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Duck and Cover

Rochester, New York’s own Tim Redding makes his Yankee debut tonight, taking the hill against ex-Yank David Wells. Here’s what I wrote about the 27-year-old righty when the Yankees picked him up in the Paul Quantrill trade that is suddenly the source of half of their active rotation:

Redding has been absolutely terrible this year (9.10 ERA, 1.79 WHIP, .328 BAA) and was on the Padres 15-day DL with shoulder problems at the time of the trade. At the same time, those shoulder problems could explain away the terrible line. Here are some interesting snippets from his ESPN.com scouting report:

During an impressive rise through the minors, he was expected to one day be one of the [Astros’] best pitchers, with a two- and four-seam fastball, hard-breaking curve and slider. . . . Astros officials still believe he has great stuff and can be a strong No. 4 or 5 pitcher.

Redding turned in a solid season for Houston in 2003, posting a 3.68 ERA and 5.94 K/9 in 32 starts at age 25, and he holds a minor league career K/9 of 10.80. The problem is his control of both his pitches (career 3.71 BB/9 in the majors, 4.45 BB/9 in the minors) and his emotions (think Jeff Weaver). Still, at age 27, having now passed through two organizations in a matter of months after spending his entire career in the Astros system, there is hope that Redding can put it all together. Certainly the Yankees haven’t risked anything to find out if he can.

Redding actually had one strong outing for the Padres this year. Starting against the Rockies in Petco Park (not exactly the Red Sox in Fenway) back on May 3, Redding posted this line: 7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 BB, 5 K, 71 percent of 95 pitches for strikes. In his final outing as a Padre (just his second since being activated from the DL), Redding came on in relief against the Dodgers in LA and pitched 1 2/3 hitless innings allowing just one baserunner via a walk and striking out two. So there’s some lightning in this bottle, though the fact that I felt that his relief appearance in LA was worth mentioning should tell you something about how likely it is we’ll see a flash tonight.

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39 comments

1 rilkefan   ~  Jul 15, 2005 4:03 pm

1.  Sorry to see Giambi and his 0.90x OPS hitting seventh. And behind Sierra.

How about Sheffield/Matsui/A-Rod/Giambi if alternating L and R is the goal?

2 jdrennan   ~  Jul 15, 2005 4:04 pm

2.  Did anyone catch pinstriped blog today?

Hope Steve is feeling better.

3 Marcus   ~  Jul 15, 2005 4:28 pm

3.  Strikes out Ortiz and Manny, but everyone else is walking or pounding doubles off him. This is going to get ugly.

4 JeremyM   ~  Jul 15, 2005 4:29 pm

4.  Can we get Quantrill back?

5 rbj   ~  Jul 15, 2005 4:47 pm

5.  Paging Ed Whitson, paging Ed Whitson. Ed Whitson to the white courtesy phone please.

6 Simone   ~  Jul 15, 2005 4:59 pm

6.  And it is only the 2nd inning. It is going to be a looong game. This is why it doesn't matter how much offense you have when you don't have pitching.

7 yankeegirl26   ~  Jul 15, 2005 5:01 pm

7.  Holy crap. They are getting pounded. Due to what they may have been ruled an error by Melky Cabrera who laid himself out in center field to catch what SHOULD have BEEN A CERTAIN OUT, and therefore, missed the ball and let it roll all the way to the wall, TROT "I'm not a fast runner" Nixon, got an inside the park home run. I think it's best not to watch this one.

8 tommyl   ~  Jul 15, 2005 5:03 pm

8.  Yeah this is painful, hey at least Melky just broke up the perfect game.

9 yankeegirl26   ~  Jul 15, 2005 5:08 pm

9.  yeah - was he trying to redeem himself for that play? Frankly, the way this was going, I was imagining a David Wells perfect game and a 20-0 Sox win. Icky.

10 Simone   ~  Jul 15, 2005 5:10 pm

10.  Boy, am I glad I'm not getting this game.

Oh Cliff, thanks for the info on Pavano, I must have missed it.

11 Marcus   ~  Jul 15, 2005 5:13 pm

11.  Trot Nixon. Inside the park home run. (?!?!)

12 tommyl   ~  Jul 15, 2005 5:14 pm

12.  So now who's starting on Sunday?

Marcus, it was really a Melky error (and an awful one).

Hey, maybe the Sox hitters will be too tired from batting 90 times tonight?

13 Simone   ~  Jul 15, 2005 5:16 pm

13.  I just read the Pinstriped Blog. Yikes! Is Goldman okay? I hope it wasn't serious. He just had a baby for goodness sake. I don't like cliffhangers.

14 BklynBomber   ~  Jul 15, 2005 5:16 pm

14.  Want to get Wells out of the game? Everybody bunt! He'll pull something sooner or later rumbling off that mound.

15 murphy   ~  Jul 15, 2005 5:16 pm

15.  i don't have cable, so i tend to get jazzed when i can actually watch a game on TV. it's even more exciting when i don't have other plans for those rare evenings. calendars are cleared, beer is purchased, girlfriend knows better than to ask me to do anything else.

well... i suddenly wish i did have cable - so i could watch another game.

16 rbj   ~  Jul 15, 2005 5:24 pm

16.  Well at least I won't have to decide between the end of this game and Battlestar Galactica.

17 yankeegirl26   ~  Jul 15, 2005 5:28 pm

17.  It looks like they didn't charge an error to Melky and instead scored it an inside the park HR. Sigh.

And, yes, who do they have up their sleeve to pitch on Sunday if May is pitching now? Mussina on not quite 3 days rest? Good god.

18 Simone   ~  Jul 15, 2005 5:28 pm

18.  Is Battlestar Galactica good? I've never seen it.

19 murphy   ~  Jul 15, 2005 5:36 pm

19.  can we forfeit now just to save ourselves the razzing from bososx fans?

20 Marcus   ~  Jul 15, 2005 5:42 pm

20.  It's still early. Have faith.

21 Cliff Corcoran   ~  Jul 15, 2005 5:53 pm

21.  Remember what I said about 15 runs?

Meanwhile, Nixon's inside-the-parker was a sinking fly to center that Cabrera charged and made an awkward dive for. The ball knuckled at the mast minute (not that he seemed to have it measured anyway) and missed his glove entirely, rolling all the way to the wall in center. Nixon didn't run out of the box (can't figure out why) and still came in standing at home without a throw. Dreadful play by Melky, though I didn't notice Sheff backing him up at all.

22 vockins   ~  Jul 15, 2005 5:54 pm

22.  What's the opposite of lightning in a bottle? Fart in a bottle? Suck in a bottle?

Watching this game makes me think the Yanks will be lucky to finish ahead of the Rays.

Nice grab, Cano! Hope you're with the Yanks in two weeks.

23 murphy   ~  Jul 15, 2005 5:56 pm

23.  no, melky, you're not forgiven yet. you owe me three runs.

24 Cliff Corcoran   ~  Jul 15, 2005 5:58 pm

24.  Oh, and though I haven't actually seen him since or actually spoken to him on the phone, Steve Goldman is okay. He made his bookstore appreance on Tuesday and he and I have dinner plans next week. Just a scare, is how he categorized it. Still, I'm sure he'd welcome your well wishes if anyone cared to drop him an email via his column.

25 murphy   ~  Jul 15, 2005 6:25 pm

25.  my home phone just rang. it was mel stottlemyre. thinking he had reached the bullpen, he asked me to start warming up. i was about to correct him when i realized that our chances were just as good were i to show up and pitch. if nothing else, i promise to plunk nixon next time he comes up.

26 Simone   ~  Jul 15, 2005 6:30 pm

26.  murphy, LOL!

Cliff, 15 runs? More like 20 runs.

27 brockdc   ~  Jul 15, 2005 6:46 pm

27.  Melky!?

I say we do that Chang-for-Kotsay deal after all.

28 brockdc   ~  Jul 15, 2005 6:47 pm

28.  Did I say Chang? I mean Wang. The suckiness is infectious.

29 murphy   ~  Jul 15, 2005 7:09 pm

29.  that sucked.

and lucky me!!! i get to watch tomorrow's game on TV as well!!!

30 Rich   ~  Jul 15, 2005 7:42 pm

30.  Can't any Yankee pitcher move Ortiz off the plate? Sheesh.

31 singledd   ~  Jul 15, 2005 8:21 pm

31.  You know from past experience that these blowouts mean nothing... other then a loss.
Bottom line: If RJ is the old RJ, we get a split on the series. Considering we are in Fenway with FOUR pitchers out, a split is just fine.

We need to just stay close for 2 weeks until we get some pitching back. We just need a win tomorrow.

If Leiter is cheap lets het him. Can't hurt. He's got game and knows NY.

32 Simone   ~  Jul 15, 2005 8:27 pm

32.  Eh. Leiter is done, but he has got to be better than the jokers who pitched the first 3 innings tonight.

Cliff, I couldn't find Goldman's email on his blog. The only place to comment is on message board. Does he check it?

33 tommyl   ~  Jul 15, 2005 8:45 pm

33.  The question with Leiter is whether to try and trade for him now or see if he clears waivers and save money. I'd say probably not worth a trade because of the cash on his $8 million contract, but if he's released I'd snatch him up. If for no other reason than the guy understands NY and can pitch under pressure. Redding on the other hand, looked awful, absolutely awful.

The only good news is that Kevin Brown appears to be slated to pitch Monday according to Klepner. If that's true, that's three decent starters with Pavano hopefully back soon. Start praying for rain. Who goes for the Sox tomorrow night? (Please, please, please not Wakefield)

34 Rich   ~  Jul 15, 2005 9:14 pm

34.  Simone:

oldprofessor@wholesomereading.com.

I agree with Cashman's public statement about Leiter:

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/16/sports/baseball/16pins.html

[...]

If they chose, the Yankees could probably make a trade for Al Leiter, who was designated for assignment by Florida on Thursday. But trading for Leiter now, before the Marlins release him, would force the Yankees to take on the rest of his $8 million contract, which seems unappealing.

"I haven't had any conversations with Florida," General Manager Brian Cashman said. "We'll just leave it at that."

35 Cliff Corcoran   ~  Jul 15, 2005 9:31 pm

35.  Simone, I said average 15 runs. Eight Thursday plus 22 tonight would have done it just right. Heh.

TommyL, the Upcoming Schedule on the sidebar may have stand-in Yankee pitchers, but it has the Red Sox probables right.

36 yankeegirl26   ~  Jul 15, 2005 9:43 pm

36.  The upcoming schedule is hilarious Cliff. Thank you for that.

38 Cliff Corcoran   ~  Jul 15, 2005 11:57 pm

38.  If it's for a player to be named as that article reports, I'm all for it. I wouldn't expect much, but the Yankees are deep into warm-body territory, plus Leiter's a guy you can root for, and left-handed to boot.

39 Simone   ~  Jul 16, 2005 6:20 am

39.  Thanks for Goldman's address, Rich.

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