Monday, June 06, 2011

West Coast Done!

So the Yankees take care of business on the West Coast going 6-3. Considering that they really should not have lost either of the Mariners games it was pretty decent trip.

Now they start as 10 game home stand against the Sox, Indians, and Rangers. Nothing like coming back from a West Coast trip to face your biggest rival, and the division leaders in the Central and West. The Red Sox coming into the Bronx for a 3 game set with first place on the line will add a nice element to the rivalry. There's always a little more electricity in the air when 1st place can change hands. I think the pitching matchups favor the Yankees this series, with Thursday being CC vs. Beckett. Yankees have been playing pretty consistent ball, Red Sox had to forge a couple of come from behind wins against the A's and then avoided a meltdown from Papelbon. Yankees need to put some space between themselves and the Sox.

Teixeira is red hot now with 18 HR and 41 RBI...his .258 batting average is still the reason he doesn't get my AlStar vote, but if he creeps up to the .275 range I have no problem with him getting the start over a guy hitting .300 with half the power #'s. Granderson cooled down a little on the road trip, only hitting .243. Posada's base running mistake on that double is a microcosm of his entire season, just when you think he's done something good, he doesn't something ridiculous bad. That's a little league mistake that cost the Yankees a scoring opportunity. Bench him and don't let him see the light of day except as a PH in blow outs.

21 comments:

old professor said...

I think the road trip was a pretty good showing for the team. It may also reflect the west is not that strong of a division. (Boston also swept the A's as did the Yankees).

The real test for both of these teams will be this coming series. If the Yankees sweep great if Boston sweeps not so great ( I will avoid Maxwell's for awhile - unless the Yankees take care of business).

Posada's blunder on the bases could be excused because being on the base paths is something foreign to him. I will say he seems to have had better swings lately and has been making contact - maybe just maybe he is coming out of this funk. Now if he could just start hitting lefties.

It also appears the team is willing to stay with Nova until Hughes return to the lineup. Noesi has proven to be effective out of the pen as a swing guy so putting Nova in the pen would be a waste. Garcia and Colon are both more effective at this time than Nova so unless Hughes's return is greatly delayed or he is put in the pen, I would say Nova's days are numbered.

Crash said...

Hughes has been throwing a bit. Believe he has had some bullpen sessions and has been feeling good. Though he said that before he went on the DL too.

Nova has a great ability to find himself in self created jams. Especially immediately following the Yankees giving him a lead. It's like he loses focus or something. And then he gets frustrated pretty quickly. While I think he will be good, this is what happens with a young pitcher. You need to give him this season and maybe even some of next season before messing with him. Even though Hughes is feeling better he still is most likely a post All-Star break return.

Crash said...

There's a problem down on the farm. Report is catching prospect Gary Sanchez has been removed from Charleston (Low A) and sent to Tampa due to "attitude problems". He's off to a slow start, and refused to enter a game as a replacement and then refused to catch a pitcher in the bullpen. Always like to see that kind of promise from an 18 year old...if it's a problem now, it will be a problem in the future. I smell trade candidate.

Hughes is scheduled to throw to hitters tomorrow. Chavez is about ready to resume baseball activities.

Crash said...

Pick # 38 Tampa takes a SS the Yankees had been eyeing. A little salt in the wound,I think that was the comp pick from the Yankees.

Crash said...

Just a couple more picks before the Yankees get their first pick of the night. A ton of raw HS kids getting picked now.

Crash said...

And the Yankees select SS/3B Dante Bichette Jr. Hits for power, probable move to OF. He's committed to Georgia right now, but the panel says he wanted to go to NY so maybe he signs.

old professor said...

Sanchez was probably beginning to read too many articles pointing to him being the next great Yankee catcher. Or he may be taking lessons from Posada.

He will probably spend the next three years in the minors as punishment and become a 5 year minor league free agent.

I was surprised by the Yankees pick. If the kid is as good as written, then he may be the heir apparent at third base. Tough to judge a high school kid as being able to make it too the show. It would be interesting to chart how many high schoolers who were drafted over the last ten years actually have made it to the major leagues.

Crash said...

Depends on what you read...John Hart said Bichette doesn't project as a SS (so I guess that means he played SS at some point), they announced him at the draft as 3B (which I believe he currently plays), and the Yankees.com email I received said "Yankees sign OF Bichette".

Think I read somewhere that 3% of all players drafted make the Majors and less than 1/2% of high school drafted make the majors.

Now that being said off the the top of my head...Pettitte, Jeter, Posada, A-Rod, CC, AJ, and Hughes didn't go to college and were darfted...so I guess it can work out for a high school player. Keep in mind most of the Latin players don't go to college but they don't get drafted either, most are signed as amateur free agents. Mo and Cano did not go to college but they were signed as free agents, they were not drafted by the Yankees.

Crash said...

Yankees had a bunch of chances early to score and failed. Swisher grounding out with the bases loaded absolutely killed them. They should have tied that game up in the first inning and taken the lead the next inning.

Garcia sucked. The fact that Ellsbury put one out tells you how much of the plate he was catching. That's twice the Yankees have gotten to Lester and still ended up losing the game.

old professor said...

Garcia's performance is a clear indication that you cannot win at the major league level throwing an 82 mph fastball without being able to hit spots. I would expect very shortly, Hector Noesi to move into the rotation (to either replace Garcia or Nova) and when Hughes comes back in July he will replace the eithe Garcia or Nova.

Colon can still pitch in the rotation when you realize his fastball is 94-97 and moves.

It will also be a question as to which Red Sox goes down tonight as retailiation for Tex.

News flash - Posada goes 3-3 and gets two hits of a leftie.

Crash said...

I'm hitting A-Gon for Tex.

Cashman seems intent on obtaining a pitcher via trade. Market is thin, but with Carlos Zambrano opening his mouth again (not that I disagree with his comments), his obvious ties with Larry Rotheschild, and the Cubs already 12.5 games back of 1st place I would expect that he will be a possible target. As long as the Yankees don't have to give up a ton of prospects I'm all for it.

Crash said...

AJ got destroyed last night. Logan is ineffective again, think he walked 2 left handed hitters and gave up a hit to another last night. And just when you thought the Yankees had a chance Pendelton totally put it out of reach in the 9th.

Bottom line is Yankees put up 6 runs and they should win that game with a $16.5MM pitcher on the mound.

Granderson is in a slump now, he's just 2 for 24 over his last 6 games.

CC needs to salvage the series. So much for carrying momentum into this series from the west coast trip.

old professor said...

Some interesting aspects of last nights game. Joba goes on DL and Noesi was sent down (due to pitching so many innings the night before and being unavailable). Yankees bring back Senit and ready for this - Jeff Marquez- yep as I thought the Yankees picked him off of waivers from the White Sox and he is in their pen for use.

Also interesting Posada was unavailable last night as was Russell Martin - NO BACK UP CATCHER. Cervelli took one off of the cup and went down but was able to stay in the game.

Yankees are struggling and their bullpen is a mess right now. We may see more changes in the rotation soon. Joba will be gone for more than the fifteen days. No return in sight for Soriano.

As for a trade, remember the Yankees still have Carlos Silva down in extended Spring Training. He should be serviceable.

Crash said...

Totally forgot about Silva. He was in spring training with Cubs, not sure why he wouldn't be ready unless he had an injury. I know Prior has not been throwing because of a groin injury (at least it's not arm/elbow/shoulder related). Joba is gone for at least a month if not longer. That really hurts the bullpen he regained that '98 form. They're actually sending him for a second MRI, probably not a good sign. Soriano, bullpen is better off without him (that's really disappointing though)

A lot of good press coming out about Montero (.294 4 HR), Banuelos (2-0, 2.84 ERA in 50 IP, 11 GS), and Betances (3-1, 1.99 ERA in 45 IP 9 GS). I would think that Banuelos and Betances should move up to AAA before too long. Brackman is getting pounded at AAA.

old professor said...

Banuelos and Betances could be the real deal. I am not sold on Brackman. If Russell Martin's back continues to bark we may see Montero soon.

Nice human relations story regarding the Rangers and Astros. Rangers drafted a kid by the name of Cone from Georgia. He was involved in an outfield collision that left his teammate with a broken neck and paralized from the waist down. Rangers drafted the kid in the 33rd round. Astros followed a short time later by drafting California player who was injuried in a diving accident. These moves allowed both players to realize a life long dream of being drafted though neither may ever play baseball again.

old professor said...

Just another brief - Austin Romaine is out for at least seven days with a concussion.

If Martin is hurting, and the Yankees to not DL him it will mean that Posada will have to go behind the plate in an emergency situation. Not a good scenario because if he is dh ing, the team will have to bat the pitcher (bench depth now becomes an issue).

Crash said...

Tommy John surgery for Joba! This SUCKS!

old professor said...

Odd that Joba has to have Tommy John surgery. He was not feeling the usual pain and stiffness associated with the ligament tear. The second MRI shows a complete ligament tear. If he has surgery, he won't be back until next August.

Yankees get swept by Red Sox as CC gets rocked in the seventh inning.

Crash said...

I stayed up until the 5th inning. I thought the game was well in hand. I can't believe CC gave up 4 runs in the 7th (I know he was charged with 6 but that was Robertson). Yankees had a chance to blow that game open in the 3rd, with bases loaded and failed to score. If they score there that could have been the proverbial foot on the throat moment.

I cannot believe the Yankees were beaten down like that at home. There is a need for some changes. First it's clear that AJ is nothing more than a #4 starter. Freddy Garcia while he has filled in admirably, he may not be a long term solution. Swisher is nto hitting and has made some really bad plays in the OF lately. He misplays that ball in the 6th inning and allows Ortiz to score from first. That's normally a routine single that he played into a triple. And the bullpen is a mess with the top 2 guys not named Mo are done for a long time. Also consider that Marte and Feliciano are no where near ready to comeback. Boone Logan can't get anyone out, and according to Cashman none of the Killer B's are ready to make the leap to the big leagues. I would like to say to Cahsman at this point he can stick the "Joba Rules" where the sun don't shine. His rules were implemented to protect the young arms. Joba out for probably 2 seasons, and Hughes can't throw because of a dead arm. Great rules. Let the kids pitch!!!

Now that the rant is done, I really don't see anything on the trade market. Maybe the Yankees could get a guy like Heath Bell for the pen or Zambrano for the rotation, but nothing else is even close to the quality the Yankees need or want.

They're good enough to make the playoffs and maybe the ALCS again, but right now not the World Series.

old professor said...

Regarding last nights game:Swisher, Tex, A-rod,and Cervelli went a combined 0-12. You cannot expect the team to score runs when your number 3 and 4 hitter are a combined 0-6.

This team has been very inconsistent offensively and is not playing up to its potential. Some serious questions need to be asked: (1) are the Yankees actually better off with Martin behind the plate versus Posada? Martin is now hitting in the mid 240s (2) Is it time to bring Montero up and dump Cervelli? Prior to last nights game, Cervelli has a total of 7 hits. (3)Who will be in the pen this week? It looks as if the Yankees will finally bring Kevin Whelen up - he has been the closer at SWB and has done very well. (4) How do you fix the rotation? If Cashman is good to his word, the Betances and Banuelos are not coming up this year because "they are not ready yet".

This team as structured will not win the east and as of today are not the leader in wild card.

Crash said...

Actually, as of today they are the leader in the wild card...they lead Detroit by .002 percentage points.

Who would have thunk this though...as of now Baltimore is 4 GB in the wild card and ahead of Chicago, LA, KC, Oakland, and Minnesota. Ahead of KC might have been expected but LA, Chicago, and Minn, those were playoff picks by some. And if Baltimore was in the NL, they would be ahead of the Mets, LA, SD, Chicago, Houston and the Nats.

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