Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
With yesterday's ugly 9-7 win on the books, the Yankees have allowed 16 runs in the two games started by Chien-Ming Wang and 14 runs in their other five contests. Seven of the 16 runs allowed in Wang's starts were given up by the Yankee bullpen across 7 1/3 innings. The Yankee pen has allowed just two runs in 8 2/3 innings in the other five games. The Yankee offense, meanwhile, as scored 34 runs in the team's three wins and ten in their four loses.
The Royals, meanwhile, have proved capable of both winning and losing both low and high-scoring affairs, dropping their first two against the Tigers 3-1 and 14-3, then taking their first two from the World Champion White Sox 11-7 and 4-3. Between yesterday's loss and that first win against the Chisox, the Royals scored 18 runs, but have scored just nine runs in their other four games.
It's too early for any of these stats to really be meaningful, but they sure are curious, and they make speculation about the potential of this afternoon's contest all the more difficult.
Today the Royals will send to the mound 25-year-old lefty Jeremy Affeldt. Affeldt was once considered a future rotation star for the Royals before blisters and other injuries pushed him to the bullpen. Last year he pitched exclusively in relief, and not all that well, serving as a second lefty behind Rule 5 pick and yesterday's losing pitcher Andy Sisco. The year before, he made just 8 starts and was far less effective as a starter than he was in his 30 relief appearances. This year he's been thrust back into the rotation by the mysterious disapperances of Zack Greinke, who skipped the team in late February and is on the DL due to psychological issues, and Runelvys Hernandez, whom the Royals tried to placed on the DL due to "lack of stamina" after he showed up for camp overweight but were forced to option to Omaha instead. In his first start this season, Affeldt lasted just four innings, surrendering six runs on seven hits and a pair of walks to the White Sox.
The Yankees counter with Shawn Chacon, who faired better in his first start against the Angels, though not dramatically so, giving up four runs on eight hits and two walks in 5 2/3 innings. One encouraging sign was that Chacon struck out four in those 5 2/3 innings despite a mere 58 percent of his pitches being strikes. This against an Angels team that was the second hardest in baseball to strikout in 2005. Both Chacon and Affeldt feature big 12-6 curves, which just may be my favorite pitch to watch. If only I could take today off of work as well.
Mike Sweeney, who left yesterday's game in the ninth after being hit on the right hand by a Mariano Rivera pitch, is expected to be in the line-up for Kansas City. His x-rays were negative.
Update: Joe Torre is sitting Robinson Cano against the lefty Affeldt, giving Miguel Cairo his second start in the Yankees' first eight games. Cairo is hitting ninth behind Bernie, who will play right field allowing Sheffield to DH. Sweeney, meanwhile, is not in the line-up for the Royals. Matt Stairs will DH for KC instead.
"I'm putting Cairo in there so he can get some at bats. I'd like to get him in there once a week."
Cairo played yesterday, so he's already been in once this week. The thought of him being the first option at 1B when Giambi isn't there and getting a start at 2B once a week is maddening. Cashman didn't come close to idiot-proofing the roster. GoB and Cairo will probably get 700+ PAs between them. Amazing.
Cano "lifetime" against lefties: .263
Cairo is a .297 career hitter v southpaws. Not the worst call Joe has made this season.
re: Wang. No worries yet. He started both games strong, but fell apart around the fourth inning both times.
He needs to sharpen his focus and maintain command of his sinker in the middle innings. Does Posada have a good rapport with Wang, or is it up to Guidry and Kerrigan to help him?
That's good news re: Sweeney. My hand hurts just thinking about how he got drilled. Last thing we need is the Royals pitchers retaliating against one of the Yanks sluggers.
Any chance we see Giambi in the 3 hole this half of the season?
Who wants to bet Reggie Sanders is our DH come July 29th?
3-0 KC.
Reggie Sanders 2 run home run, off-the-wall double over Damon's head makes it 3-0. He was twisting and leaping at the wall.
At least Bernie didn't crash into Cairo on that pop to shallow center.
Even though the inning was bookended by two strikeouts, I've lost my appetite for lunch.
There is only one thing guaranteed this early in this game...There WILL be another hero today boys!
What was the licenseplate of that truck?
Of course, your comment could be taken as an indictment of the Torre mindset.
Cold turkey THIS! 3-run homer!
The youngest hitting bearded man out there.
But who do you trade? What's his value? And why not sign him from the get go? Or even Encarnacion?
As it looks now Bubba (esp. when you use Cairo as a PR) and Andy are wasted roster slots.
In case anyone is interested, I've gotten through 2 months worth of PBP data from 2000, and I've yet to find a single instance of Derek Jeter having a productive out that led to runs scoring.
Its criminal to keep trotting Bernie and Cairo out there (especially to play 1B!). What is Phillips on the roster for? highly paid waterboy?
I'm not saying he should play every day, or that he is the next coming but the (old) kid has earned a shot at an extended look. Certainly over Miguel Cairo. Mazzili at least must know this, no?
If Sanders is at the price of "no future MLB'ers" then I'm for it too - PP but not O.
Especially since I can't see any DH on the team working out for us. GOB will be GOB and Andy won't play enough. My god - it's like a train wreck at 10mph. But I agree - not the best possible solution - a solution.
Time to get lunch.
Chacon is back on track.
Now, it's time for lunch.
Thanks for the play by play details. Keep it up for us Gameday-ers!
Truth be told, I don't think Bell has any logical justifications behind most of his moves. He's not a good manager at all.
For all our complaining about Torre and Cashman and their blunders - you have to deal with Bell, Baird, and David Glass! That takes stones, man. You have my respect 1000%.
The photo feature and the scrolling stats on the bottom are pretty schweet, tho'...
1) MLB Gameday - has everything you need and even tells you when there's a pick-off throw to first. Graphics aren't all that attractive, but things are all placed well so that the the eye flows across it comfortably and the information is easy to process.
2) ESPN Gamecast - the best graphics of the bunch (even without the animations, the design is handsome and modern), but the layout is counterintuitive and there's plenty of room for improvement (such as putting a batter next to their strikezone, which both MLB and CBS do, making the groundball animations stay on the ground, or updating non-pitch actions such as stolen bases or pick-off attempts better or at all), which hopefully will come as it's in beta. Seeing actual motion on the field is a huge plus. This could knock off MLB if ESPN redesigns so that the information is presented in a way that's easier to process.
3) CBS Gamecenter - lacks the specific field dimensions of MLB and ESPN, graphics are very outdated, looks like a web page from 1995. Strike zone graphic is way too small and the image makes me think I'm watching a game at the Kingdome or Tropicana. Not fun.
4) Yahoo Gamechannel - no pitch location, last year's mug shots, generic field diagram, I'd go on, but I lost interest after noticing those three right off the bat.
I have now gone through the 2000 PBP data for the Yanks up to the All-Star Break. In 132 chances to do something with a runner on base, Derek Jeter has yet to have a productive out that results in a runner later scoring.
I will keep plugging along. If anyone knows where to get the PBP data for '96-'99, please let me know.
In comparison to the other teams we'll likely battle in the post-season (ChiSox, BoSox, Angels, Indians, Twins, A's) our GM is better than none of them and our manager is only better than probably half. When every loss counts so much more, those two guys counts that much more.
Terry Ryan is an awful GM. Can't find hitting talent, and when he does, can't develop it. (Though Mauer and Morneau might help with that.) Worse, he's been sooo close so many times, with plenty of prospects to trade, and what has he netted at the deadline in all those years? Shannon Stewart. Ugh.
I'd put Cashman ahead of those 2. Theo is hard to judge, with just 3 years of work. And the rest, well, you are talking about the best 3 GMs in the game (Beane, Stoneman, and Shapiro).
And is it possible to win a pennant where the team ERA is 4.50? Sheesh...
Chacon seems determined to keep K.C.'s hopes alive yielding 2 runs in the fifth.
Chacon should be back for the 6th...
Unless the Yanks can break the game open, the middle relievers will be put to the test very soon.
Jaret Wright is warming up, but presumably for his start this weekend.
Matsui gets Yanks 5th started blooping an opposite field single.
Meanwhile, the more I watch the ESPN Gamecast, the more stuff I notice that it doesn't do (give you the count on which each at-bat ended, give you the strike/ball breakdown for the pitcher's pitch total, it's in-game box score is woefully lacking--no LOB, SB/CS, WP/PB, GB/FB, inherited runners, umps, weather). Also ESPN also has out-dated mug shots. MLB Gameday just can't be beat, the nifty animation is fools gold.
To me, it seems the hitters are doing better today in working the count and putting the balls in play -- or am I wrong?
Game 1: 5 2/3 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 4 K
Today: 5 2/3 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 5 K
I have now gone through the 2000 PBP data for the Yanks up to the end of July. In 170 chances to do something with a runner on base, Derek Jeter has made 3 'productive outs' that resulted in a runner/runners later scoring. And I'm being generous - in two of the 3 instances, the runner(s) would have scored even without the 'PO'.
For those scoring at home, that means less than 2 percent of the time with a runner/runners on, Jeter made an out that led to a Yankee run. (If I'm less generous, its not even 1 percent of the time.)
Thank you.
Same thing from Ryan. He's not great but he's recently developed a Cy Young winner. Can't say that of the Bronx.
And while Theo falls below the top 3, his willingness to admit obvious mistakes and move on to get real value (Rentaria) ranks highly in my book. Also, in the few years he's been there he's already developed true talent. In AL, I'd put him at #5, behind Williams. Ryan after that. Our GM might slot in at #7 or #8 depending on your feelings about Dave Dombrowski. That seems about right to me.
5 runs for KC? Has Chacon been a victim of circumstances, or is he off today?
Chacon gives up laser single past diving Giambi... he's done... heeere's ???
Can't remember who wrote it or exactly when, but it shouldn't be hard to find by search.
You can see the count on the very last at bat of the inning, at least..
So how does one link to a specific-numbrered post? I see it on here all the time but I'm not quite sure how to do it...
Maybe Torre will have him bat leadoff in the future.
Meanwhile, even if Cairo's stranded the Yankee offense is on a 1018 run pace.
Its funny because its true.
Now if they can just bat around in the 8th, he might get one!
Might as well get him some work. The problem is, who pitches the 9th? Villone?
Ahhh, you guys are right. I was confusing Sunday's game with yesterday. Apologies.
Yeesh, I sure hope we have this problem a lot...
Great to see Sheff break out in a big way.
YES showed a slo-mo replay of Sheff's last line drive. We see a redheaded woman sitting in the primo seats, wearing sunglasses. She is smiling as the pitch approaches Sheffield. As he makes contact with that vicious swing, just bludgeoning the ball, you see her expression immediately turn to what almost appears to be horror, as if she's suddenly witnessing a baby seal being clubbed to death. Welcome back, Sheff.
Chacon? No worries. Made some mistakes and paid for them. Seems to me that he and Wang have to build up their physical and mental stamina. Good news is that they don't seem to require major adjustments.
Bad for the Yanks as the season goes on. Now Torre may be tempted to 'play the hot hand'. We'll know for sure when we see the starting lineups for Saturday vs. Johan Santana.
Personally, I hope both Phillips and Cano start that game, Phillips at DH since Wang isn't pitching.
Villone's performance was solid - again. He seems like a strong addition to the pen.
Celizic, who was just about writing the Yanks' epitaph last year at this time, is not worried this year:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12258595/
He points out that, even if Chacon and Wang end up being not as good as many fans hoped, they're still a huge improvement over the guys who were pitching last year in their spots (Keven Brown and Carl Pavano).
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