UPDATE, 7:24 p.m.: Phil Hughes is underway for Scranton. 1-2-3 first inning, 12 pitches. He's throwing 103 with a 99-mph slider and now has a knuckleball.

all against Scott Feldman .... 7 hits (2 HR), 2 BB and 1 costly error

And no Byrd in Boston can match a Moose in Minnesota.

Unfortunately, althought ARod and Giambi have the teams best numbers, the 'unclutchiness' has been so extreme, that between the 2 of them, they have killed out season.

http://nomaas.org/images/canoshead.jpg

10 i really do wonder if he is injured - he was making a lot of really nice plays in the field earlier in the year when his hitting was completely in the crapper. maybe after he cooled off after his asb hot streak he got really frustrated - as i have seen him throw his helmet and take a few swipes at the cups in the dugout several times lately - and that has carried over to his fielding. so obviously i am not sure, but i don't discount that he may be hurt.

Like you said, near everyone stinks this year. But we do look to ARod and Jetes to lead and succeed, and they have not. You can't have your #2, #4 and #5 batters all stink with men on base.

(yes, I know it's ludicrous, but it's been a miserable day wading through all the "Yanks are doomed" blog posts, including here on the Banter...)

I guess the 0.00 ERA and 1.000 OPS couldn't last forever. :)

fuckwits.

You can see that trade-off with Damon. He hits a HR, but then fails to catch a ball he should have and allows a runner to take third on a Sac Fly.

A suicide squeeze? Does MLB still allow those? Maybe Girardi should take notes.

Then again, do these guys even care if they get traded..?

But I'm not sure we do better on the free agent market.

Maybe it was a mistake for the Yanks to sign him to a big contract. He might feel he doesn't have to work hard any more.

Before someone suggests that Damon cost the team one more run than he produced, the reality is that Damon isn't replacing Melky...Betemit is.

That's not a mistake. 2 - 3 run HRs for Papi in the FIRST inning.

Dunno if no runs would have scored. Kind of hard to say how the inning would have gone after that.

Oh WILLIAM!!!!!!!!!
Would you like to tell us all what at 26% decrease in BBs AND at the same time a 28% decrease in strikeouts means?

Wow! 12-10 Boston

Man, these guys are tough to watch offensively right now. Blackburn has a nice sinker though.

No WAY they score now.

The Twins were giving the Yankees the run, but Meacham holds Abreu. Even the Yankees 3rd base coach has performed horribly. This has really be an organization-wide effort.

AND WTF DID MEACHAM JUST HOLD UP ABREU WITH TWO OUTS!! ARRRGGHHH

he HAS to get the axe this offseason.

Nady doubles, Giambi, a dead duck at home, scores, throw not handled by the catcher.

And Giambi scores from first on a double?! Yankees gotta win now.

you're as bad at your job as any coach i've ever seen.

And Meacham strikes again! But we get lucky!

71 I would agree 1000%, except Jetes #P/PA is almost exactly at his career average. I guess he's also had some super long ABs? Doesn't make sense. LESS first pitch hitting? Doesn't seem possible.

Ummm, isn't that what he is this season?

Are you arguing that Jeter's hacking is largely a product of less selectivity with three balls?

Chubb Chubb Rock Rounding Third and Scoring!

big picture: guys with his skills age well, but aging will still begin early 30s. his "approach" change, if it's changed, is most likely a conscious or unconscious reaction to physical decline...

Aw, man, c'mon Alex...we could really use a big base knock here fella.

(see Mauer's injury history)

boof bonser is usually good hitting for the yanks

It is an interesting notion, however, to consider that he might be particularly bad with three balls. And, a quick look at the numbers actually reveals that to be the case:
After Career 2008
3-0 1.459 0.752
3-1 1.154 0.810
3-2 0.908 0.737

Once again, no lead is safe in Fenway Park.

One solution that you do not consider is that Jeter always swung at bad pitches in the past, but was able to do more with them (more line drives and fewer ground balls).

8/23/2006: Cleveland 15, Kansas City 13.
6/8/1989: Philadelphia 15, Pittsburgh 10.
6/3/1933: Yankees 17, Philadelphia A's 11
9/26/1912 (Game 2): Cubs 11, Cincinnati 10
6/20/1912: New York Giants 21, Boston Braves 12
5/3/1912: Philadelphia A's 18, Yankees 15.

"Biily Crystal could put on a Rangers jersey tonight and get a hit."

I see the Sawx exploded against Bizarro Kramer.

I think my explanation is more plausible because it is simpler (Occam's razor): he's swinging at the same pitches and doing less with them. Plus, I simply can't remember all of the pitches good or bad that Jeter has swung at in his long career, so I would hesitate to base a conclusion on my own recollection of such.

Thurman's Dad even made some ugly comments after he found out his son died --- total asshole. I don't think the apple was that close.

I also didn't know that Dent was adopted and spent a lot of his life looking for his Dad.

I agree that the book is mostly competent. It was a quick and easy read. I much prefer Roger Kahn's "October Men" which is more focused on the entire season than just that one game, but the quality of the writing is better.

It was very well written. Plus Kahn was actually in the stands at the playoff in Boston and got a little more "feel" for being there than what's his name.

I suspect this is the key point, and where our analyses mainly differ. You argue (I assume) based on memory that Jeter has been swinging at these outside pitches where in the past he took the pitch. I argue that in the past he swung at the same outside pitch but lined it to RF; this year he rolls over and grounds out just as his increased ground ball rate and decreased line drive rate would suggest.

If I am correct, then the question is not "why is Jeter less patient?" but "why is he less successful?"

bring on the umpbots!

obviously, he angling to suck so hard for the next 40 games that no one else on the team will be noticed ...

I was at Hughes's start in Pawtucket tonight, and he looked very sharp. His fastball was 93-94 consistently by the stadium radar gun (though I have no idea how accurate it is). He was getting everything over for strikes, and I'm pretty sure I saw his new cutter as well. Here are some pics I took of Hughes warming, and then one pitch in the first inning, if you're interested. They're from my cell phone, so they aren't the greatest:

http://tinyurl.com/6ahurc

(Oh, and the last one is Gardner beating out an infield hit. Damn he is fast.)

I (sadly) missed Melancon because my 2-year-old little Yankees fan decided she was tired and wanted to go home. Which was OK, seeing she sat and watched the game for that long. =)

RIYank was supposed to be there too, and probably still is as the game was tied 2-2 going into extra innings last I checked. And I believe he was going with teenagers, not a 2 year old.

I expect we are going to see Hughes in pinstripes again very soon.

My explanation is simpler and better accounts for the statistical data, IMO.

Anyway, we can go around like this for ages.

Having the Extra Innings cable package helps ...

204 Crap.

Hence, its easy to scoreboard watch and hope you don't have to avoid all forms of local media tomorrow.

Althought it's now 19-17, 1 out, tying run at the plate against Papsmear.

Thanks for the report from the PawSox game about Phil. I have to make it to a game there sometime.

I'm not sure what you mean, but I've got the Yanks on the radio. Sterling and Waldman is all that I can handle...

Marte bad.

The only drawback is it doesn't have a lot for kids to do, like some of the newer stadiums (that have playgrounds and the like). Not a problem if you don't have kids, of course.

But 19 pitches and only one out is clearly bad Marte.

Wow, I guess our season really is over now...Mo can't clean up Marte's mess...again.

Well, it is August, I guess its time for "What's Wrong With Mariano Week"?

Can we send Marte back to Pittsburgh, postage paid? Sheesh.

has he ever given up a solo shot in the course of a save with a 2-run lead, something like that?

jesus christ....

Paw and Sox (neither of whom we saw tonight, to my daughter's dismay) help too.

watching the replay, yikes, he's running like he's got 1 wooden leg ... lovely.

I like this lineup over yesterday's. It's not their fault Marte's struggling and Mo had his first blown save of the year.

I am even more ticked at Cano's baserunning idiocy, though.

Great, now Jeter is hurt again. And that also means Betemit to SS and Sexson to 1B.

Sigh.

So I'm not worried.

Extra innings after a low-scoring nine innings; the SWB Yanks score four runs in the tenth, 3-run Chad Moeller homer. But then Scott Strickland goes to pieces and the PawSox tie it! Yanks get two more in the eleventh, Eric Duncan double, and it holds up.

Melancon seemed to me to have really good stuff, not so great control. He allowed both inherited runners to score, but then settled down and pitched well. We also got to see Phil Coke baffle a few betters.

I see you didn't mention the oddest play of the game: Shelley Duncan stole second base.

Damn, I missed Coke too . . . but I'm glad they won. Sounds like I missed a heck of an ending. Thanks for filling in the gaps for me!

Fortunately for the Yanks, Gardenhire seems to have an aversion to using Nathan in a non-save situation, so a win should be imminent.

285 Hey, look, monkeypants, it's Pudge!

And remember that game where Jaret Wright pinch-ran for Giambi?

Then again, that would imply that you would bat Melky for anyone besides a pitcher...

I'll catch you guys later. Like maybe September.

I wonder if the pendulum of orthodoxy will ever swing back and teams decide that it's better to carry that extra player instead of the extra pitcher.

When Booby Murcer passed away, Alex posted the baseball-reference box score of a game that he saw where Murcer performed some heroic feat. This got me looking at some old box scores of games I had attended. It is interesting to see how much more frequently PH were used earlier in the game, even as recent as the 1980s.

Nice swipe, J. C'mon, big fella.

that's some hellofa argument for being single ...

I will have no excuse for not getting up with the kids ~6AM tomorrow morning . . . yet here I am stilL!

i need sleep.

sheff hit homer #492
big unit got win #294

more and more like craig wilson, everyday cliff, more and more every day ...

Alex, your hopeful optimism trumps your defeatism. Nice call in 340 !

our pen should certainly hold this...

What is Pete Abe saying now?

All of a sudden, I'm wide awake!

384 pete abe saying he pulled an alex belth and also called the A-Bomb...

Meanwhile, Bobby Meacham is having another rough night at third base. Among the many things the Yankees need to address is the makeup of Girardi's staff. Their inexperience is certainly a factor in this season.

UPDATE, 10:15 p.m.: Scott Proctor has a sore elbow that will need surgery and he may not pitch again this season. They should still try and trade Wilson Betemit back for him.

UPDATE, 10:54 p.m.: I take it all back. Betemit is awesome, even if they did just intentionally walk Cano to get to him.

UPDATE, 11:10 p.m.: Unbelieveable. First blown save for Mo. Costs Mussina a win that he should have had.

Marte has been brutal. 7.1 innings, 9 hits, 9 ER.

UPDATE, 11:31 p.m.: No idea what is wrong with Jeter. He did foul a ball off his foot earlier in the game.

UPDATE, 11:54 p.m.: There's a woman sitting in front of the press box with a Doug Mientkiewicz Twins jersey on. He last played for the Twins in 2004.

Meanwhile I can spell Mientkiewicz without looking it up.

A-Rod is now 5 of 31 on the trip with two RBI. … Good fans here in Minnesota, not too many folks have left.

UPDATE, 12:17 a.m.: OK, I'm calling a HR for Alex here.

UPDATE, 12:19 p.m.: Wow, I was right. Mark Feinsand of the Daily News is my witness. Just ask him. Not that calling a HR by a guy with so many of them makes me a genius. But still.

1 more out...

Well, it still sucks that Moose didn't get the win, but it was worth sticking around to see the end.

'Night, all!

MP: "Jeter got three hits and the Yankees win. Coincidence?"

W23: "Jeter left the game and the Yankees win. Coincidence?"