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Minnie or Mice?
2008-05-14 12:56
by Alex Belth
 Apropos of nothing, other than something that is true and good...

Will the Yankee offense show up tonight against the Rays' best pitcher?

One never knows...

 

Comments (145)
Show/Hide Comments 1-50
2008-05-14 14:49:13
1.   tommyl
What is this thing you speak of? Off fense? Like a fence? Get off my fence?
2008-05-14 15:09:01
2.   horace-clarke-era
Insult to Injury Dept.

Miggy Cairo won today's Seattle game over Texas in the 12th with a gritty, clutch, scrappy, character-veteran single. The sort that separates men from boys, turns a season around, restarts the ol' cliché machine...

More to the point, perhaps, Jay 'Make Them Pay' Payton hit a grand slam with two outs in the 7th to take Baltimore past Boston. That does count as major.

2008-05-14 15:21:14
3.   superjoe
is that a photo of Joe Luis "Jose" Brown of the Tampico Stogies in his Caddy?
2008-05-14 15:56:35
4.   ms october
3 prolly minnie minoso since that's what alex linked to above the photo - hard to make the person out from the distance in the photo - but similar facial shape to minoso

let's hope the yankee offense is hiding in that caddy

2008-05-14 16:22:21
5.   tommyl
Yankees hitting motto this year: 1 2 3
2008-05-14 16:22:28
6.   OldYanksFan
GG Giambi!
2008-05-14 16:22:55
7.   Yankees Brasil
Giambino with the glove. Crazy!
2008-05-14 16:29:12
8.   Yankees Brasil
Just when the Rays' announcers were talking about their great D, they throw the ball away. Nice! Now if only we could get them home.
2008-05-14 16:30:44
9.   tommyl
C'mon that's two lucky breaks and we still can't score. Ensberg sucks, a lot.
2008-05-14 16:31:37
10.   Yankees Brasil
9 He really does. If only the coaches could see it.
2008-05-14 16:37:09
11.   tommyl
I hope everyone is seeing what this team would be like without A-Rod.
2008-05-14 16:39:51
12.   tommyl
At least Melky is still playing well. Laser beam.
2008-05-14 16:40:05
13.   tommyl
Where is everyone tonight? 12 comments?
2008-05-14 16:40:18
14.   Simone
Nice job, Melky.
2008-05-14 16:52:29
15.   OldYanksFan
We're here. Just still in shock. Would be nice to pick up a game on the Sox (amd TB too).
2008-05-14 16:53:24
16.   cult of basebaal
would be nice to score a couple of goddamned runs ...

i see the offense is still stuck on offal

2008-05-14 16:53:35
17.   OldYanksFan
Good Moose tonight?
2008-05-14 16:53:56
18.   cult of basebaal
me likey new old moose
2008-05-14 16:59:12
19.   nick
damn, I can't refresh fast enough to keep up with our offensive offense...
2008-05-14 17:00:06
20.   Alex Belth
Yeah, that is Mr. Minnie Minoso indeed. Random, I know, but what the heck...Dude, I have ZERO confidence in the Yankee offense. Almost as if they are going to have to get lucky to get one win here...but, so far, it is nice to see Moose pitching well.
2008-05-14 17:00:33
21.   Alex Belth
For instance, watch how Matsui will be stranded on second presently...
2008-05-14 17:02:59
22.   nick
Ensberg should be a platoon player, with Betemit--career splits suggest this would work...have they both been healthy at the same time this year?

Of course, they've both mostly looked like crap.....

2008-05-14 17:04:34
23.   Simone
Ha. You were wrong, Alex. Good work, Robbie.
2008-05-14 17:04:42
24.   tommyl
21 Good Robbie is back!
2008-05-14 17:05:08
25.   Alex Belth
Whoa...happy to be wrong. That's one run!! Yipee! Ration for the night.
2008-05-14 17:05:12
26.   Simone
Was that a reverse jinx, Alex? In that case, good job.
2008-05-14 17:05:20
27.   tommyl
22 Betemit is hurt, though that was the original plan. Betemit was actually starting to hit well right before he got hurt again.
2008-05-14 17:05:42
28.   JL25and3
OK, Moose, there's your run.
2008-05-14 17:07:06
29.   tommyl
28 Silly, following suit, Moose will blow the lead right about now.
2008-05-14 17:17:22
30.   tommyl
Small ball, actually that was the right move with Molina up.
2008-05-14 17:17:44
31.   nick
can we get 7 from Moose? seems unlikely, but--pen looks pretty stretched.....
2008-05-14 17:18:51
32.   nick
27 yeah, I remember when he got hurt--I still think it was a good deal getting him for Proctor but I may be the only one...
2008-05-14 17:21:04
33.   tommyl
What is this new number....2? What is that?
2008-05-14 17:22:14
34.   cult of basebaal
32 i'm still in that camp, proctor is pretty damn fungible and right-handed relief pitchers are something we've got plenty of, with more on the way

betemit is still an unknown, partly because of his streakiness and partly because of his "injuries" (hammy, yes ... "pink eye", no) but i'd still rather have his possibility than proctor's reality

2008-05-14 17:22:39
35.   nick
Two can be as bad as one
It's the loneliest number since the number one
2008-05-14 17:24:18
36.   nick
"Proctor's Reality!"--sounds like a jam band.....
2008-05-14 17:24:53
37.   3rd gen yankee fan
Damn what's gotten into the team? It feels like baseball again! Cool!
2008-05-14 17:25:44
38.   nick
I find this two-out hits with RISP very strange....there's a word for a hit in this sort of situation, isn't there? an adjective of some sort? one that can be applied to either the hitter or the hit in question?
2008-05-14 17:26:24
39.   RIYank
The Rays' scoreboard is defective. We're supposed to have circles in all the innings except one, I'm pretty sure.
2008-05-14 17:27:49
40.   RIYank
38 It's an obscure and arcane word, almost obsolete. One rarely has a use for it, though, so don't worry about it.
2008-05-14 17:33:22
41.   Mr OK Jazz TOKYO
35 nice one Jeremiah, bring that mighty fine wine tonight?

Japanese announcers are great with understatement: "Yankees offense is not at full production so far this season..."

2008-05-14 17:33:58
42.   Yankees Brasil
Giambi is killing them... with his GLOVE!
2008-05-14 17:34:19
43.   Just fair
Hey, a lead. Sweet. Will that be the play that puts Giambi on the DL? I just got home so I missed his nice play earler.
2008-05-14 17:36:35
44.   tommyl
Ah, Robbie, welcome back. Not a moment too soon.
2008-05-14 17:37:17
45.   RIYank
Huh. Was there a dugout conference: "Let's try to jump on him early in the count"?
2008-05-14 17:37:18
46.   Just fair
Can you smell what the Cano is cooking?
2008-05-14 17:37:36
47.   Shaun P
I think Firefox is buggy - every time I refresh the score, it clearly shows a "2" under runs for the Yanks.

OK, now I KNOW its buggy - it says Cano is 3 for 3 and is hitting .200. Maybe I should switch to IE?

2008-05-14 17:37:48
48.   Yankees Brasil
Somebody, please take a pitch every now and then.
2008-05-14 17:38:20
49.   tommyl
Can Robbie and Melky ever be going at the same time or is there some rule against it?
2008-05-14 17:39:08
50.   tommyl
47 I think its some virus that Hank wrote and released on the interweb. Don't worry, those series of tubes will be cleared up soon enough. Now get off my lawn.
Show/Hide Comments 51-100
2008-05-14 17:40:10
51.   ChrisS
49 No.

But, with that hit, Robbie is now hitting .200.

2008-05-14 17:40:12
52.   Just fair
By the way, have I mentioned lately that I have serious disdain for Manny Ramirez. He makes a wonderful over the shoulder catch running towards the wall, scales it a la Ken Griffey Jr. to high five a Sox fan in the first row, and then lands to throw to the cut off man. BLEH.
2008-05-14 17:40:17
53.   Yankees Brasil
When Melky learns to hit breaking pitches from the left side he's going to be great.
2008-05-14 17:41:53
54.   RIYank
Just out of curiosity, when was the last time the Yankees had a clean-up hitter batting .188 in May?
2008-05-14 17:44:26
55.   Just fair
I am willing to bet that Moose has his own personal rosin bag that his ACME written on it.
2008-05-14 17:44:56
56.   cult of basebaal
who is this space alien and what has he done with our moose???
2008-05-14 17:46:50
57.   nick
mooooose!
2008-05-14 17:47:37
58.   OldYanksFan
Is Moose... an Ace?
2008-05-14 17:47:51
59.   Yankees Brasil
How many pitches for Moose?
2008-05-14 17:50:03
60.   kylepetterson
Can someone please get Moose a Cy Young?
2008-05-14 17:51:56
61.   tommyl
Who are these Yankees? executing? playing aggresively? crisp defense? Lets start dropping some foul pop ups or something.
2008-05-14 17:52:15
62.   nick
ensberg felt our distain--he's reached safely two consecutive times!
2008-05-14 17:52:22
63.   tommyl
Ohhhh....soooo close!
2008-05-14 17:54:13
64.   Shaun P
49 The last time Cano had his batting average over .200 was Opening Day - or, if you want to get really technical, until his 2nd PA in the 2nd game of the year.

Six weeks under .200 is a long time.

2008-05-14 17:54:24
65.   RIYank
59 I think he's at 75.
2008-05-14 17:54:47
66.   ChrisS
Wow... that Longoria is really really good.
2008-05-14 17:56:04
67.   ms october
i swear damon breaks his bat every game - not sure if it is those maple bats or how he's swinging or both
2008-05-14 17:56:28
68.   Shaun P
Where is william? I wanted to ask him what he thought of Girardi's changed around lineup.

I would have put Giambi 8th and bumped everyone else one space, but hey, 2 runs is 2 runs!

2008-05-14 17:57:23
69.   RIYank
Shields sure has a lot of pitches. I mean, he's thrown a lot, but I was thinking: fastball, cutter, slider, curve, change.
2008-05-14 17:59:41
70.   Yankees Brasil
Back to good ol' sucking. Damon had a 3-1 FB down the pipe and didn't even swing. Abreu had a good 2-0 FB to hit too, and didn't even try. It's really nice to be patient and all, but when you get to 2-0 and 3-1, and you get a fat pitch, why not swing?
2008-05-14 18:00:09
71.   tommyl
Ohlendorf is still on the team? When did he last pitch?
2008-05-14 18:01:17
72.   Mattpat11
71 Thursday
2008-05-14 18:02:03
73.   tommyl
72 Ah, right, thanks. Been awhile. I love watching Moose K someone on a 61mph pitch.
2008-05-14 18:02:28
74.   nick
uncle charlie! (ok, cheering along to the radio is kinda lame, but...)
2008-05-14 18:03:08
75.   Mattpat11
73 Not like I remembered it off the top of my head. :) God bless baseball reference.
2008-05-14 18:03:11
76.   rsmith51
Who is this pitcher for the Yanks? He looks like Mussina, and has Mussina's number, but is pitching a scoreless game into the 7th.
2008-05-14 18:05:13
77.   nick
86 pitches--the hook?
2008-05-14 18:06:03
78.   RIYank
77 Yep.
But Girardi figures this is a good night for high SAT scores.
2008-05-14 18:07:14
79.   OldYanksFan
Moose comes up big! I mean really BIG!
2008-05-14 18:07:43
80.   Shaun P
By my count, there have been 27 called strikes legitimately in the zone (or damn close to it), and 16 called strikes out of the zone (some way out).

11 of those 16 way out called strikes were against the Yanks.

And here comes Ohlendorf.

2008-05-14 18:09:41
81.   nick
Navaro up--ok if I smell doom?
2008-05-14 18:10:47
82.   Alex Belth
Jesuz Olendorf!!!!
2008-05-14 18:10:57
83.   Simone
Horrible.
2008-05-14 18:11:18
84.   tommyl
Nuts
2008-05-14 18:11:29
85.   RIYank
I miss Moose.
2008-05-14 18:11:46
86.   ChrisS
Ohlendorf having bad luck.

He comes on and gets his two ground balls to close the inning and instead gives up a run.

2008-05-14 18:13:02
87.   tommyl
Well, um, that's one way. Guess that makes up for them getting hits on piddling little groundballs.
2008-05-14 18:13:36
88.   RIYank
That could have been worse.
2008-05-14 18:14:24
89.   Just fair
Thanks for playing, Ohlie. See ya next game. Wow. I don't remember seeing Moose ever smiling and clapping in the dugout.
2008-05-14 18:16:30
90.   RIYank
Dammit, we need base runners for Cano! Or at least one.
2008-05-14 18:17:19
91.   RIYank
That'll do.
2008-05-14 18:21:56
92.   Shaun P
That won't!
2008-05-14 18:22:04
93.   RIYank
Dammit.
Why no pinch runner for Giambi?
2008-05-14 18:22:12
94.   Shaun P
Joba coming in?
2008-05-14 18:23:26
95.   Shaun P
93 Girardi didn't want to burn Gonzalez?
2008-05-14 18:23:50
96.   Shaun P
95 Though I suppose he could have shifted Ensberg to 1B and Gonzalez to 3B . . .
2008-05-14 18:25:20
97.   RIYank
Ahhhhhh.
2008-05-14 18:28:21
98.   RIYank
It must be difficult to hit against Joba having adjusted to Moose.
Oh, man. Tough call on ball four.
2008-05-14 18:28:21
99.   nick
bad walk by Joba there....
2008-05-14 18:31:20
100.   Shaun P
98 Considering the 2nd pitch to Iwamura, though called a strike, was outside (says Gameday) . . .

The 2nd pitch to Crawford was also outside. Joba is getting some calls Moose did not.

Show/Hide Comments 101-150
2008-05-14 18:31:58
101.   RIYank
100 I think Shields was getting those calls, though.
2008-05-14 18:32:23
102.   Shaun P
Am I wrong to want to see a curveball in here somewhere?
2008-05-14 18:34:09
103.   ChrisS
Even money that Joba doesn't sniff being a starter this year.
2008-05-14 18:34:09
104.   Shaun P
101 You bet he did, RI (see 80 , or go through Gameday).

Hey, I just remembered - I'm going to be in your neck of the woods on Memorial Day, for the PawSox-SWB Yanks game. My kids' first ball game. I expect they'll last an hour and a half, maybe two.

2008-05-14 18:35:44
105.   Mattpat11
John Sterling just said "Joba-Joba-Doo"
2008-05-14 18:36:13
106.   nick
now that's a Joba inning!
2008-05-14 18:36:45
107.   RIYank
Praise be to Joba.

Oh, cool 104 . You'll like McCoy, it's really nice for AAA, and still homey, of course.

2008-05-14 18:36:50
108.   RIYank
Praise be to Joba.

Oh, cool 104 . You'll like McCoy, it's really nice for AAA, and still homey, of course.

2008-05-14 18:37:30
109.   Mr OK Jazz TOKYO
105 I think I am going to throw up my breakfast...Sterling really does make Kay sound like Vin Scully...
2008-05-14 18:38:16
110.   RIYank
Uh, sorry. (How did I do that??)
2008-05-14 18:39:03
111.   tommyl
Is that more hits than Robbie has had all season coming into this game? Sure seems like it.
2008-05-14 18:40:01
112.   ny2ca2dc
Boy. If Robinson came out of it right about now, and Arod comes back strong, and Giambi stays warm...
2008-05-14 18:40:53
113.   Shaun P
105 Why doesn't Hank issue threats to Sterling, if he keeps up with his ridiculous shtick? The only nice thing about A-Rod having been hurt is not having to hear, "An A-bommmbb, from A-Rooodddd".

Robbie's up to .205!

2008-05-14 18:42:34
114.   ny2ca2dc
113 Dude, the bombs are worth the Sterlingisms. I just hate the "Giambi hits it, it is high, it is far, it is caught 2 steps in front of the warning track".
2008-05-14 18:42:39
115.   RIYank
112 ... why, we might score, three, even four runs in a game!
2008-05-14 18:43:17
116.   Shaun P
111 It took Cano the first 6 games of the year to amass 4 hits.

It took him the next 6 games to get the next 4.

7 games to get the next 4.

And 10 games to get the next 4.

He had 16 hits in 29 April games. Thanks to tonight, he now has 14 in 11 May games.

2008-05-14 18:43:28
117.   RIYank
Dammit, Melk. Damn. I figured a walk was definitely our best shot for a run.
2008-05-14 18:44:04
118.   Shaun P
115 Or not.

Well, not in this game, it seems.

2008-05-14 18:44:21
119.   ny2ca2dc
Are you shitting me. That's why I didn't think playing smallball with this team is a good idea.
2008-05-14 18:45:44
120.   ChrisS
Did TB just start a Yankees Suck chant?
2008-05-14 18:45:50
121.   Mr OK Jazz TOKYO
114 "it is high..it is far.." easily as bad as everyone's favorite Hawkism "put it on the board...YES!" besides FJM are there any other good sites to laugh about bad announcing/writing?
2008-05-14 18:50:33
122.   RIYank
Well, our Win Expectancy is 82% right now. Another run would have made it 92%, but on the other hand if Mo gets the first batter, that makes it 90%.
2008-05-14 18:53:26
123.   RIYank
Wow.
2008-05-14 18:54:00
124.   ChrisS
we are so lucky to have watched Rivera pitch.
2008-05-14 18:55:10
125.   Mattpat11
Mike Mussina is tied for the league lead in wins.
2008-05-14 18:55:33
126.   RIYank
And thanks be to Mo.
2008-05-14 18:55:53
127.   nick
Sterling lets it all hang out!
2008-05-14 18:56:07
128.   Mr OK Jazz TOKYO
9 pitches, all fastballs..awesome
2008-05-14 18:56:16
129.   Shaun P
Damn. That's our Mo!
2008-05-14 18:56:30
130.   SF Yanks
125 WOW! Whoda thunk?
2008-05-14 18:57:13
131.   Yankees Brasil
Feels good to win one. Almost forgot what a W was.
2008-05-14 18:57:26
132.   RIYank
So, our bats didn't exactly come alive, but Robbie's back and except for a little Ohlie blip the arms were near-perfect.

It's annoying that we couldn't make up a few games on the Sox during their losing streak, but I'm feeling a little better about the season.

2008-05-14 18:58:10
133.   Mattpat11
130 And all six wins are legitimate. He's not surviving slugfests.
2008-05-14 19:01:04
134.   Yankees Brasil
133 It's that thing that happens to players when they are on the last year of their contract.
2008-05-14 19:01:10
135.   3rd gen yankee fan
Oh baby. I got a good feeling about this.
2008-05-14 19:02:07
136.   ChrisS
132 I can't blame Ohlie for that inning, he got the ground balls. They just found the holes.

Before tonight's win, Moose was was on pace for, you guessed right, 19 wins.

Man, 4.00-4.50 era from Moose this year would be sweet.

2008-05-14 19:05:44
137.   williamnyy23
68 I am here...I resorted to superstition and decided not to post during the game. Clearly, that did the trick as the Yankees exploded and doubled their offensive output. It was either that or the new lineup, which to be honest, I didn't love. If it was me, I would start by leading Jeter off...I think that would be the best way to get him pack in a more patient mode. I also agree with you and would have moved Giambi down to 7th.

The best news from the game was the performance of the Moose and the 4-4 from Cano. Unfortunately, facing Kaz and Santana is not the best way for lefty Cano to build on today, but then again, if Cano is locked in, maybe it wont matter.

2008-05-14 19:06:15
138.   Mattpat11
136 BR had him on pace for 21-12.
2008-05-14 19:07:14
139.   williamnyy23
136 Ohlie wasn't awful, but his velocity seemed down a bit.

The oddest pitch selection of the game was Joba's 3-2 curve to Iwamura.

2008-05-14 19:09:13
140.   williamnyy23
132 I'll be positive and look at things from the Red Sox fan point of view...I am sure they are annoyed the Sox haven't built a bigger lead, especially if the 100-year trend of the Yankees playing better over the second half continues.

Here are the two big events coming up: Kennedy's start on Thursday and Arod's return on Friday. If those two go well, I'll step off the ledge.

2008-05-14 19:13:08
141.   tommyl
140 A-Rod not coming back till next Tuesday. Take one step back though.
2008-05-14 19:21:12
142.   horace-clarke-era
Yes, william, talk about impatience! A Rod's Tuesday, we hope.

Moose was gorgeous and as someone said, his wins are hard-earned this year. He's been stellar, hat-tip time.

Ohlie was unlucky, agreed, then lucky on the DP.

I was VERY unhappy with Leche ... you cannot, repeat cannot strike out looking with the runner going. In da old days that'd get you fined by a manager!

I like william's idea (see, right and wrong, dude!) of Jeter leading off - do it tomorrow, against a lefty. I admit I'm gloomy about that game, their ace (another ace!) against our maybe-comeback-kid.

2008-05-14 19:45:18
143.   williamnyy23
141 142 That's what I meant! I had Friday in my mind for so long it's hard to give up.
2008-05-14 19:51:24
144.   Shaun P
137 I finally ran the numbers on David Pinto's lineup analyzer tool.

Tonight's lineup, using season-to-date stats (including tonights), should score 4.332 runs/game.

The best lineup configuration of tonight's personnel is:

Matsui
Giambi
Jeter
Damon
Abreu
Cano
Melky
Molina
Ensberg

which scores 4.462 runs/game.

Sub in A-Rod for Ensberg (using his pre-injury stats), and the optimal lineup is Matsui
Damon
Abreu
A-Rod
Giambi
Cano
Melky
Molina
Jeter

good for 4.838 runs/game.

The typical Yanks' lineup with A-Rod in it scores 4.629.

2008-05-14 21:43:56
145.   Yu-Hsing Chen
the drop off between A-rod / Posada to Ensberg / Molina is just ugly

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