pinstripepress

Another nice victory for the boys in pinstripes yesterday, as they defeated the Rays 5-1. Posada smacked one for a solo shot in the 3rd inning (DH’d), then he followed that up with a RBI-double to center in the 5th - not too shabby Jorge. Some other worthy moments - Tex had his first hit as a Yankee, Nady doubled, and big Shelley Duncan shalacked a 3-run homer in the 7th. Duncan’s an interesting player…he’ll go a week without a hit, and then all of a sudden he’ll hit a game-winning shot into the 10th row. He’ll have to probably have to have a pretty convincing spring to make the team, but I’m rooting for him - I think him and Swish would have a ball together (plus you always need a deep bench). On the pitching side of things, Hughes had a nice outing, throwing 2 scoreless/hitless innings, and struck out one. Coke (the mystery lefty) also threw 2 scoreless innings, and Bruney (determined to be the set-up man) threw a perfect 5th, striking out one.

Today we take on the Twins, as Ian Kennedy will take a crack at it this spring - there’s a very slight chance that he will end up on this roster, unless he has an absolutley phenomenal month. He’s going to really have to earn his stripes if he wants to see time again in the majors, since he really tanked last year. He, unlike Hughes, has to depend on command more than anything. He can hit the low-90’s at most, but if he hits his spots and changes speeds, he could be effective in this league - let’s face it, there’s been successful pitchers with less velocity than he’s got throughout the years.

Let’s keep it going guys, I like what I’m seeing.

So the Yanks came out blazin’ yesterday - Tomko pitched decently, Gardner led off the game with a dinger, and then A-Rod belted one to shut some of the hecklers up. We got a ways to go before we can get gitty about our boys, but it was a nice start to spring-training with a 6-1 victory. Now, on to today…

My boy, Phil Hughes, is taking on the defending AL-champion Rays - I’m really looking forward to seeing how he looks in a live game. I’ve been saying for a while that I think he will emerge this year, and end up in the rotation, so that quest begins today. I realize it’s only an exhibition, but some things to watch are his command, velocity, and if he gets back that calm/collected look on the mound. Can you imagine if he finally pitches the way we thought he would, and then we could potentially have a rotation including 4 home-grown guys?

By the way, the monument of “The Babe” was officially moved to the new stadium - God bless.

http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?mid=200902253963205

Hey folks - sorry about the lack of posts so far this week, but I’m back full-force. Ready for spring-training baseball? You better be…cause our Bombers are taking on the Jays today, with Brett Tomko getting the start (fighting for a long-relief role). A-Rod will take his share of boos and move on, Gardner will begin his test in an attempt to start everyday, Derek will be Derek, and some of the new faces will break in those Yankee uniforms.

The rotation has already been set by Joe Girardi, and as expected, it will look like this: Sabathia, Wang, Burnett, Pettitte, Chamberlain. Something that really hasn’t been talked about is the fact that the Yankees have 2 good left-handed starters in the rotation, basically for the first time since Wells was still here 6 years ago. How many teams can say that they have 2 good lefties? Hardly any. Something else that’s been reported is that Joba will probably not be allowed to go past 6 innings in a game, which is pretty ridiculous. You gotta come to a point where you let these kids pitch, I mean are you telling me that if Joba’s throwing a no-no through 6, you won’t let him go out for the 7th? Stop it with the baby games. You gotta be cautious, but you gotta be logical about it.

I do like how Girardi had a team-outing the other day, where they took some time off the field and played some pool - he realizes that you need chemistry in order to win, it doesn’t matter what names you have on the stat sheet. Girardi was part of that great feeling with the 90’s teams, and he knows how important it is. This team has a chance to have that fun-like bunch, with the combination of veterans, youth, and role-players.

 By the way, I just checked the boxscore from the game today, and Gardner already led off with a homer - nice start. 40 days until opening day.

I know that you want me to respond to the newest A-Rod info that came out about some guy that followed him around on road trips in 07′ and what not, but I’m not going to. The fact of the matter is, we will have to deal with this all year. All I can do is root for the uniform, and the players that I have respect for, but I can tell you that I do not have much for him. With that said, I’m sooo ready for baseball and nice weather - after feeling the arctic-like wind hit my face today, I’m even more anxious.

C.C. Sabathia will most likely be the opening day starter, surprise! He threw a little batting practice session yesterday, throwing 30 pitches at 80% velocity against some of the minor league guys. He mostly was working on locating his 4-seam and 2-seam fastball, and according to Girardi, he looked sharp already. Sabathia was taking some pointers, having some discussions with Andy Pettitte, which is a nice thing to see from a team early. I also like the fact that he seems pretty playful out there, like he really enjoys playing the game - check it out…

Big George Steinbrenner made an appearance yesterday, which is always a headline around here. The last few years George has not really been as involved or accessible because of his declining health, but he’s still got a huge amount of respect from the players and coaching staff on this team.
Girardi spoke with him, and then Steinbrenner was interested in meeting some of the new faces - a moment that must be somewhat intimidating for those guys, I don’t care who you are.

Then former centerfielder Bernie Williams showed his face, since he’s working out for the WBC and attempting to make a name for himself on team Puerto Rico. It must’ve been a lot of fun though, having him back to throw the ball around with and talk about the old days, especially for the core guys like Derek, Andy, and Jorge. Bernie also spent time talking with big George, and apparently it was the longest he could ever remember sitting down with him.

Definitely some nice moments from Tampa, it almost gives me the chills.

As we try to transition from Alex Rodriguez news to real baseball discussions, manager Joe Girardi has come out with some statements regarding the team’s upcoming approach to the season. It appears that Hideki Matsui will strictly DH from now on (which I completely agree with), and newly added Mark Teixeira will hit 3rd, in front of Alex Rodriguez. My opinion on the latter is that I think a guy of Teixeira’s ability should be used to protect A-Rod - PLUS he will have a great opportunity to drive A-Rod in (being the great baserunner that he is). However, Girardi is probably trying to mix up the righties and lefties, so he would hit a lefty/righty/lefty/righty to start the line-up. Now, if Cano explodes the way many think this year, you can stick him in the 3-hole and still have lefty/righty/lefty/righty, while Tex hits behind A-Rod at #5.

Matsui will be interesting to watch, because if he takes off and shows that he can endure the season without injury, he could very well be dealt during the year to a team that needs offense (specifically in the American League) - that would free up some space on the roster and continue to drive the team in the direction of getting younger/athletic. He’s in the final year of his contract, so we will have to see how that sounds to teams around the league (maybe Seattle will be in the race by the break, and be intrigued to add Matsui to a line-up that now has Griffey back).

Last on the list today is the pursuit of an unknown Mexican pitcher named Walter Silva - apparently he put up quite a showing in the Mexican Winter League, striking out 29 guys in 35 innings. He’s 32-years-old, right-handed, and currently belongs to the Monterrey club. Maybe this could be another El Duque situation, where we can grab this guy while he’s still in his early 30’s and add to the depth of the staff? I have no idea if he can pitch in this league, but if it’s not too much of an expense, it’s worth a look.

Well, as I’m sure you’ve noticed, I did not post anything yesterday after our long weekend because of all the chaos going on with the press conference and what not. I quite frankly wanted to wait until after everything was said until I posted a reaction, so here it is - no matter what, we’re stuck with the circus act that is Alex Rodriguez. Whether you love him or hate him, he’s here for the next 9 years. I think his teammates, especially Derek Jeter, now realize that - this would explain the immediate support that Rodriguez is suddenly receiving.

I’m really hoping the team can play with a chip on their shoulder and feed off of this, and play as a real unit - otherwise, something has to happen in order to mask this distraction, such as a season-ending injury to A-Rod. Again, I know, this sounds insane, but it may be the only way that we can get through the year without this guy dragging down the chemistry of the team.

Everyone knew that they wouldn’t be satisfied with what he had to say yesterday, there was never going to be a full admission. Not from a guy of this stature, and not from a guy with this type of ego. I know that the Yankees were trying to prevent a media storm from occurring, so in turn they refused to allow follow-up questions. This is only going to fuel the fire, because now they’re going to come back for more and hound him until he breaks. Jeter will get his questions out of the way today, but that doesn’t mean he won’t get more questions asked during the year because of something else A-Rod said or did. Now Rodriguez brought his family member into the equation, which will be another side story for a while. It just never ends. 

So Yankee fans, let’s pray that this is not indeed the curse of Alex Rodriguez that has been cast upon us…remember, Babe Ruth was sold to the Yankees by Boston, and then they had to deal with 86 years of pain…and now A-Rod was supposed to be dealt to Boston, but it didn’t go through, then ended up here…any connection? The guy’s a great player, but maybe this goes deeper than that…maybe it’s a disaster in disguise. 

Happy Valentine’s Eve ladies and gents! As the rest of the players get ready to report to spring training on Tuesday, we begin this journey once again…the quest for #27. This is why Joe Girardi chose to wear 27 on his back when he took the job, and this is why we watch the games and devote 6 months out of our lives. I will admit that I was young when we won those championships in the 90’s, and I wasn’t able to fully appreciate the greatness of winning. Now I know how difficult it really is, and I am more than ready to embrace a championship in this city - in fact, I will be front and center at the parade if we are blessed enough to win it again.

Girardi has a full plate this season, lots of expectations. He even acknowledged the fact that he wouldn’t be brought back as manager if they failed to make the playoffs this time around, so everyone knows how serious 2009 really is. The Yanks are obviously coming off their first missed playoff appearance technically since 1993, and they’ve made major additions to the team, not to mention the fact that Alex Rodriguez will be hounded all year for what he did. Oh yea, and Torre’s book. All we’re missing is a couple of clowns and an elephant spitting water out of its trunk. All of this aside, Girardi seems to be ready to play some winning baseball - the kind that they played in 1996 when he tripled off of Greg Maddux in game 6.

There’s another guy in pinstripes that has been out-spoken and very confident about the upcoming season - our savior, Joba Chamberlain. It remains to be seen how Joba does as a starting pitcher over the course of 162 games, but there’s one thing we know - he’s going to help this team in one way or another. He is exactly what this new breed of Yankees needed, and whether he becomes the next Josh Beckett or Goose Gossage, he’s extremely prepared with what is expected of him in New York. Joba’s been fully supportive of A-Rod, and has the right mind-set going into this - just play winning baseball, and let everything else fall where it may.

Well, we will talk again on Tuesday - so crack open your beverage of choice, grab a hotdog, and get ready for spring training. Oh, and don’t forget to get some flowers and candy for your loved one tomorrow.

So if you had to pick one guy to give you a surprisingly solid year (much like Moose of  2008), who would it be? My choice is the same player that I’ve felt strongly about for a while, and that’s former #1 prospect, Phil Hughes. I think this kid has really got major league stuff, and he’s flashed moments of brilliance on the mound (remember the no-no he was throwing against a stacked Texas line-up). Many people have given up on him, since he hasn’t blossomed overnight - listen, this doesn’t always happen people. Joba Chamberlain is a very, very, very rare scenario. You have to give players time to develop, and for God’s sake, Hughes is still 22 (23 in June). He was pretty impressive in the Arizona Fall League, and reports were saying that he was hitting 95 mph again on the gun.

My opinion is that he wasn’t the same after that hamstring injury, and that he could just now be getting back the strength in his legs in order to drive off the rubber effectively. We’ve all seen his curve that drops off the earth, and as long as he masters a change-up, he’ll have a money arsenal. My final prediction for Hughes: he starts out as the 6th starter/long-man, and then emerges as the 4th/5th starter, going 14-7 with a 3.75 ERA.

Now, we move on to who WILL NOT surprise you this year, and that’s Eric Duncan. What the heck happened to this kid? Is he even conscious? The once highly-coveted 2003 first-round pick has really fallen off since then, and has very little relevance in the Yankee system at the moment. He was made available in the Rule 5 draft, but wasn’t taken - the Eric Duncan stock has crumbled like an oreo cookie. According to sources, Duncan was taking balls in the outfield on Friday, attempting to expand his versatility on his quest to the major league roster. This will not matter one little bit if he can’t hit on a consistent basis, bottom line. Final prediction for Duncan: withers away in the minors, hitting .240 with 10 dingers and 45 RBI.

Finally, there’s an interesting 19-year-old prospect that you may want to focus on, since he could be taking over as the Bombers’ back-stop in a few years. His name is Jesus Montero, and he arguably could be the top position-player in the system right now. He’s a pretty big kid, standing at 6′3″ and 230 lbs, so I’d imagine that he’s got major league power at the plate. No one really knew how much Posada was going to contribute when he first came up, but let’s hope that Montero could have half the career in pinstripes as he did.

A-Rod, Shmay-Rod - let’s talk some baseball. Let’s first take a moment to say thanks for the memories Mr. Abreu, as he has signed a 1-year deal with the Angels - you had a pretty solid couple of years here (not defensively). Now, I saw an article recently about former Angels/Cards 2nd baseman Adam Kennedy being released? Correct me if I’m wrong, but this guy’s a pretty good player, and I would be more than happy to pick him up as a rock-solid bench/role-player.

Kennedy hits left-handed, throws right-handed, and has been used at other positions besides 2nd (all good defensive percentages). He’s almost got a .280 career BA, and only averages 80 strikeouts a season. I think he’s a perfect guy to stick on the bench to improve the depth on this team, and he’s certainly got big-game experience (won a ring with the 02′ Angels). Think about it Cash-man.

Another guy just dwindling out there in free agency STILL is Ben Sheets - I know the guy’s a walking injury, but wow, I thought he’d be signed way before February 11th. We’re about to watch pitchers and catchers report to camp, and this front-line ace is sitting at home with no team to play for. Here’s a thought - since NO ONE is giving him serious consideration so far, make him a nice 1-year offer to come here. If he says no, fine, we have our rotation set. If he says yes, then there’s another arm to deepen our staff, and a shut-down #1 guy if healthy. Not much to lose, only a lot to gain.

There isn’t much else going on with the Bombers as of late, except the Alex Rodriguez saga, so we shall continue talks for at least one more day at the Pinstripe Press. The Yankees were quite supportive in their statements, as well as Jorge and Derek. That’s one positive step in the right direction - maybe these guys really could rally around him and go try to win a championship?

I mean let’s be serious here, if this Yankee team put all this garbage aside and just went out and played baseball everyday, there’s no reason they shouldn’t at least win the pennant. BUT, as we all know, there’s a lot that goes into having a winning season. Alex Rodriguez needs to STOP caring about numbers, he needs to STOP caring about how he looks at the plate, and START playing baseball the way we all learned as kids. Go out there and have FUN, be a TEAM-PLAYER, and forget all the MONEY that’s involved.

If this guy can do all these things, then we will have a very very good season. If not, then it’s going to be a big fat distraction all year long. Another big factor this year could be sticking Teixeira behind him in the line-up, because that will really create a good opportunity to see some nice pitches to connect on. Again, Alex Rodriguez MUST clear his mind for all of this to take a turn for the better. He’s gotta lose the robotic behavior, and act like a human-being that just wants to play winning baseball.

We’re just a few days from pitchers and catchers reporting to camp, so it’d be nice if all of this could be pushed to the side so we can talk about real baseball. BUT that will not be the case, so A-Rod is the only one that can diffuse this situation and show what he’s really made of from here on out.