Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
If the Yankees caught the Devil Rays at exactly the right time over the past week and a half, getting off to a 3-1 start in the season series against their nemesis of a year ago while Aubrey Huff, Julio Lugo, and Jorge Cantu languished on the DL, the opposite is true about the six games they'll play against the Texas Rangers over the next two weeks. As of this afternoon, the Rangers had a half-game lead on the Yankees for the second-best record in the American League, they're sixth in the AL in runs scored, but just five runs behind the second place Yankees (the Indians lead by a bunch), and fifth in the AL in ERA with a 4.21.
It's that team ERA that is the big news here. The Rangers pitching has been awful for years, and the primary reason their crop of young hitters has been unable to take the team into the playoffs. In 2001 and 2003 the Rangers were dead last in the AL in team ERA and they were in the bottom three in 2002. In 2004 they lept into the top half of the league on the strength of a fluke season by their bullpen, which posted the third best pen ERA in the majors, but their starters still struggled, posting a 5.16 mark, leaving few leads to be protected. Last year, their pen crashed back to earth and the Rangers once again finished among the worst three teams in the majors in team ERA.
This year, the Rangers rotation features just one pitcher who was with the team last year, and he, 24-year-old Kameron Loe, pitched primarily in relief in 2005. Loe's 4.15 ERA stands as the worst of the five men currently in the Texas rotation. While big trade acquisition Adam Eaton languishes on the 60-day DL following surgery on the middle finger in his pitching hand (he's due back in August), Loe, late-March acquisition John Koronka (25) and veteran free agents and former Phillies Vincente Padilla and Kevin Millwood have combined to record 14 quality starts in 24 tries. Meanwhile, Robinson Tejeda, who is younger than Loe (having just turned 24), and a more recent Phillie than Padilla, and more recent acquisition than Koronka, held the Devil Rays to three hits over five innings in his first start of the year on Tuesday. Other spot starters and new acquisitions Rick Bauer and John Rheinecker have also turned in solid, if abbreviated starts, with only famiar face R.A. Dickey, since dropped from the 40-man roster, stinking up the joint.
Things have been only slightly less encouraging in the bullpen, where Francisco Cordero has lost the closer job he's held for the past several seasons, but Akinori Otsuka, who came over in the Eaton trade, has picked up the slack, posting a 1.98 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP in 13 2/3 innings. No one else has been quite that dominant, but only another member of last year's staff, lefty C.J. Wilson, has been truly bad.
Back on the other side of the ball, the few Rangers hitters who didn't get off to hot starts have heated up in past weeks including Brad Wilkerson, the key player in the Alfonso Soriano deal, and Kevin Mench, who--as the Yankee broadcasters are sure to tell you far too many times over the next three days--discovered his shoes were a size to small and has been hitting the cover off the ball ever since he fixed his footwear. Most notably, Mench fell one game shy of Don Mattingly's shared record for most consecutive games with a homer (the record is eight, shared with Griffey Jr. and Dale Long, Mench hit homers in seven straight).
The good news is that the Yankees have Mike Mussina on the mound tonight and Gary Sheffield back in the lineup to get things off on the right, properly outfitted foot. Moose's opponent will be Vincente Padilla, a borderline All-Star for the Phillies in 2002 who posted similar numbers in 2003 before a pair of disappointing and injury-shortened seasons in 2004 and 2006. Still just 28, Padilla looks to be reestablishing himself as a solid mid-rotation starter, having failed to record an out in the sixth inning just once in six starts, and lasting through five in that exception. Padilla had one dominant outing against the Mariners two turns ago (7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 BB, 7 K), which was immediatley preceeded by that stinker in Oakland (5 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 4 HR). His other four starts have fallen in between those two extremes, though curiously he hasn't given up any other home runs in those four other starts.
Texas Rangers
2005 Record: 79-83 .488
2005 Pythagorean Record: 82-80 .506
Manager: Buck Showalter
General Manager: Jon Daniels
Home Ballpark (2005 Park Factors): Transarmitronick Ballpark dela Arlington (104/103)
Who's Replacing Whom?
Current Roster
1B – Mark Teixeira (S)
2B – Mark DeRosa (R)
SS – Michael Young (R)
3B – Hank Blalock (L)
C – Rod Barajas (R)
RF – Kevin Mench (R)
CF – Gary Matthews Jr. (S)
LF – Brad Wilkerson (L)
DH – Phil Nevin (R)
Bench:
R – Gerald Laird (C)
S – D'Angelo Jimenez (IF)
S – Adrian Brown (OF)
R – Drew Meyer (IF)
Rotation:
R – Kevin Millwood
R – Vincente Padilla
R – Kameron Loe
R – Robinson Tejeda
L – John Koronka
Bullpen:
R – Akinori Otsuka
R – Francisco Cordero
R – Antonio Alfonseca
R – Joaquin Benoit
R – Rick Bauer
L – Ron Mahay
L – C.J. Wilson
15-day DL: R – Ian Kinsler (2B), R – Frank Francisco, L – Brian Shouse, L – Fabio Castro
60-day DL: R – Adam Eaton, R – Josh Rupe
Restricted List: R – Omar Beltre
Typical Lineup
S – Gary Matthews Jr. (CF)
R – Michael Young (SS)
S – Mark Teixeira (1B)
R – Phil Nevin (DH)
L – Hank Blalock (3B)
R – Kevin Mench (RF)
L – Brad Wilkerson (LF)
R – Rod Barajas (C)
R – Mark DeRosa (2B)
I don't know their peripherals, but I doubt the rotation can keep it up. They would have to be truly loaded to remain where they are pitching in that park. And (big surprise) they've been pitching better on the road.
Go Yanks.
Johnny Damon CF
Derek Jeter SS
Gary Sheffield RF
Jason Giambi 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Hideki Matsui LF
Jorge Posada C
Robinson Cano 2B
Bernie Williams DH
So, how did Detroit improve so much? Are they for real?
Well, 39 rounds up to a million.
I have no comment.
It's only the end of their half of the 5th, but the front three have already been up 4 times. That's what eight hits, 6 walks and an error will get ya.
And on a side note, I think you are officially old when there is a major league player younger than you.
Makes me think I've wasted my life or something.
Can't we agree that when you start having back problems for no reason, you're old?
I don't know when it happened, but I think I'm old...
What's his pitch count at?
Remember this Guy.
Nick Johnson.
(we got the wrong Johnson)
68 Agreed, he's in a good strech now.
Moose has been a pleasure to watch this season. Masterful. I hope he gets a CG today.
I guess they don't want to push him with such a lead?
I would hate for Mussina's ERA to go up because of Small....
I'd say at least two seasons of 5+ ERA.
See...shoulda stuck with Mussina.
mariano is warming up
And now they're warming up Mo. This is a freaking disaster, even if they win.
But in this situation, I'd rather Farnsworth in than Small, Villone, or anyone else.
Now, if Farnsworth gets out of this without any damage, and he...or Rivera...come in to pitch the 9th, THEN i'll agree with you.
But right here, with this situation, I want Farnsworth on the mound.
Excellent observation. A recent article (in the NYTimes?) noted that the Yankees under Torre have consistently won more games than their Pythagorean expected win %. Now, one interpretation is that this is dumb luck; another is that Torre is a very good manager who 'steals' more wins.
But especially after last year, I wonder if it's not actually persistent BP mismanagement. That is, blow out games like this turn into closer-than-necessary games, and over time Torre panics and goes immediately to the one or two players he trusts. Then these guys get burned out.
In the meanwhile, the Yanks win a seemingly disproportionate number of "close games," thus skewing the Pythag. formula.
I have no data to back this up...just a (frustrated) hunch.
117 Classic dunderheaded bullpen mismanagement by Torre exacerbated by poor pitching from a misused Farnsworth and Mo.
And yes, I said bullpen...not Torre.
And in any case, the leads that Torre squanders occur before Mo time. In fact, your observation would fit my theory--Torre 'creates' close games through mismanagement of the BP, forcing unnecessary appearances by Mo. Meanwhile, in a tie game on the road, Sturtze (or whomever) is used, the game gets out of hand, and Mo is never used.
HARDY FREAKIN HAR HAR!
Meanwhile, across town, Floyd hit a game-tying homer in the eleventh after the Mets tied it with four runs in the eigth.
It's official, the roles have been reversed. The Mets are winning games we used to win and we're losing they used to lose.
Sad to say, friends, but the Mets are the far more dynamic team while we're a collection of fading, uninspired superstars.
Sigh
That was an absurd inning. And I really don't think it any of it was torre's fault (well aside from the pulling of Mussina thing).
I still maintain, taht in that situation, we want Farnsworth to pitch.
When was the last time he pitched anyway?
And what he did today, will not effect him pitching tomorrow...although, Rivera might.
Insurance runs!
Can you imagine?
:)
A little melodramatic don't you think?
I'm as pissed as anyone that Mo has to go and get a 1+ inning save tonight after Moose went 7 strong and left with a 7 run lead, but if you think the Mets are gonna play .700 ball all season against our 'only' .600, you got another thing coming...
Here's to hoping the lineup gets to them.
he should be ready to close the deal in the 9th. and give moose his well deserved W. Despite the brain farts in the 8th.
Bullshit.
Small and Farns gave up/set up 6 runs.
How can you blame Torre?
Maybe his decisions aren't the best, but shouldn't we all expect better then we got.
Geez...
Just breaks my heart.
This game isn't good at all!!! (well, not any more)
Sure, the bullpen deserves any shillacking you could give them, but let's not forget where this began: Moose cruising at 86 pitches, having given up a stray single. Why swap him there?
This kind of thing blowing a seven run lead may not happen again this season, but it could kill any number of modest wins, tire out relievers unnecessarily, and cost us games down the stretch.
But I still maintain that the situation Farnsworth came into is the situation I want him in. In other words, I don't want anyone else in during that spot.
And when will the Bernie as starter nonsense end (.619 OPS, 1 HR in 79 AB's)? How much longer? Please Lord make it stop. Make it STOP.
And when will the Bernie as starter nonsense end (.619 OPS, 1 HR in 79 AB's)? How much longer? Please Lord make it stop. Make it STOP.
I'm sure the guys in the bullpen were already drinking.
Having written that, we'll see one now. Sorry.
Maybe the Yanks could sue them for the money they get from the Rangers.
Yankees win!
Ok, I would like to say, that I like looking at the Yankees ERA in the morning and watching it go down everyday...well at least when Mussina pitches.
This game kind of ruined that for me tomorrow. lol.
As I write this, he ends the agony. Thank god.
Jeez. This almost turned into Stinko de Mayo.
that was toooooooo close.
on a side note, I didn't know the guy from American Pie played for the Rangers... (teixeira)
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/boxscore?gameId=250719113
The meltdown was not fun, but on the bright side 1) starting pitching looked good and that's a larger concern than the bullpen 2) yanks demonstrate the will to win a close game
192 In the future, break that crap up.
Am I the only one who thought this game was hilarious?
Now for serious - Moose is officially back, right? I mean, he should be 7-0 and has given the team nothing but quality starts.
Welcome back, Mike. (is it weird to call him Mike?)
They just turned a blowout into the worst Yankee Classic ever.
Ah, single for Chipper.
Jorge Julio vs. Andruw? How does this not end right here?
1) Julio walks Andruw
2) Braves are on the road
You'll always be a winner to me, Moose.
I really hope Mussina can keep this up and finally get that one season that proves he's a Hall-of-Famer.
Granted Small didn't look good up there and nor did Farns and even Mo.. but aside from the walks and HBP that many singles all landing in the right places was just a bit of pure luck... any of them drifting a bit more towards the fielders and we were outta the inning without that much damage (remember the rocket Johnny Gomes hit right into Jeter yesterday?)
The bullpen decision wasn't bad this game.. it was just that they met with freakish results.
As for that bunt.. one could look at it two ways... having a .300 hitter at the plate who can't bunt properly with no outs and ur slowest runner on first and ur worest hitter on deck... bunting seems retarded.
Then again, Bernie followed with a GIDP that wouldn't have happened if Cano did bunt succesfully.
But in all honesty, if ur going to play small ball.. at least make sure ur players can lay down a bunt properly sheese... after seeing the first failed attempt Torre shoulda realized this guy doesn't have a clue on how to bunt.
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