Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
The first man Mike Mussina walked on Sunday afternoon was also the last batter he faced. With one man out in the seventh inning, Joe Torre relieved Mussina with the Yankees holding a 2-1 lead. Scott Proctor quickly gave up a double and then walked three consecutive men as more than 50,000 Yankee fans sat on their hands, helplessly. The Angels ended the inning leading 4-2 one just one hit. When Torre came to get Proctor after the third walk, the Yankee manager was showered with boos from the Stadium crowd, whose frustration had boiled over.
The Bombers staged a rally in the ninth against K-Rod and for the second straight day they came up just short. Rodriguez got Jeter to fly out to center field to end the game. Final: Angels 4, Yanks 3. A fine effort from Mussina spoiled. The Yankee offense was terrible. Jason Giambi is slumping so badly he's practically giving away at bats (he's 4-for his last-44). Oh, and John Lackey showed why he's a tough, big-game pitcher. He goes right after hitters and is as good as he is ugly.
Hey, and what do you know, the Red Sox won for a change. New York is now 12.5 back. Only fantastic memories of 1978 are keeping hope alive for Yankee fans now. However, this Yankee team is looking more like the 1979 vintage. They didn't give up yesterday, but it seems as if these guys are down 2-0 before the first pitch is thrown these days. Still some time left, but they've got to play .600+ ball for the rest of the season. Oy.
This team just looks bad.
Man. In the ninth inning, I was thinking, "Looks like we're about to get swept, but on the other hand a comeback would be a great beginning to a winning streak..." And Jeter came up just short.
Still, a winning streak would feel good. A winning streak with a nice Clippard rebound and topped off with seven shutout innings from Clemens.
Me, I'm just hoping we're within striking distance of the wild card when Hughes gets back.
On the pro side -
That the trades of Wright, Shef, and Unit yielded nothing that has helped the 2007 Yankees is a major indictment. Whereas the Sox knew they had to improve across the board, the Yanks did nothing apart from signing Pettitte. They simply stood pat or [gasp] even got worse. We could look to the obvious places and shudder in horror (1B and bench), but what truly makes the team worse is that because the bench is barely worthy of AAA playing time, there's no contingency with any struggles by the starting 9. At this point, the only way to improve the team is the same way the year was looking in January - trade for 1b and bench help.
On the con side -
The rebuilt pitching in the farm can not be understated. That is very valuable from Hughes and Clippard all the way down to Joba. Indeed, those pitchers will prevent an all out collapse by the organization - unless Cashman get fired and the newbie looks for quick fixes.
At least with Cashman we know what we've got - a guy who seldom trades for young talent, is habitually blind to the need of a decent bench, and leaves holes to fester for seasons on end before addressing them. However, he at least turned a corner in his thinking with the help of Pavano - no big money to crappy free agent pitchers. Too bad they've got no position players above High-A ready to help in the next two years.
Perhaps the only way Cahman could be fired and the Yankes don't face a total collapse: Bring back Stick Michael for a two year tour of duty. Then let him hire a sucessor.
Yanks had what, 11 straight years of playoff appearances? Exceeded only by the Braves, who missed last year? I want the Yankees to win the WS every year, but it just isn't going to happed, it doesn't in any sport where there is some decent level of competition. And I don't think any one, or group of people, is necessarily responsible -- Bill James talks about regression to the mean, and that teams that are successful one year tend to trend downward the next; see, e.g. Red Sox winning the WS & two years later not even in the playoffs. Or the Angels, or White Sox or Mets of recent vintage.
This year's team doesn't look that good, but I can see it more as a reloading, what with Rasner, Karstens, DeSalvo, Wright, Clippard and Hughes waiting in the wings. The Yanks have a good foundation of young pitchers, which bodes well for the future, even if this year is going to be a bitter pill to swallow.
Anyway, the only thing that can be done is win tonight. Clemens is going at 5 pm for SWB.
Someone authorized the signings or resignings of Pavano, Matsui, and Damon. Someone scouted the foreign market and came up with Igawa. Someone ignored the warning signs about Farnsworth's straightball. Someone decided that benches don't matter, buullpens do and then forgot to stock it up. And, someone started a rumor that the two rookies who played out of their minds last year would dominate at their position, even though one didn't have one.
Who is that person? Maybe it is the errant son-in-law. At least I hope it is.
Keep in mind though that Matsui is playing to his career averages.
The Yanks have been the most consistent winners over the last ten or so years, including championships that Atlanta doesn't have, so I'm not worried about the immediate future. After all, this is not unprecedented in Yankee history, and with the moves that Cash has made to solidify a soft farm system, not to mention the added incentive of international FA signings that have yielded two high-caliber starters through the farm, I'd say our down-time is more consistent with the teams from the fifties.
I see it kinda like the Dow... the market might go down precipitously as a matter of correction once in a while, but because of the safeties in place, we'll likely never have another Great Depression (i.e. late sixties-early seventies). Let's remain patient; I don't really care if we win or not this year, as long as we're locked and loaded for years to come.
9 Ah, a happy drunk! I like them. Lose the keys, MP and enjoy the holiday >;)
14 17 Exactly! If the price of the Yanks consistently winning for the next 10 years, is a losing 2007 (and even 2008), I will make that trade gladly. Define "losing" however you like.
My only worry is "evil George" of the late 80s comes back, fires Cashman and scraps 'the plan' in favor of his old strategy - sign overpriced, old, good once 5 years ago free agents and develop nothing. It'll be deja vu all over again. I was hoping those days were gone, but we'll see.
In the meantime - go Yanks!
Oh yeah, George.
He's hitting .290ish and yet I watch him and notice he frequently dribbles the ball to second base trying to pull. I feel like he used to go the other way with greater frequency, especially with risp.
Imagine how good he'd be if he'd focus on driving that outside pitch to left.
I see him as a very good player with room for improvement.
It's painful for me to watch those little dribblers to second base.
They absolutely kill me.
But the point is: You do what you have to get young talent into the system. You can't say there's a "moratorium on value trades" after an offseason in which the Yanks obtained 7 mL players (6 pithcers) for Sheffield, Wright, and Unit and none have helped the Yanks so far in 2007 (though Britton prob will). Cashman has been gun shy about acquiring young talent since Vazquez. Unfortunately that's part of the job description.
14 17 19 That's exactly the way I'll justify things to myself too (when the time is right). But it didn't have to be that way.
Where the Dow jones analogy works quite well is with the players as stocks. Too often the Yanks have bought high and sold low (Unit, Vazquez) - that's catching up to them. The inability to draft talent for over ten years also hasn't helped.
Beltran for CF (I'm pretty sure that George ordered Cash to get Unit, not Beltran)
Howry/Eyre/Ryan for the pen (like you said, it's a crapshoot, and Hendry/Ricciardi went nuts with these contracts)
Easley for MI (Turned down the Yankees' offer)
Conor Jackson, who I believe you campaigned for this offseason (I know I did)? Below average offensively so far. He'll probably turn it around, but he wouldn't have helped this year.
Close and late = .850
Tie game = 1.026
Within 1 = 1.061
Within 2 = 1.048
So not only has Matsui been good, he's been pretty good in the clutch as well.
25 I've seen him do it, multiple times. If he could do it every single time, he'd be earning as much as A-Rod.
I think there are far more pressing issues with the team than Hideki Matsui.
I live in San Diego, where I have the pleasure of watching Jake Peavy throw every 5 days. I know I have been pumping him all season, but has anyone looked at his #s lately?
7-1 ERA: 1.47 IP: 73.1 H: 48 K: 85 BB: 20 WHIP: 0.93
Nasty, just filthy. And watching him pitch is even more impressive. His pitches have ridiculous movement, too much almost, so that his one drawback being that he throws a lot of pitches (combo of power pitcher and lots of movement).
So, my point in all of this is two things/questions:
1) Why the heck isn't he getting more attention? I assume its the San Diego-East Coast bias blah blah blah, as Beckett has gotten so much more attention with much worse #s (save wins).
2) A lot of people have talked about the biggest difference between last season's not so great #s and this season's awesome #s being the presence of Maddux on the team. Think there's anything to that?
Oh yeah, Yanks stink, but I too feel a win streak coming on...
I fully agree. The Yanks are not particularly good at measuring the value of players. Smarter teams are eating their lunch.
Although Cashman is to blame for this problem, simply firing him isn't enough. The real challenge is to replace him with someone stronger.
OTOH there are lots of good replacements available for Joe Torre. I'd try replacing him with Joe Girardi.
But watching him play day in and day out, I'm convinced he has untapped potential.
I could be wrong, but that's what I see.
I wont take any satisfaction from Cashman's firing because I think he'll learn from this. All I'd like to hear him say is he has learned from the mistake of ignoring the bench and it will never happen again.
Personally, I like to see Torre fired simply for gratification. I think he has been the wrong fit for this team for sometime and think the Yankees left some post season victories on the table as a result. Having said that, the last emotion this team has is "win one for Joe", so they might as well give that a chance.
Hopefully, the continuing collapse of 2007 will not spill over into 2008. At this point, looking for signs of that is just as important as searching for signs of life in the current team.
Ah. It's because of all the sugar. I hate it when that happens.
If you take the analogy that way, JD, you're a day trader. If you're lucky, you'll hit it big, but chances are likely the same as hitting the lotto, and then there's the principle of sustaining that wealth. Good luck with that. Be patient.
36 That's NUTS.
Since we're talking about this being a potential punt year where the boys retool for the future, I'd like to bring up something I mentioned late last night: next year's lineup. Like I said, does this scare anyone?
RF Ichiro (my guess for Abreu's replacemnt)
SS Jeter
LF Matsui
DH Giambi
3B Free Agent? (assuming Arod walks)
2B Cano
C Posada (assuming he's resigned)
CF Damon
1B Eric Duncan??
I really hope ARod stays. I doubt he can get paid much more than he is anyhow.
But that's how it's always, with two exceptions. In the early 70's and the early 90's they were able to make trades with an eye towards the future, and to build up the farm system at the same time. Those periods shared two specific characteristics: (1) The Yankees were in a losing period, or just coming out of one, and (2) George had to serve a suspension.
Otherwise, this has been the Yankee way for a long time.
That lineup has a ton of questions and not one bonafide, every day slugger. If that's what takes the field in 2008, I am not so ready to give up on this year.
It is easy now to blame the GM for signing aging and unimaginative FAs--indeed, I do. But we need to put this in context. When sports dynasties (and just post-dynasties) begin to age, there seems to be the temptation to sign the 'one more player' to win now, since there appears to be too much residual talent to warrant throwing in the towel. In the NFL, this certainly happened to the Fortyniners.
For example, wow we complain about Damon, and many will point out that they predicted his early demise when he was signed. But no one seemed to mind when he had the best offensive season in his career last season.
But let's forget the past and look to the future. If a new philosophy must be put in place and the win now at all costs rejected (no more aging vets, past their prime, overpaid, etc.), what is to be done about A-Rod? Is he worth overpaying for a contract that is too long, figuring the return the first few years will be worth it? Or, closer to home, what about Mo and Posada. If a new strategy is adopted wholesale, then I think that they must not be resigned (because I suspect that if the Yankees enter the bidding, they will be compelled to overbid, lest it look like they "lost" Mo to the Sox or whoever).
I agree about Giambi and Duncan, but I seriously doubt Duncan starts for the Yanks in 2008. So I just ignored that. But even with the doubts on Damon and some others, take a look around at other lineups. Lineups are rarely as deep as the Yanks lineup has been these past few years.
45 Why do so many people dance around this? George isn't going to ban us for criticizing him, especially when it's justified.
43 What would you offer Ichiro to forgo a long-term contract so that you could take advantage of his skills while they remain prime? Principally, a player like him probably feels like a difference-maker for a contending team that would be willing to deal with declining skills, perhaps because they have a player ready to replace him when it happens. Tell me, what should the Yanks offer that he couldn't get somewhere else (Boston?) for a longer period of time?
As for Abreu, he has not struggled long enough to be labeled an abrupt decline yet. Giambi looked like he was done two years ago. so hard to know what to expect from aging players (which is why youngsters should always be on the ready to step up).
Unfortunately, 47 is exactly what I was trying to get at. Like I said last night, you HAVE to break the bank for A-rod.
49 Who plays 1B next year? Tex is the best option, but that's still a longshot.
On Ichiro.
First off, I'm against signing him on principle, because I'm sick of the known quantity free agents. It's boring.
A few years back there was an excellent piece in the onion about George buying the entire league, featuring the likes of Bonds, RJ Sammy Sosa et. al. in pinstripes.
The piece was dead on. Enough of the low-hanging fruit route to victory, or non-victory, as the case may be.
I'd rather lose with a more original kind of team in future and patiently await its improvement then continue this mad groping for the shiniest new/old sportscar available.
Yawn.
Ok, so that's the aesthetic reason I don't want Ichiro.
Practically speaking, he's a great outfielder and I'd love to watch him play, but at his age, you have to wonder about declining speed, no?
He'll still hit and field with reduced speed, to be sure, but if his speed starts to wane, his game will be hampered appreciably.
More imagination (which necessitates patience), less predictability, I say.
But why is the fact that he's shown only flashes of power a problem?
He's a second baseman, for crying out loud.
Why does every player on the team have to hit 20 homeruns?
Power/schmower, I say.
But then, I'm old-fashioned.
Maybe so.
I'll think on that.
I don't see the Yanks making move for Ichiro either. He's a great talent, for sure, but at 34 likely to be overpriced. Guys with other skills AND speed tend to decline smoothly, but when speed is the centerpoint of a guy's game - it is for Ichiro - that smooth decline often doesn't apply.
I don't see the Yanks breaking the bank for him. No, the new Mariners' GM will pay to keep him, because (for PR at the least), they have to.
Anyone know how many such players there are?
I.e., players with a good rookie year, a near batting title their second year, and then an average career?
Bobby Abreu - 33; if in a rapid decline, not worth it; if he rights himself . . . a short-term deal?
Milton Bradley - 30; talented but so injury prone
Eric Byrnes - 32; can he play CF well? Might be a reasonable stop-gap (1-2 yrs at most) solution in CF if Melky doesn't work out (presuming Damon is toast); can play RF ASAIK, but doesn't hit like a RF
Mike Cameron - 35; another short-term intriguing CF stop-gap, is he still a good defender? OBP/SLG-wise, he might hit like a RF . . .
Adam Dunn - 28; an intriguing 1B solution; I expect a major bidding war between Boston and the Yanks on him; his downside is that his home/road splits are as bad as Teixeira's (111 OPS+ at home, 90 OPS+ on the road), but maybe it doesn't matter? a bad glove in LF by all accounts, could he play RF? (He was a QB in high school in Texas, so in theory he has an arm.)
Kosuke Fukodome - 31, RF, supposed to be a great player, I know nothing about his defense - the question may be, who does he hire as his agent, Boras, Tellem, someone else?
Torii Hunter - 32; reminds me a little too much of Andruw Jones (see below), but with less ability/upside; looking for a long-term/big bucks deal, but I don't think he's worth it
Geoff Jenkins - 32, strictly platooned, a good short-term solution in RF (along with Kevin Thompson)? Though he's had injury issues before
Andruw Jones - 30; I just don't know; he's been lost this year, and its starting to look like power is the only remaining part of his game (never walked much, never hit for average - career .265/.345/.503); he stopped stealing bases 8 years ago, and his defense isn't what it used to be (Gold Gloves be damned); Beltran he is not, though I'm sure Boras will try to spin him as Beltran's clone
Aaron Rowand - 30; hmm . . .
Rondell White - 35; sorry, wanted to make sure you were still paying attention
Brad Wilkerson - 30; 3 years ago I would have said yes, now I think not
Textbook Evil George signings (for obvious reasons, I hope):
Barry Bonds
Jermaine Dye
Darin Erstad
Luis Gonzalez
Trot Nixon
Reggie Sanders
Sammy Sosa
Shannon Stewart
Preston Wilson
Personally, I could see giving Melky a year to win the CF job. Robbie, I think, needs a certain type of hitting coach -- someone who could reach him about being more selective at the plate.
Posada should start splitting time between catcher and 1B while working in the new, young catcher from the minors (Cashman did ensure the Yankees have a good young catcher, right?).
:)
Also, keep in mind that Robbies career Minor League OPS is only .756 in over 2,000 PAs. While Robbie has shown he CAN live up to the higher expectations you have, I don't think it is a given that he WILL sustain that level.
I think this Yankee club much more resembles the 1965 club than the 1979.
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