Daily Archives: April 22, 2005

Friday night pits Chris Young (1-1, 7.62 ERA) vs. Kevin “Don’t Bring Me” Brown (0-1, 9.00) at the stadium. Could be a wild one. Then again, watch it be a pitcher’s duel…what are the odds? Hmmm.

Texas Rangers

2004 Record: 89-73 (.549)
2004 Pythagorean Record: 87-75 (.537)

Manager: Buck Showalter
General Manager: John Hart

Ballpark (2004 park factors): Ameriquest Field (111/109)

Who’s replacing whom?

Richard Hidalgo replaces Eric Young and Brian Jordan
Greg Colbrunn replaces Brad Fullmer
Mark DeRosa replaces Herb Perry
Sandy Alomar Jr. replaces Geral Laird (minors)
Chris Young inherits the starts of Joaquin Benoit and R.A. Dickey (DL/bullpen)
Pedro Astacio replaces John Wasdin and various failed experiements
Matt Riley replaces Jay Powell and Jeff Nelson

Current Roster:

1B – Mark Teixeira
2B – Alfonso Soriano
SS – Michael Young
3B – Hank Blalock
C – Rod Barajas
RF – Richard Hidalgo
CF – Laynce Nix
LF – Kevin Mench
DH – David Dellucci

Bench:

S – Gary Matthews Jr. (OF)
R – Mark DeRosa (IF)
R – Sandy Alomar Jr. (C)
R – Chad Allen (OF)

Rotation:

R – Ryan Drese
L – Kenny Rogers
R – Chris Young
R – Chan Ho Park
R – Pedro Astacio

Bullpen:

R – Francisco Cordero
R – Carlos Almanzar
L – Brian Shouse
L – Ron Mahay
R – Doug Brocail
L – Matt Riley
R – Nick Regilio

DL:

R – Greg Colbrunn (1B)
R – Frank Francisco
R – Erasmo Ramirez
R – Joaquin Benoit
R – R.A. Dickey
R – Ryan Bukvich

Typical Line-up

R – Alfonso Soriano (2B)
L – Hank Blalock (3B)
R – Michael Young (SS)
S – Mark Teixeira (1B)
L – David Dellucci (DH)
R – Richard Hidalgo (RF)
R – Kevin Mench (LF)
L – Laynce Nix (CF)
R – Rod Barajas (C)

Let me take this opportunity to piggy-back Steve Lombardi’s post today about Ceclia Tan’s new book, “The 50 Greatest Yankee Games.” Tan is an eclectic author who has written extensively about the Yankees for some time now; she was able to interview Yankee greats like Yogi Berra, Jerry Coleman, Roy White, Reggie Jackson and Don Mattingly and Paul O’Neill for her book (if you want a complete listing of Tan’s interviews, including ones with Elliott Maddux and Jim Kaat, click here). This book is choice beach/bathroom/bedtime reading material for the die-hard Yankee fan. Lots of fun. And just to be balanced for you Yankee haters out there, may I suggest “Yankees Suck!” by Jim Gerard. This one should be right up your alley. The title says it all.

(more…)

Some baseball fans have been predicting, and anticipating the Yankees’ fall for four or five years now. The critics have been louder than ever this spring considering the team’s mediocre start. The years 1965 and 1982 have been invoked as reminders of what could happen to the current team. Yesterday, veteran New York scribe, Vic Zeigel wrote a piece in the Daily News, making the 1965 comparison:

The Nothing Lasts Forever Club, the Bronx chapter, is about to meet for the first time since 1965. Warning: the last meeting came a year too late and was no help at all.

…The Yankees keep telling us it’s early, way early. That there’s plenty of time, plenty. (“Just you wait, ‘Enry ‘Iggins, just you wait.”) But what if these April problems aren’t solved? October doesn’t come with a guarantee. Early can get late, and time isn’t always on your side. Could it be that this team has the disease of 1965?

When George Steinbrenner hired a motivational coach last week, memories of the 1982 team came rushing back. That was the year Steinbrenner made the mistake of trying to build a team around speed. (The local press eventually dubbed the team “The Bronx Burners.”) After the Yankees lost the 1981 World Serious to the Dodgers, and the Boss apologized to the fans on behalf of his team, he allowed Reggie Jackson to walk away as a free agent. Steinbrenner ostensibly replaced Jackson’s power with Ken Griffey in right, and Oscar Gamble at DH. Davey Collins was signed as a free agent, and Jerry Mumphrey, Lou Piniella, and Bobby Murcer, all competed for playing time in the outfield (Dave Winfield, of course, was the left fielder).

(more…)