pinstripepress

The bottom line is this - I’ve reached the decision that this team has been run badly since Brian Cashman has become the GM. Sorry Brian, I used to defend you, but the proof is in the pudding. Since 2001, this team transformed and went the completely wrong route. Things need to change drastically if we ever want to get back to greatness, because Boston has taken over.

So in game 1 of this series, we were given a gift in the 7th inning, and late came back to win the game. Last night, we were given a gift AGAIN, but this time the manager’s lack of common sense prevented any comeback. Here’s the scenario - Teixeira gets a big hit, then Gardner pin-runs for him, then proceeds to steal 2nd and 3rd (loved that). Next, A-Rod walks, so you have a man on 1st and 3rd with only 1 out. Cano comes to the plate, and he’s been swinging a pretty hot bat - now wouldn’t you think Girardi would send A-Rod to 2nd, knowing that Gardner is on 3rd with 1 out and he could score if the Nats threw down to 2nd?!  Common sense would tell you that he would, but the fact remains, he didn’t send him. Instead, Cano grounds into a game-ending double-play (after a great at-bat). Extremely frustrating to watch.

Let’s talk about the other part of this game, which was Wang’s performance. Even though he ended up surrendering 3 runs in 5 innings, there were some good signs from the Taiwanese hurler. After getting  a little loose out there, Wang was definitely getting the ball down consistently, and he was producing nothing but ground-balls - very good sign. The velocity was kind of ranging from 91-94, which isn’t bad, and the slider was looking good too. I think he may finally be realizing that he needs to mix up his pitches, instead of constantly forcing the sinker in there. To me, he earned his next start in Atlanta, but he needs to continue to build his confidence to the level that you won’t have to be concerned anymore when he takes the mound. If you can get him pitching well with C.C., Burnett, get Andy straightened out, make Hughes a permanent starter, and throw Joba back in the pen where he belongs….then we’re really gonna be cookin’ with gas.

Today the Yanks are “supposedly” playing the final game of the series, but the rain may throw that idea right in the toilet. It is supposed to be Joba against Stammen, but we’ll see what happens in a few. Either way, we’re taking on the Marlins next, a team that we owe a lifetime-beating from the 03′ World Series (even though they’re a completely different team now).

P.S.   Keep Cervelli catching, trade Matsui, and DH Posada!

Ok, so now we’ve lost 7 straight to Boston, and 1 game behind 1st-place. Believe it or not, things could be a lot worse. We could be 6 games out on top of all this, so let’s take a deep breath. With that said, I am extremely disappointed with our inability to win these games, because we should’ve won at least 3 of the 7. Last night we battled and battled, but it was too little-too late. The best thing I took out of it was Teixeira’s performance - I’m really becoming a big fan of this guy, and he’s showing me a lot. I think he may easily be the best acquistion in about 13 years for this team, and I’m really impressed with his toughness. Most times you don’t know about a guy’s composure and mindset until you watch them for a while, and I’ve seen plenty already. Alex Rodriguez on the other hand, even though he’s looked at as the most gifted athlete in the game, shows me NOTHING. Yea, he’s had a couple of big hits this year, and he’s smacked some homers, but that’s about it. He looks like a limp…you know what. If he pops up to the infield tonight, I will throw up in my mouth!

Let’s transition to the most important topic from last night, the pitching. Wang’s velocity was there, but his control was horrid, and his confidence has clearly been deflated. This guy used to not be phased by annnnything, but since this injury, he’s a different person. Being that his next start would probably be against Washington, I think you should leave him in the rotation - I know it sounds crazy after what he’s shown, but MAYBE if he can get a good start like that under his belt, he can get on a roll from there. Now, piggy-backing on that, Phil Hughes should be in the rotation and Joba Chamberlain needs to be in the bullpen. I’ve gone back and forth a little about Joba, but can you imagine if we had him being dominant again in the pen, and teamed him with Bruney, Aceves, Coke, and Mo?! Coke has really shown his toughness again of late, so that could be a very respectable bullpen once Bruney returns. Hughes has also shown that he’s grown, and did not look phased at all in Boston (always a positive). He’s threw strikes, he had life on the fastball, and only made 1 mistake to Youkilis - otherwise the game was ours. Anyway, he should be a permanent starter with this team, case closed.

Tonight is a big game for many reasons - first of all, we have to show these idiots that we can beat them; secondly, Sabathia was brought here to win this type of game and he needs to keep the ace-worthy performances going; and lastly, we can tie again for the division-lead going into the Mets series. Don’t get me wrong, I think we can still beat up the Mets if we lost tonight, but it just isn’t good for team morale. Come on boys, get it done.

Excellent victory by the Bronx Bombers! As we enter Boston tonight for a BIG 3-game series, we lead by 1 game and currently hold first place. We hand the baseball to A.J. Burnett, a guy that the Yankees brass took a chance on knowing that he had good numbers against the Red Sox, and a guy that Girardi purposely put in this game. He really needs to set the tone for the series, go out there, and put on a clinic against these cocky Bostonians. Burnett cannot leave the fastball over the plate, because these guys feast on those - he must instead hit the corners, mix in that nasty curve, and challenge the hitters without leaving the ball on a tee. If he can do that and give us 6-7 innings, I’ll be thrilled. I’m not asking for a complete-game shut-out, just a solid outing while giving us a chance to win.

Now, we all know that Boston has gritty hitters that rarely give at-bats away, but our line-up is superior to theirs right now. The way we’re hitting, and even more importantly coming up with timely hits, we should be able to score runs in this series and give our starters some good support. We hit Beckett pretty well the last time we saw him here, but the pitching couldn’t hold the lead - now that we’re playing well and they’ve struggled a bit at Fenway, the tables may turn.

I am slightly concerned about the bullpen and its consistency, but I think with Hughes putting on that show last night, we may be able to survive and get enough good performances between him, Aceves, Coke, and Mo. We also have to be aggressive on the basepaths and make them make plays. If we do all that, we can take 2 out of 3 and move on to the rest of our season before we see them again in August - again, not asking for a sweep, just win the damn series.

Let’s get back to this….

The Yanks once again rallied yesterday to come back and win, followed by Mo getting back on the ball and closing it out 4-3. This team has shown that they can find different ways to win, which is a characteristic you find in championship teams. Alfredo Aceves has clearly distinguished himself, and he may even take over the 8th inning the way things are going - however, the latest I read on Bruney is that he may be back as soon as a week and a half from now. If we can get back Bruney and keep him healthy, and throw him out there with Aceves, we really may have the bridge to Mo solved.

Now because of the great win yesterday, we have a shot to split the 4-game series tonight against Tampa, which will be the battle of the Andies - Pettitte vs. Sonnanstine. You’d like to see Andy get back into a rhythm, just for his mental state and to solidify the conistency of the rotation. I’m sure Tampa will play us hard once again tonight, but Sonnanstine has been horrible and you gotta figure we have a good chance to take this one. Then comes the trip to Fenway…

We’ve been waiting to see Boston for a while now, ever since we were swept. The Yankees are a completely different team than they were then however, and you can bet that it won’t be as easy a series for the Sox. If we can win tonight, we’ll go into Boston with a good momentum, with Boston losing more at Fenway lately. I think the game that will swing the series is game 1 - Burnett vs. Beckett. Girardi specifically set Burnett up so he can throw in this game, and if he is on his game, we have a very good chance to win the series. In fact, forget winning the series, I want to SWEEP. Those guys over there are wayyy too cocky and confident at this point, and we must send a message. Sweeping them in their building would not only do that, but it would take them a couple of notches down and put us in a very positive place (especially mentally).

Happy Monday, go Yanks.

Last night had a lot going on in game 1 of the series against Texas. At first, Burnett looked like he was going to dominate, racking up the K’s. Then, he gave up a 3-run homer. Then, the Yanks rally back and Mark Teixeira (in my mind) earned his pinstripes by showing a lot of toughness - he gets hit for the 2nd time by Padilla, and then breaks up a double-play by taking out Andrus with a powerful slide (allowing run to score). Then, the bats continue to hit all over the place, and Burnett settled down completely, throwing 7 strong innings. To finish it up, Tomko and Veras threw the last 2 innings, and we kept our 1-game lead in the division.

Now with the best record in the American League, the New York Yankees have got that swagger back. The swagger we’ve been so anxiously waiting for, and that we expect to see as New York fans. There’s a great feeling amongst this team right now, and it feels like they expect to win everyday now. Good pitching, good defense, timely hitting. The only hole at the moment is the bullpen, and how we get to Mariano, but I think that will be resolved before the end of the year. I still believe Melancon can be a big factor in the pen if given the opportunity, but either way, there will most likely be a trade for a reliever by the all-star break. Here’s a few options:

Heath Bell - Here’s a guy that turned into a good closer with the Pad’s, and the Mets basically gave him away for nothing. Since the Pad’s are most likely gonna fall out of the race not too long from now, Bell should be available, and it shouldn’t be that costly of a deal.

Scott Linebrink - I’ve always liked him, and even if the Chi-Sox are in the race, maybe we can serve up a good enough deal to pry him away. He’s not that closer, so that’s a good thing.

Huston Street - Street was part of that big Matt Holliday trade with Colorado, and I’m sure he doesn’t want to be out there right now. Hurdle was already fired, and that team is going nowhere. Street is still young, and has good stuff - let’s also not forget he was dominating as the A’s closer not too long ago.

Or of course, there’s Joba - but if he keeps pitching the way he did the other night, he’s not coming out of the rotation.

Tonight Andy is back on the mound, and he’s taking on Feldman, who has been very good for Texas. Should be a good match, but let’s hope we prevail. Expect more pitches to slip tonight…