http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Times_Dope

Them and Boogiemonsters ("Welcome to the block/of the mighty juggernaughts!" My theme track for the 1998 Yankees). Saw them when they won 1st Place at the Hip Hop Convention New Jacks competition at Howard U....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boogiemonsters

Without looking at any numbers to back this up, my guess is that Nady could give the Yanks 80% of the production they would get out of Abreu next year for a fraction of the cost. The only problem is that Nady has never, not once ever, had more than 50 ABs in a season. And he'll be 30 next year, so he's a stop gap at best.

Perhaps the Pirates would take a grade B pitching prospect, say, Marquez?

if i am going to have to see dave wannstedt and his salmon shirt all night - i would request that be balanced out with some winning yankee baseball

This pitcher is a chump, nibbler.

Hey guys, newsflash – MVP on deck...

It's striking midnight on Rasner.

B. Arroyo (Reds) vs. Toronto:
1 inning (plus 4 batters), 11H, 10R, 10ER, 1K, 1BB, 3HR

Toronto, with 14 hits already, leads 11-1 going into top of 3rd.

I think that he is seeing as many pitches, he's just not driving very many of them.

Wow.

Then, the Melkman almost delivers.

Really, if you look at it, he's just not getting hits. If you rase his BA .030, then he has a .305 ave and about a .360 OBP. His SLG. would go up to around .410 (assuming that he's hitting all singles), and we're looking at a poor season, but not crippling.

career K in 15.6% of PAs
this year, 11.4%

Raz has been all over the place - some sweet pitches (couple nice curves to Mink), then a bunch that are going who-knows-where.

Not that ya can be sure they will, but with this many guys on base something has to happen if just by accident.

Jeter has not only been bad, but his approach has been stupid at best and selfish at worst. He has played a huge role in the Yankees trailing in this game. Girardi needs to seriously consider benching him for a few games.

So that's a lot of shite to hide on a roster.

And today, 2 of the 4 hitters that are carrying the team are out. The mediocrity thru the league says ya can't give up on them, and they've played well, but i duno...

http://tinyurl.com/662tyg

Cabrera CF
Jeter SS
Abreu RF
Rodriguez 3B
Giambi 1B
Posada C
Cano 2B
Christian LF
Rasner RHP

That's 3 good hitters, ARod, Giambi, Po. The rest are literally scrubs, pitchers, or hitting like the former.

Clearly, Small stole back his mojo from Rasner. The wheels have come off.

Just put in LaTroy Hawkins for four innings, please.

149 So, in a madman's effort to maximize profits across the board, he deliberately institutes a system that waters down the playing field, making the game quality less interesting, and course-correcting for incompetent front office management from various sectors of the land... whew! I got it, I'm gone.

This has gradually turned into a bad joke. A very bad joke.

This part of the schedule was made for the Yankees to really make a charge at the top of the division, but they seem to be squandering it.

So, given that his patience (#P/PA) is basically the same, but his walks and Ks are both down, I would conclude that his approach has not changed. Rather, he is cannot drive the ball this season; pitchers are challenging him more and he still making contact, but hitting ground balls instead of line drives.

Further, I would conclude that this is either injury or age related (I suspect the former), not because he is stupid or selfish or psychologically damaged because A-Rod has more friends.

the injury angle would jive with what Kevin Long was saying (I think Alex mentioned this in an earlier post)

But honestly, Jeter looks terrible. There are times you take pitches. Jeter knows this. His ABs are not smart. He looks like a different player. Even his baserunning has been off.

And then, the hilarious reality that Jose Molina is the best bat on the bench. Can either Matsui or Damon bat at all??? I mean, it will make more sense later in the game.

Jetes is pissed by A-Rod's contract, and is sulking?

(ok, its a stretch)

Ah, now they're teasing us. If we win this, I'm still gonna be mad. They're gonna have to get about ten more runs to overcome the stench of the first five innings.

By the way, we need statistics because they tend to counteract selective, anecdotal memory ("I can recall way too many...")

I can't comment on how "smart" his ABs look. I also can't comment on his base running, which was pretty bad at the beginning of the season, but since I don't recall anything one way or another. His SB rate is not bad (5 for 7), projects low for him.

I guess it doesn't really matter why Jeter has been so bad this season...what's more important is that he has been. At some point, Girardi can't just let him pile up outs so high up in the lineup.

If Jete's is still holding a grudge against ARod, considering this and the fanfare ARod will get over the next 10 years, I think it MIGHT be a real issue.

Having someone take your girlfriend away sucks. But taking NEW YORK?

These guys are human beings.

And if he's injured... SIT HIS ASS DOWN!

Looks like we're playing below our heads again against a team playing their world series. Apparently the entire city of Pittsburgh has declared these 3 days "Yankees festival" and all businesses are closed while people dance in the streets and speak of Maz in hushed tones.

I promise I'm NOT in Pittsburgh so I didn't bring the bad luck to us. I can't speak for Bama Yank though.

208 Alex -- I went to Arthur Avenue on Friday and it was everything that I thought it could be. I took two tremendous pictures of two older gentlemen in berets walking along the street and would love to send them to you. I don't know if you'd ever want to post them here, but these guys looked...I don't know...authentic? How can I email them to you?

Look, we'll never really know. I think the easiest explanation is that he is hurt. The second most likely explanation is that he is in decline, though such a steep decline in a single season for a very good player is rare (though not unprecedented). Those just seem to be more plausible solutions than speculating on Jeter's psyche over A-Rod or Torre's firing, or whatever, or declaring that the player is stupid or not trying or selfish.

In terms of stubbornness, that fault is shared by the player (for likely playing through an injury) and the coaching staff for not giving him any days off. I'm not just talking about the DL--everyone on the field over 30 gets more or less regular days off except for Jeter. Why?

215 Look on the sidebar under "Contact"...

"I talked to Adam on Saturday, so I see it as a dead issue," Ricciardi told a group of reporters on Tuesday afternoon. "He called me. I tried to get his phone and I wasn't having any luck. He had called me. I told him I made a mistake and apologized. I let my guard down, which I shouldn't have done, but I did. All I can do is apologize."

Found in the clubhouse tunnel on the visitor's side of the field, Dunn was emphatic that he never called Ricciardi and that the two haven't spoken.

"What? Not true. One million percent," Dunn told MLB.com after being informed of Ricciardi's comments.

Another first pitch hack by Jeter.

And if so, then OYF 203 and I agree, he needs to sit some and heal.

Jeb, send those shots to me at alexbelth@aol.com

Awful job by A Rod and Abreu there.

Alex -- the check you in-box.

Oh...I also met Bald Vinnie this weekend.

JP is SUCH a tool. Though it would hurt the team to have him replaced with someone competent. Then there would be no managerial basket cases left in the div!

It is obvious that the coaches allow the players significant influence in such decisions. I wonder if former players who manage are more prone to defer to their veteran players?

It probably is time to just DFA Hawk - he's not even going to bring a fringe C- relief prospect. Robertson, Patterson, Traber, (or best) BRITTON, come on down.

Just leave Hawk out there to finish the game. Then cut him for Ponson.

Adios hawk.

Remember the wise words that John Sterling just said on the radio (and I kid you not): "You just can't figure baseball."

: )

Pasta tonight! Jeter really does look sluggish moving to the sides. Alberto in the game would've allowed Hawk to finish this game, saving a reliever, and would've gotten Jeter some rest.

29-123, .236/.317/.317
4 doubles, 2 homers, 12BB, 17K

see everyone tomorrow.

Good grief. Nyjer Morgan? He's kind of a Bubba Crosby type. Nice speed, nice glove, light bat. I saw him in spring training and was amazed as he made repeated webgem-type catches. The fans cheered him when he came to the plate just because of his play in CF, even though he couldn't hit for beans.

Jeter's OPS:

Last 14 days: .733
Last 7 days: .782

So, is he slowly coming out of it?

Small sample alert!

Manny or Arod...whom to watch?

That was a pretty yucky game.