Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
The Yankees are 4-3 against the White Sox thus far this season and most recently took three of four from the Chisox in Chicago in early June. This week's three-game series marks the Sox's only visit to the Bronx on the season. Since the Yanks were last in Chicago, the Sox have gone 22-27 (.449), which is a pretty close match for their overall winning percentage of .457. That's just what this team is. The Sox have won three of their last four series, losing to Boston, but beating the Indians, Tigers, and Blue Jays, still, they're a mere 8-7 over that stretch. One thing that has changed is that the Sox are finally scoring some runs, scoring 5.21 runs per game in July after scoring just 3.90 per game over the first three months of the season. Of course, they've started allowing runs too, giving up 6.11 per game in July after allowing 4.68 per game through the end of June.
And so it goes for the White Sox, who have tossed in the towel by flipping free-agent-to-be Tad Iguchi to Philadelphia where he'll fill the second base hole vacated by Chase Utley's broken hand. Twenty-four-year-old lefty Danny Richar, whom the Chisox picked up from the Diamondbacks in a swap of minor leaguers back in mid-June, and veteran backup Alex Cintron will look to fill that hole for the Pale Hose now. The Sox were unable to deal fellow pending free agent Jermaine Dye, however, or tonight's starter Jose Contreras.
No surprise about Contreras, who has been awful since the end of May. After posting a 3.71 ERA in his first nine starts, six of which were quality starts, Contreras has posted a 8.27 ERA and a 1-9 record over his last 11, only three of which have been quality starts. Limit it to his last eight starts and that ERA swells to 9.32, and 11.05 over his last five (all loses). Things have just taken a nose dive from there. Here's Contreras's line in his last two starts combined:
12 IP, 22 H, 19 R, 6 BB, 5 K, 3 HR
El Titan de Bronze has actuall pitched fairly well against his former team in two starts this year (14 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 11 K, O HR) despite losing both, but one assumes some correction will occur to that line tonight.
Mike Mussina's two starts against the White Sox have been more of a mixed bag, but in his last he locked horns with Contreras and hurled six innings, allowing just one run on four hits, no walks, and no homers. Chances are Moose, who will looking for his first quality start in three tries, won't be quite that sharp tonight, but it shouldn't take much to outpitch Contreras.
Note: I'll update this post with news of the roster changes resulting from the Betemit deal when I have them. Peter Abraham reports that Phil Hughes is in the Bronx and will pitch on Saturday, but he doesn't say that Hughes has been activated yet. The Yanks could just let Betemit replace Proctor and let Hughes replace Chris Basak on Saturday, but I'd imagine they'll farm out Basak for a stop-gap reliever before game time.
Update: No moves today. Proctor is gone, but Betemit isn't here yet and the Yanks will play a man short for tonight as a result.
Chicago White Sox
2007 Record: 48-57 (.457)
2007 Pythagorean Record: 43-62 (.414)
Manager: Ozzie Guillen
General Manager: Kenny Williams
Home Ballpark (2007 Park Factors): U.S. Cellular Field (103/102)
Who's Replacing Whom?
Danny Richar replaces Tad Iguchi
Josh Fields (minors) replaces Joe Crede (DL)
Scott Podsednik (DL) replaces Rob Mackowiak
Darin Erstad (DL) replaces Luis Terrero (DL)
Charles Haeger replaces Nick Masset (minors)
Gavin Floyd replaces Dewon Day (minors)
Ehren Wassermann replaces Bret Prinz
25-man Roster:
1B – Paul Konerko (R)
2B – Danny Richar (L)
SS – Juan Uribe (R)
3B – Josh Fields (R)
C – A.J. Pierzynski (R)
RF – Jermaine Dye (R)
CF – Jerry Owens (L)
LF – Scott Podsednik (L)
DH – Jim Thome (L)
Bench:
S – Alex Cintron (IF)
L - Darin Erstad (CF)
R – Andy Gonzalez (IF)
R – Toby Hall (C)
Rotation:
L – Mark Buehrle
R – Javier Vazquez
R – Jose Contreras
L – John Danks
R – John Garland
Bullpen:
R – Bobby Jenks
L – Matt Thornton
L – Boone Logan
R - Ryan Bukvich
R - Charles Haeger
R - Ehren Wassermann
R - Gavin Floyd
15-day DL: R – Luis Terrero (OF), R - Mike MacDougal
60-day DL: R - Joe Crede (3B), R - Pablo Ozuna (UT)
Typical Lineup:
L – Jerry Owens (CF)
R - Josh Fields (3B)
L - Jim Thome (DH)
R – Paul Konerko (1B)
L – A.J. Pierzynski (C)
R – Jermaine Dye (RF)
L – Scott Podsednik (LF)
R – Juan Uribe (SS)
L - Danny Richar (2B)
FWIW, the only White Sox pitchers off whom A-Rod has homered are John Garland (2) and Ryan Buckvich (1).
Yeah, I think Damon has seen his last glimpse of CF.
So, will an inning like that inspire Moose to have a good game? I'll say yes. (Banking on the cruddy CWS line-up.)
Oh, was that just for the Thome shift? LOL, my bad... I thought Derek was hurt.
Brian Cashman said emphatically that Joba Chamberlain will be a starter come 2008. He is close to his innings cap this season, so using him as a reliever makes sense in that regard.
A Little rest for Jetes?
Now Alex has nobody to knock in.
32 But not better for us than leaving in Contreras!
Next week or so: Hughes, Giambi and Joba. Looking good.
36 He's late and should be fined. That swap was discussed for a month. I don't like this guy already...
David (San Francisco, CA): Who's the biggest loser for NOT making a move? Yankees? Angels?
Trade Deadline Team: Nationals. For the second year in a row, Jim Bowden let trade value go uncashed. The Nationals just don't have enough talent in house to do that.
I'm probably going to lead with this in PT, but I'll throw a nod the Yankees' way as well. I just keep coming back to this notion: if Kason Gabbard, David Murphy and Elgin Beltre yielded Eric Gagne, why isn't Eric Gagne a Yankee?
Joe (Washington, DC): Well, Brian Cashman claims that the Rangers insisted on Ian Kennedy or Melky Cabrera. If that's true, then isn't it wise that he didn't make the move for Gagne?
Trade Deadline Team: Ian Kennedy is exactly the kind of guy you move at the deadline. Lower-upside, your fourth-, fifth- or sixth-best prospect, someone who is unlikely to go Jeff Bagwell on you.
Cabrera is more or less the same guy, with the caveat that the Yankees need him right now, as he's their only CF.
You have to mentally divide the guys you don't trade from the guys you do. Kennedy is in the latter category, and if not dealing him was the stumbling block, Cashman made a mistake.
Everyone saves a fortune in travel expenses.
He's spot on. And if they don't get Joba et al. up to help in the bullpen, Mo is going to a lot more than simply "explore" the free agent market, count on it.
I guess Moose doesn't have a lot of movement after all.
;)
Blows that the BoSox got him though.
Did Uribe (10 for 66) hit a HR against Moose?
Please... break it to me gently.
1st: Good Moose, Bad Contreras
2nd: Bad Moose, Good Contreras
3rd: Good Moose, ?
If the pattern continues, the Yanks will be in good shape.
I figure next AB should be The One. Assuming Contreras is still pitching.
Why did Matsui not advance to third?? It's not likely to matter, but still.
And I was just going to complain that the Caught Stealing was a rally-killer.
Keep 'em coming. Still not Moose proof.
So let's get some walks!
I love knuckleball pitchers.
He cut Farnsworth?
OK. Ten runs it is.
Big Papi goes yard. O's over Sox, 4-2, but Beckett looking good.
Mattpat: figure out this strike zone.
RIYank: stand Scott Podsednik.
I hope ARod is relaxed enough to have a laugh at whats going on around him. JD, Jetes and Philips left.
61 I think Sheehan is over-reacting too, but its clearly because he doesn't value Kennedy highly. I don't see how he ranks Kennedy at the 4th, 5th, or 6th best Yanks prospect.
Here is Kevin Goldstein's top 10 list from January, with my comments:
Excellent Prospects
1. Philip Hughes, rhp
2. Jose Tabata, rf
Very Good Prospects
3. Joba Chamberlain, rhp
4. Humberto Sanchez, rhp
5. Dellin Betances, rhp
Good Prospects
6. Kevin Whelan, rhp
Average Prospects
7. Tyler Clippard, rhp
8. J. Brent Cox, rhp
9. Ian Kennedy, rhp
10. Alberto Gonzalez, ss
Let's start with the obvious. Hughes is out, since he's in the bigs now. Cox is penalized for missing most of the season; so is Sanchez, who'll miss all of it. I think, given his recent struggles, Clippard is now behind Kennedy. Whelan is at AA, with a great K/9 (11.5) but an awful BB/9 (7.9!) and a crappy K:BB (1.45), so he's behind Kennedy, who was great at AA.
That leaves Joba (who's probably #1), Tabata, and Betances. Kennedy has succeeded at AA and (so far) at AAA; Betances hasn't played in a full season league yet. I think Kennedy has to be above Dellin. And depending on how you dock Tabata for his lack of power (.386 SLG compared to .420 last year at the same level!), you might even put Kennedy ahead of him.
And I can't think of anyone else in the system who's played so well this year that you have to list them ahead of Kennedy.
I might send this to Joe, see what he thinks.
For those keeping track:
Abreu + Matsui + Cano + Melky + Posada = 573 career homers.
126 Credit where credit is due.
Good god. The White Sox bullpen seriously sucks. Or I guess it wouldn't make sense for them to wheel out good pitchers now, would it?
Moose now inches away from a Q-Start, after that disgusting second inning.
Texas up on Cleveland, 3-1 after 7.
Could be a very good day.
Does any one have any stats or studies they can link to? I've always wondered about a time series analysis that might show whether a team, after a 15 run game, is more or less likely to score under their running average in the next game or two. That would kind of support the Rickey Henderson/Pedro Cerrano theory that bats have a certain number of hits "in them". I don't buy that, these should be (mostly) independent probabilities.
Yanks doing well tonight.
I wonder who would've come over for Kyle.... If it was Davies, who they sent to KC for Dotel, seems like a pretty big mistake by Cash - Davies maybe could'a been flipped to Texas for part of Gagne... or something.
All speculation though on the return, cuz i doubt anything other than a bag o balls would've been coming back from ATL.
My lord Godzilla is a monster! (Poor A-Rod!)
Thirteen dingers this month for him.
UPDATE, 9:03 p.m.: It seems the Yankees could have gotten rid of Krazy Kyle. Atlanta was willing to trade the Yankees Bob Wickman but wanted all $7.1 million of Farnsworth's salary. That was a no deal for Cashman.
Meanwhile, Cashman was praising Ross Ohlendorf, saying he hit 97 in a recent relief outing and could be somebody in the mix.
Tell you what, for years people have been saying the Yankees need to get younger. I agree with them. Younger player have hunger and passion and they need some doses of that. Using Chamberlain, Ramirez, Ohlendorf and Hughes down the stretch will be pretty interesting to watch. Gagne is good but giving up Melky or Kennedy for 20 innings makes no sense.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
i'm all for making krazy go away, but not the cost of all his dough AND having to take on someone who's not much of an improvement on the mound while having to pay that player's salary as part of the priviledge of ridding ourselves of worthless
it's not like anyone's going to claim worthless on waivers, and it's not like cashman's going to stop trying to make kyle disappear, we can always DFA the lunk and save ourselves some money over what this proposed deal would have cost us ...
I missed that.
154 Boy I hope he keeps up a bit of this.
If the Yanks get shut out tomorrow, we're all going to wish that they saved some runs. =)
C'mon on Baltimore bullpen! Bedard was awesome, but he's over 110 pitches, so its in the O's relievers' hands now.
Whoa, boos for Kyle. Harsh. Deserved, but harsh.
Can he? Can he?
Maybe Kyle being 'demoted' to the 7th inning (or mop up situations) will be the kick in the rear he needs to get righted.
/dream off
Hey, I just realized - Moose pitched a really good game with Posada behind the plate!
ya, that's sarcasm. seriously though, F this guy. almost broke Po's wrist, and like the booth boys are saying, how do you get crossed up with just a guy on first, no switched signs... just F this guy.
Po and the others being gracious with Farns in the dugout, that's good of them.
Did I ask this before? What's that?
174 I believe its when Kyle throws three straight balls . . . except I don't think he did that. Hmm.
This is a cruel joke for A-Rod, isn't it?
Jetes and Andy left,
If Andy hits a home run . . .
A Rod had a couple of good at bats tonight. Got robbed by Dye, hit the ball square in his last at bat. Just wasn't his night.
Listening to Michael Kay's preamble each time A Rod comes to bat is nothing short of exhausting.
Torre has to leave him out there at 3B too - can you imagine if he took A-Rod out, and then Cairo or Basak homered in his place?
Oh wait, 8 HRs, hmmm....but you can't hit those consistently I thought?
All runs in the game except Phillips's sac fly scored by HR.
His response will most likely be the textbook definition of magnanimity.
He missed a month last year. Did he have no starts planned?
Papi hits another. O's up 5-3, 1 out, bottom of the 8th at Fenway. Make that 2 outs.
228 And if you're faint of heart, don't look at Mike Lowell's Gameday photo.
Also, Cleveland has lost.
I know, I know, time to get on a couch in someone's office....
the team record for home runs, single game, was 8, against the Philadelphia A's, June 28, 1939--
let's break it!
(But the O's are threatening. SORRY!)
I have an idea what that means, but it has a dirty word in it...
(Just saying that makes me want to punch myself in the face)l
Crisp up.
A Google-wide search for the term does not reveal any results outside of the Banter.
Full count to Hinske
2 on 1 out.
Lugo up.
Baltimore isn't going to blow this, are they?
Ah, a good day.
257 A not very scientific Google search leads me to believe that Zach is the first person to use EDSP as the shortened form of "Every Day Scott(ie) Proctor". It seems Steve L at WasWatching came up with the full version first.
The Dodgers will find a way to use him tonight, won't they?
And I have no idea who pitches for the Sox tomorrow, unless Mr. Blowhard is ready to come back already.
With that - g'night, all.
Shelley's was my favorite, too. Because now he has 4 HR in 21 AB, which I consider good. Joe apparently does not.
July 21: 7, 17
July 22: 21
July 23: 9
July 24: 9
July 25: 7
July 29: 10
July 31: 16
That's just one month, but I would hope it would finally put to rest this nonsense about "the day after you score a lot of runs you can't score any runs."
I can't really take credit for EDSP, it was a team effort. I'm just really glad to make my contribution, you know, its all about the Banter. I just hope to continue my run of it :)
Just read that the Sox don't expect Gagne to resign with them, which does make him a bit on the expensive side...
One more bad injury and poof, Papelbon into the roation, and Gange closes. Then he'd be a lot more likely to sign. Either way, if Mo really does decide to sign elsewhere, we can make a run at Gange, should he stay healthy. Well, unless the skies open, pigs fly, or Jesus shows up in Times Square, and Joe allows a kid to get some quality innings in relief.
Fortifying the bench is a fringe benefit of the deal. If Rodriguez stays put, we can let Cairo go or trade Betemit, but more importantly, at least to me, it states clearly to Alex that Cashman was serious about not talking with him should he opt out. We already have his replacement in a young talented player who can be developed. Now the ball is in his court.
I think I've mentioned before how much I love reading through game threads on monster wins.
Here's how I would negotiate with A-Rod:
Cashman: Hi Alex.
A-Rod: Hi Brian.
Cashman: So, uh, how much do ya want?
A-Rod: A million Billion Dollars.
Cashman: Ok.
A-Rod: Cool.
Cashman: Wanna grab lunch? My treat?
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