Let's hope Brett has a few walks or hits tonight and a couple of steals. Man that kid is fast. When I saw his first AB last night I thought they should paint CGI flames on his feet, like they used to do for hockey pucks one year.

melky still in the lineup, so you can play betemit at SHORT??? the man plays the middle infield like a drunk falling down stairs, fer chrissake.

you wanna sit jeter, how about doing joba a favor and replacing him with someone who can field ... like The AG?

unless the yanks are lying about an injury, like usual and damon can't really play the field ... damon in left, gardner in center, betemit at 1st, giambi at DH (or swap those two) and AG at short. IS IT THAT FUCKING HARD TO FIGURE???

Alrighty, Joba line prediction:

7IP 2BB 8K 2R and the coveted W.

Again, experience will take care of this. I admire his maturity. He will find his way in time. He is just too talented.

on the other hand ... the home plate ump is totally rocking a "Megan's Law" 'stache!

There once was a knight from Aruba,
Whose body was shaped like a tuba,
He talked trash to the Yanks,
And twice he was spanked,
Have another twinkie, you goober.

but he probably will come back out for the 4th i'd imagine.

at least that was a hard

Naw, I've got to think that part of developing as a starter is, well, pitching at least 5 innings and throwing 100 pitches.

And just like that the Yankees score.

Useless.

Frustration.
Building.
And.
Building.

Nothing like A Rod leading off the inning.

(evening, folks...)

Giese the long man for 1 inning = more confusing.

The ways of Girardi are indeed mysterious, but I will hold judgement.

If this score holds, I hope Girardi doesn't give is the Rich Kotite treatment again and talk about how good the ABs were, and I really hope Jeter doesn't explain to us about how you have to give the pitchers credit. The Yankees offense has been awful for another stretch. I am sure they are trying and have the appropriate moral base, but they still failing miserably and should be be embarassed by it.

this one is a snoozer.

BUT, with a team that has this much offensive talent to have 1, 1 and (so far) 1 run in consecutive games, it makes me think there must be something wrong. I guess my only argument is res ipsa loquitur which is the best I can do -- a team this talented should be playing better.

Anyway, I know that I "lobbied" for Duncan to get sent down and now all my energy will be directed at getting rid of Ruppert Jones (err Melky Cabrera). He's really hurting the team with his poor hitting.

But if we can steal this one somehow and Ponson is fired up for tomorrow, we can still win the series, get a split with Boston and head into the all-star break 4-5 games back. So I hope that colors me optimistic.

Cashman is really staying with the plan.
Our farm keeps getting stronger while big contracts come off the books.

Agreed, but that does not prove that they are not playing better because they are not trying hard enough. Still, the continued stinkyness does raise questions. Perhaps the reality is that the team is not really "this talented."

Now, Betemit.. A pinch hitter maybe?

LOL

The Jinx worked!

that's my recommendation.

I'm losing patience.

Seriously, he needs bench time, or maybe even some time in AAA to get his head straight.

I mean, it's amazing that we have not HAD to get a SP or RP and have hung in with the farm.

As bad as things look, look at Detroit. 2 hot weeks and we can turn this season around.

And it's a tied game on a 2 out rally.
How about that!

This season has basically been saved by uncharacteristically good years from Moose, Giambi and JD. Giambi being able to play the field most of the year had kept the DH spot open for rotating our semi-crippled players.

Maybe they're not that talented. Or maybe they're all just having career bad years (hell the '82 Braves and '98 Yanks practically all had career GOOD years). or maybe they're too old. I don't know. BUT I'm tired of having an automatic out at the end of the lineup.

I didn't realize that Melky was so horrible until I looked at his OPS+ from 2006:

2006 - 95
2007 - 89
2008 - 78

What a shitty trend. And it's not like peak was all that much to write home about.

With Matsui out, Po should be DHing nearly every game. They would be able to get his bat into almost every game then, and Molina is at least good defensively.

Of course, I'd prefer Gardner in CF over Melk, like lot's of y'all..

But Melky's never been over 100 in three seasons. WTF?!! I hope Gardner can get hot and force Melky to the bench.

The scouting report on Gardner was he had a weak arm...that was a solid throw.

Well, because you have basically accused the players of not trying, which I imagine is a pretty serious thing to say about a professional athlete. It's one thing to note that players are not doing well--that is verifiable with objective data. It's one thing to draw the conclusion that a player is "bad"--tis too is based on empirical, historical, verifiable data.

But to blithely call into question players effort without any shred of evidence, that's something else. And for that I think the burden of proof falls on you, in as much as anyone who posts on this site is burdened to prove something.

That said, you are right about Melky. Stinky City.

Hey now, that arm on Gardner ain't so bad. Later Melks!

We shoulda traded him...

On the other hand, playing Po at C means that someone else has to DH. With the current roster, who would that be? I guess Betemit. So, the question really comes down to:

Is Posada (bat) + Molina (bat+arm) > Posada (bat+arm) + Betemit (bat)?

Could be.

I thought for sure he'd get burned throwing fastball after fastball.

Nice job, Robertson.

Dude can pitch.

I still don't consider calling Shelly Duncan "Sandy" to be a homophobic comment (anymore than when Pete Abraham calls JD Drew "Nancy" to be homophobic) because I think the intent behind the comment matters.

But at the end of the day, I don't really care if you want to write GD and won't criticize you for doing so, but unless I make a truly improper comment, which cannot survive any scrutiny, please don't label me, okay?

i don't know why but ever since i was a kid i hated nolan ryan - and i don't really hate that many people - so i wish yes would stop showing his smug self

At the beginning of 2007, what if I told you we would have a game in 2008 where we gave up 2 ERs in 7 IP, pitched by Chamberlain, Geise and Robertson, for a total salary of under $1.5m? No one would have believed it.

Melky has historical been awful in every month except July and August, during which he has career OPS of .850 and .834. Hopefully, he can start to work on that before it's too late.

I really want Melky to succeed, and at only age 23, I think he still has a lot of potential. He needs to convert that into more consistent performance or he'll be on the scrap heap.

280 uh nolan & ryan?

281 thanks william - makes sense - there is something odd going on with his numbers pulling the ball versus going opposite field

Let's Go Dude!

292 do people ask you all the time if you named your boys after him?

I don't buy your assertion that using the word god, or taking the lord's name in vain etc., is akin to making, say, homophobic or racist or whathaveyou comments. I'm not interested in arguing about it, it ought to be obvious.

I do think calling a man a girls name is "bad", and I don't think citing Pete Abe's term for Drew is much of a excuse. The intent surly matters, so when one's writing in a public forum where people don't know each other personally and can't see your body language, discretion is not a bad thing.

Regardless, I never labeled you anything. I don't know you, I'm not familiar with your posts (if you've been around for a while, sorry), I have no basis for calling you anything. Nor would that be very friendly. I'm not even sure "homophobic" is the right way to characterize calling men girls names, maybe it's "misogynist" or something else. If I have, I apologize for misusing the term. I'll just use "bad" or something. I don't consider you homophobic, and I never intended to imply anything otherwise. If my wording was insensitive or boneheaded and I did indeed come across as making some comment about you and/or your character, I'm deeply, deeply sorry. That was "one million percent" not my intent, and the last thing anyone should expect for the (admittedly not-earth-shattering) offense of calling a man a girls name.

I still wish we had gotten Salty. IPK + Melky + Betances + maybe Tabata, maybe ya get away with something less? I'm biased 'cuz I dig the name.

Fair enough.

312 my dad is lefty and he told me once it is because more hitters are rh and lefty catchers would have a harder time making the throws - could be off target though

http://www.baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?threadid=5373

The orthodox position sees to be that lefty catchers have a more difficult time making throws to third, especially given that most batters are right handed. Whether there is any evidence to support this old contention is, of course, a matter of debate.

I think Gardner will hit an inside the park HR to win it in the bottom of the ninth.

"He's never been as good as this. He might of pitched as well, but never better." Michael Kay on Mariano.

Cutter, outside, ball one.

Fastball, fouled back.

Fastball, laced to left. Double.

Thanks, Alex!

meanwhile, bugger!!!

Cutter, away, ball one.

Fastball, way high and outside, Young slaps at it, looking to advance the runner. Foul.

Fastball outside, Kinsler steals third...easily. The throw was awful, to the foul-side of the bag.

Infield in, base hit up the middle.

Good night folks.

Cutter...slow grounder to Cano. Goes to second for the force.

One out.

At the very least, the threat that a young pitcher will go deeper into the game might limit the opposing team doing what Toronto did to Joba earlier this season, just sit with the bat on their shoulders using up his pitch limit.

Strike one, strike two, ball one, throw to first, ball two, ball three, Hamilton steals second, foul, foul, tapper towards third...infield hit. Runner to third.

Fastball, delayed call strike.

Pop up up to Giambi. Two out.

Fouled back.

Cutter, inside for a ball.

Late, called time.

Tapper to Cano. 5-3.

Is it too much to ask for a rally here?

I wish I felt more confident.

What do you say, Jeter pinch hits for Betemit?

As for you, Alex, I thought we were on the same side?

1. Moeller has only had about 6 PAs in the last month, as Girardi seems not to employ the three catchers/PHs very often.

2. Three catchers limits the number of other players on the bench to PH.

3. Right now, multiple PHs would usually mean batting Betemit or AG. that does not exactly strike fear in the hearts of pitchers.

(Sorry. :)

This is as good as it'll get...

Ball three, I was wrong.

NICE, a base runner, baby!

a) Melky hits into a DP

b) strike'em out throw'em out DP on a hit and run

You choose!

Fire. Joe. Girardi.

Man.

What the fuck was going through that man's head, I'd love to know.

BOOOOOOOOOOOO!

It's not a matter of kids or vets, but a matter of who is a good baseball player.

Ugh, we're back to sucking I guess, sigh.

At some point this hierarchy will change. The question is, will it be too late?

You and your inexplicable hex.

BOOOO

BOOOO

Melky Cabrera sucks. If you persist in playing him, you will ultimately be fired.

Sincerely,

The ghost of Ruppert Jones

But I agree with you, Jeter should have batted for Melky, and then worry about Gardner's spot later.

"If the object of the game were to get the ball as close to the pins without knocking any of them over, you would be champion of the world."
"Really?"
"Really."

At this point, I sit Melky, play Gardner in CF, Damon in LF and let anyone else DH. Melky may play a decent CF but he's atrocious at the plate right now. Waiting around for Giambi or A-Rod to pull out of a slump is one thing, but this is Melky Cabrera. I love the kid, but sheesh.

To quote a great man: BOOOOOOOOOOO

all right, I'm calm now....

And speaking of hexes, you'll all be saddened to know that my wife is responsible for 2001.

In the eighth inning she asked if she should go get the champagne.

The rest is history.

Sure, it's a matter if goodness, but age is really important too - we know this. And the vets have some trade value, while the shit the kids have been laying have sapped theirs. Abreu may be declined, but he's still solid and has his track record - pick up his salary and he's worth something for sure. Ditto Giambi, Damon, maybe Matsui (injury might make that impossible, and I love Mats anyway). Lose the guys that aren't going to get better, there's no other way.

"Lefty catchers are rare, but that's not to say that no left-handers have ever played the position. According to sites we found by searching on "left-handed catchers," both Mike Squires and Dale Long moved over from their regular positions and played multiple games at catcher. "

Wasn't Dale Long the guy whose record Mattingly tied?

The roster is an absolute mess. They've got three guys on the bench who couldn't hit .650 if you added all their averages together (Moeller, Molina, and Gonzalez). Most games, there is no right-handed hitting available to pinch-hit, which becomes especially problematic against teams that have lefty closers (like the Mets and Rangers). They'e got only one bench guy who can hit at all (Betemit) and he was in the starting lineup today.

This team has so many needs, where to start. They need righty hitting, bench help, another starting pitcher, a lefty reliever--and a new GM. I'm with you Jeb.

P.S. Ruppert Jones was actually a decent player, though he was pretty bad in his one year with the Yankees. About as bad as Cabrera has been lately.

"Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering."

I tend to defend Cashman, but for sake of argument I'll accept that he should take much of the blame.

I have a particular beef with this "strategy" of carrying three catchers--it's silly on its own right, made worse by the way they are not even being used. Whose fault is this, the general manager or the manager, or both?

Nice.

Meanwhile, another day at the office for Mo, Robertson seems like a nice kid with his head screwed on right and Joba's coming up.

And for his part, Joe offered up some weak borscht about how our lefties can't hit that guy and so he just had to let Melky hit.

Or something.

i would demote him if only to free up a roster spot so they can try to get another bat from somewhere...anywhere. It might be time for Shelley Duncan Mach II, platooning with Betemit. Unfortunately, Duncan has not done that much since getting sent down.

In any case, how much damage can demotion really do? Maybe he'll get his act together at AAA.

As I have posted before, the most generous comparison was between Melky and Bernie. Bernie spent two years splitting time between Columbus and NYC.

Dude sounds like a grizzled veteran.

Basically, his mechanics were off, he'll learn to adjust for it next time, let's move on.

Send Melky to Scranton.

Given Jorgie's shoulder problems, I think we have to carry three catchers.

Why are three catchers necessary if one of them is never used? Why can't Molina back-up Posada a couple days a week, and go in as a LIDR the other days?