Baseball Toaster: Bronx Banter : All is Not Wright

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Roger Angell
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Clemente by David Maraniss
The Soul of Baseball by Joe Posnanaski
Glenn Stout and Richard A. Johnson:
Yankee Century: Part 1 Part 2
Red Sox Century: 1 2 3 4
The Dodgers: 120 Years of Dodgers Baseball

Players

25-man Roster:

Infielders:
J. Giambi BR BP E MLB
R. Cano BR BP E MLB
D. Jeter BR BP E MLB
A. Rodriguez BR BP E MLB
W. Betemit BR BP E MLB mi
C. Ransom BR BP E MLB mi

Outfielders:
B. Abreu BR BP E MLB
J. Damon BR BP E MLB
X. Nady BR BP E MLB
H. Matsui BR BP E MLB mi
B. Gardner BR E MLB mi

Catchers:
I. Rodriguez BR BP E MLB
J. Molina BR BP E MLB
C. Moeller BR BP E MLB mi

Starting Pitchers:
M. Mussina BR BP BC E
A. Pettitte (L) BR BP BC E
S. Ponson BR BP BC E mi
D. Rasner BR BP BC E mi
C. Pavano BR BP BC E mi

Relief Pitchers:
M. Rivera BR BP BC E
J. Chamberlain BR BP BC E
D. Marte (L) BR BP BC E
J. Veras BR BP BC E mi
E. Ramirez BR BP BC E mi
B. Bruney BR BP BC E mi
D. Giese BR BP BC E mi
C. Britton BR BP BC E mi
A. Aceves BR E mi
P. Coke (L) BR BC E mi

15-day DL:
C. Wang BR BP BC E
60-day DL:
J. Posada BR BP E MLB
J. Albaladejo BR BP BC E mi
A. Brackman BC
H. Sanchez BC mi

Coaches:
J. Girardi (Mgr) BR BP BC
R. Thomson (Bench) BC
Kevin Long (Hit) BR
D. Eiland (Pitch) BR BP BC
B. Meacham (3B) BR BP BC
T. Peña (1B) BR BP BC
M. Harkey (Pen) BR BP BC

40-man Roster:
AAA
S. Duncan BR BP E MLB mi
J. Miranda BR BC mi
M. Cabrera BR BP E MLB
J. Christian BR BP E MLB mi
P. Hughes BR BP BC E mi
I. Kennedy BR BP BC E mi
C. Wright (L) BR BP BC E mi
D. Robertson BR BC E mi
S. Patterson BR BC mi
AA
F. Cervelli BR BC mi
J. Marquez BR BC mi DL

Designated for Assignment:
B. Traber (L) BR BP BC E mi

Select Minor Leaguers:

AAA Scranton Wilkes-Barre Yankees:
B. Castro BR mi DL
C. Basak BR BP BC E MLB mi
E. Duncan BC mi
N. Green BR mi
B. Broussard BR mi
M. Carson BC mi
C. Stewart BR BP E MLB mi
J. Brown BC mi DL
K. Igawa (L) BR BP BC E JB mi
M. Melancon BC mi
J.B. Cox BC mi
S. Strickland BR BC mi
S. Jackson BC mi
E. Milton BR BC mi DL
V. Zambrano BR BC mi DL

AA Trenton Thunder:
K. Russo BR mi
R. Peña BC mi DL
C. Malec BC mi
M. Vechionacci BC mi DL
A. Jackson BC mi
C. Curtis BC mi
E. Gonzalez BR mi
P.J. Pilittere BC mi
J. Jones BC mi
G. Kontos BC mi
J. Nuñez BC mi
B. Smith BC mi DL
A. Claggett BC mi
O. Perez BR BC mi
M. Gardner BC mi
K. Whelan BC mi
W. Arias (L) BC mi

A Tampa Yankees:
E. Nuñez BC mi
C.J. Henry BC mi DL
T. Battle BC mi
K. Anson BC mi
J. Gil BC mi
A. Horne BC mi DL
Z. McAllister BC mi
W. De La Rosa (L) BC mi
C. Garcia BC mi

Low-A Charleston RiverDogs:
J. Snyder BC mi
M. Cusick BC mi
B. Suttle BC mi
A. Romine BC mi
J. Montero BC mi
D. Betances BC mi
J. Heredia BC mi
J. Ortiz BC mi
C. Heyer BC mi

Low-A Staten Island Yankees:
D. Adams mi
P. Venditte mi

Rookie Gulf Coast Yankees:
C. Joseph mi
C. Smith mi
K. Higashioka mi

Key:
BR = Baseball-Reference
BP = Baseball Prospectus
BC = Baseball Cube (past mL stats)
mi = MiLB.com (current mL stats)
E = ESPN (current splits, game logs)
MLB = MLB.com hit charts
JB = Japanese Baseball.com

The Recently Departed

2008 Yankees:
R. Sexson BR BP E MLB
M. Ensberg BR BP E MLB
A. Gonzalez BR BP E MLB mi
K. Farnsworth BR BP BC E
L. Hawkins BR BP BC E

Nady/Marte Trade:
J. Tabata BC mi
R. Ohlendorf BR BP BC E
D. McCutchen BC mi
J. Karstens BR BP BC E mi

2008 Campers/mLers:
C. Woodward BR BP BC E MLB PHI mL
J. Lane BR mi BOS mL
G. Porter BC mi WAS mL
J.D. Closser BR mi SD mL
S. Henn (L) BR BP BC E mi SD
H. Phillips (L) BR BC mi TB mL
S. White BR BC mi

2007 Yankees:
J. Torre (Mgr) BR BP BC LAD
D. Mientkiewicz BR BP BC E MLB PIT mL
A. Phillips BR BP BC E MLB mi CIN mL
J. Phelps BR BP BC E MLB STL mL
M. Cairo BR BP BC E MLB SEA
K. Thompson BR BP BC E MLB mi PIT
B. Sardinha BC mi SEA mL
W. Nieves BR BP BC E MLB WAS mL
R. Clemens BR BP BC E mi
T. Clippard BR BP BC E mi WAS
L. Vizcaino BR BP BC E COL $7.5m/2yrs
M. DeSalvo BR BP BC E mi ATL mL
M. Myers (L) BR BP BC E LAD mL
R. Villone (L) BR BP BC E mi STL mL
S. Proctor BR BP BC E LAD
J. Brower BR BP BC E mi CIN mL
C. Bean BR BP BC E mi ATL mL

2007 Campers and mLers:
E. Durazo BR BP BC E MLB mi
A. Cannizaro BR BP BC E MLB mi TB mL
A. Chavez BR BP BC E MLB mi LAD mL
K. Reese BR BP BC E MLB mi
R. Chavez BR BP BC E MLB mi PIT mL
O. Santos BC mi BAL mL
T. Pratt BR BP BC E MLB
T.J. Beam BR BP BC E mi PIT mL
B. Kozlowski (L) BR BP BC E mi Japan

Molina Trade:
J. Kennard BC mi

Abreu Trade
M. Smith (L) BR BP BC E mi PHI
C. Monasterios BC mi PHI
J. Sanchez mi PHI

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All is Not Wright

2005-04-23 13:41

by Alex Belth

Anyone got anything good to say?

Friday Night: Texas 5, Yanks 3.

Saturday Afternoon: Texas 10, Yanks 2.

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Comments

2005-04-23 13:58:25

1. rbj

Philips got an AB and had a nice hit (unfortunately caught). We may get to see Chein-Ming Wang.

2005-04-23 14:01:12

2. Clay Caviness

Jeter's walking at a ludicrous rate.

2005-04-23 14:04:13

3. seamus

to answer your question, not really. But maybe this terrible start will allow for some youth to establish themselves. Andy Phillips will obviously get some playing time. It looks like Wright might be DL bound which would likely mean a call up of Wang. Wang, for what its worth is doing good but not super at Columbus. 2-0 with a 4.15 ERA, 16 K and 5 BB in 26 IP. He allowed 12 hits and 4 runs in his last start.

The thing is that Tino is playing too much. When he was signed i thought it was a good signing in mind that he would play on occasion. But he has been all but an everyday player and that isn't very good.

Giambi isn't doing so well. I'd cut him some slack yet but he is mostly a hole in that lineup. Womack is frustrating but doing better than both Giambi and Tino.

2005-04-23 14:05:51

4. Harley

It's Only Almost May!!

Brown and Wright seem beyond repair. Whatever happened to that Leiber guy? (Geesh.)

2005-04-23 14:07:44

5. seamus

We very badly need Mussina, Unit, and Pavano to steady the rotation. We can deal with some turmoil at the bottom if those goes are solid.

2005-04-23 14:10:53

6. seamus

and since i was looking at Columbus' up to date stats, go Cano! .362, 5 2b, 2 eb, 5 HR, 18 RBI, and 5 BB in 69 ABs!

2005-04-23 14:11:28

7. seamus

eb = 3b. if i am going to preview i should at least look at it before i post eh?

2005-04-23 14:14:00

8. redshift

Here's one good thing: Until today, Yankee relievers had pitched 14 2/3 scoreless innings.

2005-04-23 14:45:22

9. Simone

The good:

1) Jeter's walking.

2) The bullpen was looking decent until today.

3) Wang will get his chance.

4) RJ goes tomorrow.

The bad:

Too many to count. Did anyone see that Wright said that he felt something before the game and during the 2nd inning. Why didn't he say something and come out earlier? What a buffoon. Lets just hope his injury isn't serious.

2005-04-23 16:47:08

10. JohnnyC

If the Yankees keep playing like this, even the Torre/Stottlemyre apologists will have to throw their hands up. During today's game, Jim Kaat, usually a cordial comrade-in-arms of Mel, gave a thinly veiled but devastating critique of how Yankee pitchers, and particularly Jaret Wright, approach pitching. He reiterated that the side to side, sinker/slider philosophy is useless with today's hitters. Again, he emphasized that changing speeds, changing planes, and tighter spin(he demonstrated grips for the camera)are the ingredients for success in today's game. All things conspicuously missing from any Yankee pitcher's arsenal (except Mussina...but he's got his own issues). Even with an allegedly better bullpen, the Rangers don't match up with the Yankees' staff talent wise. Yet, Hershiser, whose own repertoire was similar to Stottlemyre's in his day -- sinkers, sliders, everything at the knees and corners -- coaches state of the art circa 2005 not 1973. With Mel in charge, it wouldn't matter if Mark Prior HAD signed with the Yankees. He'd be throwing 2 strike gopher balls like every other Yankee pitcher.

2005-04-23 17:55:08

11. brockdc

Yeah, that was kick-ass analysis by Kitty today. The only question I had - and I don't in any way mean to be flip here - is this:

If these pitchers don't change speeds effectively (and they don't), how come it only really affects them once they don pinstripes?

Also, here's a question I'll pose for anyone interested. Who would you rather see go off into a happy, fulfilled retirement: Mel, Brown, or Kay?

2005-04-23 18:13:33

12. JohnnyC

Your question must be rhetorical but...I'll give you an answer anyway. It's not just the changing speeds part of it, it's the Stottlemyre insistence on hitting the corners with slider-speed pitches (as if a strong 6'3" batter can't cover the plate and make solid contact). The change of speed is doubly effective since it can cover up mistakes in location (hey, nobody's a perfect dart thrower like Mel's idea of the prototypical pitcher). Remember Pettitte tipping his pitches? A lot of that came from the predictability of his location, especially when he over-used his cutter. In 1995, pre-Stottlemyre, Andy's best pitch, if you recall, was his changeup.

2005-04-24 00:14:37

13. brockdc

JohnnyC,

Thanks - and I do recall that whole ordeal with Pettitte "tipping" his pitches. It's just hard to believe that Mel would be so intractable about his misguided and outdated pitching philosophy.

2005-04-24 01:19:41

14. Cliff Corcoran

JohnnyC, I'll choose Mel. Kay causes no actual harm. With Wright on the DL the Yanks have to hope Brown can figure it out. Mel, however, should go.

2005-04-24 10:53:58

15. rbj

Woohoo Andy!
And if Colter's going to the pen, who's going to start?

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