Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
It is a sterling spring day here in New York as Randy Johnson goes against the Blue Jays this afternoon. Really, not a cloud in the sky, sunny, but breezy, in the low sixties. It'll be chilly later on. Of course, the Big Unit was served by the Blue Jays last week in Toronto. They just pounded him. Let's see what he has for them this time around. The Yankee offense has sputtered for the past three games. How much longer can that happen?
Let's Go Yan-Kees.
Of course, these same Jays announcers generously described the Yankkes defense as one of the best in the league.
here comes arod
result, everybody safe, 1 run in., men on 1st and 2nd.
Giambino!!!!!!!!!!
MVP! MVP! MVP!
(and one of my favorites)
Much as I try to resist it, I've been thinking "Groundzilla" a whole lot lately.
Its almost impossible how he came back, he's the player he was in '01. Amazing how he's turning back the clock, I mean 5 years in an athlete's life can be very taxing.
A good, fresh start for the offense and a boost for RJ.
Thats like Giambi's shot but like THIRTY higher with a lot most power behind it!!
Have ya'all seen a picture of that 'Shot'.
There are some that say the ball was still rising when it hit!
Simply impossible.
No human could hit a ball that far.
It was estimated to go 640 feet.
Simply impossible. In-human.
But the Mick did it.
Smith? Villone?
Thoughts?
(1) Houston Mario Williams DE
(2) NO Reggie Bush RB
(3) TENN Vincent Young QB
(4) NY Jets D'Brickashaw Ferguson OT
(5) GB AJ Hawk OLB
(6) SF Vernon Davis TE
(7) Oakland Michael Huff CB
(8) Buffalo Donte Whitner S
(9) Detroit Ernie Sims OLB
(10) Arizona Matt Leinart QB
NY Jints pick 25th...
If this horrible outing by Johnson is all on him, then we must just accept the hard fact that he is no longer The Unit of old and he's come down to earth, HOWEVER...
If this is partially the result of the Johnson-Posada battery, then THE POSADA-CATCHING-JOHNSON-EXPERIMENT MUST END NOW! No more Jorge catching The Unit. This team needs wins, period. I don't care anymore about Torre's resistance to "personal catchers".
And out goes Towers.
do you think Torre will give Smith a chance? Villone?
please not Sturtze..
73... Really... How can you blame this on Jorge? Randy just can't locate. Unlike Pedro and other Pitchers who changed their 'style' when they lost their velocity, RJ still tries to blow it by them.
Randy is gonna have to adjust. We still gotta pay this guy next year.
That said, it's early yet. He always says he pitches better in the heat of summer.
However, I've now watched Randy for 1+ years in a yankee uniform and I've seen way too many stickers with Jorge behind the plate.
Nevertheless, for all of you that reminded me that Stinnett was catching the last time Randy stunk it up against the Jays, I thank you and I'll admit that I may have overreacted.
Having said that...as Randy was imploding against the Angels in last year's ALDS, I said that Randy better come back in '06 and make it up to the Yankee faithful with a vintage Randy Johnson year. Well, I guess the "Yankee faithful" will be dissapointed by a high-priced mercenary once again.
I would love to see him do this Monday. ;-)
The Yankees really need to change their bullpen philosophy. Rasner, Bean, and Veras are all performing really well in the minors and could definitely outperform Wright and Sturtze and probably Villone and Proctor as well, but they're not going to get a shot.
Timing is not good for hitting Boston with A-Rod and Mats off their game. Maybe that series will wake Mats up, I'm not so sure about Alex...
he threw 3 full innings yesterday. what's joe thinking there?
Maybe it was the desert air in Houston and Arizona.
Wright: 5 IP 6 H 4 ER 3 BB 0 SO
who woulda thunked it.
The nightmare isn't over. Johnson is signed through next season.
I'm not sure what's wrong. It really didn't look like that bad of a collision.
By the way, anyone else notice Andy Phillips coming over to help Sheff into the clubhouse?
Maybe I loaned Andy my copy of Asskissing for Dummies.
(willing to admit, I run maybe once a year, so maybe my body is just allergic)
Anyway, Sheff then came down on his shoulder and was laying on his side and not moving. I don't think I actually saw his head smack the ground in any of the 15 replays/
Eventually Sheff walked off the field, but he was acting like an old man who'd been smacked around and needed some private time to see if his marbles were still there. Didn't act like he was in pain anywhere in particular.
Lucky the injury is to a body pard seldom used.
No, but Tanyon looks to be trying to kill someone.
Several players have plunked three times in a game.
When are Carl Crawford and Joey Gathright eligible for free agency, after next year?
Yankees with 12
Brewers with 10
182
I hear ya. That Central is going to be interesting this year.
Shelton
Jeter
Matsui
Rios
All of those guys on my team in huge scoring affairs and none of them in the middle of the action.
Early last year, many of 'The Banter' though Giambi was done (worth a bag of balls. I took names). I think that is now put to rest.
There also seemed to be a large majority that thought Posada was done.... and that we should dump him for (eeeek) a 'Molina'.
Do 'we' still think Posada is done?
Mike,
Remember, of the 108 or so players who tested positive for steroids, 54% of them were pitchers! Selig didn't have to run from testing to secure continued offense.
Jonny Gomes got hit three times last year in a game. Twice by Wright and once by Rivera.
Singledd,
Not this guy! I didnt think Giambi was dome, I don't think Jorge is, I don't think Bernie is, and I think Phillips is a bum.
Jorgie's had a pretty good day today. So much for the theory that catching RJ is so stressful it affects his hitting...
Giambi.... check.
Posada.... check.
Bernie.... (whom I love)?
Well, I think that (and excuse the pun) Bernie is 'toast'.
I never thought Posada was done. He calls a good game, and for any catcher to hit even a little is a bonus. Posada will always get his extra base hits, even when the average isn't there.
Looking good this year...
Bernie's done.
Kansas City was the last team to do that back on 9/14/1998 against Oakland.
Most half innings that had runs in an AL game is 14.
It's not by happenstance that MLB won't test for HGH.
The good fan has to be able to see beyond short term struggles, and understand the difference between a guy like Sheff and a guy like Bernie.
Two different animals. I think you will rarely see a guy who put up huge numbers the year before, turn into a useless player overnight. It doesn't work that way.
I actually think it's a crime that Giambi hasn't been moved to the 4 spot this year.
Today's is Cubs' pitcher David Aardsma:
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/7307
Also, who can forget this NY Post cover:
http://tinyurl.com/z2r9q
Dunno if I'd take Bubba over Sheff, but I'll take him over Bernie.
"At least four teams -- the Marlins, Devil Rays, Pirates and Royals -- are getting more money through revenue sharing than they are spending on their ENTIRE payroll. And this is before they even sell one ticket, writes Jayson Stark"
Bat Giambi 4th and ARod 5th.
Do you really believe that? Even if all the crap about A-Rod only hitting in blowouts was true (it isn't), do you really think he goes up there saying "i just want good stats, so i'm not going to bother trying to get a hit in this big situation"
3 - Rodriguez
4 - Giambi
5 - Sheff
3 - Sheff
4 - Giambi
5 - Rodriguez
3 - Giambi
4 - Rodriguez
5 - Sheff
3 - Giambi
4 - Sheff
5 - Rodriguez
Though I think I prefer the ones that have Sheffield batting fifth.
ARod left a VERY hitter friendly park in Texas, to a terrible park for RH batters, and (as one of greatest SS's in history)changed his position to boot.
Is that the move of a 'Stats happy' player?
Think Torre can give Posada 2 innings off?
So Arod pressed to get the hit to help the team win, or he presses to be "the guy?"
Either way he presses, he K's, he doesn't get the hit. Just because I'm a Yankee fan doesn't mean I have to love Arod. I cannot explain it, the guy just bugs me, my gut tells me he aint a Yankee, and I'm sticking with that.
AL average ERA is about 4.5. Yes? Isn't a guy who can eat innings in middle relief with a league average (or slightly worse) ERA valuable to a team with our kind of offense?
He ain't exactly a stopper, but he can have value to us... until Dotel arrives or Proctor proves he's for real.
Reliever ERA's are generally lower, so comparing him to his peers he's even worse. And he's really closer to a 5.50 ERA guy than a 4.50 one.
He didn't get a hit today but he made a couple of nice plays in the field, scored 3 times, and drove in one.
They booed him. Either drunk or from the shallow end of the gene pool.
Joe loves Sturtze and you'll see him over and over and over and over and over and over and over....I'd type it about 80 times, but I'm tired.
1. The Jays defense was AWFUL all day and contributed to 5 or 6 of the runs we scored.
2. The Yanks single handedly raised the Jays team ERA by a bunch in only one game. Look at the box score for their pitchers and tell me THAT ain't ugly.
Good night all.
As rare as it is, I agree with Cliff on Smith.
Look, Francona now has one of the best closers in the game because he wasn't afraid to give him a shot over Foulke! Torre will throw Sturtz and others out there when they clearly don't give the team the best chance to win. If Smith bombs, oh well, we tried. It's silly to send the only lefty we've brought up in years that appears to have lights out stuff in favor of clowns like Sturtz and Villone. It gives the team some young life, some fire, some of the non-stat left brain stuff Cliff loathes so.
How the Mutt fans at Shea giving to Beltran? He was visibly upset there for a bit...
I agree. I blame the Mets Front Office for setting Beltran up to fail. They paid him way too much based on one playoff year. His numbers at KC weren't anywhere near worthy of the contract he signed, nor anywhere near what the fans seem to expect of him.
Sturtze's only "issue" is that he sucks. He always has sucked and he always will suck. Cashman needs to just release him to help Torre-proof the pen.
I'd just like to see a younster get a shot out there. Torre used the bum Franklin over and over last year, now we have Smith, who might be the real deal, and we are going to junk him in favor of Sturtz and Villone? We need Villone OR Myers, not both!
Torre said Sheff had the wind knocked out of him. His wrist is bruised, but he could be playing again as soon as tomorrow.
That was my point.
As far as Francona, yeah, good for him in putting Papleton in the closer spot, but they need him to be a starter more than they need him to be a closer.
Good point Jeterupthemiddle, I didn't even think of that. OK, then hang tight, when Dotel proves to be a coplete bust or someone gets hurt, bring Smith back up. I just hate to see this kid not get a shot. He has pitched well enough, not afraid to throw up and in with 2 strikes, to be sent down. He's got electric stuff.
I know it's tough, we already have too many pitchers on the active roster but how nice would it be to get some contribution from some home grown talent for a change?
That is a sad reality.
Also, having Villone and Myers is not redundant. Myers is a break glass in case of emergency LOOGY and should never be used against righties. Villone can mop up, pitch long relief, or set up (God forbid).
But I know what you mean. The last successful OF acquisition at the deadline was Justice. I thought Lawton was going to be a nice fit, but...
as long as we see never see Sturtze on the mound without a 5+ run difference. this bull pen is about the best there is.
Unbelievable. http://tinyurl.com/npwm4
Comment status: comments have been closed. Baseball Toaster is now out of business.