I was planning on responding to a comment on my previous post, but decided to just write another post because the answer was simply too long and I haven't really previewed the upcoming Yankee season as a whole.
The Rotation
We'll start with the rotation and off the bat I think we can all agree that it's not good, but this is far from the worst rotation they have trotted out there in the past five years... Anyone recall 2008? That's the year that Darrell Rasner, Sidney Ponson and Carl Pavano started a combined 42 games while posting an ERA of 5.61. That Yankee team still won 89 games and I would say this team has a better rotation and a better defense. That will help cover some of the pitching deficiencies, something the '08 team and no ability to do.
The Yankees still have a bona fide ace in CC Sabathia. The big lefty is unlikely to slow down right now, especially when he has an opt-out for the end of the season which could earn another $60 million. A.J. Burnett will again fellow Sabathia. Now that is a big question mark. It's hard to speak with optimism about Burnett's upcoming season, but Burnett debuted new mechanics this spring and the results showed. He didn't walk a batter and struck out 11 in 13 innings. Yea those numbers don't really mean anything, but it's better than him blowing up. He could be better this year and it's unlikely he'll be worse.
Beyond Burnett there are even more question marks with Phil Hughes and Ivan Nova. Both are young pitchers with potential to be solid or, in Phil Hughes's case, better than average. Of course both could also regress and be league average or worse. Hughes is more likely to take a step forward than Nova who might not be long for the rotation if he doesn't start well.
Now we come to the fifth starter. There isn't much to say about these guys. All three are retreads and would be better suited in a 2003 old-timers game. Still New York will be able to get about 100 league average innings out of Bartolo Colon, Freddy Garcia and Kevin Millwood. They won't be good or pretty, but the job will get done.
The rotation isn't a finished product either. The Yankees have the monetary ability (obviously) and prospects to acquire a top end pitcher before July 31st. I think its safe to say that these five starters will not be the same five starters who pitch in September.
The Lineup
Here is the Yankee bread and butter. The lineup is as good as it has been for the past ten years. They will score runs and lots of them. They will be in the top three for runs scored and will also be at the top of the leader board for OBP too. This is probably as close to a complete lineup you can create in a non-video game world. Every bat can hurt you in some shape or form. The toughest choice for Joe Girardi will be whether or not to have Brett Gardner lead off or Derek Jeter. Other than that this offense can just be set on cruise control for most of the season and you can sit back and enjoy the ride.
The Bullpen
On paper this is by far the best bullpen New York has put together in years. This will help to cover some of the rotation blemishes that the Yankees will have early on.
Mariano Rivera is Mariano Rivera and backing him up with Rafael Soriano is filthy if Soriano can stay healthy. Beyond that Joba Chamberlain looked good this spring and if he keeps up the pace he set in the second half of last year, the Yankees won't loss many games when they have the lead beyond the sixth inning.
The back end is just the beginning of the depth that Cashman has assembled in the pen. Dave Robertson will return to the middle innings where his 10.4 K/9 will be very useful. Boone Logan will be fine for use against lefties, and if Pedro Feliciano heals up, Girardi will have two quality lefties to deploy in the late innings.
Bartolo Colon will be fine as a long reliever, although his past injury troubles don't seem to bode well for the physical demands placed on relievers who's use is as sporadic as a long reliever's.
Prediction
It's fun to hate on the Yankees and this off-season made it easy when two players rejected the Yankees money for the preferences of their families. Many will be looking for New York to falter and slip beyond a Red Sox team that improved over the winter.
While the Sox have plenty of weapons on offense, I don't trust their bullpen at all and I think everyone is overlooking Boston's rotation question marks. The neutral baseball analyst in me would choose the Red Sox to win the division, just slipping by New York for the best record in baseball. But the homer in me will choose the Yankees. I have faith in Cashman to add another pitcher and I think the Yankee lineup is still better than Boston's and the Yankee bullpen has a solid advantage. The slight advantage that the Sox have in the rotation won't be enough to edge the Yankees over a full season.
Showing posts with label A.J. Burnett. Show all posts
Showing posts with label A.J. Burnett. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Hughes Makes First Start; Pitching Rumors Abound
Phil Hughes made his first start of the spring this afternoon and was solid through two innings of work. The young righty walked one, but thanks to a double play, faced the minimum six batters. The talk of the day seemed to be the lack of his use of the change up during his short stint, as he threw only three to the six batters he faced.
Hughes needs to get his change working this year. The cutter is a devastating pitch and his fastball can be sneaky good. Still, he needs another off-speed pitch besides his curve to keep hitters honest. If that fourth pitch can be developed into something at least average then 18 wins will be just the beginning for him.
There were two other pitchers in the news today that could effect the Yankees rotation of the future. Speculation has run rampant since New York lost out on Cliff Lee that the Yanks would make a play for the Cardinals Chris Carpenter. The odds of that happening took a couple of hits, first when Albert Pujols failed to sign an extension, and then when Adam Wainwright went down for the year. Now Carpenter is out with a strained hamstring. Though it may not be really severe, Carpenter's health has never really been more than a house of cards. Any little breeze will threaten to send him to the DL. It will definitely be something the Yankees will have to monitor.
Rumors have also spread that the Yankees are pursuing the Twins Fransisco Liriano. It has also been said that the Yankees would only need to offer a package headlined by either Ivan Nova or Joba Chamberlain. I'd have to believe Brian Cashman wouldn't hesitate to send either if not both of those players if that is what Minnesota GM Bill Smith requested. Sadly though Yankee fans dreams of Liriano in pinstripes will have to wait. Buster Olney reported earlier today that the Twins aren't thinking of moving Liriano... yet.
As always, the Yankees will show patience and let the market develop. Tomorrow's starter may have a big impact on that discussion. If A.J. Burnett can bounce back to his 2008 form, or at least his 2009 form, then the Yankees may not be desperate for pitching help come July 31st. That doesn't mean the wont be looking to improve, but a solid Burnett could keep teams from trying to play on Yankee desperation to raise their prices.
Hughes needs to get his change working this year. The cutter is a devastating pitch and his fastball can be sneaky good. Still, he needs another off-speed pitch besides his curve to keep hitters honest. If that fourth pitch can be developed into something at least average then 18 wins will be just the beginning for him.
There were two other pitchers in the news today that could effect the Yankees rotation of the future. Speculation has run rampant since New York lost out on Cliff Lee that the Yanks would make a play for the Cardinals Chris Carpenter. The odds of that happening took a couple of hits, first when Albert Pujols failed to sign an extension, and then when Adam Wainwright went down for the year. Now Carpenter is out with a strained hamstring. Though it may not be really severe, Carpenter's health has never really been more than a house of cards. Any little breeze will threaten to send him to the DL. It will definitely be something the Yankees will have to monitor.
Rumors have also spread that the Yankees are pursuing the Twins Fransisco Liriano. It has also been said that the Yankees would only need to offer a package headlined by either Ivan Nova or Joba Chamberlain. I'd have to believe Brian Cashman wouldn't hesitate to send either if not both of those players if that is what Minnesota GM Bill Smith requested. Sadly though Yankee fans dreams of Liriano in pinstripes will have to wait. Buster Olney reported earlier today that the Twins aren't thinking of moving Liriano... yet.
As always, the Yankees will show patience and let the market develop. Tomorrow's starter may have a big impact on that discussion. If A.J. Burnett can bounce back to his 2008 form, or at least his 2009 form, then the Yankees may not be desperate for pitching help come July 31st. That doesn't mean the wont be looking to improve, but a solid Burnett could keep teams from trying to play on Yankee desperation to raise their prices.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Rotation Struggling As Burnett Gets Rocked
Start the doomsday whistles in the Bronx, A.J. Burnett go roughed up yet again as the Yanks fell to the White Sox 9-4. I'm sure many will start to freak out a little bit, especially considering how the Red Sox beat the Rays in Tampa and are now within five games in the loss column to both New York and Tampa.
Really though, this is A.J. Burnett and I'm pretty sure the Yankees knew that when they signed him. Hell, I'm sure every Yankee fan knew it when they signed him. He is incredible streaky and is inherently unreliable at the top of a rotation. But I think that Brian Cashman understood that and knew CC Sabathia and Andy Pettitte as that reliable horses who would make sure the Yankees got through the regular season and he knew that A.J. could be a dominant playoff force if the timing was right.
Last year that happened and the Yankees won a World Series title. That same scenerio could be playing out again. The only difference is that this season the Rays are markedly improved and are hanging with the Yanks, and Pettitte is still serving time on the disabled list.
August is the second month this season when Burnett has failed to win a game. I think that is what has weighed on the Yankees. Also Burnett has not had a signature game or hot streak to bouy the doubts of fans and management like he did last year.
The problem is that the Yankees have already used their one insurance policy in Triple-A when they called up Ivan Nova to replace Javier Vazquez. They had a back-up for the back-up plan with Zach McAllister, but he pitched his way out of that role and then into a trade as a player-to-be-named-later deal for Austin Kearns. Nova will likely stay in teh rotation for a couple of turns, but the Yankees need to get Pettitte back and get Hughes back on track for the stretch run.
Even Nova is unreliable. Not that he couldn't provide the Yanks with a spark, but he is approaching an innings limit similar to Hughes and just like Hughes he is young and you just don't know whether or not he will be solid on a start by start basis.
Right now only Sabathia and sometimes Dustin Moseley (with a lot of luck) have provided the Yankees with anything resembling stability in the rotation. That's a scary thought when you say it aloud. And it means certain doom if the Yanks can't get Pettitte healthy and Burnett back on track before the playoffs.
Really though, this is A.J. Burnett and I'm pretty sure the Yankees knew that when they signed him. Hell, I'm sure every Yankee fan knew it when they signed him. He is incredible streaky and is inherently unreliable at the top of a rotation. But I think that Brian Cashman understood that and knew CC Sabathia and Andy Pettitte as that reliable horses who would make sure the Yankees got through the regular season and he knew that A.J. could be a dominant playoff force if the timing was right.
Last year that happened and the Yankees won a World Series title. That same scenerio could be playing out again. The only difference is that this season the Rays are markedly improved and are hanging with the Yanks, and Pettitte is still serving time on the disabled list.
August is the second month this season when Burnett has failed to win a game. I think that is what has weighed on the Yankees. Also Burnett has not had a signature game or hot streak to bouy the doubts of fans and management like he did last year.
The problem is that the Yankees have already used their one insurance policy in Triple-A when they called up Ivan Nova to replace Javier Vazquez. They had a back-up for the back-up plan with Zach McAllister, but he pitched his way out of that role and then into a trade as a player-to-be-named-later deal for Austin Kearns. Nova will likely stay in teh rotation for a couple of turns, but the Yankees need to get Pettitte back and get Hughes back on track for the stretch run.
Even Nova is unreliable. Not that he couldn't provide the Yanks with a spark, but he is approaching an innings limit similar to Hughes and just like Hughes he is young and you just don't know whether or not he will be solid on a start by start basis.
Right now only Sabathia and sometimes Dustin Moseley (with a lot of luck) have provided the Yankees with anything resembling stability in the rotation. That's a scary thought when you say it aloud. And it means certain doom if the Yanks can't get Pettitte healthy and Burnett back on track before the playoffs.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Yankees Take Two From Rays
You couldn't really ask for a better start to the year for the Yankees. Any team in baseball would love to start the year by taking four of six from their top two division rivals. New York did that by smacking around the Rays for the second consecutive game and taking the rubber match 7-3.
A.J. Burnett showed improvement over his first start of the year against the Red Sox by being very efficient with his pitches, getting nine ground ball outs and pitching seven strong innings. Burnett didn't have his best stuff considering he only managed one strike out, but it was more than enough for the bats as they forced James Shield from the game in the sixth.
Of course the biggest pitching performance came from CC Sabathia who took a no-hitter into the eighth inning before giving up a single to Kelly Shoppach. Now, my initial reaction to the hit was, "seriously Kelly Shoppach just broke this up?" My second reaction was, "thank God Kelly Shoppach just broke this up". Sabathia was dominant from the start, but the big lefty worked his pitch count up pretty high and by the time the eighth inning rolled around Sabathia was already north of 100 pitches and if he was going to finish off his gem he probably would have needed almost 130 pitches.
That is not where you want your ace to be in his second start of the year. Joe Girardi claimed that Shoppach would have been the end of the line for Sabathia no matter the outcome of that at bat. Obviously it is easy for Girardi to say that now, but in reality it would have been exactly the right move. If this was June then maybe you let Sabathia go, but not in April.
Aside from the stellar pitching the Yankees also got some big performances from the bats. The most important line from the weekend set was Mark Teixeira's 3 for 4 on Saturday. It wasn't an amazing line, but it will be a lot easier to look at Teixeira's triple slash now that the first number is no longer .000.
And while Jorge Posada had the biggest hit of Sunday's affair with his two-run jack off of Randy Choate to give the Yankees the lead in the sixth, Curtis Granderson is the one who has been the most impressive with the bat. His .348/.423/.652 line is pretty darn good and it is nice to see him get off to a hot start and avoid any tabloid headlines. Granderson has made some solid defensive plays and his three stolen bases are something that I think people might forget about. Somehow Granderson has never stolen 30 bases in a season, but it could happen this year with the way Girardi likes to run the bases. Hell 30/30 might be a reality too.
Those are just some summer dreams though. For now we are still stuck in April with another off day. Today will be even more difficult to get through knowing that those shiny rings are just aching to come out and get some sun tomorrow afternoon.
A.J. Burnett showed improvement over his first start of the year against the Red Sox by being very efficient with his pitches, getting nine ground ball outs and pitching seven strong innings. Burnett didn't have his best stuff considering he only managed one strike out, but it was more than enough for the bats as they forced James Shield from the game in the sixth.
Of course the biggest pitching performance came from CC Sabathia who took a no-hitter into the eighth inning before giving up a single to Kelly Shoppach. Now, my initial reaction to the hit was, "seriously Kelly Shoppach just broke this up?" My second reaction was, "thank God Kelly Shoppach just broke this up". Sabathia was dominant from the start, but the big lefty worked his pitch count up pretty high and by the time the eighth inning rolled around Sabathia was already north of 100 pitches and if he was going to finish off his gem he probably would have needed almost 130 pitches.
That is not where you want your ace to be in his second start of the year. Joe Girardi claimed that Shoppach would have been the end of the line for Sabathia no matter the outcome of that at bat. Obviously it is easy for Girardi to say that now, but in reality it would have been exactly the right move. If this was June then maybe you let Sabathia go, but not in April.
Aside from the stellar pitching the Yankees also got some big performances from the bats. The most important line from the weekend set was Mark Teixeira's 3 for 4 on Saturday. It wasn't an amazing line, but it will be a lot easier to look at Teixeira's triple slash now that the first number is no longer .000.
And while Jorge Posada had the biggest hit of Sunday's affair with his two-run jack off of Randy Choate to give the Yankees the lead in the sixth, Curtis Granderson is the one who has been the most impressive with the bat. His .348/.423/.652 line is pretty darn good and it is nice to see him get off to a hot start and avoid any tabloid headlines. Granderson has made some solid defensive plays and his three stolen bases are something that I think people might forget about. Somehow Granderson has never stolen 30 bases in a season, but it could happen this year with the way Girardi likes to run the bases. Hell 30/30 might be a reality too.
Those are just some summer dreams though. For now we are still stuck in April with another off day. Today will be even more difficult to get through knowing that those shiny rings are just aching to come out and get some sun tomorrow afternoon.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Game 2 Recap
Sure its obnoxious, but hey so are Yankee fans and we love it.
Last night the shaky Yankee bullpen managed to get the ball to the only reliable arm the Yankees have for the end of a game; Mariano Rivera. A two run lead tends to be a sure thing for Rivera and despite allowing a double to his nemesis Marco Scutaro, the Sandman locked down the first victory of the year for New York. Its good to get the first win and the first victory of the season series out of the way so we can avoid the panic of sweep like last season.
A.J. Burnett and Jon Lester started the game and each was less than what they will be during the season. Burnett consistently missed his target, but managed to fight his way through five innings. Lester was much the same as he walked three through five. However, the Yankee bullpen was called on to keep the game tied and this time it held. Alfredo Aceves picked up where he left off with two solid innings of relief, and Dave Robertson, Damaso Marte and Joba Chamberlain were able to piece together one more scoreless inning to get the ball to Mo.
For the past three or four seasons analysts have tried to prophesies the demise of Rivera. "He can't do it forever," they say. Seriously though Rivera is 40 and when you look at Trevor Hoffman who has continued to dominate into his 40s, what would stop Rivera? Mo was sitting at 92 mph last night and that has been the story for about the past two or three years. He doesn't need the velocity though as his true dominance comes more from his impeccable command, a skill that ages well.
Back to the game though. The Sox defense let them down again during the eighth inning. The normally reliable Marco Scutaro threw low to Kevin Youkilis on a routine grounder allowing the inning to continue. Then Nick Johnson did what he does best and drew a walk on a 3-1 pitch to force in the lead run. Cano would add his first homer of the season in the ninth off of Scott Atchison to provide an insurance run for Mo who sealed the deal.
Tomorrow the two team meet for the last time until May 7. Somehow those games are also in Boston, which seems incredibly dumb. The rivalry will not return to the Bronx until a two-game a week and a half later. Anyway the starters for tomorrow are Andy Pettitte vs. new Red Sox John Lackey. I wonder how upset Lackey is about how his last start against the Yankees ended? I guess we'll find out soon enough.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
State of the Rotation: Burnett vs. Beckett
In the continuation of my series of Red Sox starters vs. Yankee starters, we will look at two right-handers who match in the rotation and in their history. Both A.J. Burnett and Josh Beckett came up through the Florida Marlins system and during their time in Florida they both had success and injuries. Burnett's injuries came from a problematic elbow that recquired surgery in 2003, while Beckett tended to have less serious hand and other injuries that consistently prevented him from pitching a full season or to his potential.
Both right-handers departed the marlins after the 2005 season. Burnett as a free agent to the Blue Jays and Beckett in a historic trade to the Red Sox. Over the course of their first three seasons in the AL East both pitchers had remarkably similar numbers.
Last season was the first year the two former teammates viewed each other across the great divide that is the Yankee/Red Sox rivalry.
For Burnett the year was not that far off of his career numbers. Though his ERA was slightly higher that normal, his walks and his strikeouts were right around where they normally sit. It is also important to note that the righty managed to stay healthy for the whole of 2009, a feat for Burnett no doubt, considering that he had never pitched 200 innings in back-to-back seasons or in a none contract season. The another thing lacking on Burnett's resume was a postseason performance of note.
Since he blew out his elbow in 2003, Burnett missed his one opportunity to distinguish himself in the postseason until 2009. Remarkably enough Burnett put together impressive performances in three of his five playoff starts, including seven innings of one-run ball in a must win game two of the World Series.
Beckett on the other hand merely did what he has been doing almost every season he has been in red. That, of course, is 30-plus starts and 200-plus innings pitched. His 2009 season was a good bounce back from his 2008 season. Beckett seemed to push through his back problems in 2009 and pitch to his capability to gain back some reputation points he lost after his substandard 2008 season and his poor performance in that year's playoff run.
Beckett's K/9 and H/9 were right in line with what he has been giving Boston in his three previous years with the team, although he pitched poorly in the playoffs again as the Red Sox were swept away by the Angels. Still, Beckett is someone the Red Sox won't hesistate giving the ball to in a big game.
Not much changed between the two pitchers from last season to now, though if any pitcher took a hit in terms of quality of his performance, it would have to be Burnett. While he did come through in some big games, he still had bouts of terrible wildness and uncharacteristic hitability.
Burnett would have really had to step up for my vote to swing his way, but if anything he pushed me further into Beckett's camp. Beckett is just way too reliable to choose someone as inconsistent as Burnett over him. The second match up goes to the Red Sox and we're tied at one.
Both right-handers departed the marlins after the 2005 season. Burnett as a free agent to the Blue Jays and Beckett in a historic trade to the Red Sox. Over the course of their first three seasons in the AL East both pitchers had remarkably similar numbers.
Last season was the first year the two former teammates viewed each other across the great divide that is the Yankee/Red Sox rivalry.
For Burnett the year was not that far off of his career numbers. Though his ERA was slightly higher that normal, his walks and his strikeouts were right around where they normally sit. It is also important to note that the righty managed to stay healthy for the whole of 2009, a feat for Burnett no doubt, considering that he had never pitched 200 innings in back-to-back seasons or in a none contract season. The another thing lacking on Burnett's resume was a postseason performance of note.
Since he blew out his elbow in 2003, Burnett missed his one opportunity to distinguish himself in the postseason until 2009. Remarkably enough Burnett put together impressive performances in three of his five playoff starts, including seven innings of one-run ball in a must win game two of the World Series.
Beckett on the other hand merely did what he has been doing almost every season he has been in red. That, of course, is 30-plus starts and 200-plus innings pitched. His 2009 season was a good bounce back from his 2008 season. Beckett seemed to push through his back problems in 2009 and pitch to his capability to gain back some reputation points he lost after his substandard 2008 season and his poor performance in that year's playoff run.
Beckett's K/9 and H/9 were right in line with what he has been giving Boston in his three previous years with the team, although he pitched poorly in the playoffs again as the Red Sox were swept away by the Angels. Still, Beckett is someone the Red Sox won't hesistate giving the ball to in a big game.
Not much changed between the two pitchers from last season to now, though if any pitcher took a hit in terms of quality of his performance, it would have to be Burnett. While he did come through in some big games, he still had bouts of terrible wildness and uncharacteristic hitability.
Burnett would have really had to step up for my vote to swing his way, but if anything he pushed me further into Beckett's camp. Beckett is just way too reliable to choose someone as inconsistent as Burnett over him. The second match up goes to the Red Sox and we're tied at one.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
World Series Goes to Yanks; Matsui MVP
Well it took longer than you would expect from a team spending $200 million every season, but the Yankees finally got back to the promised land, defeating the defending champion Phillies in six games for title number 27.
It wasn't quite the exciting seven game nail biting World Series that people were hoping for. I'm sure some wanted that seventh game and I'm sure they would have preferred that the Yankees have to work a little harder to put the Phillies away in Game 6, but that's just how it goes.
The Yankees were the superior team on paper compared to the Phillies. Sure the Phillies could go blow for blow with the Yankees in terms of bats, but the Phillies had no where near the pitching depth the Yankees did. Cliff Lee could match or beat anything the Yankees threw out, but after that they didn't have much. Perhaps in a different season when Cole Hamels is in a groove they may have fought harder, but they literally had no answer in the rotation or the bullpen for the Yankee bats.
The Yankees on the other hand had multiple starters who matched up well against the Phillies. CC Sabathia and Andy Pettitte were the left-handers who could hold down the Phillies lefty-heavy lineup (except for Chase Utley) and the enigma that is A.J. Burnett showed that he can shine for at least one big game when the Yankees needed him most. Beyond the starters the Yankees always had Mariano Rivera waiting to close out ball games and despite their early postseason ineffectiveness, the bullpen was better in the World Series.
Joba Chamberlain, Damaso Marte, Dave Robertson and Alfredo Aceves combined to pitch 10 innings and only allow one run. Marte, in particular, was huge for the Yankees. After he disappeared for most of the season due to injury he came back with a vengence in the playoffs to neutralize Utley and Ryan Howard late in ball games.
With that in came down to pitching and in Game 6 the Yankees showed why it wasn't a good idea to start Pedro Martinez in Yankee Stadium. Well, actually Hideki Matsui showed why it wasn't a good idea to throw Pedro in Yankee Stadium. The lefty pounded Martinez, hitting yet another home run and then a bases loaded RBI single. He would add another two-run hit when he doubled off of J.A. Happ to finish the scoring for the Yankees.
Matsui's massive Game 6 performance grabbed him MVP honors and if it is his final game with the Yankees then it belongs in the Yankees Classics archives. Matsui has been huge in his career for the Yankees and in particular the postseason.
It seems the off season will cost the Yankees either Johnny Damon or Hideki Matsui and in all likelihood the Yankees will choose the player who can still run and play some defense. That would leave Matsui on the outside looking in.
Speaking of Damon, I'm sure everyone knows that he won the 2004 World Series with the Red Sox, but can you name the player on that 2004 team who was last player to win a title with the Red Sox and the Yankees? Dan can't answer since he knows already. Bonus question: There is one other player on the Yankee roster this season who also has the distinction of playing on both a Red Sox and Yankee world championship team. Let's see who can name him.
Enough trivia. It has taken 15 games over an excurciating 29 days, but the World Series has finally come and gone and for the first time in nine years the Yankees have walked away with a championship. It's sweet to have that feeling again.
It wasn't quite the exciting seven game nail biting World Series that people were hoping for. I'm sure some wanted that seventh game and I'm sure they would have preferred that the Yankees have to work a little harder to put the Phillies away in Game 6, but that's just how it goes.
The Yankees were the superior team on paper compared to the Phillies. Sure the Phillies could go blow for blow with the Yankees in terms of bats, but the Phillies had no where near the pitching depth the Yankees did. Cliff Lee could match or beat anything the Yankees threw out, but after that they didn't have much. Perhaps in a different season when Cole Hamels is in a groove they may have fought harder, but they literally had no answer in the rotation or the bullpen for the Yankee bats.
The Yankees on the other hand had multiple starters who matched up well against the Phillies. CC Sabathia and Andy Pettitte were the left-handers who could hold down the Phillies lefty-heavy lineup (except for Chase Utley) and the enigma that is A.J. Burnett showed that he can shine for at least one big game when the Yankees needed him most. Beyond the starters the Yankees always had Mariano Rivera waiting to close out ball games and despite their early postseason ineffectiveness, the bullpen was better in the World Series.Joba Chamberlain, Damaso Marte, Dave Robertson and Alfredo Aceves combined to pitch 10 innings and only allow one run. Marte, in particular, was huge for the Yankees. After he disappeared for most of the season due to injury he came back with a vengence in the playoffs to neutralize Utley and Ryan Howard late in ball games.
With that in came down to pitching and in Game 6 the Yankees showed why it wasn't a good idea to start Pedro Martinez in Yankee Stadium. Well, actually Hideki Matsui showed why it wasn't a good idea to throw Pedro in Yankee Stadium. The lefty pounded Martinez, hitting yet another home run and then a bases loaded RBI single. He would add another two-run hit when he doubled off of J.A. Happ to finish the scoring for the Yankees.
Matsui's massive Game 6 performance grabbed him MVP honors and if it is his final game with the Yankees then it belongs in the Yankees Classics archives. Matsui has been huge in his career for the Yankees and in particular the postseason.
It seems the off season will cost the Yankees either Johnny Damon or Hideki Matsui and in all likelihood the Yankees will choose the player who can still run and play some defense. That would leave Matsui on the outside looking in.
Speaking of Damon, I'm sure everyone knows that he won the 2004 World Series with the Red Sox, but can you name the player on that 2004 team who was last player to win a title with the Red Sox and the Yankees? Dan can't answer since he knows already. Bonus question: There is one other player on the Yankee roster this season who also has the distinction of playing on both a Red Sox and Yankee world championship team. Let's see who can name him.
Enough trivia. It has taken 15 games over an excurciating 29 days, but the World Series has finally come and gone and for the first time in nine years the Yankees have walked away with a championship. It's sweet to have that feeling again.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Burnett Slips Against Phils
Everything was lining up to allow A.J. Burnett to become a World Series hero for the Yankees. He had already saved the Yankees from an 0-2 hole after Cliff Lee embarrassed them at Yankee Stadium and now he was on the bump with a chance to give the Yankees their first title in nine seasons.
Then he actually took the mound and started to pitch and things just fell apart. Burnett couldn't record an out in the third inning and the Yankees were down 6-1 after three innings. The bats battled back, but a standard Derek Jeter double play ended a possible ninth inning relay and now the series turns back to New York.
Prior to Game 5 there was much debate about throwing Burnett in three days rest. A lot of opinions were of the fact that throwing anybody against Cliff Lee was suicide because of his new god-like status. Some advocated the idea of throwing the game away by pitching Chad Gaudin and conceding a World Series game. The argument was that you could then have Burnett on full rest to go for the kill on Wednesday at the stadium and that the Yankees had no chance of winning Game 5. Luckily Joe Girardi is smarter than that.
The reality is Burnett could have very well blown up in Game 6 anyway. Then where would the Yankees be? The Yankees had to drop the hammer on the Phils and while the Phillies won a game at home the Yankees are still going home with a 3-2 lead in the series with two lefties going against a lineup that struggles against left-handers. Much like in the ALCS, if the Yankees had lost Game 4 and won Game 5 there would be no worries. Instead it is the other way around and people are looking for a reason to panic to create interest on an off day.
But who wouldn't be happy with the Yankees situation? And really, what pitchers are the Phillies throwing that the Yankees should be worried about? Pedro Martinez, a pitcher who is hasn't thrown with fewer than 13 days rest in a month and a half and Cole Hamels who can't make it out of the fifth.
The Yankees are still in a good spot going into Game 6 tomorrow and even still, in Game 7 if necessary.
Then he actually took the mound and started to pitch and things just fell apart. Burnett couldn't record an out in the third inning and the Yankees were down 6-1 after three innings. The bats battled back, but a standard Derek Jeter double play ended a possible ninth inning relay and now the series turns back to New York.
Prior to Game 5 there was much debate about throwing Burnett in three days rest. A lot of opinions were of the fact that throwing anybody against Cliff Lee was suicide because of his new god-like status. Some advocated the idea of throwing the game away by pitching Chad Gaudin and conceding a World Series game. The argument was that you could then have Burnett on full rest to go for the kill on Wednesday at the stadium and that the Yankees had no chance of winning Game 5. Luckily Joe Girardi is smarter than that.
The reality is Burnett could have very well blown up in Game 6 anyway. Then where would the Yankees be? The Yankees had to drop the hammer on the Phils and while the Phillies won a game at home the Yankees are still going home with a 3-2 lead in the series with two lefties going against a lineup that struggles against left-handers. Much like in the ALCS, if the Yankees had lost Game 4 and won Game 5 there would be no worries. Instead it is the other way around and people are looking for a reason to panic to create interest on an off day.
But who wouldn't be happy with the Yankees situation? And really, what pitchers are the Phillies throwing that the Yankees should be worried about? Pedro Martinez, a pitcher who is hasn't thrown with fewer than 13 days rest in a month and a half and Cole Hamels who can't make it out of the fifth.
The Yankees are still in a good spot going into Game 6 tomorrow and even still, in Game 7 if necessary.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Burnett, Yanks Pull Even with Phils
It took A.J. Burnett 11 seasons to finally play in the postseason. It took four starts to finally win his first postseason game, but it was the biggest win of his career. Starring at an 0-2 hole and the disgrace of losing to Pedro Martinez, A.J. manned up like some knew he could and others thought he never would.
Burnett has endured a lot of scrutiny this postseason. More so than normal because of his preferred use of Jose Molina as a catcher as opposed to Yankee stalwart Jorge Posada. Until last night it looked as though Burnett's preference was in no way aiding his performance and of course now it looks genius.
Burnett threw seven innings of four hit baseball, striking out nine and only allowing one run. It could be argued that the run should not have even scored. Alex Rodriguez could easily have snagged that ball and thrown out the sluggish Matt Stairs.
Burnett lacked his usual wildness. He pounded the zone, throwing first pitch strikes to 22 of the 26 batters he faced. It is unlikely that any other pitcher matches Cliff Lee's Game 1 performance, but Burnett's crisp seven inning's will be tough for another pitcher to match with these two teams' lineups.
Aside from Burnett there is little to be said about another Yankee that is good. Sure Mark Teixeira hit a big home run and so did Hideki Matsui. It is nice that Jorge Posada came through with a clutch single off of Chan Ho Park, but really they were facing an old and decrepit Pedro Martinez. The guy didn't have much and it showed. He was constantly in the middle of the plate and the Yankees refused to make him pay for it. And don't even get me started on Derek Jeter bunting with two strikes. Can someone inform him that he has 2,747 career hits and that his career postseason batting average is .311? Just swing the bat already.
And because it didn't amount to anything I wont bother talking about the umpiring mistakes in this game. The umpiring has been ok in the series but slipped a bit last night.
So now we have a proper off-day as the teams hit the highway and head to Philly. This is where the Yankees can get back into the series. Cole Hamels has been inconsistent all year and just plan bad in the postseason. Pettitte has been reliable so the match up probably favors the Yankees.
Oh and Alex Rodriguez has been just awful so far in the series. 0-8 with six strikeouts is pretty dreadful. It looks like he has lost his swing a bit. Rodriguez can be forgiven for his Game 1 performance, but tonight against Pedro he was missing pitches right over the plate and was waving at cheap breaking balls away. That could be bad newsz for the Yankees. Without A-Rod as a force in the middle of that lineup they don't win the ALCS and they need someone to step up for him or he needs to get his groove back or things could get ugly.
Burnett has endured a lot of scrutiny this postseason. More so than normal because of his preferred use of Jose Molina as a catcher as opposed to Yankee stalwart Jorge Posada. Until last night it looked as though Burnett's preference was in no way aiding his performance and of course now it looks genius.
Burnett threw seven innings of four hit baseball, striking out nine and only allowing one run. It could be argued that the run should not have even scored. Alex Rodriguez could easily have snagged that ball and thrown out the sluggish Matt Stairs.
Burnett lacked his usual wildness. He pounded the zone, throwing first pitch strikes to 22 of the 26 batters he faced. It is unlikely that any other pitcher matches Cliff Lee's Game 1 performance, but Burnett's crisp seven inning's will be tough for another pitcher to match with these two teams' lineups.
Aside from Burnett there is little to be said about another Yankee that is good. Sure Mark Teixeira hit a big home run and so did Hideki Matsui. It is nice that Jorge Posada came through with a clutch single off of Chan Ho Park, but really they were facing an old and decrepit Pedro Martinez. The guy didn't have much and it showed. He was constantly in the middle of the plate and the Yankees refused to make him pay for it. And don't even get me started on Derek Jeter bunting with two strikes. Can someone inform him that he has 2,747 career hits and that his career postseason batting average is .311? Just swing the bat already.
And because it didn't amount to anything I wont bother talking about the umpiring mistakes in this game. The umpiring has been ok in the series but slipped a bit last night.
So now we have a proper off-day as the teams hit the highway and head to Philly. This is where the Yankees can get back into the series. Cole Hamels has been inconsistent all year and just plan bad in the postseason. Pettitte has been reliable so the match up probably favors the Yankees.
Oh and Alex Rodriguez has been just awful so far in the series. 0-8 with six strikeouts is pretty dreadful. It looks like he has lost his swing a bit. Rodriguez can be forgiven for his Game 1 performance, but tonight against Pedro he was missing pitches right over the plate and was waving at cheap breaking balls away. That could be bad newsz for the Yankees. Without A-Rod as a force in the middle of that lineup they don't win the ALCS and they need someone to step up for him or he needs to get his groove back or things could get ugly.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Lee and Utley Dominate Yanks
So it is apparent that Cliff Lee is disgusting and could be a huge force in the series. Same goes for Chase Utley. It is not like anyone didn't see these two guys coming, both have been close to the best at what they do for the past two or three seasons. Still, it is a bit disheartening that the Yankees would go down so easily in Game 1.
CC Sabathia was good for the Yankees. He was shakey all night but only made two real mistakes, both to Utley. Still seven innings of two run baseball is a solid effort for the big lefty. It is the Yankee bullpen that was the biggest disappointment of the night.
After Sabathia held the Phils in check for seven innings, the bullpen utterly collapsed. Phil Hughes looks like he is scared these past few rounds, and Brian Bruney should be nowhere a baseball diamond at this time of year. Combined all four relievers allowed four hits, three walks and four runs.
That simply will not get it done and if the bullpen continues to falter as it has then this could be a short series.
As for Game 2, the Yankees should destroy Pedro Martinez and with A.J. Burnett on the mound this game could easily end somewhere around 11-10. But here is the thing. The Yankees normally destroy pitchers like Pedro. He pitches to contact and can't really strike anyone out anymore. He doesn't have overly powerful stuff and relies on location and deception. These are all characteristics of pitchers the Yankees normally hit, meaning that in a playoff setting he is bound to dominate. Think Kenny Rogers circa 2006 (although he clearly cheated with his pine tar palm) or even Paul Byrd in '07.
No matter how Pedro pitches A.J. Burnett can do a lot to rehab his image after his poor performance in Game 5 of the ALCS. The Yankees need this game and Burnett needs a good showing.
CC Sabathia was good for the Yankees. He was shakey all night but only made two real mistakes, both to Utley. Still seven innings of two run baseball is a solid effort for the big lefty. It is the Yankee bullpen that was the biggest disappointment of the night.
After Sabathia held the Phils in check for seven innings, the bullpen utterly collapsed. Phil Hughes looks like he is scared these past few rounds, and Brian Bruney should be nowhere a baseball diamond at this time of year. Combined all four relievers allowed four hits, three walks and four runs.
That simply will not get it done and if the bullpen continues to falter as it has then this could be a short series.
As for Game 2, the Yankees should destroy Pedro Martinez and with A.J. Burnett on the mound this game could easily end somewhere around 11-10. But here is the thing. The Yankees normally destroy pitchers like Pedro. He pitches to contact and can't really strike anyone out anymore. He doesn't have overly powerful stuff and relies on location and deception. These are all characteristics of pitchers the Yankees normally hit, meaning that in a playoff setting he is bound to dominate. Think Kenny Rogers circa 2006 (although he clearly cheated with his pine tar palm) or even Paul Byrd in '07.
No matter how Pedro pitches A.J. Burnett can do a lot to rehab his image after his poor performance in Game 5 of the ALCS. The Yankees need this game and Burnett needs a good showing.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
ALCS Game 5
The Yankees will be trying to lock up the ALCS to go to their first World Series since 2003. Getting to the Series would be a huge lift for Yankee fans who have suffered through numerous first round collapses, but the reality is if they make it on to face the Phillies fans will on want a championship and nothing less.
But we get ahead of ourselves as the Yankees must still win one more game and being that that game is on the West Coast it may be a difficult challenge to bounce the Angels from the playoffs in their own house. The match up will be John Lackey vs. A.J. Burnett.
Lackey was better than his line indicated in Game 1. Shotty defense did him in early on and a masterful performance by CC Sabathia kept the Angels from making up for any of their fielding gaffes with their bats. Like any of the Angels pitchers, the Yankees can get to Lackey, but with their season on the line it isn't hard to envision Lackey producing a solid performance to prevent the Yankees from turning the game into a massacre like last night's NLCS finale.
The Yankees will counter with A.J. Burnett. Burnett hasn't been spectacular in the playoffs like Sabathia, but he has been good. In fact he was unhittable for five of the 6.1 he pitched. But like the typical Burnett he lost it for one inning and it cost him. And that will really be what this game is about. Burnett could easily put this series away for the Yankees or we could be watching them fly back to New York for Game 6.
The pitching match up is solid for Game 5 and the Angels are not the kind of team that rolls over and dies. It should be an entertaining game and if not, I'm sure the umpires still have a few tricks up their sleeves.
But we get ahead of ourselves as the Yankees must still win one more game and being that that game is on the West Coast it may be a difficult challenge to bounce the Angels from the playoffs in their own house. The match up will be John Lackey vs. A.J. Burnett.
Lackey was better than his line indicated in Game 1. Shotty defense did him in early on and a masterful performance by CC Sabathia kept the Angels from making up for any of their fielding gaffes with their bats. Like any of the Angels pitchers, the Yankees can get to Lackey, but with their season on the line it isn't hard to envision Lackey producing a solid performance to prevent the Yankees from turning the game into a massacre like last night's NLCS finale.
The Yankees will counter with A.J. Burnett. Burnett hasn't been spectacular in the playoffs like Sabathia, but he has been good. In fact he was unhittable for five of the 6.1 he pitched. But like the typical Burnett he lost it for one inning and it cost him. And that will really be what this game is about. Burnett could easily put this series away for the Yankees or we could be watching them fly back to New York for Game 6.
The pitching match up is solid for Game 5 and the Angels are not the kind of team that rolls over and dies. It should be an entertaining game and if not, I'm sure the umpires still have a few tricks up their sleeves.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
A-Rod Still Clutch , Yankees Walk Away With 2-0 Lead
At the start of the postseason much was made of CC Sabathia and Alex Rodriguez and their supposed failure to perform in the postseason. Sabathia has put those fears to rest with two spectacular performances and now Alex Rodriguez has continued to build a postseason legacy that may just wipe away all those thoughts that he just can't step up in a big spot.
Yet again last night he hit a huge home run to save the Yankees and tie the game as they trailed with only three outs left against Brian Fuentes. Fuentes may not be a top five closer in baseball. He may not even be in the top 10, but considering the two hitters behind him in the bottom of the 11th and the fact he was down 0-2 in the count makes this home run that much more unbelievable.
It is says something that Fuentes threw the ball exactly where he wanted to. Mathis flashed the glove up and away and Fuentes hit the spot exactly. The only problem is that Fuentes and Mathis must have forgotten the scouting report on A-Rod that says he crushes mediocre fastballs on the outside corner.
A-Rod has been incredible so far this postseason. This must be what so many had envisioned of him when he first donned the pinstripes.
What will be lost in this game is A.J. Burnett. While he was far from the equal of top of the rotation partner CC Sabathia, he was solid into the seventh inning. Aside from a meltdown fifth inning he was nearly unhittable for the first four innings. He threw first pitch strikes to 13 of the first 14 hitters he faced. He was aggressive and few Angels got good wood on his pitches. With the way the Yankee bullpen has been pitching 6.1 innings of two run baseball is a perfectly acceptable performance by Burnett.
Now it falls to Andy Pettitte in Anahiem. The wily veteran will face Jered Weaver who will be a bit of a conundrum going into the game. Weaver doesn't pitch particularly well against the Yankees, but he is exceptionally better at home than on the road.
It should be another tight ball game on but this time devoid of the weather. And what a ridiculous start time. 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT? That's just lame for Angels fans.
Yet again last night he hit a huge home run to save the Yankees and tie the game as they trailed with only three outs left against Brian Fuentes. Fuentes may not be a top five closer in baseball. He may not even be in the top 10, but considering the two hitters behind him in the bottom of the 11th and the fact he was down 0-2 in the count makes this home run that much more unbelievable.
It is says something that Fuentes threw the ball exactly where he wanted to. Mathis flashed the glove up and away and Fuentes hit the spot exactly. The only problem is that Fuentes and Mathis must have forgotten the scouting report on A-Rod that says he crushes mediocre fastballs on the outside corner.
A-Rod has been incredible so far this postseason. This must be what so many had envisioned of him when he first donned the pinstripes.
What will be lost in this game is A.J. Burnett. While he was far from the equal of top of the rotation partner CC Sabathia, he was solid into the seventh inning. Aside from a meltdown fifth inning he was nearly unhittable for the first four innings. He threw first pitch strikes to 13 of the first 14 hitters he faced. He was aggressive and few Angels got good wood on his pitches. With the way the Yankee bullpen has been pitching 6.1 innings of two run baseball is a perfectly acceptable performance by Burnett.
Now it falls to Andy Pettitte in Anahiem. The wily veteran will face Jered Weaver who will be a bit of a conundrum going into the game. Weaver doesn't pitch particularly well against the Yankees, but he is exceptionally better at home than on the road.
It should be another tight ball game on but this time devoid of the weather. And what a ridiculous start time. 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT? That's just lame for Angels fans.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Looking at ALCS Pitching Match Ups
So it looks like the Yankees are pretty well set for their rotation and with the Angels announcing their official ALCS rotation we can finally take a look at what each side is bring to the mound. Here are the first two match ups for this weekend.
Game 1 Match Up: CC Sabathia vs. John Lackey
We will start with Sabathia since he will be on the mound first. Everyone knows what the big lefty brings to the table; power fastball, hard slider, change up and an occasional curve. Sabathia did get roughed up by the Angels both times he pitched against them, but both of those starts came before the All-Star break when the big guy had yet to hit his stride with the Bombers in the second half. The Yankees are essentially putting their playoff existence in the hands of Sabathia by taking advantage of their off-days and using him three times if necessary during the ALCS. People like to judge Sabathia by his playoff record and to date he only has two quality playoff starts. The reality is that with his team's season on the line the man became an absolute beast with the Brewers and saved their season. The man can pitch when it counts.
Lackey is someone else who knows how to pitch when it counts. Lackey pitched well this year despite missing a month and a half due to injury. He has the guile to go into most stadiums and win in a hostile environment. Lackey pitched well against the Yankees the one time he faced them, outdueling CC in Anahiem during the first half finale. Lackey is the kind of pitcher that can always hurt the Yankees. He is fearless and he works with good command. The thing is he is hittable and the Yankees can get to him. This will easily be the best match up of the series.
Game 2 Match Up: A.J. Burnett vs. Joe Saunders
We all know what Burnett does. He is very predictable in that he can be unpredictable. Burnett could throw a no-hitter or he could give up seven runs, although I doubt Girardi is giving him that long of a leash in the ALCS. People are constantly worried about Burnett or who is catching him. Really I think his Game 2 performance will be what Burnett does this time around. He will walk a tightrope and give up a few runs, but I think he keeps the Yanks in the game.
Many would have criticized Mike Scoisia if he had let Jered Weaver start Game 2. Weaver isn't particularly good against the Yankees and he is particularly bad away from home. Joe Saunders is definitely a better choice than Weaver but he is not as good a choice as Scott Kazmir. Kazmir is someone who usually gives the Yankees all they can handle. Saunders had one bad start against New York and one good one after he returned from a stint on the DL. Things could go either way for him.
Each match up is close and could go either way. I think the Yankees get the edge in these first two only because of home field advantage. That last at bat will be huge, especially with the Yankees bullpen death. Each game should be close as Sabathia and Lackey probably trade zeros most of the way while Saunders and Burnett see who can put up fewer crooked numbers. I sure both games will take forever with the way the weather looks this weekend. Yet another reason the MLB's idiotic lack of flex scheduling kills the excitement of the playoffs.
Game 1 Match Up: CC Sabathia vs. John Lackey
We will start with Sabathia since he will be on the mound first. Everyone knows what the big lefty brings to the table; power fastball, hard slider, change up and an occasional curve. Sabathia did get roughed up by the Angels both times he pitched against them, but both of those starts came before the All-Star break when the big guy had yet to hit his stride with the Bombers in the second half. The Yankees are essentially putting their playoff existence in the hands of Sabathia by taking advantage of their off-days and using him three times if necessary during the ALCS. People like to judge Sabathia by his playoff record and to date he only has two quality playoff starts. The reality is that with his team's season on the line the man became an absolute beast with the Brewers and saved their season. The man can pitch when it counts.
Lackey is someone else who knows how to pitch when it counts. Lackey pitched well this year despite missing a month and a half due to injury. He has the guile to go into most stadiums and win in a hostile environment. Lackey pitched well against the Yankees the one time he faced them, outdueling CC in Anahiem during the first half finale. Lackey is the kind of pitcher that can always hurt the Yankees. He is fearless and he works with good command. The thing is he is hittable and the Yankees can get to him. This will easily be the best match up of the series.
Game 2 Match Up: A.J. Burnett vs. Joe Saunders
We all know what Burnett does. He is very predictable in that he can be unpredictable. Burnett could throw a no-hitter or he could give up seven runs, although I doubt Girardi is giving him that long of a leash in the ALCS. People are constantly worried about Burnett or who is catching him. Really I think his Game 2 performance will be what Burnett does this time around. He will walk a tightrope and give up a few runs, but I think he keeps the Yanks in the game.
Many would have criticized Mike Scoisia if he had let Jered Weaver start Game 2. Weaver isn't particularly good against the Yankees and he is particularly bad away from home. Joe Saunders is definitely a better choice than Weaver but he is not as good a choice as Scott Kazmir. Kazmir is someone who usually gives the Yankees all they can handle. Saunders had one bad start against New York and one good one after he returned from a stint on the DL. Things could go either way for him.
Each match up is close and could go either way. I think the Yankees get the edge in these first two only because of home field advantage. That last at bat will be huge, especially with the Yankees bullpen death. Each game should be close as Sabathia and Lackey probably trade zeros most of the way while Saunders and Burnett see who can put up fewer crooked numbers. I sure both games will take forever with the way the weather looks this weekend. Yet another reason the MLB's idiotic lack of flex scheduling kills the excitement of the playoffs.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Considering the Playoff Rotation
Obviously the Yankee playoff rotation begins and ends with CC Sabathia. He will need to be an ace if the Yankees expect to go anywhere beyond the first round. But Sabathia has been remarkably consistent in the second half so really the question marks begin with spot number two. Right now the debate rages over whether A.J. or Andy deserves that honor.
The Yankees must be hoping that A.J. Burnett has pretty much gotten out of his funk with two start solid starts. I honestly don't understand why people were freaking out about him. Burnett is a Jekyll and Hyde pitcher. Everyone who knows anything about baseball knows that he has the stuff to be amazing, but his inconsistency has always kept him from being one of the better pitchers in baseball. I guess it just makes good copy to worry about something when the team has every conceivable objective virtually locked up.
Burnett was slow out of the gate in April and passable in May. In June and July he was the best pitcher on the team and we all know about his August trials and tribulations. Now it seems that he has found his stride again in September, which of course makes the Yankees feel better about their October rotation.
Burnett really should be the number two starter no matter how he was pitching during this stretch run. He is a far better pitcher at home where he seems to be more comfortable and Andy Pettitte also seems to be a better pitcher on the road. It also splits up the two lefties and your two power pitchers. The question also arises of who you would rather have pitching in certain situations.
If Sabathia and Pettitte were your first two starters and both falter at home, leaving you in an 0-2 hole, do you really want someone as volatile as Burnett making his first playoff start on the road? Conversely if Sabathia and Burnett both go down you have your playoff hardened veteran lefty to face a hostile road crowd in a situation where he tends to thrive.
Thankfully Burnett is starting to make the decision easy for Joe Girardi. With those three at the top the Yankees will have the ability to match up with any front three in the league.
Now any four in the league is an entirely different question. The Yankees have huge questions about who would start game four. It is possible that they could avoid such a dilemma during the first round but if they were to make it to the ALCS then a fourth starter is a must. So far it can't be Joba Chamberlain. While the ability is there the execution is nowhere to be found. After getting bombed by the Mariners on Sunday it would seem that unless Joba shuts down the Sox and the Royals/Rays he may be watching the first round from the pen.
If that is the case then clearly Chad Gaudin is the number four for the Yankees. Though he leaves much to be desired in terms of pitching deep into games, he has been very effective of late and right now the Yankees have to have far more confidence in his ability to keep them in a game than Joba's.
The Yanks will begin the playoffs at home. The rotation should stack up as Sabathia in Game 1, Burnett in Game 2 and Pettitte in Game 3. Then repeat. At least that's the way it should be.
The Yankees must be hoping that A.J. Burnett has pretty much gotten out of his funk with two start solid starts. I honestly don't understand why people were freaking out about him. Burnett is a Jekyll and Hyde pitcher. Everyone who knows anything about baseball knows that he has the stuff to be amazing, but his inconsistency has always kept him from being one of the better pitchers in baseball. I guess it just makes good copy to worry about something when the team has every conceivable objective virtually locked up.
Burnett was slow out of the gate in April and passable in May. In June and July he was the best pitcher on the team and we all know about his August trials and tribulations. Now it seems that he has found his stride again in September, which of course makes the Yankees feel better about their October rotation.
Burnett really should be the number two starter no matter how he was pitching during this stretch run. He is a far better pitcher at home where he seems to be more comfortable and Andy Pettitte also seems to be a better pitcher on the road. It also splits up the two lefties and your two power pitchers. The question also arises of who you would rather have pitching in certain situations.
If Sabathia and Pettitte were your first two starters and both falter at home, leaving you in an 0-2 hole, do you really want someone as volatile as Burnett making his first playoff start on the road? Conversely if Sabathia and Burnett both go down you have your playoff hardened veteran lefty to face a hostile road crowd in a situation where he tends to thrive.
Thankfully Burnett is starting to make the decision easy for Joe Girardi. With those three at the top the Yankees will have the ability to match up with any front three in the league.
Now any four in the league is an entirely different question. The Yankees have huge questions about who would start game four. It is possible that they could avoid such a dilemma during the first round but if they were to make it to the ALCS then a fourth starter is a must. So far it can't be Joba Chamberlain. While the ability is there the execution is nowhere to be found. After getting bombed by the Mariners on Sunday it would seem that unless Joba shuts down the Sox and the Royals/Rays he may be watching the first round from the pen.
If that is the case then clearly Chad Gaudin is the number four for the Yankees. Though he leaves much to be desired in terms of pitching deep into games, he has been very effective of late and right now the Yankees have to have far more confidence in his ability to keep them in a game than Joba's.
The Yanks will begin the playoffs at home. The rotation should stack up as Sabathia in Game 1, Burnett in Game 2 and Pettitte in Game 3. Then repeat. At least that's the way it should be.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Whaddya mean I need to get 3?
It was the same story but a different pitcher today. A.J. Burnett was solid through six innings, walking three and striking out 12. Hell he was even perfect through 3.2 innings before the two out bug caught up to him like it has every other Yankee pitcher of late.
Over the past week it seems that Yankee pitching has been unable to get that all-important third out of the inning and yet again it cost the Yankees a game. Burnett was perfect through 3.2 innings until walk, walk, home run destroyed his outing.
Aside from his rough forth inning Burnett only allowed two base runners, but the Yankee offense let him down. The bats failed to capitalize on the 11 baserunners they accumlated against rookie Dustin Nippert.
The Yankees then failed in their endeavors against the Ranger bullpen. They managed to start a rally against C.J. Wilson when Johnny Damon singled and Mark Teixeira reached on a botched fielders choice. Wilson settled down though, striking out the side to avoid further trouble.
Lucky for the Yanks, Junichi Tazawa showed up to his start tonight and the White Sox finally broke through against their Red counterparts. The Yanks still have a six-game advantage in the division. Hopefully CC Sabathia can get the Yanks back on track. They're in a mini sort of funk right now, dropping three of their last five. Tomorrow is a good match up of lefties. Here's hoping the Yanks continue their history against Mark Buehrle.
Over the past week it seems that Yankee pitching has been unable to get that all-important third out of the inning and yet again it cost the Yankees a game. Burnett was perfect through 3.2 innings until walk, walk, home run destroyed his outing.
Aside from his rough forth inning Burnett only allowed two base runners, but the Yankee offense let him down. The bats failed to capitalize on the 11 baserunners they accumlated against rookie Dustin Nippert.
The Yankees then failed in their endeavors against the Ranger bullpen. They managed to start a rally against C.J. Wilson when Johnny Damon singled and Mark Teixeira reached on a botched fielders choice. Wilson settled down though, striking out the side to avoid further trouble.
Lucky for the Yanks, Junichi Tazawa showed up to his start tonight and the White Sox finally broke through against their Red counterparts. The Yanks still have a six-game advantage in the division. Hopefully CC Sabathia can get the Yanks back on track. They're in a mini sort of funk right now, dropping three of their last five. Tomorrow is a good match up of lefties. Here's hoping the Yanks continue their history against Mark Buehrle.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Taking Care of Business
After a slight hiccup on Monday night against the Blue Jays, the Yankees came back in dramatic style to down Toronto for the eighth time this season. The Yanks are 8-3 against the Jays and aside from when Sergio Mitre gets the ball, every game feels like a game the Yanks are going to win.
Even with Mitre in the rotation the bats have been on fire of late and with the new stadium playing like a launching pad, they are always in the game.
Heading to the mound today is A.J. Burnett, who is coming off of what could be considered his best start as a Yankee. Sure he has had a couple where he struck out more and had shut outs for just as long, but this start was the most important in his young tenure as a Bomber. He shut down the Red Sox for 7.2 innings during that 15 inning marathon game, matching Josh Beckett zero for zero.
With a 5.5 game lead over the Red Sox the Yankees need to keep the pressure on them and even on the Rays who continue to slide back of both the division and wild card races. Right now the Yankees have a commanding lead on the division but they cannot relent yet.
These final home games become more important when you look at the imposing schedule that the Yankees have over the last two months of the season. The schedule looks daunting. It seems ludacris that someone making the baseball schedule would have the Yankees making three trips to the West coast, including one in the middle of September, but it is what it is and it makes their home games all the more important.
After today's game the Yankees embark on their second of the three trips to Cali before they return to the east for yet another series versus the Sox.
Even with Mitre in the rotation the bats have been on fire of late and with the new stadium playing like a launching pad, they are always in the game.
Heading to the mound today is A.J. Burnett, who is coming off of what could be considered his best start as a Yankee. Sure he has had a couple where he struck out more and had shut outs for just as long, but this start was the most important in his young tenure as a Bomber. He shut down the Red Sox for 7.2 innings during that 15 inning marathon game, matching Josh Beckett zero for zero.
With a 5.5 game lead over the Red Sox the Yankees need to keep the pressure on them and even on the Rays who continue to slide back of both the division and wild card races. Right now the Yankees have a commanding lead on the division but they cannot relent yet.
These final home games become more important when you look at the imposing schedule that the Yankees have over the last two months of the season. The schedule looks daunting. It seems ludacris that someone making the baseball schedule would have the Yankees making three trips to the West coast, including one in the middle of September, but it is what it is and it makes their home games all the more important.
After today's game the Yankees embark on their second of the three trips to Cali before they return to the east for yet another series versus the Sox.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Sloppy Defense Derails Yanks
It has been awhile since the Yankees have played a game this poorly, actually they haven't played this poorly since their trip to Anahiem. The defense, Nick Swisher in particular and the left side of the infield cost the Yankees all night long. It begs the question as to why the Yankees have yet to call up another outfielder in the wake of Brett Gardner's thumb injury.
Aside from the shotty defense, CC Sabathia was far from the top of his game. He hard trouble locating his fastball and when he did get ahead of hitters he failed to put them away.
Sabathia hasn't quite been the pitcher the Yankees thought they were getting when they shelled out $160 million this off-season. While he hasn't been bad, he just hasn't been the same pitcher the Yankees saw in Cleveland never mind what they saw on the highlight reels from Milwaukee. The main culprit has to be his diminishing strikeout rate, which has fallen below his career of 7.47 k/9. They Yankees are banking on a strong second half from Sabathia and they need him to find his footing soon or hope that the offense will give him the support he needs to polish over his mistakes.
Sabathia, dare I say, needs to pitch a little bit more like A.J. Burnett who has been the Yankees ace for the past month and a half. Sabathia's performance will become even more crucial as Joba edges closer to his innings limit now that Wang is official done and Alfredo Aceves shoulder begins to act up as well.
It was gonna be a tough game for the Yanks considering what is at stake for the Rays in this series. A sweep would have devastated them and Scott Kazmir showed up big for Tampa Bay. Tomorrow brings about a match up of young hard throwing right-handers Matt Garza and Joba Chamberlain.
As an Eagles fan I would be remiss if I didn't offer my condolences to the family of Jim Johnson, the renowned defensive coordinator who kept the Eagles defense at the top of the NFL year after year. It was always exciting when the Eagles defense took the field. You never knew where the blitz was coming from, but you knew it was coming hard and fast. Johnson's defense was a joy to watch and he will be missed.
Aside from the shotty defense, CC Sabathia was far from the top of his game. He hard trouble locating his fastball and when he did get ahead of hitters he failed to put them away.
Sabathia hasn't quite been the pitcher the Yankees thought they were getting when they shelled out $160 million this off-season. While he hasn't been bad, he just hasn't been the same pitcher the Yankees saw in Cleveland never mind what they saw on the highlight reels from Milwaukee. The main culprit has to be his diminishing strikeout rate, which has fallen below his career of 7.47 k/9. They Yankees are banking on a strong second half from Sabathia and they need him to find his footing soon or hope that the offense will give him the support he needs to polish over his mistakes.
Sabathia, dare I say, needs to pitch a little bit more like A.J. Burnett who has been the Yankees ace for the past month and a half. Sabathia's performance will become even more crucial as Joba edges closer to his innings limit now that Wang is official done and Alfredo Aceves shoulder begins to act up as well.
It was gonna be a tough game for the Yanks considering what is at stake for the Rays in this series. A sweep would have devastated them and Scott Kazmir showed up big for Tampa Bay. Tomorrow brings about a match up of young hard throwing right-handers Matt Garza and Joba Chamberlain.
As an Eagles fan I would be remiss if I didn't offer my condolences to the family of Jim Johnson, the renowned defensive coordinator who kept the Eagles defense at the top of the NFL year after year. It was always exciting when the Eagles defense took the field. You never knew where the blitz was coming from, but you knew it was coming hard and fast. Johnson's defense was a joy to watch and he will be missed.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Burnett Keeps the Yanks Rolling
This was a game the Yankees should have won. In fact they should be winning every game they play against the Orioles. A.J. Burnett regained his first half form, striking out six and keeping the O's off the board for the first six frames while the Yankees built a comfortable lead.
There isn't much to say about the game. The Yankees jumped out in front early and the rest of the game felt like a formality. Brian Bruney attempted to make it interesting in the ninth, but before he could really get Girardi's heart pumping, the skipper came and got him in favor of Rivera who promptly struck Aubrey Huff out on six pitches.
There was no particular standout performer among the hitters and aside from Nick Swisher botching and subsequently making two amazing grabs in the outfield most innings moved by quickly. What today's victory does is ensure the Yankees will stay in first place for another day. Tomorrow the A's roll into the city. They are currently thrashing the Twins 16-1 in Oakland.
Tomorrow's match up puts Vin Mazzaro on the mound against CC Sabathia. Mazzaro began his major league career by throwing 18 scoreless innings and winning his first two starts. After those first two victories, though, he has learned how difficult the majors can be. The New Jersey native is 0-6 in his last seven starts, posting a 5.59 ERA. The Yankees have never seen Mazzaro so this game can go either way. Let's just hope Sabathia is on his game.
But I'm honestly more interested in seeing Friday's match up of Brett Anderson vs. Joba Chamberlain. Anderson was part of the Dan Haren trade back in 2007. He had a rocky start to his MLB career and the Yankees rocked him for three home runs when they faced him back in April. Anderson has gotten a lot better since then and he has yet to allow a run in July. Hopefully the game is a dual between two young pitchers on their way up and Joba keeps his new approach from last start.
There isn't much to say about the game. The Yankees jumped out in front early and the rest of the game felt like a formality. Brian Bruney attempted to make it interesting in the ninth, but before he could really get Girardi's heart pumping, the skipper came and got him in favor of Rivera who promptly struck Aubrey Huff out on six pitches.
There was no particular standout performer among the hitters and aside from Nick Swisher botching and subsequently making two amazing grabs in the outfield most innings moved by quickly. What today's victory does is ensure the Yankees will stay in first place for another day. Tomorrow the A's roll into the city. They are currently thrashing the Twins 16-1 in Oakland.
Tomorrow's match up puts Vin Mazzaro on the mound against CC Sabathia. Mazzaro began his major league career by throwing 18 scoreless innings and winning his first two starts. After those first two victories, though, he has learned how difficult the majors can be. The New Jersey native is 0-6 in his last seven starts, posting a 5.59 ERA. The Yankees have never seen Mazzaro so this game can go either way. Let's just hope Sabathia is on his game.
But I'm honestly more interested in seeing Friday's match up of Brett Anderson vs. Joba Chamberlain. Anderson was part of the Dan Haren trade back in 2007. He had a rocky start to his MLB career and the Yankees rocked him for three home runs when they faced him back in April. Anderson has gotten a lot better since then and he has yet to allow a run in July. Hopefully the game is a dual between two young pitchers on their way up and Joba keeps his new approach from last start.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Burnett One-Ups Sabathia
After watching Tim Wakefield and the Red Sox shut out the Braves, the Yankees and A.J. Burnett decided to show off their pitching prowess and one-hit the Mets in a 5-0 victory. Burnett has utterly dominated the Mets in his two starts, throwing 14 shut out innings while striking out 18 and only allowing five hits.
When A.J. Burnett got bounced by the Red Sox in the third inning of his June 9 start he spoke candidly about his performance and promised better days saying, according to Pete Abraham, “Glimpses of greatness but I’m not very consistent right now. I’m not a negative guy, so I’m not going to beat myself up over it. But when I do get on that run, it’s going to be impressive. I promise you that.”
Well I suppose this is the type of run Burnett was speaking of. Over his past three starts since his disastrous outing in Burnett is 2-1 with a 0.44 ERA and 26 strike outs. His one loss was to Josh Johnson in a pitchers duel in Florida when a Johnny Damon dropped fly ball cost him the deciding run. Now granted the two victories have come against a very depleted Mets team, but the fact of the matter is Burnett is dominating who he should dominate.
There will be other valleys for him during the season I'm sure, but this is what the Yankees sort of expected when they brought in the flame-thrower and now he is showing us the good side of A.J.
When A.J. Burnett got bounced by the Red Sox in the third inning of his June 9 start he spoke candidly about his performance and promised better days saying, according to Pete Abraham, “Glimpses of greatness but I’m not very consistent right now. I’m not a negative guy, so I’m not going to beat myself up over it. But when I do get on that run, it’s going to be impressive. I promise you that.”
Well I suppose this is the type of run Burnett was speaking of. Over his past three starts since his disastrous outing in Burnett is 2-1 with a 0.44 ERA and 26 strike outs. His one loss was to Josh Johnson in a pitchers duel in Florida when a Johnny Damon dropped fly ball cost him the deciding run. Now granted the two victories have come against a very depleted Mets team, but the fact of the matter is Burnett is dominating who he should dominate.
There will be other valleys for him during the season I'm sure, but this is what the Yankees sort of expected when they brought in the flame-thrower and now he is showing us the good side of A.J.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Pettitte Falters Again
Andy Pettitte claims his back is not an issue, but if you watched any bit of his start last night you would beg to differ. Pettitte was all over the place, allowing 13 base runners in just five innings of work, including six walks.
It might be the reason the Yankees decided to keep Phil Hughes in the bullpen as an insurance policy. I would also expect Hughes to get some innings tonight in Chien-Ming Wang's return to the rotation, considering Wang has yet to get really stretched out in the big league level.
Aside from Pettitte's poor effort on the mound the Yankees looked inept with the bat. A-Rod comes to the forefront of the discussion because his at bats were during the Yankees best chances to score and he did not look particularly good in any of them. His failure with the bases loaded and one out in the third inning is what stands out the most in game.
Today the Yankees will match up against the Rangers in the rubber match of the three game set. The two teams wont match up again until August. It will be Wang in his much anticipated return to the Yankee rotation against Brandon McCarthy. I would expect to at least see a competitive start out of Wang considering he has something to prove to the Yankees and Phil Hughes is sitting there waiting for a job.
Of note as well is that MLB has suspended A.J. Burnett for six games. As has been discussed on this blog before, suspending a player for something they weren't punished for during the game is ludicrous. Teixeira handled the situation himself and perhaps A.J.'s pitch near the head of Nelson Cruz was overkill but I would not expect for a second that the suspension would hold up for the full six games on appeal.
It might be the reason the Yankees decided to keep Phil Hughes in the bullpen as an insurance policy. I would also expect Hughes to get some innings tonight in Chien-Ming Wang's return to the rotation, considering Wang has yet to get really stretched out in the big league level.
Aside from Pettitte's poor effort on the mound the Yankees looked inept with the bat. A-Rod comes to the forefront of the discussion because his at bats were during the Yankees best chances to score and he did not look particularly good in any of them. His failure with the bases loaded and one out in the third inning is what stands out the most in game.
Today the Yankees will match up against the Rangers in the rubber match of the three game set. The two teams wont match up again until August. It will be Wang in his much anticipated return to the Yankee rotation against Brandon McCarthy. I would expect to at least see a competitive start out of Wang considering he has something to prove to the Yankees and Phil Hughes is sitting there waiting for a job.
Of note as well is that MLB has suspended A.J. Burnett for six games. As has been discussed on this blog before, suspending a player for something they weren't punished for during the game is ludicrous. Teixeira handled the situation himself and perhaps A.J.'s pitch near the head of Nelson Cruz was overkill but I would not expect for a second that the suspension would hold up for the full six games on appeal.
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