Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
The Angels can clinch the AL West tonight if they beat the Yankees and Mariners beat the Rangers, but from the Yankees' perspective, the big story is Alfredo Aceves, who will make his first major league start. A 25-year-old Mexican League product, Aceves is in his seventh year of pro ball, but his first in the U.S. He started the year with high-A Tampa, where he posted a 2.11 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, and 4.63 K/BB in eight starts before being promoted to double-A Trenton, where he posted a 1.88 ERA, a 0.86 WHIP, and a 5.83 K/BB in seven starts.
Aceves was promoted again at the end of June, this time to triple-A Sranton, but a groin injury delayed his first triple-A start. After four abbreviated rehab appearances for Scranton, Aceves returned to his normal starting role, but with less success than he'd had at the lower levels. Aceves' first four post-rehab starts saw him allow 16 runs in 20 2/3 innings, but he seemed to make the necessary adjustments from there, posting this combined line in his last two triple-A starts before being called up to the majors: 12 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 16 K. In two major league relief appearances thus far, Aceves has been similarly effective: 7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 7 K.
Here's a note from Chad Jennings following those final two starts for Scranton:
After his last start . . . Aceves was talking about using his body more to generate a little more velocity on his fastball. There was in fact a little more velocity last time and this time, but Aceves said he has looked at tape of his last start and no longer thinks he's doing anything mechanically different. It just felt that way. The key for him is working faster, getting himself in a groove and not thinking about things too much. He picks the pitch he wants to throw, and he throws it. The game moves faster and he works a lot better.
Earlier in the year, less enthusiastic scouts dismissed Aceves as a strike-throwing junkballer who lacks an out-pitch and tops out as a number-five starter in the majors, but I was at his major league debut, and the Yankee Stadium scoreboard was registering his fastball at 94 to 95 mph. That's likely an inflated number, but there was definitely some zip on his heater, and he complimented it well with his secondary pitches.
Here's a scouting report from his double-A catcher P.J. Pilittere, courtesy of Thunder Thoughts' Mike Ashmore:
He's a guy that's going to have no patterns when he pitches. He's got four pitches that he commands real well, and he can throw them at any time in the count. That's a definite talent to have. He kind of makes my job a little easier because he's got a really good gameplan, and he really knows himself well. He does a good job on his own of trying to set up hitters, so it's different and kind of refreshing, almost, to work with someone like that who's thinking about the game along the same lines I am.He's got a really good cutter. What makes it so successful, is it's not a lot different in speed off of his fastball. It's pretty similar in miles per hour to his four-seam fastball. His cutter's a good pitch, and when you have command of a pitch like that and you can throw it when you're behind in the count, it can really bail you out of some stuff. Him being able to throw it on both sides of the plate is a definite plus for him.
Because he came on so fast and seemingly out of nowhere, it's hard to say what the Yankees have in Aceves, but with a few good starts in these dog days of September, he could throw his hat in the ring for next year's rotation.
that's good enough for right now.
Let's go Yanks!
i REALLY hope the Cubs get their act together and beat Boston in the WS..
If you continue to run like a dumbass we do not want you back. That was retarded.
This game is a microcosm of the 2008 season. 2nd, 3rd no out, no runs. A-Rod up with 2 outs, Abreu attempts to steal and gets gunned down. Now we just need Cano to let a ball go between his legs and we're all set.
great stuff from Aceves so far, at 83 pitches he should comeo ut for the 7th..
26 twins may be fading, but the pale hose aren't doing so great themselves. quentin's most likely done for the year and konerko got hurt today (sprained MCL). central is up for grabs still...
ACEves kicking ass in front of family & friends!
4 jeter's ascent up the yankee charts is pretty impressive at 34. as far as career hits, he's still 350+ hits behind the babe
manny hit a solo shot for torre's dodgers. la down 2-1...
brew crew in the 11th inning...
The Yankees have an infielder with a MiLB career line of: .278 .331 .425 .756.
Not that exciting. But you never know. Robinson Cano might turn into a good ball player.
People criticize Cashman for loving all his kids, but the truth is, which just don't really know who the good ones will be.
NoMaas doesn't like him because they need someone to pick on, and he was allegedly trolling their board or something.
personally, i think he's great! maybe not the best baseball instincts, but he doesn't claim to be a baseball brainiac or sabermetrician. i think he does a more than admirable job and am greatly indebted to his Yankee info!
but, as far as nomaas is concerned, pete wrote into them under the commenter tag of "interested reader" and ripped them apart or questioned them, or something like that. nomaas just ran with it as their wont to do. ho-hum...
64 ahrd to believe he has thrown so few innings this year!
Jeter
Ruth
It really is beyond amazing.
snakes lost in the bottom of the 9th... dodgers blowing it open in their half of the 9th... houston just 4 games behind brew crew...
Jeter
Gehrig
Ruth
soon to pass gehrig for most hits at Yankee Stadium. i hope he does it in the current cathedral next week...
next season, he'll probably pass bernie, babe & yogi in games played. he should also pass babe in doubles, maybe donnie baseball too. he'll pass bernie in total bases, to join the top 5 there. he'll end up w/ the most at-bats ever in a yankee uniform and he already has way more singles than any yankee ever, for whatever that's worth...
still think Johnny Mac was better than Hendrix, thelarmis? :)
i'll tell ya what - i played Spanish Castle Magic saturday night on a gig and absolutely loved it! i really dig the lyric about the 'dragonfly' too : )
hey, it's really in the infant stages and i shouldn't talk about it, but i guess there's a possibility i get to tour Asia next spring. if so, i'm sure Tokyo will be on the bill. i'll definitely be in touch with you - off the banter - if it comes to fruition. will you still be living there next spring?
of course, if i am there, it'd mostly be about business and i wouldn't have too much time for outside endeavors, but you never know! i don't know how the itinerary would work...
you hear much about the rock guitarist Paul Gilbert by you? he's HUGE there and i'm a massive fan of his. apparently there's a new 3-song live promo cd - Triumphant Return - that comes along with his new instrumental disc, but i'm not sure how legit it is...
i haven't seen the Hank Mobley Essential Blue cd compilation on Blue Note lately either - it's a Jap only release...
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