This weekend was a little all over the place for the Yankees. After a rainout of Friday they easily could have taken the first two games against the Rays and the easily could have lost both, but instead the have so far settled for the split. Tonight is the rubber match between the two and I will be on hand in person to get my first look at the new stadium.
I was hoping for a better match up than Andy Pettitte vs. Andy Sonnanstine, but that's better than almost every game I went to last year when I had to endure the likes of Sidney Ponson and Darrell Rasner. Pettitte needs to get back on track and prove that his back is fine after he tweeked it in Cleveland. Phil Hughes should be waiting in the wings if the Yankees need him, and the reality is he needs to get some work in since he has thrown exactly zero innings since Wang took his spot in the rotation.
So its off to the city and I'll report back later with some photos and my thoughts on the new Yankee Stadium.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Will 300 Every be Seen Again?
With Randy Johnson on the doorstep of 300 career victories, it brings to light the discussion about whether or not we will every see a 300 game winner in the major leagues again. Many will probably claim that we will never see a 300 game winner again, that pitchers are too soft now and don't get enough starts or decisions.
The fact of the matter is that this was probably being said by all the writers on the same day the Nolan Ryan went for his 300th career victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on July 31, 1990. It would be another 13 years before we saw another 300 game winner. Oh and before the five winners we saw in the 1980s, there had not been a pitcher to crack the three century mark in almost 20 years when the gap was between Earl Wynn in 1963 and Gaylord Perry in 1982.
There is a reason 300 game winners are so special and it's because they are so rare. It's a formidable achievement, like 3,000 hits or what 500 home runs was, and it is usually only accomplished two or three times a generation.
Someday there will be another and it will be just as impressive then as it is now.
Trying to predict who will somehow stay healthy for the next 15 years and win 200 games is a feeble practice that should be avoided. It is less likely that the established great pitchers of this generation reach that plateau than it is for the unestablished youth.
Hell Dwight Gooden had over 150 wins when he was 28 and he failed to win even 50 more games over the remainder of his career.
300 wins will happen again. Pitchers today make up for their lack of starts a season by pitching more seasons in their careers and using newer forms of surgery, training and medical technology to stay healthy and effective. Is it beyond the realm of possibility that Felix Hernandez somehow pitches another 20 years and average 13 wins a season? It is unlikely, but it isn't something you can rule out and you can't rule out ever seeing a 300 game winner again.
The fact of the matter is that this was probably being said by all the writers on the same day the Nolan Ryan went for his 300th career victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on July 31, 1990. It would be another 13 years before we saw another 300 game winner. Oh and before the five winners we saw in the 1980s, there had not been a pitcher to crack the three century mark in almost 20 years when the gap was between Earl Wynn in 1963 and Gaylord Perry in 1982.
There is a reason 300 game winners are so special and it's because they are so rare. It's a formidable achievement, like 3,000 hits or what 500 home runs was, and it is usually only accomplished two or three times a generation.
Someday there will be another and it will be just as impressive then as it is now.
Trying to predict who will somehow stay healthy for the next 15 years and win 200 games is a feeble practice that should be avoided. It is less likely that the established great pitchers of this generation reach that plateau than it is for the unestablished youth.
Hell Dwight Gooden had over 150 wins when he was 28 and he failed to win even 50 more games over the remainder of his career.
300 wins will happen again. Pitchers today make up for their lack of starts a season by pitching more seasons in their careers and using newer forms of surgery, training and medical technology to stay healthy and effective. Is it beyond the realm of possibility that Felix Hernandez somehow pitches another 20 years and average 13 wins a season? It is unlikely, but it isn't something you can rule out and you can't rule out ever seeing a 300 game winner again.
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.
Beckett Schools Tigers
Josh Beckett went the first 7 2/3 last night without a hit before Curtis Granderson broke up the no-no bid. It's very encouraging to see this return to form for Beckett over his past few starts, especially with the Sox starters floundering a bit so far this season. In the eighth, Beckett looked gassed, but after the no-hitter was broken up and a 25 minute wait as the Sox put up a crooked number in the top half of the inning, it was understandable. Boston held on to win 10-5.
When Beckett can calm down a little and get in a zone, he's as nasty as they come. The thing that prevents him from being in the upper echelon with the likes of Halladay and Santana is his inconsistency. Last night, he didn't over throw and was painting the corners time and time again.
The Sox and Tigers had comparable records entering the series, but Boston has asserted themselves in these past two games. Detroit doesn't look to be on the same level as Boston right now.
It was good to see David Ortiz contribute last night with a two run double. Over the past two games he's had a number of drives get swallowed up by the shift or die at the warning track in that colossal park. A couple of those balls would've been out at Fenway. At least he's been hitting the ball hard.
When Beckett can calm down a little and get in a zone, he's as nasty as they come. The thing that prevents him from being in the upper echelon with the likes of Halladay and Santana is his inconsistency. Last night, he didn't over throw and was painting the corners time and time again.
The Sox and Tigers had comparable records entering the series, but Boston has asserted themselves in these past two games. Detroit doesn't look to be on the same level as Boston right now.
It was good to see David Ortiz contribute last night with a two run double. Over the past two games he's had a number of drives get swallowed up by the shift or die at the warning track in that colossal park. A couple of those balls would've been out at Fenway. At least he's been hitting the ball hard.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Matsuzaka Gets His First Win
Although he still allowed too many base runners and only went five innings, Daisuke pitched relatively well in the Sox 5-1 win over Detroit. He walked six, yet I didn't feel the angst I usually do when he pitches. His stuff looked good, and when he went after hitters he made a few look silly.
Of course the bullpen had to pick him up. They did a good job until Papelbon loaded the bases in the ninth with no outs before battling to strike out the next three batters. He got some bad luck when Magglio Ordonez hit a broken bat bloop single to lead off the inning. However, I'm growing a little weary of these 45 minute long ninth innings from Paps lately.
The Sox have been doing some interesting things with their lineup recently. They have Pedroia leading off with Ellsbury batting eighth. It helps to turn the line up over quicker. This way when you get to the eighth spot, it's like you have to start over again. Ellsbury serves a lead off role, followed by Nick Green, then your at Pedroia again, and J.D. Drew is effectively a clean up hitter. It makes the lineup very tough to pitch through. I hope Francona sticks with it for a while. I'd like to see where it goes.
Finally, congrats to Terry Francona on his 500th win as Red Sox manager.
Of course the bullpen had to pick him up. They did a good job until Papelbon loaded the bases in the ninth with no outs before battling to strike out the next three batters. He got some bad luck when Magglio Ordonez hit a broken bat bloop single to lead off the inning. However, I'm growing a little weary of these 45 minute long ninth innings from Paps lately.
The Sox have been doing some interesting things with their lineup recently. They have Pedroia leading off with Ellsbury batting eighth. It helps to turn the line up over quicker. This way when you get to the eighth spot, it's like you have to start over again. Ellsbury serves a lead off role, followed by Nick Green, then your at Pedroia again, and J.D. Drew is effectively a clean up hitter. It makes the lineup very tough to pitch through. I hope Francona sticks with it for a while. I'd like to see where it goes.
Finally, congrats to Terry Francona on his 500th win as Red Sox manager.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Bats Back Burnett
With the support of a season-high 12 runs from his bats, A.J. Burnett battled through seven innings to put the Yankees 10 games over .500 for the first time this season. Burnett actually pitched fairly well in every inning except the third inning.
Burnett was having trouble commanding his breaking pitches for most of the night and with two outs in the third he walked Michael Young. It seemed innocent enough at the time, but two batters later a two-run lead became a one-run deficit. If not for the fact that the opposing pitcher was Vincente Padilla, then the Yankees might of been in for a long night. But Padilla was on the mound making his first start since May 16.
Padilla's control was worse than Burnett's and the Yankees let him off the hook in the first and second innings. The Yankees seemed to wake up though, after Padilla plunked Teixeira for the second time and Tex took out Elvis Andrus at second on a hard, but clean, take out slide to break up a potential double play grounder from A-Rod.
A Robinson Cano single knocked Padilla from the game and two batters later Hideki Matsui jacked a Derek Holland offering into the right-center field seats to put the game away.
Burnett settled down the rest of the way and a Posada three-run homer gave the Yankees a lead even Jose Veras couldn't throw away. For all the inconsistency that Burnett has shown with the Yankees, he has given them depth in almost every start. In nine of his 11 starts he has gone six innings or more. The Yankees rotation has done a good job at hiding the bullpen from the opposition and Burnett is definitely been part of that.
Tomorrow Andy Pettitte will take the ball and try to give the Yankees a mini win streak with three in a row. The Yanks will also get a good view of his back and whether or not it's a serious issue. I would also expect to see Wang at some point tomorrow and if they jump on Scott Feldman early then Pettitte may not go deep into the game.
Figure they have to give Wang innings somehow.
Burnett was having trouble commanding his breaking pitches for most of the night and with two outs in the third he walked Michael Young. It seemed innocent enough at the time, but two batters later a two-run lead became a one-run deficit. If not for the fact that the opposing pitcher was Vincente Padilla, then the Yankees might of been in for a long night. But Padilla was on the mound making his first start since May 16.
Padilla's control was worse than Burnett's and the Yankees let him off the hook in the first and second innings. The Yankees seemed to wake up though, after Padilla plunked Teixeira for the second time and Tex took out Elvis Andrus at second on a hard, but clean, take out slide to break up a potential double play grounder from A-Rod.
A Robinson Cano single knocked Padilla from the game and two batters later Hideki Matsui jacked a Derek Holland offering into the right-center field seats to put the game away.
Burnett settled down the rest of the way and a Posada three-run homer gave the Yankees a lead even Jose Veras couldn't throw away. For all the inconsistency that Burnett has shown with the Yankees, he has given them depth in almost every start. In nine of his 11 starts he has gone six innings or more. The Yankees rotation has done a good job at hiding the bullpen from the opposition and Burnett is definitely been part of that.
Tomorrow Andy Pettitte will take the ball and try to give the Yankees a mini win streak with three in a row. The Yanks will also get a good view of his back and whether or not it's a serious issue. I would also expect to see Wang at some point tomorrow and if they jump on Scott Feldman early then Pettitte may not go deep into the game.
Figure they have to give Wang innings somehow.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Teixeira's Monster Month of May
Mark Teixeira's monster May has been chronicled ad nauseum and it should be. His return to form, along with the return of Alex Rodriguez, led to a significant turnaround for this Yankee team. Since A-Rod's return in Baltimore, Teixeira has hit at a .371 clip with 11 dingers and 29 RBI in just 22 games. Not coincidentally the Yankees are 16-6 in those games and are currently sitting atop the AL East.
Teixeira's return didn't necessarily lead to the Yankees scoring more runs, but it led to the Yankees playing with more confidence offensively. This could be in part why they were able to rally late in numerous May victories.
Teixeira deserves to win a Player of the Month award for May, but will likely fall short to Joe Mauer's absurd month that saw him hit .414 and get on base half the times he came to the plate, not to mention the 11 homers he hit. But this is the Mark Teixeira every Yankee fan was dreaming of when they stole him from the Sox.
Teixeira's return didn't necessarily lead to the Yankees scoring more runs, but it led to the Yankees playing with more confidence offensively. This could be in part why they were able to rally late in numerous May victories.
Teixeira deserves to win a Player of the Month award for May, but will likely fall short to Joe Mauer's absurd month that saw him hit .414 and get on base half the times he came to the plate, not to mention the 11 homers he hit. But this is the Mark Teixeira every Yankee fan was dreaming of when they stole him from the Sox.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)