Posted in last thread, but instead of rehashing the sins, let's try and find a resolution...

You know what I'd really like to see come out of this, an increased attention to the art/science/footwork/placement of the catching position. A mandate (in Spring) could be made that a call from, say the 3B, that a throw home could result in a close play, allowing the catcher to cut off the throw and leave the plate. That would be an acceptable solution, no? Also, I learned when I was 13 the (for lack of a name) Pivot-and-stick-your-left-leg-out, while applying the tag, sending the runner to a violent encounter with the dirt. I think that there are a lot of sloppy defensive catchers out there and I would welcome an opportunity to see the finer defensive points of the position emphasized.

1 I don't really follow your descriptions, but regarding that sticking your left leg out move, that's how Posada had his leg shattered in the minors and why he wouldn't block the plate until Girardi became bench coach in 2005 and worked with him on it.

Not for nothing, but great post by Cliff here. My man is in mid-season form these days, don't you think?

I'm home in NJ for a few days, so this is the first Yankees action I've seen this year. I'm actually turning off the conference tourneys to watch, which is a big deal for me.

3 word. Well done, Cliff.

Those are some really ugly uniforms the Pirates have on.

Thanks, guys. Pete Abe has more on Stump:

"Stump Merrill was back at Legends Field today with a nasty cut on his lip. He lost a tooth and needed a root canal but is otherwise OK."

Jesus, beautiful breaking ball by Moose there.

CAlled strike three.

3 Most certainly.

I love the "embarrassment" theme. Deftly done.

4 Hooray!

Happy 2008!

3 Mid-season form, indeed. Although, I'm of the opinion that the posters here never have an "off"-season form. That is one of the things that makes this place so great: you can always count on quality posts (non-baseball topics and conflicts of interest [remember Rob Gee ;-) ] included).

Crystal ahead, 2-1.

3-1.

3 Here, here!

7 There are worse things than losing a tooth and having a root canal, but still - ouch.

Strike three.

Two nasty pitches bearing in on his hands to get him.

Just for the record, I am not embarassed by either Duncan or Crystal. I don't think the Yankees are either.

And that's that.

Talk about embarrassing, if that Pirates pitcher had walked Billy Crystal. Would be an automatic ticket back to the minors.

16 Pirates and embarrassing seem to go hand-in-hand.

I have to admit seeing the players laughing and having a good time with Crystal was a better payoff than I expected.
I still don't like it, but it made the fun-loving sucker in me smile. What can I say? I'm a mush.

18 Softy.

Moose's curve looks sweet today. If he can improve his offspeed stuff, the lack of fastball velocity won't be as much of a problem.

Mike's looking good out there.

Mixing pitches really nicely, hitting spots.

NIce running catch by Matsui.

Terrible pitch by Mike, though. Way too much of the plate and up for a fastball with no velocity.

After a brutal August, Moose was pretty solid in September. I don't think it is far fetched to think he can be a league average starter.

A nice Matsui special, tapped to first.

2 I wasn't aware of that. Seems like you're damned if you do, damned if you don't, which further emphasizes my call for strong defensive fundamentals at the catcher position. Sadly, the focus on offense from that position seems to take precedent. I would love to see more I-Rod's in the league than Piazza's. Perhaps Jorge's late-coming into the position made him a little gun-shy. Making the transition from any other position is not easy, but I would say that 3B is the closest (mainly because they are more prone to blocking the ball/staying in front).
3 Yes, the moderators are looking like it's going to be a career year. Is it too early to start chanting "M-V-P"?

I had to check the calendar to make sure this wasn't a regular season game. Did anyone order the URP?

Wow! Cone just said that O'Neill has some Rizzuto in him, based on O'Neill's folksy grumping away about standing on line in Cincinnati.

You know what?--he's totally right.

O'Neill's got that same corny lovable folksiness.

Very apt, Coney.

Another terrible pitch by Mike.

"Fastball" right down the middle, skied to Melky.

Dangerous, dangerous pitch.

Cone also did a good job of pointing out that Molina could very well be Moose's personal catcher this season.

Speaking of backups, the Sox have reportedly released Mirabelli. I wonder who catches Wakefield?

29 Billy Crystal?

29 Don't worry, some team will sign him and then the Red Sox will trade a top prospect for Mirabelli, who will then have a police escort to Fenway.

30 It looks as if he could hit better than Mirabelli.

I like J. Gomes but I think it's funny that he said he "nearly went gangster" on Shelley Duncan. What does that mean exactly? It's like when people casually say, "That's so ghetto," even though they've never been to one. I'm not saying that Gomes hasn't had a hard background, but ugh, real gangsters don't talk about "going gangster" now do they?

29 Not sure how Moose will feel about that, but I imagine he understands it's time to accept he's a #5 type, and no longer gets the ace treatment.

33 :)

MTV generation.

34 Actually, I think Moose might like having Molina.

26 Maholm?

29 : As of right now it'll be good-glove/no-bat Kevin Cash.

Woo, a hit! From a backup catcher!

36 perhaps, but probably not run support-wise.

My man Molina!

Just poking it through the hole on the right side, a la Luis Sojo.

I like this Molina a lot.

I agree 100% with O'Neill and having been saying since the Cervelli incident...Maddon bears most of the responsibility for this situation escalating.

36 I agree, but from an offense point of view, shouldn't all the big guns be in the lineup when the guy likely to be the worst of the starters is pitching?

42 For those of us scoring at um, work. It'd help if you told us what you are agreeing with :).

43 Good point.

33 yeah, I don't know much from gangster myself, but what I saw from Gomes was more "Lord Of The Dance" than Sonny Corleone.

43 Except that usually the BUC goes in day games following night games, along with a number of other substitutions.

I don't know, maybe I'm stuck in the Torre days. Perhaps we won't see the House Money lineup as much with Girardi, who may be more willing to spread around the days off.

Ok, here's a question. If the other Joe was still managing this team, would Crystal have a shot at making the roster? He's a veteran with lots of great clubhouse charisma.

47 Ah, ye goode olde House Money lineup.

Where have you gone, Joe Torre, mehmattski turns his lonely eyes to you.

48 Ha ha ha hah ah ah aahh a ah !!

He's also from NY, knows the media, knows how to handle himself.

So, what's the etiquette for normally "unmentionable topics," during Spring Training? There's plenty of fans who can't follow the game. Should we let them in on the secret?

48 But is his belly full of guts, or a nice MLT, where the mutton is nice and lean and the tomato is ripe?

49 What's that you say, weeping for brunnhilde? Joe Torre's left and gone to LA, hey hey hey, hey hey hey.

YES just said Moose's 10+ wins for twelve seasons is an American League record.

How can that be?

All those 300 game winners and none of them has accomplished that?

Craziness.

51 Secret? What secret?

Well, Moose is through 4 no hit innings. Still I'm worried at the 1K and 3/8 GO/FO ratio. Were there a lot of well hit balls?

Yahoo sez Schilling is out at least until the All-Star break. (heh)

55 Not just no hit...

Most of the fly balls have been weak popups, no further than 200 feet. There was one humpback liner that Cano caught in the first.

55 A couple. I think he got away with a little bit of undisciplined hitting that's helped him out, but in fairness, I also think he's kept them off balance enough to get away with a few poorly spotted fastballs.

Against a better team I think he gets hit around a little: those mistakes would have been tatooed.

33 Alex, the bastardization of hip hop vernacular and its infiltration into mainstream society has been going on for a while. Besides, this country has long loved colorful expressions of macho swagger, whether they're rooted in Westerns, Mob movies, or cop thrillers. Doesn't surprise me that gangsta rap would provide fertile ground for mainstream society to plunder.

Not that I approve or anything, just not surprised.

Oh my God, what a beautiful changeup to start off Laroche.

He just waved futily at that.

0-1 curve, floats right in there, taken for strike two.

0-2 in the dirt.

1-2.

Fastball paints the inside corner.

Strike three.

2-0 fastball down and in hit hard, but foul.

I'm fully aware it's a ST game v the Pirates but it still kills me to see empty seats behind home plate. I see at least 7 of them. what a waste.

Wow. Who was that, and what has he done with Mike Mussina?

15 up, 15 down.

Man, another big fat fastball just popped up to Derek.

They must be way off balance because man, that was a fat pitch.

Gomes must think going gansta' must mean trying to make one of the worst "from behind" tackles I have ever seen.
Yeesh. Ugliness all around.

There we go, Hideki!

Laces it into the left field corner.

That's the spirit, Hideki!

No weakass grounders to the right side, please!

man, Shelley looked pissed at himself on the bench there, like he wanted to slide spikes-high into himself, and punch himself in the face.

He probably needed a day off. Where's Ensberg?

53 That does seem crazy. But a cursory search reveals that Moose's consistancy is actually pretty impressive. Most of the big-time AL wins leaders & consistant pitchers had a bad year during the middle of their career (Walter Johnson 1920, Lefty Grove 1934, Jim Palmer 1974, Jack Morris 1989). Clemens got caught by the '94 strike. Jim Kaat was the closet one I could find was Jim Kaat who had 14 seasons in a row.

Interesting stuff...

Rivera is not picking up where Mussina left off.

Oh, fuck.

Mo's pitching and he has to be upstaged by a Crystal interview.

Timing, guys!

You couldn't wait until the scrubs are in?

Back-to-back groundball singles, btw.

One through the left side, the other through the right side.

First one hit farily well, the second just trickled through.

Shut up, Billy!!!!

Might this be the only time this season we see Mussina pass the ball to Rivera?

71 really. you had your moment, Billy. It's Mo time, fluffer.

Sac bunt followed by a chopper down the first baseline, and the runner gets caught between third and home.

Rivera's got one more inning, right? Cause that was wholly unsatisfying. This is probably the last I'll see the Yanks until opening day!

Mo gets a nice tapper back to Duncan with the infield in (previous batter laid down a sac), who checked the runner, stepped on first, then turned around to find the runner in no-man's land.

Duncan to Molina to Alex, who ran down the runner and applied the tag.

Side retired.

good throw by Shelley. Giambi throws that one to the empty seats behind the plate.

74 You think? I'd doubt it--does he normally work two in the spring?

77 I know he normally has one game each spring where he goes a few innings to "stretch it out."

76 No kidding. A nice strong, true throw. And good presence of mind and then footwork to record the out and spin around and throw.

Melky (from the right side) dunks a liner into left for a leadoff single.

78 Let's hope this is one of those games.

a couple decent lines by Crystal there (something like):

"I was up in Steinbrenner's office and thought he was going to trade me for Seinfeld."

Melky strokes a basehit and Billy quips, "Was that me?"

Interview over. Moving on....

73 74 75 Thanks for the updates, guys.

81 Moving on...

Terrible ab by Derek.

Weak hacks.

Fooled on hard breaking stuff by the lefty.

82 That's why we get paid the big bucks, Shaun.

The right fielder is wearing #96. Ah, spring training. :-)

Karstens is leaving everything up. Double and a single in four pitches.

I think Jonny Gomes is one of the best stories in MLB. I'll cut him a ton of slack, anytime.

Oh no!

Now Cone's referring to "Generation Tres, so to speak."

Nooo!!

Wow!

Hell of a play at the plate!

He's outta there!

Minky!
Wait... he plays for the other team now... ;-)

91 Obvisously, I'm behind the rest of you guys...

(good play at the plate)

Hmm... Gardner's throw was on target but fairly weak, despite coming from short center field. I was surprised the throw beat the runner.

Christ, Karstens would make a hitter outta Crystal today.

Meaningless game and all but I sorta really wanna win this one.

hey, a play at the plate without incident! whaddaya know?

33 ,59 Urban dictionary has some pretty funny definitions on the word "gangsta"

Gardner is making me very happy this spring.

93 was it a weak throw or did it take a high hop off the turf? either way it was bang-bang and the Yanks caught a break on a poorly timed slide by the runner. we'll take it.

stop the bleeding, Karstens!

Somebody way want to get on Gomes' Wiki entry...
"During spring training in 2008, on March 12, Gomes rushed to the defense of Akinori Iwamura when the latter was spiked by Shelley Duncan of the New York Yankees, flinging himself at breakneck speed headfirst into a surprised and highly intimidated Duncan at the beginning of a bench-clearing brawl. He was ejected, as well as Duncan and two Yankees coaches."

by the way, that was Chad Moeller protecting the plate and getting the tag down.

Pay that Ransom! home run!

Byun-hung Kim continues his inability to get out even the weakest-hitting Yankees.

I think Ransom should keep #67, let Crystal keep #60 after that homer.

97 I disagree with Mehmattski 93 , it looked like a good throw. Low, on a line through the cut-off spot one hop between the mound and home directly to Moeler. It looked like it had good juice on it. I can't find a problem with the throw.

98 I dont think that Shelley is "highly intimidated" by anyone (especially Gomes)...

Robbie with the two run jack to deep right!

102 Shelly should just high five all the Rays for playing good old fashioned hardball. That'd teach'em.

97 Well, it did bounce off the turf, on the second base side of the mound. Considering how close Gardner was, you'd think he could fire a strike.

My new cheer for Robinson this year:

"Yes we Can... o!"

Got to love Robby.

104 LOL. Good point.

Cano... CaYes

98 Btw, the Wikipedia article mention the heart attack and his best friend's death, but not the time spent in a homeless shelter growing up.

Molina against lefties is at least near Posada. Against righties, he is about the worst in the league.... basically useless. Posada is also slightly better against righties then lefties. Shouldn't this be a factor in when Molina plays?

OPS
Against last3 2007
Lefties
.Molina 0.770 0.853
Posada 0.827 0.942

Molina against righties/last 3 years: .562

Kim is not a good pitcher.

Oh, damn! I missed Robby.

Where and how did he hit it?

Screaming line drive into the corner, or flyball?

Gardner is making me very happy this spring.

Just saw the brief replay.

Down and in and he just turned it around.

Dude has some quick hands.

96 Gardner strikes again! steal third!

re: Gardner's throw. 101 105 I think we all agree it was outstanding by Bernie, Damon standards.

110 You don't say.

111 as I recall, pitch was a little low, on the inner-half of the plate. Robby opened his stance and golfed it high, far, gone.

make 114 for 112 too

Karstens will definitely go in the "Who Didn't" section of Cliff's writeup. All over the place, too many smacked hits.

Personally, I'd rather have Joba be the "long reliever" rather than Karstens. It keeps Joba in the mindset of starter (his long-term future with the team) by pitching multiple innings. But that will never happen.

I also got to listen to WFAN for the first time in a long while, driving in yesterday. Francesa, Russo, and Steve Somers are all way misguided about Joba's future. There's no way a great setup man is more valuable than a solid starting pitcher. Made me wish that Alex and Cliff had a radio show :-)

I wonder if Joe would consider using Joba as a 2-3 inning reliever once a week or so. Maybe backing up Kennedy/Hughes/Moose, figuring at least one of them will not make 7 in a given turn through the rotation. The problem with that plan I guess is that he may not get as regular work. So long as they are committed to making Joba a starter later on, I don't really care if he sets up or is the long man. I'm just worried about him turning into a Papelbon situation.

uh, Doug Out...Yankee Killer. tie game.

c'mon Yanks!

c'mon blue! stop squeezing our guy!

ah, fack! 2-run hit...

sucks for Traber.

Ransom guns 'em down with a poor man's version of the Jeter throw.

last licks.

Nick Green drives one to the track in straight away center. Nice reach by the CF.

122 bottom of the 8th, dummy.

123 who you calling, dummy?

[crickets]

I'm still around (off and on, mostly off). I actually got a kick out of 123 & 124 . Funny stuff.

I'm pleased to hear that Stump is doing well.

So.... how horrible was Billy leading off and then out of the game?

128 you missed it? Billy's battery-operated coffee bean grinder spooked a herd of cattle (Tampa's beef country, yo) started a stampede and the entire first string of the Yankees was injured. I warned them it was a bad idea to bring a guy like that around the campfire.

126 hey, thanks, Bama. I just got back to the game myself.

game.

Crystal's going to wear that uniform for a few weeks now.

Finally got the line score from Yahoo sports. It appears that Byung-Hyun Kim is the gift that just keeps giving.

129 LOL.

131 I hope he washes it... ;-)

Wow, Spring training for the Banter seems to be right on schedule. Working up to 150 posts for a game-ish thread, which puts it right on track for the normal 300 or so for the regular season. Good work crew! And thanks to folks like Duncan, Maddon, Crystal, and all the rest for giving us good BP fastballs to whack around...

128 ACtually, he looked all right. He worked the count to 3-1, the 1 being an actual foul ball to the right side.

He was finished off, though, swinging through two nasty cutters (I think they were) with sick action in on the hands.

135 When you factor in that he's a 60 year old actor, I'd say he looked great. Actually making contact with the ball was really impressive, and he certainly didn't embarrass himself.

I also don't understand why people were so upset about this. It was a little bit of fun during spring training for a great guy. And when you look at some of the degenerates that have played real regular season baseball for the New York Yankees, Billy Crystal is nor the man I'd call the biggest disgrace to the uniform.