Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
The Yankees' current six-game winning streak has been extremely fruitful. By sweeping the A's and Twins, the Yanks have surged into second place in the Wild Card race and enter this weekend's three-game series against the Red Sox just three games behind both the Sox and the Rays in the AL East. Another sweep would put them in a tie with Boston for second place in the east and the Wild Card lead. A 2-1 series loss, however, would put them four games behind Boston, as many as five games behind the Rays (who play the Royals this weekend), and could even drop them back behind the Twins (who play the Indians). It's thus imperative that the Yankees at the very least take two of three this weekend. The question is: can they do it?
Let's look at the pitching match-ups first. The Yankees have two of their best starters going in the first two games. Joba Chamberlain, who starts tonight, has a 2.41 ERA over his last seven starts, including a quality start against the Red Sox at the Stadium three weeks ago. Andy Pettitte has a 2.18 ERA over his last eight starts, but the one real dud in that stretch came at home against the Sox (4 2/3 IP, 6 R). Both have been better on the road than at home, but neither has pitched at Fenway this season.
Opposing Joba tonight will be Josh Beckett, who is one of the few Red Sox pitchers who has pitched worse at home than on the road. Beckett has a 4.82 ERA at Fenway this year and gave up five runs in five innings to the Twins in his last home start two turns ago. At the same time, he's already turned in three quality starts against the Yanks this year, including one at Fenway in April, though he has allowed the maximum three runs in each of those starts for a 3.92 ERA against the Bombers.
Tim Wakefield, who faces Pettitte tomorrow afternoon on FOX, has a 3.04 ERA at Fenway and a 2.43 ERA over his last ten starts, including a quality start at the Stadium that left Chamberlain with yet another no-decision.
The finale, which will be ESPN's Sunday night game, pits Sidney Ponson against Jon Lester. Lester is one of the great stories of this season, having rebounded from non-Hodgkins lymphoma to not only throw a no-hitter, but have a great season overall. Lester has a 3.20 ERA on the season, a 2.93 ERA at home, and needed just 105 pitches to shutout the Yankees on five hits and two walks while striking out eight in his only start against the Bombers this season. That said, he's been inconsistent of late. Lester's no-hitter came in the middle of a run of 11 starts from the end of April to late June in which the lefty posted a 2.13 ERA. Since then, however, he's alternated dominant starts (including his shutout of the Yankees) with non-quality outings. If the pattern holds, he's due for a stinker, but his dominance of the Yankees in their last meeting and overall success this season is the better indicator of what he's likely to do Sunday night.
That means Ponson has his work cut out for him. Before his last start, I wrote that Ponson's surprisingly successful season has been the result of a sharp increase in his groundball rate. The problem is that Fenway Park has a notoriously hard infield, which can cause trouble for groundball pitchers (Chien-Ming Wang's career ERA at Fenway is 5.11, and in his complete-game two-hitter there this April, he got more outs in the air than on the ground). Ponson hasn't faced the Red Sox this year, but historically, the Sox's lineup own him (David Ortiz: .444/.563/.722; Manny Ramirez: .404/.481/.511; Jason Varitek: .317/.364/.561; Kevin Youkilis: 4 for 9 with a double; J.D. Drew: 3 for 7 with a double; Dustin Pedroia: 3 for 3), the only exception being Mike Lowell, who is 0 for 7 with a walk against Ponson. Lester would have to implode completely for the Yankees to overcome what's likely to happen to Ponson on Sunday night.
That means the Yankees hopes for a series win lie in the first two games, both of which have the potential to be tightly-contested pitchers' duels. The Yankees scored 25 runs in their three-game sweep of the Twins and are averaging 6.3 runs per game since the All-Star break, but the Twins helped out with some sloppy and absent-minded play in the field, and the Bomber bats struggled to solve Sean Gallagher and Justin Duchscherer in the A's series, as the Yankees won both games by just one run thanks in large part to strong pitching performances from Chamberlain, Pettitte, and the bullpen. That pattern may have to repeat itself in order for the Yankees to win these first two games.
The good news is that the Red Sox aren't scoring. While the Yankees scored 25 runs in the Twins series alone, the Red Sox have scored just 22 runs since the All-Star break, an average of 3.67 per game. They opened the second half by getting swept in Anaheim with Beckett and Wakefield receiving two and three runs of support, respectively. They then swept the Mariners in Seattle, but averaged just 3.67 runs per game during regulation in that series, requiring extra innings to pull out the finale.
The bad news is that the Sox just activated David Ortiz off the disabled list, which could give their offense the jump-start it needs. Manny Ramirez, despite the affront of his flopping-fish routine in Anahiem, has hit .471/.609/.765 since the break, giving Ortiz the protection he'll need to get back in the groove. Still, one wonders what lingering effects, if any, will Ortiz's wrist injury have on his swing. The Yankees haven't really had to sweat Ortiz yet this year. He's was on the DL during their most recent series against the Red Sox, and when they faced him in April, he was slumping horribly. Ortiz went 1-for-17 against the Yankees in April, his only time on base coming via a single. At the end of that stretch, he was hitting .111/.222/.159 on the season. Starting the next day and leading up to his injury, however, he was back to his old tricks, hitting .313/.408/.626.
So the question is, will Ortiz come off the DL as hot as he was when he went on it, or will he have to fight through a repeat of those April doldrums in order to get back in the swing? The discouraging news is that Ortiz hit .313/.450/.875 with three home runs in his recent five-game rehab assignment. Less discouraging is the fact that nearly all of that, including all three home runs, came in Double-A.
It's up to Joba to get Ortiz off on the wrong foot and the Yankees on the right foot tonight in what will be the biggest start of his admittedly very young career as a major league starting pitcher, and up to the Yankee bats to reward him for doing so by getting to Josh Beckett early. (Seriously, can we get this kid another win already?)
As for the Yankees chances of taking the series, the Red Sox have a 13-2 record in series at Fenway this year (including a 2-1 series win over the Yankees in April) and a staggering .766 winning percentage in home games. They've scored just 4.34 runs per game on the road, but 5.83 R/G at home, while the Yankees have scored just 4.33 runs per game on the road. That alone tilts the odds against the New York nine, but I think Chamberlain and Pettitte can get the job done. The only question is if the offense has built enough confidence and momentum to finish the job. I sure hope so.
Boston Red Sox
2008 Record: 60-43 (.583)
2008 Pythagorean Record: 62-41 (.601)
Manager: Terry Francona
General Manager: Theo Epstein
Home Ballpark (multi-year Park Factors): Fenway Park (106/105)
Who's Replaced Whom:
David Ortiz (DL) replaces Brandon Moss (minors) on the roster and Coco Crisp in the lineup
Jed Lowrie (minors) replaced Julio Lugo (DL)
Clay Buchholz (minors) replaced Justin Masterson in the rotation
Masterson replaced David Aardsma (DL) in the bullpen
25-man Roster:
1B - Kevin Youkilis (R)
2B - Dustin Pedroia (R)
SS - Jed Lowrie (S)
3B - Mike Lowell (R)
C - Jason Varitek (S)
RF - J.D. Drew (L)
CF - Jacoby Ellsbury (L)
LF - Manny Ramirez (R)
DH - David Ortiz (L)
Bench:
S - Coco Crisp (OF)
L - Sean Casey (1B)
L - Alex Cora (IF)
R - Kevin Cash (C)
Rotation:
R - Josh Beckett
R - Tim Wakefield
L - Jon Lester
R - Daisuke Matsuzaka
R - Clay Buchholz
Bullpen:
R - Jon Papelbon
L - Hideki Okajima
R - Manny Delcarmen
L - Javier Lopez
R - Mike Timlin
R - Craig Hansen
R - Justin Masterson
15-day DL: R - Julio Lugo (SS), R - Bartolo Colon
60-day DL: R - Curt Schilling
Lineup:
L - Jacoby Ellsbury (CF)
R - Dustin Pedroia (2B)
L - David Ortiz (DH)
R - Manny Ramirez (LF)
L - J.D. Drew (RF)
R - Mike Lowell
R - Kevin Youkilis (3B)
S - Jed Lowrie (SS)
S - Jason Varitek (C)
Go Joba!
I dont count that as good news. I mean, I know it would be just about impossible to get a good catcher, but that shouldn't imply faith in Moellina.
Cashman is trying to temper the desperation. Everyone knows the Yankees need a catcher, and this is a classic Cashman tactic to show he's willing to go with what he's got if he doesn't get what he wants.
Um, sarcasm? Because that's not exactly what folks are saying in New England!
15 I think risk adverse is a good thing when it comes some of the fantasy baseball trade proposals that are floating around. I'd rather Cashman make a good trade than make moves just to make moves. If people want an active GM, they should follow the A's.
Don't try to strike everybody out. Strikeouts are boring, and besides that, they're fascist. Get more groundouts, they're more democratic.
NASTY pitcj for the K there
Close call moot.
Since June 14: 127 PA, .361/.381/.546
Is there enough evidence yet that Cano being benched on June 14 turned his season around? Or is it a coincidence?
You know he's just dying to say "the best .220 hitter you'll ever see!"
Wow, poor Brett, another great pitch.
Did you like Batman, Alex?
It probably doesn't make much difference in the long run.
March/April: .612 OPS
May: .699 OPS
June: .825 OPS
July: .923 OPS
August: .807 OPS
Sept/Oct: .981 OPS
Maybe that has something to with it?
Melky witda Nice dive!
If so, it sounds like Joba is getting hit pretty hard.
The Monster stole a home run from Lowell; Melky stole a double from Drew; Robbie stole a single from Lowrie.
Mean while, man, we have to stop swinging at the Beckett curve. It's unhittable tonight.
Come on, Alex, let's cash in!
I think Ledger is good but not great. I think the conception of the Joker in this movie is great. But feel that other actors, say Robert Downey Jr or John Leguizano, would be equally as effective in this particular conception of the Joker. I really like the flatness of Ledger's accent though. The madness is there with Ledger--the only tick that distracted me was his habbit of licking his lips that became more prevelant in the second half of the movie.
The movie has a sense of humor, a dry sense of humor, especially in the Bruce Wayne scenes. But there isn't a lot of gleeful madness with Ledger's Joker. It's what made Ceasar Romero so creepy and effective.
This is a graphic novel movie, not a comic book flick. It is serious-minded, ambitious. And I think it achieves it's ambitions, it's very good. It's also hard and detached. Joyless, dark. You don't feel settled when it's over. It's like the "Seven" version of a comic book flick. Relentless, accomplished, cyincal.
There is a soundtrack effect that covers all of the Joker's scenes that is really effective and unnerving.
Worth seeing, top-notch, but but turgid too.
I have to admit I wish Rob was up now.
take THAT, shift!
i think the stache got some color during the off-day.
and the damn nesn cameran must be drunk - - the camera is shaking like crazy.
Giambino--where they ain't!
96 Only in the sense that he's younger. I think Christian is already a better ML hitter than Brett will be, and that's not a compliment to Christian.
what did you think of christian bale and his, ummm, affected batman voice?
Wow. Pretty big move.
Go Yanks!
I think that Gardner will be better than Christian, who has been slow through the system and has batted only a career .799 OPS. in MIL (by contrast, Garner has a career .773 OPS, and has been younger at every stage).
That said, Christian may be more ready to play at the MLB level right now. Plus, if Gardner needs more seasoning, then he is better off at AAA than rotting on the bench with the big club--that job is better suited for Christian.
I don't know much about Coke. What's his upside? I always liked Tabata but was starting to give up on the idea that he's got star potential.
The Pirates will receive a package of four minor-league players, expected to be Class AAA right-hander Ross Ohlendorf, Class AA right-handers Phil Coke and George Kontos and Class AA outfielder Jose Tabata.
From Fox sports
130 agreed - what's the point of the deal for this cost.
Oh, because it seems like a bad deal to us fans, so that's evidence that we rate them higher than Cashman? Or what?
140 either that's the meme or it is we have to make a push for this season after all, and we will sacridice some of the future to do so
Marte surely means the curtain has fallen on Hawkins; Bruney will stay in MiL and continue to rehab.
Still, he was kind of exciting to think about.
And yes, they probably overpaid. But it's not like they mortgaged the franchise's future.
And Cashman just made a trade for the worst OFer on the market and superfluous left-handed reliever. Happy days are here again!
Update: The final package from the Yankees is Ross Ohlendorf, Jose Tabata, Phil Coke, and George Kontos, according to multiple sources. Rotoworld is reporting a different set of prospects, including Austin Jackson, so I continue to follow this.
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/unfiltered/?p=958
If this is true, Cashman appears to NOT be in charge and would be gone at the end of the season.
Marte is great.
I'm not into it, but I don't think it's the end of the world.
And the three pitchers are perfect trade fodder. The organization won't miss them at all.
I don't love the deal, and they almost surely overpaid. But I don't think they've done any damage, either.
Others have confirmed. No word yet on the return, but Melky Cabrera is still in the game for the Bombers. The team's top prospect, Austin Jackson, might be involved for that kind of return
now, how you read that to say that austin jackson might be involved, is beyond me. rotoworld is just speculating out their ass.
Ugh. Hate it.
Whoa, Joba did get that call! But it doesn't matter, dammit.
Michael Kay reported it as "The Yankees made a great trade."
"June 13, 2001: Traded by the New York Yankees to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Enrique Wilson."
That's got to be one of the worst trades of the Cashman era.
Tabata is the only high ceiling prospect we gave up. And while losing him hurts a little, my guess is the Yankees decided his combination of attitudes problems and injuries made it unlikely he ever reaches his potential.
"The Yankees have indicated that they will not give Washburn a contract extension or cash bonus for waiving his no-trade rights, but the source said that Washburn would not necessarily require either inducement, saying, "There are ways around that.""
Yes, Jerrod, the way around it is going from a last place team to a legit shot at the postseason.
Joba's pitching really well, I'm happy. I'll try not to think about the trade for a while.
"it's not like they mortgaged the franchise's future"
No but they wasted one of their better positional prospects on a near replacement level OFer having a fluke year. Talk about selling low and buying high. What could Tabata have brought next year or over the winter? Regardless of giving up Tabata, trading for Nady is borderline retarded.
If he's going to trade for someone and give up one of the few decent prospects he has, get someone with value.
This team has been so frustrating over the last 10 years and it's just getting worse.
Ross Ohlendorf, George Kontos, Phil Coke and Jose Tabata.
A solid lefty to improve an already solid pen. Check. Like most trades, however, we can't really grade it unless we hop into the Back to Future Delorean and see where everyone stands in 3-5 years.
I don't know what I like more about Nady, his career 4:1 K:BB ratio or that he's now on his 5th team in his 5 year ML career.
The question is, how willing are you to give up on this season? A 6-man lineup doesn't stack up well. To tell you the truth, I've had some ambivalence about the Yankees making this run, for precisely this reason. It more or less forces them to look for solutions for this year alone.
But if they've soured on Tabata, they haven't hurt themselves, either.
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/dt/nadyxa01.php
195 Xavier Nady of
1 year/$3.35M (2008)
* re-signed 1/18/08 (avoided arbitration)
* performance bonuses: $25,000 for 475 PAs, $50,000 for 500 PAs, $55,000 each for 550, 575 PAs, $65,000 for 600 PAs
* 1 year/$2.15M (2007), re-signed 1/07 (avoided arbitration)
* 1 year/$0.427M (2006), signed 3/06
* 1 year/$0.488M (2005)
* 5 years/$2.85M (2000-04)
o $1.1M bonus ($0.1M up front)
o $1.75M in salary, paid 2001-2004
o bonuses based on days on 25-man roster, 2002-04
o earned $0.275M incentive for more than 60 days on roster in 04
* drafted 2000 (2-49), signed 9/00
* agent: Scott Boras
* ML service: 4.059
~from Cot's baseball contracts~
Is that good?
Now, he can play some 1B (79 G).
We should remember that sonething like only 3% of MiLB players have any kind of MLB careers. At least we KNOW NAdy and Marte can be successful in MLB.
197 And looking back on Cashman's trade history, the guys he brings in have usually been here for a couple of seasons at most. At which point, there is an urgent need to trade away some prospects to fill that hole.
I wouldn't be sad if this game came down to a battle of bullpens in the 7th, 8th, 9th...
Unless of course the organizational chart is bogus and he turns into Manny Ramirez v. 2.0.
I'm on record opposing trades for middle relief. But, again, it all depends on whether you want to win this year. They're close enough that I can't kill them for deciding to make a run for it.
And if Michael Kay is happy about the trade, that tells me all I need to know.
Well, look at it this way. If we can sign up a good FA OF in the off season, maybe that makes the loss of Tabata quite bearable. I wonder if Cashman has some plan for our OF.
It depends on their thinking. If they think Tabata's going to be really good but, what the hell, let's pay whatever it takes - then it was reckless and stupid. But if they've made their best assessment and decided that Tabata isn't a big-time player in the long run, then it's not a bad trade.
"They're close enough that I can't kill them for deciding to make a run for it."
They've been one piece away every year for the last 6 years and they've tried filling that hole only to open another, which makes them one piece away the next season.
It might also mean that JD is not 100% and will DH a bit.
This is not a bad deal. I think considering everybody is clamoring for Hughes, IPK and Cano, we did OK.
Ah, that's more like it...
Marte has a club option for next year, but the Yankees could decline and offer arbitration, perhaps picking up a few draft picks.
This is a wakeup call for Tabata. The Yanks sold low on him, and bought high on Nady.
Oh well. Beckett's just good. But his heater is hittable tonight.
Again, I don't think the pitchers they gave up have any bearing on the team's success over the next 2-4 years. It all depends on Tabata. And given his steps backwards this year, how likely is it that he'll be a major contributor in that time frame?
What does that mean, exactly? Very Delphic.
The Yankees bullpen just got scary good, folks.
A lot of people complain that with Melky + Molina + Brett we have 3 nearly automatic outs. So now with Nady, Brett can become a pinch hitter and LIDR and we have 7 decent hitters in our lineup as opposed to 6. (Decent is a relative term of course since most of those 7 are much more than decent).
And no one was going to just give away players to us. Also, who knew the Tabata was going to turn into a mental combination of Carl Everett, Milton Bradley and Manny Ramirez? I don't know the Yanks could have known that to dump him last year for a better player. I wish they had. Hell, Ramirez is supposed to be Tabata's hero and that guy is a Grade-A Asshole.
So if Tabata doesn't make it, it will be a good deal.
The fourth sign of the apocalypse...
2003:
Marcus Thames for Ruben Sierra.
Jason Anderson, Anderson Garcia, and Ryan Bicandoa for Armando Benitez.
Raul Mondesi and cash for David Dellucci and Bret Prinz.
Brandon Claussen for Aaron Boone.
Robin Ventura for Scott Proctor and Bubba Crosby.
Armando Benitez for Jeff Nelson.
Two minor leaguers for Sterling Hitchcock.
Or, if Nady/Marte puts them over the tops this year it's a good trade.
Jose Contreras for Esteban Loaiza.
Paul Quantrill for Darrell May and Tim Redding.
Ramon Ramirez and Eduardo Sierra for Shawn Chacon.
Justin Berg for Matt Lawton.
Hector Made for Sal Fasano
Four players (see sidebar) for Bobby Abreu and Cory Lidle.
Shawn Chacon for Craig Wilson.
The addition of Nady, a free agent after the 2009 season, protects the Yankees against the potential loss of right fielder Bobby Abreu, who is a free agent after this season.
Of course, that's a pretty damn unrealistic statement, I'm just saying "what it", but I agree with you.
Forget the trade talk. Have you seen what my boy is doing? 6 IP. No runs. Not a ball hit hard since the 2nd inning. Not too shabby.
Peace,
Harlan
Jeff Kennard for Jose Molina.
Scott Proctor for Wilson Betemit.
http://tinyurl.com/675js9
Nady: 1 year/$3.35M (2008)
Damaso Marte 2 years/$4.7M (2007-08), plus $6M 2009 club option
Ooooh, that's the deepest Brett has hit a ball yet!
It's been real, Brett. See you again!
I'd also like to see the Yankees score more runs.
LF: Damon
CF: Nady
RF: Dunn
do you try to make a run for a championship now while most of your position players are still productive but in some stage of decline and you have mo anchoring the bullpen and your rotation is adequate (because of the back end) or do you wait a year or 2 for more of your pitchers to develop but your primary position players have declined further or their deals are up and you have to acquire at least 4 position players?
bah - back to the game.
Yeah... it's true. Maybe he will be BETTER WHEN HE IS 23!
We've knocked on the door a lot of times.
Shutup Kay, the pitch got away
I wonder how Mr. Play the Game Right will respond.
Remy is cool.
Oh, it was a foul.
He is done.
What more could Joba have done tonight? I guess they could have let him bat...
I'm happy with the trade. One thing to keep in mind on Tabata; so far, all his value is in his batting average. He was a highly-regarded prospect because, at 18, he hit over .300 in the FSL with a little pop. This year, he's sucked. He's shown little power, ever, and for a future RF, that's not good. Maybe it develops, but right now, I'm skeptical. Yes, he's only 19, but he seems to have at least another 3 years of development to get anywhere. And he's got to go on the 40-man after the 2010 season; anyone really think he'll be ready for the majors by then? I don't.
I wish it was Bay coming back, not Nady, but I'm not concerned by what the Yanks gave up.
My thought is that Joba doesn't hate him or anything, but Youk is a damn good hitter and Joba has to own the inside part of that plate in order to get him out. If Joba gets in his head, so much the better. That's pitching, my man. Hitting is about timing and pitching is about disrputing timing and that's been the same for over 100 years.
It's not about being cool -- it's about intimidating him and moving his arrogant ass off that plate. That's baseball.
The sox have understood that everytime they bean one of our players.
I can buy that.
As for Bay, I'm guessing the price was more in the IPK or Austin Jackson territory, in which case I'm not for that.
But the Yankees probably know something about Tabata, and I'm sure this deal works in concert with plans for the near future.
Folks... Cashman AIN'T NO DUMMY. I'm sure the deal was discussed amongst many FO people and a lot of thought went into it. I'm mean, maybe Cashman isn't as knowledgable as ChrisS, but he ain't dumb.
Oh?
360 BRILLIANT!
I tend to think that Sterling will yell out "EXXXXXX-cellent!", which is far less original than yours.
Someone said to look at the comparables for Nady. How in the hell is Shane Spencer a 971 career match?
49-0.
Crap!
OH SHIT! ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRG
Oh my god.
Here comes the Man Himself...
oh boy... They wouldn't have gotten him anyway.
Mo's in
Sit down, Jacoby.
1 out. Men on first and second.
Cutter, foul ball.
Cutter up in his kitchen, ties him up, swing and a miss, 0-2.
Fastball, outside, 1-2.
Fastball, outside corner, called strike three.
Wow.
That dang, Pedrioa...
Get this man some runs!
Cutter, outside corner, taken for a strike.
Cutter, outside, not a strike, fouled off. He poked at that one, 0-2.
Molina stands up at the last minute, but it is a cutter tailing too far outside, 1-2.
Molina goes out to talk to Mo.
Cutter, little come backer to Mo.
End of innning.
Now please score some more runs.
Regarding baseline, Farnsworth's obstructing him anyway, so he could've been awarded 1b.
Papi, Youk and Lowell coming up in the 9th!
458 Ah, with the bases empty... Well, we're about to see it.
Molina sets up inside for the cutter, pitch goes wild outside, Oritz swings and misses, 0-1.
Cutter in, Ortiz lofts a little fly ball to Abreu.
One out.
That was soooo close to a typical Rivera single!
I was a little scared, I'll admit.
I'm betting that they're not counting Mo in those probabilities.
If we must go with the toothless duo behind the dish, let's see some PH.
Yooooouk. Dammit.
Cutter, outside, fouled off, 0-1.
Fastball, up and in, 1-1.
Fastball, away, fouled off, 1-2.
Cutter, in, gets too much plate, single past A Rod into left.
C'mon DP.
STFU Evil standuptriple!
That's right, Mike. Sweet.
Fastball, just away, 1-0.
Fastball, same place, this one better, strike, 1-1.
Fastball, away, fouled away, 1-2.
Fastball, away, but over the plate, foul. Decent swing by Lowell.
Fastball away, fouled off again.
Mo is just pounding that one spot.
Comes inside, at last, but it's low, 2-2.
Outside, late swing, but he gets a piece and spoils another one. Nice job by Lowell. Hanging tough.
Fastball, high and inside, Lowell goes nuts.
Wow, you rarely see that.
He got tossed.
Holy cow, you never see that.
He's trying to rattle Mo now.
Haa ha ahha a ahah!!!
"Not even close" - Sox game callers
Cutter inside, fouled off, 0-1.
Fastball, high and inside, 1-1.
Fastball, right over the outside corner. High and outside, 1-2.
Fastball, outside corner, called strike three!
YEAH!
THE GREATEST OF THEM ALL.
Simply, the Greatest of them All.
Good Christ.
that was mo riffic.
now let's get tomorrow's game too!!!!
Mariano Rivera, ladies and gentlemen.
I don't think I've breathed in two innings.
time for a good saturday, some Sasebo Burgers and Hoegaarden beer!
Memorable.
Wonder if Joba, Youk III, Clubber Lang Edition will lead to more beef this weekend. Wouldn't be surprised.
Sox were doing a lot of moaning there at the end of the game.
i am happy he finally got to pick up the win after all these great starts.
7 in a row and 1 down from the Sox in the loss column. I like it!
But it's still ugly to see that kind of thing. Kind of taints the at-bat, if not the game.
ah - back tomorrow for another one - we'll have two obnoxious guests joining us - buckeroo and timmy too
Hugely entertaining, gorgeous Rivera (and Joba). Dreadful plate umping. He was wide for both pitchers and that's a big factor in a 1-0 score. The K of Lowell was (hate to say it) a disgraceful call, but Beckett had several including the K of A Rod that was absurdly inside too.
I want to add that I LIKE a Yankee team that flashes D (Melky and Robbie in same inning) and pitching.
The trade. I'm a big plus on it, and blinked a bit at all the naysaying ... are people going overboard on home talent evaluation here? Wasn't it only this week when the Banter was filled with laments that Cash never pulls the trigger, that talent needs to be USED ... Nady (It Ain't Over Till the Fat Nady Swings) is no supertalent but he answers an obvious need in this year's team, may be a legit part of the mix for 2-3 years, and Marte is a GOOD pitcher. Period. The arms we dealt are no better than maybe-mediocre and Tabata is a long, long way off, if he arrives with his head functioning (and his wrist).
Nady had a LOT of interest, and here's rotoworld on evaluating this:
Pittsburgh came down off its initial price tag an awful long way then. Tabata still has very exciting potential and is incredibly young, but his wrist problem are scary and he's looking like a headcase. Ohlendorf has never been a good bet to develop into anything more than a sixth- and seventh-inning guy. Pitcher Phil Coke is also believed to be in the deal, and he's a true long shot to help.
523 Indeed!
I had to pour (and slurp lustily) a celebratory drink. Gin and tonic for a warm summer evening.
That was my favorite game of the season.
If there is any justice, he'll get another save in this series and the moment when he takes the crown will be really memorable. Of course, since ERA+ is a geeky, ungritty statistic known only by mother-basement dwellers, no sports announcer on the planet will be aware of what's happening. But we'll know.
Fuck, I totally missed that...who'd we get?
(Investigating...)
Last guy at the party. Well, I'll just clean up... Man, you guys can really make a mess...
Yep, we get Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte. And we traded Tabata, Ohlendorf, Phil Coke, and somebody.
He's a decent bench guy, no?
He seemed to do well enough by the Mets, right?
(Of course, if he's a high contact, low homerun guy, I'm all for him! :)
What was the general reaction to the deal. My take is Ohlendorf and Coke are unimportant, and in fact, can be replaced with better prospects if the Yankees let Marte walk and pocket the two draft picks (he will be a level A free agent).
That leaves Kontos and Tabata. Kontos definitely has upside, but he is already 23 and not exactly tearing up AA. He is a project, which makes him expendable. The real risk for the Yankees here is Tabata, who while still a good prospect has seen his star dim. Tabata could be anything from a bust to a star, so the jury will be out on this one for quite a while. What you can debate, however, is whether Tabata could have been a chip in the offseason.
As for what the Yankees received, I think both Nady and Marte will a need and will definitely improve the team this season. Marte should be solid this season and then he will likely leave, yielding two draft picks. Nady is the more interesting acquisition. He has always hit lefties very well and is very competent against righties. Even though he may not be more than a league average bat playing every day, it is also possible that he is in the midst of a prime that could see him hit in the 110-120 for a year two. He could not only help this year, but be a useful part for a year or two.
Well, no one's perfect.
Cashman has shut me up good with this one. I love this trade. Of the four guys the Yanks give up, only Tabata has a real high ceiling, and he's been derailing himself with a bad attitude. Nady is exactly what the offense needs, a right-handed hitting outfielder with power. He's also versatile, can play first base, and can even play third in an emergency. As for Marte, he makes a strong bullpen that much better. On paper, the best lefty reliever they've had since the prime years of Mike Stanton. Wow.
Maybe I'm confusing Nady with someone else, but wasn't he merely a solid player with the Mets? Not a big guy or anything?
He's having a good year? Terrific.
So, is he a Justice/Abreu type pickup?
(Wow, now I'm excited!)
Really?
Goddamn, now that's my kind of guy!
Tomorrow?
Bruce, your saying that makes me feel more confident!
William, approximately your view was probably the majority, or at least plurality view. Some people hate the deal.
Losing the three pitchers basically has no effect on their system. Tabata's 19, with a wrist injury and something of an attitude problem. He's probably at least three years away, and I assume they have doubts about that.
The Yankees also - surprisingly - have a chance to win the division this year. I think this trade materially increases their chances of that, and that's of some significant value.
Check out the Pythagorean records. If runs were distributed more evenly, the Sox would be in front of the division by about seven games. We'd be in second, and leading the WC race, with the Rays a game or two behind us.
That suggests that a 'correction' is coming. The Rays are playing over their heads. The Sox are apt to be even stronger in the coming weeks -- Pythagorean correction plus they get a whole lot of home games. But yeah, we have a surprisingly good shot I'd say.
It hasn't gotten alot of play, but Marte being a type-A free agent is very significant. The deal is essential 3 pitchers and Tabata for Nady, Marte and possibly 2 draft picks, both of whom have a good chance to be more valuable than the pitchers (and which could come in handy if the Yankees forfeit picks for CC and/or Texeira).
everything else is pretty much filler and a duplicate of someone we already have in the system.
good trade by cashman.
Another thing to keep in mind is that the Yankees have a number of people evaluating talent on the farm. It's possible the powers that be have given the thumbs down on Tabata, and to trade him for value while his value is still pretty high. We can't and won't know, and will have to trust that the Yankees know what they're doing. I don't believe they would have let him go if they thought he still had star potential.
This was not a GREAT trade, but a fair move that strengthens our team and gives us some options next year, depending on how getting FAs works out. Both players are under contract for this year only, so we have taken on no commitment. However, it they work out well, the Yanks can resign them if they choose.
I don't think Nady was anyone's first choice (or 2nd or 3rd) but with Mats and Po out, our need for a RH OFer was pretty serious. There are certainly worse deals we could have made, and better prospects we could have lost.
Comment status: comments have been closed. Baseball Toaster is now out of business.