Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
It goes without saying that the Yankees are in prime position to suffer something of a lull after their spectacular five game sweep of the Red Sox. After the season's most invigorating, but also most exhausting series, the Yankees had to travel out to the west coast, where jet lag and the lack of a travel day are sure to have some effect. What's more, not only are the Yankees coming off a season-defining sweep of the Sox at Fenway, a series which in and of itself tied their longest winning streak of the season (they've now won five in a row five times, but have yet to make it six on any of those occasions), but the Mariners are coming off a season-long eleven-game losing streak, all at the hands of their three division rivals. One would think something's got to give.
To make things even more interesting, tonight's pitching match-up features two rookie righthanders. One, the Yankees Jeffrey Karstens, who will be making his major league debut, and the other, Korean-born Cha Seung Baek, who will be pitching in the majors for the first time since a cup of coffee in 2004.
Baek was roughed up in all but one of his five major league starts in 2004 and had a terrible year with triple-A Tacoma last year, due largely to his allowing 147 hits in 113 2/3 innings and 1.5 home runs per nine innings. All those runners (a 1.61 WHIP despite decent control) and long balls lead to a 6.41 ERA. In 24 starts for Tacoma this year, the 26-year-old Baek fixed both problems, allowing just 133 hits in 147 innings (1.16 WHIP) and cutting his homer rate by a third. The result has been a 3.00 ERA and a 12-4 record. Safeco Park should help further depress that homer rate, while the URP factor (Unfamiliar Rookie Pitcher) could stymie a worn-out Yankee offense that scored 49 runs in Boston.
As for Karstens, at just 23 he's encouragingly ahead of schedule, having sped through the Yankee minor league system after being drafted out of Texas Tech University. Not that Karstens is a top level prospect by any stretch of the imagination. As he's moved up the ladder, his hit and homer rates and ERAs have steadily increased. That said, his strike out rate and K/BB ratio have also steadily improved. Last year, Karstens struck out nearly 8 men per nine innings while walking 2.24, good for a 3.5 K/BB, an impressive mark for a 22-year-old at double-A. He started this year in Columbus but struggled mightily, but dominated on his return to Trenton (6-0, 2.31 ERA, 74 IP, 54 H, 4 HR, 14 BB, 67 K). That earned him a return trip to triple-A in mid-July. His first two starts back in Columbus were average, but then he ran of a string of four one-run outings compiling this aggregate line: 27 IP, 20 H, 4 R (3 ER), 1 HR, 5 BB, 19 K, 0.93 WHIP, 1.00 ERA, 4-0.
While it might be true that the Yankees are rushing Karstens into his first major league start, doing so on the basis of just four admittedly excellent triple-A starts, it's also true that Karstens is only starting tonight because of the rotation shuffling brought on by Mike Mussina's tweaked groin (Jaret Wright, who pitched in relief on Saturday, is taking Moose's turn on Friday, Karstens is taking Wright's turn tonight), and that the team is much better off seeing what it has in Karstens then wasting a roster spot on the likes of Sidney Ponson. Oh, and for those concerned about his young arm this late in the season, Karstens threw 169 innings last year and is at a mere 146 thus far in 2006.
Seattle Mariners
2006 Record: 56-68 (.452)
2006 Pythagorean Record: 59-65 (.472)
Manager: Mike Hargrove
General Manager: Bill Bavasi
Home Ballpark (2005 Park Factors): Safeco Park (99/99)
Who's Replacing Whom?
Current Roster:
1B – Richie Sexson (R)
2B – Jose Lopez (R)
SS – Yuniesky Betancourt (R)
3B – Adrian Beltre (R)
C – Kenji Johjima (R)
RF – Ichiro Suzuki (L)
CF – Willie Bloomquist (R)
LF – Raul Ibañez (L)
DH – Ben Broussard (L)
Bench:
R - Eduardo Perez (1B)
R - Adam Jones (OF)
L - Chris Snelling (OF)
R - Rene Rivera (C)
Rotation:
R - Felix Hernandez
L - Jarrod Washburn
R - Joel Pineiro
R - Cha Seung Baek
R - Gil Meche
Bullpen:
R - J.J. Putz
R - Rafael Soriano
L - George Sherrill
R - Julio Mateo
L - Jake Woods
L - Eric O'Flaherty
R - Sean Green
15-day DL: R - Mark Lowe
60-day DL: L - Jeremy Reed
Typical Lineup:
L - Ichiro Suzuki (RF)
R - Jose Lopez (2B)
R - Adrian Beltre (3B)
L - Raul Ibañez (LF)
R - Richie Sexson (1B)
L - Ben Broussard (DH)
R - Kenji Johjima (C)
R - Yuniesky Betancourt (SS)
R - Willie Bloomquist (CF)
Johnny Damon CF
Derek Jeter SS
Bobby Abreu RF
Jason Giambi 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Jorge Posada C
Bernie Williams DH
Melky Cabrera LF
Nick Green 2B
Jeff Karstens RHP
And here's Seattle...
Ichiro Suzuki CF
Chris Snelling RF
Adrian Beltre 3B
Richie Sexson 1B
Raul Ibanez LF
Jose Lopez 2B
Ben Broussard DH
Yuniesky Betancourt SS
Rene Rivera C
Cha Seung Baek P
I hope Karstens has a good debut. I imagine that, coming off the Sweep, Torre will give the kid a lot of leeway, even if he does poorly.
Does anyone else remember going to sleep with a transistor radio under the pillow to listen to a late game?
Does anyone else remember transistor radios?
Good luck, Karstens! And let's go Yanks!
Let's Go YANKEES!
(And Good Night friends)
I just bought a GE "Super Radio" off ebay. Great AM reception.
GO Yanks !
>>>>>>>Does anyone else remember going to sleep with a transistor radio under the pillow to listen to a late game?
Does anyone else remember transistor radios?<<<<<<<
does anyone remember the yanks having a good broadcaster??????????
expect to be insulted when you insult bro!!
He didn't score.
There were about 5 of us. One guy loses it and starts yelling out loud 'Yes, yes, yes!!!' The nuns thought he was possessed... ;-)
He better figure out how to use less pitches per inning - the pen needs a rest fer cryin' out loud!
I don't have the game on, but did Karstens look a little to excited/anxious out there?
BTW, 24 should have referenced 23 - my bad.
They didn't score.
This is the best reason for hoping either Sheff or Matsui makes it back this year. There's no way Bernie DHs over one of the them, and there's no way Melky sits to let Bernie play in that scenario.
Karstens seems to do well with every other batter. Odd.
Nice job on Ichiro...
59 Don't bail yet. Baek will be run before Karstens...
Cashmoney!
What were those Phillies fans complaining about again?
Oh, another Cy Young candidate? Wow, how will they ever decide this award at the end of the season?!! :P
Very nice inning by Karstens.
A rare 3 way almost collision. I'm always amazed the ball can find a hole in such an unlikely place. Tied game, 2-2.
By the way... with all the nasty things said about the Sox over the last week, I feel, in fairness, something positive should be said about the Red Sox organization.
Has anybody seen Hazel May?
rrrrrrrrrrrrrr....
No?
110 I still like the Red Sox organization more than I do the Boston media.
C'mon Yanks, time to baek this URP! ;)
He gave up a run dammit. Trade him yesterday.
Yes, I know - Joe put Bernie in as a LIDR for Abreu in CF, even though it meant giving up the DH. But he also admitted that the ball that dropped in in front of Bernie was catchable. I think he realizes that having Bernie Williams as your only backup OFer is not a good thing. Guiel and Thompson were the only available OFers on the 40-man roster, and Thompson's no better than Guiel on defense.
I think we may see Guiel as a LIDR for Abreu. Joe has noticed that Abreu shies away from the wall. He says it's because in Philadelphia, there's a wire along the wall that can catch fielders' hands and injure them.
Earlier today folks were talking about the Yanks needing to trade Sheff/Matsui for young pitching. With some of the arms currently in the system (Hughes, Clippard, Steve White, Karstens, even Rasner), and some of the guys drafted this year (Kennedy and Chamberlain come to mind), I think the Yanks might just be ok for young arms.
Come on, Abreu... wouldn't want to let your Yankees average fall below .400, would you?
I don't know if I agree with his alternating schedule. Before I read the story I was leaning to the more balanced schedule of old.
http://tinyurl.com/qapou
116 Interesting point about LIDR for Abreu. I don't think Guiel is a superstar or anything, but I would like to see the whole roster used, and used a bit more effectively. A Bernie(RH)-Guiel-Wilson-Giambi platoon at 1B-DH (and occasional OF) would be pretty nice.
And Karstens gets Ichiro again!
He said that Clippard basically had a mechanical problem that was causing him to leave his fastball, which only tops out at 91 or so, up in the zone.
They fixed it, and he's been keeping it low, and has also been able to throw his curve and change for strikes in fastball counts.
Seems he's learned to pitch rather than throw. (Jeez, if Home Run Josh ever learns to do that the Sawx might just have something!).
Go A-Rod!
Whoa! THAT's what I'm talking about. The last few days have made me appreciate our bullpen so much more... (knocking on lots and lots of wood).
;-D
Obviously, still really great.
I guess it's been working well so far - save for Sheff and Matsui and Cano (who hurt themselves severely on one play), no one's been out for that long.
I far prefer the unbalanced schedule, since it tends to encourage true winners. If you play, say, 13 games against the division and 12 against everyone else (like it was in the AL for years), why bother having divisions? On the other hand, perhaps 19 division games is a couple too many.
My beef is with interleague play, especially for teams like the Yankees with 'natural enemies" that are played six times. 18 interleague games is too many. If I had my way, I'd ditch IL play, but that won't happen. Scheduling would also be less goofy the leagues had the same number of teams (they should have swapped Arizona when they had the chance).
check it out: http://tinyurl.com/gbyf8
Nick Green can't hit.
Thus, the NFL schedule is both imbalanced and rather more rational than the current MLB schedule.
167 Broussard's a power-hitting lefty who can't hit lefties and represents the tying run. It's a good move.
Just speculating...
180 Yup, just check Lefty Grove's save totals.
(And that Jorge's DP would come back to haunt them.)
Ortiz: There is something you don't know... I am not left-handed.
Rivera: There is something I ought to tell you... I am not right-handed, either!
Hmm. This game is rapidly spiralling out of control.
Oh, and now tie game.
245 Good point.
Well, LH Bernie walked--that's a bit of good luck.
Frigging silly bunt, especially with creaky Bernie on base.
.455/.600/.636
Yes, by all means have the kid bunt.
1) even with the bunt sign on, Melky can still take a pitch
2) it was a bad bunt. The sign called for a good bunt.
270 Agreed, bad call even if it works.
Of course, it seems too late for Villone, regardless. Can he get made up to look like Farnsworth and switch uniforms, so that Joe won't use him on consecutive days and won't use him for more than one inning at a time?
I'm not saying fire Torre over it, just not a good choice in my opinion.
It's no wonder they got trounced, insulting greatness like that. The baseball gods must be very angry with them indeed.
That's what the bunt gets you.
0-2 count on Loretta.
Fruitbats are pretty cute critters, if you ask me.
http://tinyurl.com/nvdtj
Goodnight all, I'm catching the end of this thing from bed.
Sal Fasano
This is setting up to be A-rod's night.
http://tinyurl.com/ewwod
I have to say, they nailed it with the Matsui-Shemp comparison.
Jorge's is GREAT!
Well, at least this ended quickly and the team can sleep off the jet lag.
Tonight, he had thrown 24 pitches in 1.1 innings, 8 for strikes when he started the ninth.
Egh.
Silver lining: at least the game didn't go to extras so they didn't have to burn out their bullpen.
How many people will totally ignore Arod's HR and scream that he lost the game again?
The critics will not remember that. Their memories are short and they want to see big ABs in pressure situations against Major League pitchers, not rookies getting a tryout.
The Sat Angels game is on FOX, not ESPN...
They've ridden Proctor harder, but he still looks good. Villone has more career miles on his arm; they really should handle him carefully the next week, check him out physically and so on.
What's disturbing is that he's labored so much in his last four outings, thrown a lot of pitches and gotten touched for ER's each time.
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