Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
FOX missed the marquee pitching matchup of the Cleveland/New York series by one day. Chien-Ming Wang and C.C. Sabathia rematch Game One of last year's ALDS tomorrow, but today 25-year-old Jeremy Sowers makes his season debut against 23-year-old Ian Kennedy and his 9.64 ERA. This is Kennedy's first start since pissing off Joe Girardi by nibbling against the Orioles and walking five men in 2 2/3 innings. Kennedy had pitched well in his two outings prior to that, throwing a quality start at the Rays before getting hit in the hip by a comebacker and pitching well in relief on a rain-soaked night night in Kansas City, retiring nine of his last ten batters after allowing two of the first four to score. He says he's gotten the message, so look for Kennedy to attack the zone today.
Like Kennedy, Sowers was college hurler who was drafted in the first-round and moved quickly through the minors. Kennedy was drafted 21st overall out of USC in 2006 and made his major league debut in September 2007. Sowers was taken sixth overall out of Vanderbilt in 2004 and made his major league debut in June 2006. Sowers was strong in his rookie season with the Indians, but stumbled as a sophomore last year, pitching his way off the team by mid-June. The issue seemed to be a decline in his ability to induce groundballs, which combined with the steep reduction in his strikeout rate upon reaching the majors essentially eliminated his ability to get hitters out with any consistency. That said, in his one major league start since then, Sowers shut out the Mariners for five innings. Sowers last faced the Yankees last April and got lit up for six runs in 2 2/3 innings, though he also pitched a gem against them in his second major league game in early June 2006.
Sowers is the first of three consecutive lefty starters the Yankees will face to conclude this series. They've faced just two previous lefty starters this season, beating John Bale in Kansas City and losing to Brian Burres in Baltimore. In both games, Joe Girardi sat both Bobby Abreu and Jason Giambi. In their places, he played Hideki Matsui in right field and worked Morgan Ensberg into the lineup. He also used the non-catching version of Jorge Posada in those games, at DH against Bale and first base against Burres. With Posada back behind the plate, Girardi will need another righty bat if he wants to continue to rest Abreu and Giambi against lefties.
Enter Shelley Duncan, who has been recalled and will start in right field today (no word yet on who's being optioned to make room for him). Giambi, coming off his two-homer game last night, stays in the lineup, but lefties Hideki Matsui and Robinson Cano do not. Alberto Gonzalez starts at second base for the second time in his major league career. Morgan Ensberg plays third while Alex Rodriguez takes Matsui's usual spot as the DH. Given Giaradi's tendencies thus far, I'd expect to see a different combination against lefty C.C. Sabathia tomorrow. Oh, and unrelated to the pitcher on the mound, Jose Molina will catch in today's late-day game after last night's night game.
Of course, the starters--especially the kids--need to throw more innings per start. On the other hand, with so many kids in the BP, I wonder why they can't use a sort of rotation where every few weeks someone gets rotated to Scranton for some rest.
And one would have to hope that Girardi would actually use a longer bench if he were given it.
Oh well, dare to dream.
8 I missed it too. I now intentionally miss the beginning of all Fox broadcasts, lest I subject myself to any of the inane pregame show and/or rock-video montage.
10 I think that all the media types are willing to state anything to make it seem like Hank is wrong.
Do these hayseed announcers and most announcers of MLB have to be so freakin' unskilled and show such insensitivity as to BUTCHER latino names?
SHIT- "Here's Franklin GEW-DE-AIR-EZ! Are you kidding me?
Robinson KA-Know - Hello Caaa-no!
IT's just not that fucking hard!
Yes - I do take it personally because it fits into a long history of subtlety...
We are not talking about callers on Rush's show...we are talking about professional sportscasters who make their living with samantics!
Kennedy is just stinking up the joint.
I teach on the border and at first I was constantly corrected by my students when mispronouncing names- and you know what? I was not defensive but grateful. I would say; "Everybody has the right to be called by their name...I will make an effort to get it right but please respectfully correct me when I am wrong."
it's tough to take mccarver/buck and a bad start
This lefty for Cleveland really needs to be tatooed today...IPK still has a chance if he can stay in the game. If we can't pound this guy, it's not our pitching alone.
I'm not trying to disregard the value of Latinos or Hispanics or Central o South Americans to our culture. But, this is part of the culture, like it or not. Not saying I do, just how it is.
I've met Spanish speakers who feel offended over this. I just think unless someone is doing it to slight you it's not worth getting worked up over.
Yankees are 11th with 21.
I am encouraged. He just needs confidence and experience.
GDP
1. Toronto: 33
2. LA Angels: 31
3. Boston: 30
4. Detroit: 28
5. St. Louis: 27
6. Minnesota: 25
7. LA Dodgers: 24
8. Colorado: 22
9t. Chicago AL: 21
9t. NY Yankees: 21
9t. Atlanta: 21
Not the worst, but not much comfort either.
Actually, I was not thinking before--I thought Cano PH for AG, but it was for Ensberg. So I guess that means A-Rod goes out the 3B, and Cano is lost anyway (since he did not PH for AG later in the inning). Or does AG go to 3B and Cano to 2B?
sorry my standards are a little higher for professionalism.
That was just tremendous by Jorgie!
God, I'm so happy!
good things he is at 3b
132 i don't think the hawkins experiment can go much longer
It always comes down to ARod!
My name is OldYanksFan
And I am a Giambi supporter.
Upon reviewing that last play
I can only conclude one reason...
A flashback from some bad acid done July 1988.
Just slap it!
That could be the ballgame.
Shit, Buck beat me to it.
;)
I really wonder what Girardi's thinking right now.
The need a 5th ump 'in the booth' reviewing plays on video, and then talking into an earpiece worn by the field umps. It takes less then 60 seconds to review a play from 3 different camera angles.
It's time for better ball/strike calls behind the plate and video review of field plays.
If you know what happens, well, it won't be good.
Damn.
Now 'dorf is going to lose it. Argh.
THERE IS ONLY ONE BULLET LEFT IN THE CHAMBER!
God, how demoralizing.
This is pretty frustrating.
I didn't catch the news that Joba had a hamstring problem until after the game...I was wondering why he wasn't brought in. I can understand why Girardi wouldn't have brought in Britton or someone else that had just been called up, but I wasn't crazy about Ohlendorf being left in to pitch once two were on.
Not only did he flat out give the game away by having Ohlendorf pitch in the 9th, but the Jeter AB seemed to scream for a squeeze. You plate that run, bring in Mo and go home with a win. Instead, Girardi seems to be following the same instincts as Torre, which is a very bad sign for the Yankees.
I feared the Thursday loss would carry over, and now it seems that it has. This is pretty much a lifeless group on its way to another poor start. One of these years, they wont make it back.
If you don't think the Yanks are better off this year, check out the Dodgers' stats this season, where:
--the top three pitchers in appearances includes EDSP
--the same three have ERAs of 7.04, 6.30, and 13.50.
--Juan Pierre (.255/.324/.298) has played in 17 games and started 12 in left field.
Sox lose: 1 run, 5 hits to TB: 2 runs, 3 hits.
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