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Hotter Than July
2005-07-31 07:26
by Alex Belth

Jeez, anybody know anything about Chris Bootcheck, the Angels' starting pitcher today? The youngster is making his second career start and will face Randy Johnson on what promises to be a hot and hazy afternoon in the Bronx.

Hopefully, the Big Unit is still mad. We like him when he's angry.

Go get 'em boys.

The Yanks did not make any trades last night, but with the addition of Alan Embree, Buddy Groom had some parting shots for Joe Torre as he was dropped from the Major League team yesterday. Meanwhile, Randy Winn went to the Giants, Jose Cruz Jr. went to Boston and Manny isn't going anywhere (but the bench...for now).

Comments
2005-07-31 08:06:13
1.   Simone
Things are looking bleak, but I continue to be optimistic that Manny will be traded to the Mets later today. It would be like an early Christmas present to the AL as a whole. Get that deal done, Omar and Theo!
2005-07-31 08:46:23
2.   monkeypants
Is there any rational reason why the Yankees did not give Cruz a look? The team cannot be serious about Womack in CF.
2005-07-31 09:33:10
3.   Shaun P
monkeypants, here are Cruz's stats for CF this year:

87 Rate2
.766 zone rating
1.91 range factor

Just for comparison, here are Bernie's numbers as a CF:
93 Rate2
.837 zone rating
2.30 range factor

Add in that Cruz Jr. also missed a month of the season with lower back problems, and I'm glad we said "pass". He hasn't hit worth a damn, and he played half his games in a hitter's park - I hope the Sox play him often. =)

2005-07-31 09:42:12
4.   monkeypants
Ah thanks--I had just assumed he played better defense with a more-or-less equal bat. My mistake.
2005-07-31 10:28:29
5.   Dan-el
Is anyone having problems getting the Yankees game on MLB.tv?
2005-07-31 10:38:58
6.   bp1
Ok, so, what was I saying the other day about Giambi's hot streak trailing off a bit?

Umm ....

I take that back. And happily so.

You go, you big lug.

BP

2005-07-31 10:46:17
7.   alasky
bp1, maybe it's time we stopped calling it a hot streak!
2005-07-31 10:50:43
8.   bp1
Alasky,

Amen to that. (fingers crossed, knocking on wood).

BP

2005-07-31 11:19:27
9.   singledd
Giambi is hitting a HR about 1 in every 14.1 Abs. How good is that? A-Rod is hitting a HR about 1 in every 13.75 Abs. I haven't done the math, but if you give Giambi an extended Spring training, and consider the season starting in the middle of May, he would be close to leading the LEAGUE in HRs, OBP and OPS.

People compare his numbers to 4 years ago... which isn't very fair for a guy who is 34 and recovering from a year of multiple health problems. However, his OPS now is better then his lifetime numbers.

2005-07-31 11:21:15
10.   singledd
P.S.
Anybody getting tired of watching the 17 million$ man give up Home Runs?
2005-07-31 11:28:14
11.   Dan-el
10,

I sure am.

2005-07-31 12:25:27
12.   Rich
The Yankees will still win the division. Book it.
2005-07-31 12:26:08
13.   Alex Belth
This has been an infuriating game thus far. The Angels lead 5-2 in the eighth. Johnson was not great and the two dingers he surrendered to the fuggin Molina brothers killed him. To make matters worse, the Bombers scorched at least a half-a-dozen balls off Bootcheck and didn't have dick to show for it.
2005-07-31 12:44:50
14.   atc
Was the Figgins catch just a really good play, or was it "the best catch you'll ever see," as Sterling described it?
2005-07-31 12:45:05
15.   Chucksax
Is it to late to get a refund on Randy Johnson? Why does it seem that, when we need him to win, he's sure to pull a Buckeye like he did today - 6 runs in 7.1? That's just not good enough. Sorry, Randy - particularly when the offense is slumping, you need to come up bigger than that.

I can't agree with you, Rich... the Yankees' pitching is just not good enough to contend. You have the parade of the ancient ones, followed by a lot of TBA pitchers.

2005-07-31 13:07:46
16.   Marcus
This is like a replay of last night, with Shields replacing K-Rod. He just can't seem to hit the strike zone.
2005-07-31 13:10:35
17.   alasky
I don't understand baseball anymore because this makes no sense
2005-07-31 13:41:07
18.   Rich
You're free to disagree, Chuck. Let it play out.

Meanwhile, to this point, the story of this game is defense.

2005-07-31 13:43:54
19.   JeremyM
Sheffield has killed us today- dammit.
2005-07-31 14:11:48
20.   Paul in Boston
What a bizarre game.

Didn't see it on TV, did Phillips almost win it with his ground ball to 3rd in the 9th, or was that Sterling hyperbole?

2005-07-31 14:20:21
21.   rbj
No Paul, that was a hard shot down the line.

Oh, no, there goes Anaheim, er Los Angeles.
Godzilla!

2005-07-31 14:27:42
22.   rbj
Is Giambi's resurrection rubbing off on Womack?
Nice hit Tony.
2005-07-31 14:44:23
23.   singledd
I am certainly not a TW fan... and that was an easy out with the infield at normal depth... but I'll take it. One thing TW can do is 'swat' the ball. With a man on 3rd and less then 2 out, contact is the most important thing. I don't know why Phillips, Posada, Sheff and others have to swing from the heals when all we need is a ball hit 150'.

I consider ourselves lucky to win that one.
I love Sheff but he always looks lazy in RF. It almost cost us the game.

I still think this teams is VERY un-Yankee-like when it comes to the basics. HRs we can do... but moving runners over, productive outs, key bunts and smart baserunning have seemed to allude us this year. It's the Manny syndrome. It's tough for a manager to harp on basics to veteran stars.... but that's what we need.

Bring on Lou Pinella.

2005-07-31 14:53:05
24.   singledd
P.S. Baseball changes almost as fast as the weather in New Hampshire, but I think the O's and Twins (T. Hunter out for a few weeks) will not compete with us.

It looks the the (hopeless) A's will be our competition for the WC. Remember all those games we won from the 'hapless' A's? Might end up being the difference in getting to the PS or not.

Living in NH, I watch all the Sox games. I think they will be better the 2nd half (no more trade rumors, a better Schilling) and we will have to step it up a few notches to
compete with them for the division.

RJ has been a bust. He has pitched 2 or 3 excellent games (but so will Small and Leiter by the end of the season). Other then that, he had been below league average. Even with all our problems, if RJ was 'as advertised', we would be in 1st right now.
I don't think he likes NY. I don't think he likes the Yankees. He is just here to be on a winning club abd pad his stats (and make 17 mil a year too).

2005-07-31 17:16:49
25.   Schteeve
Did someone say "productive outs?"
2005-07-31 20:13:18
26.   Clay Caviness
"Was the Figgins catch just a really good play, or was it "the best catch you'll ever see," as Sterling described it?"

It was a very, very good catch. Many times, those catches are a result of a fielder not getting a good jump or breaking the wrong way, but Figgins was running correctly the whole way. He covered a TON of ground. As I mentioned in the other post's comments, the fans at the stadium gave him a standing ovation as he came off the field.

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