Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
The Yankees may have started the 2005 season 11-19, but they hit rock bottom at 27-26 following a three-game sweep at the hands of the Royals in Kansas City. Though the Yanks got their revenge at home in August with a three-game sweep of their own, I'm sure the humiliation in KC is still fresh in the minds of the returning members of last year's Bombers. Coming off a disappointing roadtrip in which they went 2-4 due to a pair of one-run loses, I imagine the Yankees are unusually fired up for the lowly Royals.
The Royals are once again the worst team in baseball, though in their defense they do have three solid arms in their bullpen (Burgos, Sisco and Dessens, and will have a fourth when Mike MacDougal gets back from the DL), and four solid bats to kick off their lineup (DeJesus, Grudzielanek, Sweeney and Sanders, though DeJesus could miss the entire Yankee series due to a strained left hamstring). They might even get something useful out of tomorrow and Thursday's starters Jeremy Affeldt and Denny Bautista, but that's the extent of it and everything's relative to how bad the team was last year.
Looking at the members of the 2005 Royals who have been replaced on the 25-man roster for 2006 the thing that jumps out at me when is that only Shawn Camp has surfaced with another major league team. Ruben Gotay, Chip Ambres, Aaron Guiel, J.P. Howell, Leo Nunez and Kyle Snyder all remain in the Royals system but failed to break camp with the team (in part due to the Royals own mismanagement). Terrence Long, Super Joe McEwing, Alberto Castillo, Jose Lima and Brian Anderson are all major league vets who appeared with various teams as non-roster invitees this spring, but failed to catch on. D.J. Carrasco likely saw a similar future for himself and signed with Japan's Kintetsu Buffaloes in February. That these eleven men, nearly half of the Royals 2005 roster, failed to make another team is, to me, proof that the Royals are essentially operating at replacement level.
Meanwhile, the thing Yankee fans will best remember about today's Royals starter Joe Mays is that he was the guy who gave up Hideki Matsui's opening day grand slam in 2003. Here's hoping we see a repeat of that today.
Kansas City Royals
2005 Record: 56-106 (.346)
2005 Pythagorean Record: 60-102 (.370)
Manager: Buddy Bell
General Manager: Allard Baird
Home Ballpark (2005 Park Factors): Kauffman Stadium (99/99)
Who's Replacing Whom?
Current Roster
1B – Doug Mientkiewicz (L)
2B – Mark Grudzielanek (R)
SS – Angel Berroa (R)
3B – Mark Teahen (L)
C – John Buck (R)
RF – Emil Brown (R)
CF – David DeJesus (L)
LF – Reggie Sanders (R)
DH – Mike Sweeney (R)
Bench:
L – Matt Stairs (1B/OF)
R – Tony Graffanino (IF)
L – Shane Costa (OF)
R – Esteban German (IF)
L – Paul Bako (C)
Rotation:
R – Scott Elarton
R – Joe Mays
L – Jeremy Affeldt
R – Denny Bautista
Bullpen:
R – Ambiorix Burgos
L – Andy Sisco
R – Elmer Dessens
R – Mike Wood
L – Jimmy Gobble
R – Luke Hudson
R – Steve Stemle
15-day DL: L – Mark Redman, R – Mike MacDougal
60-day DL: R – Zack Greinke, L – Bobby Madritsch
Typical Lineup
L – David DeJesus (CF)
R – Mark Grudzielanek (2B)
R – Mike Sweeney (DH)
R – Reggie Sanders (LF)
L – Doug Mientkiewicz (1B)
R – Emil Brown (RF)
L – Mark Teahen (3B)
R – Angel Berroa (2B)
R – John Buck (C)
With Grudzielanek and Mientkiewicz, the Kansas City club exceeds the maximum number of letters and unpronouncable names a team is allowed to employ in its starting lineup.
Letting the Star Wars theme music play out was a bit much.
j/k!
so what's up with The Voice of God? Broken hip? Is it serious? Is this a bad omen?
1998: 1-4 start, piece of the stadium falls
2006: 1-4 start, Mr. Shepard is hurt.
?????
I had the radio on in the car while at lunch, and it was worth hearing 'Giambino!' to know he launched one. BTW, the Bleacher Creatures called for Bernie for a long time - did he ever come out? Sterling and Suzyn didn't say.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Public-address announcer Bob Sheppard's authoritative voice was missing from the New York Yankees' home opener for the first time since 1950 because of a hip injury.
Sheppard threw out his left hip Monday night at his Long Island home, the Yankees said before Tuesday's game against Kansas City. He will miss the three-game series against the Royals and hopes to be back April 21.
---
Doesn't sound too bad...
not thinking about it
Nice hit, Jorgie - and the new gamecast on espn.com is pretty cool.
randy 26, at least from what I could hear, the chanting for Bernie went on a good 3 or 4 minutes. Maybe longer. I think the Creatures know its probably the last home opener for the grand Mr. Williams, and are giving him his appropriate due.
ESPN, MLB, and Yahoo, while all nice, are a little too blatant for the moment.
Not to be a nudge...but...that should read:
"Damon double. Jeter ground to second, advancing Damon to third with 1 out. Sheffield ground to third, Damon scores. Rodriguez walks, Giambi homerun! Yanks up 3-0 "
But this time, it pays out despite the fact that they borked it up. The Giambi HR covers the blemish. And that's why this team continues to develop and maintain bad habits. 3-0 or not, they misplayed that inning.
Mechanics question: what causes a batter to pop the ball up? Bernie pops up balls he used to drive. Is this a function of declining vision? Declining batspeed? Declining strength?
You pop the ball up when you don't hit it squarely, obviously when you get under it. But what is the precise mechanical failing that causes someone to do this consistently?
Anyone know?
I'm playing hooky today. Tomorrow I'll be following the game via USA Today's plain text.
However, Yanks just walked in another run to make it 4-1, so there's hope for small ball in the Bronx, after all. Mays lost the plate and is off to the showers.
http://tinyurl.com/hq3yd
My first job out of college (1999) I worked for Mellon and they blocked any and all entertainment related sites. If you accessed one, it would come up this bright green "Not Authorized" screen. Fun stuff.
What type of company do you work for? I'd have thought by now that most offices would realize that some freedom of web access is OK.
38 I'm an engineer. We use a filtering service, so it's not really my bosses who decide which sites are permittable and which aren't.
And what's up with the wild pitches? Tiger's fault, or Jorgie's?
Not seeing the game on TV is a detriment sometimes.
I'm feelin' ya on Wright, ShaunP...
Dunno if Jorgie should have gotten that ball, but Wang was missing his targets in that inning. Flustered by that homer, I think. Hopefully, he'll pull himself together.
I said it before - this small ball bullsh-t has to got to end.
I see Wood has Mays-walking-itis. Very nice.
Cano runs out an infield dink for a base hit, Bernie (nice at-bat) rips a single through the right side, Damon sac. bunt advances runners to 2nd and 3rd, Jeter walks, bases loaded for Sheff...
3-2 pitch... pop up... Bernie caught napping at 2nd... double play... UGH! Sickening.
And Wang's in trouble. Grrr.
Update, I guess we're overloading the system, I tried posting this a couple of innings ago.
No excuse for getting picked off at 2nd like that.
A double play is nice, but giving up another run is not.
Well Bernie, time to make up for your blunder with a nice non-out. I don't care what the hell you do, just don't make an out.
Hey Joe - time to bolt Bernie's behind to the pine, ya dig? FREE ANDY PHILLIPS!
Here's Sturtze...
Though one of them should have been an out. (It was very close, so I can forgive the call.)
they HAVE to win this game today.
Bring in Farnsworth, Joe, while we have a chance!
what the hell is wrong with these guys!
Two balls, no strikes for Sturtze. Where the hell is Farnsworth? Hell, I'd even take Villone right now.
Another hit surrendered by Sturtze. Proctor and Mike Myers getting ready in bullpen.
6-4 Royals in the 7th..
Hey, how about Farnsworth while we have a chance, Joe?
-kicks dog-
(fortunately dog is at home)
And you all thought Bill Hall would do a bad job on opening day. The guy is a natural!
=/
Does it help to say Bronson Arroyo has the same number of homers, Sheffield and Giambi combined?
OK, perhaps the voice of Ronan Tynan can inspire a 3 run comeback. It's not too late for the hometeam, right Ronan, right?
1. Drop Miguel Cairo from the 25 and 40 man rosters; replace him with Felix Escalona.
2. Designate Bubba for assignment (who would claim him?). Call up Kevin Thompson.
3. Call Joe. Tell Joe, in no uncertain terms, that Phillips better be in the lineup at DH or 1B every game for the next month. And that Bernie's new role is PH, and nothing more. Make clear that Thompson is the fourth OF.
4. Find someone who is a better pitcher than Tanyon Sturtze. Get that pitcher - be it a trade, waiver claim, or a recall from AA or AAA. Tell Joe the new guy is his next-to-last option out of the pen. That he and Proctor better be pitching only in huge blowouts or its the 14th inning and there's no one else. Then, option Sturtze to the minors, or if that's impossible, designate him for assignment.
5. Congratulate self for undoing most of the more egregiuos missteps from this past offseason and for putting manager on the right track.
I can't wait to read Cliff's wrap up of this
Hey Joe, how about telling Giambi to try to bunt his way on to start the 8th? Gotta inject some smallball here before its too late, right, score some runs, right?
Sliced Bread swallows tongue, refuses resuscitation.
I am absolutely sick.
I don't mind K's looking anymore than I mind any other kind of out. They're all equally bad to me.
Let's go, Giambi...ah, a lead off walk, perhaps Phillips should run for him, Joe.... Joe?... Joe?
Ah, Matsui singles... hey, how about somebody running for Giambi, Joe? ... Joe? Joe?
Dear Mr. Torre,
Please, for the love of all that is holy and good, don't let Bernie bat against Andrew Sisco and his upper-90s fastball. PLEASE let Andy Phillips bat in his place.
Sincerely,
Bronx Banter
Please, before you get any more cockamanie ideas, don't have Cano try the ole' sacrifice. We're asking nicely here.
And if that doesn't work, we're begging. Wailing, even.
Sincerely,
Bronx Banter
Nonetheless, a win is a win is a win. Let's go Yanks!
Bernie to certain people: Bite me.
Damon, you better be a-swingin' here, and not a-buntin'.
Oh, Bernie comes through! Rips a strong REDEMPTION RBI SINGLE from the right side.
Down 1 run. This is NOW OFFICIALLY, UNEQUIVOCALLY A MUST WIN GAME.
JETES!!!!!!
OK, now I'm envious of Cliff. Get Mo up in the pen and crank up the Metallica!!
Let's go, Mo!
Intervening innings followed on gamecast at work.
Ran down to my car when they put Burgos in, and Jeter homers.
I think I have a new weekday-game tradition, my job be damned.
C'mon Mo.
Still, it should not be this difficult to beat the Royals, the hitters need to make contact, not always swinging for the fence. And the inf. needs to really be on its toes when sinkerballer Wang is on the mound. And ok, it is Opening Day, but in Wang's starts, Giambi DHs and Philips plays first.
HELL-O, MO! Yanks win!
suggested headline over full-page photo of Jeter follow-thru:
CAPTAIN CRUSH BROILS ROYALS
I hope Cliff didn't go home early. :)
"JETER SAVES YANKEES BACON"
Just as we all predicted.
Chacon should be up for tomorrow's start after that first outing and no reason for the bats not to remain confident. We should sweep this series.
"Former Yankees catcher John Flaherty, who retired with Boston during spring training, started as a pregame and postgame announcer for the YES Network"
I'm glad he's sitting in the stands as much as I like the guy.
Were the pessimists right about Wang?
I think Wang just needs some seasoning.
Tomorrow, with another game at 1ish, we get to do this all over again!
The same Derek Jeter who ended more close Yankee losses last year than any other Yankee?
I love DJ, but his "clutch" hitting is vastly overrated by some here and elsewhere.
In baseball, moments define athletes rather than statistical data. The data will ultimately help us all understand success and failure, and is useful in analyzing the chances of success for a team. It does not, however, stand the test of time in the minds of fans and loyalists. It's the reason why, no matter how many home runs he puts up in a Yankee uniform, A-Rod will never be considered a better player in the eyes of many Yankee fans.
Everyone knows the impact he has on the game, but Jeter's dive into the stands, relay at the plate against Oakland, HR on opening day, and so on...will basically bronze his legend in our hearts forever. It's not measurable, but it's so important to remember when we think of baseball as a yardstick for history.
There's no way that Jeter remotely approaches the universal popularity of Ruth or Gehrig in their day. Those guys were Michael Jordan, and that mantle is spread out among several sports and markets in 2006.
I'm simply saying that Jeter is the most popular Yankee among people who are alive today. The modern era Yankee fan has been won over by Derek Jeter. There are probably some pockets of older fans who still worship at the alter of Mickey Mantle (think Billy Crystal) and their are some even older fans that go for Dimaggio. Among anyone under the age of, say, 45 Jeter is a runaway favorite.
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