A textbook no-brainer game - I relished every second of it.

A-Rod was absolutely safe on his play, and perhaps if he hadn't been watching the ball NOT go over the fence on his way down the line, he may have gotten to second 2 or 3 steps ahead of the ball.

Good to see him not do anything dumb in arguing the call, though. That's all I need to see is an A-Rod ejection on SportsCenter before the Ducks winning the Stanley Cup.

It's funny, about two weeks ago we'd have killed A-Rod & Posada over those baserunning blunders (still no excuse for Alex not running hard right out of the box), now we can relax about them.

I'm still confused, a starting pitcher can go nine innings?

1 Except for the baserunning gaffes, yes, it was a good, tight game.

And yes, Alex should have busted it out of the box, but whatever, I'll give him a pass because I'm in a good mood and he's really hitting the baseball.

(But for the record, there's no excuse for not running hard. Basic little league skill, running. But to be fair, I have heard the argument that if you're really hurting, you have to conserve your exertions, that you simply can't run hard all the time because your body won't allow it. Short of that, though, you have to run.)

Could it be that the Green Monster cured Abreu's slump? He had fallen into a habit of pulling off of his swings, but when in Fenway seemed comfortable waiting on the ball to loft flies off the Monster for easy hits. Now all his hits, including last night's homer, are into left field.

2 Yes, rbj, as far as I understand, there's a rule on the books from back in the days before mitts that actually stipulates that, in the bizarre occurrence that a team should so choose, they can indeed pitch all nine innings of the baseball game, win or lose.

There's a term for it, in fact, that I recall having heard. I think it's called a "total game."

4 Very shrewd observation, Felix. Could well be.

Good Moose tonight, or Bad Moose? Contreras has owned the Yanks, but that might just mean he's due for a beating. I hope.

Word is Jeter sits tonight for a break (hello, Mr. Basak). Nieves is almost certainly going to catch 'cause Moose is pitching. Jorge's going to sit, because he'll need rest and Damon has DH occupied anyway. Is there any way Torre comes to his senses and let's Phelps play 1B tonight, and not Cairo? A classic 'Torre house money' lineup vs Contreras might be a recipe for disaster.

7 I think it all really rests on Moose - if he can keep it close, our best hope may be to get into that Sox bullpen.

But we did smack Contreras around last time, so anything's possible I suppose.

2, 5 I spent another two hours staring at the TV, waiting for Proctor to come into the game. I still don't understand what happened.

9 ROFL!! Line of the day...

7 I'm not convinced the team has a better chance of winning tonight's game with Phelps in the lineup. Cairo's been solid enough, and he's better in the field.

I don't think there is a Good Moose anymore, more like, shall we say, Modest Moose.

Jorge and Derek can't both be out of the lineup the same day--that's madness.

I understand that the rest of the guys are finally hitting the baseball, but this is no time to let up. This game is yet another
must-win.

Oh, and speaking of Moose, is it possible that he could become more effective by figuring out how to throw an even slower change?--a Duque-like change?

9, i think torre fell asleep and gator and donnie decided to give this new "total game" thing a try. unfortunately, torre also had to hold a meeting after the win to chew out his coaches for both letting him fall asleep and not overusing the bullpen in his stead, as per the "yankee way".

1] I don't understand sitting Posada for this particular game. The next two days have a night game followed by a day game, so he'd presumably sit one of them. Maybe Joe wants to give him two days off - the way he does when there's an off day - and have him catch Clemens on Saturday.

7 There's such a thing as "Good Moose"?

I'm off early tomorrow morning for two weeks of fun in the Carribbean sun. Since the goal is a vacation, all electronic devices are banned. Hopefully when I return the Yanks have passed .520 :)

Enjoy and remember the power of:

Ha!

14 Moose likes Nieves now, or maybe Joe likes Nieves with Moose.
I agree that this should be a Phelps day. Yesterday was fine for a Cairo day because of Wang's special need for good infield play, but with Jeter and Posada sitting we could really use a better bat than Miggy's.

If there's still a good Moose, the White Sox' line-up ought to conjure him. And if he struggles today against that awful line-up, I'm going to be worried. Or depressed.

15 Ha!

11 Cairo's been 'solid enough' in 2 days, but that's subject to change at any time. "Extra base hits" and "Miguel Cairo" don't go together; neither does "on-base" and "Miguel Cairo". There's no reason for the Yanks to punt anymore offense if Jeter and Posada both sit tonight. They shouldn't be doing it when Jeter and Posada both play.

I've liked Miggy's dinks and steals too, but let's be honest. When Miggy (6'1", 208 lbs, career .268/.316/.360 "hitter") plays 1B, the Yanks are essentially putting a larger Tony Womack out there (5"9', 160 lbs, career .273/.317/.356). If it was actually Womack . . . that's too scary a scenario to contemplate. Heart of Darkness might be just the beginning.

We shouldn't let any fondness for Miggy cloud our judgment. He is not an acceptable solution at first.

15 Safe travels Jim, and may I suggest that if you still have Todd Helton on the mind during your trip, you haven't consumed enough of those drinks with the little umbrellas on the top? ;)

HA!

15 Wow, I'm jealous, Jim. Have a fantastic time!

I went to Mexico for about a week back in '99.
Derek had been hitting .375 for pretty much the whole year, as I recall, yet when I got back, he'd slumped down to the .340s. Maybe you'll have better luck than I did!

Have a fantastic time!

In a twisted way, I can understand starting Cairo today. After all, Phelps is more likely to make an error, and we all know what happens to Rain Man if someone makes an error behind him. How do you expect someone to pitch under conditions like that?

15 Have a great time. But remember, if the Yankees go on a tear now, we'll know that it's all been your fault.

18 I understand your point, Shaun, but for me, as long as he looks comfortable out there (and in my mind, dinks, stolen bases and bunts definitely qualify), don't rock the boat.

Contreras has good stuff and I think Cairo's approach is more suited to such a pitcher.

Phelps' swing is a bit long, isn't it? (I recall it being a bit long, maybe I'm misremembering.) And while such a swing might yield him more extra base hits than Cairo's, it's not the swing I want to see facing a nasty splitter.

I'm not saying Cairo's a long-term solution, I'm saying for tonight's game I think he's a sensible choice.

21 Heh, yes, and there is that, too.

Was it ever mentioned in any posts to platoon Damon and Matsui in the DH/LF role and keep Melky in center because of his defensive ability? I know, it wasn't our intention when we signed Damon, but his leg problems were not expected as well. I think it would make consistent production out of the DH/LF spot while keeping those two rested and ready to keep LF defense at par. Because obviously, Damon will have to come back and play the field some day...right? Why be a liability at the same time. I rather have him in LF than CF after I was reminded of how good Melky on throwing out runners.

25 I did hear on the postgame last night that Damon praised Melky's abilities, acknowledging that he can do things out there that he himself could not.

Props for Damon.

Let's hope Joe takes it to heart.

Thanks everyone for the well wishes.

I'm a bit concerned aout withdrawl sympotms. My wife agreed if I'm shaking and drooling by day 7, she'll track down a USA today.

But 22 it all started with: Ha!

That's all they needed :)

It was nice to see a single to center with a man on second and be able to say to myelf, "throw him out Melky," instead of "this will be a pathetic throw from Damon."
As for Miggy at first, go to the well until its dry. Sweet game by the Wanger.

I'm going to be contrarian and say that Damon isn't all that bad in CF. He can't throw, and I don't say he's as good as Melky, but he does track down a lot of fly balls, he's fast in that enormous space.

His RATE2 was 95 in 2006, and it's 110 this year. Most of his career he was well over 100, but you might think his age brings decline so the past year or so is most relevant.

26 yes, that's where I got the idea, because the YES team mentioned Damon moved over when they brought up a better Beltran when he was in Kansas City. You think he would move over for the Melkman? I think he would, but I don't think Cash or Torre would ever do it. Sigh...

14 Torre will probably treat the 2 day off situation with Posada like he always does. One day will be a half day off where he comes into the 7th inning and gives us a pinch hit RBI. I kind of see what Torre is doing here since there really is no days off this week.

Hi,

Jorgie has been my favorite player of this dynasty/post-dynasty Yankees team and I am very happy to see him off to a spectacular start. However, we all know that he's already an old catchaer and is only getting older. Given the Yanks' problems with 1B over the past few years, does anyone think Jorgie could possibly shift over to 1B/DH in the next few years to save his knees and keep his bat in the lineup? Just an idea, I'd appreciate any comments.

There's no way I would ever defend Cairo has being a good player or possessing "intangibles" with a "belly full of guts", but I don't see it as the biggest deal that he gets some playing time. All the teams that have won the WS in the last few years have have at least one or even several bad hitters in the lineup. What it comes down to is plyers executing the right way at the right time. Cairo can occasionally do that. I know most people don't by that small ball or moveing runners over stuff, but just by watching baseball one can understand that those things can indeed help win a ballgame on a game to game basis. I'm not saying it should be a goal for a team to build a lineup for that. All I'm saying is teams do win by playing like that and it doesn't hurt having a player that can do some of that.

I've seen the Yankees get stuck in a wait to see what happens mode too many times this year. They just sit back and wait for the big hit that sometimes doesn't come. You need a player or two to come in a at least try to make things happen.

I realize I will probably get ripped for this. But I'm not adamant about this I'm just trying to look at it differently.

33 There are a few here that agree with you. It is a very small group that consists of myself and weeping for brunnhilde (maybe a few others).

Moose has better stats this season with Nieves, so I'd play him rather than Jorge. But Jeter gets tomorrow off, not today.

5 Thanks. "total game" You learn something new every day.

13 That sounds like a reasonable explanation.

Draft day!

Damon should be platooning at 1B right now and should never again see time in CF for the Yankees. I know he chases down balls, but if runs are indeed an important commodity in baseball, all other things being equal, having Melky in Center will prevent more runs that Damon will. Once Giambi comes back (if he does) Damon should platoon with Giambi. If Giambi gets hurt, than so be it, but Damon should take the lions share of time at 1B. It keeps all bats in the lineup and gets JD's arm out of the OF, where it does not now, nor did it ever belong. Without Giambi, having Damon in left doesn't add a bat to the lineup, and having him platoon with Giambi does the same. Melky's only 22, and I think its time to see whether we need to sign a CF next season.

34 The only reason I brought it up is because for the past few years we have been accustom to these Yankee Uber-Teams that just haven't gotten it done. We have had all-star hall-of-fame types in every position and we haven't one. Don't get me wrong I like the idea of getting great player for evey position, but I just don't think it works. A team needs variety and people to take different roles.

I was looking at the Cardinals, White Sox and Red Sox and noticed they all had a few regulars that weren't very good by any standard, but those players provided certain services that probably were valuable under certain circumstances. Molina was absolutely pathetic at the plate, but behind it he filled a role. Posednik we all know can't hit a lick, but he was believed to be a spark and created problems on the bases. And Stinky of all people was on that Red Sox team.

Looking at the Yankee teams that won those four WS. There was always at least one position that was significantly below league average. Chad Curtis, Scott Brosius, Joe Girardi, Knoblauch and even Tino stunk in 2000.

You can have a big strong body that is completely healthy, but if your missing some fingers and maybe can't see or hear very well, you are incomplete and will have a hard time performing certain tasks despite having a lot of what is seemingly important.

Cairo seems to have an effect on the team similar to that of Damon and Melky. Obviously he's not as good as them statistically, but all three bring the leadoff hitter attitude - fouling off a lot of pitches, being aggressive on the bases, and generally bringing life to what sometimes seems like a lifeless lineup.

Cairo also seems confident in the field, which is helpful because the Yankees' defense has often seemed tentative, resulting in numerous errors. Might as well play him until his bat starts to look like a liability.

36

Hells Bells! Lets draft some pitching!

38

Don't forget it always pays to play Charlie Hayes.

21 "Rain Main".

Funny. He sure does take the whole "pitchers like a routine" thing a bit too far, doesn't he?

I will do my best today to channel the "No! Go sit down" Moose from early last year. We haven't seen him yet in '07. Fingers and toes crossed that today is the day. It sure would feel nice, especially if 38pitches spits the bit again today in Oakland.

42

"Joe lets me pitch every fifth day" "I'm an excellent pitcher" "Four O'Clock, time for long toss...four o'clock, time for long toss, four o'clock, time for long toss!"

And btw, Cairo did strike out last night with RISP (third base, was it, less than two outs?) on a pitch in the dirt, I understand that.

But his ab still looked solid, fighting off pitches.

Oh, and also, now that I think about it, Phelps' swing is actually shorter than it looks like it would be, given his frame. Still not short, maybe, but not so long as I was remembering.

42

I prefer "shits the bead" but then again, I did grow up Upstate.

Phelps is going to knock in runners more often than Cairo. From third with one out, from second with two outs, from first with no outs. Maybe he won't look as good doing it, but he'll do it more often. The Yankees will score more runs with Phelps in the line-up than with Melky.
They'll give up more runs, too, but the extra runs they score will be more than the extra runs they give up.

I fully understand that to a lot of fans, a lot of this stuff is aesthetic, but it's really Torre's job to give the team the best chance to win, and the large majority of the time that's going to be with Phelps rather than Cairo.

Ugh, sorry, I wrote 'Melky' where I hope it's obvious I meant 'Miguel', in 46.

37 "Melky's only 22, and I think its time to see whether we need to sign a CF next season."

Never thought we would say that after just a year and a half of signing johnny damon.

48

I did. But we have Beltran, right?

42 Not to be too much of a pessimist, but is it wrong that I always feel worst about the Yanks' chances for winning whenever Mussina takes the mound? Even when the call-ups from triple-A pitch, I have some hope that there might be a pleasant surprise, but with Mussina this year, every outing feels like a slow-moving train wreck. I want to root for my fellow Cardinal alum, so here's hoping he has a decent outing.

37 Just for the record, Damon should have no business at 1B or any conversation suggesting it when we are vying for a wild card spot and through more than a quarter of the season. If anything he should DH the rest of the year if he is a liability in the outfield. Putting him at 1B is not going to solve our defense problems at that position. It's only going to add to it.

51

I think Damon is more than athletic enough to play adequate 1B, maybe even pretty good 1B.

But who's the DH if Damon plays 1B?

53

I am hoping it will be Jason Giambi. Until then, it should be Josh Phelps.

53 Exactly
52 Not Exactly

Since when has Damon been athletic enough in the past month? I still do believe you need your calves to play 1B effectively.

54 Yes, when Giambi returns it could make sense. Except that Jason historically hits better when he's playing 1B than when he's DHing. Is it realistic to think that Damon could play the position a lot better than Giambi does? For that matter, is it realistic to expect him to play it much better than Phelps does?

Much as it pains me to say it...I agree that leaving Miggy in the lineup until he becomes a liability (which will undoubtedly happen soon) is probably the best course of action. Hate to mess with something that's working. When I hit a number straight up on the roulette wheel, I always leave the original bet there for the next spin.

For the time being I think Damon at DH is the right move. He seriously needs the rest, and he seems to be hitting well DHing (small n, I know). We have no obvious alternative DH, Melky's playing CF just great and we lose essentially nothing by having him (Melky) in the line-up since there is no alternative.
Maybe Cashman's surprise deadline move will be to acquire a good DH. In that case I'd be happy to see Damon try a little 1B.

57 Uh... good analogy!

;-)

46 I agree completely that Phelps is a better hitter and will create more runs and I don't even think Cairo's glove is enough to justify him. But its easy to say put player A here and sit B because that is the statistical thing to do. I don't want to turn this into a pro Cairo argument because he agrivates me very much since he can't hit the ball out of the infield. I just believe the put the "best" player here and there argument is easy and can be proven inside and out, but I still haven't seen it work with these Yankee teams. Its easy to go out on the market and find the best player based on history and stats, but its hard to find the "right" player. Who would have thought that Brosius was a good signing or Chad Curtis would be a big part of some excellent teams? Neither of those players were statistically sound signings but they worked.

Some great Yankee teams with some pretty bad hitters:
'77-Bucky Dent 79 OPS
'61-Bobby Richardson 67 OPS
Clete Boyer (RIP) 79 OPS
'39-Babe Dahlgen 77 OPS
Frank Crosetti 67 OPS
'27-Joe Dugan 79 OPS

In recent years there are plenty of sub 100 OPS players on Yankee WS teams.

Oh, and can I say that I hope any thought of trading Abreu for Dye has now completely disappeared from Cashman's head -- if it was ever there.

Having Phelps as the DH and Damon at 1b makes a lot more sense than Damon at DH and Cairo at 1b. I guess the injury factor might come into play, but I don't think this team can carry Cairo at 1b when they need to play very very well to get back in the playoff picture. If the Yanks were 5 games out, they could afford it, but not now.

59 Yeah I figure 38 to 1 is about the right odds on Miggy playing a good game on any given day. ;-)

Add me to the growing list of people who support Miggy staying in the lineup until he has at least one bad game. Sure, Miggy can't hit much more than I can, but he has had two effective games and could be in the midst of a mini-hot streak. Anyone can get hot, after all. If you need proof, think about John Flaherty and his 27 game hit streak.

Also, Phelps is a righty slugger, so I don't think he'd fair very well against a righty with a great split. Phelps is a better hitter against lefties, and is 0-6 lifetime againt Contreras.

I could see Cairo annoying the hell out of Contreras, so I'd start him once again too. Besides, if Phelps makes an error behind Mussina, he might stomp off the mound in tears.

60 I'm having trouble seeing your point.
You think those teams would have been worse teams if they had replaced those very weak players with good players? You think the Yankees will be a better team and win more games with a low OPS guy or two? They'll score fewer runs but somehow win more often?
That seems very, very unrealistic. Maybe I misunderstood.

Phelps hits lefties better, but not a lot better. He hits righties a whole lot better than Cairo does.

65 No. If you read my comments in full I talked about having players who fit certain roles whatever they may be. Defensively or a pest on-base for example. I'm pointing to those teams to show that teams DO win without stacking the lineup with high OPS guys. They had a proper mixture of guys who had skills at doing something small like move a runner over or play exceptional baseball. Recently we have gotten used to signing the best players possible who happen to be fairly similar in approach and ability and our only answer when they don't do well is get someone better. I just think its more of a case of getting someone who is "more helpful". I'm not saying its easy or I have the answer I'm just saying that a different approach at what we look for in a player might be called for.

67 But of course great pitching can hide anything wrong with an offense ;)

I think expecting good things from Moose anymore is unrealistic. He can't pitch well with a giant fork sticking out of his back.

Playing Cairo at first comes down to replacing Giambi with Cairo--over a full season, that'd cost us a huge amount, probably 4 wins. Anybody think, given our current position in the standings, we can afford to punt wins? If Cairo plays only when Wang is out there, that's a different story, maybe....

With current personnel, Damon and a platoon of Phelps and TBA should occupy the DH/1B spot, with the possibility of using Matsui at first once Damon's legs get healthy.

67 But what's the answer to my question? Replacing the low OPS role guys with high OPS guys woud help the team win more games?
Sure, those teams did win. They won in spite of holes in the line-up, not because of those holes.

70 That sounds like it's worth a try.

70 no it doesn't. Cairo replaces Minky. Cabrera is currently Giambi's replacement.

11. I agree with brunnhilde.......We can not sit both Jorge and the Captain tonight....not when we are starting to finally get some momentum......not with the success that Contreras has had against the Yankees.....not with the way Moose has been pitching....not when we need to win nearly 2/3 of our games for the rest of the season (by the way - nearly 2/3 of the season to go). Every game now is important, and we should not risk our chances in a winnable game against a struggling team that much. With the struggling ChiSox, Pirates, D-backs, and Rockies, we have a chance to go on a nice long winning streak. The Captain can rest on Monday....and more later in the season when we have a deeper bench and are in better shape (unless he is injured and really hurting) .

67 The goal is not (or should not be) to win a game. The goal should be to win as many games as possible. And to have the best chance of acheiving that goal, a team should score as many runs as possible. The best way of acheiving that goal is to have players who, over the course of a season, create the most runs. Players create runs by getting on base and touching as many of the bases as they can once there- either via stolen base or high slugging percentage.

In his limited sample, Miguel Cairo has created about as many runs per 27 outs (3.33) as Josh Phelps (3.97). If his level of production continues at this rate, and he plays passable first base, it seems like the best option within the organization. If his production drops, he should not continue to play because of this mythical "diversity" a lineup needs to have. Better players = more runs = more wins. It's really very simple...

38 39 Agreed.

I don't know about the "belly full of guts," but I do think that fouling off a lot of pitches is a valuable ingredient to the lineup.

Not only because it gets the pitch-count up, but because it frustrates pitchers. Even if Cairo makes an out, he has the ability to mentally tax the pitcher.

If you listen to former pitchers (e.g., Darling, Leiter) they're always talking about the mental side of the game and how hitters like CAiro really do have the ability to unnerve a pitcher.

It's not the kind of thing that may be statistically quantifiable, but when pitchers tell you about their own experience pitching, I think you should take them seriously.

Same thing about all runs being equal.

Listen to guys like Justice and O'Neill, actual players, and they'll tell you about the psychological toll that a certain run in a certain situation can have on a team, either pumping it up or deflating it.

Yes, it's still just one run, but under certain circumstances, that one run will effect the other team's psyche differently.

I know many of you might think that's voodoo, but these players are human beings and as such susceptible to voodoo (i.e., pyschology).

These sorts of things have an impact on confidence, anxiety, comfort level, which in turn effect performance.

Small ball is a good idea if the situation is such that getting that one extra run, or that first run, or whatever, is going to exasperate the other team.

And I think small ball is valuable according to the bird in the hand theory.

Small ball doesn't "give away outs" as many people like to say, but rather exchanges an out for a greater likelihood of scoring one run. You decrease the chances of a big inning but increase the chances of a productive inning. You do that two or three times a game and you have a consistent offense.

Sure, sometimes it pays to play for a big rally, depending on the opposing pitcher, the other team's bullpen, how well the hitters are hitting, etc., but I don't see why playing for 3 should be a team's default setting.

The specifics of the situation should govern the team's approach, is all, and any decent team should be practiced in the art of small ball because some days, that's your best shot at winning.

74 Is it not possible that players can create runs indirectly, not by getting on base, but by having four taxing at-bats per night, such that the pitcher's concentration is more liable to lapse, forcing him to make an extra mistake or two to the wrong batter?

Players talking about their own experiences: I agree it should be taken seriously, but I don't think it should be taken at face value. People make mistakes about these things.

Playing for one run: sure, sometimes, obviously, it's just the one run that matters. Bottom of the tenth, score tied, runner on first with nobody out, good bunter/weak hitter at bat... go ahead and bunt. I don't think anybody disputes that. Just don't do it in the second inning!

75 I've discussed the "psychological boost" angle before. I don't deny that it exists, just that it's almost impossible to predict which run, or which play, is going to provide it. A lot of fans felt that if Yankee pitchers retaliated for hit batters, and if Joe would just go out and throw a little tantrum, it would provide a big boost. Well, that happened Friday, and they proceeded to throw a game on Saturday.

As for the rest: so, basically, Miguel Cairo's smallball skills will help the team when (a) there's a man on first or second with none out, (b) he's up at bat, and (c) exactly one run will provide a big psychological boost.

I say that Joe should leave the lineup as is for now. They are actually winning games now. Miguel has played very nice games this week. Hits, steals, good D. Why screw with a good thing.

Phelps has done absolutely nothing this year (except almost singlehandedly lose the game on Monday).

By the way, I'm not entirely anti-bunt. In fact, I think every major league player should be able to lay down a passable sacrifice bunt when needed. I just don't think it should be used early, or often.

77

So runs in the 2nd inning don't count as much as runs in the later innings?

This goes back to what people were saying about Arod last year. Homeruns in the early innings don't mean as much as the ones late in the game.

That is a rediculous arguement.

76 Interestingly, here's the career Foul Ball Rate (percent of strikes due to foul balls) for select hitters:

Miguel Cairo: 28%
Josh Phelps: 25%
Alex Rodriguez: 26%
Derek Jeter: 31%
David Eckstein: 25%
Barry Bonds: 27%

Not a whole lot of difference there. Besides, fouling off pitch after pitch is effective, but if it results in a strikeout or ground out, it does very little, I believe.

What Bobby Abreu and Jason Giambi (when both are playing well) do, working long at bats every time up by recognizing the strike zone... tires the pitcher and has a positive effect on the outcome of the game.

77 Well, you should do it in the second inning if you're facing RJ in his prime, backed up by a terrific bullpen, and you anticipate a pitcher's duel. You absolutely should because getting that one run (say you have Clemens in his prime, or whatever) will put pressure on the other team and take pressure off of Clemens.

And as to people making mistakes about these things, it's an interesting point: how can a player make a mistake when reporting his own psychological experience?

I guess maybe the mistake could be that that psychological experience actually does effect performance, but I think it's perfectly legitimate to presume a correlation, especially when you're talking about players who seem to be pretty clued in to how aggravation, etc. can effect a team.

Like the pitcher who works slowly and doesn't throw strikes; it's pretty uniformly reported that that sort of thing fouls up the defense whereas a crisply pitched game keeps the defense sharp.

81 No, it's not that runs in the later innings matter more than runs in the earlier innings. It's that a one-run strategy substabtially decreases the likelihood of scoring more than one run. You should only use it when that one run, and only one run, means the game.

83 I wouldn't necessarily disagree with your first point. It fits precisely with mine: you're describing a situation where (a) the likelihood of scoring more than one run is low anyway, and (b) exactly one run might well win you the game.

But those situations are very rare.

72 ok: Miggy and Melky replace Minky and Giambi.

Obsessing about defense at first is misguided--you can't get an injection of defense at one position that'll fire up the whole team. 1b men have to hit.

75 Small ball can be valuable in certain situations--absolutely!--but it's about making situational decisions--often it seems like people talk about "small ball" as a kind of general quality that can be injected into a team--"we need more small ball!"--like it builds character or something. General statements about needing more small ball, to me, make as much sense as saying "We need more smallpox."

Making an acceptable backup middle infielder into your starting first baseman is absolutely crazy, a pennant-losing decision. But I'm done with the topic, as it'll get dull real fast, and really there's not that much disagreement...

83 It's not the psychological experience per se that I doubt, it's the cause-and-effect relationship. Everybody makes mistakes about that, and ballplayers aren't any different. They remember the instances where that bunt provided a boost; they forget the times where it made no difference, or the guy popped up the bunt, or whatever; and they don't know about the times when the bunt might have spiked a bigger rally. They just remember a handful of instances where something happened, and make a correlation out of it.

Sometimes it is accurate. Sometimes it isn't.

82 Not sure what those numbers are supposed to convey, but do they account for foul balls with two strikes, or just the first two foul balls?

And I think you're maybe missing my point.

You write: "Besides, fouling off pitch after pitch is effective, but if it results in a strikeout or ground out, it does very little, I believe."

My point is, it may do something, little or otherwise, to help the team win. As I say, pitchers always talk about how frustrating those kinds of at-bats are for them.

Some pitchers are more easily frustrated than others, and for those pitchers, I'd suspect that such an at-bat could well be a lost battle that helps win the war, if it serves to rattle the pitcher for the next batter.

Or if it serves to alter the pitcher's approach throughout the lineup because now he's got to anticipate a long at-bat from that guy his next time up, forcing him to cheat with other guys in order to keep his pitch count down.

Don't you think those are both factors that could help the team win, regardless of the outcome of that specific at-bat?

75 ummm, let's bury this idea that somehow cairo has value because he knows how to make pitchers work ... he doesn't

he's is and has been one of the most hackingest yankees

2007 he sees 3.67 P/PA

that ranks him 11th of 14

ahead of only Jeter, Cano and Nieves

2006 he averaged 3.61 P/PA

that ranked him 17th of 22

ahead of only phillips, crosby, williams, reese and cano

88 But a hitter that can hit a home run on the first pitch (such as Phelps), wouldn't frustrate a pitcher at all?

79 "Phelps has done absolutely nothing this year (except almost singlehandedly lose the game on Monday)."

Absolutely. Phelps didn't hit the home run that started the rally against Cleveland on April 19th.

He hasn't driven in 11 runs this year.

He hasn't been on base twenty-four times this year.

He hasn't scored eight runs.

No, he's done nothing.

89 Agreed. Remember, Cairo = a taller Tony Womack. Please tell me that no one here would argue that Tony Womack should play first base, ever.

Completely off topic - anyone else watghing the draft? Zim looks very relaxed (he's there representing Tampa Bay). Winfield (SD) and Strawberry (Mets) are also there.

The Yanks sent Frank Howard and Mike Thurman. I'm trying to figure out if that's the same Mike Thurman who pitched for the Expos for so long, and then threw 30 something innings for the Yanks in '02.

90 Good question, I don't know. I don't hear pitchers talk about how unnerving that can be, I do hear pitchers talking about those long at-bats.

I'd suspect it depends on the pitcher, the situation, etc., but I'd guess it's less frustrating because it's easier to chalk up to a mistake, bad luck, whatever, whereas the guy who's simply pesky, but makes an out, is more liable to draw the pitcher into a something like a test of wills.

Plus, the likelihood of that first-pitch homer is much smaller than the likelihood of of an epic at-bat from the guy who makes it his MO. It would seem to be a more reliable weapon, in other words, more easily repeatable the next couple of at-bats than would the homerun feat.

I would think that a tough at-bat is more frustrating because it's harder for a pitcher to avoid, he has less control in that situation.

The first-pitch homer can be avoided by leaving the ball away from the middle of the plate.

92 price goes #1 ... 28 to go til we're on the clock

c'mon boras inflated signing bonuses ... daddy needs a shiny new porcello

87 "It's not the psychological experience per se that I doubt, it's the cause-and-effect relationship. Everybody makes mistakes about that, and ballplayers aren't any different."

Sort of a "post hoc ergo propter hoc", I guess...
or in the case of Joe Torre it would be "post hoc ergo Proctor hoc" which is loosely translated "after this, therefore bring in Scott Proctor"

95 Well said.

These commericals on MLB.com - are they actual commercials other teams show to get people to buy tickets? They might destroy Simmons's unintentional comedy sale.

And now we get hit with the "steroids shrink your balls" PDA. Whoo-boy.

95 Exceptionally well played.

71 My fault I haven't been too clear. Of course you want to score as many runs as possible over the course of an entire season. What I'm trying to say is they have many players that can hit, but a team needs more. Matsui can hit but are his triple-axles in the outfield helping much? Or Damon not being able to rundown a flyball? Or Abreu wincing at the presence of the wall? Or Posada not staying in front of the ball catching? These are little things that may go unnoticed statistically, but that gives teams extra outs and wears down pitchers. Or the bad base running many of the players possess or the lack of speed. They often give teams extra outs in the field and sometimes give them back on the basepaths. Many are unable to take extra bases at key moments. I just think that stuff is important as well. All I ask for is balance. And if you can find someone with the whole package then that is ideal.

95 ha ha ha hah ah!!!!

Ha haha!!

Very nice.

Sigh. LaPorta is off the board to the Brewers at #7. Lots of draftniks thought he'd fall to the Yanks at #30.

50 I have more confidence in Clippard than Moose now, but maybe that's just me...

101 beat me to it ... meh

that was actually referring to laporta being gone at 7

96, 97 & 99 Thanks. BTW, weeping, all those Ha's caused me to drop my mouse... ;-)

96 "And now we get hit with the "steroids shrink your balls" PDA. Whoo-boy."

MFD, Official league rules say balls should be spheres ... stitched together by 108 stitches of waxed red cotton thread and should bring the overall weight of each ball to somewhere between 5 to 5 1/4 ounces and the circumference not less than 9 or exceeding 9 1/4 inches.

How can you shrink that with steroids? Sounds painful, no? :-)

105 Quite painful, MFD. I'm still not sure how they shrink the football either, but there it was. ;)

103 At least Porcello hasn't gone yet, and as much as I'd like the Yanks to take a college bat, I'd be very happy with Porcello.

98 All those things do matter. But (a) Matsui is a pretty good outfielder -- if he were awful then I'd be more interested in trading his bat for a great glove; (b) Abreu, likewise; (c) as I mentioned, Damon has over his career had a big plus on defense, and he's been a big plus this year -- last year he was below average but not hugely. As you say, you have to balance defense and offense. And we're talking about very large giveaways on offense when we talk Cairo, for instance. You can't give away fifteen runs on offense because you want to save four on defense, that just doesn't make sense.

As to reports of their own experiences 83, JL 87 explained the point I had in mind.

92 i read a few days ago that it is indeed the same man, i just don't remember where i read it.

108 Thanks!

105 Steroids give you the strength to squeeze the balls so hard they actually shrink. Kind of like Superman squeezing a lump of coal into a diamond.

110 they never address the obvious pollution that superman created.

104 :)

105 106 Btw, MFD...?

107 I agree with you for the most part. Its ok to sacrifice defense if the payoff is very good offensively. But the Yankees have done that with almost every player on the roster and I have to disagree on Matsui. I love the guy but as of this year it is painful to watch him miss almost every ball he has to go back on. Personally I have a hard time trusting defensive metrics because there is a lot of stuff it can't pick up on like extra bases taken on Damon's arm. Or Abreu forgetting someones on second when they are tagging up. Like I said I'm pretty much on your side its just that watching this team lose all season despite loads of talent has made me peek outside the box.

As for Cairo. In no way am I advocating him deserving playing time. He was just what got this discussion started. But I am on the side of let him play while they are winning.

Oh, and sorry to belabor a point, or to be obtuse or whatever, but re: run creation, can't such a stat be deceptive if it makes for a team that scores 14 runs one day and 0 the next?

Would you be better off with a team that routinely scores 4 or 5 runs, but seldom more than that? Of course it depends on the pitching you have, but I just mean that just scoring a lot of runs doesn't necessarily make for a winning baseball team. The runs need to be well-spent.

How do we factor in consistency?

115 I agree with that. But, I guess the argument could be that based on deviations it would average out.

115 I've actually done quite a bit of research on this point, using what I called the "Did your Job stat": how many games does a team score 5 runs in a game, and what percentage of those games do the Yankees win. I also took a brief look at the standard deviation in runs scored, trying to perhaps explain why the Yankees, such a potent offense in 2006, failed to produce much in the playoffs.

Take a look:

http://mehmattski.blogspot.com/search/label/DYJS

115 There aren't many stats that measure consistency. Instead of using averages, it would be interesting to use means. We could stand to lop off peaks and valley and discount them somehow.

So who is every been hoping for in this draft?

119 Porcello! Brackman is a bigger injury risk, but has as much upside.

I thought the Yankees would jump at a catcher like Arencibia, but the Jays just took him at 21.

119 Porcello would be a pipe dream, if he passes the Tigers and Giants (twice). I really hope the Yankees don't take a chance on Brackman in the first round. In the end they'll probably take the best Boras client available.

The catcher of the future awaits in the later rounds, I'd imagine.

121 He just passed the Giants again...everything I have read has the Tigers as the last remaining hurdle.

119 120 121 At this point, I'd be thrilled with Porcello, but I too don't think he gets by Detroit now.

I agree with you on Brackman, mehmattski. The Yanks don't need a guy with potential injury concerns as a #1 pick.

I'm guessing they take a college catcher with their second round pick.

122 The Giants pick again one ahead of the Yankees.

119 Definitely Porcello. I'm worried that the Tigers will pop him though...

Pocello does sound pretty good, but being from North Jersey I am exposed to all the Seton Hall Prep hype. Some of the most overatted players come out of that school. They play VERY inferior schools. With that said it doesn't take away from the skills he appears to have.

Same thing with Duncan. I have always believed he was over hyped. He was one of those robotic players that worked on his swing day in and day out since he was 7. But what he lacked was natural ability. I believe when you're dealing with "made" ballplayers there is less room to grow and a lower ceiling.

I personally wouldn't mind a college position player that could help in a year or two. I was hoping for LaPorta, but that was obviously a pipe dream.

126 I still can't believe the Brewers took LaPorta. The only thing that makes sense to me is what Keith Law said on ESPN2 - they may be able to trade him for help in a couple of years, to fill any holes.

I'm hoping the Yanks don't take Julio Borbon either; he might be the best CF in the draft, but I don't see much upside to him.

Then again, a catcher like Yasmani Grandal or Mitch Canham would be a little bit of a reach, but much better than anything available at #94.

128 Though, as they say, a team should never draft for need - the team should take the best available guy.

Maybe that goes out the window when it comes to the last pick in the first round? I don't know.

Hey, anyone notice that CURT SCHILLING is pitching a NO HITTER?

Hmm, I wonder if Kyle Russell will be passed up by the A's. He might not make it past the Giants either. I'd be happy with him - lots of power.

130

Yea, with an 87 MPH fastball. God, the AL West is awful.

Well, there goes Porcello. Damn.

Well, so much for that.

shit, there goes Porcello

Who the heck do the Yanks take now? The mocks I've read had the Yanks with either Porcello or LaPorta. Both are gone. Anyone have any idea?

Scott Boras, the most influential man in baseball?

137 Nah, but he'd like everyone to think that.

136 Matt Harvey

Matt Harvey ?
Jake McGeary ?
Josh Smoker ?
Brackman ?

schilling is throwing a no hitter i hear. no hitter. no hitter.

no hitter preserved!

Yankees on the clock.

really a NO HITTER? huh. a NO HITTER. interesting, this NO HITTER. at least A's have a baserunner now...

OK, the Giants took some high school CF I've never heard of. So maybe Matt Harvey. That would make Pete Abraham happy (Harvey is a Connecticut kid IIRC).

Boy, that NO HIT SHUTOUT that 38pitches.com is throwing is something, isn't it?

And Brackman it is.

146 what 38 pitches.com isn't giving up any HITS? NO HITS AT ALL? A NO HITTER?

no no no

Aww crap. Brackman. I really hope he isn't injured. He could be Joba Part 2.

Q: Andrew Brackman (RHP, NCAA) Another guy that has NoMaas readers divided. He is freefalling now due to off-field distractions and on-field performance. Are Brackman's pricetag and question marks too much, or is his potential so favorable that he is a good pick for New York at #30?

A: I definitely think Brackman is a candidate to fall. Having a dead arm at this point in the season just isn't good for his draft status, and it doesn't help that he has been largely inconsistent this season. Some games he looks as good as advertised, and some games he looks good, but not great. This is his first season focusing purely on baseball, so a great deal of patience is required, but he isn't as polished as most to all of the top rated college right-handed pitchers that have been available in recent years.

He would be a great pick at #30. Based on pure talent, he's a top 10 overall selection. A wise course of action would be to draft him, allow him to play summer ball on the Cape and then determine whether or not you're prepared to make the usual large investment involved with players advised by Scott Boras.

Porcello is a prep kid? damn. would have liked him. ALthough Duncan hasn't panned out I like having kids from my old school in the system.

I suppose that if Brackman doesn't sign, the Yanks get the #31 pick next year, which wouldn't be so bad.

Who picks first, Mets or Red Sox? I wonder if the Mets will grab Harvey before Boston does.

Keith Law loved it.

Chris Young with better stuff, I like that comp.

154 So did Gammons. Law has loved everything so far, though, when they've gone to him. That doesn't sound like the KLaw I've read and heard before. I'm wondering if the ESPN folks told him to play nice?

In fact, I haven't heard anything critical yet about anyone. Hmm.

Amazing Red Sox game -- Boston only has two hits through six, too! As I suppose everyone reading this already knows.

114 I know you said you don't trust defensive statistics, but for what it's worth Matsui had an astounding RATE2 of 121 last year. This year he's down to earth at 98.

Okay, RATE2 is hardly perfect, but it's very doubtful, to my mind, that a lousy outfielder could sport such a high RATE2 for even a shortened season. I don't say he's great, only that he isn't bad.

33 I concur. Miggy plays better then his numbers. I wouldn't want him to get 250 ABs, but I like the guy and he is often a bit of a sparkplug.

It's only 24 ABs, but Miggy has a .333 OBP. That's not going to kill us. He has made some very nice plays at first also.

Well, I would have rather have seen the Yanks take Harvey, but we can't complain about getting Brackman with the 30th pick.

157 But did you know that Schilling hasn't given up a hit yet? Not one!

161 not even one hit? A NO HITTER?

161 Yes indeed. And if he keeps it up, Julio Lugo is going to feel very, very bad.

Ten outs to go!

schilling is doing exactly what an ace is supposed to do after four losses. i hate him.

164 i prefer the red sox that have only scored 3 runs in 25 innings.

Nine to go.
At what point does he become a favorite to complete the no-no? Not tiring much yet, I presume.

Me too. Do we get to vote?

Is there a pitcher in baseball that you'd like to see get a no-hitter less than the guy on the mound in Oakland now? Serious question.

169 Maybe Beckett. It's close.

No, not even Beckett.

169 That's a really good question. Once upon a time I would have said Pedro, but not anymore. (Damn Theo Epstein and his smart-aleck comments!)

Well, Blanton gets out of the jam. Oakland will now get a walk and a dinger and hang the loss on Schill.

169 no. for oh so many reasons.

171 No way, I've always liked Pedro, always. He's cool. I like his attitude, and his brains.

174 Same here. Always liked Pedro, even though he was one heck of a diva. Nowhere near as self-aggrandizing or attention-starved as 38pitches.

schilling has thrown only 78pitches.com in his NO HITTER.

Wow!

Go, Schill, nice job with that NO HITTER!

Maybe you'll get it this time, unlike that time you were pitching a perfect game (a form of NO HITTER) against San Diego and their light-hitting catcher bunted on you for a basehit, breaking up your perfect game (i.e., NO HITTER) and exposing you for the bush motherfucker you are when you bitched and moaned about how it was so UNFAIR that a guy had the audacity to bunt on you for a hit while you were pitching a perfect game (i.e., NO HITTER).

Wah-wah!

schilling hasn't allowed a walk either.

178 I know, that's why I said Lugo would feel really, really bad if Curt nails the no-no.

Johnson, Scutaro, Kotsay next inning, and if he holds up Kendall leads off the ninth. Oakland's line-up might be worse than the ChiSox'.

Blanton is certainly tiring. Sucks to be him right now.

180 My money's on Scutaro.

He'll do it, you'll see.

Anyone know how Youk made out at third on a FC? I'm just Gamedaying.

Yeah, Scutaro. And I don't feel like saying why.

what sucks is that boston can't hit. and they are winning because of a crap NO HITTER> crap.

who the hell is jack cust?

I know, that really does suck. But when Scutaro homers, everything will be just awesome.

I was off by one batter earlier, forgot about Cust. Oh, duh, only one base runner so far, so leadoff man Stewart gets the last shot, if it comes to that...

That wasn't a home run. Missed it by |-| that much.

ugh. i gotta go. but if he does this i'm going to have to not listen to sports radio for a week.

oh fug, well looks like The Mouth might just do it after all. God, I don't even want to think of what he'll right on his crappy blog!

Kotsay and Kendall have a combined batting average of .286.

I can't watch. I'm going home now.

Don't worry, baseball, I still love you.

Shrilling with a no-hit shutout through EIGHT!

Don't worry, Carl Everett is pinch hitting for the A's in the 9th.

ESPN uninterrupted PTI for Schilling's almost no hitter. I had no idea this was going on. Let's go, As. Where is Ken? Holding his breath?

196 That should be "interrupted"

Last chance... come on Shannon....

HA!

Yessss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Stewart, you rock!

YES!!!!!!

FEEL THE BURN!!!

AAAAH HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

Now that is the Webster Picture Dictionary definition of "schadenfreude".

Well, if the Yankees don't take the Abreu option next year, I have a favorite corner outfielder.

Schrill gives up a single with TWO out in the 9th. Sox win, 1-0.

well, it's too much to ask him to lose the game as well, but i'll take the no-hitter being snatched away at the very last possible moment

204 I just promised to name my firstborn Shannon.

Yes!!!!!! God bless Shannon Stewart!

158 Fair enough. I thought we had a decent civilized debate. In the end I don't think we are very far off from each other. I'm just trying to figure out reasons why this group of players has been so disappointing considering the amount of talent they have.

I guess everyone's worse nightmare occured with drafting Backman. I truely wanted a position player out of college even though I didn't know exactly who.

Can we get Ben Davis to give Schill a congratulatory call? (I was at the game where BD bunted to break up his previously closest no-no). Let's get Shannon and Ben on a commemorative baseball card. Nomaas...I'm looking in your direction.

183 Youk on Firdt, Papi up. Papi shows bunt on the first pitch as NOBODY is on the left side of the infield. Papi DOES bunt, but back to the pitcher, who spins and throw to 2nd.

The throw is a bit high and on the 1st base side, but playable. The guy covering 2nd (the 3rd baseman) is off the bag, reaches for the ball from the pitcher, but can't find the base with his foot. Youk slides in... safe.

Youk sees nobody is near third. Scutero sees Youk take off and starts tailing him. The 3rd baseman sees whats happening, throws a nice leading throw th Scutero, who is hasing Youk. Scutero catches the ball and catches up to Youk, and tags him easily, about 2/3 of the way to 3rd base.

209 Agreed, NJ. I think it's a very worthwhile subject of investigation and I suspect that there is an explanation other than blind luck, but that that explanation will have to be unconventional, i.e., not exclusively statistical.

I am very pleased with the Brackman pick, especially because it would have been a shock if Porcello got past Detroit (two years in a row now that Detroit benefits from a top talent scaring away the skin flints). I wonder if the Red Sox regret their FA spree now...had they not signed Lugo and/or Drew, they'd have picked ahead of Detroit and snapped up Porcello.

156 They only seemed to go to Law when a player he had written about or projected correctly was taken, which might explain his more positive tone.

209 Of course having great pitching is the first place to start, but still, I think there's something to be said for the offensive style of those teams too, because they really seemed very consistent for a good run there.

They wouldn't always bludgeon you to death, but their offense seemed versatile.

How many of us jumped and fist-pumped after Stewart tagged that ball?

HA!

I can't wait for the next blog.

211 Oh, hey, thanks.
SHAN-non STEW-art! Ha!

So, if Lugo hadn't made the error, Schill never has to face Stewart the fourth time...

215 I was elated! Not so much as I was when Jorgie got the hit off Pedro, but in the ballpark.

214 In particular, I think the lack of strikeouts the last few years hasn't helped. Back in the late 90's and early 2000's we had guys like Cone and Clemens who are 2 of the best strikeout guys the Yankees EVER had. The more you depend on your defense to make plays the more that can go wrong. Right now the Yanks don't have one strikeout guy. Moose used to be pretty good, but now as we all know he is a shadow of what he once was. Clemens coming back should help and hopefully Hughes will get healthy and be back by August or so. That would be 2 strikeout pitchers and I think that could help a lot.

215 ESPN 1050 played what they hoped was the last out live, so I heard it in the car and was pretty happy. However still a little ticked they won while scoring only 1 run.

We do have one strikeout guy, but he doesn't start...

You gotta respect Blanton. He threw a CG shotout in his last start too. Hard to get a W when you don't score any runs. Tip your cap to Sr. Bloody Sock and be happy with 3/4.

221 His back would give ou...oh, you were talking about Bruney.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/jon_heyman/06/06/boras.draft/1.html

Boras' current stable

Fortunately for Boras, he has a stable full of standouts this year. He calls right-handed pitcher Rick Porcello from Seton Hall Prep (N.J.) "the best high school pitcher since Josh Beckett, third baseman/first baseman Mike Moustakas from Chatsworth (Calif.) High "the best power-hitting infield prospect since A-Rod," right-handed pitcher Andrew Brackman from North Carolina State "the college pitcher with the highest ceiling" and boasts that Georgia Tech switch-hitting catcher Matt Wieters is "way ahead of where Varitek was defensively at signing, with more power."

Boras also has hard-throwing Matt Harvey from Fitch High (Groton, Conn.), power-hitting first baseman Matt LaPorta from the University of Florida, University of Georgia closer Josh Fields, Texas Christian right-hander Jake Arrieta and a pair of speedy outfielders, Julio Borbon from the University of Tennessee and Kantrail Davis from Theodore (Ala.) High.

One major-league scouting director doesn't disagree with Boras on his top three, saying that Porcello, Moustakas and Brackman are special players and ranking Wieters just below that level, adding that he's on the cusp of being major-league ready.

223 No, I meant Mo.
But him too, sure. And the other guy, sort of.

The spirit of what NJYankee41 was saying, I think, kind of precludes strikeout guys who also walk a lot of batters. I don't quite subscribe to Three True Outcomes, but there's more than a grain of truth to it.

Next year I'll bone up before the draft. I don't have the slightest idea what you guys are talking about.

evidently, joe figures 2 of 4 is "good enough"

tonite's House Money w/ Special Sauce Lineup

Yanks Lineup tonight

Damon dh
Cabrera cf
Abreu rf
A Rod 3b
Matsui lf
Cano 2b
Phelps 1b
Cairo ss
Nieves c

see ... phelps lovers and cairo backers CAN sometimes both get what they want ...

Actually, I'm satisfied with this line-up. Jeter has to rest now and then. A far cry from the Mighty Mashers we expected back in March, though, huh?

227 The way the roster is constructed, there is no way around this lineup if Jeter and Posada both sit the same day. Of course, I would try not to sit Jeter and Posada on the same day. Oh well, maybe Cairo's pixie dust hasn't worn off yet.

210 Hey standuptriple, if you are still around. Here is something I worked up just for you (thanks for the idea, BTW):

http://i14.tinypic.com/4m2yg3r.jpg

Wow, how 'bout that, after all this talk, we get both Phelps and Cairo!

Something for everybody, eh?

;)

227 Nieves is Moose's catcher and Jorge is always overworked. Jete's is hurt and NEEDS a day or 2 off. Considering that, what lineup would you propose?

Saying: evidently, joe figures 2 of 4 is "good enough"
is really insulting. Torre gets more shit from the press and from his 'Boss' then any manager alive. He's LIVING the Yankees.

215

so are you a baseball fan or just a yankkes fan?

233 But when its 38pitches.com trying for it . . . Even the die-hard Red Sox fan I work with said he kinda hoped Schilling didn't do it, because then Curt would be impossible to shut up for the next month or so.