Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
What to say, what to say? We've bitched and moaned for two days now as the Angels have once again handed the Bombers their bacon. Lots of humble pie round these parts, dag nabit. The Yanks put Andy Pettitte on the spot to come up with another huge performance tonight, hoping they end their losing skid at two. It'd sure be nice to see 'em leave Southern California with a victory. Unfortunately, they've got to deal with the tough John Lackey, but hey, playoff teams beat good pitchers, and if the Yanks think of themselves as a playoff team, well, they'll have to face the likes of Lackey, Escobar, Beckett and Matsuzaka somewhere along the line. So never mind the bollocks, Let's Go Yan-Kees!
Go Rays. Go Yanks.
4 outs to go for the Rays.
3 outs to go. Youk, Papi, Lowell coming up.
Time for the Rays to tack on some insurance.
I'm ready for some fine Yankee baseball.
Papi walks, and I'm off to bed - early meeting tomorrow. Go Yanks (please win).
And Andy gets them 1,2,3 in the first.
How are we doing?
How 'bout that.
Nice play, Robby.
Bud on coke would explain a lot
something for Wilson to offer at.
He hit it well enough.
Something makes me think that the only scoring in this game will come from an A-bomb.
Andy's a golden god.
That's really prodigious, when you stop and think about it.
I love his discipline these days.
This is really frustrating.
Nice job, Jorgie!
Laced down the letftfield line.
Gorgeous fucking hitting.
How does he take the first two and then swing at the same pitch 2-0?
It was looking so good at 2-0.
He threw the ball away!
Jorgie being Jorgie.
;)
They respond to every fucking thing we ever do.
It's demoralizing.
Hate.
This.
Team.
Nice job.
Boston lost?
Excellent.
And a great slider.
When did Lackey's stuff get so good?
He wasn't this good in 2002, was he?
Three calls that weren't even close.
Sick pitch.
They slap it around.
That pitch looked fat.
Ah, "You got me fired up there, Michael..."
Thirty.
A lot of solid contact, but I guess everyone's off balance?
He doesn't dominate, but he gets you out.
Noooooooooooo!!!!!!!1
I fucking hate this team!!!
Nice pitch, Andy.
Wow, remember when Mike could do that?
KILL ME!!!!!!!
Oh no.
The 1-1, not so much.
I hate this team, I hate this stadium.
Andy's a golden god.
Andy!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What can we do, he's the wink link.
I like the idea, it shows promise.
Ok, we gotta get him home.
Yayyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!
Jorgie takes third!
Come on, TEam, let's fucking do this.
Oh, fuck, Vlad.
Damn it.
Ever.
Wow, Melky came through!!
One pitch after looking helpless!
Yaaaaayyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!
Jeter has to get a big hit here...he is way past due.
Yaaaaaaayyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!1
Derekkkk!!!!!!!!!
Yay!!!!!!!!!
Oh, who cares, Captain Clutch!
Will that cut it for ya?
:)
ha hah ah a hah aha.!!1
That's really fucking funny!
First runner, he's gone?
As I see it, the "cold" mode ends tonight (hopefully) or tomorrow, and then it's right back into "hot" mode when the chase will be down to around 2 games in the division and the cycle will repeat with several losses in row, everyone throwing in the towel, then back on fire to pull ahead of Boston. The cycle continues like that until the Yanks are # 1 in American League East at the end of the season.
Remember this.
Oh, there's a rule.
Right.
He should have started the inning, in that case.
We're playing with fire leaving Andy in here.
He's pitched brilliantly, but things can turn around so fast, especially with him and against this team.
Not that Torre would ever do that . . .
Wait, what?
Who's getting up, exactly?
And if not now, frankly when?
Andy's a golden god.
Am I alone in treating tonight with an importance perhaps beyond its actuality?
And I think this game is immensely important.
Abreu!!!!!!!!!!!11
Wow!!
He keeps hitting them out to dead center lately.
He's really got power there.
YAHOO
But here comes bobby with some insurance!! BoYa!
His performance reminds me a lot of a late vintage Moose performance.
What a crisp, briskly moving game.
Hideki!!
He really smoked it right by him.
...well, probably keep listening. Who am I kidding?
Way to smoke that Po!
Still Joba?
I've been listening a little lately and it just infuriates me that I never know what's actually going on in the game.
He withholds the most perfunctory information (inning, score, runners, outs) for minutes on end while going on and on about god knows what.
Great hit Jorgie!
Wow, he just punched it down the line.
I love watching Jorgie hit.
One bad game under Moose's watch.
is this game Farnsy proof yet?
Ah, they're getting a taste of their own medicine, now.
I think the O has more than done the job this series...pitching, in particular Moose, Viz and Hughes, were the real disappointments. We might have taken one more game if one of the latter two had been on their game.
Oh, and nice Melky!
I might lean toward using him for one inning and throwing some slop out there for the ninth, assuming the lead stays at five or six (or more) runs.
He's going to be really, really good.
He was not good the other night.
The Red Sox are 14-12 in games started by Daisuke Matsuzaka. The Yankees are 7-5 in games when Kei Igawa pitched. I'm just saying.
He just pours it on in there, doesn't he?
340 You've made that abundantly clear.
This guy's too good to be true.
He just challenged Vlad right down the pipe.
"Somewhat awe-inspiring inning," says Kay.
Indeed it was.
I've noticed he has two different sliders. He throws one early in the count, middle low. Then he has the two strike slider, which dives well out of the zone. Impressive that he can do that this early on in his career.
Did I miss something? Are we watching Joba's AAA games?
In happier news, Joba is like what Farnsworth would be if he was worth a shit.
(especially since the Angels announcers were proclaiming the need to get Andy out and bring in Joba because Andy was so effective)
I want Joba vs. Fatty and The Beast in Boston.
Wow.
Nice hit.
405 You're right about Kay, though. He loves that triple digit (as if those stadium guns are actually trustworthy). Funny stuff.
Now, I know that day will never come.
HAowie Kendrick!
Detroit's next?
And Kay loves 100 mph. He periodically lectures us, the fans, because we don't appreciate Worthless' 100 mph-ishness.
I'm not down on Hughes long term, but even he said he had nothing. That's why I referred to him as a disappointment -- but just for this series. Not expecting him to be Roger or Maddux, but I hoped he'd be savvy enough not to put scrubs on base or give up hits to them in big situations.
What a pity.
Wait. What?
It's precisely that kind of mediocre performance that makes me think he's special.
even with a day-off tomorrow, I don't get this at all....
I don't.
No, but it sounds like it, doesn't it?
I've been trying to figure that out for two years.
HURRY UP
This is vintage bad Mo.
Cheap hits.
Is there now any doubt that Worthless would have blown the game?
Now, for some heresy. If the Yankees make the playoffs, and you were manager, would you consider using Joba as your primary closer (using Mo on his rest day)?
What the hell, Mo? Get this done.
It is a swing.
It is a great problem to have, that's for sure. But if it's game seven and Manny and Ortiz are coming up, I want Joba out there as of today.
460 If it continues like this I'd think even Mariano would agree that Joba should come in at the fireman moments...
460 If it continues like this I'd think even Mariano would agree that Joba should come in at the fireman moments...
If Not, he's better than Kay.
Nice win, Team!
Andy's a golden god.
There we go Mo! Big win tonight Andy!
Thanks, Andy! : )
Whether or not to resign Mo is a question that has to be be determined on its merits. I suspect there is still a lot of life left in his arm, even if his role in the next year or two changes. But IF he is no longer an elite closer (and I'm not saying that's the case), then how much do you pay--and for how many years--to keep him?
jorgie, mo, alex and abreu will most likely all be back next year. if we make the playoffs, mr. torre might be back, too. could be worse, i guess...
if you have a 1 run lead in the bottom of the 9th of an elimination game, you would give the ball to a rookie over mo?
You mean it never existed?!
If Mo asks for a 5 year contract at 10 million/year, the team should sign him no matter what? The team is only now recovering from all the overly long contracts that were doled out in the past. Thank goodness you guys don't run the club.
Hear that, Mike?
Now Vandalay 509 makes a good point, that closer or not Mo would be the best (or in that case, second best) option out of the BP. But even so, there is a limit. How much is an elite set up man worth?
I'm not saying that Mo is suddenly worthless (or Worthless, to invoke Mattpat). I also don't really believe that he has entirely lost it. But he is not young, and he is demonstably and objectively having his worst season as a reliever--possibly his worst season ever if we discount his rookie year as a part time starter.
If he demanded more than two or three years, especially at 10 million, I would probably let him walk. Frankly, first base for sure, and possibly third base, are bigger concerns next year than closer.
like i said, we are not likely to ever feel stuck with him. for one thing, as you cite, he doesn't always have to be the closer to have value. but the bigger thing is that money is not the issue here. the yankees can afford to make mistakes by giving too much money. that being the case, can they afford to make the mistake of not giving enough money? if he wants 4 years and the yankees are only willing to give 3, are you still going to think it was the right move if he saves 40 games for the tigers next year?
I wonder when he's going to start using that changeup we saw in spring training.
There have been plenty of occasions this year he might have been well-served by it.
Am I willing to think it was the right move if he goes on to have one or two great years elesewhere? yep. I have said all along that trading Sheff was the right move at the time--I said it when he started cold, I said it when he slugged the hell out of the ball, and I said it when he went down for the season.
As for the Yankees being able to afford mistakes--true. but that doesn't mean they should try to make mistakes. And, the budget is not unlimited, despite what some believe. If push came to shove, I would rather the 10 million/year be used to resign A-Rod, who is right now the far better gamble (as all signings are gambles).
In any case, this off season whould be interesting and provide plenty of fodder for future debates!
and this wouldn't be trying to make a mistake, it would be trying to keep one of your best players of the last few years, and trying to avoid having him hurt you with another team. i don't think it's a question of whether the money can be used to sign mo or arod. i think there is plenty for both, and that the arod situation is totally separate. considering that the yankees really don't have that many needs, plus the fact that they now have so many players making the minimum, i think you give the money to someone who has been so great for so many years, even if he's getting old and hasn't been quite as good this year. maybe it will turn out to be a mistake, but not nearly the mistake that letting him go would be if he is still good.
goodnight.
Then THAT's a problem, because the whole debate seems to revolve around whether or not he is worth signing for a longish term deal even if no longer an elite closer.
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