Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
Just like that the Yankee offense turned back into a pumpkin last night as they were blanked by the Royals, 7-0. It's not that they didn't put runners on base--once again they did that very well. They simply could not get a big hit. Hideki Matsui failed twice with runners on. In the first inning he popped up a 3-0 pitch with runners on the corners and in the the fifth he grounded out, swinging at the first pitch, with the bases loaded.
Then there was Kei Igawa. More mediocrity. Igawa gives up hits when he's ahead in the count, and runs with two men out. He's an entirely frustrating pitcher to watch and with Phillip Hughes about set to return to the majors, it is likely that Igawa's days in the rotation are numbered. And if Joba Joba gets called up to pitch in the pen, the running man Igawa might find himself back in the land of Dunder Mifflin.
No soup for Alex Rodriguez either, who is sitting on career homer #499.
Hey, the Yanks were due for a stinker. They lose a game to the Red Sox who pounded the Indians in Cleveland. The Bombers now head to Baltimore to face the O's, who are coming off a three-game sweep of the Rays.
Actually I found myself switching to a great "Office" repeat myself during the game. Rats !
Back at it tonight....
Lets Go Yankees !
But... he keeps getting 2 strikes on batters.
He often gets 2 outs relatively unscathed.
Is he close? Is this a mental condition where he 'lets up' when he thinks he's ALMOST out of a situation?
I don't know what mechanics were worked on and what the Yankees 'changed'. But just watching him, his stuff is not even as good as it was his first month (mind you, his stuff was never great, but I thought he has a decent curve and changeup, and that it was location that was killing him). Now his curve seems flatter, and his location still stinks.
The Yankees are married to this guy for a while. I don't know his trade status, but remember.. his salary is only $4m/yr. $4m does not BUY a lot of pitching these days.
There are other Japanese pitchers in MLB who are doing much better then Kei, even though he did much better in Japan.
Can he be straightened out?
Will a year in MiLB help, until he adjusts to whatever ails him?
Is he possible trade bait?
We could have used 'Good' Kei this year, but next year he is a bit superfluous.
Pot? Pills? Green Tea? Acupuncture?
Just what is the key to Kei?
Career vs LHP
.291 .355 .449 .804
2007 vs LHP
.259 .341 .440 .781
Combine that with Abreu (.577 OPS vs LHP in 2007) as well as Jorge sitting (even as Molina did his best to chip in) and the Yankee offense was severely underpowered. Apart from A-Rod and Jeter, they were going up there with noodle bats.
That's what drives me mad (even as I'm already halfway there). This team loses games based on how they were constructed from the start.
And that's without even mentioning Kei Quest....
Torre's always one to go with the 'hot bat', so I'm guessing he doesn't have any use for dem fancy-schmancy new fangled statistics...
Left-handed noodle bats + Rotten Fish Quest = One shitty tasting meal.
Kevin Thompson was pulled from the Scranton game on Tuesday for "disciplinary reasons," and was out of the lineup the next day. There's been rumors about KT's disciplinary issues for years. Maybe there's a reason he barely sees the light of day when he's called up, besides Torre's aversion to non-veterans.
That's the problem with how this team was constructed.
And if they don't figure this out soon, the Kason Gabbards and Nate Robertsons of the world are going to kill me in the next few weeks.
12 Trade deadline is approaching - keep the faith... :)
I had hopes that Quest might be turning it around. The start before this he wasn't great, but he wasn't awful either - and he was throwing strike one to every batter. Well, it's a start - now he's got to start working on strike three.
His peripherals are dicey, though, (since June: 1.81 WHIP, 1.69 K/BB) so he may be due for more outings like last night.
Still, I'm all about moving him to the bullpen and pitching Hughes. Might do Igawa good to focus on getting two pitches over consistently, rather than trying to mix in a lot more as a starter. And, frankly, I'd rather see Hughes in there than Igawa or Moose.
a) range in CF
b) arm (then again, so am I)
c) hitting for average (.285 vs .246)
d) hitting for power (.110 Isolated Power vs .099)
e) putting the ball in play (12% K rate vs 15%)
Here are the things at which Damon is better than Melky:
a) getting on base (.101 Isolated Discipline vs .056 for Melky)
b) stealing bases (barely- Damon's at 18 of 20 versus Melky's 8 of 10)
c) Veteranness
d) BFOG+
Damon's one of very few veteran players on the Yankees without a full no-trade clause. I would be very happy if he is swapped for a package that included a 1B or some position prospects.
Wang, Pettitte, Clemens, Hughes, Joba.
19 Not permitted, because of the obscure rule that forbids a rotation that would contain two players the sum of whose ages is less than the age of a third player.
http://tinyurl.com/ypvub4
Manny Ramirez is at .656 but with 31 Out of Zone Plays. I'm sure that playing half his games in Fenway have a lot to do with that. In fact, it may have a lot to do with Matsui's numbers as well- does anyone know if the zone is fixed or varies stadium to stadium?
As for Igawa, I think the best option is to see if the Yankees can ship him back to Japan at a discounted price. Not only would the Yankees save some money, but Igawa would stop embarrassing himself and a Japanese team could pick up a pretty good pitcher for their league at a fraction of the price.
24 Price discounted to what? They're only paying him like 5 million a year (or is it less?). For the Yankees that's chump change. The posting fee was the big hit, but that's a sunk cost. They could simply release him and eat the 5 million/year, or ship him back to AAA (one advantage is that he should still have plenty of MiL options).
23 The reality of all this is that - knowing Torre - it's much more likely that he'll put Karstens in the rotation, put Igawa and Hughes in the BP and leave Joba in AAA. Then, when that happens, it's much more likely that he'll let Hughes rot on the bench for a week at a time before using him in a blowout for 0.2 innings during which he gives up 2 runs.
But really, the greater cost is that he uses up a roster spot and a spot of the 40 man roster. For a million a year, just cut cut him and save the hassle.
Though to be fair to Torre, there are very few managers in MLB who would be that creative right now: maybe Scioscia, Bob Geren, Manny Acta, and Ozzie.
26 The one thing you can count on with Torre and prized rookies is that they'll play. There's no way Hughes goes to the bullpen in favor of Karstens or anyone else.
Now, switch "Hughes" with "Joba" in your last sentence, and that sounds more likely, though Zach is scarily right in 23 about the potential for over-use. And I think Joba could handle a multiple inning workload, having been a starter. What really worries me is the stress of warming up and being used so much more frequently than he's used to. Weaver's law says to work a young starter in the bullpen as the long relief guy, not in high-leverage multiple short outings. Something tells me Joe would not use Joba in long relief.
Its one thing to destroy the arms of Steve Karsay and Paul Quantrill. Its quite another to frag the arm of the Yanks' second best pitching prospect of the last 40 years.
Who pitches in the suspended game?
Someone yesterday suggested Wang, on his throw day, but that's out because he was the starter in the suspended game! Vizcaino is also ineligible.
I figure Myers will begin the eighth, and if the tying run comes to the plate, enter Sandman.
It would be cool to have Duncan pinch hit.
How about finishing with Mo for two inning and then take you chances with the next game? It's too bad Clemens is only a 5 inning pitcher, or else you could use Mo for the 8th, then Clemens for the 9th; then twenty minutes later he pitches in the real game.
The Clemens idea isn't bad. Because then you have the entire bullpen available, in the second game -- I guess the only pitcher you re-gain is Vizcaino, but still.
Oh, also, the Chris Ray, who was on the mound for the O's is now on the DL. A-Rod is on deck. Will they bring out a box of balls with "493" printed on them???
But I don't see your point.
I don't expect we'll see Mo in the conclusion game unless absolutely necessary, because Joe will want him for the full game.
Maybe right, but doesn't make a whole lot of sense. A win is a win, and using Mo in 2 run game (a perceived, if not actual, high leverage closer situation) makes more sense than 'saving' him for the later game.
In an article by DAN GRAZIANO of the Star Ledger, he said "And there are also many in the organization who worry that manager Joe Torre could stand in the way of the improvements they try to make." Unfortunately, GRAZIANO didn't say what his sources were.
Now we know DAN GRAZIANO's ONLY motivation is to portray the absolute truth, in the most succinct manner possible... correct?
What other motivation could he have?
Now of course, I have no idea to what degree that statement represents the truth about Joe and those around him. But NoMass has picked it up (and reprinted it in 'its got to be the truth' bold type) And I have seen it elsewhere in the blogosphere. I believe I have read it three times, so it MUST be true.
Yes, when it comes to what personel the multi-million dollar Yankee organization gets, it's Joe Torre with the final say. I'll bet Cashman and many others were saying "Oh gee, oh shucks... I wish Torre would let us get Milton Bradley (a true Yankee type if ever I've seen one).
I got no facts, only my own dumb, prejudiced opinion. I believe Cashman respects Torre, and knows Torre decides who plays and who doesn't. My guess is Cashman, and the other powers that be, listen to Joe and take what he says into account before they make their decisions.
But I don't think Torre is driving the boat. He just has a seat near the front. Just IMHO.
That he told this story on Boston's own garbage 'sports talk' radio station, WEEI, makes it even more suspect in my book.
And how is Canseco "vindicated"? I don't recall him pointing fingers at middle relievers and crappy powerless hitters as steroid users in his first book.
I don't know if anyone listened to Torre talking to Francesa yesterday, but it was an interesting conversqation - not at all what a lot of Banterers would expect. Even when Giambi came back, he described Damon's role as basically that of a fourth outfielder, maybe third-and-a-half - play a day or two a week in center, spell Matsui sometimes. Of course, that's assuming that Damon doesn't begin playing btter than Melky, which is still a distinct possibility.
Torre also talked about the possibility of using Joba in the bullpen, and he made it clear that he'd have to get - and accept - guidance from the front office on how he should be used. He specifically talked about how valuable Joba is, and that his usage would have to be within that context.
What really bothers me is 1)now A-Rod has to answer a bunch of idiotic questions as he can't catch a break and 2)no matter how true it is his perfect record of never being in question for PEDs is gone, even given the source.
You're right he has only pointed his finger at people who are more successful than him.
Now the Damon stuff I could believe, because last year in the regular season, after Matsui came back, Melky did play regularly.
And look at who has gotten caught with the testing: Minor leaguers and journeyman players. With Jose saying this on the Boston radio station, does that mean Alex has crossed the Red Sox off his list for off season negotiations.
Use Mo in the first game, if it is a save situation. There's no guarantee the full game won't be a blow out, and you have to worry more about winning a winnable game.
By next season they would have a better idea what they have with Igawa, and Hughes and Joba. Hell, the starting rotation could include all three!
If there were a way to recoup the money, sure, that would be smarter, but plainly there isn't.
"• August 1986: In July of 1986, Syracuse Chiefs outfielder Dale Holman released a book entitled, "Dale Holman's Concepts of Hitting." The next day, to commemorate his book release, those compassionate Syracuse Chiefs released him. But it worked out great. He wound up signing with the Braves. And a few weeks later, he found himself playing for Richmond, in the very same International League, in a continuation of a June 30 suspended game against (yep) Syracuse. Which made it possible for him to hit a single and a double for Richmond plus a double and two RBIs for Syracuse. In the same game. Whoah. We need to get ahold of that book. "
Not to mention Joba (unless he's filling Pettitte's slot, but I bet Andy comes back once more to say good-bye to the Stadium), and Kennedy - though they aren't on the 40-man roster either.
So yeah, I think its worthwhile to keep Igawa around, but if he's filling in as the 5th starter at some point next year, something has gone horribly wrong.
Second, I agre that they should groom promising young players like Clippard; no doubt. But you present a false dichotomy: there is no reason Clippard et al can't be groomed as emergency options while at the same time keeping Igawa as yet another emergency option. When the 40 man roster is filled with names that don't include Chris Basak, then we can talk.
Third, Clippard et al are the most attractive trade bait the Yankees have w/o giving up the gig guns.
Fourth, saving 10 million over the next four years (or maybe 4 million) only matters if the money that is saved will be put to good use. Maybe they use that few million to lan Teixera, but I suspect that at level of cash, one Igawa more or less doesn't matter.
Fifth, I am under no illusion about Igawa's ability or potential. It would all depend on the deal. If a team offered to pick up most of salaray, why not move right away? But to save a few million dollars over four years, I'm not so sure.
Sixth, following on the theme of "if Igawa is the fifth starter, something has gone horribly wrong"--
The Yankees have vast financial advantages over most other teams in teh league, and these can be put to use in a number of different ways. Most observers only focus on their ability to outbid other teams for premier FA talent, but that's only part of teh story. They have teh ability to shrug off mistakes (like Igawa) easier than other teams, whose margins of error are much slimmer. Finally, they have the resources to establish depth in ways that other teams simply cannot.
Yes, having Igawa as the fifth starter means something has gone horribly wrong. But other teams wouldn't even have that option--they would pulling dregs up from AA or lower. For what is likely a 1 million a year savings, that's not bad insurance.
64 I don't see how that matters in this discussion. Pretty much, all it means is the Yankees can do anything from keep him, sell him at a discount or drop him outright. I think we all agree the Yankees have the flexibility to do that. The question is what would you do.
I'd be shocked if he leaves. It's not just that he's guaranteed $16M for next year; I really think that Pettitte is one of the few players who's not all about the money. I don't think it's coincidence that when he left NY, it was to go back home; and when he left Houston, it was to come back to NY.
In fact, I can't think of an analogous situation, period. So I don't see any reason to disbelieve it, especially since we do know that the fron office is interested.
33 OMG! Yes, that's a great idea. Use Clemens for a 2 inning save! 24 years, over 20,000 batters faced, 4,875 inning pitched... no saves. Clemens has no saves in his entire career. This has got to be the only opportunity he'll have for the rest of his life. Man, I wish I had Torre's number. This is an historic opportunity.
Iggy has a salary of $4/yr. All things being equal, that's cheap for a SP. But to date, his performance has not even been worth that.
If we can get him into a 4.5-5.0 ERA guy for a stretch of 5 games or more:
1) He is a viable/above average 5th starter.
2) He is (as said) a 'break glass in case of emergency' guy. Yes, we have lots of good kids, but funny things happen to pitchers, including injuries
3) He has trade value... I think. I don't know if he has a no-trade contract. Anyone know?
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