Daily Archives: May 3, 2005

Despite the fact that I didn’t expect to catch much of it due to playing in my first softball game of the year (1 for 2 with a nice ranging catch in my only chance in right field), Alex asked me to write the recap of last night’s game in Tampa because he was going to be at Shea taking in his first ballgame of the year. As it turns out, we were both treated to similar games. At Shea, Alex witnessed a 10-3 thrashing of the Mets by the Phillies, with Tom Glavine suffering his third dreadful outing in six starts (3 2/3 IP, 6 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 6 BB, 1 K, 53 percent of 93 pitches for strikes). It is only in comparison to that line, which pushed Glavine’s ERA over 7.00, that Kevin Brown’s performance in the Yankees 11-4 loss to the Devil Rays last night can look like anything other than a disaster.

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As per the division of labor here at Bronx Banter, now that Alex has hipped you to the changes the Yankees announced after last night’s 6-2 victory over the Devil Rays, its my turn to try to figure out what effects they will have on the team’s performance.

To begin with, the announced changes occur in three areas, defense, offense, and roster construction:

Defense: Robinson Cano replaces Tony Womack at second who replaces Hideki Matsui in left who replaces Bernie Williams in center.
Offense: Cano replaces Bernie Williams
Roster: Cano replaces Steve Karsay

Let’s take them in order.

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Buster Olney’s “The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty” is now out in paperback. Olney has written a new epilogue, which you can read over at ESPN…for free!

Let me just get this out of the way. At the risk of beating a dead horse: If the Yankees had signed Carlos Beltran, none of this would have ever happened. There, I said it. Enough. There’s no use a-looking at spilt milk. The Yankees didn’t sign Beltran. They were roundly criticized during the off-season all over the Internet. But it was hard not to think about this front office gaffe after reading this morning’s papers.

In an effort to shake the team up, the Yanks are making some position changes: Robinson Cano is being called up from Columbus to play second base; Tony Womack will move to left field; Godziller Matsui shifts from left to center, and Bernie Williams moves from center to the bench/DH. As a result, Steve Karsay has been designated for assignment, and is likely to be picked up off of waivers. In addition, Randy Johnson will miss at least one start with a tender groin, and could be sent to the DL. Andy Phillips will likely be shipped down to Columbus today to make room for Double A starter, Sean Henn.

Matsui is the team’s best option in center field right now. I don’t think anyone can be surprised, or even dismayed to see Bernie finally move into a part-time role. As much as it saddens me to see him toward the end of his career, it’s what is best for the team. The official reason for the move is that the tendinitis in Bernie’s right elbow has effected his fielding. For his part, Williams handled the move with dignity:

“This move is to show everybody that nobody is indispensable,” Williams said. “Everyone is expendable on this team. At least that’s how I see it. You’ve got to prove yourself every day or else you will be replaced. All I have to do right now is make myself available, working hard. Hopefully, they’ll have the confidence to put me back out there.”

Tony Womack is saying all the right things too:

“I guess these guys want to win,” Womack said. “So do I. So, go play and do what you’ve got to do.

“I’m not going to make a big deal out of it. I’m just going to go play, chase the ball and throw it to the guy closest to you.”

I can’t complain about seeing Cano get a chance to play second, but Womack in left field is a problem. The Bombers will get roasted over this one, and I figure, critics will say it serves the team right. However, it’s unlikely that the Yanks won’t end the season with Womack as their everyday left fielder. A trade will be made. With what, your guess is as good as mine. Right now, Bernie, Giambi, and eventually, Sierra will split time at DH.

I can’t imagine anyone has any feelings about this. Yo, you may fire when ready, Grizzly.

“Bad, bad, bad baseball,” Piniella said. “That’s what it is. Bad, bad, bad baseball.” (Tampa Bay Tribune)

The Yanks needed a win in the worst way, and the Devil Rays did everything they could to accomodate them. It was the kind of game that must have tried Lou Piniella’s patience something serious, as the Rays fell to New York, 6-2. Unfortunately for Sweet Lou, it is the kind of performance that he has seen all too often in Tampa Bay. Leading 1-0, Ray Sanchez led off the fifth inning with a routine pop fly to right field. Rookie right fielder Damon Hollins made a curious leap when he got to the ball. He actually let it get behind him and botched the play in the process. Gary Sheffield, who is tearing the cover off the ball, laced a double to right, scoring Sanchez. He then stole third on Scott Kazmir’s first pitch to Alex Rodriguez. With one out, Jorge Posada skied an 0-1 pitch into foul ground along the right field line. Hollins raced over and nearly ran past the play, making that little jump again. He made the catch and Sheffield tagged and scored easily. With a strike out pitcher on the mound, Hollins might have been wise to let the ball go there.

He redeemed himself with a single in his next at bat, and scored when Alex Sanchez hit a two-run dinger off Mike Mussina. It was the only significant mistake that Mussina made all night. Overall, his pitches were sharper than they’ve been all year. He pitched seven solid innings, relieved by Flash Gordon in the eighth, then Rivera, who struck out the side in the ninth.

The Yanks added three more runs in the eighth, thanks in part to a miscommunication in center that allowed Bernie Williams’ bloop to fall in for a single, and a throwing error by pitcher Travis Harper on a sacrifice bunt by Derek Jeter. The Bombers got the win, but the Rays gave them a helping hand. It wasn’t pretty–just ask rookie Andy Phillips, who struck out swining five times–but it was a win.