Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
Worst. Headline. Ever.
Meanwhile, duck and cover tonight folks. The one team Chien-Ming couldn't solve last year was the D-Rays, against whom he posted a 6.94 ERA across four starts. Aside from one ugly start against the eventual NL Central Champion Cardinals that lasted a mere four innings, his work against the Rays was by far his worst aggregate performance against any single team in his rookie season. Underlining that fact, the Devil Rays were the only team other than the Cardinals to collect more than a hit per inning off of Wang. Distressingly, they were also the team he faced the most last year, as he didn't face any other single team as many as three times. Sadly, Wang's performance thus far this year doesn't suggest that his fortunes are about to change, though the B-squad line-up the Rays are running out there due to injuries to Huff, Lugo, and Cantu (day-to-day with a bruised foot) could help.
All of that said, there's something curious about Wang's four starts thus far this season. One would expect him to do poorly on turf as the groundballs he induces are more likely to speed through the infield for hits. Indeed, it would seem that's partially to blame for his struggles against the Rays last year (though he did just as poorly against them in the Bronx). But Wang's one dominant outing this year came on the Metrodome turf. That start also saw his lowest single-game groundball-flyball ratio of the year (1.75 compared to a typical 3.14 in his first two starts combined and a staggering 14.00 in his most recent outing), in combination with his highest strikeout total (eight Ks versus five total in his other three outings combined). Perhaps the solution to Wang's early-season struggles isn't getting the ball down, but actually getting away from thinking groundball all the time and making more of an effort to go for the strikeout, even if it means going high in the zone to blow one of his mid-90s heaters past a hitter.
For his part, the hard-throwing McClung has been godawful this year save for one solid, but unimpressive outing against the Royals. The Yanks feasted on him last year and he has a 14.00 ERA in nine career innings against the Bombers, all of which suggests that Wang might have some room to experiment tonight.
Bubba Crosby gets his first start of the year tonight, batting ninth and playing center in place of DH Johnny Damon. Encouragingly, Bernie continues to ride pine. For the Rays, Crawford is expected back tonight, Cantu remains questionable, and Edwin Jackson has already been send down in favor of tomorrow's starter Mark Hendrickson.
Internet is creepy sometimes, normally you tend to blame the computer but most of the time is the net that has worldwide glitches. I do not understand and probably do not want to understand how it works.
anyway, get the run back!!!
BTW did anyone watch the bosox yesterday running into two very stupid DB's? great baseball there too. Bring back the WBC!!(joke)
Don't know why they won't have YES live feed. They are still the better ones...
I just could not handle the way they speak about every rays player like he's the second comming of ruth or cy young.
Seth McClung is no-hitting the Yanks right now.
McClung's throwing a no hitter, you say?
The running into people is something that more playing time could fix, IMO. You get to know what to expect from your teammates after awhile.
and is more playing time going to beat it into his head that those enormous men are not in fact, mirages?
Thanks for joining the fun 44 and 45 though.
At least it won't be an official no-no - McClung will Wang chung by the 6th with that pitch count (65 now).
But IIRC, someone else miscounted the outs, wandered off base, and got picked off last year. That other rookie, I think. Not Wang and not Cano, the blond guy.
Bubba just earned his paycheck for the day...
I'll also never understand how people that can be so against giving away outs can be so blah on the only guaranteed way to give away an out.
I've heard tell of such things. ;-)
Bubba just did it in his last at-bat, didn't he?
And I know this is going to sound sacreligious, but runner on third two out, a walk isn't nearly as good as a hit.
Nice inning from Tiger right there. Now wake up them bats!!!
— These are fun, but I'd rather not have to do this ;-) —
How deep? I hope Jeter crushes the ball next AB.
The Banter cannot be disrespected.
I love it.
That 13 run was a classic.
Too bad we can't clone Bubba for defensive purposes. He woulda come in handy in the 1st inning in right field. Yanks should be leading this game 2-0.
BP
(sigh).
Is this same team that one yesterday's game with such surgical precision? Who are these guys. Someone check the monuments. Gotta be some pods out there.
BP
Of course... bunting a pitcher that Bubba can hit is probably not too smart.
this is still a game that they need to win, but they are not helping themselves at all.
Let's go Bombers!
A quick look at the boxscore tells me the Yanks have left 11 runners on base tonight. McClung gave up SEVEN walks and they've only managed two runs?!
Its like that game in Toronto against Ted Lilly. Imagine if they actually plated some of those guys - the offense would look even more ridiculous.
Jorge gets struck out with man at the corner... jesus they aren't going to win this if they cant score without a homer.
(at least they didn't start Bernie tonigh in center... or we be in even deeper shite)
OK, normally I'd say that a sac bunt is OK here - tie game, at home, Mo ready for the 9th. But geez, this guy just walked CANO fercryingoutloud! And had thrown 2 straight balls. Why not try to hit here?
I will never understand this team's need to play like its 1908 - or 1968, for that matter. Joe Sheehan had a great quote today on sac bunting at Prospectus; I'll try to post it later.
With all due respect... the D-rays deserve to win this one at the moment, the Yanks execution is just so horrid that if it weren't for a good outting by Wang and Crosby in center we would be blown away by now.
With this D-rays line up they are playing like 90% of their potential this game.. but the Yanks are playing like.. 10 % god.
Damon is on 2nd now (stolen base).
All the more reason that the bunt should be left alone!
Here's that quote from Joe Sheehan that I mentioned 165:
"Think of it this way: if the notion of sacrifice bunting had never been invented, would someone bother coming up with it today? If they did, would they act as if the tactic represented all that was good with the world? See, laying down sacrifices is tied into the antiquated notion that there's some "right" way to play baseball, that "small ball" is somehow morally superior to other approaches. In fact, there is no right or wrong, and the optimal approach has changed over time, as rule sets, external conditions and the natural evolution of skills have developed. In the nine-plus run environment of today, bunting should be limited. Acknowledging that and folding that into decision making is "smart ball," not reflexively bunting because that's the way they did it when you were coming through the Dodgers' system in '66.
There's a book in the idea that so much of the stagnation of baseball today is the inability for people both inside and outside the game to get past the 1960s. There was a seven-year period when the physical conditions--high mounds, big strike zones--changed the relationships among outs, bases and runs. That game is long gone."
I'm not sure which manager he's referring to here, BTW, except that it obviously isn't Torre. Of course, it is worth noting that Torre 'grew up' as a ballplayer, if you will, in the 60s.
The two pitchers were great tonight.
I'm sure Torre is happy to comply because it means he is saving Farnsworth some Gordon-like wear and tear.
With Mo's lack of use so far this year, I have no problems with him pitching here.
Your right though, their pitchers are terrible... just to make this game look even more stupid for the Yankees ......
Now, A-Rod needs to end this thing...
Free baseball, huh?
Ugh.
Time for Bubby to hit one of his patented walk-offs next inning.
And A-Rod too. Pressing is getting them nowhere, fast.
I feel strangely confident that Mo can get Ty Wigginton out here.
How many times must it be said - walking the bases loaded with only one out is NEVER a good play! Don't these guys remember those games against the Sox from a couple years back? The Sox walked the bases loaded with 1 out, and lost.
Sigh.
i can't handle it anymore.
any confidence in posada?
I still contend that if we would have maybe swung at the occasional strike right down the middle, we wouldn't be in this position. but then, how would we try to work a god damned two out runner on third walk?
OK Damon, its all up to you now.
Yan-keee-ahh-graph-fee...
Yan-keee-ahh-graph-fee...
I'm tellin' myself...
Now, some Iron Sheff blitz and we can call this a night and all go to sleep happy.
Former Kansas City Royal Shawn Camp.
We know the Yanks can hit those guys. ;)
Let's hope he doesn't want to.
sigh...
Statistically, I think its pretty much impossible to do what that Yankees did tonight, leave it to us...
"losing this game having to endure these stupid idiot announcers from the rays is like going to the ballpark with rays fans and having to hear from them only idiotic statements like they are so good, orvella is working his magic, they have fought and fought."
Well, considering their payroll is only slighty larger than arod's salary, I'd say let them enjoy the win.
Cliff, I totally disagree with you - that may be the BEST headline ever.
Money ball aside, consider that the Yankees staff have been darn consistent from starters to the pen, I WOULD trade a ton of free outs if it means we can get more consistent scoring from our team even if it means a lower overall average runs scored, winning >>> scoring,
just look at last year, the 2 biggest slugger teams in both league.. in the NL neither even made the playoffs (reds were bottom scraping and the Phillies barely missed. ) while the 2 AL slugger teams both lost in the ALDS.
Unless you don't think your pitchers can hold the other team, scoring consistently >> scoring more
Best. Headline. Ever.
;-D
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