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Dogged
2008-05-26 14:38
by Alex Belth

What is your favorite grown-up indulgence?  On a daily basis, I'd have to say it is that I use paper towels with reckless abandon.  Maybe it was because they were practically rationed in my house as a kid.  Whatever the reason, I use them like mad when I'm in the kitchen cooking and I love it. 

On Sunday, I went out to Fort Greene, Brooklyn, where my friend Johnny Red Sox and some of his pals have a serious wiffle ball game cooking each weekend (dude, they keep score, they are serious).  After playing a game, John threw me batting practice for fifteen minutes.  Talk about indulgence!  I just got to stand there and take my hacks.  A moment to savor for sure.

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Check out the mascot...

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And speaking of dogs...

Darrell Rasner pitched well once again allowing just one run in six innings, but the bullpen (Hawkins, Veras) gave up five in the seventh as the Orioles cruised to a 6-1 win.  The victory ended a five-game losing streak for Baltimore and a five-game winning streak for New York.

Comments
2008-05-27 06:56:30
1.   OldYanksFan
This is now 4 EXCELLENT games for Raz in a row. Yet nobody thinks he is an impact pitcher. He just throws strikes. But Phil and IPK throws strikes (sometimes) and get hit pretty hard. What's the story with Raz? Has this been just a lucky RCNB period? Have we undervalued him?

Moose seems to have made adjustments. Aside from injury or fatigue, I can see him pitching 160-180 IP at a 4.5ish ERA. If Raz continues to be good and Joba is decent as a starter, then we have 2 extra pitchers (Phil abd IPK). 6 man rotation and Raz in the BP?

Regardless of who throws better, we must get Phil, IPK and Joba their IPs. We don't want to retard their development, right?

I guess this is why you play the games. It will be interesting to see how our SR works out.

2008-05-27 07:18:57
2.   dianagramr
Alex .... the makers of the Wiffle Ball will be upset with your spelling. :-)
2008-05-27 09:06:02
3.   cult of basebaal
1 i don't have the updated numbers, but before this last start, rasner's babip was .218, which is quite low. That being said, i like what i've seen from rasner and think he can be an effective MLB pitcher in the 4-5 slot. In other words, Aaron Small, he ain't.
2008-05-27 09:09:13
4.   YankeeInMichigan
Speaking of dogs, is Ross Ohlendorf now in Girardi's doghouse? Following poor outings against the Mets and Baltimore, he hasn't pitched in a week.
2008-05-27 09:11:08
5.   Rob Middletown CT
4 It could be that Girardi does not, in fact, want to pitch Ohlendorf's arm off. Poor performance is a factor as well, I'm sure.
2008-05-27 09:12:43
6.   cult of basebaal
3 well, i'll soften that a bit, he might be aaron small, but he also might be a poor man's jon lieber, a thing which has value, especially when accompanied by other pitchers with more talent ... which hopefully we'll have in phil and joba and wang
2008-05-27 09:33:25
7.   YankeeInMichigan
If he's Aaron Small of 2005, I'll take it.
2008-05-27 09:37:57
8.   YankeeInMichigan
Reader's Digest had an article 3-5 years ago on the invention of whiffle ball. Couldn't find it on-line.
2008-05-27 09:38:28
9.   horace-clarke-era
I think it is worth bearing in mind that Rasner has never NOT been good, at any level. We have been deeply seduced by the Myths of PKH and Joba (with IPK in the slipstream, discounted because - like Rasner - no flame). Four good starts straight plus excellent AAA starts ... I'd say we are STILL undervaluing his upside, myself. Proof in pudding: we got him for our fantasy team. Money where typing fingers are!

I have an uncharacteristic feeling this is a slightly important game tonight. Uncharacteristic for me as I am Dr. Patient (ahem) here. But it would be very nice to see Kennedy deliver again (making 2 in a row there) and to NOT have the brief momentum at home stall.

Tampa Bay is 11 games over .500 for first time in club history. I can manage to be objective enough to call this 'good for the game' ... and their pitching actually looks exceptional.

2008-05-27 09:54:15
10.   Mattpat11
7 I sill maintain that comparing him to Small, who by 2005, had a long career of awful pitching, is an insulting comparison
2008-05-27 10:13:06
11.   ChrisS
I don't think that Small is a very good comparable to Rasner. Other than the seemingly coming out of nowhere to be spectacular tilt. Small has pedestrian peripherals throughout his minor league career and won 10 games a 33-yo. Rasner is what, 27?, missed all of last year with an injury. He was modest prospect before that with good peripherals. In his 12 previous ML games going back to his 25 yo season, he's had league average or better ERAs and 2:1 K:BB ratios.

He's much better than Small.

2008-05-27 11:36:19
12.   Rob Middletown CT
Rasner has more talent than Small ever had. He's not an ace, but he's long been thought of as a guy who could be a #4-#5 starter for the Yanks. He's had some injuries which have held him back. Supposedly, he's added a pitch (cutter).

He's not going to have an ERA under 1 all year, but he's always been at least average. If he's improved a bit, then you've got a slightly above-average pitcher on your hands - and that's all sortsa valueable.

Plus, I love watching the guy pitch. Some of that is results-based... I mean, we all love it when guys get outs. But the way he gets them is enjoyable. Get ball, throw strike. Rinse, repeat.

2008-05-27 13:52:15
13.   Raf
4 Given that Girardi has a 7 man pen, it's only a matter of time before Ohlendorf gets the call again.
2008-05-27 14:39:53
14.   OldYanksFan
Melky is sitting tonight, so we are going old school with JD in CF and Mats in LF. This is prior warning that I will make a big deal over the gaf Mats will ultimately make on defense, and just hope it doesn't cost us.

I do like and respect the guy, but his D has gone from average to horrible so fast, it's stunning. He was never good going back, but came in OK, and went side to side pretty well. Since breaking his wrist, he doesn't like coming in anymore. His knees took care of side to side. So now, the only ground he covers decently is between the ondeck circle and home plate.

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