I'm No Idiot

Damon's Arrival: Cashman's Turnabout?

2005-12-27T17:56:00.000-05:00

The centerfield hole brought an opportunity for the Yankees to get younger, cheaper, and more flexible at a position that demands athleticism. Instead, they spent $13 million on one 32-year-old centerfielder. But, I'm OK with the Damon signing. I would have much preferred that the Yankees spend that $13 million elsewhere, but Damon is a good pickup nonetheless. It's a bit odd seeing him in pinstripes, but I don't hate Damon, and I'll embrace him as our centerfielder like I embraced Wade Boggs and Roger Clemens before him. It's just that this seemed like a great opportunity to show the world that the Yankees were a team in the midst of a change. Spending $13 million on another All-Star means the Yankees are a team that refuses to change.

But... I'm OK with Damon for three reasons: (1) the Matsui Deal - identical in length and dollar amount to the Damon deal, with Matsui being only 7 months younger. If Matsui deserves $13m, Damon probably does as well (more important position, more speed, bats leadoff). (2) the New Lineup - maybe Jeter should still lead off, but either way this is one of the deadliest lineups assembled in some time - 1-6 is an absolute pitcher's nightmare, and 7-9 contains one of the best offensive catchers in baseball, the active Yankee hits leader, and the 2005 Rookie of the Year runner-up. (3) It hurts the Sox - even though they save on Damon's salary, his departure still creates a hole at another important position at a time when it will only get tougher for Boston to trade for help.

On the other hand, my biggest problem with the signing is that I was really beginning to like - no, love - the way the Yankees were being put together. Cashman seemed focused on bringing depth to the team instead of all-stars (see: Bullpen). If nothing else, a Yankee team with Bubba, Michaels, Patterson, or Reed in center and a deep bench would have been a very fun team to watch and follow. This team feels like all the others since The Dyanasty - stacked and one-dimensionally boring. A Yankee team that spends for depth rather than top-quality would leave the door wide open for the farm system to finally start helping out, instead of serving as trade-bait. Young players are always more fun to watch.

As a Yankee fan, I don't get the opportunity to follow young players that often, and I really thought this would be the year the Yankees start getting younger. That's what worries me most about this deal - it puts in my head the idea that the Yankees will never get younger - that their payroll means that they will just buy every 32 year old All-Star on the market before they give their own kids a chance; that the farm system exists just as a factory for trade chips; that the Robby Cano Story was a complete fluke and the only way the Yankees will ever infuse young talent is if they were forced by the hand of God (or the incredibly ineffective bat of Tony Womack).

I've put a great deal of trust in Brian Cashman - I've defended his every move because it's seemed like he's always acted with a grand "New Yankee Philosophy" in mind. A philosophy I am (was?) very excited about. Although he should still be commended for not selling the farm, what's the point of keeping the farm if you're just going to buy every superstar that's available? I'm not going to flip on Cash over one move, but if this Damon deal is just a sign of things to come, I might have to stop wearing my "Cashman #98" jersey t-shirt...

Greatest Christmas present EVER.

Shave and a Haircut, $52 Million

2005-12-21T09:39:00.000-05:00

Just when you (me) were really beginning to believe every word from Brian Cashman - the Yanks aren't looking for splashy moves - they go reel in the splashy move of splashy moves this winter. Bubba Crosby won't be patrolling centerfield this spring for the Yanks, no, it will be the very Steinbrenner-esque choice of Johnny Damon.

Let me say right from the start that this definitely makes the Yankees a better team. Beyond that, I'm not sure what to think.

I was pretty angered by the signing - a complete reversal in philosophy by Cashman - before reading this account of the midnight dealings by Buster Olney. That helped ease the pain somewhat. The deal wasn't so much of a Steinbrenner directive ("I want HIM and I don't care what it takes.") as it was a last-ditch/take-it-or-leave-it/final-offer kind of thing where the Yankees decided to put Damon to a decision and then, if they got rejected, move on to other options. To Damon, the choice became clear(er) - the Yankees were pushing hard (4-yrs, $52m - a full $3m/yr better than Boston's offer) while the Red Sox were busy coming up with Plan B's (Jeremy Reed) - the Yankees wanted him more. And so the Yankees got him.

I have to say a good part of me is disappointed - I was becoming very excited to see what Bubba could do with a starting job. Looking back, it was pretty foolish - the Yanks would have never started the year with Bubba in center. Going the Bubba route likely would have meant adding a second centerfielder, which would have provided some great insight to how the new Yankee philosophy was working. Now, I'm beginning to doubt that such a new philosophy actually exists. Are we still in the free-wheeling Steinbucks days? Or is Brian Cashman really interested in changing the way this team operates? The answer isn't as clear as it was yesterday.

Yanks Add Second Lefty

2005-12-16T19:04:00.000-05:00

Just a day after finalizing a 2-year $2.4 million contract with lefty specialist Mike Myers, the Yankees made a deal for the Marlins' lefty Ron Villone for minor league pitcher Ben Julianel. Villone was acquired by the Marlins last summer from the Mariners at the deadline for pitchers Yorman Bazardo and Mike Flannery. The Yankees had been very interested in dealing for Villone then, but missed out because Bazardo was one of the Marlins top pitching prospects. Julianel, on the other hand, was available to anyone who wanted him just a week ago in the Rule 5 draft, but went unclaimed. Seems like a steal for the Yanks.

The trade of Villone likely marks the end of the Marlins' fire sale, not because they have decided to stop, but because they've run out of players to trade (assuming they don't go crazy and deal off Willis & Cabrera).

For the Yanks, Villone provides a solid lefty who isn't incapable of pitching against righties. Joe Torre has always had issues in dealing with lefty specialists in his pen, often leaving them in to face righties. Myers fits the bill as the kind of guy you don't want facing righties. Villone is capable of serving as a swing-man/long-reliever if needed. His addition should help formalize the bullpen roles to fit the players' specific abilities. Villone's addition also likely means neither Al Leiter nor prospect Matt Smith will be in the Yankees' immediate bullpen plans.

It's currently unclear whether this trade means that Cashman is done adding to the bullpen. With Rivera, Farnsworth, Myers, Villone, Sturtze, Small, Proctor, and Wright slated for possible bullpen roles, there doesn't seem to be room for an additional arm. As it stands now, one or two of Wright, Proctor, Small, and Sturtze will not make the 25-man roster.

Villone 2005:
vs. LHB - .222/.326/.256 (117 AB)
vs. RHB - .258/.370/.408 (120 AB)

Myers 2005:
vs. LHB - .158/.198/.211 (95 AB)
vs. RHB - .385/.510/.641 (39 AB)

The Cashman Isn't Buying...

2005-12-09T15:57:00.000-05:00

And I think it's angering some of you out there, but not me. I understand that it's hard for long-time Yankee fans to accept the fact that their team isn't the one doling out the 5-year $55 million contracts, but that's a good thing. Big contracts are big trouble, especially when the free agent market is as thin as this winter's. The trade market is therefore highly competitive, and as such, teams are demanding big packages for their trades (Cashman must be sick of teams requesting Cano & Wang). There hasn't been a deal that's gone down or a free agent that's been signed that makes me regret the Yankee's non-action.

If Cashman can sign another reliever to join Myers and Farnsworth (someone like Julian Tavarez or Roberto Hernandez) and make a deal for a centerfielder to split time with Bubba Crosby (Jason Michaels would be perfect - so perfect that he'd win the job outright by June), then turn his attention to the bench (Bernie will be back, along with maybe Nomar or Miguel Cairo?), the Yanks will have exactly what they need without spending the ridiculous amounts of money (and prospects) that they usually do. The added flexibility of small contracts and cheap players means that in a pinch, the team could be improved with deadline trades, and more than that, the team would also be set up for the future (the future - a strange concept for Yankee fans). The Yanks will be able to make moves over the next few years as more big contracts come off the books and better free agents (and prospects like Cox, Cabrera, Duncan, and Hughes) become available to improve the team.

To hammer in my point here's a little trip down memory lane - an excerpt from Contrary to Popular Belief... a post I made in mid-July:

So Cashman has two options: (1) Plug Along, Stay Afloat, Ride the Wave, Struggle Through, Gut It Out... etc. Keep bringing in your Tim Reddings and Aaron Smalls and maybe make a small deal here or there for a Chacon or a Leiter and just wait for the reinforcements coming off the DL.
OR
(2) Trade the 5 chips (and it will likely have to be all of them) for the one or two "perfect" acquisitions who will play for the Yankees through 2005, maybe take them to the playoffs and then leave for greener pastures in 2006.

The deal with option 1 is simple - the Yankees keep the small but promising farm intact and look to the future without entirely giving up on the present. This is what real baseball teams with real payrolls and real farm systems do. Now that the wonderful fantasy land ride that is the Yankees of 96-04 has come to an end, its about time they start acting like a real professional baseball organization instead of a mercenary camp for the old and expensive. With some luck and healthier arms they might just make the playoffs, too.

Option 2 is the same old story. Hughes, Duncan and Wang (though he can't be traded while on the DL) are shipped for a new starter like Burnett, while Cabrera and Cano are dealt for a guy like Cameron. The Yankees panic and give in to the crazy demands of the pre-deadline trade market. The result? Yankees get the Wild Card, lose in the ALCS to Boston, and head into next year struggling to re-sign Burnett and find that they can't acquire anyone in a trade because they have no trade bait to fall back on any more. Instead of the fantasy ride coming to a stop and turning around, it crashes through a wall and everyone is thrown 300 feet to their deaths.

On that note, I would like to thank Brian Cashman for choosing Option 1, and for continuing to choose Option 1. It's good to see that the Yankees are becoming a real professional baseball organization.

Farnsworth Deal Stalls as Gordon Leaves NY

2005-12-02T13:02:00.000-05:00

*** Farnsworth Deal is Official - 3-years, $17 million ***

With Tom Gordon signing a 3-year $18-million deal with the Phillies, the market for Kyle Farnsworth has suddenly expanded, apparently stalling the fireballer's reported deal with the Yankees. The Rangers have added themselves to the Farnsworth hunt and have made an offer that is "competitive" with the Yankees' reported offer in the neighborhood of 3-years and $17 million. Like the Yanks, the Rangers already have an established closer (Francisco Cordero) and are pursuing Farnsworth as a setup man. Nonetheless, most still expect Farnsworth to end up in New York as planned, and the current stall is only an attempt to get a few extra dollars from the notoriously generous Yankees.

For the conspiracy theorists, there's an alternative explanation for the stalling. Two years ago, the Yankees delayed the signing of Gary Sheffield beyond the arbitration deadline so they wouldn't have to give up a top draft pick to the Braves, something that had angered Atlanta GM John Schuerholz. His recent statement that Farnsworth is joining the Yankees may be an attempt to force the Yankees to sign him before the Dec. 7th arbitration deadline. In response, the sudden stall in the negotiations may be a ploy by the Yankees to create a reason for waiting until Dec. 8th.

Like most things, there's probably a good amount of truth to both sides of the story.

*** Turns out there wasn't much truth to either - the deal was done before the deadline, and Farnsworth didn't get any extra money ***

Yanks Finally Get Active

2005-12-01T12:54:00.000-05:00

After a few weeks of waiting and watching, the Yankees have apparently made their first moves of this offseason. The only official move made by the Yanks was to sign a backup catcher, Kelly Stinnett, to a one-year, $650,000 deal. The as-of-yet unofficial move is the signing of Kyle Farnsworth as Mariano Rivera's setup man. According to two Atlanta sources, Farnsworth has told the Braves he will not return as their closer, and will instead sign with the Yankees. Rumors have the deal as either 3-years $15-17 million, or 4-years $24 million. With BJ Ryan (5-yr, $47m) off the market, the Yankees heavily pursued Farnsworth, an on-and-off closer who boasts a fastball that tops out at 100 mph. There has never been a question that Farnsworth has the stuff needed to be dominant, but many often question the mental aspects of his game. Head case or not, Farnsworth gives the Yanks the strikeout machine their bullpen has lacked (he's averaged more than a K per inning for the last few years).

It seems as though the Yankees are also still trying to sign former setup man Tom Gordon, who is seeking a three-year deal. The Yanks will not budge on their two-year offer, and if the Farnsworth signing is true, signing Gordon will only be more difficult. Adding Farnsworth not only increases Gordon's market, but it makes it far less likely that Gordon (who wants to close) will return to the Yankees to share the setup role that has been solely his for the last two years. Nonetheless, the Yankees seem like they want Farnsworth and Gordon.

Stinnett is a solid backup - good defensively, and a decent upgrade offensively over John Flaherty. Some believe that Stinnett also gives the Yankees a certain special kind of experience - Randy Johnson experience. Stinnett caught Johnson when both were Diamondbacks in 1999-2000. Signing Stinnett, never really a first-string catcher, sends the message that the Yankees are not going to try to seriously limit Posada's playing time in an effort to avoid the incentive that will give Posada an additional contract year if he catches 81 games in 2006. If the Yankees are still concerned with that possibility, they will have to trade Posada for another starting catcher, a very unlikely scenario.

Although there is nothing substantial to report, the Yanks are also still active in pursuing a lefty specialist - either Joey Eischen, Mike Myers, or Ricardo Rincon. Cashman will apparently try to solve the bullpen problem first, as the centerfield market is very thin - making early trade costs too high. He has asked the Phillies about Jason Michaels, but talks quickly died when GM Pat Gillick wanted Chien-Ming Wang in return.

Struggling to Plug the Holes: Bench

2005-11-26T17:45:00.000-05:00

Although the holes in the Yankees bench will be put on the back burner until the more important issues in center and the bullpen are resolved, there are some pretty interesting options facing the Yankees bench in 2006.

First Base. Tino Martinez will not be back, in fact he'll probably retire. He won't be able to get more than a defensive replacement job from anyone else and he sees no point in taking such a job from anyone other than the Yankees. Brian Cashman sounds completely ready to have Giambi play first most of the time, and hand the backup job to Andy Phillips. The Yanks have expended all their minor league options on Phillips (just like they have with Crosby) and will be forced to either keep him on the ML roster or trade/release him. That, and a desire to cut spending, are big reasons for the Yankees decision to give the job to Phillips, a 28-year old near rookie who's never inspired enough confidence offensively to be considered more than an emergency infielder. But like Crosby, he's young(er), cheap, and has the support of the coaching staff (especially Torre & Mattingly).

Catcher. Contractual obligations will play a large role in who the Yankees get to back up Jorge Posada. They are not looking for another year of John Flaherty, despite his work with Randy Johnson. If Posada catches 81 games in 2006, it will make the 2007 team option ($12 million) a guaranteed year, and add a 2008 player option. Basically, if Posada catches 81 games in 2006, they will be stuck with an aging catcher deep in decline for three more years, and they'll be paying him as much as Matsui. As such, they'll be looking for a backup who is capable of starting games. Bengie Molina might be asking too much, but a likely answer is Todd Pratt, or acquiring someone in a trade.

Designated Hitter. The DH spot will likely be a bit of a revolving door for the 2006 Yankees. Giambi will certainly get his share of DH at-bats, likely against good lefties where Phillips will be more apt to get starts. Lefties could also force Bubba Crosby out of the lineup, especially if the Yankees can get a capable bat to play center on occasion (Giles, Encarnacion, J. Jones, J. Michaels). Should they get one of those, the "normal" lineup could then allow Sheffield, Matsui, and possibly Posada to rotate in the DH spot, while Giles/Enc/Michaels man rightfield with Bubba in center. The Yankees could also re-sign Bernie Williams to take some DH at-bats while serving as a reserve outfielder.

Reserve Infield/Outfield. Tony Womack's offensive performance was so bad last year that he will have to keep his pinch-runner status because he can't be traded - no one wants him. He could also serve as a backup to Robinson Cano or return to the outfield in an emergency. If Cashman's All-Columbus bench trend continues, look for Felix Escalona to see some time as a backup to Jeter and A-Rod. Columbus lacks a serious contender for reserve outfield work, unless Melky Cabrera, Kevin Thompson, Bronson Sardinha, or Kevin Reese suddenly become MLB-ready by March. The free agent market also lacks a cheap-but-effective OF/DH type that the Yankees have had in Ruben Sierra. The hope here is that Bernie finishes his career in pinstripes, playing the Ruben role for the next few years.

Struggling to Plug the Holes: Bullpen

2005-11-25T13:15:00.000-05:00

The Boston Red Sox have added injury to insult with the latest expansion of the Josh Beckett deal. The deal has been expanded to include setup man Guillermo Mota for an additional Boston pitching prospect. This no more than a day after there were reports that the Yankees were trying to make a deal for some of the Marlins' relievers, Mota and lefty Ron Villone. It's just part of the growing trend this winter - every time a reliever's name is connected to the Yankees, he immediately becomes unavailable to them. Mota joins Scott Eyre and Bobby Howry, and will likely be joined by BJ Ryan and Tom Gordon, as potential pinstriped setup men who have been plucked away from the Yankees' grasp (Ryan & Gordon are still unsigned, but rumors persist that they are not interested in setting up).

Though it would seem such moves should anger Cashman, the man seems unflappable, outwardly content with going into April with less than the usual brand name talent. Cashman has cited young Yankee farmhands like lefty Matt Smith, T.J. Beam, Colter Bean and big leaguers Scott Proctor, Tanyon Sturtze, Aaron Small, and Jaret Wright as potential in-house fallback scenarios should the troubling trend continue.

The Yankees have moved their pursuit to "second tier" free agent relievers like Julian Tavarez, Octavio Dotel, Kyle Farnsworth, and lefties Joey Eischen, Ricardo Rincon, and Mike Myers. Although he hasn't been mentioned, the Yankees might try someone like Braden Looper who struggled as the Mets closer and may benefit from returning to a setup role, especially if it is behind someone as reliable as Rivera. If the situation continues to grow desperate, they might look to gamble with former successful closers like Danny Graves, Matt Mantei, or 41-year old Roberto Hernandez.

It's currently unclear if the Yankees have any match in the trade market, as the relatively thin free agent class also means that teams are unwilling to part with their current relievers, especially anyone who could make a serious impact in the Yankee bullpen. Besides that, it's also unclear what the Yankees might be willing to offer - they don't have any offense to trade (unless they can sign Giles, in which case Sheff could in theory be made available), they haven't shown any interest in trading Pavano or Wright, and are dead-set against moving any marketable prospects.

Just like the centerfield situation, you may see a Yankee bullpen this spring that is based around young in-house arms. They're cheap, there are a bunch of them, and if any of them work out, the team will have found a long-term solution. Of course, that's if they work out.

Struggling to Plug the Holes: Centerfield

2005-11-23T18:36:00.000-05:00

With Matsui locked up (4yrs, $52 million), Brian Cashman can finally focus his attention to the remaining open spots in the team's roster. If only the free agent market would cooperate. Early reports that top-tier guys like BJ Ryan and Brian Giles might be Bronx-bound have begun to fade away as indications are that the two (among many others) aren't willing to play in the intense environment of Yankee Stadium. It appears it's time now for Cash to prove he's worthy of the 3-year $5 million contract he got earlier this offseason by coming up with a creative (likely trade-based) solution to the Yankees remaining holes in center and the bullpen.

Center. As of right now, Cashman is content with going into spring training with Bubba Crosby penciled in as the Yankees' everyday centerfielder. Crosby is solid enough defensively to do the job, and has been getting support from the coaching staff (especially Don Mattingly) for his offensive capabilities.

The current big name target for the Yanks is Giles. Although he's barely played any centerfield in his career, he could also be used in right field (with Sheff at DH), as a lineup addition for the purpose of hiding Crosby's weak bat. The Yanks are also apparently interested in Johnny Damon, but only if the centerfielder is willing to accept a significantly smaller offer than he is currently seeking.

Other free agent centerfield options include Juan Encarnacion, Jacque Jones, and Preston Wilson, however the Yankees have not shown any interest in them.

The Yanks could also try to fill the hole through the trade route. Juan Pierre and Torii Hunter were early targets, but Hunter's expensive price and Pierre's questionable defense have turned the Yankees away. With the impending trade of Aaron Rowand for Jim Thome, the Phillies might try to move one of their three centerfielders (Rowand, Jason Michaels, or Endy Chavez).

Other potential trade partners include the Tigers (Craig Monroe), Nationals (Brad Wilkerson), Cubs (Corey Patterson), Dodgers (Milton Bradley), and in a long shot the Mariners (Ichiro Suzuki). However, Cashman's unwillingness to part with young talent will make any trade a difficult one to negotiate.

The Question In Center

2005-11-04T15:52:00.000-05:00

Reports out of the New York meetings say that, considering the thin free agent market and the team's unwillingness to part with young players in the trade market, the Yankees might be looking at Bubba Crosby in center for 2006. While this news may result in frenzied panic calls to your local sports radio show, at least it shows that the Yankees top brass are considering a very important question: Do we actually need to add something in centerfield? As strange as it might sound, the answer is No. Well, I guess it's more like Not really.

The Yankees offense ranked 2nd overall in the majors in 2005 - with 886 runs scored (or 905 runs created according to the sabermetric formula), a close second to Boston (910 RS, 914 RC). The Yankees are an offensive powerhouse, we already knew this. The thing to consider here is the extent to which the centerfield position contributed to that offense - that is How important is center, offensively, to the Yankees? The answer - Not at all. The Yanks ranked dead last in MLB in terms of production out of the centerfield position with just under 60 runs created, also ranking 28th in AVG, 29th in OBP, and 30th in SLG. Position-by-position, those 60 RC ranked last in offensive production for the Yankees (14 shy of the 74 put up by Posada & Flaherty). Centerfield was already the worst offensive position on the team. The point is this: If the Yankees can be the 2nd best offense in baseball without getting any real help from center, it doesn't matter who they put there next year, so long as they are solid defensively. There's no point in going after pricey trades for Torii Hunter or Vernon Wells and there's certainly no point in chasing Johnny Damon.

So who should the Yankees pursue? Bubba will be serviceable in center - but to rely on him alone would be idiotic. The perfect available player for the Yanks is Corey Patterson. His struggles in Chicago last year were a result of his offensive inabilities, but he does have potential, and he is very good defensively. It's currently unclear what the Cubs want to do with Patterson, but it's likely he'll be available as they try to push their star CF prospect, Felix Pie, onto the 2006 roster. Another good choice is the man responsible for the biggest stolen base in recent memory: Yankee nemesis Dave Roberts (currently arbitration eligible with the Padres). He'll come cheap since he's not much offensively, but has good range and speed. Or, the Yankees could move Matsui to center - an upgrade over Bernie, but downgrade from Bubba - and pursue a mid-level corner OF to play left. They won't need much more than that.

The only snag in this scenario is that perhaps the Yankees' offense regresses from its 2005 form, and thus, adding something to center would be useful. Maybe Giambi falters after his comeback year, maybe age catches up to Sheff and Jorge. Maybe. But the Yankees don't need to add to centerfield to keep the offense healthy. With the money/trades saved by not pursuing a top centerfielder, the Yankees will have the extra resources to build the bullpen and anchor a staff that figures to be better in 2006 than 2005, and build the bench - upgrading over Flaherty, Tino, and Sierra. Doing so should help check the regression the Yankees are sure to see in their older players.

With Cashman on board and taking charge, I'm sure this is an option that is gaining strength in those meetings - he's not Steinbrenner, he's not enamored with big names and big moves. Besides, this isn't the type of player market where you'd want to make big moves, and as far as center is concerned, that's not something the Yankees need to do.

With Cashman In Charge, Yanks Seek Coaches

2005-11-01T22:21:00.001-05:00

The Yankees look like they want to surround Joe Torre with former managers in his second-to-last year in baseball. Former Padres/Phillies manager Larry Bowa will be the team's third base coach in 2006. Former Orioles manager Lee Mazzilli will likely be announced as the bench coach some time this week.

It's currently unclear as to who are the leading candidates for the first base coach, pitching coach, and bullpen coach openings. It seems as though the pitching/bullpen coach search has narrowed down to former manager/pitching coach/scout Joe Kerrigan and former Yankee great Ron Guidry. According to reports, Cashman favors Kerrigan and Torre favors Guidry. Others in the organization are weary about Guidry's inexperience, but a compromise solution in which Guidry is the pitching coach and Kerrigan is in the bullpen is very likely. In that scenario, Kerrigan and Guidry could share the pitching coach duties as a way to guard against Guidry's inexperience and feed off of Kerrigan's knowledge.

It is clear that if Luis Sojo wants to accept the "demotion" to first base, it's his job, but it looks more likely that he'll accept a minor-league managerial position instead, possibly with Class A Tampa. With Joe Girardi out and Sojo headed for the minors, the Yankees will be looking for coaches who can also serve as catching instructor (Girardi) and a mentor for young Robby Cano (Sojo). As such, former Royals manager Tony Pena has been contacted as a possible first base coach. A former catcher, Pena could fill the Girardi void. Pena, who would then be the team's only Hispanic coach, could also help the team's young Hispanic players. If the Yankees are really putting a priority on Cano's mentor, another name that hasn't been mentioned at all is Ruben Sierra. Nothing has been said about Sierra's intentions for the future (he is a free agent at 40 years old), but it was clear that he had begun to develop a mentor-ish relationship with Cano. Should Sierra decide to retire, maybe he could be offered a position with the team. Although he had his problems with Torre in the past, those incidents were clearly put behind them when an older and more mature Ruben returned to the Yanks in 2003, even serving as manager-for-a-day in 2004.

Although the team appears to be building a staff full of managerial experience, they have made it clear that none of these coaches are being hired as a future replacement for Torre, who will retire after the 2007 season. Long-term speculation has Don Mattingly as the front runner in that race. As of right now, Mattingly is too valuable as a hitting coach to be given any other job.

Cashman Stays

2005-10-27T20:12:00.000-04:00

Brian Cashman has agreed to a 3-yr, $5+ million contract, ending speculation that he would leave the Yankees. Rumors indicated that the sticking point over the past few weeks has been the level of interference between Cashman and Steinbrenner from Steinbrenner's inner circle of advisors in Tampa. Given that, it would seem that some agreement has been made to give Cashman greater control over organizational decisions, although no official details about the contract are known yet.

The return of Cashman also means that the Yankees can officially begin their offseason - first up will be shoring up the holes in Joe Torre's coaching staff with Larry Bowa, Lee Mazzilli, and Ron Guidry expected to take the third base, bench, and pitching coach jobs within the next week. Also a major issue for the future of the Yankees will be the fate of former GM and Cashman mentor, Gene Michael. Michael had been phased out of the decision making process by Steinbrenner over the past year, and his name has come up in front-office discussions in Tampa. With Cashman back on board, look for him to use his new influence to return Michael to a more prominent scouting position, that is, so long as Big Stein hasn't completely alienated the one man most responsible for building The Dynasty.

Cashman's next task will be to re-sign Hideki Matsui before his price skyrockets on Nov. 16 when he can test the market. After that, he'll need to address the issues in center and the bullpen. Throughout the season, Cashman seemed reluctant to trade away the Yankees top prospects for quick fixes, an effort to rebuild the Yanks' barren farm system. It will be interesting to see if he maintains this policy while trade rumors swirl around top-tier CF's like Torii Hunter and Vernon Wells.

Offseason Begins, Part II

2005-10-17T20:30:00.000-04:00

Breaking down the roster, position by position:

Starting Pitching. The Yankees started last offseason with two primary aims: (1) have a shut-down #1 starter for the postseason; (2) make the rotation younger (Pavano & Wright). Johnson had an overall decent (but disappointing) season (17-8, 3.79, 211 K) and failed as a postseason #1 starter. The rotation got younger, but no thanks to Pavano & Wright - Chacon & Wang were responsible for that. Next year's rotation looks promising based on this year's performance: Johnson, Mussina, Chacon, Wang, Pavano/Wright/Small. There's really no need to add any starting pitching, the team almost has a surplus. Trading Johnson/Mussina/Pavano is very unlikely due to their salaries and the uncertainty surrounding their abilities (why is that fans always assume that will just take the guy you don't want?).

Bullpen. Here's one of the big issues of the offseason. Going in, the Yanks 7th-9th inning relief looked as good as any in baseball - Tanyon Sturtze looked great in the second half of 2004, Tom Gordon was the 8th inning closer, and Mariano is Mariano. Sturtze & Gordon battled fatigue and shoulder troubles all year, to the point where it looked like Joe didn't trust either of them in big spots (see Game 4). Mariano, on the other hand, had what was probably a Cy Young season - his second most dominant season ever (1996 was just superhuman). Gordon will be a free agent, and Sturtze's option might not be picked up. The team also struggled to find suitable middle (5th & 6th) inning relief, and lacked a go-to lefty specialist all year. The other issue worth addressing is the age of Rivera (36 in November). While he shows no signs of slowing down, he inevitably will - you can't keep throwing 95 mph cutters into your 40s - the Yanks need to come up with a future replacement. They might have drafted one in J. Brent Cox and he'll probably get his shot in the bullpen sometime in the next two years, but not having seen him, I can't say if that's a good thing. The answer to the departure of Tom Gordon is clear: sign B.J. Ryan, the Orioles closer. He has expressed interest in a setup role, so long as its for a "winner". In the language of professional athletes, that means "I want to play for the Yankees." And the Yankees want him. They also need to address their 5th-7th inning guys, as Scott Proctor, Alan Embree, Felix Rodriguez, Wayne Franklin, etc. are certainly not the answer. Moving Small to the bullpen could help here. Scott Sauerbeck, Mike Myers, and Scott Eyre are all available for a lefty role.

Catcher. Jorge Posada looked every bit of his 34 years through much of this season, and probably won't look much better at 35. The Yanks need to look into creating a steady platoon instead of the current starter/backup roles that have been in place since the days when Joe Girardi was Jorge's mentor. Signing someone like Bengie Molina or even Ramon Hernandez would allow the Yankees to phase out of their current catching situation until a long term solution can be found. The rest of the catching market is filled with standard backups like Gary Bennett and Chris Widger.

First Base. Jason Giambi's return to normalcy means that he will continue to be a Yankee. You'll probably end up seeing a similar situation to 2005 where Giambi and a slick fielding veteran share the role for the year. Possible 1Bs include Tino Martinez (who might retire), JT Snow, Yankee-for-a-month Travis Lee, and soon-to-be former Met Doug Mientkiewicz. They could get crazy and go after Paul Konerko, but he'll be in demand this winter (Orioles, Angels, Mets, Red Sox, White Sox, Yankees) and I doubt the Yanks want to add another huge contract to their inflexible payroll.

Second Base. Robinson Cano. The kid opened everyone's eyes: Yes George, Rookies can be trusted.

Shortstop. Rafael Furcal. Just kidding... I think it'll probably be that Jeter guy, I hear he's pretty good. I can't wait for people to start calling into WFAN/ESPN to suggest that the Yanks move Jeter to center and sign either Furcal or Nomar.

Third Base. ARod. Don't care how angry you are about how he failed in the postseason again, he's still the best player in baseball.

Left Field. This depends on what the Yanks do with center. If they go after Damon or someone in a trade, then the Yanks resign Matsui and stick him in left for the next 3-5 years. If they don't go after a big CF, then they probably resign Matsui and put him in center, and then try to figure out something in LF - either sign someone big like Brian Giles (who wants to stay on the West Coast) or maybe have a few guys share the position like they did in the dynasty years.

Center Field. The second big issue in the roster. The Yankees have a lot of options here. Potential free agents in CF include Johnny Damon, Juan Encarnacion, Jacque Jones, Kenny Lofton, Randy Winn and Preston Wilson. There has also been talk of the Yankees seeking a trade for Torii Hunter, Vernon Wells, or Juan Pierre. Internally, the Yanks have Bubba Crosby, and a not-yet-ready Melky Cabrera. Bubba is a fine backup, but he won't start, unless the Yankees make drastic moves elsewhere to make up the difference in offense (signing Giles & DH'ing Sheff or signing Konerko & DH'ing Giambi). Resigning Bernie Williams will likely not affect the CF issue - Bernie would be a Ruben Sierra type (DH/Bench/4th OF). Matsui is the other option - sign him and put him in CF and address LF through free agency or trades. This might be the best option - Matsui is good enough in the field and can serve as a stop-gap if the Yankees believe their future is in Melky.

Right Field. Some people are calling for the Yanks to trade Gary Sheffield, who is in the last year of his self-negotiated contract. He's made it clear that he doesn't want to be traded, and really, there's not a whole lot of point in doing it. Sheffield puts up great numbers, and for much of the year he and ARod fed off each other and led this offense into the postseason where they promptly collapsed. Sheff might be the Yanks best trading option if they want to acquire a top CF, but then they'll just end up creating a new hole in right. Replacing Sheffield would be even more difficult than finding a solid CF, not to mention how untradeable Sheff will be in his contract year. They could do it, but it's very very unlikely.

The Offseason Begins

2005-10-15T13:10:00.000-04:00

"Just because they lost doesn't mean you stop being a fan." With that in mind, let's start the offseason...

GM. The big question surrounding the Yankees this winter is whether Mt. Steinbrenner is due for an eruption, or has suddenly become dormant. The first signal should be in how Big Stein handles the Cashman situation. If he keeps him, expect to see George fade into the background, a complete opposite of the 80's version. While "close friends" continue to say that Cash wants out - others think that there's still a chance that the loyal Cashman might stick around the only organization he's known. Given the way he handled this season - with an eye towards the Yankees' future - it would seem that Cashman isn't as resentful as most would think. If Cashman really hated his time under Steinbrenner and wanted some revenge, he'd probably take the Tampa job - an organization with good potential that's right in the Boss' backyard. If Cashman wants to stay in New York, he should probably demand greater control over the organization - instead of the current Tampa/New York fractured structure that has caused so much friction between Steinbrenner and his GM and manager. Getting Steinbrenner to break up his circle of trust in Tampa is a lot to ask, though.

Manager. The trendy rumor throughout the season has been that the run of 5 years and no titles, as well as the subpar play early in the year, means that Joe Torre's job is in serious jeopardy. With two years and $13 million left on his contract, it doesn't seem that Joe would walk away and leave the money. It also means that Steinbrenner is less likely to fire Joe and eat the money. Since many are calling this (and rightfully so) Torre's best managing job in years, this doesn't seem like the right time for a manager change anyway. Torre probably sticks around for one final year and grooms his replacement (here's to hoping the Marlins & D-Rays don't like Girardi).

Coaching Staff. Mel Stottlemyre has resigned as Yankee pitching coach, which was expected. Rumors started to spread over the summer that the Yanks would pursue top-notch replacements like the Braves' Leo Mazzone and the White Sox' Don Cooper. Those seem a little far fetched and unlikely, especially Mazzone, who is as loyal to Bobby Cox as Stot was to Torre. Inside the organization, Bullpen Coach Neil Allen is seemingly next in line, with late addition Joe Kerrigan (who helped Randy Johnson find his form again) and even Steinbrenner's trusted inner-circle guru Billy Connors as possibilities. Some have suggested bringing back former Yanks Ron Guidry or David Cone, but as of yet there doesn't seem to be a front-runner. Joe Girardi will end up managing in Florida (either the Marlins or D-Rays) so someone's going to have to replace him as Torre's right-hand man. With Stottlemyre gone and Torre presumably sticking around, finding someone that Torre is familiar with and can work with will be important. Bringing back Lee Mazzilli would be a good option, if he can't find a managing job somewhere. I'm not sold on promoting Mattingly - he was a great hitting coach and everyone on the team swears by his work - to remove him from that job might not be the best idea. There has been some word of moving Luis Sojo from third to first (rather than firing him, because they need him to help Cano) and either firing Roy White or moving him to third.

Yanks Season Ends in Anaheim

2005-10-12T18:20:00.000-04:00

A few attempts at comforting thoughts have roamed through my head over the past two weeks. When the Yanks won the East, I thought to myself, "After the start they had, winning the East means everything else is gravy." Then the playoffs started, didn't feel like gravy. Then the Red Sox lost, "Hey, so long as I don't have to hear from Sox fans anymore, everything else is gravy." Then the Yanks come back to force Game 5, didn't feel like gravy. Then, in a game that pretty much summed up the reason the Yanks are headed home, the season came to an end, "I don't even like gravy... and hey, at least it's not as bad as last year." True enough, I guess.

A quick look at the series that was:

The whole series was basically decided by two things: clutch hitting and defense - two things the Yankees have been looking for all year. Game 1 was won because of big 2-out RBIs from Cano and Giambi, while Game 2 hinged on a crucial errors by A-Rod and Wang, and a clutch 2-out 2-run single by Cabrera. Game 3 was a mess in every way possible. Game 4 featured a late-inning comeback thanks to a pinch-hit RBI single from Sierra and a chopper by Jeter that was mishandled by Figgins. Game 5 had the collision/confusion from Crosby and Sheff in the 2nd, and continued failure in the clutch by Matsui and A-Rod. The only time the Angels really made any mistakes was in that Game 4 rally. The two (the Angels D, and the Yanks clutch failures) aren't independent. It seemed like every time the Yanks hit a ball hard or started to get something going, there was Erstad or Figgins to make a big play and end the threat. As much as it looked like the Yanks lost the series because of their failures, the Angels should get most of the credit - the way they played D, and pitched through jams (especially how careful they were with A-Rod) - they deserved to win that series moreso than the Yanks deserved to lose it.

ALDS Game 1: Yanks @ Angels

2005-10-03T13:08:00.000-04:00

It's been some time since I last posted anything, largely because I've barely been able to breathe for the last few weeks. Now that I've finally exhaled (sometime late Saturday afternoon), I'll just dive right into the ALDS...

Pitching
Mussina looked anything but post-season ready in his last start against the Orioles. After completely baffling the O's with his changeup(s) on the 22nd, they were ready the second time around and roughed up Moose for 5 runs in 1 2/3 innings. Scheduled to start Sunday, Moose will instead start ALDS Game 1 on Tuesday, resting his sore elbow for an extra two days. Moose is a feel pitcher - if he can settle in, he can be great - it's just a matter of settling in. The Angels lineup isn't that dangerous - they rank 11th in the AL in OPS, and considering that Vlad will be given the Barry Bonds treatment, their offense should look even less impressive. The Angels manufacture runs, with Figgins at the top and contact hitters scattered throughout, the key will be holding runners on and mistake-free defense.

Offense
If the Yankees have anything going for them on Tuesday it's the fact that Bartolo Colon will be the Angels' starter. Although he has had a near Cy Young season (21-8, 3.48), the Yankees' lineup is stacked with guys who love to face Colon. In two games against the Yanks this year Colon is 1-1 with an 8.44 ERA, 7 HR, 5 BB, 6 K, and a .295 BAA. Those numbers are slightly inflated because of the slaughtering at the hands of A-Rod on April 26. But that game was no fluke - just look at some Yankees' numbers vs. Colon: A-Rod - .442/.458/1.093 (that's not a typo); Jeter - .344/.382/.594; Matsui - .300/.462/.900; Sheff - .353/.421/.471; Giambi - .259/.333/519; Lawton(?) - .353/.421/.471; Cano and Sierra also have solid numbers, but in limited at bats. Given A-Rod's history with Colon, I will be severely disappointed (with stat-head Joe Girardi especially) if he is still batting 2nd come Tuesday. The soon-to-be AL MVP was born to crush Colon fastballs and he needs to be up in run-producing situations, especially early. If the Yankees can get to Colon as they have previously, they might be able to wear down the stellar Angels bullpen in Game 1, something that could be a key to the whole series.

Key Matchups
Mussina & Posada vs. Chone Figgins
It'll be a factor throughout the series, can Jorge stop the Angels' running game. Posada's thrown out 30% of potential base stealers this year, putting him in the middle of the pack amongst AL catchers. Runners have been caught about 32% of the time with Moose on the hill, about average for an AL righty this year. It's not all in the battery for the Yanks though, as Torre, Girardi, and Stottlemyre have seemed psychic when it comes to calling for pitchouts. Getting ahead and being economical will be important in limiting the Angels' running opportunities.

Colon vs. A-Rod
You've seen the numbers. If the Yankees are to win Game 1, ARod will likely play a large part. He should be batting 3rd, with Sheff behind him for protection. Putting Matsui 2nd will help create some opportunities, as the Yanks are going to need to get ahead as early as possible.

Yankee Pitching vs. Vlad
Pitching around Vlad is a tough thing to do - he'll chase bad pitches, and crush them. He'll have Garret Anderson backing him up, but he'll do so with a sore back that has reduced him to DH duty. Being careful with Guerrero will be especially important for Gordon who will likely face Vlad at some point this series in a game-on-the-line situation in the 7th or 8th.

Yankees Sweep Their Way to One Game Lead

2005-09-22T23:36:00.000-04:00

Another potential blowout was ruined by the ineffectiveness of the Yankees middle relief. Luckily, there are a few guys back there who know what they're doing, and they saved the day as usual. Taking a 7-1 lead into the 7th, Al Leiter replaced the returning Mike Mussina and looked sharp for one inning. He imploded in the 8th, surrendering 4 runs on 2 hits. Tanyon Sturtze came in and calmed things down, ending the 8th with a 7-5 lead. Tom Gordon came in for the save (with Mo sitting after going 3 days in a row) and got two quick outs before surrendering a homer to Melvin Mora. He then forced Miguel Tejada to ground out to short, ending the game and increasing the Yankees new AL East lead to a full game.

Pitching
Mike Mussina looked sharp in his return from elbow inflammation - 6 innings, 4 hits, 1 unearned run, no walks and 6 strikeouts. He showed good command of all his pitches (especially his changeup), the velocity on his fastball was there, and he was economical - making the most of his 80-pitch limit. He has certainly earned a second and third start, and will force Torre to boot someone from the current rotation. If everyone goes on normal rest, Mussina would pitch Tuesday the 27th against the Orioles and the (potentially) all-important season finale in Boston on Sunday, Oct. 2nd.

Mussina's great effort was almost ruined by Al Leiter and his horrendous 8th inning. Leiter came on in the 7th and looked pretty sharp - throwing 13 pitches (amazingly economical for Al) - and seemed to be a bit more aggressive within the strike zone than Al Leiter the Starter. He had me fooled for that inning - I was thinking: Wow, maybe Al the Reliever is the aggressive Al we've been waiting for, maybe the Yanks finally have some set-up help. Then came the 8th inning. Maybe not. Leiter started off the inning in usual Leiter style - walking slap-hitting-speedster Bernie Castro on 5 pitches and Melvin Mora on 6 pitches. He then battled with Tejada for 11 pitches before giving up an RBI single. An RBI double by lefty Jay Gibbons would end Leiter's night as he was booed off the field.

Tanyon Sturtze recorded all three outs in the 8th, looking pretty good in the process (especially since Bad Sturtze would have hit Surhoff and given up a go-ahead homer to Lopez). Having not pitched since Sunday, it seems as though Sturtze's problem is exactly what he and Torre have been saying - a tired shoulder that just needs some rest.

Gordon was sharp; he made one mistake - leaving a fastball up and out a bit too much to Mora, who stroked a Jeterian homer that just cleared the right field wall. Given that it was his lone mistake and how sharp he was otherwise, I would say it seems Gordon is over the "dead arm" troubles that plagued him through much of the second half. Nonetheless, he and Mo have still been overused and will continue to be overused for the next week as Torre needs to win games and trusts no one else. If the bullpen could only hold on to big leads like tonight's, and Tuesday night's, rest wouldn't be such a big issue.

Offense
I was all set to bash Gary Sheffield, who doesn't seem as intimidating since his thigh injury, but then he had to go and crush that ball in the 7th. If that becomes the norm again, then Sheff will be fine. If his big hits are relegated to pop-fly homers like the one on Tuesday, there will be reason to worry that Sheff's thigh presents a lineup issue, but so long as he can still strike the fear of God into Luis Sojo, I'll keep my mouth shut.

Posada has been heating up in September, hitting .351/.455/.631 in 17 games and 57 at-bats this month. It's an odd trend for a catcher, as they usually tend to break down and slump during the late months as all the innings crouched behind the plate wear down their knees. It's no different for Jorge, his career numbers in September: .251/.338/.404. Explanation? Maybe getting a regular rest with Flaherty catching Johnson, Posada's been a little more fresh than usual.

A-Rod looked a little off tonight, and seems to be striking out a bit more, but I refuse to become my father and complain about A-Rod, so that's enough about him. Besides, did you see that opposite-field upper-deck shot on Tuesday? That should be enough to give him a pass for at least a week.

Look Ahead
The big question for the next series is in the starting pitching - with the impressive return of Mike Mussina, someone will have to go to the bullpen. The two names being thrown around are Aaron Small and Shawn Chacon, who have both seen extended time in the bullpen through their careers. After the half-season Small has had, I think it would be hard to pull him. While Chacon is coming off an absolutely stellar start in Toronto and, unless he seriously falters Friday, he's been too good as a starter to be moved now. Chien-Ming Wang's name has also been mentioned, but he too his coming off a great start and shouldn't be moved. That leaves Jaret Wright, who's coming off a minor injury and has generally been up and down since he returned from his prolonged stint on the DL. Wright is the perfect candidate - he has good stuff that translates to bullpen work, is injury prone and may benefit from a reduced load, and the decision has already been set up for his move - he was injured. The injury gives Torre an excuse to move Wright: "We weren't confident that he could make his next start, so he's the odd man out." Done and Done.

Notes

Red Sox closer-turned-middle-reliever Keith Foulke will be shut down for the remainder of the season, according to ESPN. Mike Timlin will continue to serve as the team's closer with some combination of Chad Bradford, Jon Papelbon, and draftee Craig Hansen serving as setup men.
Jason Giambi sat out Thursday night's game and plans to play Friday, saying that he could have been available for DH work if not for Sheffield's strangle-hold on the position.
Here's how the final 3 series of the season will shake out in the AL:

NYY: 3 vs. TOR; 4 at BAL; 3 at BOS.
BOS: 3 at BAL; 4 vs. TOR; 3 vs. NYY.
CLE: 3 at KC; 3 vs. TB; 3 vs. CWS.
CWS: 3 vs. MIN; 4 at DET; 3 at CLE.
OAK: 3 vs. TEX; 4 vs. LAA; 3 at SEA.
LAA: 3 vs. TB; 4 at OAK; 3 at TEX.

Unit Out Duels Wakefield for Series Win

2005-09-12T17:00:00.000-04:00

After the first two games were decided by ugly defensive miscues and one-sided pitching, the Big Series was capped off by a pair of pitching gems with the Yankees coming out on top 1-0. Randy Johnson put up a vintage effort going 7 innings and only giving up one bloop hit while walking two, and striking out 8. Tim Wakefield pitched a complete game 3-hitter, giving up his only run on a homer by Jason Giambi in the first.

Pitching
Johnson looked impressive, his velocity is certainly back to where it should be (94-96 all game) and his attitude seems to be coming back as well. The Unit pumped his fist after striking out Johnny Damon in the first, and stared Kevin Millar down after striking him out in the 2nd. The fact that he was pitching against the rival Sox may have been a factor, but I think it had more to do with Johnson's velocity - it's brought his confidence back. It's unclear why Johnson was pulled in favor of Gordon for the 8th. He might have been tired- he had reached 100 pitches, but was also in the process of pitching a one-hitter; or it could have been a precaution - while getting the final two outs of the 7th Johnson fell off the mound and later seemed to grab his knee after nearly falling a second time. Either way, removing Johnson allowed Francona to use Ortiz (who was sitting vs. the Unit) in a key pinch hitting situation. This forced Torre to go to Mo.

Rivera came in with two out in the 8th and the tying run on first. The Rivera-Ortiz 7 pitch battle was one of those where you stop in the middle of it and think to yourself: This is why I watch baseball. It ended anti-climactically with a walk, but set up another epic at-bat (10 pitches) with Johnny Damon, which ended with Damon grounding out to Giambi, ending the threat. Rivera would again find himself in trouble after creating a two-out rally by walking Manny and giving up a single to Millar. He then struck out pinch-hitter John Olerud to end the game.

While watching, it seemed that Mo lacked his usual incredible control, but after reading a quote from this article, it might be the case that Mo didn't have control problems - he just wasn't willing to give in and do anything other than pound his opponents inside. During the Ortiz, Damon, and Ramirez at-bats, Flaherty set up so far inside that even when Mo hit his spots, they were still easily outside the zone. More than that, not once did Flaherty get in the usual "two-strikes-so-let's-stand-up-for-the-high-fastball" position that has become a standard for Mo's battery mates. Instead Mo stuck to his game plan - don't give them anything other than your best pitch in it's best location - the one time he did otherwise (a cutter on the outside corner to Millar) he got burned.

Offense
Giambi homered with a lunging uppercut swing at a Wakefield curveball, Bubba Crosby lined a triple over the head of Millar, and Cano lined a double past Millar and that was it. Wakefield's knuckler was dazzling and baffling. There's really nothing to say about it - when a knuckleball is that on there's not much even great hitters can do about it. The thing to watch will be whether the whole experience has any lasting effects on the Yankee bats. Jeter, Giambi, and Bernie all had two strikeouts thanks to the knuckleball - which has been known to throw hitters into slumps - so watch for how they rebound this week against the Devil Rays.

Looking Ahead
As odd as this may sound, this three game series in Tampa may mean more to the Yankees playoff hopes than the series they just played against Boston. Considering the Wild Card is still their best bet, the fact that their main two competitors (Oakland and Cleveland) happen to be playing each other for the next three days means that this is a prime opportunity to gain ground. Cleveland has been absolutely on fire lately, winning 7 straight. Hopefully, the opportunity to put themselves back in front will spark the A's who are 4-6 over their last 10. At the same time, the Red Sox are in Toronto, who they've struggled against this year (3-8). The Yankees need to sweep. It would be a three-fold achievement - they would likely put themselves in the Wild Card driver's seat, close the gap in the East, and send the message that their Tampa troubles are over and the team is ready and focused for the final two weeks.

News & Notes

Mike Mussina threw again on the side during the Boston series and is going to throw a light bullpen session on Tuesday and a full session on Thursday or Friday. If all goes well, Moose could be back in the rotation by next Tuesday.
The Yankees are unsure if Sheffield will be available for Tuesday's game, saying they'd like to ease him back - using him as a pinch hitter and then DH before returning to RF.
The Yankees AA Class team, the Trenton Thunder, lost the deciding game 5 of the Eastern League semi-final series with the (Red Sox) Portland SeaDogs 9-2. Melky Cabrera hit .316/.350/.579 in the series. (Go Melky)
The Staten Island Yankees hold a 1-0 advantage over the Williamsport Crosscutters in the best of three New York-Penn League Championship, and will play game two tonight.
One game tie-breaker sites were decided by coin flip today, the Yankees would have home field advantage against the Red Sox and A's, but would play on the road if they face a tie with the Indians.
Tampa Matchups: Tuesday: Jaret Wright vs. Doug Waechter; Wednesday: Chien-Ming Wang vs. Mark Hendrickson; Thursday: Aaron Small vs. Seth McClung

Matsui, Giambi Pull Yanks Out of 4-0 Hole

2005-09-07T23:15:00.000-04:00

Jaret Wright struggled through the first inning, giving up 4 runs after misplaying a bunt by Carl Crawford. He would recover, going 6 2/3 innings with 8 hits, 4 runs, 4 walks, and two strikeouts. The Yankees struggled early against Doug Waechter before Hideki Matsui hit the 400th home run of his professional career in the 4th and then drove in two more with a double in the 6th. After squandering an opportunity in the 7th, the Yanks finally took the lead in the 8th with a 2-run homer by Jason Giambi. Rivera pitched a perfect 9th for his 36th save of the Year.

Pitching
Wright's performance should help quell some of the fears that he was not ready to pitch after taking a liner off his collarbone in Seattle. He struggled in the first as he tried to throw out Carl Crawford on a ball he obviously should have just pocketed. He was also hit pretty hard, but pitched pretty well for the rest of the game. He went deep into the game, and kept is fastball in the mid-90's, suggesting that there is nothing to worry about in terms of lasting effects.

Tanyon Sturtze, pitching for the first time in nearly a week, looked sharp as he finished a troublesome 7th and pitched a solid 8th to get the win. He walked Damon Hollins in that 8th after going up 0-2 on him, but got out of the inning thanks to a great play by Robinson Cano, who retrieved a Toby Hall grounder and tagged Hollins mid-steal before flipping to first to end the inning.

Rivera was sharp, keeping his cutter at 94-95 mph and working it over both corners. He induced consecutive come-backers before getting Carl Crawford to pop up to Jeter to end it.

Offense
The Yankees looked awful against Waechter, as he mowed down the first 10 batters he faced before giving up Matsui's homer and a double by Bernie (who entered the game in the top of the first because Gary Sheffield suffered a hamstring injury - tightness, last I heard - and had to leave the game). ARod and Giambi failed to score Bernie and the 5th went quickly. After Cano singled and Jeter doubled in the 6th, Matsui doubled to bring the Yanks within one. Matsui was moved to third by Bernie and ARod was intentially walked. Giambi then lined into a bang-bang double play at first. The Yanks would again miss an opportunity in the 7th when, with the bases loaded and one out, Jeter grounded into an inning ending double play. All would be forgiven in the 8th, as ARod went low to get a Joe Borowski slider and poked it into center. Borowski then thought he could overpower Giambi inside, only to have his second pitch hit around the foul pole in right for the game-winner.

Matsui and Giambi were the offensive stories of the game - Matsui, mired in a slump, drove in three and homered, going 2-for-4. Giambi has proven that his August slump was probably the result of a sore elbow, as he has been on a mini-tear since getting a cortisone shot on the 28th.

At first I wasn't a fan of having Matsui bat 2nd (no point in putting a 100-RBI guy in a non-RBI spot) but so long as Giambi is hot, the lineup works quite well as it concentrates the team's best in the 1-5 slots, creating more rally potential. Cano and Bernie are better suited for the bottom of the order, while Matsui's contact hitting and on-base percentage make him ideal for the 2-hole, it just so happens that he is also very good at driving in runs. With Cano & Bernie at the bottom, Matsui will still get those opportunities while at the same time creating some for Sheff/ARod/Giambi. Over the course of an entire season Matsui might be better suited in a traditional RBI role, but as the Yankees are now looking game-to-game, this is probably the best lineup they can put out there.

News & Notes

Boston beat Los Angeles 6-3, keeping their AL East lead at 4 games.
Oakland rallied for 5 runs in the 9th to beat Seattle 8-7 and Cleveland continued to roll as they beat Detroit 4-1. The Indians sit 1/2 game behind the Yankees, while the A's are 1 1/2 back.
Chien-Ming Wang will return to the rotation on Thursday, facing Mark Hendrickson in his first start since the All-Star break.
Carl Pavano declared that he will not return to the Yanks this season, even if they make the playoffs, saying that he doesn't want to supplant a pitcher who worked to get them there.
Tino Martinez might be back by the end of the week after being out with a rib cage injury. Andy Phillips has been serving as the team's late-inning defensive replacement at first base.
Mike Mussina will have a throwing excercise on Friday, which should give the Yankees a better idea of when (if) Mussina will be able to return.

The State of Yankee Pitching

2005-09-07T18:10:00.000-04:00

Sorry 'bout the unexplained disappearance (school had to intervene for a week or two), but I'm back now and since there's just too much that has gone on since last time (I can barely even remember that ARod GW RBI game) I figure the pitching staff is as good a topic as any for a post.

The rotation is currently filled with questions: Is Wright OK to pitch? Will Mussina be back? Are they forcing Wang into the rotation too quickly? Why can't Randy Johnson beat the D-Rays? What happened to the real Aaron Small and who is this person claiming to be him? Will Chacon's love affair with his curveball become a problem? What's the deal with Al Leiter? What's the deal with Tanyon Sturtze? Will any of the September callups have an impact?

Quickly: Kinda. Probably. No. He gets slider-happy. New pitches and Mel Stottlemyre. Not if he can continue to control it. Odd man out (finally). He's hurt. Yes, but not how you'd think.

Long story: Wright will throw today (Thursday) and after his bullpen session went smoothly, there's no reason to believe the massive bruise on his shoulder/collarbone will be an issue, except for the fact that he referred to the pain as "something he could pitch through". He'll be ready to pitch, but something tells me that it won't be all that comfortable an experience for him (or the fans).

Many hit the panic button when Mussina said he might "possibly" be out for the season. Had it been almost anyone else, I would have panicked too. Mussina just seems like the kind of guy who, when asked a question he answers that question. So when asked "Could you be out for the rest of the season" and he answers "Possibly" don't read too much into it. Coming from anyone else I'd suspect that they were just creating false hopes, but not with Moose. It's not too much of a big deal anyway, as Moose's departure means Aaron Small gets more starts and for the first time in his career, that's not a bad thing.

Wang (and everyone in the Yanks organization) says that he's back to throwing normally, at normal velocity, with no pain. He's made two reap starts and didn't walk anyone. Putting him the rotation means no place for Al Leiter. Starting him is a good idea.

Johnson's weakness against the D-Rays has been the gopher-ball, a problem for him all year. Except for the White Sox game, Johnson has been surrendering homers at an un-Unit-like pace largely because of a flat slider. Throwing the slider so much seemed to make at least some sense when he was struggling to hit 92 mph, but he's suddenly found some of his velocity again, putting up 94-96, and he continued to throw it a few times too many last night. It had better tilt to it, but nonetheless the D-Rays managed to touch him up in the 4th and plant the seeds for their win. But Johnson wasn't the reason they lost, and its really stupid to say that he "can't beat the D-Rays" he would be 2-1 against them if the Yankee bullpen could just hold the D-Rays.

Aaron Small. After his first few starts I remember hearing something about Small developing a new changeup that altered his approach and lead to his sudden success. Now, after his first career shutout Small's crediting his success to Mel Stottlemyre, who taught him a new grip on his sinker. Either way, Small changed something about the way he pitches and it's paid off. Without him the Yankees season would be sunk, whatever the reason for his success.

Greater air pressure at sea-level air results in greater air flow around a spinning curveball. More air flow means more break. For Shawn Chacon, more break means more curveballs. He's been doing a great job mixing it in and using it for strikes, but he's clearly in love with being at sea-level. He showed the downside of that love affair against Seattle when he apparently had a lapse of curveball control, yet continued to spin his way to giving up 8 runs. He was back in control again in his next start. It might be a problem every once in a while, but someone has to be there to remind him that he has other pitches.

Al Leiter is finished. Al Leiter has been finished for a while. Anyone who can resist his nibbling can beat him and beat him bad. It's amazing that he can go out and get himself in and out of trouble all day, but that can't last and it's not worth the risk now that each game means so much. His place in the bullpen is uncertain, unless he can promise to throw strikes as a lefty reliever. You can't send him out against David Ortiz if he's just going to walk him every time. He'll spot-start if someone goes down, and if Mussina comes back he shouldn't start again.

Sturtze has come down with Joe's-Boys-itis. Having never spent an entire year as a set-up man, Sturtze is not used to getting this many appearances and his shoulder is suffering as a result. The Yankees have apparently shut him down for a few days in hopes that the shoulder will fix itself. If not, Tom Gordon's dead arm will become a bigger and more noticeable problem as he puts in more and more one and two-thirds appearances.

If you think that Ramiro Mendoza, Scott Proctor, Wayne Franklin, and Jorge DePaula have a shot at helping out Sturtze/Gordon, then you don't know much about Joe Torre. As stupid as it sounded, Buddy Groom was right - Joe has his boys and he only trusts his boys. Mendoza was one of his boys, but hasn't done anything to regain Joe's trust. He has a small shot, but it's unlikely and he'd need to pitch really well while not really getting the chance to do so. The September Yankees will not be completely useless, however. Just think about Al Leiter's debacle against the A's last week. Without guys like DePaula out there Leiter would have had to go until his arm fell off, and then Sturtze, Embree, and Rodriguez would have to piece it together afterwards. Instead, they're fresh and available. Now the bullpen's big arms don't have to be used for worthless innings. And I guess there's always the possibility that Mendoza, Proctor, or Franklin earn some trust.

With Lawton, Sierra, and Bellhorn the offense has enough options to keep everyone fresh and clicking. It's going to be the pitching that decides the Yanks' playoff fate. If they can split the games with Boston, then the Yanks will have to rely on their play against Toronto, Tampa, and Baltimore to gain ground. Against those teams, its all a matter of pitching well, and it looks like the Yanks are set up to do just that - Johnson's fastball is looking better, Small is lights-out, Chacon is a new man in new atmosphere, and if the biggest questions you have are Wright, Wang, and Mussina, then you don't have much to worry about.

A-Rod GW RBI Caps Five Run Ninth

2005-08-27T20:00:00.000-04:00

A shaky start from Jaret Wright and some young power arms in the KC bullpen put the Yankees in a 7-3 hole going into the bottom of the 9th. Thanks in large part to a throwing error by reliever Jeremy Affeldt, the Yanks rallied for 5 runs to beat the Royals 8-7. Affeldt started the inning by walking Jason Giambi and then striking out Bernie Williams. Jorge Posada hit a comebacker to Affeldt who turned to start the game-ending double play, but threw the ball wide and low, shortstop Angel Berroa was unable to come up with it. Newcomer Matt Lawton then singled to load the bases and Tino Martinez came in to pinch hit for the struggling Robinson Cano. Tino singled in a run, and Tony Womack came in to pinch run. Derek Jeter then singled in two more, bringing the score to 7-6. Womack advanced to third on a deep fly by Matsui and Sheffield doubled him home to tie the score. A-Rod then lined a 2-2 pitch to left to score Jeter and finish off the 5-run comeback.

The rally was needed, in large part, due to a 5-run 5th inning for the Royals against Wright. Wright had problems in the first, needing 28 pitches to get out of a 2-on none-out situation. He then settled down, but had thrown nearly 80 pitches by the time he stepped to the mound in the 5th. It apparently caught up to him as he loaded the bases and gave up consecutive 2-run hits to Mike Sweeney and Terrance Long. Long would score two batters later on a wild pitch before Wright finished the inning with the Yanks down 5-3. Wright finished with 5 innings, 7 hits, 5 runs, 2 walks, and 5 strikeouts.

Aaron Small came in to start the 6th, his first appearance since August 17. Small was booted from the rotation in favor of Wright and will now become the team's sole long reliever as Scott Proctor was optioned back to AAA to make room for Lawton. Small allowed two runs in 2 2/3 innings on 5 hits and a walk. Alan Embree finished the 8th and pitched a perfect 9th to get the win.

Al Leiter faces Zack Grienke on Sunday as the Yanks go for the sweep. Oakland beat up on Baltimore 12-3, and Cleveland lost 2-1 to Toronto, putting them a game behind NY and Oakland in the Wild Card. As of right now, Boston leads Detroit 6-0, and will likely keep their AL East lead at 2.5 games.

- Check that - an implosion by the Red Sox pitching staff results in a 12-8 win by Detroit. The Yankees are now tied with Oakland atop the Wild Card, and 1.5 games behind Boston in the AL East.

Unit, Bernie Exact Revenge on Royals

2005-08-27T07:35:00.000-04:00

Randy Johnson's first start after his disastrous "one bad inning" affair vs. the White Sox also included one bad inning, only this time he just surrendered one not-so-bad run. Johnson went 8 innings and gave up one run on 4 hits and no walks with 6 strikeouts. The game had all the looks of a pitcher's duel through the 5th until KC starter Mike Wood slipped on the mound (RJ had done the same thing in the 3rd) and then centered a fastball to ARod. The ball was last seen ricocheting around in the Black Seats. After a walk to Giambi (he had 3 on the night), Bernie Williams continued his hot August hitting with laser shot against the loge deck facing, giving the Yanks a 3-0 lead. Johnson gave up his only run in the 7th after a double by KC captain Mike Sweeney was followed by an RBI single from Angel Berroa. Bernie homered for a second time in the 8th, a 2-run upper deck shot scoring Gary Sheffield (HBP). Mariano Rivera made his second straight non-save appearance, surrendering 2 hits before closing the door on the Royals.

Johnson looked impressive, even if it was against the lowly Royals. He showed some new life on his fastball, hitting 96 mph as late as the 7th inning. If Johnson continues to have success from this point on, much of the credit will probably go to recently hired pitching instructor Joe Kerrigan (RJ's pitching coach in his minor league days). Kerrigan is being billed as a possible replacement for Mel Stottlemyre, and if Johnson can make a turnaround at the hands of Kerrigan, it'll probably be his job to lose this winter.

Bernie Williams' recent hot hitting should be no surprise to Yankee fans. August has historically been a good month for Bernie, according to RetroSheet.org he's a .319/.391/.505 hitter during the "Dog Days". If Bernie can continue to contribute to the Yankee's playoff push and not make any mistakes in center, this is the kind of play that will linger in the Boss' memory when it comes time to discuss the "Bernie situation".

Derek Jeter has also been hot lately, as his 2-for-4 effort on Friday brought his season batting average to .312, and his August average to .340. It was also Jeter's sixth consecutive multi-hit game.

Cleveland beat Toronto, 9-3, and Oakland beat Baltimore 4-1 to maintain the three-way tie in the Wild Card. Boston edged Detroit, 9-8, to keep their AL East lead at 2.5 games.

Looking ahead to Seattle, I would advise any real baseball fan to make sure you tune into Wednesday night's game. The Big Unit's next start will be against rookie phenom Felix Hernandez, and if early (pitching-related) comparisons to Dwight Gooden aren't enough to intrigue you, how about the opportunity to see a 42-year-old future Hall of Famer face off against a 19-year-old who can mix an absolutely filthy hard curve with a 96-98 mph fastball that he regularly locates right at the knees and on the corner? There's a reason he's being called King Felix.

Late Add-In: From ESPN.com:
"The New York Yankees are close to a deal to acquire outfielder Matt Lawton from the Chicago Cubs, according to ESPN.com's Jayson Stark.

The Yankees would send a minor-league player to be named to complete the deal."

Lawton hasn't played CF since 2000 and even then it was only a few games - Lawton's a corner outfielder, which could mean a return to CF for Hideki Matsui and a possible lineup shuffle as Lawton is a solid leadoff batter, allowing Jeter to return to his usual #2 spot.

With the Cubs fading in the NL Wild Card race and Lawton's impending free agency, the Cubs are probably just looking to get something for Lawton, as they have no plans to re-sign him.

Up and Down Game Ends With Unlikely Hero

2005-08-24T12:00:00.000-04:00

From "Return to the Bronx is All Wright":

It seems that for now, Small's role will be the designated "finisher of Al Leiter games" as Leiter is certain to go no more than 6 innings, so he will likely be the first man out of the bullpen.

Sorry, 'bout that Al. For the first time in his last 20 starts, Al Leiter went 7+ innings before turning the game over to (not Aaron Small) Tanyon Sturtze. Leiter left the game tied 2-2 in the 8th after giving up an infield single to Russ Adams. Sturtze got Reed Johnson to pop his bunt up before giving up consecutive singles to Vernon Wells and Yankee Killer Shea Hillenbrand to bring the score to 3-2. Sturtze would get out of the inning without further damage. A walk by Tino Martinez would set a successful sac bunt by Robinson Cano and an RBI single from Bernie Williams, tying the game 3-3. Mariano Rivera gave up an infield hit, a sac bunt and an RBI single in the 9th to bring the game to 4-3. Matsui led off the bottom half with a game tying homer to right, and a pair of walks to Jorge Posada and Cano set up an intentional walk of Derek Jeter, giving Felix Escalona (in at 1B for Bernie after Womack came in for Tino) the chance to be the hero. Escalona came through with a single up the middle, winning the game 5-4.

After the back-and-forth finish it's easy to forget that Leiter pitched more than well enough to earn himself at least another start. Leiter's 7 innings also prevented an appearance from Aaron Small, as Torre chose to go with his (temporary) 8th inning setup man, Sturtze. Small hasn't pitched in 5 games, mostly because a long reliever hasn't been needed over the past week. Small has been up in the bullpen every time a Yankee starter struggles, but for the last 5 games, they've overcame those struggles, leaving Small without pitching opportunities. If the Yankees continue to get long outings from their starters, Small may find himself without a role. It will be tough to see him phased out of a pitching staff that he was such a key part of over the last month, but with more outings like this from Leiter, it will be hard to argue for Small's return to the rotation.

Mike Mussina looks for his 4th straight quality start as he faces David Bush, while the Yanks look to lock up the 4 game series with a win. The Yankees can finally begin to taste the playoffs as they currently hold a share of the Wild Card lead with Cleveland. Oakland lost to Detroit 4-1, putting them a game back. Boston beat KC 5-2, keeping their AL East lead at 3.5 games.

Return to the Bronx is All Wright

2005-08-23T00:13:00.000-04:00

Jaret Wright continued to prove that his early season troubles were purely medical as he returned to the mound he left on April 23, as the Yankees beat the Blue Jays 7-0. Wright shut the Jays down to the tune of 7 innings, no runs, 4 hits, 3 walks, and 5 strikeouts. All of Wright's walks came in the first inning as he got out of a bases loaded 2-out situation by getting Greg Zaun to fly out to left. The game had been filled mostly with missed opportunities through the 6th with the Yanks up 2-0, until the Yankees finally blew the game open with a 7th inning rally highlighted by a Hideki Matsui 2-run single. Alan Embree gave up a deep double to rookie Aaron Hill before getting pulled in favor of Tanyon Sturtze to start the 8th. Sturtze and Scott Proctor combined for two perfect innings to shut the door on the Jays.

The win put the Yankees in a three-way tie for the Wild Card lead, as Oakland was idle and Cleveland beat up on the Devil Rays 11-4. Boston was also idle, bringing their AL East lead to 3.5 games.

Wright's return to the rotation has capped a huge turnaround for the Yankee rotation which struggled for quality starts through the first months of the season. As it stands right now, veterans Randy Johnson and Al Leiter are currently the rotation's least effective starters, and the Yankees have been getting quality starts nearly every night, which will start benefiting the overused bullpen and making for a stronger overall pitching staff as the Yankees make a run at a playoff spot.

Derek Jeter did not play on Monday, as he sat out with a bruised right thumb. Tom Gordon was also unavailable, as he was sluggish from taking antibiotics which were taken to combat a urinary tract infection. Jeter was replaced by Felix Escalona, who went 1-for-3 with an RBI and played flawlessly in the field. Gordon was not needed.

Leiter will get the start on Tuesday, facing Josh Towers. Each of Leiter's starts will be closely monitored as rumors spread that he might soon be headed for the bullpen in favor of Aaron Small. Leiter reportedly has told Joe Torre that he is willing to pitch from the bullpen, and speculation prior to his last start had indicated that Leiter was pitching for his job. Small, on the other hand, struggled in his first outing after losing his starting job, blowing a 5-2 lead to the Devil Rays last Tuesday. It seems that for now, Small's role will be the designated "finisher of Al Leiter games" as Leiter is certain to go no more than 6 innings, so he will likely be the first man out of the bullpen.

Johnson's "One Bad Inning" Kills Sweep Dreams

2005-08-22T16:32:00.000-04:00

One Bad Inning. You hear it all the time. "He pitched a great game, except for that one bad inning." That statement couldn't be more true than of Randy Johnson's performance against the White Sox on Sunday, as he pitched a complete game loss, giving up 6 runs on 10 hits, no walks, and 8 strikeouts. That statement also couldn't be more understated in reference to Johnson's performance. "One bad inning" just doesn't begin to describe Sunday's 4th inning, probably the single worst inning of Randy Johnson's Hall of Fame career. For the first time ever, Johnson gave up back-to-back-to-back homers, to Tadahito Iguchi, Aaron Rowand, and Paul Konerko. But it didn't end there. He then gave up consecutive hits to Jermaine Dye and Juan Uribe before giving up his 4th homer of the inning (he's only given up 4 homers in a game one other time: in 1999 vs. ATL), a three-run shot by back-up catcher Chris Widger. It ended there, but that's all Jose Contreras would need. Aside from the 4th, Johnson's line looks something like this:

7.0 IP 0 R 0 ER 4 H 0 BB 8 K

An impressive outing, near-vintage Unit. The problem was his line in the 4th:

1.0 IP 6 R 6 ER 6 H 0 BB 0 K

No one could explain it. Just like no one has been able to explain the Unit's overall problem with gopheritis this year - he leads the AL with 29 HR, having never given up more than 30 in his career. Moving from NL to AL doesn't explain that. A dip in velocity/stuff can explain that, but Johnson's shown signs that he hasn't lost his stuff. It's not New York - he's not Jeff Weaver. You don't go from World Series Co-MVP/Multiple Cy Young winner to "Can't Handle New York" headcase. As bad as the New York media/fans might be, if you can handle pitching in Games 6 & 7 of the World Series against the three-peating Yankees two months after 9/11 and a few days after two of the greatest combacks in WS history, and pitch brilliantly, you can probably handle just about anything when it comes to pitching under pressure. Johnson's struggles this year can't really be explained. Getting old? What about opening day? What about those games against the Cardinals, Twins, Pirates, etc.. Did he drink from the temprorary fountain of youth before those games? Did he suddenly figure out how to ignore all the New York pressure and then forget it all? No. He left a few balls up to Iguchi and Rowand, then two that didn't get in enough to Konkero and Widger. 6-2 White Sox.

Chacon, Duque Hand Series Clincher to Yanks

2005-08-20T19:20:00.000-04:00

Shawn Chacon took advantage of a struggling White Sox offense, and El Duque threw away the Sox' chances in the 4th. Duque lasted 6 innings, but committed a crucial error in the 4th as he threw a would-be-double-play ball into centerfield, allowing a run to score and prolonging an inning in which the Yanks would score two more. That would be all the Yanks needed, as Chacon looked brilliant, going 8 innings and giving up no runs on four hits and 3 walks, while striking out 5. Felix Rodriguez finished the 5-0 win with a perfect 9th.

Both benches were warned in the 2nd after Duque threw behind ARod. This would later lead to Duque approaching home plate umpire Larry Vanover and he appeared to question whether some of Vanover's ball/strike calls were a personal issue. Vanover seemed to tell Duque that he was "this close" (motioning with his fingers) to being ejected before the Sox pitcher returned to the mound. In the 4th, ARod got revenge as he lined a double down the left field line, scoring two and capitalizing on the error by Duque.

Jason Giambi left the game in the 6th with a bruised right calf, probably the result of a fouled ball in the 4th, and Tony Womack filled his spot at DH.

The Red Sox lost to the Angels 4-2, cutting their AL East lead to 3 games. The Sox also announced today that Curt Schilling will end his stint as closer and return to the rotation on Thursday against the Royals. Mike Timlin will assume the closer's role until Keith Foulke is able to return. Foulke is expected to start a minor league rehab assignment this week and might be ready to return to Boston in September. The Athletics play the Royals later tonight, with the Royals trying to end their headed-for-history losing streak of 19 games, while the A's seek to maintain their 1.5 game lead in the Wild Card.

On a non-Yankee related note, remember this name: Kalen Pimentel. Pitching for Rancho Buena Vista LL (CA) in the Little League World Series, Pimentel struck out 18 batters over the full six innings. For those not proficient in math, that means every out recorded by CA was through a Pimentel strikeout, although he did give up 2 runs due to a few walks, hits, and a home run. CA still won, beating the team from Kentucky 7-2. Pimentel tied a record that cannot be broken - by LLWS rules a pitcher cannot go more than six innings, making 18 the maximum number of strikeouts a LL pitcher can record. Pimentel mixed his 73+ mph fastball with what appeared to be either a slider or a sinking fastball and located his pitches in ways that many big leaguers can only dream about.

Yanks Play to Competition, Beat White Sox

2005-08-20T06:31:00.000-04:00

After two deplorable losses to the Devil Rays, the Yankees stepped their play up a notch in facing the AL's best team. Mike Mussina continued his exceptional pitching and Robinson Cano atoned for his error in Tampa, as the Yanks won 3-1. There was never an opportunity for the soft underbelly of the Yanks' bullpen to blow this one, as Mussina went 7 strong innings, giving up 5 hits and 1 run while walking 1 and striking out 7. Gordon and Rivera finished the game, giving up only one hit (Gordon). Cano was out of his usual 2nd spot in the lineup, bumped down to #9 in favor of the hot-hitting Bernie Williams. Bernie, Sheffield, and Cano combined for 6 of the Yankees 8 hits. Cano sparked the Yankee offense out of the 9th spot, singling and scoring in the 3rd and again in the 5th.

Mussina got some help before the game even started as the Sox' big hitter Paul Konerko was a late scratch with back strain. The Sox were also without their pesky base-stealing leadoff man Scott Podsednik, who went on the DL Monday with a groin injury. Nonetheless, Mussina survived a few bloop singles in the first, giving up a run in the process, before he settled down and kept the Sox virtually hitless for the next 6 innings.

Shawn Chacon goes Saturday afternoon against El Duque. Chacon has been pitching well, he's coming off his worst start as a Yankee (5 IP, 3 ER, Win) in which he was still good enough to get the job done. Against the recently struggling Sox offense, Chacon should be able to go toe-to-toe with the crafty Duque. The Yanks will need to get to him early, as once Duque gets locked in, it's nearly impossible to get anything going against him

With Oakland playing the Royals, the Yanks are going to need to play well in Chicago if they hope to gain any Wild Card ground this weekend. Oakland beat KC on Friday, 4-0, holding their lead at 1.5 games, and extending KC's losing streak to 19 (2 shy of the AL record, 4 shy of the ML record). Boston beat Los Angeles 4-3 in 10 innings keeping their lead to 4 games.

Mo Blows Save, Proctor Walks in Winning Run

2005-08-17T00:35:00.000-04:00

Mariano Rivera blew his second save in the last 4 days, giving up a homer to Eduardo Perez with one out in the bottom of the 9th to tie the game at 3. In the bottom of the 11th, Scott Proctor relieved Alan Embree and proceeded to balk, get an out, walk Perez, and intentionally walk Aubrey Huff before setting up a bases-loaded 2-out situation against Jonny Gomes. He walked Gomes on four pitches. The bullpen failure followed a strong start from Randy Johnson who's only mistake was a home run by Perez, his arch-nemesis this season (Perez now has 3 HR off RJ in 2005). Johnson went 7 innings, giving up 2 runs on the Perez homer, 5 hits, 2 walks, and struck out 7. Gordon pitched a perfect 8th and Rivera gave up two hits over his two innings.

It was the third straight rough appearance by Mo, as he put the tying runs on last night before closing the door, and gave up 2 runs in a blown save on Saturday. That should be enough for New York fans and media alike to sound the Mariano Panic Alarm, a reaction without merit. Rivera is still in the middle of one of the best seasons of his career. In terms of what batters did against him, Rivera's best seasons were probably either 1996 (.189/.256/.228) or 1999 (.176/.239/.237) with 96's numbers being particularly impressive because of the increased amount of innings. 2005 batters vs. Mo are .171/.213/.239. In case you haven't noticed over the last few years, this is what happens - he tends to get caught in these mini 2-4 game slumps where he struggles a bit, everyone panics, then, shortly, his pinpoint control returns and all is well again. No one can be as good as we think Mariano is - even though he's probably as close to perfect as anyone has seen - so it shocks us when he falters. Just step back, take a look at what he's done, realize that one bad pitch to a hot hitter is no reason to panic and just let Mo be Mo.

On the upside, with all eyes on his balky back, Randy Johnson had a very good start and went 7 innings, showing no signs of further problems. The reason the Yanks lost this game boils down to the missed opportunities early in the game, that, if taken advantage of, would have blown the game wide open. The combination of a resilient Doug Waechter and ineffective clutch hitting from Sheffield & Rodriguez left the Yanks with only 3 runs. But to complain about the Yankees' offense is just as nonsensical as complaining about Mariano Rivera. If you want something to dwell on, I guess you can take it out on Proctor, but no one expects much from him anyway.

The Yankees weren't the only victims of the blown save, as Detroit's Fernando Rodney gave up a homer to David Ortiz with a 3-2 lead in the 9th, as the Red Sox went on to win 10-7 in 10 innings. The win brought their lead back to 4.5 games. Oakland lost to Baltimore 4-3, their lead in the Wild Card remains at 1.5 games.

Wright Returns for a Solid Start

2005-08-16T00:58:00.000-04:00

After three months of rehab, Jaret Wright returned to the Yankee rotation and quieted many of the critics that have spent the last week complaining about the Yankees' decision to give him a start. Wright went 6 1/3 innings and gave up only 4 hits and 2 runs, but walked one and hit three batters while striking out 2. Sturtze, Gordon and Rivera combined for a scoreless 2 2/3 innings to seal the 5-2 victory.

With Felix Escalona being called up last week, Joe Torre finally gave Derek Jeter some rest with Jeter serving as the team's DH, while Escalona played a solid, problem-free short. Sheffield is expected to DH on Tuesday with either Womack or Bubba Crosby filling rightfield, and ARod will probably DH on Wednesday. ARod and Sheffield continued their hot hitting, as ARod belted his AL-leading 36th homer off a Tropicana catwalk and Sheff added some insurance in the 7th with his 25th of the year.

Wright's performance has solidified his spot in the Yankee rotation for at least a few weeks, a move that, for the moment, will move Aaron Small to the bullpen. Small has probably been the Yankees most consistent starter over the last month, but as of right now, he's out of the rotation and will compete with Scott Proctor and Felix Rodriguez for significant innings, possibly seeing time in the 6th or 7th in front of TanGorMo. He could also be used in a back-up/mop-up role if Randy Johnson proves ineffective on Tuesday, or after Al Leiter puts in his 5 innings on Wednesday. Ideally, it should be Leiter spending his time in the bullpen, but the Powers That Be feel that Al Leiter the Starter isn't as threatening as his numbers might indicate.

The Yankees believe that Leiter's style does not translate to the bullpen as well as Small's. This may be true, and Small should prove valuable in providing the bullpen with the boost that Felix Rodriguez hasn't, but Small is far more valuable in the rotation, where he has gone 3-0 and has consistently provided quality starts. With a more consistent rotation of quality starts, the Yankee bullpen will naturally get rest, while a rotation with a 120-pitches-in-5-innings guy like Leiter is guaranteed to put its bullpen under significant strain at least once every 5 days. It will be interesting to see how long it takes Brian Cashman/Joe Torre to come to this realization, if they do at all.

The Yankees finally gained some ground in their playoff hunt. The Red Sox edge in the AL East was cut to 3.5 as Curt Schilling blew a 6-4 lead in the 9th, losing 7-6 in Detroit. The Athletics lost 6-2 to the Orioles, cutting their Wild Card lead to 1.5 games.

More Bullpen Woes, but Jeter & Mo Save the Day

2005-08-11T23:10:00.000-04:00

Another day, another hard-luck outing for a Yankee starter. Scott Proctor pitched better than anyone could have expected as he went 5 innings and gave up three runs on three hits in his first major league start. The Yankee bullpen then proceeded to blow a 6-2 lead and then an 8-4 lead to relieve Proctor of his win. Derek Jeter lead off the 7th with a homer to right to make it 9-8, and Rivera went an inning and a third to bail out Tom Gordon and earn his 31st consecutive save.

The Yankees' problems have completely flipped from the situation last year. For much of the past two seasons, the Yankees have lacked starting pitching but have succeeded thanks to an outstanding bullpen. Right now, it seems as though the Yanks could pull someone off the street and they'd get 5 solid innings. The current problem has been finding anyone who can pitch one good late inning. The current struggles of Tom Gordon and Tanyon Sturtze are the result of season-long bullpen troubles. Mariano Rivera is having arguably the best season of his career because the bullpen before him has been so awful that Rivera hasn't had the opportunities to pitch as much as usual - his arm is very fresh. Rivera is the only reliable guy in the bullpen because he's been underused by comparison. You can't say the same for Gordon and Sturtze - they're the guys who have to come in and clean up everyone's mess. Eventually, they start making their own messes. Sturtze is almost on pace to double his career high in appearances (he used to be a starter) and Gordon is on pace to set his career high for the second straight season. Overuse. It's the same reason the Yankee bullpen fell apart last October and if they don't get some help soon, there won't be any October baseball this year in New York.

The problem is that the Yanks can't just add anyone. Joe Torre has proven very finicky as far as who he trusts out of the bullpen, a factor that has been contributing to Sturtze & Gordon's overuse. The worst part is that the Yankees don't have the time for Torre to feel a new pitcher out, so either someone like Proctor or Felix Rodriguez are going to have to step up their play or someone like Aaron Small is going to have to fall into the position and succeed immediately. I'm against moving Small out of the rotation with as hot as he's been, but if he can provide the bullpen with some rest, then maybe that's the best thing for the team right now, as they have finally begun getting some quality outings from their starters.

Yanks Come Up Short in Pitcher's Duels

2005-08-10T17:55:00.000-04:00

After losing Tuesday night's game 2-1, the Yankees lost their second one-run game in a row to the White Sox as they lost 2-1 in ten innings Wednesday afternoon. The Yankees had opportunities to win both games but fell short, thanks in large part to some stellar defense from the White Sox. Aaron Rowand in particular spent the last three days putting on a clinic in centerfield. A clinic that maybe Bernie Williams should have taken notes on as he failed to chase down Juan Uribe's triple in the top of the 10th on Wednesday. Uribe scored what proved to be the game-winner on a close play at the plate in which Uribe slid through Jorge Posada's block to beat the tag. It's hard to take anything positive out of two losses, but the exceptional starts from Shawn Chacon and Aaron Small seem to point out that maybe their success isn't the fluke everyone immediately assumed.

The rotation spots currently occupied by Small and Chacon will soon be the focus of some controversy as Jaret Wright has been penciled in for a start Monday at Tampa Bay. The return of Wright will signal the end of someone's stay in the rotation and all signs point to Small as the likely target. The reasoning is simple, but flawed. By the numbers, it should be Al Leiter who departs the rotation for the bullpen, but Leiter's lack of bullpen experience and his tendency to walk batters make him unfit for a bullpen stint. Small's entire career has been marked by an up and down movement between the rotation and bullpen. The argument is that Small is better suited for the bullpen than Leiter. Regardless, given Small's success, moving him to the bullpen will not improve Yankee pitching for the stretch run. Whether Leiter can handle it or not, he's the odd man out. That is, of course, assuming that Jaret Wright is effective in his return. If Wright isn't sharp, he becomes the bullpen option.

Scott Proctor will make the start Thursday against the Texas Rangers at the Stadium. Proctor's ability to go 4-5 innings will depend heavily on his curveball, a pitch he added to his repertoire just prior to this season. If Proctor can throw his curveball for strikes, it will make a great complement to his live 95-mph fastball and hard slider. The one problem Proctor has had in his long-inning stints has been a slight case of gopheritis, something that is likely to show up versus the young power lineup of the Rangers. If Proctor can serviceably pitch through 5 innings, he will have done his job, unfortunately the first man out of the bullpen will probably be Wayne Franklin. The Yankee bats are going to have to wake up from their White Sox pitcher-induced slump if they are going to have any chance against the Rangers.

Moose Answers the Call

2005-08-09T00:47:00.000-04:00

Mike Mussina gave the Yankees some relief last night, after they had heard nothing but bad news in regards to Randy Johnson and Carl Pavano. As Johnson's MRI results showed "inflammation of the lumbar spine" and Pavano headed to see orthopedist Dr. James Andrews, Mussina was busy pitching his way to a 3-2 victory. Mussina went 6 innings, throwing over 120 pitches, gave up 2 runs, allowed 8 hits and struck out 7. Sturtze, Gordon, and Rivera combined for three scoreless innings to close out the game. Sturtze and Gordon, who had been struggling lately, gave up one hit (Sturtze) through the 7th and 8th. Rivera was again dominant in earning his career-best 30th consecutive save. The three relievers combined for 23 pitches over the last three innings - working quickly and effectively as they shut the White Sox down.

Mussina was especially effective until the 5th when he surrendered two runs on two hits. Two more hits in the 6th would put Mussina up against the wall in a two-out, runners on 2nd and 3rd, leading by one situation. Mussina struck out Jermaine Dye to end the inning and complete his quality start. All of the Yankee offense came in the first two innings as A-Rod belted a two-run homer off former Yank Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez, and Jeter added an RBI groundout in the 2nd.

Boston also won, 11-6, over the Texas Rangers, so the Yankees' win did not improve their standing in the AL East race, in which they still sit 3.5 games behind the surging Red Sox. Oakland and LA did not play on Monday and the Yankees remain 3.5 games behind them in the Wild Card.

Shawn Chacon will face former Yankee Jose Contreras on Tuesday, and Aaron Small will face Freddy Garcia in the final game of the series on Wednesday. Small and Chacon have been particularly effective over the last few weeks.

As Johnson's back problems have him labeled as day-to-day, the starter for Thursday's game is currently "TBA". Joe Torre has said that the TBA starter will not be Hideo Nomo, and speculation is that the spot starter would be someone else from the minors or possibly even Scott Proctor, if he isn't used in the next few days. Proctor is an intriguing option, but he hasn't started a game since 2002 while in AA Jacksonville in the LA Dodgers system. Proctor has served as the Yankees long-relief man over the last week, going 7.2 innings with a 3.521 ERA. In those long-relief appearances, Proctor has been featuring his curveball much more than usual and has been able to throw it for strikes and use it to get batters to chase. This could be a sign that the Yankees wish to move him into a spot starter role. A Thursday start would put Proctor on the mound with 4 days of rest. Other options include Sean Henn and possibly Tim Redding who has been pitching better lately for AAA Columbus.

In other news, the Yankees optioned Andy Phillips back to Columbus and called up SS Felix Escalona to give the Yankees the backup SS/3B that they have lacked since Rey Sanchez went on the DL. Torre plans to give Jeter and A-Rod a rest soon as he now has the personnel to do so.

"Aces" Coming Up Short of Late

2005-08-08T15:00:00.000-04:00

For the last few weeks since the Yankee Rotation was reduced to "two legitimate starters" and a revolving door of retreads, has-beens, and never-will-be's, the strategy has been: tread water until the reinforcements arrive - win the games Johnson & Mussina pitch and tough it out through the others. Now, it is the legitimate starters who are being called into question, while the revolvers have seemingly settled into place. The hope of reinforcement has been shaken and the time to tread water is over. The Yankees need to start pushing forward.

With 3 straight troubled starts from the team's aces and 5 solid starts from the likes of Aaron Small and Shawn Chacon, it looks as if the Yankees rotation worries have moved from the back-end to the front-end. Those worries were only enhanced by word that Carl Pavano will undergo tests at the hand of Dr. James Andrews in lieu of what would have been his final rehab start. Randy Johnson's 41-year-old back has been barking again, raising rumors that he may miss his next start. Jaret Wright and Chien-Ming Wang continue to progress, with little word on a finalized return date for either. Kevin Brown... Well, let's just not talk about him. And so the rotation of Johnson, Mussina, Leiter, Chacon, and Small will have to drag on for a few more weeks.

Tonight's game is therefore a huge one for Mike Mussina. He must prove that his struggles in Cleveland were a fluke and he's still the good ol' reliable Moose. Personally, I can't wait for tonight's game - it features a matchup of two of my absolute favorite pitchers to watch - Mussina vs. El Duque. Duque is always a joy to watch on the mound for the same reasons he's a pain to play against - he's one of the most unpredictable, deceptive, and creative pitchers in the game today. Mussina has lost the velocity on his fastball, but the Stanford grad that he is, he's found a way to work around it. He's been known to suddenly add pitches to his repertoire as needed on a given day. Like Duque he relies on his guile to get him through the game. Not only are they creative but they both seem to thrive on pressure - it seems as though they get themselves into trouble just to prove that they can get out. If Duque loaded the bases, there was never a reason to worry - you knew he had it under control. And so, Mussina draws a tough matchup tonight as Duque pitches his first game against the Yankees.

Word is spreading that Johnson's back spasms aren't going to go away, and Carl Pavano might not return, but with the success of the spot starters Small and Chacon, the Yanks just need someone who can anchor this rotation at the top for a while. Johnson has proven inconsistent and Leiter is certainly not an ace anymore. Mussina may be the Yankees last hope. If he can come out and be successful against the "best team in baseball" then the Yankees can breathe a little easier. They'll at least have Moose to count on through the stretch run.

A few numbers on the current Yankees Rotation:

*Since 7/24*	GS	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	K	W	L	ERA
Johnson	3	19.1	18	11	3	3	21	1	1	5.121
Mussina	3	20	24	10	3	6	16	1	2	4.500
Leiter	3	13.2	15	6	0	14	6	1	2	3.951
Small	2	14.2	13	4	0	2	3	2	0	2.455
Chacon	2	12	12	2	0	5	8	0	0	1.500

What Did You Want Him to Do?

2005-08-01T15:09:00.000-04:00

The man in question is, of course, Brian Cashman. The answer is provided by the ever thoughtful fans and media in NY: "Something." I would really like to know what deals these people had in mind. Because if there was something worthwhile out there, I'd like to know, and I'm not alone - every GM in baseball would like to know if there was something he missed.

There was just nothing out there. Take a look around MLB, did anyone really do anything? The Marlins made the best move and his name was Ron Villone (what a splash!), the Mariners were somewhat effective sellers, the Braves improved their bullpen, and the Cubs upgraded their outfield in a straight-up swap. There just wasn't anything out there that GMs were willing to make a move on. It wasn't just Brian Cashman - it was Theo, it was Beane, it was Beattie, it was DePodesta, it was everyone. Why trade valuable prospects for players that people will shrug their shoulders at?

If you really want to nitpick, the Yankees did make a move - they acquired Shawn Chacon for two AA minor leaguers. And before you cry about Chacon not being Jason Schmidt, I will refer you to his line on Saturday: 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 K. He may not be top-tier but the Yankees are doing the right thing. Chacon was inexpensive and will do the job the Yankees need. True, he is a band-aid, but he's a 27 year-old band-aid with "Sturtze" potential. He'll spot start until the Yankees don't need spot starters, and then he'll join the bullpen in time for the stretch run.

Angry they didn't add a centerfielder? Who did you want? Larry Bigbie? Endy Chavez? Marlon Byrd? Randy Winn? or are you (like I am) satisfied with Bubba Crosby going out there every few days? Why trade Sean Henn when all you need out there is someone who can play defense? Bubba can do that. And he will. Henn, at the very least, can be used more effectively in bigger deals.

Besides, if you're that desparate for a move, wait until Griffey goes on waivers - the Yanks might just claim him. They don't need to, but if they struggle in August, and if the Boss is willing to flex his payroll muscle, Griffey will be in pinstripes. But as of right now, they did only thing you should do in an underwhelming seller's market like this - nothing.

Many Manny Rumors

2005-07-30T18:38:00.000-04:00

After spending all of yesterday dreaming of a Manny-less Red Sox, I came crashing down to earth and today no longer wish to see him dealt. My change of heart was inspired by this ESPN rumor:

Dunn on the move?

Jul 30 - According to Jayson Stark, had the Manny Ramirez deal to the Mets gone through and the Red Sox had wound up with Mets outfield prospect Lastings Milledge, one baseball man who has been in touch with the Red Sox says Boston's dream scenario was to turn around and deal Milledge and pitching prospect Anibel Sanchez to the Reds for Adam Dunn.

The idea that the Red Sox could turn Manny and prospects into Mike Cameron, Aubrey Huff, Aaron Heilman and Adam Dunn, scares me more than you could know. Those additions would likely also allow them to deal Bill Mueller and/or Kevin Millar to Minnesota for JC Romero and Joe Mays, leaving the Red Sox lineup looking something like this:

CF- Damon
SS- Renteria
DH- Ortiz
LF- Dunn
1B/3B- Huff
C- Varitek
RF- Cameron
3B/1B- Youkilis/Olerud
2B- Graffanino

Combine that with a shored-up bullpen that would include Heilman, Romero and someone from the rotation (Wakefield/Arroyo), and you can understand why the Red Sox were seriously entertaining the idea of trading the MLB leading RBI machine (92 thus far) that is Manny. As frightening as the Ortiz/Manny 3-4 combo was, the 1-7 barrage of talent that the Red Sox would become is something that I don't want to think about. It would give the Sox a decidedly left-handed tinge, but that is no comfort as the Yankees currently lack a suitable lefty in their pen.

Let's just all be thankful that the deal is now being called "all but dead"...

Chacon Good, Bullpen Bad, Yankees Win

2005-07-30T17:55:00.000-04:00

I was all set to tear into the Yankees bullpen and the problems they've been causing lately, but Mo & Matsui conspired to renew my faith as the Yankees rallied to win 8-7 at the Stadium.

Shawn Chacon started his Yankee career off well, going 6 innings and allowing only one unearned run on 4 hits and 3 walks with 4 strikeouts. Then it all came apart as Felix Rodriguez returned to his former self and walked Jeff DaVanon to lead off the 7th. In came newly signed former foe Alan Embree who gave up a single to Adam Kennedy before throwing a sacrifice bunt from Chone Figgins past Robinson Cano, covering at first, allowing one run to score. Torre then turned to Tom Gordon, and Flash promptly gave up a two-run go-ahead single to Orlando Cabrera, blowing the 3-1 lead handed to the Yankees bullpen by Chacon. A balk and a pair of ground-outs made the score 5-3. Gordon lead off the 8th by giving up a single to Steve Finley and a two-run homer to former Yank Juan Rivera. Wayne Franklin would then come in and surprisingly stop the bleeding.

Jason Giambi continued his Jason Giambi impersonation by belting a two-run homer to right in the bottom of the 8th, giving the Yankees some hope. This allowed Torre to use Rivera for the top of the 9th, and Mo was his usual self - striking out Darin Erstad and Vlad Guerrero and inducing a Garret Anderson ground ball.

The usually dominant K-Rod had nothing to celebrate about in the bottom of the ninth as he walked Womack and Jeter before striking out Cano. He then walked Sheffield and A-Rod to score one run before Matsui won the game with a two-run double to left center.

Back to the problems at hand...
I think it's worth taking a look at some Yankee pitching stats over the past week. Comparing the starters and the bullpen, it appears the Yankees problems do not lie in the rotation, but rather in the 6-8th inning bridge to Mo that has haunted the Yankees for the past few years. Granted, Sturtze and Gordon have struggled lately and that shouldn't be expected to continue, but if there's anything that needs fixing right now, its the bullpen, not the rotation.

STARTERS	W	L	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA
Mussina	1	1	14	15	4	2	2	9	2.55
Small	1	0	8	6	3	0	0	1	3.38
Brown	0	1	3.1	6	7	1	4	2	20.32
Leiter	0	1	5	7	1	0	5	2	1.80
Johnson	1	0	8	2	0	0	0	11	0.00
Chacon	0	0	6	4	0	0	3	4	0.00
*Yankee Starters*	3	3	44	40	15	3	14	29	*3.05*

BULLPEN	W	L	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA
Gordon	0	0	4.1	7	3	1	2	4	6.59
Sturtze	0	0	2.2	6	4	0	2	3	16.36
Rodriguez	0	0	2.1	2	1	0	2	1	4.29
Rivera	1	0	3.2	0	0	0	0	5	0.00
Graman	0	0	1.1	3	2	1	2	0	16.36
Groom	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0.00
Proctor	0	0	1	2	2	1	0	1	18.00
Embree	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	infinite
Franklin	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	0.00
*Yankee Bullpen*	1	0	17	22	13	3	8	15	*6.84*

The other side of the argument is that the depleted rotation has worn out the bullpen. Either way, trading for players at this point is probably not the answer. Once Pavano and Wright (who pitched a rehab game today) return, the rotation will be stabilized and there will actually be an excess of pitching on the staff, as Wright, Chacon, Small, and Leiter will compete to fill the remaining two rotation spots. The bullpen still lacks a good lefty, unless Embree can manage to turn his season around in New York.

Chacon to Yankees

2005-07-28T21:45:00.000-04:00

The Yankees haven't announced him as their Saturday starter (the trade hasn't even been formally announced) but Shawn Chacon will probably be on the hill vs. the Angels. He was acquired today for minor league pitchers Eduardo Sierra and Ramon Ramirez. With Aaron Small's second solid start for the Yankees and the expected return of Carl Pavano and Jaret Wright, Chacon's role on the Yankees may be limited to spot starts and possibly a move (back) to the bullpen.

Not a bad deal for the Yanks, they get a starter that they desperately need, and they potentially also acquire the bullpen help they will need for the stretch run. They still need lefty relief and maybe a centerfielder. Chacon isn't a big acquisition - he's not near the top tier of pitchers available but he is what the Yankees need right now - someone who can eat up some innings before Pavano/Wright return. This deal also makes it far less likely that the Yankees will make any "big" additions to their pitching staff before the trade deadline.

Sierra is a promising young reliever, while Ramirez was a AAA starter for the Clippers before he struggled and was demoted to AA Trenton. Both pitchers are right-handed and 23 years old.

Some 2005 stats on the trade:

*Chacon*	GS	ERA	W	L	IP	H	HR	BB	K	BAA
Total	12	4.14	1	7	72.2	68	7	33	39	.260
Away	6	3.12	0	5	35.2	31	1	21	20	.254

*Ramirez*	GS	ERA	W	L	IP	H	HR	BB	K
AAA	6	5.33	1	3	27	32	3	9	26
AA	15	3.84	6	5	89	79	10	35	82

*Sierra*	G	ERA	W	L	SV	IP	H	HR	BB	K
AA	33	3.28	3	1	2	57.2	37	4	38	50

Carl-palooza Part II?

2005-07-27T13:08:00.000-04:00

Rumors began floating (from Seattle papers) that the Yankees might be dangling Carl Pavano for a package deal from the Mariners including Randy Winn and Jamie Moyer/Joel Pineiro/Gil Meche. Pavano's supposed inclusion in their AJ Burnett offer makes this the second time Pavano's name has appeared in trade rumors. Considering the Yankees' reluctance to part with prospects and the fact that the team is loaded with no-trade clauses, it's actually not that surprising that the recently signed Pavano might be available. Pavano had struggled before his prolonged stay on the DL and the Yankees might be looking in all directions for a possible trading solution.

Pavano's name has been continuously evoked by Brian Cashman when referring to the Yankees "tread water and wait for reinforcements" strategy. Pavano is the reinforcement. It would seem he is the key to the Yankees "from-within" solution to stabilizing the rotation. Whether he will succeed upon his return is something the Yankees will not have the opportunity to find out before the trade deadline. That fact puts the Yankees up against a wall - they must decide whether they need a new starter and must do so while also deciding who will start the day before the deadline. Those two decisions could coincide if the Yankees can find a way to acquire a pitcher without dealing valuable prospects. Dealing their questionable third starter may be the answer.

First, scratch Jamie Moyer's name off that list. The last thing the Yankees want is a rotation in which Randy Johnson is no longer the senior member and Mike Mussina is the young buck at age 36. Meche and Pineiro, however, are both 26 and possess pretty good stuff. Their problem has been command/control/confidence - the same old thing. If the Yankees believe they have a potential hassle on their hands in Pavano, what's the difference in accepting a younger project like Pineiro or Meche. Both have shown some success and have done it in the AL. The most intriguing part of this deal is its wide-ranging potential for the Yanks - if they can stretch the deal to include either Eddy Guardado or Ron Villone, they can potentially solve all three of their problems in one move. The big question mark in all this is the status of Carl Pavano. If Pavano was really affected by his shoulder earlier in the year, he should be given the opportunity to prove himself; if he wasn't then he's likely going to flop anyway and the Yankees should get what they can now. If the Yankees do nothing (or very little) by the deadline and Pavano returns and continues to struggle, they will fall flat on their faces. They might be able to sustain this revolving door rotation for a week or two, but if Pavano falters they will be (barring a waiver deal) stuck like this for the rest of the year. Since Pavano is a gamble already, why not just trade one gamble for another younger gamble and plug your other holes in the process? If the rumor is true, I'm interested, and maybe the Yankees should be too.

Just What the Unit Ordered

2005-07-27T03:15:00.000-04:00

After the continuing bad news regarding their starting pitching, the last thing the Yankees needed was for their ace to go out and struggle after "tweaking" his back and have everyone worrying about his health, too. Whether Randy Johnson realized that or not is irrelevent - he was brilliant last night. After starting the game by hitting Shannon Stewart, Johnson went on to pitch 5 2/3 hitless innings and finished with an 8 inning, 2-hit shutout that included 11 strikeouts, tying his season high. It was vintage Big Unit - the type of performance that Yankee fans and exec's hoped for when he was brought in to be the team's No. 1 starter. The added bonus of his outing is that the bullpen wasn't used (Gordon did pitch a hitless 9th) and can be saved for the TBA starters on Thursday and Saturday. With the win, the Yankees moved into a tie with Oakland in the Wild Card and remained a game back in the division behind the Red Sox.

More Bad News...

2005-07-26T17:09:00.000-04:00

According to Michael Kay on his ESPN radio show, Kevin Brown will not make his start on Thursday (no big suprise) and Carl Pavano will not make his start on Saturday. This will likely cause the Yankees to go into search-and-acquire mode for starting pitching. What makes matters worse is that Pavano will probably not be able to start before the deadline - leaving the Yankees unsure about the status of their rotation or his status as a possible (though unlikely) trade chip. This might mean the Yankees will loosen their grip on the likes of Sean Henn and Scott Proctor, though I would be shocked if they gave serious thought to moving any of their big (Duncan & Hughes) prospects. It would seem that if the Yankees are going to make a deal for a starter, it will be now.

Starters, Center and the 'Pen

2005-07-26T15:30:00.000-04:00

It's probably best to go through the Yankees starting pitchers one by one as it seems everyone has some kind of problem. At the top is Randy Johnson, who's been great of late but had to leave his last start with a "tweaked back". The lasting effects of that tweak will be determined tonight. If he has problems, it might be that final straw that kicks the Yankees into emergency mode. Mike Mussina has no real problems to speak of. He's been the one constant performer in this rotation and the only thing you can squabble about is the fact that he's become a 6 inning pitcher, which is an issue now with the depleted pitching staff, but in the long run, that's all the Yankees want/need. Kevin Brown is not really worth talking about. I think he may finally be coming to the realization that his back has beaten him. He's pretty much finished. Al Leiter has shown what he's capable of, both good and bad. His start against the Sox was magnificent, but his start against the Angels was horribly marred by one awful inning. On a positive note, his 5 walks over 12.1 innings with New York is a significant improvement over his 60 walks in 80 innings with Florida. He still needs another start before he can be counted out. Carl Pavano is expected back Saturday to pitch against the Angels - a good barometer for him as they are a contact hitting team and he is certainly a contact pitcher - if he's effective, he will be the acquisition the Yankees are looking for. If he's shelled, Cashman will have less than 24 hours to figure something out. Jaret Wright has thrown a simulated game and will start his rehab assignment on Saturday. Right now, he is projected to make his return in the bullpen some time in mid-August. Either Cashman has reason to believe the rotation will be fine (trade or health) or Wright simply won't be able to start by that time and the Yankees are looking to use him in a non-closer-Schilling-type role. There haven't been any reports on Chien-Ming Wang's progress since it was reported he would start a rehab program for his shoulder so his fate is up in the air. Aaron Small's spot in the rotation will be skipped thanks to the day off and Pavano will take it from there, making Small the long reliever in the pen until Saturday, and should Kevin Brown make a start, they'll need him.

Centerfield is a relatively simple situation. The Yankees apparently have 2 options - platoon Bernie and Bubba or platoon Winn/Byrnes/Chavez and Bernie. Considering option 2 will probably cost them at least Sean Henn, I would expect, barring a big multi-player deal, to see Bubba out there in the hot August sun.

The bullpen is a mess, but it's a mess that can be cleaned. Alex Graman has failed his test, and Buddy Groom failed his a long time ago. The search for a lefty will make its next stop at either Sean Henn or Alan Embree (if he can be acquired). Darrell May doesn't seem a likely option because he no longer finds himself on the 40-man Roster, and clearing a space for him seems like too much of a hassle for another re-tread right now. Scott Proctor has recently showed promise in his 2 perfect innings against LAA on Friday. If Proctor can keep himself from being the walk-machine he is and Felix Rodriguez can do the same (and he has lately) then the Yankees don't really need another middle reliever (except maybe a lefty) and actually could stand pat come Sunday. A scary thought, but a realistic one.

Is CF still the priority?

2005-07-22T14:10:00.000-04:00

Gordon gets the loss, but it was hardly his fault. He didn't make a bad pitch, it just happened that probably the toughest guy to pitch to in the AL was at the plate. Gordon's not the problem (although his tentative shoulder may become one) it's the rest of the pen that will continue to haunt the Yankees. As much as the Yankees are certain they need a centerfielder, right now it seems like they are in much more desperate need of a reliable bullpen arm. It doesn't need to be someone who can be dominant, just someone who won't consistently underperform.

As with the Yankees other problems, it's possible this can be solved from within. That solution, however, comes with a lot of 'if's. IF Scott Proctor enrolls in the Mariano School of Pitching (a la Tanyon Sturtze) and learns that his stuff is good enough to just attack hitters rather than trying to throw the perfect pitch, he can be the answer. IF Felix Rodriguez can do the same, he can be the answer. IF the Yankees can stabilize their rotation, the "extra" bullpen guys won't matter as much. We'll wait to see what Alex Graman has to offer.

The Yankees still seem to be focused on acquiring a centerfielder, specifically Randy Winn. The Mariners had scouts in Anaheim last night and Bubba Crosby found himself playing left field. It would seem the Yankees are trying to start him as much as possible - but it's probably not to showcase him as the Mariners already have three good young outfielders in Jeremy Reed, Chris Snelling and Shin-Soo Choo. The more likely target might have been Graman, who did not pitch. No one else on the Yankees active roster could be a target. The Yankees refused to use Proctor in a Byrnes deal, and Felix Rodriguez might be too valuable as a middle-innings-eater right now to be dealt for anything other than more pitching. Everyone else is either too old or too untouchable to be a viable option. This also means that the Yankees are giving Crosby a serious chance to win the job and save a trade. Given the market, I would expect them to either give the job to Crosby or wait until the deadline to make a move. The job Crosby would be doing isn't as big as you may think - the Yankees aren't looking for a starting centerfielder, just someone who can split time with Bernie, and Crosby can definitely do that.

Texas, LAAoA, Pitching and More Center

2005-07-21T14:37:00.000-04:00

One bad pitch keeps the Yanks sweepless. No big deal though. Giambi continues to make Yankee fans eat their words (me included), Posada has officially climbed out of his slump, ditto for the BamTino?, and Aaron "I haven't started since 1996" Small earns himself a second look. The Yankees bullpen isn't all bad news though. Felix Rodriguez returned and at least initially appears to be over his fear of the strike zone, while the Yankees are trying out lefty specialist #4, starter-turned-reliever Alex Graman. His early numbers as a AAA reliever are promising: 1-1 in 7 games, a 1.64 ERA in 11 innings with 16 strikeouts and a save. If Rodriguez can prove to be at least somewhat consistent, the Yanks' bullpen should be able to successfully navigate the next few Pavano-less weeks when the rotation solidifies. Either way, coming out of Texas up 5-2 on the trip is amazing considering 4 out of those 7 starters were Small, an unwanted Al Leiter, an unwatchable Tim Redding, and a major league rehab by Kevin Brown. Win one in LA and count this potentially disastrous road trip a success.

In LA: Johnson faces Colon. Hopefully RJ can continue his recent success, and it would be a huge boost if he could go at least 7 or 8. It would free up the bullpen arms for the remainder of the series so that Torre doesn't have to ask much from question marks like Leiter and Brown. Taking only one would be a disappointment given the veterans the Yankees are throwing out there, but again, it would be enough to call this trip a success. Two or more and you can officially say the Yanks are rolling right through these pitching woes.

Pay special attention to Leiter's start, if he goes 6 and gives up 3 or 4, he will probably earn himself a few more starts and begin to create hopes of a pitching surplus heading into a trade deadline the Yankees are reluctant to become involved with.

The one thing they will be involved in is their centerfield situation. Bubba has played the last two games in center and has done a good enough job both in the field and at the plate to probably give Cashman something to think about. The Eric Byrnes rumors are dying and the Randy Winn rumors are heating up. More interesting than that is the AAAA rumors. The name that will shock most any Yankee fan is that of the Jeter-glove-stealing Ruben Rivera, mentioned by the Post's George King, who is apparently playing well in Mexico. Also mentioned was the entire outfield of the Kansas City Royals. If the Yankees are willing to go this route, why not just save the mid-level prospects and use Bubba.

In other news, the AJ Burnett rumors have quieted in Baltimore as Peter Angelos is supposedly reluctant to take Mike Lowell and his salary. The result may be this horrifying three-way deal: To Boston - Mike Lowell, J.C. Romero, A.J. Burnett; To Minnesota - Bill Mueller and Kevin Millar; To Florida - Bronson Arroyo, Joe Mays, prospects. In one fell swoop the Red Sox shore up their bullpen, add the top starter available, and add a potentially dangerous (although currently dormant) bat at third. Sounds a lot like last year's Nomar trade where they basically fixed their biggest problem all in one "how'd they pull that off" deal. I really have nothing but respect for Theo Epstein, but I hate watching him work.

Quick thought: Actually, looking at that deal again, the Sox lose Mueller and Millar - two of the "Varitek, Mueller, Millar, Ortiz" quadrumvirate that haunt Mariano Rivera. Look at all the comebacks against Mo - those are the 4 guys who are consistently responsible. I guess that's some consolation in what would be a huge move for the Red Sox.

Lefty Relievers

2005-07-20T00:59:00.000-04:00

I'm not usually one to nitpick small things like Franklin's performance last night, but something has been bugging me for the last week. Darrell May was outrighted to the minors yesterday, leaving Buddy Groom and Wayne Franklin as the two Yankee lefties in the bullpen. Franklin has been up and down, demonstrating some ability to get lefties out but mostly what he's shown is inconsistency. The fact that Franklin has been used vs. lefties lately says all you need to know about Buddy Groom. But if there was one thing May seemed to be able to do, and in fact it may be the only thing he can do, is get out lefties. I'm not aware of the contract/option/outright/whatever status of the other contracts, but why was May passed over? Look at the numbers:

2005 vs. LH (prior to last night)
Groom: 45 AB .267/.298/.467
Franklin: 7 AB .429/.429/.714
May: 62 AB .226/.258/.387

Granted, once May sees a righty everything falls apart, but it's hard to argue that he isn't a good candidate for a lefty specialist role. Plus, with his experience as a starter, he's also a good candidate for the much needed mop-up long reliever role that Sturtze evolved from last year.

Just-in (~4pm): Franklin back to the minors in favor of Alex Graman. Expect lots of this. Expect Colter Bean to make an appearence if and when Proctor gets shelled, expect May to return when Graman gets shelled, expect anything and everything because there aren't suitable answers outside the organization. At the very least this gets a fresh long-relief-able arm into the bullpen. They're going to need it.

Wang, First, and Center

2005-07-19T14:38:00.000-04:00

Starting with the good news: Chien-Ming Wang won't need shoulder surgery, yet. Turns out Ruben was wrong and Wang didn't tear his rotator cuff, he just irritated it. Right now, he'll go on a rehab program that could last him more than a month. That's fine. I was beginning to worry that, with his shoulder history, his career was in jeopardy. With this news Wang will at the very least be back next year, and possibly back for the heated end of September. Although, maybe this news should be taken with a grain of salt - the Yankees might be downplaying Wang's injury in order to seem less desperate for pitching, in order to get a better deal on the trade market.

And the better news: As you may know, the Yanks took first place last night, and it wasn't one of those cheapy first places either. They have a half-game lead with a one game edge in the loss column. I don't expect it to last, and clearly this race is coming down to those final weeks in September, which means I'll be speaking to my Oriole-employed friend for some tickets (September = School = U.Maryland).

Finally, the same old news: Expect the center field situation to heat up and if you plan on giving Cashman a call, expect a busy signal. With Ruben Sierra's heroic injury last night, the Yankees now lack a bench. Now a guy with a little more offensive upside like Byrnes or Winn or Encarnacion seem to be a better option than the Endy Chavezes of the world. Bernie's going to continue to catch a lot of flack (which is the only thing he can catch, OH!) for dropping that ball, but I think it's important to remember that Bernie's problem isn't that he's immobile (as ESPN's Jerry Crasnick called him) - he made a great catch in Boston, another last night, and went a long way to get to that dropped ball, too long in fact. Bernie dropped that ball because he shouldn't have called Matsui off. I know a CF can and should do that whenever they have it, but with the winds the way they were last night and Matsui right there with a clear shot at it, I say it was Matsui's all the way. Not a big deal though. The real concern with Bernie is his arm, not his range. He's lost a few steps but he makes up for it by getting a great jump on the ball.

Personally, I like the idea of getting Byrnes. He's not really a CF, but has the speed to do the job, along with the go-get-'em mentality. And he's not a D-only guy. In a time where the Yanks are going to need to score as many runs as possible, adding more Offense is not a bad thing, it might not be all that necessary, but it's certainly not a negative. The bigger thing about Byrnes is that he is a boost. Not that this team needs it in this race, but Byrnes is the kind of guy who comes to play because he loves to go all out, he's the kind of guy who reminds you that this is just a game and you're supposed to have fun. With a veteran and corporate team like the Yankees, maybe they need that little burst of energy, like they got with Cano & Wang, to push them down the stretch. I'm not saying they're sluggish or lack motivation, just that everyone could use a guy like Byrnes, he's like a kid out there.

The Melky Cabrera Experiment

2005-07-17T14:15:00.000-04:00

Let me start by saying that I like Melky and I really wanted to see him do well, but he hasn't and that's OK, he's 20 and he'll get his second chance. The reason so many people are so angry with Melky is that they don't understand what was going on when he came up. They see Melky as the Yankees' solution to Bernie Williams, a problem that may or may not actually exist. Melky has demonstrated that he can't replace Bernie and now the fans are angry that they were duped into thinking he could. These people are probably life long entrenched Yankee fans who seem to love their team by hating their mistakes. I'm generalizing and I don't like to do it, but whatever. Melky was brought up because the current market for centerfielders is so thin and so expensive that the Yankees decided to attempt a from-within solution that has larger potential. Given Melky's impressive (albeit short) stint in AAA, no one in the organization could think of a reason not to give him a shot in center. Cited as being above average defensively and a potential future .320, 25 HR hitter, the Yankees top brass didn't hesitate. The experiment was simple: stick the kid in center and tell him to just play D while the Yankees' big bats hide his young one; if he succeeds, the Yankees have a solution for centerfield for possibly the next 10+ years; if he fails, they send him back down and go back to square one, no harm done. Considering his failure was thought to be unlikely given his talent, the decision was a no-brainer. The fact that he has failed only means that he wasn't ready. To say that he isn't capable (which is being implied by the NY Media) is a ridiculous statement, usually made by someone who calls him Milky out of ignorance. To say that he isn't capable is to say that you know more from watching a 20-year-old play 6 games in the major leagues than an entire organization of professional baseball scouts who have spent the last 3 years watching that same 20-year-old develop in the minors (not to mention outside scouts like Baseball America). On top of that, do you think a kid can last for three years in any organization playing a defense-intensive position like CF playing the way Melky did? Of course not. Clearly, the 20-year-old we saw in CF for the past week was not Melky Cabrera. Yet, read this article by Joel Sherman and you'll come to believe that Melky was never any good and the Yankees scouts are just so inept that they can't tell Melky is awful. Of course they're inept, those scouts are the scoundrels responsible for failures like Robinson Cano... wait a minute! Cano is good! They can't be inept. Maybe Joel Sherman is inept? Can't be, he writes for the Post and they're... well they're one small step above a supermarket tabloid.

To those complaining about Melky, specifically those calling him a disgrace: What has been lost, other than your foolish pride, due to his presence? One or two losses and we're back to square one in CF. What could have been gained by his presence? A young centerfielder, a place for Bernie (DH), a place for Sierra (Pinch Hitting - Joe loves him there), no place for Womack, and a few prospects who would be traded for a CF that can instead be used to get another starter. Faced with these outcomes, what decision should have been made? Well, I'm an Economics major, I've taken classes in decision making, what should we do? Let's say the odds on Melky's success are 40/60, irrationally giving the Melky-haters the benefit of the doubt. Then the expected value of the Melky Experiment is:
[40% x (10yrsCF + BernieDH + SierraPH - Womack + Prospects)] + [60% x (2 Losses)].
Basically, you're risking maybe 2 games to solve 5 year-long problems. "Waste" 2 games for the opportunity to solidify your lineup? Some teams take all year to do that.

Ignore the fact that it didn't work out and appreciate the fact that the Yankees finally seem to be using some real baseball logic in solving their problems these days. More evidence that maybe George has gone soft, or gone away. Solid baseball sense combined with a substantial budget is the way this dynasty was created. Remember that. Appreciate that. And don't hate on your future centerfielder, for those that do, I know who you are, I'm taking names, and me and Melky will be ready to laugh at you when you're proven wrong.

Late Add-in: Rumors abound about the Yankees in the trade market: according to ESPN's Jayson Stark they've offered Pavano, Felix Rodriguez, and prospects for AJ Burnett - a questionable move considering they haven't seen a healthy Pavano pitch yet. The Chacon rumors have disappeared due to Colorado's asking price, and the centerfield rumors have begun to heat up. Marlon Byrd, Endy Chavez, and Eric Byrnes are a few names, but I think Byrnes will come at too high a price to make sense, where the other 2 have lost their starting roles and Byrd in particular may be 5th or 6th on the Nats' outfield depth chart when Nick Johnson returns. I don't think Bernie is all that bad of an option, and if they Yankees are really that concerned about it, use Crosby - why not, they were ready to gamble on Melky and they know Crosby can do the job, he just doesn't have Melky's potential. Just please let's all stop lying to ourselves and put Tony Womack in his rightful place - pinch runner and emergency utility man.

Also: How 'bout Al Leiter?!?! Wow. Just like Cashman said: "Lightning in a bottle." Exactly what they needed. Who knows if he can do it again, but he won't have to, once against the Sox was enough for me.

Contrary to Popular Belief...

2005-07-15T22:50:00.000-04:00

This loss changes nothing. No, the Yanks won't be hitting the panic button and making a big blockbuster trade for Roger Clemens. If you heard Cashman before the game, he seemed almost resigned to give up this game and a few others for the next week because basically, he doesn't have many options available to him. Given the Yankees farm system and current payroll/roster there aren't many movable pieces that can be used to plug holes like they did in years past. Specifically, the Yankees have only 5 pieces they could use in a significant deal: Robinson Cano, Chien-Ming Wang, Eric Duncan, Phillip Hughes, and Melky Cabrera. Those are the chips the Yankees can use to upgrade thier Major League roster. Any deal involving any current Major Leaguer will likely result in a net loss for the Yanks (ie Sheff for Cameron or Sheff for Burnett).

So Cashman has two options: (1) Plug Along, Stay Afloat, Ride the Wave, Struggle Through, Gut It Out... etc. Keep bringing in your Tim Reddings and Aaron Smalls and maybe make a small deal here or there for a Chacon or a Leiter and just wait for the reinforcements coming off the DL.
OR
(2) Trade the 5 chips (and it will likely have to be all of them) for the one or two "perfect" acquisitions who will play for the Yankees through 2005, maybe take them to the playoffs and then leave for greener pastures in 2006.

The deal with option 1 is simple - the Yankees keep the small but promising farm intact and look to the future without entirely giving up on the present. This is what real baseball teams with real payrolls and real farm systems do. Now that the wonderful fantasy land ride that is the Yankees of 96-04 has come to an end, its about time they start acting like a real professional baseball organization instead of a mercenary camp for the old and expensive. With some luck and healthier arms they might just make the playoffs, too.

Option 2 is the same old story. Hughes, Duncan and Wang (though he can't be traded while on the DL) are shipped for a new starter like Burnett, while Cabrera and Cano are dealt for a guy like Cameron. The Yankees panic and give in to the crazy demands of the pre-deadline trade market. The result? Yankees get the Wild Card, lose in the ALCS to Boston, and head into next year struggling to re-sign Burnett and find that they can't acquire anyone in a trade because they have no trade bait to fall back on any more. Instead of the fantasy ride coming to a stop and turning around, it crashes through a wall and everyone is thrown 300 feet to their deaths.

After listening to Cashman get berated on WFAN's Mike and the Mad Dog show Thursday and with the way he has dealt with this situation and that one, my respect for the man has gone through the roof. He should be (and has been by Theo Epstein) commended for thinking of the Yankees future while in the final year of his contract. No one would blame him for making a few hair-trigger deals and mortaging the future to win now and create a mess for the next guy, but instead Cashman has taken the high road and strived to do what's best for the organization. The fact that it's Cashman detailing the Yankee game plan and not Steinbrenner on the back pages tells me that the old man might have finally given up on being the bully and will let Cashman and Gene "Stick" Michael run this ballclub again. Maybe that's all Cashman wanted to hear and he's not planning on jumping ship, I sure hope so.

Chacon Deal Updates

2005-07-15T14:53:00.000-04:00

Apparently it's not "all but finalized" as the Yanks and Rockies have been arguing over the asking price. Colorado apparently requested a package of Sean Henn, Scott Proctor and Cash, leading me to believe this may not be the great deal I thought it once was. This deal was all fine and good when the Yanks only had to give up one young arm (and probably some meaningless Stein-bucks) but I'm not sure Chacon's even worth the package of Ramon Ramirez/Eduardo Sierra that the Yankees countered with. At best, Chacon's a band-aid for the Yankees - a temporary fix for a temporary problem - there's no use in giving up some of your top young arms for someone who'll be useless come September.

Not to mention Proctor who I think the Yankees view as a potential future closer once he learns where the strike zone is. That may be stretching his abilities but there's no other logical explanation for the Yankees passing up St. John's closer Craig Hansen in June with Mo only a few years away from a Hall-call. But that's another problem for another day.

Back to Chacon, if Redding/May/Small/Henn/Leiter? can survive the week until Brown is available to give up 5 runs in 5 innings, the Yankees might be able to stay afloat until Pavano is available to give up 5 runs in 6 innings, keeping the Yankees alive until Wright or Mendoza are available to give up who knows what. What it all boils down to is that given the current demands in the pitching market the Yankees are better off just making small moves to keep themselves in it until the reinforcements arrive and hope that they can do a better job. In the context of this offense a good enough job is a 6 inning pitcher with a 6.5 ERA, assuming that Giambi isn't going to get suspended for whatever it is that he's on nowadays.

Anyway, that's enough pitching for now. Should I get bored later I might just rant on the fun times that await in centerfield.

Here Today, Wang Tomorrow

2005-07-15T02:29:00.000-04:00

OK so I couldn't sleep and I had that ^ AWESOME title stuck in my head and had to use it before the NY Post stole my glory.

It's going to be bad enough that the Yankees most consistent starter will be on the 15-day DL during this the most important of road-trips (BOS, TEX, LAA), but it actually will likely get worse. No, I'm not referring to the 2-week delay on Pavano's return. Right now all Cashman is willing to admit is "shoulder inflammation", his reluctance to release the full diagnosis combined with Wang's trip to Dr. James Andrews (surgeon), rumors are spreading that Wang has a torn rotator cuff and will miss the rest of the season. According to Michael Kay's ESPN radio show, that was the word from Ruben Sierra and a few other players after a player meeting on Wang's status.

So that means the Yanks are left with... two... TWO pitchers that are healthy (for now) and reliable, going into a HUGE road trip. Right now the Yankees need arms and they need them quick. They don't really even need to be good arms, just servicable- 5-6 innings 4-5 runs- the Yankee offense will do the rest.

Where do they find these arms?
Two of them will certainly be Darrell May and Tim Redding, but the Yankees aren't expecting much of them, rightfully so. Kevin Brown is supposedly a week away. Shawn Chacon (Rockies) rumors include a deal for a Yankee "minor leaguer who can contribute next year". For some reason Alex Graman's name was the first that came to my mind - I figure Colorado will want a pitcher since Chacon would be the 3rd Rockie Pitcher to be dealt this week and anyone can be an offensive prospect in Denver.

I like the idea of getting Chacon - for now he can serve as a starter until Pavano/Brown/Wright get healthy then move into a much needed middle relief role behind TanGorMo (the Sturtze-Gordon-Rivera bullpen backend for those Kay haters out there). The rumors seemed to say that the Chacon deal was all but finalized and may be pending a Chacon physical.

Other possibilities include AJ Burnett, Jason Schmidt, Kip Wells, Mark Redman, Al Leiter, or Tom Glavine. The Marlins are currently asking for a young starter, an established reliever, and a young outfielder. I think the only qualifying offer the Yankees would be willing to make is Sean Henn/Felix Rodriguez/Kevin Reese and that ain't gunna cut it. Schmidt has velocity problems that have scared suitors away. Wells might not even be available. Redman is already getting interest from Florida and may be tough to get, but doable. The question is: how many young'uns will the Yanks deal to get help they might not need a month from now. Leiter can be had for pocket change in 10 days otherwise he's headed for the broadcast booth. And the Mets might just give Glavine away so they can do something with the up-and-down Aaron Heilman. All of these solutions seem either a bit much or too little for the current Yankee pitching problems. If Leiter can be had for some random AA kid or after waivers, they'll do it, but otherwise why bother.

This leaves the last possible source of arms: Columbus. Aaron Small, Sean (i hope not) Henn, and (what ever happened to this guy) Jorge De Paula are all starting for AAA Columbus. They may not be pretty, but the Yanks aren't asking for much.

Another name to look for, although he may be a month away, is Ramiro Mendoza back from shoulder surgery. That could be a big Chacon-like boost to a Yankees team heading into the stretch run.

The View from New England

2005-07-14T22:33:00.000-04:00

I was going to make some introductory first post here but forget it. I'm just going to go ahead and jump into the fire.

Let's wrap up that 9th inning shall we?

TOP 9: Schilling (called the Sox' Savior by ESPN) comes in for his first appearence as closer and gives up a long hard double to Sheff then a 2-run shot to centery by A-Rod (continuously haunted in NY for his so-called inability to hit in the clutch).
BOT 9: Mo (said to have problems vs the Sox) comes in and impressively strikes out the side, including (Yankee Killer) Ortiz.

Yep, that sounds just about perfect. I don't think a Yankee fan could really ask for a better inning. Especially after the day we've had (Wang likely out for season).

Anyway, I'm happy. Welcome to my blog. Goodnight.