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Green With MVP
2008-03-16 17:31
by Cliff Corcoran

That's a terrible headline I just couldn't resist as Nick Green knocked in the winning run for the Yankees in the bottom of the ninth to give them a meaningless 7-6 win over the visiting Indians. Heck, I'll probably never have another occasion to use it.

Lineup:

S - Melky Cabrera (CF)
R - Jason Lane (LF)
R - Morgan Ensberg (DH)
R - Alex Rodriguez (3B)
L - Jason Giambi (1B)
R - Shelley Duncan (RF)
L - Robinson Cano (2B)
S - Wilson Betemit (SS)
R - Jose Molina (C)

Pitchers: Chien-Ming Wang, Scott Patterson, Darrell Rasner

Subs: Cody Ransom (PR/1B), Bernie Castro (2B), Alberto Gonzalez (SS), Nick Green (PR/3B), Chad Moeller (C), Greg Porter (RF), Brett Gardner (CF), Justin Christian (LF), Kyle Anson (DH)

Opposition: Cleveland's starters and ace C.C. Sabathia.

Big Hits: A monster two-run homer by Shelley Duncan (1 for 3) off Sabathia, Duncan's third tater of the spring. Doubles by Jose Molina (1 for 3), Chad Moeller (1 for 1), and Kyle Anson (1 for 1). Alex Rodriguez was 2 for 3.

Who Pitched Well: Scott Patterson just keeps getting it done, this time getting five outs from four hitters by entering with runners on in the fifth and inducing an inning-ending double play, then pitching a 1-2-3 sixth, striking out one. Patterson has allowed just one baserunner in six innings this spring, striking out five. He and Billy Traber are the only pitchers still in camp who have yet to allow a run this spring, though even Traber has allowed a few inherited runners to score.

Who Didn't: Working in his slider and changeup, Chien-Ming Wang struck out seven men in 4 1/3 innings, but also allowed four runs on six hits and two walks and four of the other six outs he induced came in the air. Darrell Rasner allowed two runs on five hits and a walk in three innings. Both Wang and Ranser allowed solo home runs to Grady Sizemore, who now has five on the spring.

Leaders: There's not much else to say about today's game, so for yucks, here are some of the statistical leaders in Yankee camp thus far:

Hitters:

AVG: Alex Rodriguez .500
OBP: Alex Rodriguez .571
SLG: Alex Rodriguez 1.000
Hits: Robinson Cano 15
2B: Johnny Damon, Morgan Ensberg 5
3B: Jason Lane, Brett Gardner, Greg Porter 1
HR: Alex Rodriguez, Shelley Duncan 3
RBI: Shelley Duncan 11
R: Alex Rodriguez, Shelley Duncan 8
TB: Alex Rodriguez 24
BB: Bobby Abreu 6
K: Wilson Betemit, Morgan Ensberg 9
SB: Brett Gardner 6
CS: Bernie Castro, Kyle Anson, Francisco Cervelli 1

Pitchers (not including Sunday's game, as Sunday began the fourth time through the rotation):

ERA: Scott Patterson, LaTroy Hawkins 0.00
ERA (min 1 GS): Ian Kennedy 3.00
Unearned Runs: Ross Olendorf 3
W: Phil Hughes 2
L: Jeff Karstens 2
K: Jonathan Albaladejo 8
BB: Joba Chamberlain, Darrell Rasner 6
H: Jeff Karstens 12
HR: Ian Kennedy 3
HBP: Joba Chamberlain, Jonathan Albaladejo, Andy Pettitte, Heath Phillips, Edwar Ramirez 1
SV: Scott Patterson, Billy Traber, Mark Melancon 1
BLSV: Jonathan Albaladejo 2

Comments
2008-03-16 18:13:22
1.   Jeb
To the Indians, he looked like Soylent Green out there.
2008-03-16 19:22:22
2.   sabernar
Soylent Green is people!
2008-03-16 21:59:21
3.   mike eff
yes, soylent green is people. no one is disputing that. i'd never make a claim against that undeniable fact.
i would like to say that i disagree that wang pitched badly today, yeah he did have the sizemore homerun, but the other hits were softly hit grounders that found holes+ i think you are missing the most important point here---the man had 7 strikeouts!
2008-03-17 05:25:24
4.   rbj
Mmmmmm, Soylent Green. Gaaaahhhhhh!

/Homer Drool.

2008-03-17 06:00:59
5.   JL25and3
0 Alex Rodriguez, demonstrating yet again how un-clutchy he is.
2008-03-17 06:58:42
6.   ms october
1 comment; 2 questions:

5 ah yes - just so un-cluthy ;}
i love it when his average is up.

what's the scouting report on scott patterson?

can we read anything into betemit getting almost no time at 1b this spring? i found it odd he didn't even play on the split squad days. it seems it is going to be gimabi while healthy with shelley and ensberg.

2008-03-17 07:11:19
7.   Raf
6 I find Betemit not getting much time @ 1b odd too, considering that Jeter, Rodriguez & Cano don't figure to miss much time at their respective positions.
2008-03-17 09:26:16
8.   Cliff Corcoran
6 Patterson gets by on a low-90s fastball and a lot of deception in his delivery. He's an independent league salvage project who will be 29 in June. He's posted silly numbers in the minors, but unlike Edwar Ramirez, he has no plus pitch. Still, results are results and it seems to me he deserves a chance to keep moving up until hitters figure him out. He'll be in triple-A this year if he doesn't make the 25-man.
2008-03-17 09:31:23
9.   Cliff Corcoran
6 7 Betemit has played first base twice this spring. One thing to read into his not playing there more is that Giambi, Duncan, and Ensberg all have something to prove over there and thus have been taking up a lot of the playing time. Another thing to read into it is that Girardi wants to find out how viable Betemit is as a utility infielder (very) and has thus been distributing him about the infield rather evenly. Honestly, if both Duncan and Ensberg make the team, Betemit probably won't see much playing time at first base anyway, and thus not much in general.
2008-03-17 09:40:48
10.   wsporter
Speaking of Soylent Green: Happy St. Paddy's Day!
2008-03-17 09:50:45
11.   ms october
8 9 thanks cliff.
does seem his results are there so far.
and it seems betemit is going to be the ui.

but i think that leads to the question that has a growing chorus - does ensberg bring enough to the table to overcome his duplicativeness - would the plan be against a tough lefty to play ensberg at 1b and play shelly at dh or rf or some such combination?

10 and if you are in boston - happy evacuation day - one of those great made up boston holidays

2008-03-17 10:13:05
12.   OldYanksFan
I wouldn't mind taking ARod or Jetes or Cano out of blowouts early, and let Betemin be a 'LIDR', getting our guys get a few innings of rest.

This would keep Betemin 'loose' and maybe get him some ABs in those games.

Jetes had 3 years left. It would be nice to keep him better rested. Playing almost every game of a 162 game season is a lot. Add in up to 21 PS games and its nuts. Maybe our vets should be a little better rested going into the PS.

I posted before, in the last 3 years, Molina has a .770 OPS guy against LHPs (.560 OPS against RHP). That might amount to 30 games to rest Posada, which I think is NECESSARY if we want him still walking in 2011. It's not that big a downgrade from Posada against LHP. To make him a 'designated catcher' for a specific pitch is to give away .210 pts in most games.

Anyone see the Red Sox crazy schedule, posted up at Lohud?

2008-03-17 10:35:04
13.   wsporter
I don't know if anyone is watching the game but they have Colon at 94 consistently on the YES gun. His breaking stuff looks ok as well. Ouch!
2008-03-17 10:38:15
14.   Zack
13 Ignoring the fact that the YES gun is always 2 MPH or so fast, I refuse to let YES go on how a guy who nobody wanted and who is destined for surgery sooner or later is a "steal" for the Sox and can be dominant, just based on "reports out of Red Sox camp" and a few fastballs, half of which he can't locate at all...
2008-03-17 10:44:40
15.   wsporter
14 Are you watching? He was squeezed pretty well by the ump on a walk to Posada. He struck out Giambi. He started getting hit around after his pitch count passed 30 in the 1st. For a guy who had no breaking ball and nothing on his FB over 86, even on the Yes gun, he looks pretty impressive. He could be useful to them this year.
2008-03-17 10:58:23
16.   Zack
15 Eh, yeah I'm watching. As I said, besides the fact that he is destined for surgery, the guy hasn't been good for two years, and his overthrowing in his second start in ST isn't going to change my mind. Sure, he'll probably be better than Kyle Snyder until he gets hurt, but the way the YES announcers are going on, you would think the Sox inked Andy Pettitte.

And then they start going into the "intangibles" argument for Jason Varitek, you know, he's a "dirt dog." What, is YES partners with NESN now? All I was saying is that I don't need YES to hype colon as if he is something he isn't. Sure, he is hitting 94 on the gun, but lets not jump to anything here...

2008-03-17 11:31:39
17.   Yankee Fan In Boston
i reserve the right to retroactively declare this game the season opener, pending the final score.
2008-03-17 11:37:54
18.   wsporter
17 Done!
2008-03-17 12:48:02
19.   ny2ca2dc
Traber might be a nice little find.
2008-03-17 13:08:45
20.   dlewanda
9 Any chance the Yankees would consider giving Betemit a chance to back up at either of the outfield corners? It looks like he made 1 appearance in both right and left last year (http://tinyurl.com/24u6w5), and it seems that anyone athletic enough to play SS should be able to not look dumb out there (Enrique Wilson not withstanding). I know that since he's basically a lefty (weak from the right-hand side), he doesn't offer a benefit over the regulars (Abreu, Damon, Matsui), but he could be useful to spell them there in a similar manner as 12 and get his bat in the lineup. This would make him more valuable, and give more flexibility if Ensberg takes the last spot instead of someone like Lane.
2008-03-17 13:16:47
21.   Yankee Fan In Boston
18 season opener it is.
2008-03-17 18:29:21
22.   Jeb
The Yanks made soylent green out of Bartolo "Harpo Marx" Colon today (actually he looked more like Harpo in 2005; his hair was shorter today).

Question for everyone: When Harpo struck out Johnny he hit 96 on the YES radar gun. I was cussing the yanks for not signing him -- not because he's a Yanks killer because they rake him -- but because with his velocity back, he could go 15-9 and eat innings. Of course, he had no control out there today anyway and the Yanks hammered him, but if he really has that velocity he'd probably be a good starter.

That's the question though -- did he really have that velocity? our old pal Peter reported that "… RHP Brian Bruney was throwing hard but he wasn't hitting 100 as the YES radar gun was showing. The Yankees had him at 96 … "

So, if that's true about Bruney, then when YES had Harpo pitching at 93 to 96 (96 was his high as I saw it) was he really pitching 89 to 92? Cause if that's true AND he's got control issues and has average movement, he's not a good find for the sawx and EVERYONE will rake him.

What do y'all think?

2008-03-17 19:18:39
23.   weeping for brunnhilde
"Rob Neyer Invents Statistic to Measure Own Disenchantment with Baseball."

"It's called Baseball Fatigue Average, or 'BFA,' and it's the most comprehensive anti-baseball stat out there," said Neyer in a chat session in which he also argued the meaninglessness of the run batted in. "It takes into account the extreme importance given to the walk, coincidentally the least interesting part of the sport, and factors in the sheer randomness of the game and how little effect players ultimately have upon the outcome. Even the Crack Of The Bat Quotient and the Smell Of The Freshly Cut Grass Under A Cloudless Robin's-Egg-Blue Sky On A Warm Spring Afternoon Index are not enough to counteract the effects of BFA."

Just perusing the Onion, thought I'd share.

:)

2008-03-17 19:26:39
24.   Chyll Will
What is the question again?
2008-03-17 19:37:45
25.   wsporter
There was a question? . . .

Damn.

2008-03-17 19:42:32
26.   weeping for brunnhilde
24 To be.

Or not to be.

That is the question.

2008-03-17 20:32:24
27.   Raf
22 I think it's a bit too early to write off Colon.

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