Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
After scoring 15 runs on opening night, the Yankees have scored a total of eight in losing their last three games. But as tempting as it might be to point to a team-wide offensive slump, the fact of the matter is that they've simply run into some outstanding pitching. Rich Harden, Dan Haren, Justin Duchscherer, Huston Street, Kelvim Escobar, Scot Sheilds and Francisco Rodriguez are some of the best pitchers in the American League. Randy Johnson and Mariano Rivera are the only Yankee hurlers who could crack that line-up and Rivera, shamefully, has yet to throw a pitch this season. It's no wonder the Yanks are 1-3. The good news is that Randy Johnson will take the ball tonight looking to stop the Yankees' losing streak. The bad news is that the pitcher he's facing is the promising Ervin Santana, who was the winning pitcher in relief in Game 5 of last year's ALDS. Truth be told, I'd take the 23-year-old Santana over any member of the Yankee rotation other than Johnson himself.
In other news, Wil Nieves was designated for assignment yesterday to make room for new third-string catcher Koyie Hill, who joined the Yankees in Anahiem last night. Nieves will now have to pass through waivers in order to remain in the organization and report to Columbus. All of this proves that Nieves only made the opening day roster because he was out of options and the Yankees didn't think they could afford to lose him to waivers, which should tell you something about how dire the organizational catching situation is. With Hill in the fold, however, the Yankees can afford to expose Nieves, and if Nieves clears, they can then risk exposing Hill, thus opening up that final roster spot for a more deserving player such as Ramiro Mendoza or one of the Kevins. Indeed, DFAing Nieves removes him from the 40-man roster, which means there's now an open spot on the 40-man for Mendoza, who could replace Jaret Wright in the bullpen once Wright is needed in the rotation.
Odds are Nieves won't be claimed, but it will be interesting to see what the Yankees do if he is. One fears the loss of Nieves could freeze Hill on the 25-man for the forseable future, which would be a dreadful waste of a roster spot unles Joe Torre uses the situation to DH Posada on days he doesn't catch. Still, the fact that Hill fell all the way to the Yankees (the Angels and White Sox are the only teams that don't have waiver priority over the Yankees when it comes to wavied National Leaguers, though that will change on the 30th day of the season, at which point this year's standings will be used to determine the waiver order) strongly suggests that there are no other teams out there desperate for a triple-A catcher with out a past or a future. The Yankees should should just suck it up and DFA Hill either way, besides which, they can always withdraw him from waivers and return him to the 25-man roster if he is claimed.
Finally, Joe Torre made the first of what I expect will be several small tweaks to his batting order last night. I've not said much about Torre's bizzare choice to pair up the four lefties in his line-up, placing Giambi and Matsui and Cano and Damon back-to-back, in part because I didn't expect it to last. Indeed, starting last night, Torre has swapped Cano and Bernie Williams in the order, thus using the switch-hitting Williams to break-up the left-handed Cano and Damon. Torre said he made the move because Cano was swinging the bat better than Bernie. That's encouraging because it indicates that Torre is capable of recognizing that Williams, who is now batting ninth, is the worst hitter in his lineup.
We are looking at 500+ ABs for Bernie if this goes on.
Regarding Rivera, it seems like there should be a pattern for Rivera's usage. Something like 4 innings/wk(<2innings/app).
When well-rested
Situation Usage
down by 1 ???
Tied(Away) Start beginning of ninth pitch through 10th.
Tied(Home) Start beginning of 8th
Up by 1 Start the 8th
Up by 2 Start the 8th
Up by 3 Don't use unless needed in 9th.
When available for 1 inning.
Situation Usage
down by 1 don't use*
tied(home) Start the ninth*?
tied(away) ???
Up by 1 Start the 9th*
Up by 2 Start the 9th*
Up by 3 Don't use unless needed in 9th.
Thoughts? The only ones Torre does regularly are the ones that I put a * next to.
And Cliff, I know the opposing pitching is good, but if we want to be a contender, we have to find a way to be competitive with the good teams.
I read somewhere yesterday, maybe even here, that Torre eventually (in August or September) loses confidence in everyone else and figures out that he'd better use Rivera in non-traditional save situations. Then Torre uses Mo exactly right in the playoffs (the Weaver game notwithstanding). If only Torre would start his non-traditional use in April instead of Aug/Sept!
I can't wait for tomorrow's game, because it starts before 10PM EDT. Staying up late is not an option when your 3 month old daughter consistently wakes up at 5:30AM every morning, Yankee games or no.
Fifth: .330/.387/.554 (112 ABs)
Sixth: .316/.330/.453 (95 ABs)
Wang (to be fair, he is at his worst at the first inning):
Fifth: .294/.380/.456 (68 ABs)
Chacon:
Fifth: .267/.333/.489 (45 ABs)
Pavano has egregious lines from third through sixth, I refrain from posting them keeping general reader's health in mind. Part of it could be the defense, and his own homer happy tendencies, a killer combination.
This is the time when the other team's heart of the order has second or third crack at the pitcher, and they adjust. It seems Yankee pitchers either do not adjust themselves, or are simply incapable of putting hitters away. Hopefully Guidry can fix it. Otherwise, this exposes the underbelly of the soft bullpen, and team loses it's lead. Against teams like Oakland and Angels, who have good bullpens, that is a killer blow.
EUREKA!
End of the order is Posada, Cano, Stinnett, the rest is the same as the first four games. Okay, maybe this third catcher thing ain't so bad after all.
2nd question: they showed the Sheffield double play ball from last night--didn't show him running out of the box, but he didn't exactly reach the bag at top speed--anybody have a defence of the Sheff on this one?
I thought Sheff was rather lackadaisical last night. Someone said they think he's angling for a raise, or a trade, but I don't know. Maybe he just thought it was hopeless.
Off the bat I thought there'd be a play and was almost astonished to see not only no play, but Derek wasn't even close to the ball.
The replay showed the whole scene: Jeter didn't move for nearly a second after the ball was hit. He just kind of stood there frozen for a sec.
I wonder what that's about? I mean, it's not like judging a fly ball or anything, what's the hesitation about?
It's just weird, 'cause it looks like it's a problem reading the ball off the bat. I don't quite get how that works with ground balls.
42 Hey weeping, would you care to describe that last play for the viewing-impaired? Let me guess, Sheff made an ill-advised dive?
:)
Rodriguez made a nice play to end the inning, coming in, spinning nicely and making a true throw. It was a very graceful play. He makes things look easy.
Great at-bat by Giambi, by the way.
I know how you feel. Especially about the not being fun to follow part. And yet I do.
Fine him. Unacceptable.
Actually, no, I want him to explain that.
But MAN, how painful was that?
They just can't score a run.
Not one run.
Giambi squared?
Does he even know how to bunt?
meanwhile the redsox are winning these 2 to 1 games and pretending like its natural. i knew something was going to go screwy when I killed my chinese fighting fish, Derek. Didn't I tell you?
I'm thinking a 2 run shot by somebody in the 9th. bunt jason!
First he thinks about bunting, which makes sense, given the shift.
Then, ha ha!--he hits right into the dragnet in the end anyway, just like old times.
Oh, wait. Never mind.
It's just exasperating. Truly exasperating.
Ack. It's all on Bernie now.
(Could be worse tho, Scott Podsednick, Mr. Smallball himself, is 1 for 17 so far).
-There's no such thing as a 5-run homer.
-The Yankees are pressing.
-Yankee fans just feel this sense of entitlement that their team should win the World Series every single year.
-Everyone is trying to hit a home run every time up.
-You would think that if Giambi just layed one down every once in a while, he'd end up with ten or twenty extra base hits a year.
-Extra large, the works, anchovies on the side.
-World Series' aren't won in April.
-O'Neill, stop picking on me.
If they sold them, I'd get one.
And what it is with him and Paul O'Neill? A few games, the things he's said to Paul have been unbelievable. Is he kidding, or is there some kind of feud going on there?
... our team ERA is under 3.5
... Cano has been ripping the ball. That line drive he hit to center was anabsolute laser! It's just a matter of time.
... Giambi is looking better.. his stroke is better (even if he didn't bunt one to third)
... Posada was the DH, not Bernie. Joe is slow, but he will eventually get it about Bernie.
This is an old team. It takes a few weeks of everyday play to get the rust out. The fact that our pitching has been decent, and RJ looks good, is good news.
Please bench Bernie. 2 starts a week sounds generous. At least he is not in CF...
That said, I hope the Yanks retire 51.
"Jaret Wright will start for the Yankees next Saturday in Minnesota, the first time the club will need a fifth starter."
190 We've known that since late March. April 15 = fifth starter = Jaret Wright.
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