Yesterday the Yankees took on the Red Sox for the first time this year. Well they didn't actually take on the Red Sox since the only real Boston player to make the trip was starter Clay Buchholz, still they fell 5-3 on the strength of a Boone Logan seventh inning implosion.
Despite that, the Yankees did see some stellar pitching. Bartolo Colon threw three scoreless innings while striking out five Red Sox scrubs. More on him in a minute.
To me the real stellar pitching came from 19-year-old Manny Banuelos. Banuelos was impressive. Not just because he threw his second scoreless appearance this spring but becaus eof how he did it. Unlike Colon, ManBan hit his spots with a crisp 93-96 MPH fastball, and had exception movement on his breaking pitches, which he also threw for quality strikes. Russell Martin even raved about how polished the youngster is, comparing him to another hard throwing young lefty.
The young lefty's mechanics were also something to marvel at. He possesses a very easy delivery and it surprises you how hard his fastball comes out of his small frame. Banuelos didn't pitch the last time Trenton was in New Britain, but you better believe I am eyeing their return in mid-June. Though, I wont count on ManBan still being there come June. The way he pitches, he may force a promotion before then.
Colon is a bit of a different story. While the numbers looked good, Colon was all over the place, especially in his third inning of work. He was bailed out by some bad swings from the Red Sox. Colon may be pitching better than the Yankees expected, but Girardi and Cashman will take note of his lack of command within the strike zone. The big guy always seemed to be trailing in the race for the fifth starter spot and he hasn't done enough to change that perception yet.
Some the pitching has been decent, but the bats have continued to struggle. The only hitter who has looked ready for the start of the season is Alex Rodriguez. He hit the ball hard again on Friday night. A bullet single through the right side and then a double off the wall in left-center. A-Rod looks like he may still have some elite level production left in his bones. I'm always an optomist at this point in the season, but I really think he's going to put himself back in the discussion as one of the best hitters in baseball.
Today's action features CC Sabathia on the mound and Jesus Montero behind the plate. Unfortunately the game isn't on YES today, so we'll have to wait till next week to see the Yanks in action again.
Showing posts with label Alex Rodriguez. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alex Rodriguez. Show all posts
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Sunday, August 15, 2010
A-Rod Jacks Up KC; Ellsbury Back to DL
Last night we got a glimpse at the A-Rod circa 2005 as the Yankee third baseman demolished the Royals pitching with three home runs and propelled the Yankees to a 8-3 victory.
Everyone has been discussing Rodriguez's down year and he suffered through more criticism for his diminished slugging ability when he took longer than any other player to transition from 599 home runs to 600. And it is all true. Rodriguez is posting some of the worst numbers of his career in almost every offensive category. Still last night showed that A-Rod can still crush the ball every once in a while.
And while the Red Sox won last night, they lost Jacoby Ellsbury yet again. I gotta say, while I love the idea of the Red Sox trying to make up ground without their leadoff hitter - or their two best hitters in Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis - I feel bad for Ellsbury. The guy can't catch a break, well bad choice of words considering it's his broken ribs that have constantly plagued him this season.
Ellsbury has played only 18 games this season and never more than nine games before hitting the DL. Hopfully he gets healthy soon. Just not soon enough to try and save the Red Sox season.
Everyone has been discussing Rodriguez's down year and he suffered through more criticism for his diminished slugging ability when he took longer than any other player to transition from 599 home runs to 600. And it is all true. Rodriguez is posting some of the worst numbers of his career in almost every offensive category. Still last night showed that A-Rod can still crush the ball every once in a while.
And while the Red Sox won last night, they lost Jacoby Ellsbury yet again. I gotta say, while I love the idea of the Red Sox trying to make up ground without their leadoff hitter - or their two best hitters in Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis - I feel bad for Ellsbury. The guy can't catch a break, well bad choice of words considering it's his broken ribs that have constantly plagued him this season.
Ellsbury has played only 18 games this season and never more than nine games before hitting the DL. Hopfully he gets healthy soon. Just not soon enough to try and save the Red Sox season.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Why Joe Buck Should Stay Away From Baseball...
There are many, many....many reasons why Joe Buck should never be allowed to call a baseball game. Today marks reason #243 or so. During batting practice Alex Rodriguez was fielding his position. Lance Berkman was up at the plate. Meanwhile Joe Buck was dicking around on the field and distracted A-Rod by saying "Hi" Simultaneously Berkman hit a hot shot ground ball toward third base. A-Rod who had just got his head around was struck in the shin by the ball and therefore missed today's game. He is day to day. Be careful starting your car tonight, Joe.
Friday, August 6, 2010
A-Rod Hits 600; Yanks Back in First
So yea I'm a bit late on the whole A-Rod hitting his 600th home run and the Main Stream Media have spent the entire day beating it to death, especially since the week plus leading up to the home run we were bombarded by MSM pundits saying that people weren't making a big deal about A-Rod's 600th homer.
Anyway like many other people I am incredible bored with the whole steroid issue. Right now we really can't understand how the era will be viewed by history. It will take a while for us to have enough hindsight to make accurate judgements about the milestones players have and will achieve.
I will say that I have softened my stance about some players, particularly Barry Bonds. Clearly PEDs allowed him to extend his prime well beyond what it should have been, but his talent was evident before the steriod use probably began. A similar statement can be made about A-Rod and his ridiculous seasons in Texas. BOth probably belong in the Hall of Fame. However, I still say that Mark McGwire has no business being in the Hall of Fame. I get the 583 home runs, but that's really all that he has on his resume and I don't think he's an all-time great.
Anyway back to the baseball at hand, the Rays dropped their series finale to the Twins thanks to the catwalk over the infield. The loss puts the Yanks a half-game ahead of the Rays and puts them one game ahead in the loss column. All this with the Sox roll into the Big Apple for a four game set. If the Yanks take advantage of the games at hand, they could put the Red Sox out of their misery and make the AL East a two-team race.
Anyway like many other people I am incredible bored with the whole steroid issue. Right now we really can't understand how the era will be viewed by history. It will take a while for us to have enough hindsight to make accurate judgements about the milestones players have and will achieve.
I will say that I have softened my stance about some players, particularly Barry Bonds. Clearly PEDs allowed him to extend his prime well beyond what it should have been, but his talent was evident before the steriod use probably began. A similar statement can be made about A-Rod and his ridiculous seasons in Texas. BOth probably belong in the Hall of Fame. However, I still say that Mark McGwire has no business being in the Hall of Fame. I get the 583 home runs, but that's really all that he has on his resume and I don't think he's an all-time great.
Anyway back to the baseball at hand, the Rays dropped their series finale to the Twins thanks to the catwalk over the infield. The loss puts the Yanks a half-game ahead of the Rays and puts them one game ahead in the loss column. All this with the Sox roll into the Big Apple for a four game set. If the Yanks take advantage of the games at hand, they could put the Red Sox out of their misery and make the AL East a two-team race.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Yankees Jump on Phils; Take 3-1 Lead
If the Phillies feared any scenario after they split in New York it has to be this one. The match ups favored the Yankees and while the Phillies had their chances to swing momentum in their favor they could not capitalize.
On Sunday night the Phillies decided it would be wise to throw Joe Blanton instead of Cliff Lee. Their logic? Lee has never had to throw on three days rest. Well, while there is an unknown factor as to what you can expect from Lee doing something he had never done there is also the fact that this is the World Series and your team is in a 2-1 hole. If there ever was a time to start on three days rest Sunday night would have been the night to find out if Lee could handle it or not. I would rather have Lee at 80 percent against the Yanks than a 100 percent Joe Blanton any day of the week.
But Charlie Manuel went with Blanton with the hope he could stifle the Yankees as he had the Rays in 2008. The plan didn't quite work out that way. Blanton pitched well enough, but not well enough to match CC Sabathia on three days rest. Sabathia struggled through the Phillie lineup for the second straight start. He had trouble with his command and each inning seemed like a battle for him, but if it wasn't for Chase Utley he might have walked away with an easy victory.
After the Yankees jumped out to a quick two-run lead in the top of the first, Shane Victorino blooped a double to shallow left and the Utley ripped a bullet off of the right centerfield wall. Sabathia would give up the tying run in the fourth when Ryan Howard singled and stole second with no throw. Pedro Feliz would tie the game for the first time when he ripped a bullet at Johnny Damon. Initially it looked as though Howard touched the plate, but further replays showed that all 6'4" 203 lbs. of him missed the plate.
The Yankees responded the next inning. Swisher worked a four pitch walk and when Melky Cabrera grounded a ball up the middle Chase Utley attempted a highlight reel double play by flipping the ball to Jimmy Rollins with his glove. He could have easily got the force out at second, cutting of a potential big inning for the Yankees, but instead he flipped the ball ten feet in the air and the Yankees had first and second and nobody out.
Jeter and Damon followed with RBI singles and the Yankees were again in control. The game stayed stable until Chase Utley went to work on Sabathia again. It looked as though Sabathia would work his way through an easy seventh until Utley strode to the plate again. Again Sabathia got ahead of Utley and again Utley crushed a ball to deep right. That was the end of Sabathia and in came Damaso Marte who's postseason resurgence continued as he retired Howard for the second consecutive night.
In the eighth Joba Chamberlain looked good in relief for the first time since early 2008. He struck out Jayson Werth and Raul Ibanez in convincing fashion and had Pedro Feliz set up before leaving a 3-2 fastball down the middle. Feliz crushed it to tie the game and while he made Carlos Ruiz look foolish on a slider to end the inning, the game was tied and things did not look good for the Yankees.
Brad Lidge came on and for the first two batters he looked like vintage Brad Lidge. He had Johnny Damon down 1-2. Damon worked the count full then slapped a 3-2 fastball to left. Damon took off for second on the first pitch and when Feliz stepped in front of the bag to field the throw Damon took advantage and stole an unattended third base. From that point on Brad Lidge circa 2005 showed up. Scared to throw his slider he plunked Mark Teixeira before A-Rod ripped a double to give the Yankees the lead. Jorge tacked on two more with a single and Mo slammed the door with eight pitches.
Now with a 3-1 lead the Yankees will face Cliff Lee who will battle with A.J. Burnett. Burnett has always been solid on three days rest. In four starts he is 4-0 with a 2.33 ERA. He was also dominant in his Game 2 start with seven solid innings. Lee will be on full rest and is still in the midst of one of the most dominating starting performances in postseason history. The Yankees go for the series, and they will need just 27 outs for their 27th title. This is what the season is all about.
On Sunday night the Phillies decided it would be wise to throw Joe Blanton instead of Cliff Lee. Their logic? Lee has never had to throw on three days rest. Well, while there is an unknown factor as to what you can expect from Lee doing something he had never done there is also the fact that this is the World Series and your team is in a 2-1 hole. If there ever was a time to start on three days rest Sunday night would have been the night to find out if Lee could handle it or not. I would rather have Lee at 80 percent against the Yanks than a 100 percent Joe Blanton any day of the week.
But Charlie Manuel went with Blanton with the hope he could stifle the Yankees as he had the Rays in 2008. The plan didn't quite work out that way. Blanton pitched well enough, but not well enough to match CC Sabathia on three days rest. Sabathia struggled through the Phillie lineup for the second straight start. He had trouble with his command and each inning seemed like a battle for him, but if it wasn't for Chase Utley he might have walked away with an easy victory.
After the Yankees jumped out to a quick two-run lead in the top of the first, Shane Victorino blooped a double to shallow left and the Utley ripped a bullet off of the right centerfield wall. Sabathia would give up the tying run in the fourth when Ryan Howard singled and stole second with no throw. Pedro Feliz would tie the game for the first time when he ripped a bullet at Johnny Damon. Initially it looked as though Howard touched the plate, but further replays showed that all 6'4" 203 lbs. of him missed the plate.
The Yankees responded the next inning. Swisher worked a four pitch walk and when Melky Cabrera grounded a ball up the middle Chase Utley attempted a highlight reel double play by flipping the ball to Jimmy Rollins with his glove. He could have easily got the force out at second, cutting of a potential big inning for the Yankees, but instead he flipped the ball ten feet in the air and the Yankees had first and second and nobody out.
Jeter and Damon followed with RBI singles and the Yankees were again in control. The game stayed stable until Chase Utley went to work on Sabathia again. It looked as though Sabathia would work his way through an easy seventh until Utley strode to the plate again. Again Sabathia got ahead of Utley and again Utley crushed a ball to deep right. That was the end of Sabathia and in came Damaso Marte who's postseason resurgence continued as he retired Howard for the second consecutive night.
In the eighth Joba Chamberlain looked good in relief for the first time since early 2008. He struck out Jayson Werth and Raul Ibanez in convincing fashion and had Pedro Feliz set up before leaving a 3-2 fastball down the middle. Feliz crushed it to tie the game and while he made Carlos Ruiz look foolish on a slider to end the inning, the game was tied and things did not look good for the Yankees.
Brad Lidge came on and for the first two batters he looked like vintage Brad Lidge. He had Johnny Damon down 1-2. Damon worked the count full then slapped a 3-2 fastball to left. Damon took off for second on the first pitch and when Feliz stepped in front of the bag to field the throw Damon took advantage and stole an unattended third base. From that point on Brad Lidge circa 2005 showed up. Scared to throw his slider he plunked Mark Teixeira before A-Rod ripped a double to give the Yankees the lead. Jorge tacked on two more with a single and Mo slammed the door with eight pitches.
Now with a 3-1 lead the Yankees will face Cliff Lee who will battle with A.J. Burnett. Burnett has always been solid on three days rest. In four starts he is 4-0 with a 2.33 ERA. He was also dominant in his Game 2 start with seven solid innings. Lee will be on full rest and is still in the midst of one of the most dominating starting performances in postseason history. The Yankees go for the series, and they will need just 27 outs for their 27th title. This is what the season is all about.
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.
Monday, October 26, 2009
ALCS Game 6 Recap
So the Angels did their part to help the pathetic airline industries by hitching a ride back across the country for little to no reason. After making the two teams wait for two days the Yankees and the Angels finally got their shot to conclude their series and see who would get the chance to take on the Phillies in the World Series.
As has happened throughout this postseason, the Yankees began the game by leaving numerous runners on base and allowing Joe Saunders to work out of trouble in the first, second and third. Saunders ran out of magic in the fourth inning when he allowed a lead off walk to Robinson Cano and a single to Nick Swisher. After another ill advised sacrifice bunt by Melky Cabrera moved the runners into scoring position Derek Jeter worked a walk.
That brought up Johnny Damon who had already failed to come through for the Yankees in the second inning with the bases loaded and two outs. This time Damon didn't miss his pitch, lining a two-run single into left-center field. After a Mark Teixeira infield hit, Alex Rodriguez worked a walk to give the Yankees a two-run lead.
The game remained relatively stagnant for the next four innings until, of all things, Mariano Rivera surrendered his first earned run at home during the playoffs since 2000. At that point it seemed that those damn Angels were gonna work a rally, this time against the best the Yankee bullpen had to offer. But in the bottom of the eighth the Yankee bats started scraping together some runs to give Rivera breathing room and with the help of Scott Kazmir's latest implosion this October they did just that.
13 pitches later and another poor at bat by Gary Matthews Jr. the Yankees were celebrating and moving on to the World Series. CC Sabathia now has hardware to dispell any notion he isn't a big game pitcher. Sabathia was every bit the ace the Yankees paid a $160 million for this off-season. He stifled the Angels for eight innings on two separate occasions, once on short rest. The Yankees will need the same thing if they expect to defeat the Phillies.
Rodriguez deserves mention as a runner-up to Sabathia in that MVP voting, and if not for the Angels giving him the Barry Bonds treatment for the last two games he might have stolen the honor from Sabathia. Five walks in the final two games made sure he didn't have a chance to have a huge impact with his bat. His final line for the series though, .429/.567/.952 was out of this world and should dispel any idea that he can't perform on a big stage.
This win wasn't only big from a historical standpoint for the Yankees, who finally overcame their regular season and playoff demons against the Angels, but also from a strategic standpoint. The Yankees now have all their ducks in a row for the World Series. CC Sabathia will be able to take the ball for Game 1 and the extended rest he is now getting will probably convince the Yankees to use him three times during the Series if necessary.
The World Series analysis will begin shortly, but at least for today, it is time to enjoy what the Yanks have gotten so far and get excited about what is to come.
As has happened throughout this postseason, the Yankees began the game by leaving numerous runners on base and allowing Joe Saunders to work out of trouble in the first, second and third. Saunders ran out of magic in the fourth inning when he allowed a lead off walk to Robinson Cano and a single to Nick Swisher. After another ill advised sacrifice bunt by Melky Cabrera moved the runners into scoring position Derek Jeter worked a walk.
That brought up Johnny Damon who had already failed to come through for the Yankees in the second inning with the bases loaded and two outs. This time Damon didn't miss his pitch, lining a two-run single into left-center field. After a Mark Teixeira infield hit, Alex Rodriguez worked a walk to give the Yankees a two-run lead.
The game remained relatively stagnant for the next four innings until, of all things, Mariano Rivera surrendered his first earned run at home during the playoffs since 2000. At that point it seemed that those damn Angels were gonna work a rally, this time against the best the Yankee bullpen had to offer. But in the bottom of the eighth the Yankee bats started scraping together some runs to give Rivera breathing room and with the help of Scott Kazmir's latest implosion this October they did just that.
13 pitches later and another poor at bat by Gary Matthews Jr. the Yankees were celebrating and moving on to the World Series. CC Sabathia now has hardware to dispell any notion he isn't a big game pitcher. Sabathia was every bit the ace the Yankees paid a $160 million for this off-season. He stifled the Angels for eight innings on two separate occasions, once on short rest. The Yankees will need the same thing if they expect to defeat the Phillies.
Rodriguez deserves mention as a runner-up to Sabathia in that MVP voting, and if not for the Angels giving him the Barry Bonds treatment for the last two games he might have stolen the honor from Sabathia. Five walks in the final two games made sure he didn't have a chance to have a huge impact with his bat. His final line for the series though, .429/.567/.952 was out of this world and should dispel any idea that he can't perform on a big stage.
This win wasn't only big from a historical standpoint for the Yankees, who finally overcame their regular season and playoff demons against the Angels, but also from a strategic standpoint. The Yankees now have all their ducks in a row for the World Series. CC Sabathia will be able to take the ball for Game 1 and the extended rest he is now getting will probably convince the Yankees to use him three times during the Series if necessary.
The World Series analysis will begin shortly, but at least for today, it is time to enjoy what the Yanks have gotten so far and get excited about what is to come.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Sabathia and A-Rod: Beasts Among Men
Watching both CC Sabathia and Alex Rodriguez play this postseason has been beyond belief. Both have done everything that Yankee fans could ask for. They have stepped up their game to a different level and they did it again last night.
On three days rest Sabathia completely overpowered the Anaheim while Rodriguez continued to pound Angels pitching, and pitching in general this postseason.
The victory left the Yankees one game away from the World Series and it is really Rodriguez that has the Yankees on the precipice of their first World Series in six years.
Rodriguez just has a different look at the plate than before. Every time up he gives off this aura that he is going to pound the ball somewhere. Even the opposing teams are noticing. Rarely do you ever see the opposing manager walk the potential winning run, but that was exactly what Mike Scoiscia did in Game 3 and it was the right move. After his home run off of Jason Bulger in the fifth Rodriguez surpassed his home run and RBI totals from his first four postseason's with the Yankees. His line for this postseason now stands at .407/.469/1.000.
Sabathia has been almost as equally dominant on the other side of the ball. The lefty continues to prove that any previous notion that he lacked the fortitude to win big games was just ludicrous. In three postseason starts Sabathia has three victories, a K:B ratio of almost 7:1 and an ERA of just 1.19. He has pitched into the seventh inning of every start and completed the eighth in the past to trips out to the hill. He has proven he can be every bit the horse he is in the regular in the playoffs if he is not worked into the ground just to get there.
Many speculated the Yankees would only go as far as Sabathia and A.J. Burnett would take them in the playoffs and while Burnett is still a big key to Yankee success, A-Rod has done much to overshadow the stellar Yankee pitching of this postseason and bring the Yankees to the brink of the World Series. If Sabathia continues to pitch the way he has and A-Rod keeps mashing it will be difficult for anyone to slow down the Bombers.
On three days rest Sabathia completely overpowered the Anaheim while Rodriguez continued to pound Angels pitching, and pitching in general this postseason.
The victory left the Yankees one game away from the World Series and it is really Rodriguez that has the Yankees on the precipice of their first World Series in six years.
Rodriguez just has a different look at the plate than before. Every time up he gives off this aura that he is going to pound the ball somewhere. Even the opposing teams are noticing. Rarely do you ever see the opposing manager walk the potential winning run, but that was exactly what Mike Scoiscia did in Game 3 and it was the right move. After his home run off of Jason Bulger in the fifth Rodriguez surpassed his home run and RBI totals from his first four postseason's with the Yankees. His line for this postseason now stands at .407/.469/1.000.
Sabathia has been almost as equally dominant on the other side of the ball. The lefty continues to prove that any previous notion that he lacked the fortitude to win big games was just ludicrous. In three postseason starts Sabathia has three victories, a K:B ratio of almost 7:1 and an ERA of just 1.19. He has pitched into the seventh inning of every start and completed the eighth in the past to trips out to the hill. He has proven he can be every bit the horse he is in the regular in the playoffs if he is not worked into the ground just to get there.
Many speculated the Yankees would only go as far as Sabathia and A.J. Burnett would take them in the playoffs and while Burnett is still a big key to Yankee success, A-Rod has done much to overshadow the stellar Yankee pitching of this postseason and bring the Yankees to the brink of the World Series. If Sabathia continues to pitch the way he has and A-Rod keeps mashing it will be difficult for anyone to slow down the Bombers.
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.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Game 1 Recap: Yankees 7, Twins 2
It didn't start the way the Yankees were hoping. While CC Sabathia had good stuff, he and Jorge Posada failed to get into a groove early on. In the first inning with Denard Span on second and Joe Mauer at the plate Sabathia uncorked a slider when Posada was looking fastball. Sabathia was able to bear down and strike out the AL Batting champ to negate the miscue.
What Sabathia could not prevent was a run from scoring when he and Posada were crossed up a second time in the third. He also couldn't prevent Posada from lallygagging to the passed ball, allowing Mauer to correct his hesitation and score the Twins second run. Posada may not like Jose Molina starting over him on Friday night, but his performance wasn't going to give Girardi too many second thoughts.
This, of course, set the stage for the Captain. After Melky Cabrera squeaked out an infield single, Derek Jeter drove a 1-0 pitch from Brian Duensing into the left-field seats to tie the game at two. From then on it was all Yankees. Sabathia found his groove and with the bats finding their stroke the Twins couldn't touch him the rest of the way. He struck out eight Twins over his 6.2 innings, dispelling myths that he could not perform on the big stage of postseason play. Sabathia made it a good night in Yankeeland.
Hell even A-Rod was hitting, that's how good things got for the Yankees. But speaking of A-Rod, can this finally stop? The constant analysis of his performance and the state of his psyche is bordering on the absurd. The reality is that players will have ten, sometimes 20 at bat stretches where they can't get themselves together. You can't take such small sample sizes, spread out over several years and say that he cannot perform in the postseason.
With those stigmas wiped clean, the onus now falls on whether A.J. Burnett and his battery mate Jose Molina measure up on Friday night.
In other news the Rockies were knocked around by the Phillies 5-1. Cliff Lee was spectacular and it is hard to envision the Rockies putting up much of a fight against the defending NL Champs. Cliff Lee was on point the entire game. So that is one way for Charlie Manual to avoid using his suspect bullpen. I would have preferred to see Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain dismantle people in the playoffs, but alas Brian Sabean has never been able to put together a decent lineup behind his ridiculous pitching staff.
The Dodgers and the Cardinals squared off in the nightcap. The Cardinals, with Chris Carpenter on the mound, dropped the opener 5-3. The scary thing about playing the Cardinals, aside from Albert Pujols, was facing Carpenter and Adam Wainwright at the top of the rotation. With Carpenter flopping in Game 1 the Cardinals are in bad shape. It seemed that every pitcher that came in for the Cards was scared of the Dodger lineup, consistantly pitching around hitters. The problem is that eventually you have to pitch to somebody.
What Sabathia could not prevent was a run from scoring when he and Posada were crossed up a second time in the third. He also couldn't prevent Posada from lallygagging to the passed ball, allowing Mauer to correct his hesitation and score the Twins second run. Posada may not like Jose Molina starting over him on Friday night, but his performance wasn't going to give Girardi too many second thoughts.
This, of course, set the stage for the Captain. After Melky Cabrera squeaked out an infield single, Derek Jeter drove a 1-0 pitch from Brian Duensing into the left-field seats to tie the game at two. From then on it was all Yankees. Sabathia found his groove and with the bats finding their stroke the Twins couldn't touch him the rest of the way. He struck out eight Twins over his 6.2 innings, dispelling myths that he could not perform on the big stage of postseason play. Sabathia made it a good night in Yankeeland.
Hell even A-Rod was hitting, that's how good things got for the Yankees. But speaking of A-Rod, can this finally stop? The constant analysis of his performance and the state of his psyche is bordering on the absurd. The reality is that players will have ten, sometimes 20 at bat stretches where they can't get themselves together. You can't take such small sample sizes, spread out over several years and say that he cannot perform in the postseason.
With those stigmas wiped clean, the onus now falls on whether A.J. Burnett and his battery mate Jose Molina measure up on Friday night.
In other news the Rockies were knocked around by the Phillies 5-1. Cliff Lee was spectacular and it is hard to envision the Rockies putting up much of a fight against the defending NL Champs. Cliff Lee was on point the entire game. So that is one way for Charlie Manual to avoid using his suspect bullpen. I would have preferred to see Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain dismantle people in the playoffs, but alas Brian Sabean has never been able to put together a decent lineup behind his ridiculous pitching staff.
The Dodgers and the Cardinals squared off in the nightcap. The Cardinals, with Chris Carpenter on the mound, dropped the opener 5-3. The scary thing about playing the Cardinals, aside from Albert Pujols, was facing Carpenter and Adam Wainwright at the top of the rotation. With Carpenter flopping in Game 1 the Cardinals are in bad shape. It seemed that every pitcher that came in for the Cards was scared of the Dodger lineup, consistantly pitching around hitters. The problem is that eventually you have to pitch to somebody.
Bring on the Twinkies
Well it took an extra two days and one hell of a playoff game, but the Yankees finally have an opponent for their Division Series. The Twins are the lucky winners of Who Wants to Play the Yankees Sweepstakes. Although I'm not sure you could call them lucky as the match up against the Yankees is a landslide on paper in favor of the bombers.
The bombers have better hitting, better starting and a bullpen that slightly outmatches a solid Twins crew led by Joe Nathan. The Twins are coming off an exhausting run to the playoffs where they had to win 17 0f 21 including a one game playoff. Now they are flying halfway across the country to take on a team they failed to defeat once this season.
Don't get me wrong, I have a lot of respect for Ron Gardenhire and the Twins ability to constantly compete for a playoff spot regardless of their roster deficiencies or when their owner decides to be absurdly cheap, but can you really choose anybody but the Yankees to win this series? Just look at the Game 1 starters: Brian Duensing vs. CC Sabathia. This is a David vs. Goliath match up in every respect for these two teams except of course for Joe Mauer.
I also think that any Yankee player who previously had post-season struggles (Sabathia/A-Rod) will be able to get beyond them in this time around. Sabathia hasn't worn himself out while carrying his team to the playoffs, and Rodriguez has had a different aura around him since he came back from hip surgery early this season. Both should be ready to step up during this October.
I've learned that in the playoffs, any team can beat any other team in such a short series, which of course is part of the problem with the MLB playoffs, but in this case I can't see the Twins pulling out more than one game. I predict the Yankees in 4.
The bombers have better hitting, better starting and a bullpen that slightly outmatches a solid Twins crew led by Joe Nathan. The Twins are coming off an exhausting run to the playoffs where they had to win 17 0f 21 including a one game playoff. Now they are flying halfway across the country to take on a team they failed to defeat once this season.
Don't get me wrong, I have a lot of respect for Ron Gardenhire and the Twins ability to constantly compete for a playoff spot regardless of their roster deficiencies or when their owner decides to be absurdly cheap, but can you really choose anybody but the Yankees to win this series? Just look at the Game 1 starters: Brian Duensing vs. CC Sabathia. This is a David vs. Goliath match up in every respect for these two teams except of course for Joe Mauer.
I also think that any Yankee player who previously had post-season struggles (Sabathia/A-Rod) will be able to get beyond them in this time around. Sabathia hasn't worn himself out while carrying his team to the playoffs, and Rodriguez has had a different aura around him since he came back from hip surgery early this season. Both should be ready to step up during this October.
I've learned that in the playoffs, any team can beat any other team in such a short series, which of course is part of the problem with the MLB playoffs, but in this case I can't see the Twins pulling out more than one game. I predict the Yankees in 4.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Walking Away With A Win
Well it took 11 innings and a few casualties, but the Yankees persevered and finished their homestand with a victory. The win gave the Yankees a 6-1 homestand and nine victories in their last 10 contests.
But the price might be a steep one for the Yankees. Derek Jeter got plunked on the foot in the first inning by a Ricky Romero curveball and you could tell from his run from first to third on Johnny Damon's single that he was not right and after his next at bat Girardi pulled the plug.
X-Rays were negative, but you would have to imagine that the Yankees will play it safe and probably sit Jeter for tomorrow's opener in an attempt to protect his health down the stretch. That could be detrimental to our other HBP victim today.
In extra innings A-Rod came to the plate and after falling behind 0-2 Toronto reliever Shawn Camp plunked him on the elbow. In spite of his protective gear A-Rod dropped like a sack-o-potatoes. He managed to stay in the game and perhaps the ball just caught his funny bone, but we all know that A-Rod needs to rest that troublesome hip. Jeter's foot contusion will complicate that rest schedule.
Even without the Captain the Yankees rode home runs from Johnny Damon and Robinson Cano. Before A.J. Burnett wild pitched away his two-run lead. The bullpen came on and kept a weak Toronto lineup on the mat for the three more innings. Chad Gaudin came on for his first appearance as a Yankee in the 10th, and after two solid innings of relief and the always rare Cano hit with runners in scoring position, he collected his first win as a Yankee.
Gaudin could be very important for the Yankees going into this stretch run. No matter what Girardi is hoping for, his old friend from the Marlins Sergio Mitre is not long for the rotation. Gaudin could step in for Mitre in the five spot or, what is more likely to happen, he can step into the bullpen and assume Alfredo Aceves role while Aceves transitions into the rotation.
It is a minor flaw with the Yankees to quibble over, but the more games they win now the sooner they can start controlling Joba's innings to keep him fresh for the post season and even continue to rest the regular starters aside from A-Rod as the Yankees endure these final two grinding months they are scheduled for.
But the price might be a steep one for the Yankees. Derek Jeter got plunked on the foot in the first inning by a Ricky Romero curveball and you could tell from his run from first to third on Johnny Damon's single that he was not right and after his next at bat Girardi pulled the plug.
X-Rays were negative, but you would have to imagine that the Yankees will play it safe and probably sit Jeter for tomorrow's opener in an attempt to protect his health down the stretch. That could be detrimental to our other HBP victim today.
In extra innings A-Rod came to the plate and after falling behind 0-2 Toronto reliever Shawn Camp plunked him on the elbow. In spite of his protective gear A-Rod dropped like a sack-o-potatoes. He managed to stay in the game and perhaps the ball just caught his funny bone, but we all know that A-Rod needs to rest that troublesome hip. Jeter's foot contusion will complicate that rest schedule.
Even without the Captain the Yankees rode home runs from Johnny Damon and Robinson Cano. Before A.J. Burnett wild pitched away his two-run lead. The bullpen came on and kept a weak Toronto lineup on the mat for the three more innings. Chad Gaudin came on for his first appearance as a Yankee in the 10th, and after two solid innings of relief and the always rare Cano hit with runners in scoring position, he collected his first win as a Yankee.
Gaudin could be very important for the Yankees going into this stretch run. No matter what Girardi is hoping for, his old friend from the Marlins Sergio Mitre is not long for the rotation. Gaudin could step in for Mitre in the five spot or, what is more likely to happen, he can step into the bullpen and assume Alfredo Aceves role while Aceves transitions into the rotation.
It is a minor flaw with the Yankees to quibble over, but the more games they win now the sooner they can start controlling Joba's innings to keep him fresh for the post season and even continue to rest the regular starters aside from A-Rod as the Yankees endure these final two grinding months they are scheduled for.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
The Best Things in Life are Free
Much like the first game of Part I of the Subway Series, the Mets gift wrapped last night's game with three errors in the second inning that lead to four Yankee runs and a seemingly insurmountable lead with CC Sabathia on the mound.
Speaking of the big guy, CC was great last night, dispelling any notion that his $160 million arm was in trouble. If Brett Gardner and A-Rod hadn't padded the Yankee lead with homers in the top of the eighth Sabathia was probably going to come out for an eighth time. CC was touching 98 on the gun and consistently threw strikes with all of his pitches. Ever since Sabathia lost to the Angels on May 2nd he has been every bit the pitcher the Yankees were expecting to get, going 6-1 with a 2.83 ERA while holding opponents to a .195 batting average.
With Yankee fans minds finally at ease we turned our full attention back to A-Rod where it belongs. He continued his rejuvenation and, after taking three walks in his first four plate appearances, smacked an opposite field blast out of cavernous Citi Field. As long as he keeps hitting balls hard to center/right center all will be well with A-Rod.
In the shadow of those big stars was little Brett Gardner. Gardner seemed to toy with the Mets, first flaring hits to left and center field before ripping a homer and a triple to right. Gardner elevated his OBP to a very respectable .374. If he can keep getting on at that rate he will be a very dangerous weapon for the Yankees. Gardner may never be more than a fourth outfielder, but he can be very dangerous in that regard. He can steal bases and play a solid center, which is more than can be said about Melky Cabrera. For the time being Gardner has won his job back from the Melk Man and with Xavier Nady out for the rest of the season he will be on the field for the foreseeable future.
Tonight matches A.J. Burnett against Tim Redding. Like the other pitching match ups, this one heavily favors the Yankees. Burnett shut the Mets down back on June 14 against Johan Santana and then had a solid start against the Marlins, allowing one earned run over 6.1 against Josh Johnson. I've only seen Tim Redding pitch once aand it was four years ago in a Yankee uniform. It was only one inning but it obviously left an impression. He gave up six runs to the Red Sox in just one inning of work.
I would expect nothing less out of Redding this time around.
Speaking of the big guy, CC was great last night, dispelling any notion that his $160 million arm was in trouble. If Brett Gardner and A-Rod hadn't padded the Yankee lead with homers in the top of the eighth Sabathia was probably going to come out for an eighth time. CC was touching 98 on the gun and consistently threw strikes with all of his pitches. Ever since Sabathia lost to the Angels on May 2nd he has been every bit the pitcher the Yankees were expecting to get, going 6-1 with a 2.83 ERA while holding opponents to a .195 batting average.
With Yankee fans minds finally at ease we turned our full attention back to A-Rod where it belongs. He continued his rejuvenation and, after taking three walks in his first four plate appearances, smacked an opposite field blast out of cavernous Citi Field. As long as he keeps hitting balls hard to center/right center all will be well with A-Rod.
In the shadow of those big stars was little Brett Gardner. Gardner seemed to toy with the Mets, first flaring hits to left and center field before ripping a homer and a triple to right. Gardner elevated his OBP to a very respectable .374. If he can keep getting on at that rate he will be a very dangerous weapon for the Yankees. Gardner may never be more than a fourth outfielder, but he can be very dangerous in that regard. He can steal bases and play a solid center, which is more than can be said about Melky Cabrera. For the time being Gardner has won his job back from the Melk Man and with Xavier Nady out for the rest of the season he will be on the field for the foreseeable future.
Tonight matches A.J. Burnett against Tim Redding. Like the other pitching match ups, this one heavily favors the Yankees. Burnett shut the Mets down back on June 14 against Johan Santana and then had a solid start against the Marlins, allowing one earned run over 6.1 against Josh Johnson. I've only seen Tim Redding pitch once aand it was four years ago in a Yankee uniform. It was only one inning but it obviously left an impression. He gave up six runs to the Red Sox in just one inning of work.
I would expect nothing less out of Redding this time around.
Friday, June 26, 2009
A-Rod Returns
It looks like the reports of A-Rod's demise were a tad premature. The beleaguered third base man managed to put together his first multi-hit game since May 25. That was his 5-5 performance against the Rangers that was suppose to signal his triumphant return to pre-surgery level. Things sorta went down hill after that.
Anyway it seems that the Mets are welcoming the Yankees to Citifield at the worst possible time. Carlos Beltran has joined the masses on the DL, Mike Pelfrey is the best pitcher throwing for the Mets all series and it seems the Yankees have finally found their swing again after it disappeared for two weeks.
Really the Yankees should sweep, but after watching the Yankees the past two weeks, the last two games haven't completely erasesd visions of unexpected shut outs against inferior pitching.
The big question for game one is, of course, CC Sabathia. Guess we'll find out how well that arm is feeling.
Anyway it seems that the Mets are welcoming the Yankees to Citifield at the worst possible time. Carlos Beltran has joined the masses on the DL, Mike Pelfrey is the best pitcher throwing for the Mets all series and it seems the Yankees have finally found their swing again after it disappeared for two weeks.
Really the Yankees should sweep, but after watching the Yankees the past two weeks, the last two games haven't completely erasesd visions of unexpected shut outs against inferior pitching.
The big question for game one is, of course, CC Sabathia. Guess we'll find out how well that arm is feeling.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Lucky Number Seven
Well it looks like Sabathia is fully past his early season woes and is ready to be the ace the Yanks need him to be the rest of the season. Another start where he goes seven and gives up fewer than two runs spells his third consecutive victory in the month of May. The continued revival of Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez meant that Sabathia got all the run support he needed and the Yankees walk away with their seventh consecutive victory.
This was supposed to be the strength of the Yankees coming into the season. The rotation was going to keep the Yankees in every game and give the offense time to explode. That's exactly what happened last night.
There isn't much to say about the offense. Mark Teixeira has gone crazy since A-Rod took the weight of the offense off of his back and all the role players are contributing at a level that is probably a little over their heads.
A-Rod is jacking out home runs and that's nice to see, but he isn't fully back yet. He is still pulling everything and you can definitely see that on a few swings where he rolls over a soft grounder to the left side or a lazy fly to center when he would normally shoot that ball into the right-center field gap.
Tonight they look to Phil Hughes. In all likelihood this is Hughes final start before he heads back to Scranton to make room for Chien-Ming Wang. His return is inevitable, but it would do good for Hughes' confidence to give the Yankees pause when filling out the paperwork. He faces an O's offense that demolished him in Baltimore the last time they met.
Hopefully the kid has watched some tape and taken a lesson or two into today.
This was supposed to be the strength of the Yankees coming into the season. The rotation was going to keep the Yankees in every game and give the offense time to explode. That's exactly what happened last night.
There isn't much to say about the offense. Mark Teixeira has gone crazy since A-Rod took the weight of the offense off of his back and all the role players are contributing at a level that is probably a little over their heads.
A-Rod is jacking out home runs and that's nice to see, but he isn't fully back yet. He is still pulling everything and you can definitely see that on a few swings where he rolls over a soft grounder to the left side or a lazy fly to center when he would normally shoot that ball into the right-center field gap.
Tonight they look to Phil Hughes. In all likelihood this is Hughes final start before he heads back to Scranton to make room for Chien-Ming Wang. His return is inevitable, but it would do good for Hughes' confidence to give the Yankees pause when filling out the paperwork. He faces an O's offense that demolished him in Baltimore the last time they met.
Hopefully the kid has watched some tape and taken a lesson or two into today.
Friday, May 8, 2009
The Return of A-Rod
Tonight A-Rod rejoins the Yankees and a huge piece of the puzzle falls into place. The Yankees have been bad without A-Rod. They haven't hit with runners in scoring position and to many rallies have ended because pitchers have reached the underbelly of the Yankee lineup that had the likes of Ramiro Pena and Jose Molina. Tonight's lineup looks closer to what it idealy would look like. Here it is courtesy of Pete Abraham:
Jeter SS
Damon LF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Matsui DH
Swisher RF
Cano 2B
Cabrera CF
Cervelli C
That lineup is deeper and more dangerous than anything they have thrown out there this season.
But problems remain. With Molina hitting the DL they Yankees find themselves devoid of almost any catching that could play everyday. Aside from the offensive hole left when Posada went down (Molina never hit much anyway), not having either of those guys means that the two new catchers, Kevin Cash and Fransisco Cervelli, have little to no experience catching any of the Yankees pitchers.
That is a huge problem as the Yankees need their pitching to turn into the dominant force it was suppose to be or the return of A-Rod will be bittersweet.
Jeter SS
Damon LF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Matsui DH
Swisher RF
Cano 2B
Cabrera CF
Cervelli C
That lineup is deeper and more dangerous than anything they have thrown out there this season.
But problems remain. With Molina hitting the DL they Yankees find themselves devoid of almost any catching that could play everyday. Aside from the offensive hole left when Posada went down (Molina never hit much anyway), not having either of those guys means that the two new catchers, Kevin Cash and Fransisco Cervelli, have little to no experience catching any of the Yankees pitchers.
That is a huge problem as the Yankees need their pitching to turn into the dominant force it was suppose to be or the return of A-Rod will be bittersweet.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
A-Rod's, Yank's season in trouble
Well it seems A-Rod has found ways to hurt the Yankees on the field now as well as off the field. Peter Abraham is reporting that not only does A-Rod now have a cyst in his hip, but he also has a torn hip labrum.
If Rodriguez had surgery to repair it now he would miss up to four months but it seems that Rodriguez and the Yanks will try to use rest and rehab to gut out the season. This could have disastrous results for the Yankees or Rodriguez could come through this a hero if he performs well with the injury.
Abraham brings up a good point on an earlier post for his blog when he notes that A-Rod has had an increase in his injury list since he supposedly went off steroids five years ago. It is definitely something that should be considered and it's definitely something the Yanks wish they knew during their last negotiating exchange in 2007.
Rodriguez and the Yankees are tied together for better or worse. Each one needs the other at this point. Hopefully A-Rod can manage the pain like he did last year. If not then all of Cashman's wheelings and dealings from this winter may have been for naught.
If Rodriguez had surgery to repair it now he would miss up to four months but it seems that Rodriguez and the Yanks will try to use rest and rehab to gut out the season. This could have disastrous results for the Yankees or Rodriguez could come through this a hero if he performs well with the injury.
Abraham brings up a good point on an earlier post for his blog when he notes that A-Rod has had an increase in his injury list since he supposedly went off steroids five years ago. It is definitely something that should be considered and it's definitely something the Yanks wish they knew during their last negotiating exchange in 2007.
Rodriguez and the Yankees are tied together for better or worse. Each one needs the other at this point. Hopefully A-Rod can manage the pain like he did last year. If not then all of Cashman's wheelings and dealings from this winter may have been for naught.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
A-Rod to stand before firing squad
Today is the big day for A-Rod as he and his fellow Yankees stand up before the media. Will he give us all the juicy details? Will he put this issue to rest and allow the Yankees to focus on baseball for once?
Probably not.
Whether it's being a masochist or whether he just has to many people whispering in his ear or maybe he just loves that it's all about him, A-Rod just doesn't know how to act like an average person and put things to bed.
Today could be the last major day of controversy for him or it could be the next step in a long line of incidents that causes the Yanks to self-destruct over the course of the year. Hopefully the fact that Andy Pettitte will remind Rodriguez of how these things should be handled. But probably not.
I may watch the press conference but then again I may just take a nap and wake up when actual baseball stuff happens.
Probably not.
Whether it's being a masochist or whether he just has to many people whispering in his ear or maybe he just loves that it's all about him, A-Rod just doesn't know how to act like an average person and put things to bed.
Today could be the last major day of controversy for him or it could be the next step in a long line of incidents that causes the Yanks to self-destruct over the course of the year. Hopefully the fact that Andy Pettitte will remind Rodriguez of how these things should be handled. But probably not.
I may watch the press conference but then again I may just take a nap and wake up when actual baseball stuff happens.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Thoughts on Steroid Admissions
So far the steroid-accused sports star has followed one of two patterns once the news breaks. Pattern numero uno: Lie that you never did it. Then the report comes out. Then there's the denial in the face of overwhelming evidence. Pattern number two: Lie that you never did it. Then the report comes out. Then you admit your PED usage and repent.
But I have often wondered what would've happened if A-Rod had just told the truth a year and a half ago. What if when he was asked the question by Katie Couric, he just said, Yeah, I did some stuff between '01-03. I'm not proud of it and I regret it. I haven't done it since. And he did this not because he had no choice because he got caught, but because it was the right thing to do and he didn't want to lie about it. What would the public perception be then?
Let me just clear up a couple of other things for the idiot media. They're jumping all over him because he said he didn't know what he took. Here's my take. He said he didn't know exactly probably because the stuff has a 17 letter name that he can't recall at the moment. He also probably ordered it by some code name like Rhino Juice or something. Furthermore, by giving the actual steroid name or by even saying the word steroids or drugs he might incriminate himself. And if the Feds want to get you, they'll get you. We all know they love a good witch hunt. That's why he kept saying, "that stuff" or "substance" in the Peter Gammons interview.
Finally, how many irritating nicknames will we see? That bastion of journalism the NY Post gave us A-Hole. I personally like A-Roid, or perhaps HGH-Rod. Is that last one too much of a stretch? Offer up your own.
But I have often wondered what would've happened if A-Rod had just told the truth a year and a half ago. What if when he was asked the question by Katie Couric, he just said, Yeah, I did some stuff between '01-03. I'm not proud of it and I regret it. I haven't done it since. And he did this not because he had no choice because he got caught, but because it was the right thing to do and he didn't want to lie about it. What would the public perception be then?
Let me just clear up a couple of other things for the idiot media. They're jumping all over him because he said he didn't know what he took. Here's my take. He said he didn't know exactly probably because the stuff has a 17 letter name that he can't recall at the moment. He also probably ordered it by some code name like Rhino Juice or something. Furthermore, by giving the actual steroid name or by even saying the word steroids or drugs he might incriminate himself. And if the Feds want to get you, they'll get you. We all know they love a good witch hunt. That's why he kept saying, "that stuff" or "substance" in the Peter Gammons interview.
Finally, how many irritating nicknames will we see? That bastion of journalism the NY Post gave us A-Hole. I personally like A-Roid, or perhaps HGH-Rod. Is that last one too much of a stretch? Offer up your own.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Confessions of Yankee Drama Queen
Well A-Rod confirmed the Selena Roberts and Dave Epstein story to an extent in his interview with Peter Gammons on ESPN. Rodriguez claims that his only transgressions with steroids occurred in the highly localized time frame of 2001-2003.
I'll give A-Rod some credit for at least admitting that he used steroids but his storyline about trying to live up to his contract will only go so far. His story reads a bit too easy and is far to hazy during all of the important parts for it to be truly believable.
It was a easy choice for A-Rod to admit his use as he has several examples to draw from in the Steroid Era's recent history. I'm sure he and Scott Boras looked at the cases of Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens juxtaposed to the tales of Andy Pettitte and Jason Giambi. It was a no-brainer.
But what is ridiculous is that as A-Rod tries to jump out of the pot he may have just jumped into the fire. During his interview he attacked the co-author of the breaking story Selena Roberts. Now it isn't that surprising that A-Rod would go after Roberts given the fact that she helped break this story and is currently writing a book that supposedly will not paint A-Rod in a very good light.
But it is surprising that he made claims that are quite serious and easily proven or disproved. From the transcript at ESPN A-Rod made these claims:
I'm not sure why Peter Gammons failed to follow up on that juicy tidbit but I'm sure we will here plenty about it especially since Roberts has already adamantly denied the allegations.
Hopefully this admission of guilt expedites the process and baseball will move on. The more it gets talked about the worse it is for baseball. Hopefully some good things come out of this though. Maybe the MLBPA starts to lose some of its struggle-hold on baseball. Maybe Bud Selig gets fired (I wish but not likely). If anything perhaps baseball starts to really take a look at itself and decides that it doesn't like what it sees and changes are made because fans wont be able to endure much more of this steroid ridiculousness.
Update 9:02: Bad news for A-Rod. Pete Abraham, fresh off of a one week vacation, noted that Selena Roberts was not cited for any of the transgressions A-Rod claims she was. I hope A-Rod has his copies handy.
I'll give A-Rod some credit for at least admitting that he used steroids but his storyline about trying to live up to his contract will only go so far. His story reads a bit too easy and is far to hazy during all of the important parts for it to be truly believable.
It was a easy choice for A-Rod to admit his use as he has several examples to draw from in the Steroid Era's recent history. I'm sure he and Scott Boras looked at the cases of Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens juxtaposed to the tales of Andy Pettitte and Jason Giambi. It was a no-brainer.
But what is ridiculous is that as A-Rod tries to jump out of the pot he may have just jumped into the fire. During his interview he attacked the co-author of the breaking story Selena Roberts. Now it isn't that surprising that A-Rod would go after Roberts given the fact that she helped break this story and is currently writing a book that supposedly will not paint A-Rod in a very good light.
But it is surprising that he made claims that are quite serious and easily proven or disproved. From the transcript at ESPN A-Rod made these claims:
I mean, what makes me upset is that Sports Illustrated pays this lady, Selena Roberts, to stalk me. This lady has been thrown out of my apartment in New York City. This lady has five days ago just been thrown out of the University of Miami police for trespassing. And four days ago she tried to break into my house where my girls are up there sleeping, and got cited by the Miami Beach police. I have the paper here. This lady is coming out with all these allegations, all these lies because she's writing an article for Sports Illustrated and she's coming out with a book in May.That's some pretty heavy stuff to throw at someone. Now A-Rod claims to have some paperwork regarding the incident and for his sake I hope he does because right after he said that I'm guessing that the University of Miami and the Miami Beach police probably got a 1,000 phone calls.
I'm not sure why Peter Gammons failed to follow up on that juicy tidbit but I'm sure we will here plenty about it especially since Roberts has already adamantly denied the allegations.
Hopefully this admission of guilt expedites the process and baseball will move on. The more it gets talked about the worse it is for baseball. Hopefully some good things come out of this though. Maybe the MLBPA starts to lose some of its struggle-hold on baseball. Maybe Bud Selig gets fired (I wish but not likely). If anything perhaps baseball starts to really take a look at itself and decides that it doesn't like what it sees and changes are made because fans wont be able to endure much more of this steroid ridiculousness.
Update 9:02: Bad news for A-Rod. Pete Abraham, fresh off of a one week vacation, noted that Selena Roberts was not cited for any of the transgressions A-Rod claims she was. I hope A-Rod has his copies handy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)