Monday, June 28, 2010

Flawed Logic

The morning after a great come from behind win - which I stayed up for and am paying the price for now - what could possibly having me fuming?

The logic behind skipping starts to manage workflow for pitchers (it worked well for Joba's development didn't it?)

On one side you got Phil Hughes mowing them down with the best of them. On the other you have AJ Burnett who is becoming an earned run allowed machine and in a steep decline. Who gets the skipped start? - Hughes.

One thing I believe in sports is you have to respect the roll. Hughes is on one - he should have stayed in his regular rotation, and AJ was the one that should have sat for a week.

There I said my piece on that.


Whitesox streak stopped by the big strike zone - do I care about the Chicago Whitesox or Cubs - no. But they did have a monster win streak going, and were making a furious comeback in the 9th, only to be out down by an ump and an enlarged strike zone that spanned from the first baseline to the third.


Wang back to NY? the answer is a definative yes. Syracuse is the AAA farm for the Nats, and the Washington Post has him doing rehab starts by the 2nd full week of July. It was reported the Nats took a very conservative rehab approach and a very pleased with what they're seeing from Chien-Ming. Could Wang and Strasburg be the power duo in 2011?


Glad the West Coast trip and inter-league is done, Yanks in first, best record, and doing it with a lot of no name players right now - when the trades start to heat up, if we add a vet to the pen and bench, I'll be a happy camper and like our odds for the stretch.


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12 comments:

Crash said...

Mid...first, the quote is when a player is on a streak "you respect the streak." Crash Davis to Annie Savoy, Bull Durham, 1988.

Second, I think we all agree they Yankees shouldn't be skipping Hughes and AJ is a head case right now. He definitely needs to be skipped to get his head in the right place. He looked like a lost frightened kid on the mound Saturday night. Unfortunately the Yankees don't have anyone available to make a spot start. Mitre and Aceves are both on the DL and Gaudin can't be trusted with a 6 run lead right now.

Now if the Yankees had Wang still then they could go 1 or 2 more starts with AJ and bring him after the break. Now the Nats could have a really decent 1-2 if Wang is anything close to what he was in his good years in NY.

Both the White Sox and Tigers had bad calls at the end of the game this weekend. Damon was called out looking at a pitch that was literally in the other batters box. That walk would have tied the game.

One more non-Yankee news, I loved the way Longoria called out BJ Upton for not hustling after a ground ball in the gap. He played a double into a triple that eventually led to the first run in a close game. Upton has had this problem in the past. And he showed no class with his reaction toward Longoria. Joe Madden gets a little credit for running that club house, I want to see how he handles this situation.

Not sure if anyone saw this, Chad Moeller DFA'd when the Yankees called up Collin Curtis.

Cano will win the MVP and Gold Glove.

Mid said...

well whatever it is - you respect it!

Mid said...

Everyone knows Upton wasn't hustling.

That kind of talent without the discipline is why I say let the Yanks pass and let him go to the Mets or LA

57 said...

I don't know why, but I fear doom within the Mets prior to the break.... i know my team, and I don't like something; I don't know what it is, but it's something...

old professor said...

Okay, I am in Denver and as luck would have it, the Rockies return the day I leave. This is a nice city.

Now back to baseball. MLB has to do something about the umpires. There is no consistency, missed calls are occurring nightly and they seem to toss people from games with regularity when they are looked at cross eyed. (though Mattingly was tossed after the game as the umpire was headed for the locker room. And all MLB and the Commissioner seem to do is look the other way. The umpire act is getting old.

Burnett is finished as a Yankee. Though I believe there is a connection with Eiland being gone and Burnetts issues. Eiland seemed to be able to make mid inning corrections with pitchers. They now seem to be pretty much on their own.

Crash said...

Mid I don't think Upton is going anywhere right now. It would be interesting if in the offseason the Rays decided to sign Crawford back and in order to make room let Upton go. It's a trade off between higher payroll and team chemistry.

Old Prof. Burnett is far from done as a Yankee. If Pavano can hang around for four years, they won't be getting rid of Burnett any time soon...mayb more appropriately they can't get rid of Burnett, owed too much money, on a long contract, and a limited no-trade.

57 the Mets are playing good ball, don't be so effin' dramatic. You're starting to sound like a Boston fan. A month ago the Sox season was already "done", then they make a nice surge and everyone is talking playoffs...now the season is over again because Bucholz is hurt, Beckett still isn't pitching well and both V-Mart and Pedrioa are heading to the DL.

The Mets need to add pitching depth, funny that's what everyone was saying in the offseason too (insert your own Omar joke here). If they land Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt, or Dan Haren(and it has to be one of those big name, front-of-the-rotation kind of guys, not someone like Brett Myers) they will make a good run at the NL East and/or wild card. If you look for the storm it's bound to rain, look for the sun and you will weather the storm.

Mid said...

Crash says: " . . they will make a good run at the NL East and/or wild card "

It's the NL EAST - anyone with legs can make a run in that division.

Crash said...

Well let's see the Yankees messed around with Joba's innings last year and bounced him from starter to pen and back again. And he's never been the same. The skip Hughes once to begin an effort to limit the innings and he gives up 7 runs in 6IP. Girardi and Cashman may have good intentions but they don't have an effin' clue on how to appropriately handle a young pitcher.

old professor said...

I have to agree about the Hughes decision. They can't play the Joba game.

By the way - The Rockies do not have a formal yearbook. Stopped in the team store and all they have is a media guide and a Rockies magazine

Crash said...

I know Cliff Lee and Felix Hernandez are good legit ace pitchers. But they have made the Yankees offense look ridiculous. Amazing how Hernandez had struggled mightily over his last 5 starts or so and all of sudden finds it against the Yankees. That was exactly what the Mariners were hoping for on a more consistent basis from those 2 guys to keep them in the playoff hunt, but there already 15 games back or so.

The only good thing is that the Yankees are still in first place right now despite back-to-back losses.

If anyone listens to the MLB network on XM...they were giving away an All-Star trip to LA includes airfare, hotel, and tickets to all the All-Star festivities...my friend from work just won that.

Old Prof hope you're enjoying Denver.

old professor said...

Vasquez seems to have found his control and confidence. Well pitched game for the Yankees. If he has truly rounded into form, the Yankees unquestionably have the best rotation in MLB.

They are now two up on the rays and 2.5 on the sox. Rays seem to have Red Sox number this season.

57 said...

Crash.. I TOLD you about the Mets... we lose Reyes to injury for a week and we're an average team. Pelfrey seems to have hit a wall and we're not getting good bullpen pitching lately. We have the Braves for three games going into the break. To me.. it is a make or break.

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