Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
The Yankees hope to clinch the first of their two series in Texas this year with a far less eventful game tonight than last night's. The pitching matchup will see Shawn Chacon take on the lone holdover in the Rangers' rotation, Kameron Loe (though Loe pitched primarily in relief last year, he did do it in a Texas uniform). Chacon's last start got washed out by rain in Boston. As a result he'll take the mound tonight on eight day's rest. Here's what I wrote in anticipation of Tuesday night's game in Boston:
After a couple of rough outings and an ugly stint in the bullpen, Chacon has come around in his last two starts working his low BABIP magic to hold the Orioles and Devil Rays to a combined .190 BABIP over 13 1/3 innings that saw just two runs cross the plate. That sort of thing won't continue, of course, and the Red Sox, even with their diminished offense, are exactly the sort of team in exactly the sort of park in which such a stat is likely to correct itself.The same could be said of the Rangers and their ballpark, though the Texas hitters are in general a less patient sort, which gives Chacon a little more leeway.
Loe, meanwhile, has alternated good and bad starts over his first five turns. His last start saw him hold the A's to three runs over six innings. If the pattern holds, the Yanks will do some damange tonight.
Johnny Damon CF
Derek Jeter SS
Jason Giambi 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Hideki Matsui LF
Jorge Posada C
Robinson Cano 2B
Bernie Williams DH
Bubba Crosby RF
I saw your book at the Borders in downtown Chicago.
JUST KIDDING!
This is a bad idea.
Why is he doing this?
'nuff said
Can't believe Sturtze is in here. This is the aftereffect of Torre's IRS - Sturtze (3 HR in 8 2/3 IP!) pitches with a 5 run lead in a big homer park against the heart of this lineup.
I can't even finish this comment and now he walks Teixiera. Argh.
Personally, I hope Villone pitches the 8th, with lefties Blalock and Wilkerson due up. Myers shouldn't come in - Mench is just the type of righty hitter to cause MM trouble.
Heh.
I just love those laser beams of his.
Gotta make some noise since its so quiet here. =)
I think he still has something from the right side, whereas he's got nothing from the left.
Mr. Torre has employed this pattern for ten years, why does everyone act as though this pattern is something new. I would say he's had modicum of success with it.
It got pretty shrill in here last night. Sure hope everyone can stay calm. It may well be that the tying run comes to the plate. More often than not it hasn't come around to score.
If Bubba grounds out or flies out, 40%.
If Bubba strikes out, 70%.
I hope Proctor does well here, but I'd still rather see Villone, if only because of the two lefties. OK, that's one lefty down.
PS - 52 With Andy in the game now, its probably 15% at best.
58 Bklyn, that's a sick joke. That umpire was awful.
OK Proctor, if you're going to get 2 outs here, the bottom 2 hitters in this lineup are the place to get them. Hope Farns doesn't need to enter this game, too.
PS - Free Ron Villone fercryinoutloud!
-Chacon walks a lot of guys.
-Isn't Proctor naturally a starter? Does he do better when starting an inning?
-This patient offense is awesome.
Too bad the Yanks couldn't get a hold of Milledge. Talk about a flycatcher in CF!
Chacon is kinda like the mirror Wang. He pitches better if there are men on.
Agree about the patient offense. Much better than last year, when everyone seemed to be swinging like maniacs.
Is anyone warming in the pen, just in case? The Texas feed on Extra Innings (FSN Southwest) is not bad at all, but they do a few too many crowd shots over useful information.
Was he hot-dogging a little?
Nice play both ends there.
If push comes to shove, Beltran could always shift over to LF. Might be easier on his hamstrings than CF.
BTW - nicely done, Proctor (and Torre)! Low leverage relievers for low leverage situations. I still say Villone was the better option for the 8th, but that's just me.
Now, the Showtime Lakers of the '80s - those guys could play some basketball. It was just beautiful to see. I loved watching them.
98 I have a long standing prejudice against all teams that have an LA emblazoned on their uniform. I can't help it.
How about the Lakers getting knocked out and the Clippers advancing?
Dodger fans were everything advertised — clueless and heading for the parking lot in the 8th inning of a scoreless game to beat the traffic. Angels fans back then might as well have been at a monster truck event, they wouldn't know the difference.
Here in San Francisco, the anti-L.A. vibe is alive and well. I could not care less about the local teams, but I dig the L.A. haters ;-)
I really like this Yankee team this year though, playing fundementally sound baseball, with everyone trying hard (ok, everyone except Sore Arsevano.) this may not be the best on paper lineup the Yankees have put together in recent years, but I like it a lot... and I have a feeling this team will be able to do more than people had expeted.
The force is still with Chacon ehe, Mench hit two rocket off him including that deep fly to Damons with men on ... all that and only 1 run.
Bubba have been looking decent lately actaully, aside from good defense he doesn't look that bad at bat for a 9th guy either, as long as they make him do a million push ups everytime he pops a shallow fly with a home run swing he could actually be decent if he keeps the ball in line drives or on the ground.
Last night on YES, they said Bubba didn't even know he was playing until shortly before the game. Why? He was playing Playstation, and they didn't want to bother him. Man, that's my kind of workplace. ;-)
Sheff's still out:
Johnny Damon CF
Derek Jeter SS
Jason Giambi 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Hideki Matsui DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Bernie Williams RF
Bubba Crosby LF
Kelly Stinnett C
Which leaves us with a pretty weak bottom of the lineup. Hope the good Wang shows up today.
Hmmm, who gets called up? Is Enrique Wilson still hanging around?
Who's running this team?
Question is: Do we bring up Thompson or Melky?
He'd fit right in. Make things (outs, mostly) happen.
Was that a Bernie double or did Wilk just smoke it?
A clutch HBP for Bubba.
If we keep winning without Shef, It will just mean a more rested Shef when he's back.
Giambi has an OBP of .539. Is that sick or what?
The thing is, most of them seemed to treat that like it was a bad thing.
Donnie thinks very highly of the kid, and has said publicly that he could win a couple of batting titles.
He's the best thing to come up for the Yanks in awhile. A better hitter, and probably a better fielder than Soriano. And he got his chance, unlike Andy. Only thing is his patience, but for all that, he doesn't stirke out like Sori.
I hope Melky does half as well.
The kid can learn indeed. Thanks Bowa!
Stinnett's had a great day. I guess I have to eat my words. Bernie, Stinnett, and Bubba have all been on base today, while Jeter and Damon haven't.
Though Damon got Bubba home just now...
Good start from Wang and all, but he only has 1 K. At least no walks.
Aww nuts, Wang very nearly got out of the inning without damage.
WHOA. Nice play by Cano!
180 Right answer. And maybe Sturtze will be worth a bucket of used balls, for Columbus or Trenton.
I don't know who they have that the Yanks would want, but I'm sure we can get SOMETHING for him...
192 no one wants a crap bullpen guy that has a career 6.00 ERA
I think all the people who would like Sturtze to go, myself included, are about to get their wish.
We may not be able to get a bag of baseballs in trade, but maybe we could get like some leftover pizza crusts from the Royals post-game spread. You gotta feed the Yankee batboys too, and there's no sense letting them eat the good food the players get.
It may take a force of nature, like a Bronx tornado, or Steinbrenner on a rampage, to wrest Tanyon free of his role in Joe's pen.
All around rough day for the captain, i guess.
He didn't yell at Sturtze, though you could tell he had some harsh words for him. He kept his voice down, but the YES people read his lips and reported what he said.
I think Sturtze just made himself expendable...
Torre then comes out to remove him. Asks him "where did you throw that ball?" and brings in Proctor who continues to rock.
---
Farnsworth? There is a 5 run lead. I bring in Villone.
It's a 4 run lead. 8 - 4. I suspect we'll see Mo in the 9th, though I'd prefer Vill, as it isn't a save situation (or V now, and Farn in the 9th).
203 Put down the keyboard and step away from the computer.
Tanyon fielded the ball himself, and rather than take the easy out at 1B, he tried for a DP by throwing it to 2B. His throw was way wild, and Jeter ended up falling into a twisted sprawl just trying to reach it. It was good work just to stop it from getting past him. The runner almost ran over him.
With that said, I still go with Villone with Rivera warmed.
And as I write this, he gives up a lead off single.
And congrats to Torre on #1000.
1000 wins in just over 10 seasons for Mr. Torre. No, he just hasn't got a clue. In 40 plus years he's the best we've had including Howser, the Major and Mr. B. Martin.
It certainly helped me to appreciate just how very special those clubs were. They just had so much character and were really likable.
That's what I hate about this team, it's just so hard to find people to care about. I don't care at all about Arod or Sheff or Giambi. Their successes and failures really move me not at all except, of course, inasmuch as they effect the team. But I have no emotional connection with any of them the way I did say, for El Duque or Brosius or Stanton Girardi.
So yeah, read it, but after you do, you're likely to realize just how without soul this current cast is and it'll make you sad.
Here's to Thompson/Melky making enough of an impression to remain on at least as a fourth outfielder, with Sturtze DFA and Wright traded somewhere to make permanent room on the roster after Sheff comes back.
Dare I hope this leads to one of them becoming the THIRD outfielder, moving Sheff to the DH spot? No, I'd rather let it be a pleasant surprise if it happens than a disappointment when it doesn't.
We have some of the hardest working and most talented players in our history, guys who give back to the community and are genuinely competitive. But since we haven't been lucky enough to get past three short series the past few years, people are saying these players have no soul?
By the way, the same guy who was so valuable in the four ring years cost us two of the series. Mo threw a ball away and gave up the lead in 2001 and gave up the lead in the 4th game vs. the Sox in 2004 (the latter being the same series that The Captain hit 200 in (566 OPS). Blaming other people (like the guy with the 894 OPS for that same series in 2004) may make some people feel better, but the guys who cost several of those series were some of the same guys who got credit for winning the ones from 96-2000.
Whatever you think of the man, he's smart enough to give the guy he calls up a shot. At least I think he is.
The trouble is that if Thompson/Melky doesn't impress immediately (which, of course, is the likeliest scenario), he probably will get buried under Bernie and Bubba as you say, and then get shipped back to AAA when Sheff comes back either until someone gets DFA or traded or until the 40 man callup.
Regardless, calling up Melky or Thompson is the right thing to do, and if Torre is willing to do that, he probably also sincerely intends to play the guy. So there's hope that the Yanks will end up with a good bench player, and it sure beats having Pena.
But with the Yanks in relatively good shape, I doubt he really wants to experiment like he was forced to do last year, making Cano a starter and giving Melky an honest shot in center until it was clear he just wasn't ready. That's why I think moving Sheff to DH and putting one of these guys in the field is too much to hope for.
To be honest.. I like what I am seeing from this team so far A LOT ... it feels very special and great to see young guys taking up big roles for the Yankees. and everyone seem to be playing very hard with a extra step and hustle... everyone not named Tanyon or has an injured arse has decent likable charator (yes even Jaret Wright ).
If you read most of the previews before the season started, most though the Yankees had at best an outside shot at the WS... if they keep playing like this and doesn't suffer too much bad luck... I honestly think they have more than an outside shot ..
BTW, I like Bubba's defense and speed (both leg and bat )but he got to stop with that walk off HR swing none sense... everytime he pulls that it either miss or shallow fly (except for one game last september where amazingly he did get a walk off HR lol )
That said, no one thought the pitching would be this good. If it holds up, we do have a real shot. The bleached Sox will be tough in a seven games series though.
After yesterday's disaster, I hope Sturtze is now toast. So long, pride of Worcester, MA.
And is Villone in the doghouse or what?
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