April 2008
Son Outdoing Pops… Yet Again
than the senior Steinbrenner but Mini Stein #1, Hank, has outdone even
himself, speaking his mind with no regrets yet again, this time at the
expense of the new manager. With the situation currently surrounding
the two youngsters, Kennedy and Hughes, and whether or not Joba should
be placed in the rotation Hank put in his two cents, saying, “I want
him as a starter and so does everyone else, including him, and that is
what we are working toward and we need him there now. There is no
question about it, you don’t have a guy with a 100-mile-per-hour
fastball and keep him as a setup guy. You just don’t do that. You have
to be an idiot to do that.“ First off, wow. It’s only April and
you’re already taking a shot at the manager you just hired [who has decided to keep Joba in the bullpen]? Tsk tsk. I
think it’s obvious by now that this won’t be last time we hear
something like this from Hank, one half of the new generation of
Steinbrenners. It certainly isn’t the first time. Just last month Hank
took a shot at the Red Sox, saying, “Red Sox Nation? What a bunch of [bullxxxx] that is… That was a creation of Red Sox and ESPN, which
is filled with Red Sox fans… Go anywhere in America and you won’t see
Red Sox hats and jackets. This is a Yankee country. We’re going to put
the Yankees back on top and restore the universe to order,”… though
he did have a point on that one.
Joba situation… i know, patience is a beach. Although everyone wanted
to believe that Hughes and Kennedy were invincible and would start
their first full season in the Bigs with no problems… we just aren’t that lucky. As much as I want to see Joba as a starter I’m going to
stick with Girardi on this one. The Yanks aren’t in a 12 game hole [as
they were last year] and Hughes and Kennedy definitely have the
potential. Besides, you can’t just throw Joba into the rotation and
expect him to throw 100 pitches after being in the bullpen this long.
He’d likely have to go to the minors to build up his arm strength first
if Girardi makes that decision.
Nonetheless, Hank has some
nerve. It’d be nice if he kept shooting that fire in the direction of
the opposition instead of his own team though… but I guess that’s
wishing for too much. I mean, he is the Boss’s son.
And That Is How It’s Done [Take Notes]
Though unexpectedly, the offense also showed up, scoring 7 times this afternoon, though the last three came last minute in the 9th. The leaders of the pack came at the top of the order, Damon & Jeter, who drove in 5 of the 7 runs scored. Damon went 2 for 4, with a 2 run homer and 2 runs scored while the Capt’n, who’s been on a tear since coming back from his quad injury, went 2 for 5, with 3 RBI’s which he got in one at bat, in which he doubled with the bases loaded. However, speaking of quad injuries, A-Rod was taken out of the game in the 6th with a strained right quad and is now day to day [a.k.a. not coming back for at least 5 games.] But, if he’s able to hit like Jeter’s been hitting since his return when he comes back he can take all the time he needs. Lastly, one other hitter in the Yankee lineup that had a multi-hit game today was the backup’s backup, Chad Moeller, who’s been doing a great job filling behind the plate, though he’ll be sent back down as soon as Jorge is 100%, which is supposedly any day now.
As for the bullpen, Joba came in to face two batters, which each got hits, but had to leave after the first of two 37 minute rain delays. Bruney relieved him and closed out the inning with no problems. Mo came in, despite the 6 run lead, and… done deal. The Yanks start a three game series against the Sox [the ones from Chicago] with the starting pitcher for the first game scheduled to be the ace, Wang. Shall we get above .500…
Other Notes:
- Giambi had a horrible afternoon, ending what could’ve been a big inning for the Yanks with a double play in the 6th, botching a throw to second on a pickoff play in the same inning and going hitless yet again. Can someone give this guy a clue? Scratch that. Giambi should just take himself out of the lineup for his own sake until he remembers that hitting below the Mendoza line is bad thing.
Bad Pitching + Bad Hitting = Loss [No Brainer, right?]
Although the Yank’s chances tonight actually looked good with Kennedy, who did great in his last start, on the mound and Joba back in the pen, this game didn’t turn out to be any different. Kennedy turned in a horrible outing, throwing 85 pitches in less than 3 innings and allowing 4 runs and the all-star offense backed him up, leaving 91627868 runners on base while scoring nada. Great game huh? The sad part is that the two players that did their job were Ohlendorf, who got pitched 3 solid innings in relief of Kennedy only to get tagged with two runs after tiring, and Joba, who usually wouldn’t be seen in a game in which the Yanks are losing, but went in to get some innings logged and make the game the slightest bit worth watching.
Pettitte is on the mound tomorrow and his gift of stopping the bleeding would really come in handy before the Yanks’ first much needed day off. It’s about time this team gets things together. Yanks, if you need some help, remember: Good Pitching + Good Hitting = Win [simple, right?]
Other Notes:
- Posada started at first today, which he has done before, though it doesn’t make it any less weird. However, wearing Tino’s glove instead of his own didn’t stop him from having a lengthy conversation with Ian on the mound in the middle of an inning. It’d be nice if he were back behind the plate so these young pitchers didn’t have to pitch to a new catcher every 5 days.
- Joba is back in the pen with his father feeling better, but with the lackluster performances from the starters, questions are being raised if Girardi will put Joba into the rotation, even though it will leave a huge gap for the role of setup man. Whoever wants to see what this kid can do for 6+ innings instead of one say I.
Yanks Get It Right The Second Time w/o Joba
Unlike last night, when the Yankee bullpen failed to hold down the Tampa Bay Rays and keep a five run lead, the two run lead Pettitte handed over to the bullpen tonight remained a two run lead, despite the Yanks not having Joba in the pen for a second night, as he tends to his father in the hospital back in Nebraska. Pettitte, who turned in another quality outing tonight, went 7 innings, allowing just 3 runs. Though his performance was not his best, allowing 9 hits and 3 walks, Big A worked out of jams and kept the score low enough for the offense, who regained the air back in its lungs last night, to do the rest.
Speaking of offense, the leaders of the pack tonight were Godzilla, who got things started with a home run in the 2nd and the Capt’n, who, since returning last night, has made sure his presence back in the lineup is noticed. ‘Zilla went 2 for 5 tonight, with 2 RBI’s and a run scored, while Jeet went 3 for 4, with an RBI and run scored of his own. Though the offense did not assault the Ray’s pitching as much as they did last night, they managed to score more runs than the Rays, despite having less hits. Nonetheless, with a 2 run lead, Girardi brought in… Farnworth. Despite not knowing exactly what you’re going to get from Farnsworth when he comes in, he was the best choice from the pen to entrust getting the ball to Mo… which is just sad. However, Farns needed only 10 pitches to retire the side and hand it over to the only player that wears #42 all year round, Rivera. Superman pitched the ninth, got the save and gave Andy his second win of the season.
Tonight’s game wasn’t as much of a struggle as this year’s games have been so far. The Yanks head back to NY for a two game set against Boston, facing them for the first time in the Bronx this season. The ace is on the mound for the first game, followed by the Moose. Sweep this.
Other Notes:
- Two hilarious commercials aired during the game. The first with a little boy and Jeet as a car salesman with dorky glasses and a cheesy/goofy look on his face at the end… priceless. The other was with Michael Kay and a psychotic fan and a look on Kay’s face that said, “OoOokay…”
Mission “Jinx Yanks”: Failed
The rumors about a worker’s plot to plague the Yankees by burying a Red Sox jersey somewhere in the New Yankee Stadium was indeed true. However, the plot has been foiled. The jersey has been found and the new stadium is safe… can’t say the same for the jersey. One thing to note, the jersey had Ortiz’s name on it and was buried 2 feet deep while the actual Ortiz went 3 for 43 so far this season. Hmmm… maybe they should’ve left it there… or buried the rest of the Sox players’ jerseys along with it. Nonetheless, hopefully the hex is lifted and the Yankee batters can start doing what Ortiz hasn’t been doing. Game Time: 8:05
Well… That Was Fun
a) it is a good pitch to hit & b) you get the hit.
Granted, it’s still the beginning of the year and the Yanks are without the Capt’n, but… c’mon. The pitching has not been horrible. The offense needs to live up to it’s name… Alright, I’m done complaining now… until tomorrow.
Speaking of the pitching, the starter, Moose, went 5 and 2 thirds allowing four to score. Mussina cruised until the fourth when Manny woke up and let one fly. After that he let more runs score off the bat of Manny again in the 6th but overall did not do horrible. Bruney relieved him and didn’t give up a run, pitching until the 8th when the O’Neill number bearer came in to impressively get three quick outs.
All in all this game was… what do they call it? Oh yeah, miserable. Hughes on the mound tomorrow, pitching for his first time at Fenway. It used to be easy to say to the Yankee starting pitcher, “Keep the runs to a minimal and the offense will do the rest,” but now… ehh, not so sure. Hughes: “I know you’re a former Sox fan but please… shut the lights out.”
Other Notes:
Yankee fans boo the Yankee pitcher.
A Red Sox pitcher lets the Yankees score, what happens?
Red Sox fans chant “Yankees Suckk.”
And… Off To Beantown
It seems as if the winning formula for the Yanks has proved itself again: starter, joba, mo… win. Although the rain threatened to come pouring down (and did) Girardi opted not to start the bullpen instead of the starter this time. It payed off as the stopper handed in a quality start, handing the torch to Joba and Mo, who closed it out. The offense finally showed up, scoring more than five runs for the first time this season. The runs came off the bat of the 2, 3, and 4 hitters, Melky, A-Rod and Jorge. The line-up was slightly tweaked with Jeet still out and Girardi looking to get the offense going. Each batter got a home run and drove in all but one RBI which scored on a double play.
The Yanks now head to Boston to kick off the rivalry at Fenway. Now that the bats are starting to warm up, what a better time to see them tee off. Wang, Moose and Hughes are the starters scheduled to start this weekend, though that could always change as Girardi already proved. The Capt’n could be back in the line-up tonight, though I think many are looking forward to seeing A-Rod to reappear at short, which wouldn’t be a bad sight to see. I’m curious to see what Jeter would look like at third… hmm. Nonetheless, we need Jeet’s bat back in the line-up for it to be in full force to face the Sox.
And… Off to Beantown… the fight begins again.
Wang Sets Yanks Back On Track
Following the formula, in comes Mariano, who does what he does best: retires the side, getting the save and providing the Yanks with their first shutout of the season (with hopefully many more to come.) The solid pitching performances were necessary, considering that the Yankee bats only managed to score two runs (each of which came off the bat of Matsui. Correct me if I’m wrong but this team’s nickname is the Bronx Bombers, is it not? Though the Yanks did get 9 hits this afternoon, it has yet to score more than four runs this season (not that they need to score a ton of runs every night , but it would be nice… especially since their facing Tampa Bay [no offense... jk] and oh yeah… because their payroll is… a number I can never count to.) A-Rod, Matsui and Cabrera have been the Yankee offense for the team so far and although some more of the Yankee bats seem to be coming around nothing is being done with runners in scoring position. Hopefully that’ll change in the final game of this four game series with the Rays (seriously liked Devil Rays better).
Moose takes the mound tomorrow night, hoping to fair better than he did in his last start and keep the train moving in the right direction. What most are looking forward to seeing though is runs on the board, whether they come by a home run or singles, doubles and triples. It will not be fun if there’s a repeat of the “no offense when there’s good pitching and offense when there’s horrible pitching” saga from last year… unless you consider tearing your hair out fun.
MLBFA
“In January 2008, the MLB Fan Association, a non-profit organization was founded, establishing a collective Union for the MLB Fan Base. The charter of the MLBFA is to vigorously advocate and defend the interests of the consumers of America’s National Pastime.”
There have been commercials airing about this new union for the fans. Here’s a video on it.
Game 4, Runs Lossed By: 9
It took only 4 games for the bullpen without Joba or Mo to reveal its inability to do what it gets paid for. For the couple of arms out of the pen that didn’t get the memo: the other team is not supposed to score. Tonight was too much of an embarrassment to recap so instead I’ll put up pictures I took from tonight’s game, (which I unfortunately attended), for those that are interested but I’ll have to do it tomorrow because my camera doesn’t even want you to see what happened.
One more thing though, the one good thing about seeing a game in which the Yanks completely bomb is… the half drunk semi moronic yet hilarious hecklers that would rather make fun of their own team than piss and moan about the money they wasted. The highlight of their comments:
“One touchdown and we’re right back in it baby.”
“On the house, home runs for everybody.”‘
and the classic: “I want my beer money back.”
And of course there is always the chant for a team member who no longer plays for the Yanks. It wasn’t really a chant in this game since it was only two people doing the chanting but I’ll shoutout anyone who can guess who the player was in this game. (Not talking about Paul O’Neill, who got chanted for different reasons - reasons which I support, for the record.) [The player was on the last Yankee WS winning team - 2000.]
- As I said, pics coming tomorrow, hopefully, if my camera decides it wants to start working again.
*Edit: Can’t put up the pics. My camera has officially gone on the DL.*
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