Baseball Toaster: Bronx Banter : Baltimore Orioles

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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
J. Miranda BR BC 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
M. Cabrera BR BP E MLB mi

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

Starting Pitchers:
M. Mussina BR BP BC E
A. Pettitte (L) BR BP BC E
P. Hughes BR BP BC E mi
C. Pavano BR BP BC E mi
A. Aceves BR 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
P. Coke (L) BR BC E mi
D. Rasner BR BP BC E mi
S. Ponson BR BP BC E mi
D. Robertson BR BC E mi
H. Sanchez BC 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

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

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AAA
S. Duncan BR BP E MLB mi
J. Christian BR BP E MLB mi
I. Kennedy BR BP BC E mi
C. Wright (L) BR BP BC E mi
J. Marquez BR BC mi

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
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M. Melancon BC mi
J.B. Cox BC mi
S. Strickland BR BC mi
S. Jackson BC mi
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V. Zambrano BR BC mi DL

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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
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M. Gardner BC mi
K. Whelan BC mi
W. Arias (L) BC mi

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J. Gil BC mi
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Z. McAllister BC mi
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C. Garcia BC mi

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J. Snyder BC mi
M. Cusick BC mi
B. Suttle BC mi
A. Romine BC mi
J. Montero BC mi
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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
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BC = Baseball Cube (past mL stats)
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R. Ohlendorf BR BP BC E
D. McCutchen BC mi

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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

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J. Torre (Mgr) BR BP BC LAD
D. Mientkiewicz BR BP BC E MLB PIT
A. Phillips BR BP BC E MLB mi CIN
J. Phelps BR BP BC E MLB STL
M. Cairo BR BP BC E MLB SEA
K. Thompson BR BP BC E MLB mi PIT
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W. Nieves BR BP BC E MLB WAS
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
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M. Myers (L) BR BP BC E LAD mL
R. Villone (L) BR BP BC E mi STL
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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Baltimore Orioles

2007-09-28 11:06

by Cliff Corcoran

Look, the Yanks have clinched. The O's have given up. There's no point to breaking down a terrible team that I've already analyzed five times this season, and that the Yankees just played last week. The O's roster hasn't changed since last week. There's nothing to see here.

That said, the division is still in play. If the Yanks sweep and the Red Sox, who lost to the Twins last night, only win one of their remaining three against Minnesota, the Yanks will win the East via the tiebreaker of having won the season series against Boston. That said, neither team is going to fight for it. The Yanks are going to rest their regulars (though Melky's the only regular who will rest tonight), continue the bullpen tryouts, limit Andy Pettitte to 60 pitches tomorrow, and go with a spot-starter in the season finale on Sunday.

Tonight they'll let Mike Mussina throw his usual 100-or-so pitches. In three starts since returning to the rotation, Moose has gone 3-0 with a 1.37 ERA and has not allowed a home run. Two starts ago he faced the O's in the Bronx and turned in his best start of the year. Sure, he's faced Baltimore once and the depleted Toronto lineup twice, but the prospect of Mussina as the fourth playoff starter (or even the third if Clemens can't answer the bell) is not as scary as it was just a few weeks ago.

The O's send Jon Leicester, who has alternated good and bad starts since joining the rotation at the beginning of the month. The Yanks caught him two starts ago and rocked him for six runs in four innings. Tonight would be bad-start night for Leicester if he continues the pattern.

Comments (326)

Show/Hide Comments 1-50

2007-09-28 15:27:14

1. seattleyank

Just because I've never been the first to post.

2007-09-28 15:35:32

2. Schteeve

This has got to be the least hotly contested division title in the history of the Sox-Yanks.

2007-09-28 15:37:19

3. standuptriple

If the Yanks rock Baltimore's starter tonight, will they be serial moleicesters?

2007-09-28 15:44:44

4. yankz

3 Moleictophiles.

2007-09-28 15:45:15

5. SF Yanks

I wonder if the Yanks pull within one after tonight, if Torre stays in full-on rest mode for the next two games. Maybe he'll just be in half-rest mode.

I started thinking today about how close we are to playoffs. I can taste it and I've waited all year for this. I'm gettin giddy. I'm just hoping it's Wed and not Thurs. After all, that's a whole 'nother day we'd have to wait while watching the other teams play.

2007-09-28 15:57:03

6. JoeInRI

3 More or leices . ..

2007-09-28 16:06:15

7. vockins

Buchholz's season is done due to shoulder fatigue:

http://tinyurl.com/2mw324

God Bless The Joba Rules

2007-09-28 16:07:00

8. Max

2 No kidding. How much you want to bet that if the Yanks win the whole thing as a WC entrant, that MLB comes up with rules next year making the road for the WC much tougher?

2007-09-28 16:26:34

9. vockins

Hermida hit a gigantic 2 run jack. Jeez.

2007-09-28 16:29:21

10. randym77

Okay, what the heck happened with that rundown?

2007-09-28 16:38:53

11. ny2ca2dc

10 Call it good baserunning on Roberts's part. I really like that f-er.

5 Hell, there's a good reason to not want to win the div: WC gets Cleveland.

man, I'm the biggest Po fanboy on the earth, but he's such a shitty baserunner! nice how after clinching that misplay ain't no big thing.

2007-09-28 16:39:31

12. OldYanksFan

Worst...
baserunner...
in Yankee history.
But we still luv ya Jorge!

2007-09-28 16:44:02

13. RIYank

UUUUUUUUgly.

I guess we know which team has the better base-running. That contest is over already.

2007-09-28 16:50:41

14. RIYank

Okay, the base-running contest is starting to even out now.

Hey, JoeInRI is here. I hope nobody gets confused.

2007-09-28 16:51:13

15. BklynBmr

OK, Cap. Let's take the suspense out of this one early...

2007-09-28 16:51:27

16. randym77

I kinda like Roberts, too. Even if he did use 'roids.

Minky is en fuego these days, isn't he? His batting average is getting to be downright respectable.

Damon is heating up, too.

2007-09-28 16:52:11

17. yankz

14 Yeah Joe, I guess Posada made up for his blunder.

2007-09-28 16:53:22

18. rbj

16 Brian Roberts used steroids? Where'd you hear that?

I got to watch him in college, great player there.

2007-09-28 16:53:29

19. RIYank

Nice. Captain RBI.

{sigh}

There's something to be said for games like this.

2007-09-28 16:56:55

20. RIYank

Ahhhhhh.

Take that. Cheating umpires.

2007-09-28 16:57:23

21. rbj

Boo Yaaa!!! A-Rod!

2007-09-28 16:57:38

22. yankz

Oh my.

How far did it go/

2007-09-28 16:57:44

23. ny2ca2dc

A Rod!!!!!!!!!! Way to stick it to the moronic ump. even the O's broadcasters were saying Abreu clearly checked. F-in umps this year..... (and Po was struk out earlier, he knew it)

2007-09-28 16:58:22

24. BklynBmr

22 Not too deep in the seats, but it was a bullet...

2007-09-28 17:00:23

25. RIYank

I never complain about a check-swing call, either way, because there just doesn't seem to be any serious criterion. But that one was just absurd.

2007-09-28 17:01:03

26. yankz

Jeter and Arod are back on track. Mink and Johnny are pleasantly surprising. Cano has hit a few bombs. If Matsui and Melky would get their acts together, and the other guys keep it up, maybe we can slug our way to the WS?

2007-09-28 17:01:09

27. ny2ca2dc

Off topic i know, but what about Kevin Milaaaaaah for 1b next year. cheap short term fill in.. right handed. slug a little. on base at a decent clip. shift to pretty good bench player if something better comes along... I'm pretty much over the Sawx connection, and as idiotic as he is, he's actually a likeable guy. I think he's a fee agent next year...

2007-09-28 17:01:21

28. yankz

24 Thanks.

2007-09-28 17:01:36

29. ny2ca2dc

25 And the umps theatrics didn't help.

2007-09-28 17:01:44

30. cult of basebaal

24 what was most impressive is that it was slightly outside and a-rod just reached out and hit a bullet over the LCF fence ... dude is serious strong

2007-09-28 17:02:32

31. cult of basebaal

27 not before betemit gets his chance ... plus i'm sure miranda will get a look in ST, too

2007-09-28 17:03:27

32. yankz

Matsui has a .669 OPS this month.

2007-09-28 17:05:16

33. yankz

I don't even want to check Giambi's.

2007-09-28 17:05:21

34. ny2ca2dc

32 Too late to muck around now, but maybe Cano should've been swapped with Matsui in the order...

2007-09-28 17:06:28

35. randym77

18 He was one of the players Grimsley named in that affidavit that leaked to the press last year. Along with Clemens, Pettitte, Tejada, and Gibbons. And I have to say, I did find it a bit odd that he hit 18 homers in 2005, when he'd never hit more than 5 before.

How'd you see him in college? Did you go to South Carolina? He was a college all-star. He was Bubba Crosby's roommate on that team.

2007-09-28 17:08:09

36. yankz

FLA 4 NYM 1 Top 3
MIN 0 BOS 3 Top 4

2007-09-28 17:08:31

37. yankz

WSH 0 PHI 0 Bot 4

2007-09-28 17:09:10

38. RIYank

32 But I think it's well over .800 in the second half of the month.

2007-09-28 17:10:44

39. ny2ca2dc

Moose really has that good command tonight. Mojo!

2007-09-28 17:12:09

40. yankz

38 .813 over his last 15 games.

2007-09-28 17:12:25

41. rbj

35 Thanks. I didn't see the list of names in the affidavit.

I was working for SC for a few years. The funny thing about him is that his sophomore year he was at UNC where his dad was the coach. That year he set the ACC record for steals in a season. Team didn't do well, so dad was fired. Brian then transferred to SC, where the coach there (forget his name at the moment) let his dad continue to coach him. That year Brian set the SEC record for steals in a season. Didn't have much power then either.

2007-09-28 17:12:51

42. BklynBmr

36 Amazin'...

39 Markakis handled a pretty decent pitch there...

2007-09-28 17:13:00

43. yankz

Matsui's OPS is over 100 points lower as the DH.

2007-09-28 17:14:40

44. Mattpat11

43 That might be because he generally plays DH when he's hurting.

2007-09-28 17:14:56

45. RIYank

Beltran dinger, 4-3.

2007-09-28 17:16:10

46. Mattpat11

Oh boy.

2007-09-28 17:16:38

47. yankz

44 I'm pretty sure he generally DH's because Damon is better defensively. It's probably too small a sample (I think it was like 150 AB), but who knows, he might have a Giambiesque split.

For the record, I think Matsui should DH in the playoffs.

2007-09-28 17:17:19

48. Mattpat11

47 He's got two bad knees right now.

2007-09-28 17:18:04

49. Mattpat11

He's not pitching well, but he's not throwing a lot of pitches either.

2007-09-28 17:18:48

50. yankz

48 That wouldn't explain the split because he's played some LF recently, but again, there probably isn't anything to explain.

Show/Hide Comments 51-100

2007-09-28 17:19:47

51. RIYank

49 I think he's pitching pretty well. About the same as the last two starts, only less lucky.

2007-09-28 17:20:08

52. randym77

41 Wow. Maybe the Yanks should hire Roberts' dad as a coach.

2007-09-28 17:22:27

53. ny2ca2dc

51 Agree, if Bobby maybe made that catch, couple grounders get thru, etc. Can't expect much more than this. I'm pretty encouraged, honestly.

2007-09-28 17:23:48

54. Mattpat11

53 That non catch was a bit amazing

2007-09-28 17:24:06

55. Mattpat11

It still baffles me that Kay can't read outfielders.

2007-09-28 17:25:11

56. rbj

WTF ump?

2007-09-28 17:25:27

57. Mattpat11

Damon was safe by alot.

2007-09-28 17:26:29

58. Mattpat11

Matt Lecroy is still in baseball?

2007-09-28 17:29:24

59. BklynBmr

58 I ask the same question about Matt Stairs everytime I see him...

2007-09-28 17:30:11

60. ny2ca2dc

Nice. Moose has that sharp tailing action on the fastball again. Awesome.

2007-09-28 17:31:43

61. RIYank

These umps are not stupid. They want to get home at a reasonable hour. I'm cool with that, actually. So, we lose a base-runner or two, big deal.

2007-09-28 17:33:27

62. rbj

Looks like the umps have checked out for the season.

2007-09-28 17:34:32

63. RIYank

How does Abreu do that? It's amazing.

2007-09-28 17:34:49

64. Mattpat11

6-3 Florida

2007-09-28 17:35:49

65. BklynBmr

61 Yeah, but Robby needs a ribby...

62 This is exceptionally bad tonight...

Perfect time to start re-heatin', A-Rod! Keep it going 'till November...

2007-09-28 17:35:49

66. RIYank

Damn.

It just seems like A-Rod and Jeter are, what, practicing, gearing up, fine-tuning for October. Is that real, or is it just a coincidence?

2007-09-28 17:35:51

67. ny2ca2dc

I love watching Bobby run - big guy gots wheels.

also like ARod hitting a bit. I guess his slump is over.

2007-09-28 17:35:58

68. wsporter

If these f'n umps don't want to work why don't they get their fat asses out of the Park and let people with a sense of honor and duty get the job done. What a collection of clowns.

2007-09-28 17:36:08

69. OldYanksFan

Another gratuitious RBI

2007-09-28 17:37:28

70. cult of basebaal

HA!

2007-09-28 17:37:45

71. BklynBmr

Now this is encouraging. If they start rakin' like back in July, nobody will want to face this club...

2007-09-28 17:37:58

72. rbj

68 Don't hold back, let us know how you really feel.

Yanks in the playoffs, up 6-2 in a meaningless game. Friday night. And payday. What a sweet day.

2007-09-28 17:38:02

73. OldYanksFan

Mags, Papi and others have had great years, but is there any question that ARod is MVP? Would we be anywhere near the PS without him?

2007-09-28 17:38:47

74. cult of basebaal

rick peterson said he could fix v.zambrano in "ten minutes" ... in his defense, he never specified which ten minutes ...

2007-09-28 17:39:28

75. BklynBmr

And Minny picked up their third hit tonight, so things are heatin' up in Beantown. ;-p

2007-09-28 17:39:49

76. yankz

Still 3 zip Boston. And with that, I'd better get going. See you all later.

2007-09-28 17:42:26

77. ny2ca2dc

Phils now up 3-0 in 5th

2007-09-28 17:45:13

78. BklynBmr

I like the graphics operator for the O's broadcast. It changed to '2' outs while Giambi's ball was still in the air.

2007-09-28 17:45:49

79. JeremyM

I'm glad they decided to follow a Kazmir appearance with a Zambrano sighting.

2007-09-28 17:47:04

80. randym77

Holy crap. Earlier in this season, who'd have guessed the Yanks would have their post-season ticket punched while the Mets didn't make it?

2007-09-28 17:47:34

81. ny2ca2dc

WOW!!! that was a mile outside!

this shit better not mess with the guys' sense of the zone...

2007-09-28 17:49:47

82. Mattpat11

81 The Minky K?

Yeah, that wasn't close. It looked like it was the other batter's box.

2007-09-28 17:51:34

83. Mattpat11

Tike Redman should not be getting all these hits.

2007-09-28 17:53:11

84. ny2ca2dc

holy shit, Duque in in the 5th - gives up a home. 7-3 top 5, 2 outs

2007-09-28 17:54:52

85. 3rd gen yankee fan

"Lots of surprises tonight, including the strike zone." -- O's announcer

2007-09-28 17:56:31

86. Mattpat11

Umpire isn't calling shit for Mussina

2007-09-28 17:57:52

87. ny2ca2dc

oops. that pitch tailed its way right over the center of the plate.

2007-09-28 17:59:19

88. Mattpat11

7-4 FLA

2007-09-28 17:59:48

89. ny2ca2dc

err, maybe i was wrong about Moose... geez.

2007-09-28 18:00:18

90. Mattpat11

89 He hasn't gotten a call all night, but he's not pitching well at all.

2007-09-28 18:01:02

91. rbj

Yikes!

2007-09-28 18:01:41

92. ny2ca2dc

That was merciful. Nice base running.

Prediction: Hughes is going to be a huge part of the post season, bailing out Roger or Moose.

2007-09-28 18:02:02

93. williamnyy23

Any chance this outing makes Joe realizes that Hughes would be a better option for the playoff rotation?

2007-09-28 18:02:19

94. Mattpat11

Mussina went right to the club house. He might be hurt again.

2007-09-28 18:03:44

95. rbj