the stands, Hughes allowed four runs and seven hits in 4 1-3 innings. He struck out five and walked one.
"I certainly wasn't disappointed," said New York manager Joe Torre, who wouldn't commit to another big league start for Hughes. "I don't think he was out of his league by any stretch of the imagination. ... His command wasn't as good as it's going to be."
Meanwhile, Burnett (2-1) was cruising to his first career win at Yankee Stadium. Flashing a fastball in the mid-to-high 90 mph range, he struck out five and walked four in seven impressive innings.
"We came out swinging so I started pounding the zone as best I could," Burnett said. "I threw a lot of two-seamers and changeups. I pretty much had control of everything."
Three consecutive walks and a wild pitch by New York's shaky bullpen led to two Blue Jays runs in the seventh. Lyle Overbay had a sacrifice fly.
Jeremy Accardo and Scott Downs completed Toronto's first shutout of the season -- the first time New York has been blanked this year. The Yankees began the day leading the majors in runs with 120.
Notes
Because of a daunting forecast, New York RHP Mike Mussina (hamstring) won't make a rehab start for Double-A Trenton at Harrisburg on Friday. Instead, he will throw 50-60 pitches in a simulated game at Yankee Stadium. ... Burnett has allowed only 10 hits in his last three starts. ... Jeter was a late scratch from the lineup because of a sore left thigh. Miguel Cairo played SS. ... Three starting pitchers have made their major league debuts for the Yankees in the first 20 games of the season. Kei Igawa and Chase Wright are the others. The last time a team had three starters debut so early was 1955, when the St. Louis Cardinals had three pitchers debut in the first 13 games, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. ... The Yankees are four games under .500 for the first time since May 10, 2005.
im sorry. that wasnt proper...
BWAH HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA......thats better....
Mariano is fucking horrible...let him go somewhere else next year.
I'm not happy with the team obviously but I am not panicking seeing how we aren't even out of April yet.....with that said let me say, Thank God for the Wild Card.....Boston looks like they are too strong to notwin the division this year.
the Times and the Post are both saying that if the wanks get swept this weekend by boston than they want Torre's head
they have been saying that for 7 years now.....Torre will be there as long as he wants to be there. the only problem with Joe is the fact that he just can't seem to accept that Mariano is ineffective against the Red Sox.....let Farnsworth or Henn start closing against them.....Henn has shut them down twice now.
i still dont even understand why they brought mariano in last night. above and beyond what we were talking about
here, there was just no need for a relief pitcher to enter an april game when you're down 4 runs.
If the Yankees fire Torre, it'll be a huge mistake. Mattingly and Girardi aren't the answer. The Yankees need to do something with their decimated pitching staff, whether it's just some fine-tuning (building back confidence and such) or a complete overhaul. As for Rivera, the reason (I think) Torre brought him into to 8th was to give him the opportunity to get a win and build back some of the confidence he's lost (no saves yet? An 8+ ERA when his highest ERA in April was previously still less than 4? Did I hear the announcers correctly?) - remember, the Yankees had two more innings to get some runs. But it failed and you could see the frustration on Rivera's face.
No jokes here. It was no fun watching this game last night.
It was a shitty game....not just 'cause my team lost. The yanks lost 3 last week to the Sox and I honestly enjoyed every game. (ecxcept for the outcome) Still though, I'm not overly concerned about the starting pitching. We need Moose and Wang back and I really like Karstens and Hughes....trade Pavano to the Rockies for their ballboy and we got ourselves a pitching staff!
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PJP said:
It was a shitty game....not just 'cause my team lost. The yanks lost 3 last week to the Sox and I honestly enjoyed every game. (ecxcept for the outcome) Still though, I'm not overly concerned about the starting pitching. We need Moose and Wang back and I really like Karstens and Hughes....trade Pavano to the Rockies for their ballboy and we got ourselves a pitching staff!
I agree with you. But Wang's back and Mussina will be back soon enough. Who are your 3 - 5? Karsten? Wright? A rushed Hughes? Igawa pitched his way out of the rotation and there's talk of sending him to the minors to get his stuff (and maybe his confidence) back. We know Pavano's a $40 Million bust, and I don't think he's going to pitch another inning in a Yankees uniform, but I can't see anyone taking him unless the Yankees eat a good-sized chunk of his remaining contract and they still won't get much back for him. They need to make a huge push for Clemens and maybe another pitcher.
Did you get my text message yesterday?
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Joe Mama said:
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PJP said:
It was a shitty game....not just 'cause my team lost. The yanks lost 3 last week to the Sox and I honestly enjoyed every game. (ecxcept for the outcome) Still though, I'm not overly concerned about the starting pitching. We need Moose and Wang back and I really like Karstens and Hughes....trade Pavano to the Rockies for their ballboy and we got ourselves a pitching staff!
I agree with you. But Wang's back and Mussina will be back soon enough. Who are your 3 - 5? Karsten? Wright? A rushed Hughes? Igawa pitched his way out of the rotation and there's talk of sending him to the minors to get his stuff (and maybe his confidence) back. We know Pavano's a $40 Million bust, and I don't think he's going to pitch another inning in a Yankees uniform, but I can't see anyone taking him unless the Yankees eat a good-sized chunk of his remaining contract and they still won't get much back for him. They need to make a huge push for Clemens and maybe another pitcher.
Did you get my text message yesterday?
I had my phone off since 7pm last night and have been at work since early this morning....I get off around 2:30-2:45 and will turn it on then....
Pavano if he comes back healthy and that's a BIG IF.....is still a good quality starter. If he doesn't however as a fan I am trilled to death with having Karstens as my #4 and Hughes as my #5 pitchers....I think they can win now and if they struggle and the Yanks don't do great big deal....2 HUGE pieces of the future are getting alot of experience and will be even better next year.
and yeah I forgot....there is always Clemens. However, if by June the Yanks don't have things turned around he won't go there no matter what. He would go to Boston or Houston.
the yanks will need a solid few starters before the newbies can be succesful. if moose and cmw can get their game up, maybe get some more consistancy out of pettitte, then whoever fills in at 4 and 5 will have way less pressure on them. that should help settle their nerves and build their confidence.
Steinbrenner: Results 'not acceptable'
By Bryan Hoch / MLB.comYankees principal owner George Steinbrenner has not been pleased with the team's early start, but he does not appear inclined to order major personnel changes -- for now.
New York lost two of three games over the weekend to the Red Sox and completed April with a 9-14 record, suffering a 7-4 defeat on Sunday to place them 6 1/2 games behind first-place Boston.
Steinbrenner issued a statement through his spokesperson reacting to the Yankees' recent struggles on Monday.
"The season is still very young, but up to now the results are clearly not acceptable to me or to Yankee fans," Steinbrenner said. "However, Brian Cashman, our general manager, Joe Torre, our manager, and our players all believe that they will turn this around quickly. I believe in them."
The Yankees have lost eight of nine games dating back to their weekend series against the Red Sox, fueling speculation that Steinbrenner might consider replacing Torre from the managerial post he has held since 1996.
It is not the first time Torre's position has been challenged in media reports. The 66-year-old Torre spent a good portion of his postgame press conference on Sunday insisting that his only focus is on returning the Yankees to their winning ways.
"We're going to have to come out of it," Torre said. We're a much better club than our record indicates. You play this thing over 162 games."
The first month of the season was not kind to the Yankees, particularly in a medical sense.
Hideki Matsui, Mike Mussina, Carl Pavano and Chien-Ming Wang -- all envisioned to be contributors to the club's success -- were among a cast of players who spent time on the 15-day disabled list with an assortment of injuries.
Matsui and Wang eventually returned, as did injured pitcher Jeff Karstens, but Karstens was struck with a line drive on Saturday and suffered a broken right fibula, sending him back to the disabled list. Pavano and Mussina have yet to return, but Mussina is considered a possibility to pitch this week.
The collective voids left the Yankees' weaknesses exposed, and Torre has admitted he had to lean far harder on his bullpen -- which leads the Major Leagues with a combined 95 appearances -- than expected.
The Yankees used five relievers on Sunday, the 10th consecutive game that five or more hurlers were summoned in relief -- the first time in the last 50 years that has been done, according to research performed by the Elias Sports Bureau.
Several Yankees players jumped to Torre's defense on Sunday, with Derek Jeter saying that speculation is "unfair, and it should stop." Cashman also noted that he takes full responsibility for the Yankees' sluggish start, saying that "this is the team I put together."
Steinbrenner offered his hopes that the Yankees -- who open a three-game road series with the Rangers on Tuesday -- will be able to regain their footing in the American League East.
"I am here to support them in any way to help them accomplish this turnaround," Steinbrenner said. "It is time to put excuses and talk away. It is time to see if people are ready to step up and accept their responsibilities. It is time for all of them to show me and the fans what they are made of."
As always, he also left no question what the team's main objective is.
"Let's get going," Steinbrenner concluded. "Let's go out and win and bring a world championship back to New York. That's what I want."
6-0 yanks in the fourth. and hughes is pitchin a no hitter so far!
sununva!
Hughes leaves no-hitter with injury
ARLINGTON, TEXAS (TICKER)
New York Yankees rookie righthander Philip Hughes left his second major league start with two outs with an apparent left hamstring injury after an 0-2 pitch to Mark Teixeira of the Texas Rangers.
Hughes had not allowed a hit in 6 1/3 innings with six strikeouts and three walks.
at least the win was big. but, still... i mean, cripes, the pitching is doomed thus far!
Yet another starting pitcher on the last-place New York Yankees got hurt Tuesday night. This one was working on a no-hitter in his second major league start.
Phil Hughes carried his gem into the seventh inning before a hamstring injury cost him a chance to make history. The team's prized prospect is expected to miss four to six weeks, a sour end to an otherwise encouraging night for New York.
Hank Blalock broke up the no-hit bid with a leadoff double in the eighth against reliever Mike Myers, but the Yankees responded to criticism from owner George Steinbrenner in a big way Tuesday with a 10-1 rout of the Texas Rangers.
New York (10-14) won for only the second time in 10 games, but Hughes' injury put a damper on the blowout.
"Just one of those freak things that you certainly can't explain," Yankees manager Joe Torre said.
Hughes (1-1) became the latest New York pitcher to go down, two starts after he was called up from Triple-A Scranton to fill a spot in the team's depleted rotation. Mike Mussina (hamstring), Carl Pavano (forearm) and Jeff Karstens (broken right leg) are on the disabled list. Chien-Ming Wang also missed the first three weeks of the season with a hamstring injury.
"It's been frustrating," general manager Brian Cashman said. "We seem to be getting hit every day."
Hughes, considered one of the top prospects in baseball, was cruising along in a dominant performance when he winced and grabbed the back of his left thigh after throwing an 0-2 breaking ball to Mark Teixeira with one out in the seventh. He was removed after 83 pitches with a 9-0 lead.
The 20-year-old right-hander said he was trying to finish Teixeira with a hard curveball when he likely overextended over his front foot. Hughes said he felt a pop.
"I was kind of flustered," he said. "It was one of those unfortunate circumstances, and there's not much you can do about it."
Hughes said he wasn't in pain after the game, but he wouldn't have been able to keep pitching. After being pulled, he walked gingerly back to the dugout, where he received a warm reception from teammates.
Hughes struck out six and walked three. When he left, he was eight outs from the Yankees' first no-hitter since David Cone's perfect game in 1999.
"It was going to happen," Torre said. "That was the sense in the dugout."
Ian Kinsler followed Blalock's double with an RBI single. Myers finished the eighth and Luis Vizcaino worked the ninth to complete the two-hitter.
"You want to give credit to the opposing pitcher, but at the same time you have to be unhappy where the offense is," said Rangers shortstop Michael Young, who was 0-for-4. "Getting two hits is not good enough."
New York went 9-14 in April and finished the month 6 1/2 games behind first-place Boston in the AL East. That roused Steinbrenner to issue his first public remarks of the season Monday, at once throwing his support behind Torre and rebuking the team for its record.
Steinbrenner's vote of confidence in Torre and Cashman silenced, at least temporarily, speculation that their jobs were in jeopardy. But the notoriously demanding owner also termed the start by his $195 million club "clearly not acceptable."
Against the Rangers, Steinbrenner's comments seemed to cajole the Yankees to their most lopsided win of the season. The timing of the rout was similar to a 19-8 win over Tampa Bay in 2005, which followed an even more scathing lashing of his team following a 4-8 start that year.
Robinson Cano broke out of a 1-for-18 slump by going 4-for-5 with three RBIs and two doubles. Jorge Posada had three hits, three runs and two RBIs. Alex Rodriguez added three hits to raise his batting average to .371.
The Yankees also took advantage of three Texas errors.
Posada's two-run double highlighted a four-run third against Kameron Loe (1-2) that made it 6-0. New York added three in the fifth on RBI doubles by Hideki Matsui and Posada, and a run-scoring single by Cano.
Before Tuesday's game, Torre said he hoped to hear no more questions about his future. He also blamed part of Yankees' recent trouble scoring runs on players "trying too hard."
Against the Rangers, it seemed as though the Yankees hardly had to try. New York's lineup battered Loe for four-plus innings, getting 10 hits and nine runs -- seven earned.
Before Tuesday's win, New York became the first major league team to use five or more pitchers in 10 straight games, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
that sucks...if it was any other team i would offer my condolences....
BWAAA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
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Rob Kamphausen said:
at least the win was big. but, still... i mean, cripes, the pitching is doomed thus far!
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Dear 2007 New York Yankees:
Welcome to the club.
Sincerely,
The 2006 Boston Red Sox
I'll tell you, it sucks to watch a good team fall apart the way it has been. Hopefully, when Mussina gets back (this week?), that'll be the first step to righting the ship. At least Cashman has ownership that will greenlight a trade for the pitching they may need to compete.
they are competing just fine, and they hardly falling apart......I hope none of you guys ever run a sports team. It's FUCKING JUST GETTING STARTED!!! Hughes will be back in 4 - 6 weeks and be just fine....in the meantime all the veterans are back this week. Now is the time to have this happen if you have to go through it, might as well go through it now and not in August and September.
Oh and if the Yanks don't win the division this year, and the Red Sox do, I won't use injuries as an excuse....and I will still watch the playoffs and my team as long as they are playing.
Unlike Joe last year that gave up on the Red Sox in August and said he didn't watch baseball after that.
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PJP said:
they are competing just fine, and they hardly falling apart......I hope none of you guys ever run a sports team. It's FUCKING JUST GETTING STARTED!!! Hughes will be back in 4 - 6 weeks and be just fine....in the meantime all the veterans are back this week. Now is the time to have this happen if you have to go through it, might as well go through it now and not in August and September.
Are you suggesting that the pitching HASN'T fallen apart? Because I'd say it has, due to injuries. The offense has been carrying that team. So there.
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PJP said:
Oh and if the Yanks don't win the division this year, and the Red Sox do, I won't use injuries as an excuse....and I will still watch the playoffs and my team as long as they are playing.
Unlike Joe last year that gave up on the Red Sox in August and said he didn't watch baseball after that.
I'm quoting this for record's sake. IF they don't make the playoffs (and that's a big if thanks to defense and ownership's willingness to spend/trade for improvement), I'll be eager to hear your take on "why".
To me, falling apart means the starters(star players) are going out there and getting shelled and beat to shit. That has hardly been the case. In some cases the vetrans haven't pitched well, but the reason they have lost games is injuries.....and that too shall pass. The offense didn't look so great this weekend against the Sox. Also Beckett started out great last year too and ended up falling apart.....injuries had nothing to do with it. Beckett also got rocked against the Yanks, and he was just lucky to win the game. He ain't that good.
Tell you what, let's give it 2 weeks and see how our teams are doing on Wednesday May 16. Instead of panicking cause Papelbon blew an easy save last night.
Yeah, injuries aren't a big deal. Just ask Cubs fans.
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PJP said:
To me, falling apart means the starters(star players) are going out there and getting shelled and beat to shit. That has hardly been the case. In some cases the vetrans haven't pitched well, but the reason they have lost games is injuries.....and that too shall pass. The offense didn't look so great this weekend against the Sox. Also Beckett started out great last year too and ended up falling apart.....injuries had nothing to do with it. Beckett also got rocked against the Yanks, and he was just lucky to win the game. He ain't that good.
i dunno. i think the yankees definitely had the stink of pitching doom on them thus far this season. that doesn't mean i think it'll stay that way -- in fact, i see them winning the east again. however, their pitching has really taken a hit in these first few weeks.
injury after injury has hurt the starters. they've been bringing in n00bs and wearing out the bullpen. pitching injuries really compile and end up affecting the entire rotation and, clearly, the win/loss record -- especially to the magnitude the yankees have been hit this year.
but, as peejus said, its best for this to be happening in april/may and not august/september. its also impressive that, with all the pitching disaster, they're still doing quite well and have found a few surprises in the bunch.
Yanks take two to sweep Rangers
By Jesse Sanchez / MLB.comThe Yankees lost their top pitching prospect, their strength coach, one day to down-pouring rain yet managed to win both games in a doubleheader Thursday and complete a three-game sweep that spanned four days.
After topping Texas, 4-3, in the afternoon and 5-2 in the nightcap at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, maybe things are really starting to look up for the Yankees. The turnaround could not come at a better time.
"This was great for us. It really was," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "I know this ballclub was struggling when we got here. But these two games were really tough. Everybody showed up."
Twenty-five percent of the Yankees 12 wins this year have come in May (and 67 percent of Mariano Rivera's saves after the venerable closer finished both victories Thursday). And aside from the devastating loss of rookie pitcher Phil Hughes to a hamstring injury Tuesday, nobody else was hurt in a freaky mishap this week. What did happen was an effective performance by Mike Mussina in Thursday's finale.
Fresh off the disabled list from a hamstring injury and in his first start since April 11, Mussina allowed one run on four hits in five innings. He threw only 64 pitches, but 49 of them were strikes. Every one of them mattered for a Yankees club looking to rebound from a losing record in April and the bottom half of the American League East.
Mussina was on a 75-pitch limit but tired before reaching the mark.
"I would say that was successful. I was hoping five innings is what I would be able to do," Mussina said. "I had better command than I expected. I might have had a little better velocity than I expected the first day back. I was able to make pitches."
Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter did his part, extending his hitting streak to 20 games with a single in the top of the sixth inning. His single to right field as part of a two-run seventh extended the Yankees lead to 4-1. Also in the seventh, Hideki Matsui hit a double and eventually scored from third on a wild pitch from Rangers reliever Frank Francisco for the club's third run of the game.
Yankees first baseman Doug Mientkeiwicz hit a two-run home run in the second inning for a lead his team would never surrender.
"We needed that one bad," he said. "It's nice after what we went through before we got here to come here and win all three against a team that can swing the bats with the best of them."
In the first game of the doubleheader, a hitless Jeter led off an eighth inning tied at 3 with a single. He scored on a double by Matsui to help the Yankees edge the Rangers. Jeter has now hit safely in 59 or his last 61 games dating back to last season.
"Last year, [Jeter] was probably the most consistent of the 11 years we have been together here," Torre said. "He has pretty much picked up where he left off. He's a grinder-type of guy. Whatever the score in the game, it never takes away from what he needs to do at-bat to at-bat. Again, he uses the whole field."
And apparently a little hocus-pocus.
In the eventful eighth, Jeter was caught between first and second on a botched hit-and-run with Bobby Abreu at the plate, but he slid headfirst back into the first-base bag safely. A postgame ruling declared Mark Teixeira was given an error and Jeter was actually charged with a caught stealing on the play.
If Teixeira would have caught the ball, Jeter would have been tagged out easily.
"I saw the ball right away laying there," Torre said. "The umpire was going to call him out, but [Teixiera] never had the ball. Derek knew he was out at second base. We lucked out."
As luck would have it, Jeter trotted home on Matsui's double to the gap in right-center field for the game-winner, and Jason Giambi, who was walked intentionally before Matsui, was thrown out at the plate on the play. Giambi developed leg cramps while running in between second and third base. In the second game of the doubleheader, Giambi was removed from the game in the sixth inning, also because of leg cramps.
"I've been doing as much as I can," Giambi said. "The hardest thing when you are not playing first, you can't really recreate being out in the field. Going around second, it started to cramp up. Luckily, I have played enough on them that I stopped."
Giambi's solo home run in the fourth, his fifth homer of the season, snapped the 1-all tie and gave the Yankees the lead. But it was his defensive play -- including turning the sometimes troublesome 3-6-3 double play -- that drew the most praise after the game. Giambi is supposed to hit home runs. But defense?
He credits recent tips from former Yankees first baseman Tino Martinez and bench coach Don Mattingly for his improved defense.
"Too bad I did not have it years and years ago," Giambi said.
As for Game 1 starter Andy Pettitte, he gave up two runs and five hits in six efficient innings. He walked three batters and struck out five in an 107-pitch outing. He felt something was amiss early but afterward refused to use the fact that three of his starts have been impacted by the weather as an excuse.
"I was out of sync again, fighting myself. It's frustrating," he said. "I felt so good in my previous three starts and I've been really battling through with my command and everything. We got a win, and that makes it a lot better."
Yanks are kicking ass and we got Rocket today.
Clemens announces return to Yanks
By Bryan Hoch / MLB.comThe Yankees desperately needed another quality starting pitcher. Roger Clemens didn't want to wait any longer to pitch. It all came together on a memorable Sunday afternoon.
The Rocket has lifted off again in the Bronx, returning to Yankee Stadium and resuming his career in pinstripes, leaving the Houston Astros and the Boston Red Sox -- Clemens' other potential suitors -- behind in past speculation.
The Yankees announced on Sunday that they have signed Clemens, a seven-time Cy Young Award winner, to a Minor League contract for the 2007 season. Clemens will earn $28 million on a prorated basis from the first day he is added to the Yankees' Major League roster, and make no mistake: he's in New York for one reason only.
"I'm coming back to do the only thing they know how to do with the Yankees, and that's win a championship," Clemens said. "Anything else is a failure, and I know that."
"This is a huge statement -- don't count us out, because we want to be in it for the long haul," said Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, whose club improved to 14-15 with a 5-0 victory over the Mariners on Sunday.
Yankees principal owner George Steinbrenner, who delivered an impassioned statement on Monday offering his backing for Cashman and manager Joe Torre, released another on Sunday evening trumpeting the acquisition of Clemens.
"As I pledged just a few days ago, I will do everything within my power to support Brian Cashman, Joe Torre and this team as we fight to bring a 27th championship back to New York," Steinbrenner said in a statement released by spokesperson Howard Rubenstein.
"Roger Clemens is a winner and a champion, and he is someone who can be counted on to help make this season one that all Yankees fans can be proud of. The sole mission of this organization is to win a world championship."
The major tipping point in the Yankees' favor was their immediate need for Clemens, said the right-hander's agent, Randy Hendricks.
Hendricks said that the Red Sox and Astros both indicated that they would prefer to wait until later in the season to keep Clemens fresher for potential postseason rushes. The Yankees, with a rotation that has been ravaged by inconsistency and injury, wanted Clemens to be on their mound as soon as possible.
"From my point of view, he's Roger Clemens," Hendricks said. "When he says he's ready to play, I think teams should listen."
Outfitted for his press conference in a Yankees cap, a black T-shirt and checked dress pants, Clemens was all smiles, but his progression to become one of the Yankees' starting pitchers on that projected October road remains hazy.
Clemens had not even officially put ink to paper on the contract when he waved to the Yankee Stadium crowd in the seventh inning on Sunday, telling the fans that it was a "privilege to be back" and that he'd be talking to them soon.
The future Hall of Famer is expected to require at least three rehabilitation starts at various stops in the Yankees' Minor League system, likely beginning at Tampa of the Florida State League.
"I've got a lot of responsibility on my shoulders, and I understand that," Clemens said. "But I have a lot of help here to get this club where it wants to go. Everyone wants to be a champion. In New York, it's a different level, and I understand that."
Cashman did not rule out the first week of June as a possible date, while Clemens, who has kept his arm in shape by throwing early and often to Astros organizational players, said he hoped to be on a mound at some point within a week to 10 days.
"Any chance I could have to get a ball in my hand, I was doing it," Clemens said.
The negotiations, as outlined by Cashman and Hendricks, took on a dizzying pace.
Clemens had a face-to-face meeting with Steinbrenner at Legends Field in March, around which time Cashman said he presented Hendricks with a potential dollar figure to place Clemens under contract. The timing was not right then, he was told.
During the Yankees' sweep of Texas this week, Cashman said that he again inquired of Hendricks if it would be possible to jump from Arlington to Houston for a sit-down meeting with Clemens. That meeting would be impossible, Cashman was surprised to learn, because Hendricks was in Boston at Fenway Park.
"Here I am, trying to get Randy Hendricks on the phone, and he's text-messaging me, 'Can't talk right now. I'm at Fenway Park,'" Cashman said.
Cashman said he had finally had a conversation on Thursday evening with Hendricks that went "very well," reporting as such to Steinbrenner and team president Randy Levine.
On Friday afternoon, the Yankees conducted an internal conference call with Levine, Cashman and three Steinbrenners -- George and his sons, Hank and Hal -- during which possible scenarios were discussed. A dollar amount was in the near future.
"As always, we're thankful to have the Steinbrenners do what they do," Cashman said.
But the turns of the recent week hadn't changed the Yankees' stance. Perhaps it just amplified it.
From the winter months forward, even in a tight-lipped discussion with reporters on Saturday morning, Cashman had maintained that the Yankees would be interested in negotiating with Clemens if and when the hurler decided he wanted to pitch in 2007.
"We knew what we wanted," Cashman said. "That was always stated from the start. We had to go through the process."
"Make no mistake about it -- the Yankees were in both my ears the whole time," Clemens said.
The courtship concluded on Sunday, as Clemens and Hendricks boarded an early-morning Continental Airlines commercial flight out of Houston, bound for New York. Some of the passengers on board the flight recognized Clemens, as did assorted baggage handlers, airline personnel and well-wishers.
With Clemens hid from the mainstream press for days, some may have put the pieces of the puzzle together; Cashman's cell phone began ringing in about the third inning, and the Yankees GM, fearful that his well-kept secret might be beginning to leak out, refused to answer the buzzing device.
After a brief pit stop to change out of jeans and cowboy boots at a Manhattan hotel -- Hendricks joked that there was no sense in further perpetuating the Texas stereotype -- Clemens finally arrived at Yankee Stadium in the sixth inning of Sunday's game against the Mariners.
"I was still calling people on my way to the stadium to tell them what's going on," Clemens said.
He was too late to witness a bench-clearing melee between the two clubs, but just in time to steal the show and address a crowd of 52,553 in what will surely go down as one of the more memorable Yankees moments in recent seasons.
As a Yankee, Clemens -- who was originally acquired from the Blue Jays prior to the 1999 season in exchange for Homer Bush, Graeme Lloyd and David Wells -- won two World Series championships and compiled a record of 77-36 with a 3.99 ERA, striking out 946 batters in 157 starts.
On June 21, 2003, Clemens became the 21st pitcher in Major League history to reach the 300-win milestone, while also recording his 4,000th career strikeout in a 5-2 victory over the Cardinals.
Clemens made 19 starts for the Astros last season, posting a 7-6 record with a 2.30 ERA after signing a Minor League contract on May 31, reprising his role as the Astros' in-season acquisition after going 13-8 with a career-best 1.87 ERA in 32 starts for Houston in 2005.
"I don't know that I have anything left to prove," Clemens said. "I still have people that I don't want to let down: Cash and Mr. Steinbrenner. I thank them again for this opportunity."
Clemens, who had said he would pitch only for a team with hopes of playoff contention, will join a Yankees club that has seen its starting pitching suffer through an extended stretch of injuries and struggles.
Clemens' good friend, Andy Pettitte, has twice been pressed into relief action to help out a beleaguered bullpen, while Chien-Ming Wang, Mike Mussina, Jeff Karstens, Phil Hughes and Carl Pavano have all spent time on the disabled list.
"I've seen what's been going on," Clemens said. "I think I've been as shocked and surprised as anyone."
The Yankees revealed that Clemens will receive the same travel privileges that he enjoyed with the Astros, allowed the option of skipping certain road trips to attend to various family functions or to pursue his passion of helping young players chase their Major League dreams.
The Yankees agreed to such stipulations based upon an internal review of Clemens' uniqueness and the minimal impact it would be judged to have on the club's mostly veteran clubhouse.
"He'll be here at times, he may not be here at times," Cashman said. "But I know one thing: We'll be happy every five days when he shows up on our mound."
someone's footage from the game:
the official mlb version:
definitely a cool announcement. the reveal very vince wwe/mahonish. i actually can't believe that they were able to make the deal, get clemens into ny and then the owners box, and not a single news outlet picked up on the story. in nyc, no less! we get every update in the world when derek and alex are going to outback steakhouse after the game together, but not a single tip as to whether or not the most celebrated pitcher of all time is returning to baseball.
however, that aside, i dunno if i amcrazy about the deal. its ridiculous money for only 70% of the season. 28 mil for ...what, 14 wins? 16? even if he's perfect, there's not enough time for much more. the whole notion of not having to travel with the team, etc... then, you figure, he's in the AL now, not to mention the yankees spotlight, so he'll likely not have the numbers he had in houston.
yes, the yankees pitching staff is decimated right now. and yes, there is a benefit to the yankees getting clemens versus the bosox getting him. i also think, morale wise, it could have a positive impact that things could turn around. its definitely a big pickup for this hurt-period now, and a bigger one come post season time.
the terms of the deal definitely bother me, tho.
Nice to see that Clemens isn't an attention whore, or anything. Must have made the rest of the team feel great.
A-Rod's 15th leads Pettitte to victory
By Bryan HochAndy Pettitte provided a deep starting performance, Alex Rodriguez homered to pace the high-octane offense and the bullpen made it all stand up.
For at least one night, it played out as envisioned for the Yankees. Pettitte picked up his second victory of the season with seven innings of one-run ball as New York defeated Texas, 8-2, on Tuesday.
"I think we're starting to feel like we're starting to right this thing a little bit and get things straightened out," Pettitte said.
"We're going to be all right," he added. "We've been saying it all along, but you'd like to have some results. This was a good game for us."
The Yankees appear to be turning the page on their sluggish April beginnings, in which the team finished the season's first month 9-14.
Since turning the calendar to May, the Yankees have won six of eight, including all four games they've played against the Rangers.
Indeed, things may be looking up around the Bronx. The Yankees finally mixed and matched their starting pitching with an assortment of productive youth and made a huge splash in landing their coveted prize, free-agent Roger Clemens.
Even the long-dormant bat of first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz is coming around; Mientkiewicz went 2-for-3 with an RBI in the Yankees' victory on Tuesday, extending his hitting streak to seven games and raising his average to .230.
The slow start created a measure of madness particularly for Pettitte, who at one point looked around his team's bandaged rotation and noted that it had been pretty much himself and four rookies.
The reinforcements are back now, with Chien-Ming Wang and Mike Mussina having been activated off the disabled list. The Yankees will finally throw their top three pitchers in a series this week, and the festivities kicked off with Pettitte.
Lacking location on his fastball in the first few innings, Pettitte navigated clear of damage, leaving runners in scoring position over his first two innings before being touched for a run in the third.
The damage was held in the Texas third, as Yankees right fielder Bobby Abreu ranged over to collect Hank Blalock's run-scoring double and hit cutoff man Robinson Cano. The ensuing feed to catcher Jorge Posada was in time to cut down Sammy Sosa at the plate, saving a run.
"That's the whole thing we're talking about -- defense really complements pitching," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "Robbie made a good relay and Bobby got the ball in quickly. It's just nice to stop it -- minimize the damage."
"A big lift," Pettitte said. "That was a great play. Two great throws."
As it turned out, Pettitte had held the Rangers at bay long enough, scattering seven hits in a 108-pitch effort to collect his first victory since April 10.
Pettitte could have more wins if not for ineffective relief efforts, but he said that the most important thing was that Scott Proctor and Sean Henn provided relief on Tuesday, finishing up the eighth and ninth innings.
"You want to get 'Ws,' but I've been around long enough where you realize it's just part of it," Pettitte said. "The Ws are going to come. I'm not very concerned with it. I want to help this team win."
Pettitte said he felt good about his workload, but the same couldn't be stated of Texas starter Mike Wood.
The right-hander was slugged for eight runs (six earned) in four-plus innings of work, surrendering Rodriguez's Major League-leading 15th home run in the fifth inning.
Rodriguez, who tied a big-league record for home runs in April with 14, homered for the first time in 15 days with a two-run shot over the wall in right-center field.
"I've been about six inches off, just reaching a little bit," Rodriguez said.
Torre noted that the opposite-field approach was key for A-Rod, who hadn't gone deep since slugging a pair of blasts in an April 23 game at Tropicana Field.
"I think that's such a key to having him stay in there," Torre said. "That's what he was doing all last month."
Every batter in the starting lineup reached base, Derek Jeter had two RBIs and Cano, who had drawn concern for an unselective approach and was mired in a 1-for-21 skid, ripped a run-scoring double for the Yankees.
But for all the offense, it came down -- as usual -- to good pitching and defense. When the hurlers are putting zeros on the board and balls are being caught, everything else just seems to fall into place.
The Yankees' key will be making sure nights like these are the rule, not the exception.
"It's everything," Rodriguez said. "We can swing the bats as well as we can, but if we don't pitch and we don't play defense, we're not going anywhere."
this is the wrestling forum Rob....please stay on topic.
Quote:
PJP said:
this is the wrestling forum Rob....please stay on topic.
Whoops. I mean:
:other faces:
the people should have voted for peejus
I don't like the Bankees, so Rob has a grudge against me. Grudge = no JLA themed boards here.
Yeah...
Mussina gets Yankees back to .500
By Caleb Breakey / MLB.comPitching in his second game after coming off the disabled list with a left hamstring strain, Mike Mussina threw six innings of three-hit ball, leading the Yankees to a 6-2 win over the Rangers on Wednesday at Yankee Stadium. The win brought the Yankees back to the .500 mark at 16-16.
Mussina allowed two runs in the third inning, including a home run to Brad Wilkerson, but otherwise held the Rangers scoreless. Michael Young hit an RBI groundout to account for Texas' other run in Mussina's 85-pitch outing.
Derek Jeter led the Yankees offense with two hits and three RBIs, and Johnny Damon scored twice as the Yankees piled on Texas starter Robinson Tejeda for six runs in 3 2/3 innings.
The first four Yankees batters of the game reached base and scored, and backup catcher Wil Nieves got his first hit of the 2007 season in the sixth inning -- his first in the Major Leagues since 2002 with the Padres.
After Mussina threw the first six innings, the Yankees called upon Brian Bruney, Mike Myers and Scott Proctor to get through the seventh. Kyle Farnsworth pitched the eighth inning, and Mariano Rivera finished it off in the ninth as the Yankees defeated the Rangers for the fifth time in as many games this season and the eighth straight time dating back to last year.
yet another injury to the yankee pitching...damn wanks...damn...
yup. sucks for y'all...BWAA HAHAHAHA....
yanks looked much better tonight. (another) rookie pitched really well.
Clippard neutralizes Mets in debut
By Bryan Hoch / MLB.comRookie Tyler Clippard splashed onto the Subway Series scene with aplomb, firing six innings of one-run ball and helping the Yankees salvage a 6-2 victory over the crosstown rival Mets on Sunday night at Shea Stadium.
Clippard, a 22-year-old right-hander, made his Major League debut in style. Summoned from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and added to the Yankees' roster before the game, Clippard limited the potent Mets lineup to three hits and struck out six in a 95-pitch performance, his only blemish being a second-inning home run by David Wright.
The Yankees' supported Clippard's first turn on the big stage with a strong showing against Mets right-hander John Maine, who was bounced after five innings.
After leaving five runners on through the first three innings, the Yankees cracked through with four runs in the fourth inning. Maine offered walks to Bobby Abreu and Doug Mientkiewicz before Johnny Damon came through with a bloop double to right-center field in front of diving right fielder Shawn Green, scoring the Yankees' first two runs.
Derek Jeter followed with his third home run of the season, a two-run shot to left and his second in as many games. In the fifth inning, Jorge Posada also homered for the second straight game, reaching Maine, who allowed five runs and eight hits, for a solo blast to right. Alex Rodriguez clubbed his Major League-leading 17th home run off Ambiorix Burgos in the seventh inning to provide insurance.
Clippard also proved to be no slouch with the bat. He dropped down a successful sacrifice bunt in the third inning and even added his first Major League hit in the victory, stroking a one-out double to right-center field off reliever Scott Schoeneweis in the sixth.
Yanks stand up to Sox
By Bryan Hoch / MLB.comRon Guidry's greeting was mixed as Chien-Ming Wang walked out of the shower on Monday night, fresh off a victorious evening of work against the Red Sox.
On one hand, the pitching coach said he was pleased -- especially since the Yankees defeated the Red Sox, 6-2, to take the opener of a three-game series. But Wang sensed frustration, stemming from the three walks he'd allowed while testing out a new soft-tossing style.
"You're not too happy," Wang told Guidry, who responded in the affirmative.
But as Wang went lighter on his trademark sinker and trusted his developing changeup and slider more, offering a new look to the Red Sox, the experiment came away with mostly positive results.
Alex Rodriguez clubbed his Major League-leading 18th home run, Jason Giambi homered, Johnny Damon had three hits and Robinson Cano added a two-run triple to blast the Yankees past Boston and starter Tim Wakefield.
Wang made one start against the Red Sox earlier this season, an April 29 effort at Yankee Stadium, and came away dissatisfied concerning how the potent lineup had pounced on him for four runs in six innings.
"It's not an easy club for him to pitch to," Yankees manager Joe Torre said.
Thus, the plan was hatched to soften things up the second time around. With catcher Jorge Posada calling the shots in a renewed approach, Wang discovered that he could work around the sinker, retiring the leadoff batter in each of the seven innings he started. Lesson learned.
"I can get a lot of guys out [with the new style]," said Wang, who improved to 3-4 in eight career starts against Boston.
Giving the Red Sox a new look for a night was one thing for Wang, who held the offensive output to two runs and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings, striking out five. But anyone expecting Wang to completely abandon his bowling ball-esque sinker -- as Guidry is fond of comparing it -- may have a long wait in store.
"It gives him more ammunition," said Torre. "He certainly has a variety of stuff, but his bread and butter is the sinker. We're not going to get away from that."
With Wakefield struggling to find the touch of his trademark knuckleball, Wang would soon have plenty of backing as he continued to see what his pitches could and could not do against the division's top team.
Rodriguez extended his Major League home run lead in the first inning, pouncing on the first pitch he saw for a two-run shot to deep left. It was the third consecutive game with a home run for Rodriguez, who slugged 14 in April to tie a big-league record and appears to be "back," according to Torre.
"I feel very comfortable," Rodriguez said. "It's frustrating, because you'd like to do something every at-bat, but I do feel more comfortable."
Back in the lineup after missing three starts due to a bone spur and plantar fasciitis in his left foot, Giambi led off the second inning with a solo home run to the upper deck in right field. He'd also later score from first base on a three-base hit, testing his orthotic inserts and reporting no issues.
"I never really felt like it was a matter of my swing," Giambi said. "I just felt like I couldn't push off. Every time I'd turn on that back foot, it'd feel like it'd just tear in half. It was kind of nice to swing and run the bases a little bit and not feel a ton of pain."
Derek Jeter added an RBI double off Wakefield, who has given the Yankees periodic fits over the years but provided no such headaches on Monday.
"This ballclub had a real good feel to it today," Torre said. "They felt real good about themselves."
Cano opened the floodgates in the fifth inning with a two-run triple off Wakefield, who allowed six runs and nine hits in five innings. The veteran right-hander walked five and struck out two before heading to the clubhouse, soon to be saddled with his fifth loss.
The victory would be big for the Yankees, Jeter said, if only because every game at this point is. Jeter facetiously said that even if the Yankees were playing a high school team and not their arch rivals, the game would be vital.
"You can't keep saying it's early," Jeter said. "You've got to come out ready to win."
Making his sixth start of the season, Wang flexed his control of the Red Sox early. The right-hander wriggled out of two-out jams in the first two innings before settling in, retiring eight of nine batters before surrendering back-to-back doubles to Kevin Youkilis and David Ortiz in the fifth, accounting for Boston's first run.
Wang scattered seven hits, walking three and striking out five, before finally running out of steam in the seventh. The right-hander left to a standing ovation after allowing a one-out double to Youkilis.
Ortiz reached left-hander Mike Myers for a sacrifice fly, scoring Julio Lugo, but right-hander Brian Bruney struck out Manny Ramirez looking to end the inning.
The Yankees escaped a bases-loaded jam in the eighth as Scott Proctor got Lugo to ground out on a deft play by Cano, who flipped the ball to second base for a fielder's choice and averted an oncoming disaster in the making.
"We don't have the luxury to throw games away," Rodriguez explained it.
Kyle Farnsworth recorded three outs in the ninth inning for the Yankees, who recorded their second straight victory after losing seven of their previous nine games. Giambi described the ensuing mood of the clubhouse as positive.
"The one great thing about this team is that we have a lot of veteran players," Giambi said. "They've been upbeat, trying to know that we can dig our way out of this hole. We've had a lot of fight. It hasn't been like we haven't been in games. We just haven't gotten over the hump."
Retarded LL Cool J wants his strawberry Quik, please.
Oh, and he needs his bike helmet.
Quote:
Joe Mama said:
Retarded LL Cool J wants his strawberry Quik, please.
Oh, and he needs his bike helmet.
Congratulations. The Yankees can successfully score runs off a forty-something knuckleballer.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/24/sports/baseball/24yankees.htmlYankees 8, Red Sox 3
Yanks Make a Dent as Pettitte Finds Support
By TYLER KEPNER
Published: May 24, 2007
The Yankees’ best chance to significantly dent the American League East standings this week would have been to sweep the Boston Red Sox. That did not happen, because the teams split the first two games of their three-game series.
The Red Sox’ David Ortiz was hitting .357 against Andy Pettitte. But Pettitte, who gave up one run in seven innings, retired Ortiz three times Wednesday.
For now, the Yankees must take smaller bites. Their record is still below .500, and they remain far behind the Red Sox. But they won the series, with Andy Pettitte giving them seven solid innings and the hitters finally supporting him in an 8-3 victory last night at Yankee Stadium.
“We have to be thinking in terms of winning series,” Manager Joe Torre said. “We just haven’t been able to continue doing things, and we need to do that. It’s time for us to get our record where it should be.”
The Yankees are 21-24, nine and a half games behind the Red Sox, who are 31-15. But they have outhit their opponent in five of their last six games and churned out 16 hits last night. Derek Jeter went 3 for 5 to pass Joe DiMaggio for fifth place on the Yankees’ career hit list.
“He’s amazing,” Pettitte said of Jeter. “He’s an absolute hitting machine. He’s been getting a lot of hits for a long time. He’s a great player, probably the best I’ve ever played with as far as, if you need a big hit, you want him up there.”
The Yankees gave Curt Schilling his first loss since opening day. Every Yankees batter except the embattled Jason Giambi had at least one hit off Schilling, who allowed 12 hits for the first time in more than three years.
The victory was the Yankees’ third in four games, all against the Mets or the Red Sox. Mariano Rivera worked the ninth inning and struck out the last three hitters, sending the Yankees into a day off with a good feeling.
“It would have been a tough 24 hours if we’d have lost this series here,” said Doug Mientkiewicz, who had three hits, including a homer off Schilling. “We just played the way we’re supposed to play, that’s the bottom line.”
The last time Pettitte faced the Red Sox, on April 27, he allowed five runs and six hits in four and two-thirds innings. Pettitte chastised himself that night, saying he was embarrassed and calling it a joke that he could not last longer.
Since then, Pettitte had made four quality starts — at least six innings, no more than three earned runs — with just one victory to show for it. Torre said he was due for better luck, and it arrived in the bottom of the first inning, when the Yankees scored three runs before they made their first out.
Johnny Damon doubled and Jeter scored him with a single, the 2,214th hit of his career, matching DiMaggio’s total in 13 fewer games.
Jeter and DiMaggio have played almost the same number of games: 1,723 for Jeter, 1,736 for DiMaggio. Jeter reached the hit total in 6,966 at-bats, 144 more than DiMaggio. Jeter’s career average is .318, 7 points below DiMaggio’s.
“Honestly, I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t nice,” Jeter said. “But we’re concerned with other things. We’re concerned with winning.”
Hideki Matsui sent the Yankees toward the victory by following Jeter with a line-drive homer into the right-field seats. It was 3-0 Yankees, and they scored single runs in each of the next three innings off Schilling.
“He didn’t seem any different than his usual self,” Matsui said through an interpreter, before adding, “Maybe the velocity on his fastball might have been somewhat down.”
Mientkiewicz made the same observation. He had been 0 for 6 in his career off Schilling before turning on an inside fastball and smashing it off the facing of the third deck in right field. Mientkiewicz was 1 for his last 19 before the fourth-inning home run. “I took a little bit of frustration out on that swing,” he said.
Pettitte, meanwhile, managed the game much better than Schilling. He allowed nine hits and did not have a 1-2-3 inning until the seventh, but he allowed just one run, on a double by Mike Lowell with two out in the sixth. As he left the mound after that inning, Pettitte kicked at the dirt in front of the Yankees’ dugout.
Even a perfectionist, though, could have been satisfied with the way Pettitte handled two tough hitters. He retired David Ortiz and Jason Varitek three times each, even though Ortiz had a .357 career average off him and Varitek .366.
“I feel like everybody’s hitting .300 off me,” Pettitte said. “I know I give up a lot of hits. I just try to hopefully get some double-play balls and stay away from the long ball. It was nice to be able to go out there and shut those guys down.”
It was nice for Pettitte, and necessary for the Yankees.
INSIDE PITCH
Phil Hughes threw 35 pitches from the top of a bullpen mound yesterday in Tampa, Fla., the first time he has done that since straining his left hamstring May 1. With Hughes still recovering and Matt DeSalvo now in long relief, the Yankees will keep Tyler Clippard in the rotation and start him tomorrow against the Los Angeles Angels. If Roger Clemens joins the Yankees the next time through the rotation, Manager Joe Torre said, he would probably pitch May 29 in Toronto.
hey rob,...how bout changing the name on this thread back to WANKEES?
all of that spending has made them pretty $hitty so far
More controversy
Giambi meets with MLB amid amphetamines report
Posted: Wednesday May 23, 2007 7:57AM; Updated: Wednesday May 23, 2007 8:36PM
Giambi has been subjected to six additional tests after failing an amphetamines test, the Daily News reported.
NEW YORK (AP) -- On the same day a report alleged he failed an amphetamines test, Jason Giambi met with lawyers from the baseball commissioner's office Wednesday to discuss his recent comments on steroids.
"The commissioner requested that Jason come in in response to the USA Today piece. Jason was interviewed this morning," union general counsel Michael Weiner said.
He was not interviewed about the amphetamine report, which appeared in the Daily News. The paper said he flunked the test within the last year.
Asked about the report at Yankee Stadium, Giambi said: "I can't give you an accurate explanation."
Asked about the meeting, he said, "I hope it went smooth. It was definitely a willingness on both sides."
Giambi said no followup session has been scheduled. The meeting, at baseball's main office, lasted less than an hour.
"It's more or less now wait and see," he said.
Yankees manager Joe Torre said "we have no knowledge" of a positive test.
General manager Brian Cashman said he wasn't trying to trade Giambi, who has $21 million in salary due this year as well as next year, the final guaranteed season in his contract.
"That's not something that's currently on my plate," Cashman said.
The meeting included Rob Manfred, baseball's executive vice president for labor relations, senior vice president Frank Coonelly and Howard Ganz, an outside lawyer.
Giambi brought along agent Arn Tellem, lawyer Brian O'Neill and Weiner, who represented the players' association.
Tellem and Manfred declined to discuss the meeting.
Management and players did not agree to ban steroids until late 2002. Testing with penalties did not begin until 2004 and penalties for a first offense didn't start until 2005.
i remember when you posted that in the other thread, and i was all like "WHOA!!" and even now, i still fee like "whoa"
Quote:
Captain Sammitch said:
Remember the days when that news wouldn't have even elicited a reaction?
oh its true....
nah, the reaction used to be: "
" ( plus
x a brazillion ) from every other team.
and jla'd say "theeee $$$yankee$$$ win!
"
Quote:
Rob Kamphausen said:
nah, the reaction used to be: " " ( plus x a brazillion ) from every other team.
and jla'd say "theeee $$$yankee$$$ win! "
Heh.
Quote:
Rob Kamphausen said:
nah, the reaction used to be: " " ( plus x a brazillion ) from every other team.
and jla'd say "theeee $$$yankee$$$ win! "
How does it feel to know that Boston OWNS you, Bobo?
i congratulate them, and every other team, on winning the may pennant
Quote:
Captain Sammitch said:
Remember the days when that news wouldn't have even elicited a reaction?
That 200 million dollar budget is paying off!
money guarantees wins, looks like you were right all along!
Quote:
Rob Kamphausen said:
looks like you were right all along!
It's about time you owned up!
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/recap?gid=270602102Quote:
Boston 11, NY Yankees 6
Preview - Box Score - Recap
By JIMMY GOLEN, AP Sports Writer
June 2, 2007
BOSTON (AP) -- Mike Lowell dished out the big hits -- with his body and his bat.
Lowell homered to start a Red Sox comeback and also flattened two Yankees in a pair of basepath collisions on Saturday as Boston beat New York 11-6. First baseman Doug Mientkiewicz was taken from the field on a cart after banging his head on Lowell's hip while trying to one-hop a bad throw from shortstop Derek Jeter.
"That was like a football game," Boston manager Terry Francona said. "I think everybody leaves these games just mentally and physically exhausted. Just a lot of hard baseball."
The Yankees scored four in the sixth inning to take a 5-3 lead, but Boston tied it in the bottom half on back-to-back homers by Lowell and Jason Varitek. Jeter homered in the seventh to give New York the lead before committing errors on consecutive plays during Boston's five-run seventh.
The Red Sox loaded the bases with nobody out against Scott Proctor (0-3) before Lowell hit a grounder to second. Robinson Cano flipped to second for the force, but Jeter spun around and threw an 85-footer that Mientkiewicz tried to backhand on the outfield side of the bag.
As his momentum pulled him into the baseline, Lowell ran through the base and sent Mientkiewicz sprawling. The ball bounced off his glove and into foul territory as Manny Ramirez scampered home with the second -- and go-ahead -- run.
"It seemed like every time we scored, they scored some runs," Jeter said. "And I didn't help them."
Mientkiewicz remained on the ground for several minutes while the Yankees' medical staff attended to him, testing his vision and his reaction; Lowell stood nearby in obvious concern. Mientkiewicz, a defensive replacement who gloved the final out in Boston's 2004 World Series victory, was helped into a golf cart and taken to Massachusetts General Hospital.
Tests on Saturday night revealed a mild concussion, cervical sprain and a fractured bone in his right wrist. He will be kept overnight for observation and will be placed on the 15-day disabled list prior to Sunday's game, the team said.
"I feel bad for Doug. You don't want anything like that to happen," said Lowell, who played against Mientkiewicz in high school and worked out with him in the offseason. "He knows me well enough. ... I wanted to say something, but they were being so careful."
Dustin Pedroia had three hits for Boston for the second consecutive game, and Hideki Okajima (1-0) retired all four batters he faced for his first major league victory. Kevin Youkilis, who came in with a 23-game hitting streak, was the only Red Sox starter who didn't get a hit; he drew a walk in the eighth to end the streak.
Melky Cabrera went 3-for-4 with a homer, and Jorge Posada hit a three-run shot for the Yankees, who fell back to 13 1/2 games behind Boston in the AL East race.
"Our ballclub is in great spirits right now. We wish we had a seventh inning we could do over again," Torre said. "We're fighting now. We haven't been through this in a while."
Help isn't coming any time soon: Pitcher-for-hire Roger Clemens was scratched from Monday's start against Chicago because of groin fatigue.
It's not clear when the 44-year-old, seven-time Cy Young winner, who signed for a prorated $28 million, will make his 2007 debut. Red Sox fans taunted the Yankees in the ninth with a chant of "Where is Roger?"
A night after Lowell took a pitch off his left wrist -- one of five hit batsman in the game -- he had three hits and four RBIs. He was also involved in a little basepath payback in the fourth when he slammed his right shoulder -- and a little bit of his elbow -- into Cano in an attempt to break up a double play.
Cano bounced the ball to first as he fell to the dirt, just getting Varitek at first.
"I never had a problem with him before," Cano said. "Today he threw his elbow."
But Torre said it was a clean play. Lowell, who spent his first four professional seasons in the Yankees organization, insisted he meant no harm.
"They taught me how to do it," he said.
Proctor allowed five runs -- two of them earned -- on three hits and three walks, two of them intentional. He also coughed up the lead in Mike Mussina's previous start.
Both Mussina and Red Sox starter Curt Schilling struggled after a 29-minute rain delay in the fourth inning. Neither made it out of the sixth.
"The rain delay didn't help," Francona said. "Didn't help Schilling; didn't help Mussina."
Notes
Posada has 205 career homers, tying Dave Winfield for ninth on the Yankees all-time list. ... The Red Sox reached 1 million in attendance in their 28th home game, tying last season's franchise record for quickest to the mark. ... Mussina is winless in four starts. ... J.D. Drew was out of the lineup with a right hamstring strain.
pretty good series, overall.
still a buncha shitty plays, but at least the yankees are playing well against the good teams.
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/recap?gid=270604104
Quote:
Chi White Sox 6, NY Yankees 4
Preview - Box Score - Recap
By ANDREW SELIGMAN, AP Sports Writer
June 5, 2007
CHICAGO (AP) -- The Rocket was nowhere in sight. Matt DeSalvo was there in his place -- but not for long.
DeSalvo got knocked out early, then knocked right back to the minors after the Chicago White Sox beat the New York Yankees 6-4 on Monday night. As for Roger Clemens, the Yankees aren't concerned about when he will make his 2007 debut.
It is expected to happen Saturday against Pittsburgh.
A more immediate issue is restoring the good vibe they created over the weekend, which got washed away by Jon Garland's pitching and a three-run second inning that chased DeSalvo all the way back to Triple-A.
DeSalvo, starting because Clemens pushed back his 2007 debut after experiencing some groin pain, left with one out in the second after the White Sox scored three times to take a 3-1 lead.
"Obviously, Roger can go out there and shut them down, but we'll wait for Roger," Johnny Damon said.
Garland (4-3) pitched into the ninth inning, allowing seven hits while striking out three and walking three for Chicago, which won for just the second time in nine games.
Jim Thome hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning, and Paul Konerko added a solo shot in the seventh. Konerko and Tadahito Iguchi had three hits each.
"I guarantee there's no team in the central that's counting us out," Garland said. "I feel we can go out and pull off a streak, and win 10 in a row or ten out of twelve and be right back where we need to be."
DeSalvo (1-3) simply didn't have it, and the defense didn't help.
DeSalvo allowed three runs -- two earned -- on four hits after being recalled from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre earlier in the day. He walked one batter and hit Rob Mackowiak after Konerko led off the second with a single.
After Juan Uribe singled to load the bases, Joe Crede sent a slow roller toward third baseman Alex Rodriguez -- who stepped on the base but bounced the throw to first. Konerko scored the first run, and the second one came in when first baseman Josh Phelps threw the ball into left field trying to start a double play on Jerry Owens' grounder.
Iguchi then drove in Crede with a single to right-center that made it 3-0, and Yankees manager Joe Torre decided he had seen enough of DeSalvo.
"We're asking him to do something he may not be ready to do just yet," Torre said. "You've got to sort of give him a pass, even though when you pitch at this level, expectations are higher. In all fairness to him, he certainly didn't figure in our plans."
So he gets a pass back to the minors.
"I belong here, I think," DeSalvo said. "I just need to get myself situated, get my pitches back. ... Some days, you just don't have your best stuff."
Thome made it 5-1 when he hit the 480th homer of his career and his eighth this season. Konerko added his eighth with one out in the seventh.
The Yankees rallied in the ninth, getting an RBI single from Phelps to make it 6-2. Bobby Jenks came on to close and gave up a sacrifice fly to Melky Cabrera, scoring Robinson Cano, and in infield single to Damon that scored Miguel Cairo. Jenks then got Derek Jeter to ground out for his 16th save in 17 chances.
For the Yankees, the only good news came on the medical front.
Clemens' MRI exam on Monday in Tampa, Fla., revealed some disrupted scar tissue -- nothing that should prevent The Rocket from starting Saturday. And Andy Pettitte felt better after leaving Sunday's start with a stiff lower back. He expects to pitch Friday against the Pirates.
Chicago was looking for a jolt after going 1-6 on a trip to Minnesota and Toronto, so manager Ozzie Guillen dropped Konerko to sixth and Crede to ninth in the batting order.
"We've been scraping and battling," Konerko said. "We haven't exactly broke out yet. There's been some games here and there. We scored some runs. We know it's a big hole to dig out of, but we can't be that bad for that long, so sooner or later we've gotta bust out."
Notes
Yankees RHP Carl Pavano is scheduled to undergo Tommy John surgery on his right elbow Tuesday. ... The Yankees placed 1B Doug Mientkiewicz on the 15-day disabled list with a fractured right wrist. ... The White Sox shook up their struggling bullpen Monday, optioning Mike MacDougal and David Aardsma to Triple-A Charlotte while purchasing the contracts of pitchers Ryan Bukvich and Bret Prinz from the minor league club. They also transferred utility player Pablo Ozuna from the 15-day to the 60-day disabled list. He has a fracture in his lower right leg and a shoulder injury.
Updated on Tuesday, Jun 5, 2007 12:04 am EDT
they're making it look ea$y!
a winning streak!
CMW pitched really well, and it looks like some of the hitting duds (damon, abreu) have picked up a little.
clemens big debut is reportedly set in stone for saturday.
Quote:
Rob Kamphausen said:
a winning streak!
what? 2?
the joke was implied.
...but yes.
three wins!
and two seriessess!
Abreu is starting to hit!
Quote:
Glacier16 said:
Are you having a laugh?!
I sure am....Yanks won their 4th straight and are starting to play real well!
Quote:
Jesus H. Christ said:
My Dad is a Yankees fan.
Only because you play for them.
another good day today. things are going quite well lately.
they're still 9+ back, and even worse, still a game under 500, but... they're a much, much improved ball club overall
Quote:
Rob Kamphausen said:
three wins!
and two seriessess!
We'll see if you're still that jazzed about the Pinstripes when it gets to be the middle of July and they're 20 games behind Boston. 
Quote:
Chris Oakley said:
Quote:
Rob Kamphausen said:
three wins!
and two seriessess!
We'll see if you're still that jazzed about the Pinstripes when it gets to be the middle of July and they're 20 games behind Boston.
APOLOGIZE TO ME.....YOU PIECE OF SHIT FUCK FACE!
Quote:
PJP said:
Quote:
Chris Oakley said:
Quote:
Rob Kamphausen said:
three wins!
and two seriessess!
We'll see if you're still that jazzed about the Pinstripes when it gets to be the middle of July and they're 20 games behind Boston.
APOLOGIZE TO ME.....YOU PIECE OF SHIT FUCK FACE!
He can't. I destroyed him. So, on behalf of the former poster known as Chris Oakley, I apologize. His words and deeds were inexcusable.
yanks win 4-1
thats 7 in a row, and they're now a 500 team again! (it$ all that ca$h)
yank$ totally ripped off the $y$tem. money bought'em three more lo$$e$ than the d'back$ could afford.
$avage$.
Just imagine if they knew how to budget their money! They'd be unstoppable, with that unfair advantage and all!
they coulda bought $ix more lo$$e$ by now!!
Quote:
Rob Kamphausen said:
maybe you said "barry sanders image," but i know i didn't.
When do I become mod here Rob so I can counter JLA's evil.
Whenever you are supposed to use the letter "s" in a post, use "$" instead. That will prove me wrong over the argument that the Bankee$ have an unfair payroll advantage...
[image]unrelated imagery[/image]
Quote:
PJP said:
When do I become mod here Rob so I can counter JLA's evil.
Thank You Rob......now let's get back to talking about the Yankee$.
Quote:
MisterJLA said:
That was you, Rob!
i dont wanna be barry sanders!
Quote:
PJP said:
Quote:
PJP said:
When do I become mod here Rob so I can counter JLA's evil.
Thank You Rob......now let's get back to talking about the Yankee$.
moderate on, my friend.
...moderate on...
Just in case people forget....the pitcher for the Dbacks last night Brandon Webb is one of the best in baseball. If we win tonight I will be ecstatic to take at least 2 of 3 from these guys.
Yanks won their 8th straight by beating the Dbacks 7-2! Moose won and looked great....the whole team looked great. They are starting to get on a roll.
Dear PJP,
This is your forum now!
That means you can delete any and all references to the ded cox!
Yours
Michael Winslow from Police Academy
I'm just happy the team is finally healthy and kicking ass.
took 2 out of 3 from the Mets!
Colorado tonight at 9pmest. .....Boston lost last night to Atlanta and Schilling keeps getting worse and worse....I'll tumble for ya!
Yanks lost 3-1 in a surprisingly low scoring game at Coors field.....hopefully we'll win the next two! Pettite tonight Clemens tomorrow in a day game.
moose and pettitte have pitched waaaay better than their records show at this point.
it was cool seeing jorge on first. he actually made a few nice stops, as well.
Yanks lost 6-1 last night.....todays game starts at 3pm est I think.
2-2 in the 6th....Clemens is pitching great!
Yanks lost a close one 4-3 and got swept by the Rockies.
A-Rod, Yankees overcome Bonds' 749th homer
A CLOSER LOOK
• Summary: Barry Bonds hit a solo shot for his 749th career homer, but Alex Rodriguez's four hits and two RBIs helped the Yankees beat the Giants 7-3 to snap their three-game slide.
• Hero: Rodriguez's leadoff double in the second started a three-run rally and he also hit run-scoring singles in the fifth and ninth.
• Chasing Aaron: After walking, striking out and grounding out in his first three at-bats, Bonds blasted a fastball some 375 feet for his 15th homer of the year to cut the lead to 6-3.
• Milestone triumph: Yankees manager Joe Torre tied Leo Durocher for ninth place all-time with 2,009 career wins.
• Figure this: The crowd of 43,425 was the largest ever for a regular season game at the Giants' waterfront ballpark that opened in 2000.
• Quotable: "I'd take two more [Bonds homers] and two more wins. I'm a huge Barry fan. ... As long as we win the game, he can do whatever he wants." -- Rodriguez
-- ESPN.com news services
Yankees 7, Giants 3
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Barry Bonds' 749th home run wasn't nearly enough to overcome another big night from Alex Rodriguez.
Rodriguez went 4-for-4 with two RBIs and the New York Yankees beat the Giants 7-3 Friday night in their first meaningful game in San Francisco since winning Game 7 of the 1962 World Series.
Bonds got the longball, but A-Rod got the win in the matchup between two of baseball's most feared sluggers.
"I'd take two more [Bonds homers] and two more wins," Rodriguez said. "I'll trade that. I'm a huge Barry fan. I love to see great talent be displayed. It's a beautiful thing to watch. As long as we win the game, he can do whatever he wants."
The talk before the game was of the two sluggers: Bonds as he closes in on Hank Aaron's career record of 755 home runs and Rodriguez, the player many consider the biggest threat to hold the record after Bonds.
Bonds connected for his 15th home run of the season in the eighth inning off Scott Proctor, cutting New York's lead to 6-3. But the Giants couldn't get any closer, dropping their season-high eighth straight game.
"I don't think we're thinking that much about Barry trying to reach this milestone as trying to win a ballgame," manager Bruce Bochy said. "That's our focus right now. We need to stop this and we know it."
Rodriguez helped the Yankees bounce back after they were swept in a three-game series in Colorado. His double started a three-run second inning and he also hit RBI singles in the fifth and ninth innings.
Kei Igawa, making his first start after seven weeks in the minors, was sharp early but was removed one out away from a potential win after walking Bonds with the bases loaded to cut New York's lead to 5-2 in the fifth inning. Luis Vizcaino (4-1) came in and Bengie Molina hit a drive to left field that Hideki Matsui caught as he jumped into the fence, robbing the Giants of an extra-base hit.
"That ball had topspin on it," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "I thought when he first hit it he hit it out of the ballpark. Obviously that was a game-saver for us there."
This game lacked the drama of the teams' last meeting in San Francisco that counted. The Yankees won that game against their former New York rival 1-0 when Willie McCovey lined out to second baseman Bobby Richardson with runners on second and third to end the game.
The Giants did threaten after Bonds' homer, putting two runners on in the eighth before Mariano Rivera escaped the jam by getting pinch-hitter Ryan Klesko to ground out. Rivera got five outs for his ninth save in 11 chances.
After being held to five runs in Colorado, the Yankees scored three times in the second against Matt Cain (2-8) with help from an overeager fan down the right-field line.
Rodriguez led off with a double and scored on Matsui's sacrifice fly. Cain appeared to get out of the inning when Miguel Cairo lofted a fly ball in foul territory with two outs. Randy Winn had a chance to make the catch, but a fan went after the ball. There was no interference because the ball was in the seats, but the fan buried his head in his hands.
"Especially at home you think it wouldn't happen, but it did," Cain said. "It's a ball Randy would have caught. It hit the guy right in the hands. But I put my team in a bad situation for the rest of the game and that's terrible by me."
Cain walked the next two batters to load the bases -- including Igawa in his first career plate appearance -- before Melky Cabrera's two-run single made it 3-0. That was New York's second hit in its last 20 at-bats with runners in scoring position. New York added two more runs in the fifth on an RBI double by Bobby Abreu and Rodriguez's run-scoring single.
Igawa allowed two runs and five hits in 4 2/3 innings after spending the previous seven weeks retooling his delivery in the minors. Igawa had been a big disappointment in his first stint in the majors after the Yankees spent $46 million to bring him over from Japan in the offseason.
But he looked much better this game, holding the Giants scoreless the first four innings, including striking out Bonds in the fourth.
"He was consistent for four innings and to me that's darn near half the game," Torre said. "It may have just been the point where you maybe look up at the scoreboard and you see it's going to be an official game here in a minute and he may have just rushed himself."
Cain allowed five runs and seven hits in five innings and dropped to 0-5 in his last seven starts. Cain walked four and had no strikeouts for the first time in 53 career starts.
Game notes
The Yankees played an exhibition game in San Francisco in 2000. ... Cabrera had to be tended to by the trainer after fouling a ball off his right ankle in the sixth inning. He stayed in the game and tripled. ... Yankees SS Derek Jeter hit an RBI single in the sixth inning to extend his hitting streak to 16 games. He was then picked off first by Randy Messenger. ... Torre tied Leo Durocher for ninth place all-time with 2,009 career wins. ... The crowd of 43,425 was the largest ever for a regular season game at the Giants' waterfront ballpark that opened in 2000.
Igawa looked decent....good enough until Hughes comes back.
The crowd of 43,425 was the largest ever for a regular season game at the Giants' waterfront ballpark that opened in 2000.
i read that its actually higher than a lot of the post-season games they've hosted, as well.
there have been a lot of teams this year that have actually added seating and/or raised ticket prices for when they host the yankees. the most recent culprit that i know of was the colorado rockies, who reportedly doubled the "cheap seat" ticket value
and parking costs for the series.
lame.
and i still can't believe that stadiums are being built that much smaller. 43k is record attendance?
I don't know if I mind so much that the stadiums are becoming smaller.....makes it a little more intimate.
I also don't like that they raise prices just 'casue the Yanks are in town.....but the fans pay it!?!?
i think a lot of the times, the fans don't even realize.
attendance usually jumps a good deal when the yankees are in town. for some ballparks, as much as 35%. its a lotta people who don't normally go to the games, so they don't realize they're paying more since they don't know what the base price is.
its like stadium cheap heat!
but it screws over all of the loyal fans. and, at the same time, might seem off-putting to the new fans, who might not wanna attend future games because tickets cost too much -- not knowing that they normally don't.
in this case with the Rockies everyone knew.....There was a big editorial in the Denver paper blasting the Rockies for doing that before the first game was even played.
Do the Yankees get a cut from ticket sales as a visiting team? If so, they probably love it when opposing teams raise tickets prices. It would make it easier to pay their mammoth player salaries...
you spelled Bankee$ wrong.
I didn't want to anger R.O.B. again...
Bankee$ lost yesterday in a very close game....13 innings 6-5....
...but got their asses handed to them today 7-2.
so 2 losses in a row and 5 out of the last 6 are losses. they better turn things around and fast otherwise this really will be over.
Do the Yankees get a cut from ticket sales as a visiting team?
nah, all stadium related monies (tickets and food) go to the home stadium/team.
so 2 losses in a row and 5 out of the last 6 are losses. they better turn things around and fast otherwise this really will be over.
it was a really bad trip. on the road and without a DH. plus, with the day off prior, all that seemed to really hurt their momentum.
they just seemed flat, honestly.
Yanks beat the shitty A's 2-1.
didnt happen yesterday though....
didnt happen today either...
fuck the yankees. that is all...
they've been playing like shit lately
must be all that money
this was pretty much it.....it's probably over for this year. I will still watch and cheer and be faithful....I am also happy with lots of things this year. The young guys have gotten lots of experience. I am in the minority when I say I hope they resign ARod.
i dont think arod will go anywhere, and i dont think it would be a good move on the yanks' part if he did. he's got a decade left of great baseball to play. i hated him years ago, i hate him now, and i'll hate him in the future, but... he's still an amazing addition.
i also dont think this year is a complete wash yet. they're clearly a team that can switch on and off without warning. 4 weeks ago, they were out of it. 2 weeks ago, they were only a few games out. now they're out of it again. boston has had a very fortunate year so far in terms of health and talent. that could snap away at any time (remember their drop last year in august?)
anyway, there's still more than half of the season left to play, so its impossible to call anything settled right now. but, clearly, they've been crap for a large chucnk of the season thus far.
cano has had an awful sophomore year, and damon and abreau have had awful yankee sophomore years. those three players are not even in the same stratosphere as the players they were last year, and thats enough of a jump to lose them 1-3 runs a game. arod, jeter, and jorge can't win the games themselves.
starting pitching takes a lot of the blame, but its actually been pretty damn good for most of the season, even all thew n00bs. their bullpen is another story.
not sure what kinda changes will take place, or what kinda changes need to take place, but i still have lotsa hopes for this season.
I still have hope, but I think going into the all star break under 500 is not very good.....let's hope for the best!
I don't like them, but experience has shown that no matter how bad the season may have gone up to that point, come late August, early September of pretty much EVERY season, somehow the Yankee$ are right there again. It'd be sad to see Yankee fans start counting them out, because I think there may be two Yankee$/Red Sox series left this year - correct me if I'm wrong - and those always yield great baseball.
i dont think arod will go anywhere, and i dont think it would be a good move on the yanks' part if he did. he's got a decade left of great baseball to play. i hated him years ago, i hate him now, and i'll hate him in the future, but... he's still an amazing addition.
Who else could afford him?
His paycheck is equal to some teams' entire infield!
most teams would set aside other goals to acquire his contract, but pretty much any team in a major city could afford him without too much trouble. or teams beyond that, depending on the terms of his deal.
even the bankee$ are getting a bargain year after year, as texas is still responsible for a good chunk of the deal (i think its like 7 mil a year now)
most teams would set aside other goals to acquire his contract
You mean like paying the other players, paying for electricity for night games, etc...?
I'm not counting them out to be entertaining and playing hard against the Sox....they will be. I just am being realistic at some point it will be mathmatically very hard to come back. They are still a very good team in my opinion, just alot of things have gone against them this year....who knows. I will still be pulling for them. If they don't make the playoffs I will cheer for Cleveland or Detroit....the Mets in the National League.
Yanks won 8-0...they won 2-1 last night while clemens got his 350th!
Yanks debut of Edwar Ramirez was amazing.....pitched a 1-2-3 9th striking out all 3 batters he faced.
Yanks just went up 7-5 in the 8th on Matsui's Homer!
Mariano made it interesting but the Yanks won 7-6 and took 3 out of 4 from the Twins!
LA Angels 2, NY Yankees 1, 13 innings
Preview - Box Score - Recap
By MIKE FITZPATRICK, AP Baseball Writer
July 7, 2007
AP - Jul 7, 8:17 pm EDT
NEW YORK (AP) -- Roger Clemens pitched like a young ace on Old-Timers' Day at Yankee Stadium. His teammates were the ones who looked worn out.
Fill-in first baseman Miguel Cairo made two errors on one play in the 13th inning, allowing the Los Angeles Angels to edge the New York Yankees 2-1 on Saturday after a spirited pitchers' duel between Clemens and All-Star John Lackey.
"We just pitched extraordinary baseball today for 13 innings against a terrific lineup -- and that's really the story," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.
Cairo, used as a part-time first baseman this year because of various Yankees injuries, made three of New York's five errors -- its most in nearly five years.
"I take pride in defense and today I let my team down. I didn't do my job," he said.
Cairo singled in the bottom of the 13th and reached third with one out, but Francisco Rodriguez (2-2) struck out Melky Cabrera and retired Derek Jeter on a close forceout with runners at the corners.
Fittingly, Clemens was in top form on Old-Timers' Day at Yankee Stadium. The Rocket, who will turn 45 next month, was older than five of the former players in attendance, including first-timer Paul O'Neill.
Clemens went pitch-for-pitch with Lackey, who matched his career high with 11 strikeouts. Both pitchers left after eight innings with the score tied at 1.
"You'd think that runs were going to be few today, just the way their guy was working. He was working extremely fast," Clemens said. "It was just a good ballgame.
The bullpens took over from there -- until the Yankees' sloppy defense finally hurt them.
Howie Kendrick doubled off Luis Vizcaino (4-2) to start the 13th before Jose Molina, who entered at catcher in the 11th, failed on two attempts to bunt the runner over.
Molina stayed alive -- throwing his bat to foul off one pitch -- and hit a grounder to the right of Cairo. He made a diving stop, fumbled the ball and then rushed an errant toss behind Vizcaino.
The ball rolled all the way to New York's dugout, allowing Kendrick to score. Cairo was charged with two errors on the play -- he also botched a grounder in the 10th.
"I've got to make that play," Cairo said.
The last time the Yankees made five errors was in a 16-inning loss to Oakland on Aug. 9, 2002, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
"We made a miscue or two, and there at the end it cost us," Clemens said.
Bobby Abreu hit an early RBI double for the Yankees (41-43), who were trying to reach .500 for the first time since after a loss in San Francisco on June 23. Cabrera struck out five times, four against Lackey.
The AL West-leading Angels won for the fourth time in 11 games following a 7-1 stretch. They finished 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position and haven't homered in their last six games.
Angels reliever Scot Shields pitched three innings for the first time since Sept. 16, 2004, at Seattle. He hasn't allowed a run in his last 18 outings covering 23 innings.
Clemens looked plenty spry, sliding to the dirt after covering first on a groundout in the fourth and jumping for a comebacker to start an inning-ending double play in the fifth. The seven-time Cy Young Award winner pumped his fist after Reggie Willits was caught stealing on a pitchout to end the sixth, thanks to a terrific tag by second baseman Robinson Cano.
Clemens allowed one run in eight innings for the second time in five days -- he beat Minnesota for his 350th win on Monday night. The right-hander held Los Angeles to five hits, walking one and striking out three.
"People talk about his age, but when he goes out there he's just a competitor," Rodriguez said. "He showed again he's one of the best in the major leagues."
A trainer and pitching coach Ron Guidry visited the mound to check on Clemens after he fanned Casey Kotchman to start the eighth, but the pitcher finished the inning.
While Clemens used his diving splitter to generate groundouts, Lackey was baffling the Yankees with big curveballs. He did not walk a batter and tied his strikeout high set on Sept. 28, 2006, against Oakland.
"We went toe-to-toe. He pitched good and I had it going on a little bit," Lackey said. "It kind of feels like a playoff game every time you pitch here, and that's fun."
Lackey is 7-0 with a 1.96 ERA in his last eight starts on the road. He gave up a leadoff double to Jorge Posada in the seventh, but struck out the next two batters and picked off Posada at second base. An excited Lackey then charged off the mound, clapping his bare hand into his glove.
Hideki Matsui doubled in the second and scored on a ground-rule double by Abreu. The Angels tied it in the third when Garret Anderson doubled and scored on a groundout by Jeff Mathis, his first RBI this season.
Notes
Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez, nursing a strained left hamstring, said he will play in the All-Star game on Tuesday. ... It was the longest game of the season for the Angels. ... Mariano Rivera pitched two shutout innings for New York.
if the angel werent in my division i would be laughing...
oh what the hell?
BWAAAA HAHAHAHAHA
Yanks are winning 12-0 right now in the rubber match.
all of this money has assured the bankee$ a shot at 500%
the critics were right!
They'll be fine....they will have a chance to make the playoffs in the second half. I hope they go after Texeira.....and not give anything good for him.
all of this money has assured the bankee$ a shot at 500%
the critics were right!
They misuse their money more than the govmint!
They'll be fine....they will have a chance to make the playoffs in the second half. I hope they go after Texeira.....and not give anything good for him.
i also think they'll be fine. and while im pretty sure they're going to make some big moves (and frustratingly give up some big talent) i really think they're a solid enough team right now to remain unchanged.
they have their issues, and yankee owners/fans are impatient. but cano, abreu, and damon could pop out of their funk at any time. if their numbers even approached their efforts last year, they'd easily make up the gap towards first.
Yanks won last night 7-3!
Yanks took 3 out of 4 from the DRays and made up a a game on the Sox and the supe duper second half pitcher Josh Beckett!
Now 4 games against Toronto in NY.
Yanks took 3 out of 4 from the DRays and made up a a game on the Sox and the supe duper second half pitcher Josh Beckett!
Now 4 games against Toronto in NY.
The Yankees took THREE games fron the DEVIL RAYS and only gained ONE game on the Red Sox? And you're proud of that?
Yeah, it's been a long season for you so far, hasn't it? By the way, kudos to Mussina for fighting the urge to cry when he didn't get that borderline call from the ump. Big pussy.
It's tough to argue against the Blob!
Yanks won again last night.....7 back from the wild card.
gotta nice streak goin now.
damon and abreu continue to really, really struggle. i think they're each having the worst years of their career (odd, since they both really had their best season last year). any step forward they take is immediately followed by 20 backward. they'll each have a good game, then go 0-50 in their next series.
damon is batting under 240 right now. when you have a 240 hitter batting leadoff, you're almost automatically putting yourself in 1-out inning. abreu is surrounded by good hitters, but damon's spot has too much pressure on him and on the rest of the team. i think he could use a few days dropped down to 8 or 9, as the torre-special "surrogate" leadoff hitter, and bring melky up to leadoff for a while, until things look nicer
they won again last night! beat the Jays 6-1 .....we are now 7 back from Boston and 5 or 6 from the wild card....I think 6....either way....it's just a matter of time now till we overtake all of them.
How are the A's doing?
the A's are 1-9 in their last 10 games played.....
Julian Tavarez is the face of the struggling Red Sox. He is 0-4 with a 7.71 ERA in his last five starts.
Surely the Red Sox will romp tonight over the White Sox...surely they will.
Tonight Josh Beckett pitches for the Red Sox and he has been coronated as the best pitcher in baseball by many sportswriters this year.....and we all know he always performs best in the second half of the season *snicker* so surely he will pitch a gem tonight.
And for the White Sox, Jose Contreras is pitching tonight and as we all know he is having a bad year and has never pitched great against the Red Sox.....so surely he will get creamed tonight......surely he will leave the game in shame.
the A's are 1-9 in their last 10 games played.....
Surely the Red Sox will romp tonight over the White Sox...surely they will.
Tonight Josh Beckett pitches for the Red Sox and he has been coronated as the best pitcher in baseball by many sportswriters this year.....and we all know he always performs best in the second half of the season *snicker* so surely he will pitch a gem tonight.
And for the White Sox, Jose Contreras is pitching tonight and as we all know he is having a bad year and has never pitched great against the Red Sox.....so surely he will get creamed tonight......surely he will leave the game in shame.
I don't know which I hate more: the fact that a few players on my fantasy team (Willis and Andruw Jones, for example) are fucking KILLING my season, the fact that the Red Sox are shitting the proverbial bed this month and losing series to teams they should be sweeping (Royals...argh!)...or PJP.
please pick PJP!
besides.....I'm saying they're gonna win tonight!
surely they'll win!
I hate you. I hate you more than having Andruw Jones or Reggie Willits playing centerfield for my fantasy team.
Julian Tavarez is the face of the struggling Red Sox. He is 0-4 with a 7.71 ERA in his last five starts.
the day the Yanks signed Clemens, Schilling was writing in his blog that he would rather have Tavarez on his team instead of Clemens.
I can't find anything, but I'll ask anyways: Did Chris Oakley come here and talk up the Red Sox while slamming the Yankees while I was sleeping or just away from these boards? Cuz I can't think of any other reason for the current state of both teams.
Admit it, PJP: Oakley is a Yankees fan that you and Rob planted up here just to kill any momentum the team has.
Baseball is a game of streaks.....that's the only reason.
The Yanks are getting healthy and more than likely will go ona hot streak the rerst of the year and the Sox will get out of this slump and play better too. I bet both teams win around 95 to 98 games this year and the division will be decided in the last week or two. It's up for grabs. The Sox could still win this thing very easily. But to count the Yanks out is stupid. We just need a better reliver for the 8th......Farnsworth SUCKS!
well it sure as hell isn't proctor
(proctoooooor!!!!)
they gots to use Edwar Ramirez more....he is aweshome.
i'll agree.
circle gets the square!
well then. nothing to see here.
well, that was much better.
after losing 14-4 on friday, the yanks won the double header on saturday and again today. the second game saturday was 17-5 and the sunday game was 21-4. matsui with 5 hits, duncan with 2 more homers, arod hit his 34th homer and collected his 99th rbi. abreu and cano have come to life over the past 7-10 days, as well. even damon, who didn't start, got to pinch hit and pick up a hit (though he's still below .240). 25 hits in all. a much nicer game than friday's.
over to kansas city for tomorrow night's game
they won again 9-4 last night! 4 1/2 back from the wild card!
4 1/2 back from the wild card!
You're welcome.
The best pitcher in the history of MLB second halves pitches tonight!! Go Beckett Go!
You knock that off!
don't worry....it backfired on me last time. But it's fun throwing some negative karma his way.
THE COUNTDOWN TO 95 WINS
3 games ago I was looking at the Yankees record and they were 50-46. I said to myself, "if they win 95 games at the end of the year they will put themselves in a good position to win the wild card or division. So that means they have to go 45-21 the rest of the way."
Well now 3 wins later they are 53-46 and have to go 42-21(not so hard) the rest of they way. Basically they can't lose more than 21 games or it will probably be over. But seeing how they are playing so well and getting very healthy it seems like a very real possibilty. I'm excited....we'll see.
THE COUNTDOWN TO 95 WINS
3 games ago I was looking at the Yankees record and they were 50-46. I said to myself, "if they win 95 games at the end of the year they will put themselves in a good position to win the wild card or division. So that means they have to go 45-21 the rest of the way."
Well now 3 wins later they are 53-46 and have to go 42-21(not so hard) the rest of they way. Basically they can't lose more than 21 games or it will probably be over. But seeing how they are playing so well and getting very healthy it seems like a very real possibilty. I'm excited....we'll see.
Yanks won 7-1 last night and are now 54-46 and need to go 41-21 the rest of the way. Boston lost last night to a pitcher they thought sucked last year and gave up on him.....more importantly douchebag Beckett lost and the Yanks are 6 1/2 behind the Red Sox!
Yanks won 7-1 last night and are now 54-46 and need to go 41-21 the rest of the way. Boston lost last night to a pitcher they thought sucked last year and gave up on him.....more importantly douchebag Beckett lost and the Yanks are 6 1/2 behind the Red Sox!
Actually, they had chances to get into the game. But bad baserunning (bad baserunning? On the Red Sox??? No WAY!!!
) killed them.
Cuckoo for cocoa puffs fucked up.
Blame the third base coach and Manny. As the on-deck guy, Manny should've been there to tell Coco to keep running and slide. But he was nowhere to be found.
Jacob Ellsbury would've been called safe...
we lost that 13 inning game 2 weeks agot to the Angels by 1 run....I hate losing those close games. I rather lose by blowout.
How have the A's been doing?
K-immy!
A-rod hit number 499 last night......here are 2 cool facts about the next 2 days.
• Figure this: Kansas City's starter Thursday was Jorge De La Rosa, who gave up A-Rod's 400th homer two years ago. A-Rod, who turns 32 Friday, would surpass Jimmie Foxx (32 years, 338 days) as the youngest player to reach 500 homers.
• Weird but true: If A-Rod homers Friday in Baltimore, in the resumed game that was suspended on June 28th, Wednesday's HR would become his 500th (the HR in the suspended game would be No. 493).
How have the A's been doing?
You mean the Astros? Angels? Arizona? Whuzzis now?
THE COUNTDOWN TO 95 WINS
3 games ago I was looking at the Yankees record and they were 50-46. I said to myself, "if they win 95 games at the end of the year they will put themselves in a good position to win the wild card or division. So that means they have to go 45-21 the rest of the way."
Well now 3 wins later they are 53-46 and have to go 42-21(not so hard) the rest of they way. Basically they can't lose more than 21 games or it will probably be over. But seeing how they are playing so well and getting very healthy it seems like a very real possibilty. I'm excited....we'll see.
Yanks won 7-1 last night and are now 54-46 and need to go 41-21 the rest of the way. Boston lost last night to a pitcher they thought sucked last year and gave up on him.....more importantly douchebag Beckett lost and the Yanks are 6 1/2 behind the Red Sox!
Yanks lost 7-0 last night and have to go 41-20 the rest of the way.
THE COUNTDOWN TO 95 WINS
3 games ago I was looking at the Yankees record and they were 50-46. I said to myself, "if they win 95 games at the end of the year they will put themselves in a good position to win the wild card or division. So that means they have to go 45-21 the rest of the way."
Well now 3 wins later they are 53-46 and have to go 42-21(not so hard) the rest of they way. Basically they can't lose more than 21 games or it will probably be over. But seeing how they are playing so well and getting very healthy it seems like a very real possibilty. I'm excited....we'll see.
Yanks won 7-1 last night and are now 54-46 and need to go 41-21 the rest of the way. Boston lost last night to a pitcher they thought sucked last year and gave up on him.....more importantly douchebag Beckett lost and the Yanks are 6 1/2 behind the Red Sox!
Yanks lost 7-0 last night and have to go 41-20 the rest of the way.
they went 1-2 the last 2 days againts baltimore and have to go 40-18 the rest of the way.
THE COUNTDOWN TO 95 WINS
3 games ago I was looking at the Yankees record and they were 50-46. I said to myself, "if they win 95 games at the end of the year they will put themselves in a good position to win the wild card or division. So that means they have to go 45-21 the rest of the way."
Well now 3 wins later they are 53-46 and have to go 42-21(not so hard) the rest of they way. Basically they can't lose more than 21 games or it will probably be over. But seeing how they are playing so well and getting very healthy it seems like a very real possibilty. I'm excited....we'll see.
Yanks won 7-1 last night and are now 54-46 and need to go 41-21 the rest of the way. Boston lost last night to a pitcher they thought sucked last year and gave up on him.....more importantly douchebag Beckett lost and the Yanks are 6 1/2 behind the Red Sox!
Yanks lost 7-0 last night and have to go 41-20 the rest of the way.
they went 1-2 the last 2 days againts baltimore and have to go 40-18 the rest of the way.
yanks won yesterday and now have to go 39-18 the rest of the way.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Yankees to get infielder Betemit from L.A. for reliever Proctor
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ESPN.com news services
The Dodgers and Yankees have agreed in principle on a trade that would send reliever Scott Proctor to the Dodgers for infielder Wilson Betemit, sources told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney.
The Dodgers, who have a 5.61 bullpen ERA since the All-Star break, have been in on a number of trade discussions involving relievers but zeroed in on Proctor over the last 24 hours.
The Yankees view Betemit as another first-base/DH/bench option for this year, and a potential third-base replacement for Alex Rodriguez next year.
Betemit hit .231 with 10 homers and 26 RBIs with Los Angeles, which acquired him from the Atlanta Braves in a deadline deal last season. He played mostly third base with the Dodgers but is unlikely to see much time there with Alex Rodriguez in the midst of an MVP-type season for New York.
Yankees manager Joe Torre has complained about the significant dropoff offensively from his starters to reserves, and Betemit could be the answer. The 25-year-old switch-hitter also can play shortstop and second base and is batting .320 (8-for-25) as a pinch hitter this season. He had pinch-hit homers in consecutive games at Atlanta in May.
Proctor developed into one of Torre's favorite relievers last season, going 6-4 with a 3.52 ERA in an AL-high 83 games. It was the second-most appearances by a pitcher in club history.
The excitable right-hander is 2-5 with a 3.81 ERA and four blown saves in 52 games this year. He finished off a rough June by burning some of his equipment on the field at Yankee Stadium after a loss to Oakland, and has a 2.84 ERA in July.
He gives Dodgers manager Grady Little another option to get the ball to Takashi Saito, who has converted 26 of 29 save opportunities. Los Angeles was in a virtual tie with Arizona for the NL West lead entering play Tuesday.
The Yankees were eight back of Boston in the AL East and four behind Cleveland in the wild-card race before Tuesday's games. They haven't missed the playoffs since 1994 -- when the postseason was wiped out by a strike.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
good riddance.....now get rid of douchebag Farnsworth and this will start looking more like a Yankees championship team.
Eight is Enough
By Caleb Breakey / MLB.com- The Yankees tied a franchise record with eight home runs off Chicago White Sox pitching on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium, equaling a feat set by the 1939 Bronx Bombers.
The Bombers belted eight homers en route to a 16-3 win over the White Sox, but Alex Rodriguez, who came into the game with 499 career home runs, went 0-for-5.
The accomplishment matched a club mark set in the first game of a doubleheader against the Philadelphia Athletics on June 28, 1939, when the Yankees blasted to a 23-2 victory in the opener and slugged out a 10-0 win in the nightcap. In the twin bill, Joe DiMaggio, Babe Dahlgren and Joe Gordon each homered three times.
Hideki Matsui led the way with two home runs, giving him a total of 13 long balls in July, which marks the most by any player in the Major Leagues this month.
Also finding the outfield stands were Bobby Abreu, Robinson Cano, Melky Cabrera, Johnny Damon, Shelley Duncan and Jorge Posada. Three of those bombs accounted for the early exit of White Sox starter and former Yankee Jose Contreras, who left after 2 2/3 innings after allowing eight hits and seven runs.
Mike Mussina surrendered six hits in six innings and improved to 6-7 on the season. The right-hander struck out six without walking a batter.
cano brought his batting average all the way up to 300 with today's game, which is pretty impressive. matsui has turned his season around in july, too, now batting 295 with 21 homers. abreu crept up to 275, and even damon is no longer sub 250.
THE COUNTDOWN TO 95 WINS
3 games ago I was looking at the Yankees record and they were 50-46. I said to myself, "if they win 95 games at the end of the year they will put themselves in a good position to win the wild card or division. So that means they have to go 45-21 the rest of the way."
Well now 3 wins later they are 53-46 and have to go 42-21(not so hard) the rest of they way. Basically they can't lose more than 21 games or it will probably be over. But seeing how they are playing so well and getting very healthy it seems like a very real possibilty. I'm excited....we'll see.
Yanks won 7-1 last night and are now 54-46 and need to go 41-21 the rest of the way. Boston lost last night to a pitcher they thought sucked last year and gave up on him.....more importantly douchebag Beckett lost and the Yanks are 6 1/2 behind the Red Sox!
Yanks lost 7-0 last night and have to go 41-20 the rest of the way.
they went 1-2 the last 2 days againts baltimore and have to go 40-18 the rest of the way.
yanks won yesterday and now have to go 39-18 the rest of the way.
they have to go 38-18 the rest of the way.
Are they gonna start calling him A-Roid now?
THE COUNTDOWN TO 95 WINS
3 games ago I was looking at the Yankees record and they were 50-46. I said to myself, "if they win 95 games at the end of the year they will put themselves in a good position to win the wild card or division. So that means they have to go 45-21 the rest of the way."
Well now 3 wins later they are 53-46 and have to go 42-21(not so hard) the rest of they way. Basically they can't lose more than 21 games or it will probably be over. But seeing how they are playing so well and getting very healthy it seems like a very real possibilty. I'm excited....we'll see.
Yanks won 7-1 last night and are now 54-46 and need to go 41-21 the rest of the way. Boston lost last night to a pitcher they thought sucked last year and gave up on him.....more importantly douchebag Beckett lost and the Yanks are 6 1/2 behind the Red Sox!
Yanks lost 7-0 last night and have to go 41-20 the rest of the way.
they went 1-2 the last 2 days againts baltimore and have to go 40-18 the rest of the way.
yanks won yesterday and now have to go 39-18 the rest of the way.
they have to go 38-18 the rest of the way.
yanks won 8-1 tonight and now have to go 37-18 the rest of the way.
arod still at 499, and hitless again.
but the rest of the team did really well. pettitte pitched great, jorge hit two homers, cano got another and moved up to like 305.
boston was losing, but has since moved ahead of the orioles. currenlty 5-4 in the 7th
yanks down 8-0 in the second inning. clemens didn't last 2 full. i believe he's made entirely out of garbage. the yankees certainly do buy the be$t!
... but wait, there's more!
in the
second half of the second inning, the yankees retaliated with 8 runs of their own! the full inning took over an hour.
betemit hit a 3-run homer in his first yankee at bat.
helluva game but the Yanks lost 13-9.....they have to go 37-17 the rest of the way.
A-Roid still at 499, and hitless again.
but the rest of the team did really well. pettitte pitched great, jorge hit two homers, cano got another and moved up to like 305.
boston was losing, but has since moved ahead of the orioles. currenlty 5-4 in the 7th
Fixed that for ya...
helluva game but the Yanks lost 13-9.....they have to go 37-17 the rest of the way.
yanks won their last 3 and now have to go 34-17 the rest of the way....Arod hit number 500 yesterday!
Is he a real Yankee yet, or is Jeter still vetoing?
everyone considers him a real Yankee now even frontrunning dbags in Boston who will try to sign him next year just to try AND RAISE THE PRICE FOR US.
Don't you fret. We won't sign him. We'll just let you jack up the price on yourselves and chuckle when you pay $32 million per year. Kinda like what Tom Hicks did.
helluva game but the Yanks lost 13-9.....they have to go 37-17 the rest of the way.
yanks won their last 3 and now have to go 34-17 the rest of the way....Arod hit number 500 yesterday!
Yanks beat the Blue Jays today 5-4 and now have erased a 9 1/2 game deficit in the wild card and are now gunning for Boston. They have to go 33-17 the rest of the way.
PJP has InterWeb access in Florida!
HOORAY!
helluva game but the Yanks lost 13-9.....they have to go 37-17 the rest of the way.
yanks won their last 3 and now have to go 34-17 the rest of the way....Arod hit number 500 yesterday!
Yanks beat the Blue Jays today 5-4 and now have erased a 9 1/2 game deficit in the wild card and are now gunning for Boston. They have to go 33-17 the rest of the way.
Yanks beat the scumbag piece of shit crybaby Blue jays again and now are only 5 games behind Boston! Joba Chamberlain made his debut as a reliever and pitced 2 perfect innings striking out 2 with a nasty slider and 98mph fastball. Giambi is back too! Yanks are looking good and healthy. Looking forward to playing the division leaders in 2 weeks. The blue jays are sumbag crybabies pieces of shit. Yanks have to go 32-17 the rest of the way. ....the Yanks are 20-7 since the all star break.
PJP has InterWeb access in Florida!
HOORAY!
Where was he on Monday?
The blue jays are sumbag crybabies pieces of shit.
he's right
The blue jays are sumbag crybabies pieces of shit.
he's right
No argument here.
PJP has InterWeb access in Florida!
HOORAY!
Where was he on Monday?
out to dinner.
PJP has InterWeb access in Florida!
HOORAY!
Where was he on Monday?
out to dinner.
...i missed you...
THE COUNTDOWN TO 95 WINS
3 games ago I was looking at the Yankees record and they were 50-46. I said to myself, "if they win 95 games at the end of the year they will put themselves in a good position to win the wild card or division. So that means they have to go 45-21 the rest of the way."
Well now 3 wins later they are 53-46 and have to go 42-21(not so hard) the rest of they way. Basically they can't lose more than 21 games or it will probably be over. But seeing how they are playing so well and getting very healthy it seems like a very real possibilty. I'm excited....we'll see.
Yanks lost tonight to scumbag Toronto and have to go 32-16 the rest of the way. Yanks are now 63-51 but Boston looks like they might lose tonight to the Angels.
THE COUNTDOWN TO 95 WINS
3 games ago I was looking at the Yankees record and they were 50-46. I said to myself, "if they win 95 games at the end of the year they will put themselves in a good position to win the wild card or division. So that means they have to go 45-21 the rest of the way."
Well now 3 wins later they are 53-46 and have to go 42-21(not so hard) the rest of they way. Basically they can't lose more than 21 games or it will probably be over. But seeing how they are playing so well and getting very healthy it seems like a very real possibilty. I'm excited....we'll see.
Yanks lost tonight to scumbag Toronto and have to go 32-16 the rest of the way. Yanks are now 63-51 but Boston looks like they might lose tonight to the Angels.
Thank you.
THE COUNTDOWN TO 95 WINS
3 games ago I was looking at the Yankees record and they were 50-46. I said to myself, "if they win 95 games at the end of the year they will put themselves in a good position to win the wild card or division. So that means they have to go 45-21 the rest of the way."
Well now 3 wins later they are 53-46 and have to go 42-21(not so hard) the rest of they way. Basically they can't lose more than 21 games or it will probably be over. But seeing how they are playing so well and getting very healthy it seems like a very real possibilty. I'm excited....we'll see.
Yanks lost tonight to scumbag Toronto and have to go 32-16 the rest of the way. Yanks are now 63-51 but Boston looks like shit.
Boston lost to Baltimore tonight and better still the Yanks beat the Indians 6-1 riding a dominant pitching performance by Phil Hughes and now the Yanks have to go 31-16 the rest of the way.
THE COUNTDOWN TO 95 WINS
3 games ago I was looking at the Yankees record and they were 50-46. I said to myself, "if they win 95 games at the end of the year they will put themselves in a good position to win the wild card or division. So that means they have to go 45-21 the rest of the way."
Well now 3 wins later they are 53-46 and have to go 42-21(not so hard) the rest of they way. Basically they can't lose more than 21 games or it will probably be over. But seeing how they are playing so well and getting very healthy it seems like a very real possibilty. I'm excited....we'll see.
Yanks lost tonight to scumbag Toronto and have to go 32-16 the rest of the way. Yanks are now 63-51 but Boston looks like shit.
Boston lost to Baltimore tonight and better still the Yanks beat the Indians 6-1 riding a dominant pitching performance by Phil Hughes and now the Yanks have to go 31-16 the rest of the way.
Yanks won big again against the Indians 11-2....Moose pitched great and Arod hit 2 homers while Giambi hit 1 as a pinch hitter.....Yanks need to go 30-16 the rest of the way.
yanks are now 5 games back in the east (ea$t?) and tied for first in the wildcard race. every starter gotta hit tonight. damon is almost up to 260. abreu is up to 285, and cabrera has cracked 300.
i was a little nervous with giambi returning to the lineup. i'm always worried that returning players (particularly big names) are gonna screw up momentum -- especially with the yankees doing as well as they have been lately. clearly, it didn't turn out too bad.
THE COUNTDOWN TO 95 WINS
3 games ago I was looking at the Yankees record and they were 50-46. I said to myself, "if they win 95 games at the end of the year they will put themselves in a good position to win the wild card or division. So that means they have to go 45-21 the rest of the way."
Well now 3 wins later they are 53-46 and have to go 42-21(not so hard) the rest of they way. Basically they can't lose more than 21 games or it will probably be over. But seeing how they are playing so well and getting very healthy it seems like a very real possibilty. I'm excited....we'll see.
Yanks lost tonight to scumbag Toronto and have to go 32-16 the rest of the way. Yanks are now 63-51 but Boston looks like shit.
Boston lost to Baltimore tonight and better still the Yanks beat the Indians 6-1 riding a dominant pitching performance by Phil Hughes and now the Yanks have to go 31-16 the rest of the way.
Yanks won big again against the Indians 11-2....Moose pitched great and Arod hit 2 homers while Giambi hit 1 as a pinch hitter.....Yanks need to go 30-16 the rest of the way.
Yanks swept the Indians by winning 5-3 and are now JUST 4 GAMES BEHIND BOSTON!!!!! Pettite pitched great and Mariano looked good too plus Giambi homered for the second day in a row in just his second game back! Yanks need to go 29-16 the rest of the way.
THE COUNTDOWN TO 95 WINS
3 games ago I was looking at the Yankees record and they were 50-46. I said to myself, "if they win 95 games at the end of the year they will put themselves in a good position to win the wild card or division. So that means they have to go 45-21 the rest of the way."
Well now 3 wins later they are 53-46 and have to go 42-21(not so hard) the rest of they way. Basically they can't lose more than 21 games or it will probably be over. But seeing how they are playing so well and getting very healthy it seems like a very real possibilty. I'm excited....we'll see.
Yanks lost tonight to scumbag Toronto and have to go 32-16 the rest of the way. Yanks are now 63-51 but Boston looks like shit.
Boston lost to Baltimore tonight and better still the Yanks beat the Indians 6-1 riding a dominant pitching performance by Phil Hughes and now the Yanks have to go 31-16 the rest of the way.
Yanks won big again against the Indians 11-2....Moose pitched great and Arod hit 2 homers while Giambi hit 1 as a pinch hitter.....Yanks need to go 30-16 the rest of the way.
Yanks swept the Indians by winning 5-3 and are now JUST 4 GAMES BEHIND BOSTON!!!!! Pettite pitched great and Mariano looked good too plus Giambi homered for the second day in a row in just his second game back! Yanks need to go 29-16 the rest of the way.
Yanks won yesterday but lost today to baltimore and need to go 28-15 the rest of the way.
THE COUNTDOWN TO 95 WINS
3 games ago I was looking at the Yankees record and they were 50-46. I said to myself, "if they win 95 games at the end of the year they will put themselves in a good position to win the wild card or division. So that means they have to go 45-21 the rest of the way."
Well now 3 wins later they are 53-46 and have to go 42-21(not so hard) the rest of they way. Basically they can't lose more than 21 games or it will probably be over. But seeing how they are playing so well and getting very healthy it seems like a very real possibilty. I'm excited....we'll see.
Yanks lost tonight to scumbag Toronto and have to go 32-16 the rest of the way. Yanks are now 63-51 but Boston looks like shit.
Boston lost to Baltimore tonight and better still the Yanks beat the Indians 6-1 riding a dominant pitching performance by Phil Hughes and now the Yanks have to go 31-16 the rest of the way.
Yanks won big again against the Indians 11-2....Moose pitched great and Arod hit 2 homers while Giambi hit 1 as a pinch hitter.....Yanks need to go 30-16 the rest of the way.
Yanks swept the Indians by winning 5-3 and are now JUST 4 GAMES BEHIND BOSTON!!!!! Pettite pitched great and Mariano looked good too plus Giambi homered for the second day in a row in just his second game back! Yanks need to go 29-16 the rest of the way.
Yanks won yesterday but lost today to baltimore and need to go 28-15 the rest of the way.
Yanks lost wed and thurs but won last night and need to go 27-13 the rest of the way.
[quote=PJP][quote=PJP][quote=PJP][quote=PJP][quote=PJP][quote=PJP] THE COUNTDOWN TO 95 WINS
3 games ago I was looking at the Yankees record and they were 50-46. I said to myself, "if they win 95 games at the end of the year they will put themselves in a good position to win the wild card or division. So that means they have to go 45-21 the rest of the way."
Well now 3 wins later they are 53-46 and have to go 42-21(not so hard) the rest of they way. Basically they can't lose more than 21 games or it will probably be over. But seeing how they are playing so well and getting very healthy it seems like a very real possibilty. I'm excited....we'll see.
Yanks won yesterday and need to go 26-13 the rest of the way.
pjp is right, i checked.
the yanks are currently 5 in back of the bosox, and 0.5 back for the wildcard.
26-13 is about the same pace they have been at since the all-star game -- actually a little lighter -- so its certainly within reason.
rea$on.
yank$ won again today and bo$ton lo$t, $o they're only four game$ back now.
damon went 3-for-4 with a homer and brought his average up to 262. still a ways to go, but much better. chamberlin struck out 2 in a one-inning appearance. yanks head out to LA for tomorrow night.
[quote=PJP][quote=PJP][quote=PJP][quote=PJP][quote=PJP][quote=PJP] THE COUNTDOWN TO 95 WINS
3 games ago I was looking at the Yankees record and they were 50-46. I said to myself, "if they win 95 games at the end of the year they will put themselves in a good position to win the wild card or division. So that means they have to go 45-21 the rest of the way."
Well now 3 wins later they are 53-46 and have to go 42-21(not so hard) the rest of they way. Basically they can't lose more than 21 games or it will probably be over. But seeing how they are playing so well and getting very healthy it seems like a very real possibilty. I'm excited....we'll see.
Yanks won yesterday and need to go 26-13 the rest of the way.
Like Rob said...the Yanks won yesterday. They dominated Detroit and won 3 out of 4. They need to go 25-13 the rest of the way.
[quote=PJP][quote=PJP][quote=PJP][quote=PJP][quote=PJP][quote=PJP] THE COUNTDOWN TO 95 WINS
3 games ago I was looking at the Yankees record and they were 50-46. I said to myself, "if they win 95 games at the end of the year they will put themselves in a good position to win the wild card or division. So that means they have to go 45-21 the rest of the way."
Well now 3 wins later they are 53-46 and have to go 42-21(not so hard) the rest of they way. Basically they can't lose more than 21 games or it will probably be over. But seeing how they are playing so well and getting very healthy it seems like a very real possibilty. I'm excited....we'll see.
Yanks won yesterday and need to go 26-13 the rest of the way.
Like Rob said...the Yanks won yesterday. They dominated Detroit and won 3 out of 4. They need to go 25-13 the rest of the way.
Yanks lost a tough one to the Angels last night 7-6 in 10 innings.....they have to go 25-12 the rest of the way.
tough loss, but at least it was competitive. since the break, they've at least been able to make most games close, like they actually have fight in them. arod homered and jorge homered, which was nice. damon went 1-for-5 -- i still really wish they'd switch him and cabrerra in the lineup (desptie going 0-for-3 himself last night).
at least it was competitive.
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/65243
Well-played, Onion. The Marshfield reference is a nice touch.
[quote=PJP][quote=PJP][quote=PJP][quote=PJP][quote=PJP][quote=PJP] THE COUNTDOWN TO 95 WINS
3 games ago I was looking at the Yankees record and they were 50-46. I said to myself, "if they win 95 games at the end of the year they will put themselves in a good position to win the wild card or division. So that means they have to go 45-21 the rest of the way."
Well now 3 wins later they are 53-46 and have to go 42-21(not so hard) the rest of they way. Basically they can't lose more than 21 games or it will probably be over. But seeing how they are playing so well and getting very healthy it seems like a very real possibilty. I'm excited....we'll see.
Yanks won yesterday and need to go 26-13 the rest of the way.
Like Rob said...the Yanks won yesterday. They dominated Detroit and won 3 out of 4. They need to go 25-13 the rest of the way.
Yanks lost a tough one to the Angels last night 7-6 in 10 innings.....they have to go 25-12 the rest of the way.
Yanks got creamed (thanks mussina) last night and need to go 25-11 the rest of the way.
[quote=PJP][quote=PJP][quote=PJP][quote=PJP][quote=PJP][quote=PJP] THE COUNTDOWN TO 95 WINS
3 games ago I was looking at the Yankees record and they were 50-46. I said to myself, "if they win 95 games at the end of the year they will put themselves in a good position to win the wild card or division. So that means they have to go 45-21 the rest of the way."
Well now 3 wins later they are 53-46 and have to go 42-21(not so hard) the rest of they way. Basically they can't lose more than 21 games or it will probably be over. But seeing how they are playing so well and getting very healthy it seems like a very real possibilty. I'm excited....we'll see.
Yanks won yesterday and need to go 26-13 the rest of the way.
Like Rob said...the Yanks won yesterday. They dominated Detroit and won 3 out of 4. They need to go 25-13 the rest of the way.
Yanks lost a tough one to the Angels last night 7-6 in 10 innings.....they have to go 25-12 the rest of the way.
Yanks got creamed (thanks mussina) last night and need to go 25-11 the rest of the way.
Yanks won last night and need to go 24-11 the rest of the way.
[quote=PJP][quote=PJP][quote=PJP][quote=PJP][quote=PJP][quote=PJP] THE COUNTDOWN TO 95 WINS
3 games ago I was looking at the Yankees record and they were 50-46. I said to myself, "if they win 95 games at the end of the year they will put themselves in a good position to win the wild card or division. So that means they have to go 45-21 the rest of the way."
Well now 3 wins later they are 53-46 and have to go 42-21(not so hard) the rest of they way. Basically they can't lose more than 21 games or it will probably be over. But seeing how they are playing so well and getting very healthy it seems like a very real possibilty. I'm excited....we'll see.
Yanks won yesterday and need to go 26-13 the rest of the way.
Like Rob said...the Yanks won yesterday. They dominated Detroit and won 3 out of 4. They need to go 25-13 the rest of the way.
Yanks lost a tough one to the Angels last night 7-6 in 10 innings.....they have to go 25-12 the rest of the way.
Yanks got creamed (thanks mussina) last night and need to go 25-11 the rest of the way.
Yanks won last night and need to go 24-11 the rest of the way.
Yanks lost last night in 11 innings and need to go 24-10 the rest of the way.
Yanks won last night and need to go 23-10 the rest of the way.
Has anyone seen Rob lately?
Yanks lost the last 2 and need to go 23-8 the rest of the way. They play Boston tonight and need to take at least 2.
Yankees drop Mussina from rotation, youngster Kennedy to start Saturday
By MIKE FITZPATRICK, AP Baseball Writer- Mike Mussina is out. Call up another kid.
The New York Yankees dropped a struggling Mussina from their rotation Tuesday, turning to touted prospect Ian Kennedy over a pitcher with 247 major league wins -- in the middle of a pennant race.
Bold move. But not out of character for the Yankees lately.
Kennedy, who spent most of last year playing college ball at USC, will be called up from the minors to start in Mussina's place Saturday against last-place Tampa Bay. He'll join a pitching staff that already features rookies Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain and Edwar Ramirez in key roles.
Not long ago, the big-budget Yankees always seemed to favor experienced veterans over unproven talent. Now, they're hanging their playoff hopes on a pack of young arms -- and the 38-year-old Mussina has been shoved aside.
"He was disappointed, naturally. This was very difficult for me," manager Joe Torre said. "We have relied on him every year since he's been here."
Following three terrible starts in a row by Mussina, Torre told the five-time All-Star he'll be passed over when his next turn in the rotation comes up. The right-hander declined to comment Tuesday night as he left the clubhouse after a 5-3 victory over Boston that pulled New York closer in the playoff chase.
The Yankees won the series opener behind stopper Andy Pettitte, and 45-year-old Roger Clemens gets the ball Wednesday night against his original team. Josh Beckett, seeking his 17th win, will be on the mound for Boston.
The Yankees are one game behind Seattle, the AL wild-card leader, and seven back of the first-place Red Sox in the AL East. But as the Bronx Bombers get set for the September stretch drive, Chien-Ming Wang is the only pitcher left from last year's rotation.
Because of injuries and ineffectiveness, rookie pitchers have started 41 games for the Yankees this season. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, that's the most for the club since rookies started 54 times in 1991 on a team that finished 20 games below .500.
Plus, three relatively green hitters have become regulars in the 2007 lineup: Robinson Cano, Melky Cabrera and Andy Phillips.
Kennedy, a first-round draft pick last year, relies on good control. He will be called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he was 1-1 with a 2.08 ERA in six starts.
"He's got great mound presence," said Chamberlain, the hard-throwing relief sensation who called Kennedy his best friend. "He understands how to pitch and how to get outs. He's going to come up and do a great job. It's going to be exciting to see."
Kennedy, a 22-year-old right-hander who began the season in Class-A, pitched last Saturday for Scranton. How long he stays in the Yankees' rotation will depend on how well he performs.
Torre didn't say whether he would consider using Mussina out of the bullpen. The manager said he told his former ace: "`Keep doing what you're doing. Keep doing your work. Keep doing your throwing so you don't lose that, the arm strength part of it."'
Cerebral and finicky, Mussina was the team's top starter not long ago, but he has faded fast. After going 15-7 with a 3.51 ERA last season, he is 8-10 with a 5.53 ERA this year. He has a 17.69 ERA in his past three starts, struggling with velocity and control.
Before the game, Torre said he wanted to speak with Mussina about his recent slump before making a decision. He said the pitcher "earned that conversation" because of "who he is and what he's done."
"I just want to hear how he feels, and from there we'll talk about what we're going to do," Torre said before the game.
"Some conversations are difficult to have," he added. "I hope he makes it easy on me."
Mussina's last three starts have been particularly alarming. He has allowed 19 earned runs in 9 2-3 innings spanning two outings against the hard-hitting Detroit Tigers and one against the Los Angeles Angels.
Before this slide, Mussina won four straight starts -- giving up eight runs in all -- and improved to 8-7.
Does he simply need a breather, or is he washed up? The latter is what Yankees fans are afraid of, especially since Mussina has a year remaining on his $23 million, two-year contract.
"I know he's probably looked at some video to see if there's anything with his mechanics," Torre said. "He's obviously at times trying to make more perfect pitches than he's probably capable of making."
Mussina and Torre have both said they think the right-hander has more productivity left, but the Yankees decided they couldn't afford to wait for him to find his form.
His latest flop, three ineffective innings Monday night in a 16-0 loss at Detroit, dropped Mussina to 0-7 following Yankees losses this year. It also left him visibly dejected. Mussina said he would "understand" if Torre went with another pitcher next time through the rotation.
"You like to be loyal to all your players. But loyalty to all 25 comes before loyalty to any individual," Torre said.
Yanks beat the Sox and need to go 22-8 the rest of the way.
It's amazing what you can do with a AAA team and enough $$$!
I love this team....it's like '96 all over again. Bunch of young guys with proven veterans. If I were the Red Sox I would hope the Yanks don't get the wild card. Anything goes in the playoffs.
It's amazing what you can do with a AAA team and enough $$$!
Just be glad there's a salary cap in other sports...teams like Green Bay and Tampa Bay would be the farm teams of the NFL...
unfortunately, spending maniacs like the ny jets continue to dominate the face of the game with their unfair advantage$
unfortunately, spending maniacs like the ny jets continue to dominate the face of the game with their unfair advantage$
Spending maniacs?
They didn't outspend several teams in 2005...
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=clayton_john&id=2004973 15.9 million under as of March 2... Some teams spent more here... I really don't see how getting outspent makes the Jets spending maniacs? There is a strict salary cap in place in the NFL; it's not like the Jets (Yankees) can spend 200 million dollars on players, while the Jaguars (Royals) can only muster 32 million because they play in a small market...
http://asp.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/salaries/teamresults.aspx?team=16New York Jets
Year Median salary Total Payroll
2006 $ 757,740 $ 86,145,839
2005 $ 513,465 $ 79,346,324
2004 $ 663,800 $ 93,866,236
2003 $ 655,000 $ 69,209,828
2002 $ 660,000 $ 84,739,364
2001 $ 751,173 $ 69,980,467
2000 $ 540,700 $ 53,250,400
Kansas City Chiefs
Year Median salary Total Payroll
2006 $ 710,000 $ 81,748,009
2005 $ 780,030 $ 83,390,185 - 3
2004 $ 788,700 $ 84,617,626
2003 $ 705,000 $ 77,394,073 - 2
2002 $ 552,520 $ 71,456,693
2001 $ 576,720 $ 59,800,143
2000 $ 505,650 $ 56,337,200 - 1
Looks like small market Kansas City outspent the Jets 3 years out of 7...I think the Royals once had a big spending year and put together an infield that matched Payrod's yearly salary.
these are all excellent point$
i forget how to make the cent sign. but if i remembered, i woulda done that here.
thanks, ¢aptain $ammitch!
Torre didn't say whether he would consider using Mussina out of the bullpen. The manager said he told his former ace: "`Keep doing what you're doing. Keep doing your work. Keep doing your throwing so you don't lose that, the arm strength part of it."
that has since changed:
Mike Mussina: Won't be Used Out of Bullpen
RotoWire.com Staff - RotoWire.com- Updating a previous note, Mussina will not be available out of the bullpen says manager Joe Torre, the New York Times reports.
Mussina has never once appeared out of the pen, and it will stay that way according to Torre. “We’ll skip the one start and we’ll see what we see,” Torre said. “We’ll look at it and we’ll make an evaluation.” The idea is for Mussina to work out the kinks so that he is ready to start again down the stretch in September.
Thanks, Chris Oakley. You cunt.
Yanks beat the Sox and need to go 22-8 the rest of the way.
Yanks won again last night and need to go 21-8 the rest of the way.
they're up 2-0 now, on two cano homers
joe, whatcha think is the deal with manny? good to rest him, or should he push to play?
they're up 2-0 now, on two cano homers
joe, whatcha think is the deal with manny? good to rest him, or should he push to play?
Manny is notorious for shutting himself down, so my first instinct is to get him out there. On the other hand, he's been a good soldier all season. I'd say rest him through the weekend and see what happens. I think him needing 10 days is bullshit, though.
We shoulda made the deal for Dye. We could've found playing time for him.
he definitely seems like a whiner. but im fine with him taking a few days off, even in this series, since the bosox are still so many games up.
however, yeah, 10 seems retarded.
Yanks beat the Sox and need to go 22-8 the rest of the way.
Yanks won again last night and need to go 21-8 the rest of the way.
Yanks just won 5-0 and swept the Red Sox! They are 5 games back behind Boston and need to go 20-8 the rest of the way.
game just ended, yanks won 5-0. jimmy wang pitched great as usual. joba came in during the 9th, but was ejected. can't really tell why since i'm only "watchin" via the MLB site.
yanks really needed to sweep this series. taking 2 outta 3 simply wasn't good enough, as it only gains a single game. they really played well the whole time, too, with everyone pitching in at random points. not bad.
they ejected Joba 'cause he threw over Youkilis' head twice. meanwhile years ago in every Red Sox game jeter got hit and they never threw anyone out.
they didn't even warn Joba.....it was kind of fucked up. But seeing how we won who really gives a shit.
were pitchers previously warned? or was someone else hit? that doesn't make any sense to throw a guy out after no warning, and no contact.
nobody was warned an no one was hit.....even Youkilis was puzzled as to why they yhrew Joba out. It made no sense. Basically the ump fucked up.....but they never go back and say I fucked up and reverse calls in baseball.
they're scumbags, those ump$
Ever since they first started cracking down on throwing inside (pussies), most of the time umps have issued a warning after the first HBP (unless it was very obviously malicious and/or caused injury) and ejected everyone who plunks a batter after that point, unless it was very obviously a pitch that really did get away from them. And that really isn't that hard for me to believe anymore.
More and more guys are trying to cultivate harder sliders and bigger slurves after seeing the success those quicker breaking balls have brought to guys like Roy Oswalt or more recently Daisuke Matsuzaka, but not everyone has the chops to keep said pitches under control. Many a B-list or below righty has hit lefty pull hitters (who frequently crowd the plate just a little to get ahold of stuff away), and vice versa, because they haven't spent enough of their bullpen sessions on breaking balls to iron out their mechanics. There's milliseconds of timing and infinitesimal nuances of muscle memory involved in painting the corner, and a lot of the time you'll see tired starters or cold relievers just lose track of their release point.
Anyway, it's really easy to jump the gun (ESPECIALLY with BoSox/Yankee$) and assume every HBP or near-miss is intentional, but it isn't always. Pitching is always at a premium in baseball, and a lot of guys who get called up are under so much pressure to perform that they sometimes throw pitches they haven't polished enough to use at this level yet. It's easy to think that your favorite player on your favorite team was plunked intentionally or thrown at intentionally, and sometimes umps jump to the same conclusion. Just my two cents.
they're scumbags, those ump$
Yeah, there should have been a warning - but there wasn't. And there wasn't any contact. If he was trying to hit or buzz Youkilis, Joba seems to have some definite control issues that he should try to iron out in his next bullpen session. But it's just as likely that he wasn't, and that the ump blew the call. In fact, I'm leaning toward the latter.
Yanks beat the Sox and need to go 22-8 the rest of the way.
Yanks won again last night and need to go 21-8 the rest of the way.
Yanks just won 5-0 and swept the Red Sox! They are 5 games back behind Boston and need to go 20-8 the rest of the way.
Yanks of course had a let down while playing a shitty team and lost to Tampa Bay last night and need to go 20-7 the rest of the way.
at least the bosox lost. but, yeah, the yankees should be winning against the rays -- particularly after coming off of a sweep-high . today's game was much better.
today's game was much better.
I concur.
at least the bosox lost. but, yeah, the yankees should be winning against the rays -- particularly after coming off of a sweep-high . today's game was much better.
Yanks won yesterday and need to go 19-7 the rest of the way.
Yanks lost to the Rays again and need to go 19-6 the rest of the way.
Yanks lost to Seattle today and need to go 19-5 the rest of the way.
Oakley says no way can they do it.
very depressing losses lately.
they're playing quite poorly.
Thanks for stating the obvious.
I like it when you post here, I don't have to think.
Yanks lost to Seattle today and need to go 19-5 the rest of the way.
Yanks won yesterday and need to go 18-5 the rest of the way.
won again today to go up 3 in the wildcard race. back to 6 behind the (scumbag, pieces of shit) bosox.
aroid (thats not bad) hit two homers in the seventh inning
Yanks lost to Seattle today and need to go 19-5 the rest of the way.
Yanks won yesterday and need to go 18-5 the rest of the way.
Yanks won and need to go 17-5 the rest of the way.
Yanks beat KC yesterday 3-2 and need to go 16-5 the rest of the way.
A-Rod hits historic 50th home run
By Conor Nicholl - Alex Rodriguez hit his 50th homer of the season and the 514th of his career off Royals rookie Brian Bannister in the fourth inning on Saturday night at Kauffman Stadium.
Rodriguez blasted a 3-1 Bannister pitch to straightaway center field for a two-run shot that gave New York a 4-0 lead. It appeared that Royals center fielder Joey Gathright might have a play on the ball, but it cleared the center field fence by a few feet. The homer, measured at 416 feet, was Rodriguez's fifth homer in his last four games and the seventh in his past 10.
The homer was Rodriguez's 48th as a third baseman. The blast broke his own American League record, set in 2005, for homers by an AL third baseman and tied the Major League record for homers by a third baseman in a single season. Mike Schmidt hit 48 in 1980 with the Phillies, and Adrian Beltre tied the mark in 2004 with the Dodgers.
A-Rod became the third Yankees player in team history to hit 50 homers in a single season. Roger Maris, 61 in 1961, and Mickey Mantle, 54 in 1961 and 52 in 1956, are the only other Yankees to hit 50 in a season.
The two RBIs extended Rodriguez's Major League lead to 137. He is the only player in the Majors with more than 42 homers this season. This marks the third time that A-Rod has hit 50 homers in one year. He hit 52 in 2001 and 57 in 2002 with the Texas Rangers.
A-Rod became the third Yankees player in team history to hit 50 homers in a single season. Roger Maris, 61 in 1961, and Mickey Mantle, 54 in 1961 and 52 in 1956, are the only other Yankees to hit 50 in a season.
...um...
No, I don't think they were juicers.
roger maris hit 50 one more time ...and died!
anyway, the reason i found this retarded
Arod, Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle are the only Yankees to hit 50 in a season.
is because they forgot babe ruth. difficult, i know. he's only the most famous ball player of all time, and he only hit 50 or more 4 times. still.
Yanks beat KC yesterday 3-2 and need to go 16-5 the rest of the way.
Yanks won last night and need to go 15-5 to win the division!
Yanks won today and need to go 14-5 the rest of the way.
in a real civil war, i'm with pjp
in a real civil war, i'm with pjp
me too!
Red Sox lost last night!
Yanks won last night and need to go 13-5 the rest of the way.
Yanks won last night and need to go 12-5 the rest of the way....they got Toronto tonight and then 3 against the Red Sox. This week will determine once and for all who wins the division.
The Yankees are 40-19 since the All-Star break, the best record in the major leagues.
Yanks lost a heartbreaker last night 2-1 to the Jays.....Kennedy pitched a great game though. Yanks need to go 12-4 the rest of the way.
Yanks were losing 7-2 to the Red Sox last night in the 8th inning and all looked lost.....not quite.* The Yanks came back to win 8-7 and did it against the biggest piece of shit in baseball Papelbon. Yanks need to go 11-4 the rest of the way. The magic number is 11.
* on a side note, last night was the greatest night of my life.
yes....but I was kind of kidding.
Yanks lost to scumbag piece of shit Beckett today and need to go 11-3 the rest of the way. It's a shame about Youkilis.
Joe Mama was happy to see the Yankees' Wang get beat like that...
* on a side note, tonight was the greatest night of joe's life?
Friday's game was a fucking travesty and a solid reason why Francona doesn't need a contract extension yet. Total fucking mismanagement of the pitching staff - Joe Torre - that Guinea piece of shit, Jimmy Durante lookalike - laughs at Francona's ability to handle pitching.
Saturday's game was enjoyable. At least, until that scumbag gook Wang hit Youkilis. I'm glad the ump didn't throw him out of the game - that would've been a mercy - but he should get a fucking long suspension. Good to see that Charlie was able to do the job that Joba Chamberlain - scumbag piece of shit in training (aka "real Yankee") - couldn't. But in the end, it didn't matter. The Red Sox bludgeoned the Yankees, Beckett stood up for his team by plunking that paragon of sports integrity, "'Roid Rage" Giambi, and Posada got run over by Hinske and then couldn't make a play at home on our rookie, Jacoby Ellsbury.
Fuck the Yankees right in their asses. And fuck their scumbag fans*:
*
* I realized that this thread has been kinda lagging lately, as has most of the discussion about REAL sports. So I'm making up for lost time. Much love to PJP, Rob, and penetration for Harley. Hope this post doesn't go too far overboard. Poice!
that'll do Dave.....that'll do.
I feel better. Like I actually contributed.
http://bostonherald.com/news/regional/general/view.bg?articleid=1031894Yankee’s prank strikes out
By Jason Millman
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Griffin Whitman, a 10-year-old Red Sox fan from Swampscott, was excited to attend his first Yankees vs. Red Sox game Friday night. The young autograph -collector was even more thrilled to score Yankees outfielder Shelley Duncan’s signature before the game. That is, until Griffin read the message from the 27-year-old rookie: “Red Sox suck! Shelley Duncan.”
“It was cool to get his autograph,” Griffin said. “It didn’t make me feel happy when he wrote that.”
Griffin’s mother, Karen, blasted the Yankees slugger’s bad manners.
“This is someone who wears the Yankee uniform and is on the payroll and should be setting an example for 10-year-olds,” she said.
Duncan, son of St. Louis Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan, has become a fan favorite in the Bronx for hitting mammoth home runs since he was called up from the minors in July.
Yesterday afternoon, a Yankee spokesman declined to comment until he got a chance to speak to Duncan.
Stay classy, Yankees.
only a jackass redsox fan would want a shelley duncan autograph
only a jackass redsox fan would want a shelley duncan autograph
Or a 10-year-old attending his first game. Stay classy, Yankees fans.
Yanks won a thriller and basically proved this weekend that they can beat the Red Sox anytime anywhere. Even if we don't win the division(which we will) we have the psycological edge. Okajima and Papelbon are our little bitches. Yanks need to go 10-3 the rest of the way. Our magic number is 10.
only a jackass redsox fan would want a shelley duncan autograph
Or a 10-year-old attending his first game. Stay classy, Yankees fans.
a dreamy goal is scoring scrub autographs? shoot for the stars, jackass bosox fanss!
only a jackass redsox fan would want a shelley duncan autograph
Or a 10-year-old attending his first game. Stay classy, Yankees fans.
a dreamy goal is scoring scrub autographs? shoot for the stars, jackass bosox fanss!
Joe, the Yankees' fans
do have class, silly. Besides, you're just using this non-story to deflect from what happened last night...
Speaking of which, the last two innings were awesome. Jeter's homer was sweet, though I admit that in the 9th with bases loaded and Big Papi at bat I was nervous as all get out... intense game.
only a jackass redsox fan would want a shelley duncan autograph
Or a 10-year-old attending his first game. Stay classy, Yankees fans.
a dreamy goal is scoring scrub autographs? shoot for the stars, jackass bosox fanss!
Joe, the Yankees' fans
do have class, silly. Besides, you're just using this non-story to deflect from what happened last night...
Not really. My point is simply that Shelly Duncan joins Slanty Gook Wang as just another scumbag, piece-of-shit Yankee.
only a jackass redsox fan would want a shelley duncan autograph
Or a 10-year-old attending his first game. Stay classy, Yankees fans.
a dreamy goal is scoring scrub autographs? shoot for the stars, jackass bosox fanss!
Joe, the Yankees' fans
do have class, silly. Besides, you're just using this non-story to deflect from what happened last night...
Not really. My point is simply that Shelly Duncan joins Slanty Gook Wang as just another scumbag, piece-of-shit Yankee.
"Slanty Gook Wang"?
WTF is wrong with you? Or is this just an example of Red Sox "class"?
boston lost tonight and yanks are a few outs away from winning, which'd put the race at 3.5 games.
also, reports are coming in that several bosox fans were turned away in tears when trying to get yankees head trainer gene monahan to autograph a few baseballs
Rob is defending a Yankee no matter what?
Color me surprised.
everything is about color with you, jla
Yanks won a thriller and basically proved this weekend that they can beat the Red Sox anytime anywhere. Even if we don't win the division(which we will) we have the psycological edge. Okajima and Papelbon are our little bitches. Yanks need to go 10-3 the rest of the way. Our magic number is 10.
Yanks won Red Sox lost! We are now the closest to them we've been since April 22! 1978! Yanks need to go 9-3 the rest of the way!
only a jackass redsox fan would want a shelley duncan autograph
Or a 10-year-old attending his first game. Stay classy, Yankees fans.
a dreamy goal is scoring scrub autographs? shoot for the stars, jackass bosox fanss!
Joe, the Yankees' fans
do have class, silly. Besides, you're just using this non-story to deflect from what happened last night...
Not really. My point is simply that Shelly Duncan joins Slanty Gook Wang as just another scumbag, piece-of-shit Yankee.
"Slanty Gook Wang"?
WTF is wrong with you? Or is this just an example of Red Sox "class"?
PJP said:
To me, falling apart means the starters(star players) are going out there and getting shelled and beat to shit. That has hardly been the case. In some cases the vetrans haven't pitched well, but the reason they have lost games is injuries.....and that too shall pass. The offense didn't look so great this weekend against the Sox. Also Beckett started out great last year too and ended up falling apart.....injuries had nothing to do with it. Beckett also got rocked against the Yanks, and he was just lucky to win the game. He ain't that good.
i dunno. i think the yankees
definitely had the stink of pitching doom on them thus far this season. that doesn't mean i think it'll stay that way -- in fact, i see them winning the east again. however, their pitching has really taken a hit in these first few weeks.
injury after injury has hurt the starters. they've been bringing in n00bs and wearing out the bullpen. pitching injuries really compile and end up affecting the entire rotation and, clearly, the win/loss record -- especially to the magnitude the yankees have been hit this year.
but, as peejus said, its best for this to be happening in april/may and not august/september. its also impressive that, with all the pitching disaster, they're still doing quite well and have found a few surprises in the bunch.
Tell you what, let's give it 2 weeks and see how our teams are doing on Wednesday May 16. Instead of panicking cause Papelbon blew an easy save last night.
Papelbon blew another save against the Yanks and I believe he blew 2 last year......he's real good when it counts.
PJP said:
To me, falling apart means the starters(star players) are going out there and getting shelled and beat to shit. That has hardly been the case. In some cases the vetrans haven't pitched well, but the reason they have lost games is injuries.....and that too shall pass. The offense didn't look so great this weekend against the Sox. Also Beckett started out great last year too and ended up falling apart.....injuries had nothing to do with it. Beckett also got rocked against the Yanks, and he was just lucky to win the game. He ain't that good.
i dunno. i think the yankees
definitely had the stink of pitching doom on them thus far this season. that doesn't mean i think it'll stay that way -- in fact, i see them winning the east again. however, their pitching has really taken a hit in these first few weeks.
injury after injury has hurt the starters. they've been bringing in n00bs and wearing out the bullpen. pitching injuries really compile and end up affecting the entire rotation and, clearly, the win/loss record -- especially to the magnitude the yankees have been hit this year.
but, as peejus said, its best for this to be happening in april/may and not august/september. its also impressive that, with all the pitching disaster, they're still doing quite well and have found a few surprises in the bunch.
i agree with me and pjp
Red Sox just lost to the Jays again....Elsbury and Gagne choked.......Red Sox are looking real good. Good things they stayed healthy in April and May and played so great dueing the beginning of the season.
oh and the Yanks are heading to the ninth and are 3 outs away from a 12-0 win. Yanks need to go 8-3 the rest of the way.
I wish Detroit was playing better so when the Yanks win the AL East the Red Sox would get shut out of the playoffs!
wanking and crying!
only a jackass redsox fan would want a shelley duncan autograph
Or a 10-year-old attending his first game. Stay classy, Yankees fans.
a dreamy goal is scoring scrub autographs? shoot for the stars, jackass bosox fanss!
Joe, the Yankees' fans
do have class, silly. Besides, you're just using this non-story to deflect from what happened last night...
Not really. My point is simply that Shelly Duncan joins Slanty Gook Wang as just another scumbag, piece-of-shit Yankee.
"Slanty Gook Wang"?
WTF is wrong with you? Or is this just an example of Red Sox "class"?
I see it, but I don't see what you were trying to prove with that point.
I suppose that the LOL emoticon didn't give away that I was kidding ...
I wish Detroit was playing better so when the Yanks win the AL East the Red Sox would get shut out of the playoffs!
wanking and crying!
only a jackass redsox fan would want a shelley duncan autograph
Or a 10-year-old attending his first game. Stay classy, Yankees fans.
a dreamy goal is scoring scrub autographs? shoot for the stars, jackass bosox fanss!
Joe, the Yankees' fans
do have class, silly. Besides, you're just using this non-story to deflect from what happened last night...
Not really. My point is simply that Shelly Duncan joins Slanty Gook Wang as just another scumbag, piece-of-shit Yankee.
"Slanty Gook Wang"?
WTF is wrong with you? Or is this just an example of Red Sox "class"?
I see it, but I don't see what you were trying to prove with that point.
I suppose that the LOL emoticon didn't give away that I was kidding ...
I caught the joke, sweetie, but you deserved a response. Dammit, your posts should NEVER go unanswered!
yay!
Oh, and
I wish Detroit was playing better so when the Yanks win the AL East the Red Sox would get shut out of the playoffs!
wanking and crying!
Fuck! The Tigers lost again just a few moments ago which means it will be that much harder for them to catch Boston and snatch the Wild Card away from them. Oh and Maglio Ordonez struck out to end the game......MVP my ass.
Fuck! The Tigers lost again just a few moments ago which means it will be that much harder for them to catch Boston and snatch the Wild Card away from them. Oh and Maglio Ordonez struck out to end the game......MVP...
IN MY ASS!!!
Fixed your post for you, buddy!
speaking of collapsing teams, have you seen the NL east lately? the mets have asploded in the past 3 weeks. philly could march forward and steal the spotlight, with relative ease.
Today must be opposite day in Boston. On the day JD Drew actually got a hit (a homerun no less) the entire Red Sox offense decided to not show up. Red Sox are losing 2-1 in the ninth against the Jays.
my mistake......it was stil the bottom of the eighth and Russ Adams hit a grand slam against Jonathan (I talk to much for someone who has never won shit) Papaelbon who is proving to be a real gem down the stretch. 6-1 Jays!
Yanks just beat the Orioles 2-1 and need to go 7-3 the rest of the way. We are 1 1/2 games behind the Boston (choking worse than 1978) Red Sox.
I have a feeling the Red Sox are going to get swept by Tampa Bay this weekend. At the very least take 2 out of 3. But swept is more likely.
I hope you just didn't pull an Oakley.
I have been saying all year long in this thread that the Yanks are a very good team and have a chance to win the division, league and world series. I also have been saying how overrated anddouchey the Red Sox are. So far so good.
Yes, I know - and they are and hopefully they will. And "yes" to the second point too. However, the joke was that everytime Oakley says the Yanks will get swept they don't, so that's what I was joking about.
I'm the anti-Oakley! Haven't you been paying attention all these years!
now he wants to punch you in the ass!
That would be teh HOTT...
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/21/sports/baseball/21chass.html?_r=1&ref=baseball&oref=sloginSeptember 21, 2007
On Baseball
Feeling More Like ’78, With a Bit Less Pressure
By MURRAY CHASS
Now can we talk about 1978?
I ask that question of the Red Sox fan who several weeks ago wrote in an e-mail message, after I had dared invoke 1978 in a column, that 1978 had nothing to do with this season and anyway this wasn’t going to be a repeat of that eventful year.
Well, maybe not exactly. In 1978, the Yankees overtook the Red Sox on Sept. 13, the 19th day before the end of the season, and slipped back into a tie for first with the Red Sox on the last day of the season. A one-game playoff ensued. (Can you say Bucky Dent?)
The earliest the Yankees can supplant the Red Sox in first place this season is tomorrow, the ninth day before the end of the season.
But who, as recently as a week ago, would have thought that even that statement would have been possible? The Red Sox were five and a half games ahead of the Yankees and seemingly in control of the American League East race.
They had fought off Yankees threats in the first few weeks of August, when the Yankees narrowed their deficit to four games from eight, and there didn’t seem to be much time for the Yankees to mount another threat.
Back on May 29, the Red Sox built their biggest lead over the Yankees, 14 ½ games, half a game larger than Boston’s biggest lead over the Yankees in 1978. But on the first three days of June, the Yankees won two of three games at Fenway Park, a warmup to a nine-game winning streak that slashed Boston’s lead to seven and a half games.
I wrote during that streak that if the Yankees continued lopping games off Boston’s lead at that same rate, they would overtake the Red Sox by July 4.
Obviously, I was premature. But lopping off games at a rapid rate is precisely what the Yankees have done this week, five and a half games down to one and a half in four days. The spurt has Red Sox fans reeling.
“The mood is suicidal,” a fan from Maine said in an e-mail message yesterday. “The Yanks are going to win the division.”
Another Maine fan wrote: “I am in a bad mood, I’m tired and I’m angry. Too long a season, too many series with the Yankees, too much trick or treat with these Red Sox.”
A woman from Boston said there was “lots and lots of disappointment,” adding: “Something happened to this team in the last two weeks. It’s almost like they don’t want to win.”
A Boston lawyer said he listened to Red Sox games and asked: “Why am I doing this? This is a waste of time. I know the Sox will blow it at the end and the Yanks will win. And every night lately that premonition comes true.”
He added, “There truly is a foreboding sense that this is the arrival of the inevitable collapse and that they are gagging like they did in ’78.”
Ah yes, the unmentionable 1978. The lawyer was only 9 years old in 1978, so he didn’t feel the full agony of the collapse. He’s feeling it now.
“There is definitely the overriding sense that this race is over, the Yankees will win the division and the proper world order will be restored,” he wrote.
Another lawyer, this one a Red Sox fan in New York, expressed that view about 10 days ago, perhaps anticipating the Red Sox’ collapse.
But he also adopted a defensive position — arguing that all that really mattered was getting into the playoffs and that in that regard, Boston was still in good shape.
He wrote, “To me there is no independent importance to winning a crown before the real crown.”
But the Boston lawyer rejected that view: “People are already saying, as long as they get into the tournament, anything can happen. But I and we all know in the deepest and truest parts of our brains that if the Sox and Yanks meet up in the playoffs, the Sox will get their butts kicked because they have been treated by the Yanks lately as the bully might treat the puny punk on the corner.”
Still, there is that big difference between this season and 1978. In 1978, it was finish first or go home. Now the Red Sox have a safety net, the wild card.
Their won-lost record is seven games better than Detroit’s. Any combination of Boston victories and Detroit losses totaling three would, if nothing else, clinch the wild-card playoff spot for the Red Sox.
It’s also possible that the Red Sox could watch the Yankees overtake them but still have the last laugh. If the Red Sox were to take the wild card and the Cleveland Indians finished with a better record than the Los Angeles Angels, the Yankees’ first-round opponent would be the Angels, the team they least want to play.
The Yankees won all six of their games with the Indians this season, but lost 6 of 9 to the Angels. The Red Sox were 5-2 against the Indians, 6-4 against the Angels.
Unlike 1978, a first-place tie between Boston and the Yankees would not be played off. Assuming the Tigers are out of it, the Yankees and the Red Sox would be assured of a spot in the playoffs. And just as in 2005, the Yankees would be declared the division champions because they won the season series with the Red Sox, 10 games to 8, to the dismay of all New England.
Yanks lost a tough one yesterday and need to go 7-2 the rest of the way. Really they only need to win 5 games but I 'd like to see them get to 95 wins.
Yanks won yesterday and need to go 6-2 the rest of the way to win 95 games.....their magic number to clinch a playoff spot is 3. Sorry Brad Lee and jafabian.
Yanks won tonight and need to go 5-2 the rest of the way to win 95 games. Also, those scumbag pieces of shit RedSox lost tonight, so the Yankees are only one game behind in the loss column... until later this week when the RedSox will continue their pathetic crumble into second place..
that's pretty much what I was going to say today! Good job Boss!
Yanks won tonight and need to go 5-2 the rest of the way to win 95 games. Also, those scumbag pieces of shit RedSox lost tonight, so the Yankees are only one game behind in the loss column... until later this week when the RedSox will continue their pathetic crumble into second place..
Yanks lost a day game today and need to go 5-1 the rest of the way. Magic number to clinch a playoff spot is 2. Today's paper said that once they clinch the rest of the way they will be resting people. If they happen to catch Boston great and if not no biggie. If they finish tied the Yanks win the division since the Yanks hold the tiebreaker beating them in the season series 10-8.
Yanks clinched a playoff spot last night.....the young guys seemed to have alot of fun with it. It was very gratifying for the yankees and their fans. One of their best seasons ever. Looking forward to winning a world series as the Wild Card!
props where props are due. I hate you bastards but you pulled through.
thanks......now let's hope for the best. anything can happen in the playoffs....look at last year's champs.
thanks......now let's hope for the best. anything can happen in the playoffs....look at last year's chumps.
fixed that for ya...
Stick a fork in Clemens, he's done.
Hey we should sticky this thread and frontpage it again!
good luck to trying to buy the championship next year.
(without torre)
they don't need to buy one.....the young guys are great. Future looks good for the Yanks. and as for Torre, I won't miss him. That stupid fuck cost us this series alon g with the bugs. He stayed with Wang too long in Game 1 and should never have started him last night.....and then even after he started him he should have taken him out after the first inning when it was clear to everyone that Wang just didn't have it. it's time for him to go. I prefer Girardi over Msttingly but it looks like we will get Donnie Baseball as manager which should be fun.
DONNIE B!
So are you going to watch any more of the playoffs?
of course....I always do even if the Yanks aren't in it. I love baseball.
they don't need to buy one.....the young guys are great. Future looks good for the Yanks. and as for Torre, I won't miss him. That stupid fuck cost us this series alon g with the bugs. He stayed with Wang too long in Game 1 and should never have started him last night.....and then even after he started him he should have taken him out after the first inning when it was clear to everyone that Wang just didn't have it. it's time for him to go. I prefer Girardi over Msttingly but it looks like we will get Donnie Baseball as manager which should be fun.
Well said, PJP.
of course....I always do even if the Yanks aren't in it. I love baseball.
That's why we thank GOD for the dood!
maybe the yanks'll bring willie back?
either way, t'was a disappointing finale to a season that really picked up steam in the second half. sadly, money proved itself invincible again, as the extravogant cleveland indians outbid the yanks and purchased themselves another round of playoffs. the proof just keeps on proofing!
but, like the peejus said, i was happy to see the yanks rely a lot of the youth this season. cano, cmw, melky, chamberlin, etc. if they could just work out a few bugs here n'there, they'd be in really great shape.
clemens was a mistake. greatest pitcher of all time? very likely. but he's old and he's spoiled and he just doesn't have what he used to, primarly versus AL batters. his huge salary and pampered stay are exactly the kinda thing the yanks should shed.
giambi is done. he's a waste defensively and inconsistant at best offensively. he's too expensive for the little output he provides. i'm not a huge fan of manko...chevitz, so i'm hoping phillips can have a nice off season, and the yanks can ship off JG.
as for the fate of arod and/or torre?
arod wasn't too great in the post season, tis true. but, truthfully, the entire team hasn't been good offensively in the post season for the past few seasons. i still hate the guy, but i'd like to see the yanks keep him around -- if for any reason, the thought of bringing the all-time HR leader back to the pintstripes. ...then again, if the fucker wants to bump up his 25 mil to 30+ a season (which he very well could after his production) it might be time to punch him in the throat.
torre is a good manager. a dozen some-odd consecutive post-season runs, dealing with 14 starters, and six number 3 hitters, etc, to the point where every player loves playing for him. but, all that said, i think its becoming clearer and clearer that this respect has evolved a little into complacancy. like there's nothing more to prove, and no extra effort shown. maybe a new face would spark something -- moreso an attempt at a shakeup versus a demerit.
"as the extravogant cleveland indians outbid the yanks and purchased themselves another round of playoffs. the proof just keeps on proofing!"
This further shows the incompetence of the organization. To waste that kind of a competitive advantage should embarrass anyone involved with the Bankees...
yes, you can't fight proof!
Proof that they were rolled up by a team with a fraction of their payroll?
It is a lot like Michigan losing to that I-AA team a few weeks back. Having every advantage possible and still losing must feel pretty bad right about now...
appalachian state
poor michigan
yes, you can't fight poof!
Proof that they were rolled up by a team with a fraction of their payroll?
right. which would, again, disprove your spending=winning theory. as we have seen year after year.
I never claimed it ($pending = World Championships) was a written in stone, absolute fact of life.
I've always claimed it is an unfair competitive advantage.
and you've held on to this argument for years now, even as spending teams such as the yankees have been unable to defeat non-spending teams such as the indians.
when you are unable to prove theories, you often note that the theories are wrong. scientists such as uschi will be able to help you with this in the future.
It is not a theory, it is a fact. The Yankees and other big market teams have an advantage in terms of payroll. They are in a better position to sign big name free agents and to keep their own players. If they piss away the blantant advantage that they have, it is their own fault for mismanaging their cas...ca$h.
This can not be refuted.
You seem to think that I equate this with guaranteed championships or something. There are no guarantees that the big market teams will always use this advantage the right way. But it is an advantage just the same.
If I play 5 other people in poker, and I start with two Aces every time, I have a competitive advantage. It doesn't mean that I'm going to win every hand, but I surely have a better shot than the schmuck who starts off with a 4 and a 9...
the poker game is not a fair analogy. not a complete analogy, anyway. starting a poker game with two high cards will always guarantee you an advantage. having a higher payroll actually offers teams just as much potential advantage as it does disadvantage. it is much more of a gamble in sports than it is in ... well, gambling.
teams do not pay player salaries for the upcomong season(s). rather, you pay salaries based on the previous season(s). you're not paying for a center fielder who hits .350, you're paying for a center fielder who did hit 350 in the past.
arod's 54 homers in 2007 could have him opting out of the yankees and in to, say, the mets for $50 million a year in 2008. but, in 2008, he could have 20 homers. he could be sick. he could have some sorta "relocation adjustment." he could get into a car accident and not play at all. he could get into a fight with new-teammate jose reyes, and their angst-filled love could cause them both to suffer and drop their stats.
but, no matter what, the mets are out $50 million a year. that money is gone. there is no built in "high-card" aspect. in fact, contractually speaking, they have the exact opposite. the mets now have lost money, lost opportunity, and lost value, and there's nothing to undo that.
the variable that you keep adding of "smart spending" and/or "mismanagement" is based almost entirely on retrospect, hindsight, and opinion, and is thus impossible to track, predict, or guarantee.
was clemens a good pick up mid-season? now, its clear he was not. he had a 4+ era, 11+ in the post season, and was pitching .500 ball. that is a huge yankees loss. you would now note that pickup as "poor spending." however, he could have just as easily had a season like the three prior, with a 1 or 2+ ERA, and dominated in the playoffs. in that case, it would have been a huge yankees win. you would then have noted the pickup as "an unfair advantage."
in retrospect, the 25 mil to clemens could have been spent on 6 young pitchers, with 14 wins between them and a communal 3 ERA. that marginal improvement could have carried the yankees further in the season, and been better financially. or, all of these younger pitchers could have had a terrible 9+ ERA. you never know until they p(l)ay.
the "unfair advantage" 2007 yankees finished a game or two out of first this season. that same team, with the same payroll, was hovering towards last place and below 500% at mid-season. the two season halves could have easily been swapped.
the fact that all of these samples can go either way (and more-so the bad way for the yankees in the past few years) shows that the salary guarantees you nothing.
Proof that they were rolled up by a team with a fraction of their payroll?
It is a lot like Michigan losing to that I-AA team a few weeks back. Having every advantage possible and still losing must feel pretty bad right about now...
who is your favorite team? why hate the Yankees so much?
appalachian state
poor michigan
teehee!
Proof that they were rolled up by a team with a fraction of their payroll?
It is a lot like Michigan losing to that I-AA team a few weeks back. Having every advantage possible and still losing must feel pretty bad right about now...
who is your favorite team? why hate the Yankees so much?
I don't like baseball (at least I haven't in years and years) and I don't hate the Yankees.
I just don't understand why anyone would consider it a major accomplishment to win a championship or make the playoffs when you enter every season with a loaded roster.
It's just like seeing teams like Florida State, Flordia, Ohio State, Michigan, and USC field teams that contend for the National Title every year. Their fans get arrogant and go on and on about how great they are, but so what? Those programs are able to offer more free rides than Northeastern Alaska Tech.
I was going to leave this thread alone until Rob forced me to rehash this argument for the 532,000th time...
the poker game is not a fair analogy. not a complete analogy, anyway. starting a poker game with two high cards will always guarantee you an advantage. having a higher payroll actually offers teams just as much potential advantage as it does disadvantage. it is much more of a gamble in sports than it is in ... well, gambling.
teams do not pay player salaries for the upcomong season(s). rather, you pay salaries based on the previous season(s). you're not paying for a center fielder who hits .350, you're paying for a center fielder who did hit 350 in the past.
arod's 54 homers in 2007 could have him opting out of the yankees and in to, say, the mets for $50 million a year in 2008. but, in 2008, he could have 20 homers. he could be sick. he could have some sorta "relocation adjustment." he could get into a car accident and not play at all. he could get into a fight with new-teammate jose reyes, and their angst-filled love could cause them both to suffer and drop their stats.
but, no matter what, the mets are out $50 million a year. that money is gone. there is no built in "high-card" aspect. in fact, contractually speaking, they have the exact opposite. the mets now have lost money, lost opportunity, and lost value, and there's nothing to undo that.
the variable that you keep adding of "smart spending" and/or "mismanagement" is based almost entirely on retrospect, hindsight, and opinion, and is thus impossible to track, predict, or guarantee.
was clemens a good pick up mid-season? now, its clear he was not. he had a 4+ era, 11+ in the post season, and was pitching .500 ball. that is a huge yankees loss. you would now note that pickup as "poor spending." however, he could have just as easily had a season like the three prior, with a 1 or 2+ ERA, and dominated in the playoffs. in that case, it would have been a huge yankees win. you would then have noted the pickup as "an unfair advantage."
in retrospect, the 25 mil to clemens could have been spent on 6 young pitchers, with 14 wins between them and a communal 3 ERA. that marginal improvement could have carried the yankees further in the season, and been better financially. or, all of these younger pitchers could have had a terrible 9+ ERA. you never know until they p(l)ay.
the "unfair advantage" 2007 yankees finished a game or two out of first this season. that same team, with the same payroll, was hovering towards last place and below 500% at mid-season. the two season halves could have easily been swapped.
the fact that all of these samples can go either way (and more-so the bad way for the yankees in the past few years) shows that the salary guarantees you nothing.
Steinbrenner just announced that the team will operate under a 40 million dollar budget next year, and give 150 million to the Royals so they can compete.
What's your thoughts on that?
im thinkin i wish i had quick access to that fancy barry sanders picture to help illustrate your response.
wouldn't the conversation go much smoother if you first acknowledge and respond to points addressed to you, before ignoring them and starting your own?
the poker game is not a fair analogy. not a complete analogy, anyway. starting a poker game with two high cards will always guarantee you an advantage. having a higher payroll actually offers teams just as much potential advantage as it does disadvantage. it is much more of a gamble in sports than it is in ... well, gambling.
Having extra money to sign
proven stars like A-Rod, John Wetteland, Jimmy Key, David Cone, etc, etc, etc is not nearly as big of a gamble as it is to put that money into an unproven kid out of high school or college.
Those guys, and every other big name free agent has proved they have the ability to produce at the major league level. This is not the case with a farm project, who may take years to develop, and who may never get there. That what makes the project a project.
And that's the advantage to signing a free agent...
teams do not pay player salaries for the upcomong season(s). rather, you pay salaries based on the previous season(s). you're not paying for a center fielder who hits .350, you're paying for a center fielder who did hit 350 in the past.
Of course teams pay for upcoming seasons...if that center fielder hit .350 on a scrub team, any GM will sign the guy, because he has proven that he can hit .350 at the major league level. And for a good team, he may do even better if he has someone good batting behind him.
On the other hand, 18 year old Joe Smith, a great prospect straight out of high school, hasn't done anything professionally. Who would you rather give the money to? The CF is 25 by the way, and you want to compete for a championship right now. If the proven star flames out for you, you can always eat the loss and reload next year, just like you reload every year.
arod's 54 homers in 2007 could have him opting out of the yankees and in to, say, the mets for $50 million a year in 2008. but, in 2008, he could have 20 homers. he could be sick. he could have some sorta "relocation adjustment." he could get into a car accident and not play at all. he could get into a fight with new-teammate jose reyes, and their angst-filled love could cause them both to suffer and drop their stats.
but, no matter what, the mets are out $50 million a year. that money is gone. there is no built in "high-card" aspect. in fact, contractually speaking, they have the exact opposite. the mets now have lost money, lost opportunity, and lost value, and there's nothing to undo that.
That same scenario could happen to prospects like, I don't know, Don Peters, Dave Zancanaro, Kirk Dressendorfer, and Todd Van Poppel. Disappointing seasons and careers aren't limited to free agents...granted none of those flops made A-Rod money, but even in your scenario, there are other things to consider:
Signing A-Rod would boost attendance. It would get people talking. More Mets jerseys and other junk would sell. They wouldn't be out 50 million...they'd still lose their ass on the deal, but it wouldn't be a total loss. And A-Rod could still turn it around, since he has proven talent. What could a bust out rookie like Brien Taylor do, since he doesn't have the talent to begin with?
the variable that you keep adding of "smart spending" and/or "mismanagement" is based almost entirely on retrospect, hindsight, and opinion, and is thus impossible to track, predict, or guarantee.
That's why I never use the term guarantee. It's an advantage.
was clemens a good pick up mid-season? now, its clear he was not. he had a 4+ era, 11+ in the post season, and was pitching .500 ball. that is a huge yankees loss. you would now note that pickup as "poor spending." however, he could have just as easily had a season like the three prior, with a 1 or 2+ ERA, and dominated in the playoffs. in that case, it would have been a huge yankees win. you would then have noted the pickup as "an unfair advantage."
Giving 25 million to a 45 year old, washed-up, selfish prick like Clemens is the definition of mismanagement.
in retrospect, the 25 mil to clemens could have been spent on 6 young pitchers, with 14 wins between them and a communal 3 ERA.
that marginal improvement could have carried the yankees further in the season, and been better financially. or, all of these younger pitchers could have had a terrible 9+ ERA. you never know until they p(l)ay.
Right. But the smart money is on the guys who have done it before.
the "unfair advantage" 2007 yankees finished a game or two out of first this season. that same team, with the same payroll, was hovering towards last place and below 500% at mid-season. the two season halves could have easily been swapped.
the fact that all of these samples can go either way (and more-so the bad way for the yankees in the past few years) shows that the salary guarantees you nothing.
"The bad way"? Just because they don't win the World Series every year it is a bad year?
The thing you gloss over is things like the Clemens deal. 25 million for one asshole. Imagine if a small market team tried that...they'd have to cut half the roster...then they would really be screwed. The Yankees have the ability to shrug it off, and reload for next year.
It would take years and years for a small market team to recover, since they would have to field Tony the janitor, and Mike the hot dog guy to play the infield, since they had to trade away all of their talent to accomodate one guy.
I guarantee it.
Having extra money to sign proven stars like A-Rod, John Wetteland, Jimmy Key, David Cone, etc, etc, etc is not nearly as big of a gamble as it is to put that money into an unproven kid out of high school or college. Those guys, and every other big name free agent has proved they have the ability to produce at the major league level. This is not the case with a farm project
putting big money on
anyone is a gamble. always. it is quite often worse to put "all your eggs" in stars, a methodology that many teams embrace. you have pointed out dozens of unsuccesful yankee acquisitions over the years as a rib. hell, i could point out 10 for every 1 you could. simply going through the current roster, you'll notice a good deal. all of them were lost gambles.
all you've ever noted is the rosey possibility stars provide and/or the drastic comparison to a mediocre farm player. i implore you to acknowledge the mirrored reverse, where the star tanks and/or the farm player succeeds. or just note how fantastically different the negative impact either failure leaves in its wake: if a younger player falters, he can be moved around or replaced or absolved with out much fanfare. if a star falters, or even simply does not live up to expected performance, the gap is devastating for the status quo and the wallet.
the yankees had a major losing gamble on their free agent japanese import, igawa. conversely, joba chamberlain steps up out of the farm and dominates. at first base, jason giambi faltered or flat out didn't play. phillips, mientkiewicz, and phelps filled in more than adequately for fractions of the cost.
this year was truly noteworthy of this contrast -- the 2007 yankees, one of the highest spending teams in the history of the universe, was filled with failing stars and dynamo youths. if 200 mil was spent on the team, more than half of that was on the bench, with another 20% that should have been.
and thats not "shrug off" level losses
Of course teams pay for upcoming seasons...if that center fielder hit .350 on a scrub team, any GM will sign the guy, because he has proven that he can hit .350 at the major league level. And for a good team, he may do even better if he has someone good batting behind him.
thats thinking about sports in an extremely limited way. if a center fielder has a stellar season, there's absolutely no guarantee that season will repeat. this is shown time and time again, on the yankees, on other teams, in other sports, etc. peaks and valleys and variances and outside interference and injuries and a million other variables constantly come into play to illustrated how simplistic that view is.
you can't list the amount of failed superstars just the yankees have gone through in the past 3 years, then follow with your above statement.
On the other hand, 18 year old Joe Smith, a great prospect straight out of high school, hasn't done anything professionally. Who would you rather give the money to? The CF is 25 by the way, and you want to compete for a championship right now.
well, you don't pay the prospect what you pay the star, which is a huge point. lets say the star gets $15 million, and the prospect gets $1 million. now fast forward to the end of the year stats, where the star hit .335 with 38 homers and the prospect hit .275 with 15 homers.
if you knew those numbers before the year played, would the extra $14 million be worth the statistical difference? and that says nothing of the added, intangible baggage of ego, expectation, resistance, and pampering that come with the star, versus the prospect who is willing to bunt, dive, run out grounders, listen and learn.
now lets imagine they both have awful years, where the prospect is dropped back down to the minors, and the star is the one who goes .275 with 15 homers. is it more hurtful to lose $1 million on a player you didn't expect much from, or $15 million on a player you were counting on?
If the proven star flames out for you, you can always eat the loss and reload next year, just like you reload every year.
taint funny money, my friend.
these is real dollars floating away. steinbrenner is a billionaire, so maybe he doesn't flinch too much at the loss of $15 million on a failed star. but 4 failed stars at $60 mil, not at all a stretch after quick roster review, and it adds up damn quick.
a local paper actually listed the cost spent between today and the last yankees ring in 2000. we're talkin 9-10 figures, before decimal point, with no additional jewlery to show for it.
all spending money guarantees is money spent.
Signing A-Rod would boost attendance. It would get people talking. More Mets jerseys and other junk would sell. They wouldn't be out 50 million...they'd still lose their ass on the deal, but it wouldn't be a total loss.
valid points. though, yankees and mets set attendance records lately with or without arod on the team right now, so they're not in terrible shape. however, that does show that a failed arod season would only show losses, since he's not fillin any additional seats.
a better example might be arod during his texas days, where he was a boon and a super-duper star on a last place team. one who put up phenomenal MVP numbers, i might add. he definitely sold seats, and definitely made an impact on incoming revenue. but his maintenance costs were disgustingly high, and texas felt they could get more outta 5 (or 10) lesser players with that arod money. middle-range stars, scouted young talent, whatever.
they've done better every year since.
And A-Rod could still turn it around, since he has proven talent. What could a bust out rookie like Brien Taylor do, since he doesn't have the talent to begin with?
he could turn it around. there's no guarantee, and there are tons of examples, but i'll allow the point and say he does get great again. money lost still equates money lost. and if that means "eating" $20 mil for an off year, thats a shitload to stomach.
(and lets not forget how much money and time was dropped on stupid brien taylor!!)
Giving 25 million to a 45 year old, washed-up, selfish prick like Clemens is the definition of mismanagement.
yeah, after he's had a bad year, thats easy to say. this is exactly the "failed star" scenario pointed out above.
the year before, roger's ERA was 2.30. in '05 it was a
league-leading 1.87.
1! did he get washed up between the ages of 44 and 45? if the yankees had made a deal to get clemens in 2006, you would change your reaction from "mismanagement" to a "yankees advantage", would you not?
Right. But the smart money is on the guys who have done it before.
you can't have both.
to me, that point alone destroys the logic behind the "advantage" argument.
the only problem I have with what JLA is saying is that most small market teams have billionaires for owners. So I don't feel too bad for the cheap fucks when they don't spend money on their business to try and improve it.
i wonder what animalman would say...
Heh. JLA's decade-long rant against the Yankees payroll does highlight what is, in my view, the biggest problem facing baseball today(even bigger than the "steroid stuff"): that the gap in team salary continues to widen between the large and small market teams.
However, his argument's biggest flaw lies in his mislabling this trend as an advantage. The Yankees aren't the only team with money. They're just one of the few willing to spend it(albeit poorly).
Of course, the Yankees recently have been a lot more active in drafting and developing talent than simply buying it. They were silent at the trade deadline, electing to keep their younger assets. Last offseason the most significant move they made was trading an established star for prospects. They're way behind the curve, but oh well.
Why did it never happen for us, JLA? Why didn't the stars align in our favor? Now I know how Dante felt when he saw Beatrice that first time.
where have you been? are you in NYC? what's new?
pjp, he's trying to reconnect with jla. you have to give him some space.
boy that gagne sure likes to keep it interesting doesnt he...?
boy that gagne sure likes to keep it interesting doesnt he...?
He comes to the mound and I repeat this mantra:
"They won't keep him in...draft picks...they won't keep him in...draft picks..."
At least if he goes into a blowout game, there's still a chance he'll finish it relatively pain-free, and a good reliever gets more rest. God, I hate Gagne...
interesting take. hits it from both sides:
Money can't buy me championships
By Dan Wetzel, Yahoo! Sports- The most expensive team in baseball, the $189.7 million New York Yankees (and that's a pre-Roger Clemens figure) went down this week with a whimper. The team with the third-highest opening day payroll, the New York Mets ($115.2 million), collapsed long before that.
Nos. 4 and 8 – the Los Angeles Angels and Chicago Cubs, respectively – couldn't win a playoff game. Nos. 5-7 (Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers and Seattle Mariners) didn't even make it to October. Neither did Nos. 8 to 12.
People like to decry baseball's salary disparity and lack of championship opportunities for small-market teams, but once again the playoffs are proving otherwise.
Yes, the $143 million Boston Red Sox, with the second-highest payroll according to USA Today's salary database, have reached in the American League Championship Series. But they're joined in the final four by the Cleveland Indians (No. 23), Colorado Rockies (No. 25) and Arizona Diamondbacks (No. 26). Those three payrolls total $168.2 million, $21 million less than the Yankees' entire outlay.
If the goal is to make every team feel like it has a chance every season, you couldn't design a system that would produce a better outcome. If Cleveland or Colorado win, baseball will be assured of its eighth different World Series champion in eight years, not to mention its 13th different Fall Classic participant out of a possible 16.
Salary cap or not, baseball's parity – at least at the championship level – trumps the other major sports.
The NFL – with its hard salary cap, revenue sharing, weighted schedules and "any given Sunday" motto – has crowned six different champions the past eight years and, like baseball, has had 13 different teams reach the Super Bowl.
The NBA, which also boasts the kind of salary cap seemingly everyone claims baseball needs, has seen four teams win the title in the past nine years. Just nine clubs have reached the NBA finals over the last eight seasons.
Making the MLB numbers even more impressive is the fact that just eight of the league's 30 teams (26.6 percent) are invited to the postseason. The NFL lets in 12 of 32 (37.5 percent) and the NBA goes with 16 of 30 (53.3 percent), which, in theory, should increase the likelihood of upset-driven diversity in the late rounds.
Does it help to spend more money? Obviously, it lessens the margin for error. The Red Sox, for instance, were able to overcome up-and-down seasons from free-agent splurges Daisuke Matsuzaka and J.D. Drew. And the Yankees, of course, make the playoffs every year with a payroll nearing a quarter-billion dollars.
The woeful Pittsburgh Pirates ($38.5 million) and Tampa Bay Devil Rays ($24.1 million) would have to put together a magical run to reach the postseason once.
That said, recent history indicates anything is possible. Just a year ago, the Detroit Tigers shook off 12 consecutive losing seasons (including 119 losses in 2003) to reach the World Series. The Rockies have been below .500 the past six seasons and the Diamondbacks the last three, yet will meet in the NLCS as the league's hottest teams.
And while Boston outspent Cleveland by $81.4 million, the Indians are no rag-tag unit – the Tribe's Game 1 and 2 starters are C.C. Sabathia and Fausto Carmona, after all.
The truth is, you can't buy a World Series. Spending money may increase your odds, but it assures nothing because the star player has less impact in baseball than any other sport.
Alex Rodriguez made $22.7 million and put up MVP numbers during the regular season, but even if he was capable of getting a playoff hit outside of Yankee Stadium (he's sporting an 0-for-48 streak), he can only influence the game so much. He only bats about four times per game and may not make a single defensive play. Likewise, a starting pitcher may only get the ball twice a series and a key reliever relies on his teammates handing him a late-inning lead.
In basketball, each player impacts each possession on offense and defense. In football, a star quarterback will handle the ball approximately 50 percent of the time. Therefore, having a Tim Duncan or Tom Brady is far more valuable than an A-Rod or Andy Pettitte.
But that's baseball. The best hitters fail twice as often as they succeed, so you need players up and down the roster to step up.
Take it from the Yankees, who despite the having league's highest payroll have come up empty in the playoffs the last seven seasons: You can spend all the money in the world and it guarantees nothing.
No matter how loud the cries for a salary cap, no matter how much cheapskate owners claim the current system isn't fair, here's another October to again prove differently.
Dan Wetzel is Yahoo! Sports' national columnist. Send Dan a question or comment for potential use in a future column or webcast.
Why did it never happen for us, JLA? Why didn't the stars align in our favor? Now I know how Dante felt when he saw Beatrice that first time.
A-Rod opted out of his contract, as anyone with half a brain and the slightest knowledge of the way Boras works could've predicted. The question is this, do the Yankees stick to their guns and refuse to negotiate with them or do they go back on their word and try to re-sign him? And, if they decide NOT to re-sign him, who do they go after to play third base?
Personally, I hope they tell Boras and A-Rod, "Thanks for everything you did in the last few years. Goodbye."
ARod is gone....they won't even think about signing him. They will go after Lowell. Give him 4 years instead of the 2 the Sox will offer and he will take it.
I wonder if the Sox will go after A Rod? I wonder how different things would have been if you guys made that trade and gave up Manny and got A Rod and we were never stuck with him. It probably would have been us celebrating last night. The Angels Dodgers or Cubs will more than likely get him but I bet the Sox will think about it.
I'm hoping that the Red Sox do the right thing by Lowell and re-sign him. Offer him 2 years plus a player option or give him the three years he's looking for. Either way, make the Yankees trade for (shudder) Crede or (shudder x 2) Beltre.
I'm praying that onership listens to their fans and avoids A-Rod. Yes, he's an amazing talent, but that talent isn't worth the impact he and his contract would have on the clubhouse. He's basically a more talented, non-roided Barry Bonds. Let the California teams duke it out for him and his insecurities and inability to produce in the off-season.
And I have to agree with you. Hindsight being 20/20, that deal would've killed us.
Did you listen to Baseball this Morning at all Dave?
It was hilarious....they had Lasorda on and he was blasting A Rod and Boras for leaking that out during the middle of the Red Sox game last night. He was trying to upstage the fucking World Series. Lasorda said he needs to get his brains checked. Then Patrick and Martinez were saying how good a fit LA would be for him so he could concentrate on his statistics.
I didn't catch it this morning. Frankly, I didn't care that Ken Rosenthal (who sucks - doesn't FOX have any hot chicks to do that job so I at least have some eye candy to watch while I ignore the drivel coming out of her mouth?) felt the need to report the news instead of waiting until tomorrow. All it does is show everyone exactly the type of player a team will be getting when they sign him. Y'think Barry Bonds was bad with him La-Z-Boy and his prima donna attitude? Enjoy A-Rod, who kill your team's chemistry and make you pay through the nose to boot.
That said, I'd love to see him sign with the Dodgers (whose fans don't seem to care about their team), the Giants (because they know better and would get what they deserve if they did), or the Cubs.
Remember, back in 2004, FOX absolutely NEEDED to cut to Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore as the Red Sox celebrated their first championship in 86 years. Nothing FOX does surprises me anymore.
he had ten days, starting today, to make his decision (or at least make his decision known) and chose literally the middle of the final world series game to announce it.
pure class, that arod.
its honestly sucha damn shame. he's the most talented player in the sport, and he just goes out of his way to annoy people.
if you didn't know, a day prior to the announcement, yanks floated the rumor of offering a 5+ year, $25-30 million extention to his contract. that'd keep him in a single uniform for like 10 more years, plus give him brazillions of dollars, and keep him on a competing team. ...thats sorta what every player wants.
and, especially in this case, "every player" should include arod, as all this year he made it especially known how much he loves new york, and that he's building a house nearby and all that stuff.
if y'dont wanna stay in new york, thats cool boyo. but don't be phoney about it.
personally, i've never liked him. respect his skills like a mother fucker (assuming mother fuckers respect great baseball skill sets), but never liked him. he just strikes me as a guy completely void of heart. like he's got all the talent in the world, but then just coasts on it. i wouldn't have minded having him stay around, as he'll likely shatter the bonds/aaron record in a few more years and the yanks could get that back in their name. but, other than that, i'll shed no tears.
i think its in the yanks best interest to note this, and all of last year, and learn from it. stop trying to piece meal a team of freelancers, and use this opportunity to build. 15 some-odd rookies went through the ranks last year did fantastic -- thats the direction to strive for.
He's basically a more talented, non-roided Barry Bonds.
non-roided...so far...
Reports: Girardi offered Yankees job
By Bryan Hoch- Joe Girardi has reportedly been offered the Yankees' managerial job and is expected to accept the position.
ESPN Radio first reported that the Yankees officially presented the opportunity to Girardi, the 2006 National League Manager of the Year, on Monday morning. General manager Brian Cashman informed candidates Don Mattingly and Tony Pena that they will not be hired.
"The Yankees have expressed interest in Joe becoming manager," Girardi's agent, Steve Mandel, said in a telephone interview with The New York Times on Monday. "We've decided to have discussions with them and we're moving forward. No timetable has been set, but it's a process we're letting take place."
Girardi, 43, was a member of the Yankees' 1996, '98 and '99 World Series clubs in a 15-year playing career with four organizations. He served as former Yankees manager Joe Torre's bench coach in 2005 before guiding the Marlins to a 78-victory season in '06, keeping the club in Wild Card contention into the final week of the campaign.
"I think every managing job is different, because of players and all the parts," Girardi said on Oct. 22 after his interview. "Everyone changes. It's different people and different situations with different expectations.
"I think every job that you take is different, and I believe that every year is different, because the people are going to change. The idea is still to win a World Series and to win ballgames."
Girardi spent the 2007 season as a broadcaster for the Yankees' YES Network and also worked for FOX. He is expected to fly to New York from Denver, where he was assigned to broadcast coverage of the World Series.
The decision likely ends Mattingly's four-season run as a member of the Yankees' coaching staff. One of the most popular players of his era, Mattingly served for three seasons as a hitting coach and spent 2007 as Torre's bench coach, saying that he had an eye on managing the organization for which he played from 1982-95.
Pena, 50, was the American League Manager of the Year in 2003 with the Royals, guiding Kansas City to an 83-victory season. He managed the Royals from 2002 into 2005, and said on a conference call last week that he would be amenable to returning to the Yankees if either Girardi or Mattingly received the job.
The decision likely ends Mattingly's four-season run as a member of the Yankees' coaching staff.
The decision likely ends Mattingly's four-season run as a member of the Yankees' coaching staff.
there's still a chance he'll stay as bench coach.
The decision likely ends Mattingly's four-season run as a member of the Yankees' coaching staff.
there's still a chance he'll stay as bench coach.
nah. he put out a
press release a few hours ago sayin that he was outta there.
sucks.
don't really care about torre or arod, but the mattingly departure sucks.
he should stay and learn some more from Girardi.....he shouldn't be in a rush. If he is gonna be a baby about it then fuck him. I love the guy too but Girardi is the better choice.
meh, i guess.
i think its more an issue of loyalty and such. he came on in '04 to eventually have the manager's job. he's the guy who's been there since. its like he's the VP, and the prez just left. its his job to lose. so, to him, girardi is the yankee organization looking outside for help because they don't trust donnie.
i understand how that'd be a crummy ordeal.
From ESPN.com...
Yankee outfield will include Abreu after team exercises option
ESPN.com news services
As expected, the New York Yankees are picking up the $16 million option on right fielder Bobby Abreu.
The Yankees had a midnight Friday deadline to decide on whether to exercise the option.
Abreu will remain in a Yankee outfield that includes Melky Cabrera in center and Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon sharing duties in left field.
If the Yankees had declined the option, they would have paid Abreu a $2 million buyout. Abreu made $15,600,000 last season.
The 33-year-old right fielder overcame a slow start to hit .283 with 16 homers and 101 RBIs this year, when he finished second in the AL with 123 runs. He has reached 100 RBIs in five consecutive seasons.
"Bobby Abreu possesses a unique skill set and has proven to be a durable and reliable asset to this club," general manager Brian Cashman said. "Consistency has been a hallmark throughout his career."
New York acquired Abreu from Philadelphia in July 2006.
Could someone explain to me how those numbers justify Down Syndrome LL Cool J getting his option picked up?
16 mill...that would kill some teams...
Could someone explain to me how those numbers justify Down Syndrome LL Cool J getting his option picked up?
well, he
is good. but i assume the quick-move and high payout was for some sorta stability in the panic of a so-far nutty offseason (some 5 days in)
But his numbers hardly justify the money, and the Yankees still have a logjam in the outfield. Why not let him go, throw Melky or Damon in right field (the other one can play CF), and use that money on pitching or third base or for some other need?
lots of panic. lots of fanfare. and, most importantly, there are now three steinbrenners in charge, instead of one.
But his numbers hardly justify the money, and the Yankees still have a logjam in the outfield. Why not let him go, throw Melky or Damon in right field (the other one can play CF), and use that money on pitching or third base or for some other need?
the guy had a bad year and still led the team in runs scored and had over 100 rbi.......he's worth it. damon and melky are trade bait.
he's better for us than Tavarez is for you guys by the way.
that's not hard to imagine
Pettite declined the team option today for 16 million. He still strongly reiterated that he will either pitch for the Yanks or no one but he had to make this decision by Wednesday and decided thta he needed more time to decide wheteher or not he will pitch next year.
i think pettitte and jorge should be the yanks big priorities. then mo. abreu shoulda been after.
i also dunno if i believe the "yankees or no one" notion pettitte is putting out there. but... he's a friggin great picther. left handed starter pullin in 15+ wins a year isn't a common commodity. tap on the post-season experience, comfort in new york... its a good fit.
Plus few other teams can afford to pay that much............................
your post didn't make sense until all those dots
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Official statement from Alex Rodriguez
11/14/2007 3:27 PM ET
After spending time with Cynthia and my family over these last few weeks, it became clear to me that I needed to make an attempt to engage the Yankees regarding my future with the organization.
Prior to entering into serious negotiations with other clubs, I wanted the opportunity to share my thoughts directly with Yankees' ownership. We know there are other opportunities for us, but Cynthia and I have a foundation with the club that has brought us comfort, stability and happiness.
As a result, I reached out to the Yankees through mutual friends and conveyed that message. I also understand that I had to respond to certain Yankees concerns, and I was receptive and understanding of that situation.
Cynthia and I have since spoken directly with the Steinbrenner family. During these healthy discussions, both sides were able to share honest feelings and hopes with one another, and we expect to continue this dialogue with the Yankees over the next few days.
i was reading about this. apparently said the yankees would talk to arod, but only if scott boras wasn't allowed to be in on the call (he's banned from the yankees compound)
my number 1 wish for this ordeal was that no one would sign arod, and he'd walk around in shame during 2008.
that aside, im not sure how i feel about the notion of getting arod back. i still hate him. i still think he's a dufus. i think he's somehow found the way to lower his rep and locker room morale in the past few weeks. but he's still an amazing player with 10+ healthy years left, barring griffeyism, and he's currently baseball's best hitter (and pretty good at defense, baserunning, etc) so he's a good asset to have.
i gotta admit, though, i was really getting used to the idea of not having him around. yanks could make a much smaller offer on lowell or cabrera, and potentially find a better fit for their team.
whatta ya think, peejus
I think if he truly is sincere about this and signs a contract for less money just to stay with the Yanks and embarasses Boras in the process he will be loved by all of baseball. I won't ever truly embrace the guy till he wins a championship wearing pinstripes (I've already given away my A Rod shirts and jersey to good will) but he certainly seems to be on his way to repairing his reputation. Furthermore, I believe he will remove all presure whatsoever from himself if he has a long contract with the Yanks and shows he is more interested about the team than the money.
At this point I could go either way. It's tough to replace him and you don't want to trade for a third baseman 'cause that might mean getting rid of Hughes or Kennedy. Lowell is the greatest clubhouse prescence in all of baseball but his numbers aren't as good as they seem (this year he batted .370 at Fenway and .280 elsewhere) but he would be a helluva first baseman for the Yanks if they get him and A Rod.
Either way we will make the Sox overpay for Lowell or force them to give up Bucholz and Elsbury to get Cabrera.....HA HA!
it'd be a good strategy to count on not getting arod, and then seeing how far they could strong arm him. not raising his current salary, for example. also, i don't know for sure, but i've read he doesn't necessarily have to travel with the team or stay at the same hotel as the team (i don't think clemens did, either). get rid of that shit.
Official statement from Alex Rodriguez
11/14/2007 3:27 PM ET
No other team can afford to pay me what the Yankees did, so on second thought, staying with the Yankees ain't such a bad idea after all.
Suckers.
Official statement from Alex Rodriguez
11/14/2007 3:27 PM ET
No other team can afford to pay me what the Yankees did, so on second thought, staying with the Yankees ain't such a bad idea after all.
Suckers.
Yeah...pretty much. I like A-Rod as a player but he is such a prima donna. I think both he and the Yanks would be better off parting. That way the team could find a player with lower numbers but add to team chemistry and A-Rod could find a team where he could finally get to be Derek Jeter...just without the rings.
but he's still an amazing player with 10+ healthy years left, barring griffeyism, and he's currently baseball's best hitter (and pretty good at defense, baserunning, etc) so he's a good asset to have.
But there's the key term: "barring Griffeyism." Just because he's been amazing to this point in his career - and no one, not even me, will argue otherwise - doesn't mean that he'll be able to stay completely healthy for the next 10 years. Shit happens, injuries happen, and talent declines. So the question becomes, are the Yankees (or any team) willing to take the risk and sign A-Rod for ten years at $30 Million per? The answer so far has been "not really."
I think if he truly is sincere about this and signs a contract for less money just to stay with the Yanks and embarasses Boras in the process he will be loved by all of baseball. I won't ever truly embrace the guy till he wins a championship wearing pinstripes (I've already given away my A Rod shirts and jersey to good will) but he certainly seems to be on his way to repairing his reputation. Furthermore, I believe he will remove all presure whatsoever from himself if he has a long contract with the Yanks and shows he is more interested about the team than the money.
At this point I could go either way. It's tough to replace him and you don't want to trade for a third baseman 'cause that might mean getting rid of Hughes or Kennedy. Lowell is the greatest clubhouse prescence in all of baseball but his numbers aren't as good as they seem (this year he batted .370 at Fenway and .280 elsewhere) but he would be a helluva first baseman for the Yanks if they get him and A Rod.
Y'know, this post is exactly why I hope he signs with the Angels or White Sox and then comes back to Yankee Stadium and rapes them in every game. Did he and Boras fuck the Yankees out of the $27 Million they're supposed to get from Texas? Yup. And the Yankees did an admirable thing by trying to negotiate in good faith but then saying "if he opts out, we're done with him." But now they're willing to negotiate "as long as Boras isn't around"??? It's amazing how quickly the Yankees became backpedalling pussies. Here's the reality of the situation: Boras IS involved, whether or not the Yankees pretend otherwise. Will he be in the negotiations? Maybe not, but you can be damned sure that whoever does negotiate will be reporting back to him. And you can be damned sure that he'll use those negotiations to work on other teams directly. Maybe A-Rod will sign with the Yankees, maybe he won't. But y'know that bidding war the Yankees said they won't participate in? Congratulations, you're participating in it. So you keep flip-flopping on him and know this: whether he decides to sign with the Yankees (and deal with ten years of you assclowns prattling about "true Yankees" and booing him), or he signs elsewhere (and comes back to haunt the Yankees), the Yankees just gave A-Rod and Boras the last laugh. Be proud.
Either way we will make the Sox overpay for Lowell or force them to give up Bucholz and Elsbury to get Cabrera.....HA HA!
Considering they didn't overpay Martinez (but the Mets did), Lowe (but the Dodgers did), or Damon (but the Yankees did)...and considering they had a shot at Oswalt and/or Andruw Jones in 2006 but wouldn't give up those guys...and considering they have Youkilis to play third so they can sign or trade for a first baseman...I don't see either scenario happening.
Yes, "HA HA!" indeed.
PS: Someone from one of the New York papers (I believe) figured out what A-Rod would "really" cost the Yankees if he'd signed the extension deal versus what he'll cost them as a free agent. I'll find that and post it here. The short version is, it's a $203 Million difference...
The original article is only available to ESPN Insiders (one of whom I am not), so I found the next best thing. Consider the source(s) as you read:
http://theyankeesrepublic.blogspot.com/2007/11/203-million-dollar-canard_13.htmlMAD MADDEN
Bill Madden, one of King George's favorite leakers when he wishes to replace his manager and unregenerate Boras-hater (Madden calls him "The Avenging Agent"), illuminates.
Madden's premise is that A-Rod now will cost any team he signs with a minimum of $300 million. The reason: the total extension package the Yankees were prepared to offer A-Rod would have netted him at least $300 million. According to Madden, an extension for A-Rod that retained the terms of the old contract would have looked as follows: (See NY Daily News, "Just Shea No," November 11, 2007
'08-'10 Rangers Contract $91 million ($32M for '08, $32M for '09, $27M for '10)
'11-'17 Yankees' Extension $203 million ($29 million per year for 7 years)
TOTAL NET WORTH TO A-ROD = $294 million
STARK NUMBERS
Following Madden's logic one-step further, ESPN's Jayson Stark purports to account for this $203 million premium the Yankees now would have to pay to sign A-Rod. To his credit, Stark's calculations account for an additional variable many other commentators missed. A-Rod, potentially, costs the Yankees more than any other team, apart from the Red Sox, because the Yankees' current payroll exceeds the luxury tax threshold. As such, the Yankees would have to pay a 40% surcharge on A-Rod's annual salary if their pay roll exceeds $155 million for 2008, $162 million for 2009, $170 million for 2010, and $178 million for 2011.
Accordingly, Stark calculates the "$203 million difference" as follows:
A STARK EXTRAPOLATION
Yankees Proposed Extension: 5 years, $145 million
Rangers' Contract: 3 years, $81 million
A-Rod's Take: 8 years, $226 million (28.25M per year)
Yankees' Luxury Tax Premium: $226m + ($226m * 40%) - ($30m TX subsidy)
Total = $287 million
A-Rods' Demand: 12 years, $350m
Luxury Tax: ($350m * 40%)
Yankees' Total Bill: $490 million
Total Difference for Yankees = $203 million
But before we address the two basic fallacies Stark's analysis betrays, let us update his calculation with the figures Madden provides. Remember: Madden reveals, on the one hand, that (1) the Yankees were prepared to offer A-Rod a full 7-year extension, not just five; (2) that the Yankees only receive $21 million of Hicks' $30 million outstanding obligation; and on the other (3) that Boras, despite demanding $350 million, could accept a minimum of $300 million for A-Rod and still claim a victory.
Stark's Numbers with Madden Addendum
Yankees Proposed Contract Extension: 7 years, $203 million
Rangers' Contract: 3 years, $81 million
A-Rod's Take: 10 years, $284 million (28.4M per year)
Yankees' Luxury Tax Premium: $284m + ($284m * 40%) - ($21m TX subsidy)
Total = $377 million
A-Rods' Minimum: 10 years, $300m
Luxury Tax: (300m * 40%) = $120m
Yankees' Total Bill: $420 million
Total Difference for Yankees: $43 million
Now, $43 million is not exactly $203 million. But let's concede for the sake of argument that Boras already has a suitor willing to pay his ransom of $350 million and the Yankees would have to match it to retain A-Rod. (Under such a circumstance the Stark difference would rise from $43 million to $113 million.) The problem is that two assumptions still plague Stark's argument. One of which is spurious, another of which is indeterminate.
The blog goes on to refute Stark's assertions. But even their arguments are flawed...
I completely agree with Vecsey. I can't fuckin' believe they are even talking to him, asshat Boras there or no. A-Rod is a great player, but he's fuckin' demanding baby with a ridiculously frail ego. All those HRs just aren't enough to deal with his demands and I still think the Yankees should tell him to go fuck himself.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/15/sports/baseball/15vecsey.htmlSports of The Times
Yanks Should Treat Rodriguez the Way He Treated Them
Kathy Willens/Associated Press
Scott Boras, with Alex Rodriguez in 2003, announced that Rodriguez was opting out of his contract during Game 4 of the World Series.
By GEORGE VECSEY
Published: November 15, 2007
Let’s think this through.
On Baseball: Weeks Later, Rodriguez Comes to His Senses (November 15, 2007)
Rodriguez Talks to Yankees Without Agent (November 15, 2007)
Even if Alex Rodriguez prostrates himself in front of the Yankees’ owners — which he just might have done yesterday — that does not mean they have to take him back.
Even if he fires his agent, Scott Boras, or plays him in a cage, that does not mean the Yankees should want A-Rod back.
Rodriguez had a monster season, but the Yankees could not get out of the first round of the playoffs, yet again. He is an enigmatic figure in their clubhouse, clearly not a player who improves his team.
This is the Yankees’ big chance to take whatever money they had penciled in for him and spend it on pitching and power and first base and a reasonable approximation of Scott Brosius at third base.
The Yankees’ management was cold-blooded about Joe Torre, making him twist for days, then finally forcing him to fly down to Florida to try to save his job. They should be no less cold-blooded toward Rodriguez.
He dumped on the Yankees and on his business by passively allowing Boras to drop An A-Bomb! From A-Rod! — John Sterling’s cloying call, used 54 times last season — during the final game of the World Series. The midnight bombshell was that Rodriguez was opting out of his contract with the Yankees, as was his legal right.
Fifty ways to leave your ball club — with apologies to Paul Simon. Let Scott handle it.
That’s what agents are for. I remember a beautiful evening in Seattle, when Rodriguez was dumped at second base and crumpled down, holding his knee. A few rows from the field, a clearly distraught man leapt to his feet and made his way to the railing. Why, it was Scott Boras, no doubt worried that his client’s impending free agency had just caved in.
As it turned out, A-Rod missed a few games and resumed his slippery path out of town, telling people in Seattle it wasn’t about the money, a tale he has subsequently told people in Texas and now the Bronx.
The Steinbrenners graciously allowed Rodriguez and his wife, Cynthia, to pay a social call yesterday in Florida, with Boras nowhere in sight, unless he was driving the car, to amortize his percentage.
This was the same Mrs. A-Rod who wore a profane and probably expensive little white tank top to a Yankees game last July, an eye-opener for the kiddies, telling the world off quite graphically. Presumably, she did not wear that shirt yesterday for the conservative Steinbrenners.
•
In his own gauche way, A-Rod has offended the Yankees, which may only now be dawning on him.
“Cynthia and I have since spoken directly with the Steinbrenner family,” Rodriguez said in a statement released on his Web site (arod.com) yesterday.
“During these healthy discussions, both sides were able to share honest feelings and hopes with one another, and we expect to continue this dialogue with the Yankees over the next few days,” he added.
The Yankees should imitate Vince Lombardi, when his Super Bowl-winning center, Jim Ringo, had the audacity to hire an agent for salary negotiations. According to legend, Lombardi left his office for a few minutes and came back and informed Ringo that he would have to negotiate with the Eagles, because he had just been traded. Ringo and Lombardi denied that scene, but Ringo did hire an agent, and he did get traded, in very short order.
Nowadays, of course, athletes have every right to hire an agent, but they need to be aware of the impact. Boras went too far, and Rodriguez did not seem to understand any of the implications of putting the squeeze on the Yankees. Whatever vision of El Dorado Boras painted, the response from other clubs has been underwhelming.
•
This is a good sign. It shows that even baseball owners can learn. Back in the mid-1980s, the owners openly committed collusion by not pursuing free agents, a mistake that eventually cost them money and embarrassment. This time, most of the richer clubs just shrugged — but separately — when Boras peddled his newly liberated client.
“We know there are other opportunities for us,” Rodriguez said yesterday. “But Cynthia and I have a foundation with the club that has brought us comfort, stability and happiness.”
In other words, Boras tossed and lost — with A-Rod’s image. Rodriguez has never justified himself to Yankees fans, having driven in nine runs in 24 postseason games since joining the Yankees with that huge contract in 2004. Even in the highly individualistic sport of baseball, there is a foxhole mentality. The players know Rodriguez works hard, but they also know he has not come through in the postseason.
Alex Rodriguez let his agent opt out for him, right during the World Series. Now the Yankees should opt out on him.
E-mail: geovec@nytimes.com.
I agree with Harley, but would do so much more strongly if she sent me pics of herself.
Official statement from Alex Rodriguez
11/14/2007 3:27 PM ET
No other team can afford to pay me what the Yankees did, so on second thought, staying with the Yankees ain't such a bad idea after all.
Suckers.
Yeah...pretty much. I like A-Rod as a player but he is such a prima donna. I think both he and the Yanks would be better off parting. That way the team could find a player with lower numbers but add to team chemistry and
A-Rod could find a team where he could finally get to be Derek Jeter...just without the rings. heh. Awesome and on target.
I agree with Harley, but would do so much more strongly if she sent me pics of herself.
Hey! Isn't it enough that I have disowned ARod? Seriously, that shit he pulled by making his announcement during the WS was too much. You know I have no love for the Red Sox, but he couldn't wait 24 hours to make his announcement? He just
had to do it during the Series...
Ridiculous.
He gambled and lost and now he's back with his tail between his legs. I seriously cannot believe that the Yanks are still talking to him.
All that should be enough for you to agree with me, boobies or no.
I agree with Harley, but would do so much more strongly if she sent me pics of herself.
Hey! Isn't it enough that I have disowned ARod?
No, because we both know that you're disowning him because he fucked over the Yankees after underachieving for them in every postseason since Game 4, 2004. That's a natural reaction, of course, but not one that'll earn you pookie points.
Sexy pics would, though. Hell, I'd probably never refer to you as "Harley" again, and I'd even throw in those lovey faces for the O's in the word.
Seriously, that shit he pulled by making his announcement during the WS was too much. You know I have no love for the Red Sox, but he couldn't wait 24 hours to make his announcement? He just
had to do it during the Series...
Ridiculous.
I'm sorry, but this basically read to me as "Blah blah blah, blah blah-blah-blah, blah Red Sox blah blah blah, blah...blah."
He gambled and lost and now he's back with his tail between his legs. I seriously cannot believe that the Yanks are still talking to him.
But they are, to the tune of 10 years, $275 Million. Be proud, Yankees fans, your ownership has no balls. I bet ol' Puddin'head Georgie wouldn't put up with this shit.
All that should be enough for you to agree with me, boobies or no.
Oh, I agree with you. 100%. I'd just agree more strongly and enthusiastically if sexy pics were involved. If'n you're shy, send some of Southie. That works, too. Confidential;ity agreements would still apply.
I agree with Harley, but would do so much more strongly if she sent me pics of herself.
Hey! Isn't it enough that I have disowned ARod?
No, because we both know that you're disowning him because he fucked over the Yankees after underachieving for them in every postseason since Game 4, 2004. That's a natural reaction, of course, but not one that'll earn you pookie points.
Sexy pics would, though. Hell, I'd probably never refer to you as "Harley" again, and I'd even throw in those lovey faces for the O's in the word.
"p
kie"?
Seriously, that shit he pulled by making his announcement during the WS was too much. You know I have no love for the Red Sox, but he couldn't wait 24 hours to make his announcement? He just
had to do it during the Series...
Ridiculous.
I'm sorry, but this basically read to me as "Blah blah blah, blah blah-blah-blah, blah Red Sox blah blah blah, blah...blah."
I lost you with "no love for the Red Sox" didn't I?
He gambled and lost and now he's back with his tail between his legs. I seriously cannot believe that the Yanks are still talking to him.
But they are, to the tune of 10 years, $275 Million. Be proud, Yankees fans, your ownership has no balls. I bet ol' Puddin'head Georgie wouldn't put up with this shit.
Oh, shut up, you...
All that should be enough for you to agree with me, boobies or no.
Oh, I agree with you. 100%. I'd just agree more strongly and enthusiastically if sexy pics were involved. If'n you're shy, send some of Southie. That works, too. Confidential;ity agreements would still apply.
You just want to see her tattoo...
but he's still an amazing player with 10+ healthy years left, barring griffeyism, and he's currently baseball's best hitter (and pretty good at defense, baserunning, etc) so he's a good asset to have.
But there's the key term: "barring Griffeyism." Just because he's been amazing to this point in his career - and no one, not even me, will argue otherwise - doesn't mean that he'll be able to stay completely healthy for the next 10 years. Shit happens, injuries happen, and talent declines. So the question becomes, are the Yankees (or any team) willing to take the risk and sign A-Rod for ten years at $30 Million per? The answer so far has been "not really."
I think if he truly is sincere about this and signs a contract for less money just to stay with the Yanks and embarasses Boras in the process he will be loved by all of baseball. I won't ever truly embrace the guy till he wins a championship wearing pinstripes (I've already given away my A Rod shirts and jersey to good will) but he certainly seems to be on his way to repairing his reputation. Furthermore, I believe he will remove all presure whatsoever from himself if he has a long contract with the Yanks and shows he is more interested about the team than the money.
At this point I could go either way. It's tough to replace him and you don't want to trade for a third baseman 'cause that might mean getting rid of Hughes or Kennedy. Lowell is the greatest clubhouse prescence in all of baseball but his numbers aren't as good as they seem (this year he batted .370 at Fenway and .280 elsewhere) but he would be a helluva first baseman for the Yanks if they get him and A Rod.
Y'know, this post is exactly why I hope he signs with the Angels or White Sox and then comes back to Yankee Stadium and rapes them in every game. Did he and Boras fuck the Yankees out of the $27 Million they're supposed to get from Texas? Yup. And the Yankees did an admirable thing by trying to negotiate in good faith but then saying "if he opts out, we're done with him." But now they're willing to negotiate "as long as Boras isn't around"??? It's amazing how quickly the Yankees became backpedalling pussies. Here's the reality of the situation: Boras IS involved, whether or not the Yankees pretend otherwise. Will he be in the negotiations? Maybe not, but you can be damned sure that whoever does negotiate will be reporting back to him. And you can be damned sure that he'll use those negotiations to work on other teams directly. Maybe A-Rod will sign with the Yankees, maybe he won't. But y'know that bidding war the Yankees said they won't participate in? Congratulations, you're participating in it. So you keep flip-flopping on him and know this: whether he decides to sign with the Yankees (and deal with ten years of you assclowns prattling about "true Yankees" and booing him), or he signs elsewhere (and comes back to haunt the Yankees), the Yankees just gave A-Rod and Boras the last laugh. Be proud.
Either way we will make the Sox overpay for Lowell or force them to give up Bucholz and Elsbury to get Cabrera.....HA HA!
Considering they didn't overpay Martinez (but the Mets did), Lowe (but the Dodgers did), or Damon (but the Yankees did)...and considering they had a shot at Oswalt and/or Andruw Jones in 2006 but wouldn't give up those guys...and considering they have Youkilis to play third so they can sign or trade for a first baseman...I don't see either scenario happening.
Yes, "HA HA!" indeed.
PS: Someone from one of the New York papers (I believe) figured out what A-Rod would "really" cost the Yankees if he'd signed the extension deal versus what he'll cost them as a free agent. I'll find that and post it here. The short version is, it's a $203 Million difference...
Wow.
For a guy who's team just won the Series you sure sound bitter. First off you can sign a player without the agent being involved....in fact the Braves did it with Andruw Jones when they told him to leave Boras at home.
Secondly.....Gagne.
You have no right to criticize anyone after that move.
oh and Martinez and Lowe have been better than Matt Clement and whatever other unnotable loser (I can't remember) they signed to replace them. In fact they took many steps backwards instead of keeping their championship team together. Losing Lowell will hurt you guys.....just like losing Gabbard for Gagne will too!
And centerfield for you guys has been unsettled since Damon left. Crisp and Pena weren't good fits.....it looks like Elsbury will be though until you give him up to get fat ass Cabrera to play third!
Wow.
For a guy who's team just won the Series you sure sound bitter. First off you can sign a player without the agent being involved....in fact the Braves did it with Andruw Jones when they told him to leave Boras at home.
Secondly.....Gagne.
You have no right to criticize anyone after that move.
Not at all. It's just depressing to me that the Yankees went from making a very bold, courageous move to back-pedaling and looking like a bunch of pussies. If they really wanted to show some balls they'd either tell A-Rod "Thanks, but no thanks" or (if they absolutely needed to have him) have offered him a contract for a yearly rate of $20 Million, just to show him and Boras who had the power. I guess I overestimated them, shame on me.
I'm well aware that a player can sign without an agent. My point was that there's no way Boras didn't know that this was going down, and there was definitely a possibility/probability that he'd try to swing this into something more to his liking. Sorry you didn't catch onto that.
As for Gagne, did it prove to be a bad move? Yup. But there were multiple teams that were playoff contenders (like Detroit and the Yankees...sorry, but it's true) that were after him because of the numbers he was starting to put together in Texas. So you're welcome in hindsight for him not coming to New York - if he couldn't thrive in Boston, he sure as shit wouldn't have lasted there.
PS: As for bad bullpen moves, paging Kyles Farnsworth...paging Kyle Farnsworth...
oh and Martinez and Lowe have been better than Matt Clement and whatever other unnotable loser (I can't remember) they signed to replace them. In fact they took many steps backwards instead of keeping their championship team together. Losing Lowell will hurt you guys.....just like losing Gabbard for Gagne will too!
Martinez and Lowe, over the course of their current contracts, weren't and aren't worth the money they were paid. If either were re-signed by the Red Sox, they wouldn't have been able to trade for Josh Beckett or Lowell (the other "unnotable losers" they picked up post-Martinez/Lowe). So, again, your argument fails. Was Clement a good signing? Nope, but signing him hurt less than if they'd succeeded in signing Carl Pavano. You remember Carl Pavano, right? Yankees and Sox wanted him. Yankees won the Pavano sweepstakes. How'd that deal work out? Oh yeah...
Murphy had a bright future as a fourth outfielder and Gabbard wasn't going to be much more than a fifth starter - so I think we'll be okay without them (we managed to survive this year, you'll notice). And I suspect we'll manage without Gagne, whom the Red Sox aren't going after. Feel free to grab him; I'm sure he could be had for cheaper than Rivera will cost. By the way, $45 Million for three years of Rivera? When Francisco Cordero is available for younger and cheaper?
I want Lowell back. I'd offer him three years plus an option for $13 Million per, or a guaranteed four years at $44 Million. But I don't get to make those offers. If he signs with us, I'll be very happy. If he doesn't, I'll miss him but I'll survive with Youkilis at third and whoever they grab for first.
And centerfield for you guys has been unsettled since Damon left. Crisp and Pena weren't good fits.....it looks like Elsbury will be though until you give him up to get fat ass Cabrera to play third!
Are you saying you'd rather have Damon, with his declining skill set and $52 Million contract (to now play left field, if you hadn't heard), over Crisp's better speed and defense for a fraction of the cost? Okay, good luck with that, too.
Ellsbury is slotted to play center next year and for the next few years. Crisp will be traded for whatever the Sox need (believe it or not, not every team wants to pay $15 - $20 Million for Hunter or Jones) and the Sox will continue to mix free agent pick-ups with young, home-grown players. Can't see them getting Cabrera - frankly, I see Cabrera's fat ass in pinstripes, waddling into the next double play, as the Yankees mortgage away more good young pitching in hopes of having the best fantasy team ever. Damn shame he won't make anyone forget that the Yankees could've had David Ortiz in 2003 but decided to stick with Jason Giambi through 2008.
Let me remind you. Two Championships in four years versus none in seven. You can yammer on about the 26 in the 20th century, but we both know that not even your owners care about that. They're too busy trying to live down the greatest choke in MLB history while building the greatest set of overpaid underachievers since...well, since the Yankees of the 80s and early 90s.
First off.....I give this guy credit for the clutch playoff performances all the time.....with that said he is an average pitcher against the Yanks.
He actually looks pretty decent without that stupid ass van dyke.
Wow.
For a guy who's team just won the Series you sure sound bitter. First off you can sign a player without the agent being involved....in fact the Braves did it with Andruw Jones when they told him to leave Boras at home.
Secondly.....Gagne.
You have no right to criticize anyone after that move.
Not at all. It's just depressing to me that the Yankees went from making a very bold, courageous move to back-pedaling and looking like a bunch of pussies. If they really wanted to show some balls they'd either tell A-Rod "Thanks, but no thanks" or (if they absolutely needed to have him) have offered him a contract for a yearly rate of $20 Million, just to show him and Boras who had the power. I guess I overestimated them, shame on me.
I'm well aware that a player can sign without an agent. My point was that there's no way Boras didn't know that this was going down, and there was definitely a possibility/probability that he'd try to swing this into something more to his liking. Sorry you didn't catch onto that.
As for Gagne, did it prove to be a bad move? Yup. But there were multiple teams that were playoff contenders (like Detroit and the Yankees...sorry, but it's true) that were after him because of the numbers he was starting to put together in Texas. So you're welcome in hindsight for him not coming to New York - if he couldn't thrive in Boston, he sure as shit wouldn't have lasted there.
PS: As for bad bullpen moves, paging Kyles Farnsworth...paging Kyle Farnsworth...
oh and Martinez and Lowe have been better than Matt Clement and whatever other unnotable loser (I can't remember) they signed to replace them. In fact they took many steps backwards instead of keeping their championship team together. Losing Lowell will hurt you guys.....just like losing Gabbard for Gagne will too!
Martinez and Lowe, over the course of their current contracts, weren't and aren't worth the money they were paid. If either were re-signed by the Red Sox, they wouldn't have been able to trade for Josh Beckett or Lowell (the other "unnotable losers" they picked up post-Martinez/Lowe). So, again, your argument fails. Was Clement a good signing? Nope, but signing him hurt less than if they'd succeeded in signing Carl Pavano. You remember Carl Pavano, right? Yankees and Sox wanted him. Yankees won the Pavano sweepstakes. How'd that deal work out? Oh yeah...
Murphy had a bright future as a fourth outfielder and Gabbard wasn't going to be much more than a fifth starter - so I think we'll be okay without them (we managed to survive this year, you'll notice). And I suspect we'll manage without Gagne, whom the Red Sox aren't going after. Feel free to grab him; I'm sure he could be had for cheaper than Rivera will cost. By the way, $45 Million for three years of Rivera? When Francisco Cordero is available for younger and cheaper?
I want Lowell back. I'd offer him three years plus an option for $13 Million per, or a guaranteed four years at $44 Million. But I don't get to make those offers. If he signs with us, I'll be very happy. If he doesn't, I'll miss him but I'll survive with Youkilis at third and whoever they grab for first.
And centerfield for you guys has been unsettled since Damon left. Crisp and Pena weren't good fits.....it looks like Elsbury will be though until you give him up to get fat ass Cabrera to play third!
Are you saying you'd rather have Damon, with his declining skill set and $52 Million contract (to now play left field, if you hadn't heard), over Crisp's better speed and defense for a fraction of the cost? Okay, good luck with that, too.
Ellsbury is slotted to play center next year and for the next few years. Crisp will be traded for whatever the Sox need (believe it or not, not every team wants to pay $15 - $20 Million for Hunter or Jones) and the Sox will continue to mix free agent pick-ups with young, home-grown players. Can't see them getting Cabrera - frankly, I see Cabrera's fat ass in pinstripes, waddling into the next double play, as the Yankees mortgage away more good young pitching in hopes of having the best fantasy team ever. Damn shame he won't make anyone forget that the Yankees could've had David Ortiz in 2003 but decided to stick with Jason Giambi through 2008.
Let me remind you. Two Championships in four years versus none in seven. You can yammer on about the 26 in the 20th century, but we both know that not even your owners care about that. They're too busy trying to live down the greatest choke in MLB history while building the greatest set of overpaid underachievers since...well, since the Yankees of the 80s and early 90s.
wow. you really sound bitter. I'm not messing with you. relax a little....like you said you just won 2 out of the past 4 world series....chill. Why does it bother you that Yankees fans and the Yankess themselves aren't in panic mode and are quite happy with the way the team is shaping up for this year and the coming years. Keep in mind we spotted you a 14 game lead 'cause of injuries and you still almost choked away the divison. yup.
and keeping Martinez and Lowe wouldn't have stopped you from getting Beckett....that is a pretty weak thing to say.
And for the record....I believe the Yanks and Sox are both investing alot of time into young studs and will reap the benefits from them unless they do something stupid like trade them. I think the rivalry will be very healthy and strong for the next few years for sure. I know you yankee haters like to use the tired old argument about the Yanks signing high priced veterans blah blah but in case you haven't noticed for the past two years Cashman has been doing business differently. I don't get this venom from you Joe....you hate A Rod I get it....but the Yanks aren't idiots either. They need a third baseman and A Rod is the best out there. By signing him we don't have to give up Kennedy or Hughes. How is that a bad thing? He came to them and apologized. Boras is the asshole here not A Rod. A Rod knows he fucked up. If anything I actually have alot of respect for him now.....but I'll hold off on gushing over him until he actually signs and subtracts the 21.3 million he cost the team. If you can't get over that so be it. But I bet you anything Theo Epstein and any other baseball expert would tell you the Yanks are doing the right thing.
It's official now....275 million contract!
ESPN.com: Baseball
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Report: A-Rod, Yankees agree on outline of $275 million, 10-year contract
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Associated Press
NEW YORK -- Alex Rodriguez and the New York Yankees have agreed to the outline of a
$275 million, 10-year contract, a deal that potentially would allow him to earn millions more if he sets the career home run record.
The amount of the guaranteed money was revealed by a person familiar with the negotiations who spoke Thursday on condition of anonymity because the deal hasn't been finalized. A-Rod met Wednesday in Tampa, Fla., with the Steinbrenner brothers but the parameters of the deal were set in place last weekend.
"Yeah, I could say that," Yankees senior vice president Hank Steinbrenner said. "The meeting was a final get-together. He wanted to make sure myself and my brother knew that he was sincere and serious."
The Yankees still must draft the agreement with Rodriguez's agent, Scott Boras.
wow. you really sound bitter. I'm not messing with you. relax a little....like you said you just won 2 out of the past 4 world series....chill.
Nah. Not bitter. It's been a long season of keeping my mouth shut. I haven't sparred with you in how long? Jes' making up for lost time...
Why does it bother you that Yankees fans and the Yankess themselves aren't in panic mode and are quite happy with the way the team is shaping up for this year and the coming years.
It's not about perceived panic mode. I never used the term. It's the fact that the Yankees are lightning quick to bend over for A-Rod and (by extension) Boras. I thought naming Girardi manager was a good thing. I like that they're keeping Posada and Rivera (though I think they're overpaying for Rivera). It's just a shame that they'd rather go back to a guy who screwed them over to the tune of about $27 Million and was never considered a "true Yankee" than use the money to shore up more needs (starting and relief pitching and first base, for example) and have more financial flexibility to go after a better free agent class down the road.
Keep in mind we spotted you a 14 game lead 'cause of injuries and you still almost choked away the divison. yup.
Great spin. The key word is "almost."
and keeping Martinez and Lowe wouldn't have stopped you from getting Beckett....that is a pretty weak thing to say.
Um, yeah it would've. Keeping the two of them would've cost (conservatively) $21 Million each year for four years. That money keeps them from being willing or able (depending on your view) to soak up Lowell's contract which, at the time, was considered an albatross. Which would've killed the deal (taking on Lowell was a condition the Marlins were firm on). Also, $13 Million of that gets flushed down the toilet in year three when Pedro's shoulder blew out, requiring surgery...just like the Red Sox predicted it would.
ESPN.com: Buster Olney
Thursday, November 15, 2007
A-Rod spins into action
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Imagine that Alex Rodriguez was running for president against Hillary Clinton and John McCain and Barack Obama, and then ask yourself this: How much would they have paid for the negative publicity he got over the last 18 days?
Ten million dollars? Twenty? Fifty million? Because for 18 days Rodriguez got hammered by everyone, everywhere. By our respected colleague Peter Gammons, who wondered forcefully whether this sort of gauche hubris explained why Rodriguez hadn't yet played in the World Series. A-Rod got hammered by print columnists, by Mike and Mike, by Mike and the Mad Dog, by Michael Kay in New York and Mike Felger in Boston and the Mad Dog in Lansing and Softy in Seattle. A-Rod got hammered from sea to shining sea, after word of his decision to opt out of his record-setting contract leaked out in the middle of Game 4 of the World Series -- an act that his agent, Scott Boras, first blamed on the Yankees, then blamed on a mistake and, then, probably cajoled by his All-Star client, finally blamed on himself, acknowledging what everybody in the game thought anyway.
A-Rod continued to get hammered last week, after word came out that Boras had demanded an initial offer of $350 million from the Yankees, and as the Players Association -- in a you-can't-make-this-up moment -- raised the question of whether there was collusion against a player whom the Yankees had been prepared to offer the highest salary in the history of sports. If Rodriguez had taken their call.
We know now for certain that none of it was necessary, because in the end, Rodriguez is going to sign for precisely the contract offer he would've gotten from the Yankees had he sat down to negotiate with them during the World Series.
Well, not exactly the same offer. The Yankees have insisted, in their face-to-face negotiations with Rodriguez, on deducting about $21.3 million from the final amount -- the number of dollars in subsidy that the Yankees lost from the Texas Rangers when Rodriguez opted out of his current contract. Call it the Boras Tax, if you will.
Rodriguez is going to get the largest contract ever in sports, when the I's are dotted and the T's crossed. He'll survive. But Boras' reputation as a savvy negotiator will not. He somehow managed to badly overplay the perfect hand.
Boras represented the best player coming off one of the greatest seasons ever, in the midst of a Hall of Fame career, a 54-homer, 156-RBI monster season played out in sports' biggest market, for the richest team. Boras held four aces, in a sense, and yet his client's contract will be somewhat lighter, by about 7 or 8 percent, and his client's reputation -- which had just begun to heal, through his remarkable 2007 season -- was trashed.
Nobody should ever doubt that Boras was largely responsible for Rodriguez's $252 million contract in the winter of 2000-2001, at that time a deal twice as large as any contract in professional sports. Boras pushed the buttons of Texas owner Tom Hicks and wound up with a landmark agreement.
But if Rodriguez finishes a new deal with the Yankees, of about $270 million, it will be a record-setting contract concluded in spite of his agent's missteps -- a deal built on Rodriguez's talent, his hard work and his willingness to step forward and go around Boras, with humility in hand, to reach out to the Yankees.
If Rodriguez hadn't done that, there's every indication from rival executives that he would've been forced to go door to door, to the Angels or the Dodgers or the Mets or the Red Sox, to ask for a deal even within $100 million of what the Yankees offered. "That was the thing that was so strange about this," an agent mused on Wednesday evening. "There was nobody, in this market, who could pay close to what the Yankees could pay -- because of the market, and because of how important A-Rod is to them."
Alex Rodriguez has 173 homers and 513 RBIs in four seasons with the Yankees, and very soon he will win his second Most Valuable Player Award with them. He plays hard, prepares diligently, is a much better teammate than anyone realizes, and is in the midst of an incredible career. For all that, you would think that he would be embraced, and yet, he is not. In fact, several agents agreed on Wednesday night, that the damage done to Rodriguez's image over the last 18 days may take years to repair. "The only way he comes back from this," said one agent, "is if he plays a big role in the Yankee' winning a World Series, or when he actually starts getting closer to Barry Bonds' record. Then the focus will be on his accomplishments."
Finally.
But in the years ahead, A-Rod will have to live with the consequences of his own decisions and his own actions, and will continue to get booed. Meanwhile, if Boras draws the industry's standard rate of 5 percent, he will get about $14 million of Rodriguez's new contract.
Sometime in the last 18 days, you can bet that A-Rod -- as he came to grips with the reality that he had to accept a $21 million cut in his offer from the Yankees, and as he absorbed the kind of negative publicity that can jar politicians awake at night in a cold sweat -- has wondered what, exactly, he is paying for.
Rodriguez continued to get hammered in today's papers: George Vecsey writes that the Yankees should just say no. Hank Steinbrenner's stance caught A-Rod off guard, writes John Harper, and A-Rod was so mad that he considered suing Boras. A-Rod felt the wrath of fans, writes Mike Vaccaro.
Many in baseball are thrilled that Boras blew this negotiation, writes Bill Shaikin.
A-Rod has repudiated Boras, writes Murray Chass. A-Rod realized Boras had turned him into the most reviled figure in sports, writes Bob Klapisch. The Steinbrenner sons got the best of Boras, writes Mike Lupica. All sides fumbled this, writes Ken Davidoff.
• Wallace Matthews thinks this is a negotiating ploy. Things are moving along in the negotiations, Hank Steinbrenner tells Tyler Kepner.
• Was told Wednesday night that the base salary part of the contract talks were the easiest -- the Yankees laid out the parameters of their offer, and A-Rod agreed, in general, before the conversation turned to other parts of the contract.
• The A-Rod signing does seem to clear one potential suitor from the Mike Lowell bidding, and perhaps increase the likelihood that Lowell goes back to Boston -- although the suggestion has been raised, within the Yankees' organization, to sign Lowell to play first base. The Yankees are still talking with Lowell, writes George King.
wow. you really sound bitter. I'm not messing with you. relax a little....like you said you just won 2 out of the past 4 world series....chill.
Nah. Not bitter. It's been a long season of keeping my mouth shut. I haven't sparred with you in how long? Jes' making up for lost time...
Why does it bother you that Yankees fans and the Yankess themselves aren't in panic mode and are quite happy with the way the team is shaping up for this year and the coming years.
It's not about perceived panic mode. I never used the term. It's the fact that the Yankees are lightning quick to bend over for A-Rod and (by extension) Boras. I thought naming Girardi manager was a good thing. I like that they're keeping Posada and Rivera (though I think they're overpaying for Rivera). It's just a shame that they'd rather go back to a guy who screwed them over to the tune of about $27 Million and was never considered a "true Yankee" than use the money to shore up more needs (starting and relief pitching and first base, for example) and have more financial flexibility to go after a better free agent class down the road.
Keep in mind we spotted you a 14 game lead 'cause of injuries and you still almost choked away the divison. yup.
Great spin. The key word is "almost."
and keeping Martinez and Lowe wouldn't have stopped you from getting Beckett....that is a pretty weak thing to say.
Um, yeah it would've. Keeping the two of them would've cost (conservatively) $21 Million each year for four years. That money keeps them from being willing or able (depending on your view) to soak up Lowell's contract which, at the time, was considered an albatross. Which would've killed the deal (taking on Lowell was a condition the Marlins were firm on). Also, $13 Million of that gets flushed down the toilet in year three when Pedro's shoulder blew out, requiring surgery...just like the Red Sox predicted it would.
When you see John Henry go into his personal pocket book and pay the 50 million posting fee for Dice K you can spare me how much this would have cost the team. All MLB teams have lots of cash to burn. Kudos to the Yanks and Boston for putting the money back into the teams and giving it back to the fans so to speak. This San Fran writer the other day was saying how every team could afford ARod if they wanted it's just that they don't like spending their money. They rather line their pockets instead of giving it back to the fans. Selig today announced that MLB made over 6 billion in revenues this year.
All MLB teams have lots of cash to burn. Kudos to the Yanks and Boston for putting the money back into the teams and giving it back to the fans so to speak. This San Fran writer the other day was saying how every team could afford ARod if they wanted it's just that they don't like spending their money. They rather line their pockets instead of giving it back to the fans.
No argument here.
"This San Fran writer the other day was saying how every team could afford ARod if they wanted it's just that they don't like spending their money."
Right. The only catch would be that A-Rod would have to pay CF, LF, RF, SS, 2B, and 3B for most teams to fit him under thier budget.
ARod is gone....they won't even think about signing him. They will go after Lowell. Give him 4 years instead of the 2 the Sox will offer and he will take it.
I wonder if the Sox will go after A Rod? I wonder how different things would have been if you guys made that trade and gave up Manny and got A Rod and we were never stuck with him. It probably would have been us celebrating last night. The Angels Dodgers or Cubs will more than likely get him but I bet the Sox will think about it.
...
"This San Fran writer the other day was saying how every team could afford ARod if they wanted it's just that they don't like spending their money."
Right. The only catch would be that A-Rod would have to pay CF, LF, RF, SS, 2B, and 3B for most teams to fit him under thier budget.
most every major league team sets their budgets way lower than they need to. they have the money to spend, they just don't. the argument is then split on whether that is right or wrong. before he was hit by lightning, bsams would always post here saying how all the cinci press would berate the reds management for never spending on the team despite being worth more than steinbrenner (and/or the newly formed voltron steinbrenner)
granted, you wont read that, and will only see "rob lOVe yankEeS, thEY spENd moNeY!" (and i chose, here, leet speak versus the dollar $ign speak) but i digress.
the issue that we're in now, however...
k, so, say arod and the yanks agree to 10 years for 275 mil. 27.5 mil a season. biggest in baseball. yadda yadda. but is he
worth that?
no, of course, not in the real-life, human-being context, where atheletes or entertainers should be paid far below teachers and doctors and quirky, stumpy web designers.
i mean, comparatively, in the major league sport of baseball. do arod's stats warrant 27 million per season in the year 2008? is he 150% an ichiro, beltran, or soriano -- each at 17/18 million a season? is he 20% better than manny ramirez? is he twice as valuable as a miguel tejada?
The San Francisco Chronicle reporter was Ray Ratto so MisterJLA can write him and complain.
I have a theory that JLA was an intern for the Yankees at some point in his life and got fucked in the ass so good by Steinbrenner he is still upset that the love of his life never mentioned him in his blog. How else do you explain the venom towards the Yanks. It's that or he has a very small penis.
Wow.
For a guy who's team just won the Series you sure sound bitter. First off you can sign a player without the agent being involved....in fact the Braves did it with Andruw Jones when they told him to leave Boras at home.
Secondly.....Gagne.
You have no right to criticize anyone after that move.
Not at all. It's just depressing to me that the Yankees went from making a very bold, courageous move to back-pedaling and looking like a bunch of pussies. If they really wanted to show some balls they'd either tell A-Rod "Thanks, but no thanks" or (if they absolutely needed to have him) have offered him a contract for a yearly rate of $20 Million, just to show him and Boras who had the power. I guess I overestimated them, shame on me.
Much as I hate da sawx and anything or anyone associated with them, I must agree with this statement.
A-Rod is arguably the best position player in the game and he will be for probably the next 5 to 7 years.
That said...WE ARE THE FUCKING NEW YORK YANKESS!!!!! We are the baseball. Hell, we are bigger than baseball. And we are damn sure bigger than a-fuckin-fraud.
The Babe.
Gehrig.
The Mick.
Yogi.
Joe D.
Reggie.
Goose.
Catfish.
Donnie Ballgame.
Jeter.
Even Bucky Fuckin' Dent.
The list is damn near endless.
Does we need him or does he need us?
Who else could pay him the coin? I mean REALLY?
WE had him with his ass bent and we still gave him what he wanted.
His ego needs for him to be the highest paid player. Didn't mean we had to make it so. Offer his punk ass $15M/year and see if he REALLY wants to be a Yankee. Add an escalator to his contract that says if you win the MVP in the same year that the team wins the World Series, your contract immmediately balloons to $30M/year. It could even be made retroactive to past years on the deal. That way you might one day do something in the playoffs.
WE need pitching, not this fuckin' prick.
Yeah....fire Torre and pay a-rod. That's how you win The Series.
Yanks are still my squad but, Goerge needs to give it up if he signed off on this shit.
Add an escalator to his contract that says if you win the MVP in the same year that the team wins the World Series, your contract immmediately balloons to $30M/year. It could even be made retroactive to past years on the deal. That way you might one day do something in the playoffs.
as an aside, i still like the notion of making all sports contracts based on incentives.
...anyway...
i was just reading about
kenny rogers also parting ways with boras.
giving arod
maaaajor benefit of the doubt, its possible this whole mess wasn't really what he wanted. sure, bottom line, its arod's move, but its possible a lot of the recent assholism is attributed to boras.
i'd likely not buy that at all if this were just arod, but having rogers make similar "what the fuck, man" statements like the linked article gives some credence to the possibility. seems boras makes a lot of statements without player consent. and kenny rogers did as much "i wanna stay a tiger"ing this year in newspaper quotes as arod did for the yankees. the shock came when both seemed to want out at the end of the year... only later did we find out that neither really wanted out (according to this deeply scientific theory, at least)
its an easier pill to swallow thinking that of kenny rogers, that he actually
wanted to stay, and didn't really want to look around for better deals. arod has the misfortune of being universally hated, so its difficult to imagine he actually wanted to stay and didn't immediately press the eject button for a $350 mil ride. ...but its still possible.
to note, boras said it was his decision to announce the "no more yankee" bit during game 4. could be player protection, or could be yet another part of the above speculatoryiation
article's like
this add to it moreso, aided by these types o' quotes:
When the time is right and I have a proper forum ... I think it's important for New York fans, for the New York Yankee fans, to realize exactly what happened, from A to Z.
i dunno. hard to imagine, but ...its possible.
Offer his punk ass $15M/year and see if he REALLY wants to be a Yankee.
i do like that notion. but i offer a better one:
arod could immediately reject most negative press in a single move -- ask for a lower rate contract.
it'd be a major move on his part. fans would respect his "not all about the money" notion. yankee fans would respect his "i really
do wanna be on the team" notion. it'd be a huge contract, getting him to stick around for a long time, and proving his dedication to the team for a decade plus.
meanwhile, in actual behind-the-scenes land, arod's pitch would be for $24 mil/season, for 11 seasons. with that, he'd be the highest paid in baseball. the $264 mil contract would be the largest in history. he wouldn't have to sell off his 9th country home or whatever, cuz there'd really be no difference from his previous contract. ... but the PR perk of "dropping his rate" would make him look like a hero. him, of all people, looking for less, just because he wants to be a team player.
work the politics, you dumb fuck!
Add an escalator to his contract that says if you win the MVP in the same year that the team wins the World Series, your contract immmediately balloons to $30M/year.
The problem with this is that teams are prohibited from this sort of thing - you can't have payments hinge on personal stats. It's probably why the current offer hasn't been finalized yet - the Yankees want to add a provision that pays A-Rod X amount of dollars if he breaks the home run record...
Wow.
For a guy who's team just won the Series you sure sound bitter. First off you can sign a player without the agent being involved....in fact the Braves did it with Andruw Jones when they told him to leave Boras at home.
Secondly.....Gagne.
You have no right to criticize anyone after that move.
Not at all. It's just depressing to me that the Yankees went from making a very bold, courageous move to back-pedaling and looking like a bunch of pussies. If they really wanted to show some balls they'd either tell A-Rod "Thanks, but no thanks" or (if they absolutely needed to have him) have offered him a contract for a yearly rate of $20 Million, just to show him and Boras who had the power. I guess I overestimated them, shame on me.
Much as I hate da sawx and anything or anyone associated with them, I must agree with this statement.
A-Rod is arguably the best position player in the game and he will be for probably the next 5 to 7 years.
That said...WE ARE THE FUCKING NEW YORK YANKESS!!!!! We are the baseball. Hell, we are bigger than baseball. And we are damn sure bigger than a-fuckin-fraud.
The Babe.
Gehrig.
The Mick.
Yogi.
Joe D.
Reggie.
Goose.
Catfish.
Donnie Ballgame.
Jeter.
Even Bucky Fuckin' Dent.
The list is damn near endless.
Does we need him or does he need us?
Who else could pay him the coin? I mean REALLY?
WE had him with his ass bent and we still gave him what he wanted.
His ego needs for him to be the highest paid player. Didn't mean we had to make it so. Offer his punk ass $15M/year and see if he REALLY wants to be a Yankee. Add an escalator to his contract that says if you win the MVP in the same year that the team wins the World Series, your contract immmediately balloons to $30M/year. It could even be made retroactive to past years on the deal. That way you might one day do something in the playoffs.
WE need pitching, not this fuckin' prick.
Yeah....fire Torre and pay a-rod. That's how you win The Series.
Yanks are still my squad but, Goerge needs to give it up if he signed off on this shit.
I agree with everything Bastie just said.
Cano takes positives from trade talk
By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com- NEW YORK -- No matter which way the Johan Santana sweepstakes shake out, Robinson Cano seems ready to spot the silver lining.
While acquiring the left-handed ace would have given the Yankees a sizable winter boost, Cano believes the club's prospects for 2008 remain strong -- though he'd rather not see Santana wind up with the Red Sox.
"We've got some great players," Cano said. "If we don't get a deal, we've got to play with our guys. In baseball, you never know what's going to happen. You've just got to keep fighting and play hard."
"It's a great deal if we can get Santana. We need it. We need a No. 1 guy like him. ... If [the Red Sox] got Santana, they're going to be a way better team. I hope we get him. It's not a good idea for us if they get Santana."
Cano made an appearance on Monday at the Center Grove Elementary School in Randolph, N.J., speaking to approximately four dozen children in a gymnasium while offering a few pointers on baseball basics.
News of the Yankees' reported withdrawal from discussions with the Twins regarding Santana should provide Cano's good friend, Melky Cabrera, with some relief. The second baseman said that continued rumors over a potential trade with the Twins had drawn Cabrera's attention over the last several weeks.
"It's like I tell him -- don't pay attention to the rumors," Cano said of Cabrera. "If you get traded, just keep playing. He wants to be a Yankee; he said he doesn't want to leave. I told him, 'If you have to leave, keep playing hard. You never know. You might come back.'
"I love Melky, but he [would] play every day in Minnesota. If the deal is going to be great for him, I'll be happy. That's what I told him. If you're going to play every day, you prove to yourself that you can be in the big leagues. You don't want to be sitting on the bench."
Cano, 25, said he has spent the majority of his winter working out in the Dominican Republic. His brief run with the Orientales Estrellas of the Dominican Winter League drew attention when the Yankees instructed Cano to leave the team last month.
Cano had been cleared to play six games in the league to test an injury suffered in September -- a pulled an abdominal muscle that no longer feels painful, he said -- and was sternly reminded of his limit when general manager Brian Cashman noticed Cano had already played in 10 games.
"I was really surprised," Cano said. "I didn't know they were going to call. But they are my boss, so I do whatever they want me to do. I just [went] home and kept working."
Cano, who batted .306 with 19 home runs and 97 RBIs in a career-high 160 games for the Yankees in 2007, said that he has interest in signing a deal to remain in New York for the foreseeable future.
Both Cano, who is arbitration eligible this year, and his agent, Bobby Barad, said that no dialogue has been opened with the club regarding a new contract.
"I would like to go long-term, but they haven't said anything yet," Cano said. "I hope it happens. If not, I'll just keep playing."
Cano said that he was "excited" to hear news of the Yankees' reuniting with Alex Rodriguez, saying that the reigning American League Most Valuable Player has helped both Cano and Cabrera with advice on and off of the field. He also spoke briefly with new manager Joe Girardi when their paths crossed in the Dominican Republic, and he is optimistic about the team's outlook.
"I think he's going to do the job," Cano said of Girardi. "You see the job he did with the Marlins [in 2006]. He's a great man. It's going to be different, but I think he's going to be a great manager."
Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Cano made an appearance on Monday at the Center Grove Elementary School in Randolph, N.J., speaking to approximately four dozen children in a gymnasium while offering a few pointers on baseball basics.
that was my school!
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