"A New York Treasure" --Village Voice

Keep it Movin…

Yanks look to take the series from the Rays before they head up to Boston for the yelling and the screaming and mishegoss. Couple of guys named Andy on the hill this evening.

ward

Let’s Go Yan-Kees.

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312 comments

Show/Hide Comments 1-100
1 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 5:36 pm

I'll take the Andy with the GIANT honker for $300, Alex!

2 PJ   ~  Jun 8, 2009 6:40 pm

[1] Clearly Pettitte's nose would qualify as a "Daily Double!"

I mean, no wonder he's got a bad back and all, hauling that thing around everywhere he goes...

: )

3 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 6:59 pm

[3] OYF will tell me i'm spelling it wrong, but Andy's got a "gazunta" nozel !!!

4 RIYank   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:10 pm

Good start!

5 RIYank   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:11 pm

Less good.

6 ms october   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:16 pm

more less good

7 OldYanksFan   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:19 pm

I guess 4 infielders ins't enough company for Andy

8 PJ   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:19 pm

Whew!

9 ms october   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:20 pm

yes, nice play jeter - now more good and lees not good andrew eugene

10 RIYank   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:20 pm

Oooooh.
I think Dillon was safe by a couple of inches.

11 51cq24   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:22 pm

[10] looked out to me but they showed a bad angle replay

12 rbj   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:23 pm

Missed it by that much.

13 ms october   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:23 pm

damn - where was that joke rf then?

14 RIYank   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:25 pm

[13] It's complicated. How much fluid dynamics do you know?

15 ms october   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:26 pm

yeah tex - smoked it

16 PJ   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:26 pm

Woohoo Tex!

17 Just Fair   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:27 pm

The man can hit.

18 RIYank   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:27 pm

Wow.
I'm glad Andy Sonnanstine isn't on our team. He's Mr. Scary Fly Ball pitcher.

19 RIYank   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:27 pm

A-Rod didn't get the Tex(t) Message.

20 ms october   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:28 pm

[14] only a little, to the chagrin of my dad who is a physicist. took a few undergrad physics classes -

21 Just Fair   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:31 pm

[21] Slacker : )

22 RIYank   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:31 pm

[20] jk, jk.

23 Just Fair   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:32 pm

[21] Nevermind. Oy!

24 RIYank   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:32 pm

[21] Excellent self-reference!

25 RIYank   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:32 pm

Just F., you can redeem yourself if you cash this one in:

[89] Wow, Just Fair, good call!

26 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:33 pm

man, Tex sure hits 'em far!

that was a nice charge and throw by alexender emmanuel.

27 ms october   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:35 pm

much better andy - that's how to do it

28 PJ   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:36 pm

Wow Andy!

29 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:36 pm

that was a much smoother inning!

i don't know if i'll be able to stomach chris berman for a full 9 innings...

30 RIYank   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:36 pm

Cone getting all HistoricoCerebral on us! I could practically hear Michael Kay rolling his eyes, but I thought it was cool.

31 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:37 pm

hey nostralarmis, you see my last post in the "Cafe" thread?

32 RagingTartabull   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:38 pm

that was pretty great of Cone

is anyone else really not looking forward to the Winfield Yankeeography?

33 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:38 pm

i love it when the RIPPER is slashing!

34 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:38 pm

oppo field robbie. me likey!

35 PJ   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:38 pm

Herb Pennock's is one of the autographs on my "one of a kind" ball... among others...

: O

36 OldYanksFan   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:38 pm

Cano always makes good contact

37 RIYank   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:39 pm

[29] Oh, can you get the YES feed? Cone is in fine form.
He just gave us a lecture on the similarities between Andy Pettitte and Herb Pennock at age 36.

38 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:39 pm

[32] winfield was one of my favorite Yankees when I was growing up. Wore his number in high school.

39 PJ   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:39 pm

[32] The least they could do, since they already finished it, is show Mr. Steinbrenner's on July 4TH!

40 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:40 pm

i wish i could hear coney. i got boomer and orel instead...

[31] yeah, cult! it's just that i very rarely watch videos on my little laptop. i'll have to see if my brother has any of their cd's. i'm sure a buddy of mine who writes reviews for a metal cd site and likes doom metal does...

41 Just Fair   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:42 pm

[25] I'm all for redeeming myself. I will try my best.

42 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:43 pm

[37] that sounds awesome! instead, i've got chris berman talking about Swisher's hair. : /

43 RIYank   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:43 pm

Some fly balls are longer than others.

44 ms october   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:43 pm

swish hitting again yeay!

45 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:43 pm

holy crap, that was SOLID!!!

46 PJ   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:43 pm

Yay Spanky McSkittles!

47 rbj   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:43 pm

Another Swish swat!!

48 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:43 pm

HEAP BIG STICK!

49 Just Fair   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:43 pm

Swish stylin' at the plate. Just run, brother. : D

50 RIYank   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:44 pm

[42] Anyway, the sound of the ball of Swisher's bat was glorious, no matter whose feed you're getting!

51 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:44 pm

86, down the middle. he needed to mash that...

52 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:44 pm

[40] i was just saying that's a way to hear what they sound like to see if you like them.

53 ms october   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:45 pm

well even as *brilliant* as the rays front office (and they have been very good) they seemed to have made the wrong choice on edwin jackson as odd man out - cause andy sonnastine has never been that good

54 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:47 pm

[52] oh yeah, i know! i might see if they have soundbites over at The End.

55 RIYank   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:49 pm

Just love Teixeira. What a good feeling that is when a ball is smacked up the line.

56 RIYank   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:49 pm

Oh, I don't like that at all. Andy would send them back even if he felt bad...

57 PJ   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:49 pm

Andy beat Upton to 1B by a nose...

58 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:51 pm

[57] a regular nose or a gazunta pettitte-like honker?! ; )

59 51cq24   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:52 pm

cone uses baseball-reference

60 Just Fair   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:53 pm

[57] [58] Grindstones everywhere are shivering. : /

61 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:55 pm

where was that pitch?

62 OldYanksFan   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:55 pm

[57] yeah... 9" is about right,
Swisher w/40 RBI already, That is not bad for a Betemit.

63 RIYank   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:57 pm

Andy Pettitte with 6 K in 3 IP??
Just sayin'.

That's as much responsible for the high pitch count as that bad first inning was.

64 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 7:59 pm

[63] yeah, matched his season high! let's hope he gets thru at least 6. his ERA stands at 4.14 right now.

65 51cq24   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:02 pm

what's with all the andy big nose talk? it's big but not obscene like nomar or something

66 PJ   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:02 pm

[58] Nose... foot... same thing with Andy...

: )

67 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:03 pm

[65] PJ and I were joking a bit about it in the last thread. it is pretty big, man. somewhat Zappa-like! : )

ooh, check swings like that could hurt the wrist. careful tex!!!

68 PJ   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:03 pm

[65] If we get production like this from him while making fun of his nose, get used to it!

heh heh

69 RIYank   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:03 pm

With that high pitch count, we'll need some serous long relief, I think. No Ace, for sure. Phil Hughes for three innings?

70 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:03 pm

[65] if you'd like, we can switch to his John Travolta-like chin cleft! ; )

71 OldYanksFan   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:06 pm

WOW......
Mariano reported to have diareah, swollen wrists and the shakes!
...
I suspect we'll see him in the 8th.

72 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:07 pm

[69] yes, this game seems tailor made for us to see Hughes. which means, what - we'll see everyone but?

oh, Alex. feh!

73 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:08 pm

bollocks.

74 Just Fair   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:09 pm

Hey, Swish hit a cutoff man.

75 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:09 pm

[69] we'd better see hughes in this game, there's no point in putting him the bullpen and then never using him.

76 RIYank   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:09 pm

Crap. E5 run scores.

77 OldYanksFan   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:11 pm

Cone is truly excited by the nature of baseball.

78 RIYank   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:13 pm

Goddamit. That sucked.

79 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:13 pm

well, that was teh suck.

80 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:13 pm

fucking christ.

another former shit sock steroid using fuckhead. dammit!

81 monkeypants   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:13 pm

Launching pad?

82 Just Fair   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:13 pm

Bollocks, indeed. Shite.

83 PJ   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:14 pm

McClellan is a piece of shit!

84 RIYank   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:14 pm

Just Fair, I hope you're paying close attention...

85 51cq24   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:15 pm

[83] looked outside to me

86 Just Fair   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:17 pm

Swinging K for the 7th strikeout.

87 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:17 pm

i hate this inning.

88 RIYank   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:17 pm

Okay, so Pettitte has trouble in the square numbered innings.
Better not let him pitch the ninth. Or the sixteenth.

89 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:18 pm

i thought that pitch was close.

Just Fair - you're up!

90 51cq24   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:18 pm

[88] well a leadoff error doesn't help in any inning

91 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:19 pm

[89] crap. sorry guys. : ~

92 Just Fair   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:19 pm

A third hit for Crawford. : (

93 The Hawk   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:19 pm

I blame A Rod.

94 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:20 pm

um, boomer - that's melky, NOT damon. eediot.

95 RIYank   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:21 pm

Just Fair, nice try!

96 PJ   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:23 pm

Pettitte is what he is...

The trouble is, he's been horrid at home when compared to on the road.

Too bad that was the friggen bottom of their weak ass order!

97 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:25 pm

[96] pity this isn't 1955 anymore.

we could have Pettite start on the road and Hughes start at home.

meanwhile, Michael Kay with a "won't somebody please think of the children" moment.

tool.

98 Just Fair   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:26 pm

[95] I feel like an expired coupon. : )

99 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:26 pm

keep it on the hush-hush, but take a gander at the 6'8" marlins rookie Sean West and the Giants game. shhhh....

100 The Hawk   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:27 pm

Kay's calls on any fly ball are getting rather intense. It gets kind of old - the outfielder standing still, waiting for the ball to come down; Kay shouting excitedly.

Show/Hide Comments 101-200
101 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:27 pm

[98] we'll just start callin' ya "Raincheck"!!! ; )

102 The Hawk   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:28 pm

Nice bounce back inning by the Yankees batters. In an alternate universe, that is.

103 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:29 pm

christ. a 4-pitch leadoff walk to a cat you struck out twice already.

that's 84 pitches thru 3+

104 PJ   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:29 pm

LOL @ Kay being the "Snuff Police!"

They should shove him down onto any MLB, Minor League, or NCAA dugout floor after nine innings have been played...

Then he would get a clue as to just how prevelant snuff is to this day!

105 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:33 pm

hell yeah Captain Jetes!!!

whew.

106 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:33 pm

phew.

jeter *just* beat him to 2nd.

107 Just Fair   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:33 pm

That was a damn fine play by Jeter.

108 PJ   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:33 pm

Nice "jump throw" turn by the Captain!

109 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:34 pm

why the hell is chris berman doing baseball. not enjoyable...

110 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:35 pm

holy crap, brian mccan has SUCH a beautiful left-handed swing. wow! he just crushed that ball... (commercial break)

111 OldYanksFan   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:35 pm

[104] Hey... some blogs don't allow cursing because they are 'family' sites. Applying the same logic to a deadly habit ain't a bad idea. I'd vote for it.

112 PJ   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:35 pm

[109] Why the Hell is Chris Berman still on television? Not enjoyable...

: )

113 ms october   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:36 pm

alright yanks you are facind one andy sonnastine - don't forget

114 Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:36 pm

3-3..is Andy going to land on the DL soon with a swollen uvula?

115 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:36 pm

good eye, Mats. nice start to the inning!

116 ms october   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:37 pm

jesus michael you are naive that is dip - though besides being unhealthy it is gross

117 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:37 pm

[114] hey buddy - you got some nice pub earlier today! good for you : )

118 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:38 pm

shut up Kay.

seriously, just shut up.

chewing tobacco is one of the nastiest, grossest habits around, but christ, give it a goddamn rest.

119 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:38 pm

[116] what player is he talking about?

crapola.

120 Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:38 pm

[111] i think all baseball players should chew tobacco. It's cool and manly, and makes me want to chew too so I can be just ilke them.

121 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:40 pm

another lame inning. boo.

122 Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:40 pm

[117] yeah, our host AB hooked me up! thelarmis, when I am home I'll write you about the talks-in-prgress with this jazz internet radio site, we're trying to work on some cross promotion, NYC-Tokyo..hoep it works out!

123 ms october   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:40 pm

[119] first bj upton - then swisher

124 PJ   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:40 pm

[111] Far more folks die every year in traffic...

I am anxiously awaiting Kay's diatribe on terrible drivers!

: )

125 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:40 pm

Evening, Team.

Looks like we've got ourselves a ballgame.

126 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:43 pm

Oh my God. That centerfield screen really is an abomination.

127 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:43 pm

[122] good luck with that! i wish we could come to you and play. the venue where my jazz trio had a weekly monday night steady for EIGHT years, just closed its doors last week. that's why i'm home - and quite depressed - tonight. work is completely brutal right now. : (

128 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:45 pm

[127] damn, sorry to hear that bro.

129 Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:45 pm

[127] Oh man..that is awful..when the jazz clubs start going under too...yikes..

Yeah, get your trio over here! I'll hook you up with some great joints you can play at, pay is low of course but worth the journey.

Chris Berman..i have no comment..was his schtick EVER amusing?

130 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:46 pm

Nice job, Andy. Good off speed stuff.

131 ms october   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:46 pm

nice inning andy -

132 tocho   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:46 pm

Guess the wrong Andy is going for the CG with only 61 pitches so far. Seems like the yanks are already thinking about the boston series...

133 PJ   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:46 pm

[125] Hiyas Weeping! Pettitte is hangin' in there like a hair in a biscuit tonight!

: )

134 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:47 pm

[127] Oh, man. My heartfelt condolences.

135 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:47 pm

[133] Is that a Coneism?

136 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:49 pm

hughes is up.

i'd better see him top 7.

137 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:49 pm

[128] thanks man. i really don't wanna talk about it. i lost the ONLY gig i truly enjoyed and ONLY one that leaves me musically satiated. it's only compounded by the fact that in the summertime, i have VERY little teaching opportunities. all summer tours are pretty much already booked. losing that jazz gig, kills my finances and thoroughly crushes me musically. things are really rough right now.

weh!

anyway, nice inning by andy. he's done after 6. i saw Robertson warming up. we should be seeing Hughes though...

and, yes, chaw, is THE grossest thing imaginable. ick!!!

138 Just Fair   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:49 pm

I suppose few here have thrown in an upper lip rally dip.

139 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:49 pm

[133] he was 'leakin' oil' in the 4th, though ...

140 PJ   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:50 pm

[135] LOL no... That saying goes waaaaay back 'round these parts... long before Coney or even I was born...

141 PJ   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:51 pm

[138] *raises hand*

142 ms october   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:51 pm

johnny damon!!!

143 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:51 pm

Man, Damon's bat is quick these days.

Dude can really hit when he's healthy.

144 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:51 pm

[137] a shot of JD ought to ease the pain!

145 PJ   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:51 pm

Woohoo Damon on the hanger!

146 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:51 pm

Hell Yeah, Johnny!!! i really needed that! : )

Dear Bullpen,

PLEASE let that stand up.

sincerely,
thelarmis

147 Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:52 pm

[137] That's rough, man..well, on the bright side, you won't miss many Yankees games this summer...

148 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:53 pm

[138] NEVER! but, hell, i've never even been stoned before. i did smoke cigarettes for waaaay too long. but that was ages ago...

149 Just Fair   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:53 pm

I am baffled at all these beautiful replay shots of the homers with the folks in the $2,500 seats not even watching. (hollering down well)

150 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:54 pm

[134] thanks, weeping. worst thing is, there wasn't any warning. we played there last monday and wednesday they called me. i'm still in shock. it's devastating news. didn't even give us 2 weeks professional notice, or anything. we had 4 more Monday's booked this month and then beyond. it's all over now, baby blue... : (

151 ms october   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:54 pm

[147] yeah sorry thelarmis - your passion for your music is vey cool - we'll enjoy your presence at the banter - but yakking with us won't pay the bills - hopefully something good will come soon

152 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:55 pm

(hollering down well)

is Tikki Tikki Tomko down there?! ; )

153 PJ   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:55 pm

[149] I thought those folks were at the games just to "be seen in those seats"...

"What game?"

: )

154 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:56 pm

here comes Hughes!!!

155 ms october   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:56 pm

damn they had robbie played up the middle - seems lots of teams are starting to shade him up the middle these days

156 Just Fair   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:57 pm

[150] That's rotten. Best of luck to you. "Strike another match, go start anew"

157 PJ   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:58 pm

Phil is another hurler struggling at NYS... I hope he can spot number one tonight!

*fingers, toes, and eyes crossed*

158 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 8:58 pm

[151] thanks, ms. october! i have a half decent week this week and have put out a lot of feelers. i might have some networking/connections going on tomorrow night at a drum clinic, after i teach. something always comes up...

Cult - thanks for the text, bro. i'm sorry i can't text back right now. i'm waaaay over and won't get a new set until Thursday (i think). i really have to pinch my pennies for the moment.

i think it's gonna curb my crazy jazz collecting. thankfully, i already have a few transactions in the works, but i'm gonna have to cool it... : /

159 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:00 pm

[156] thanks man. i just have to hope that my last check comes through... : ~

phil is *bringin'* it!

ah, the marlins kid lost his no-no in the 7th. oh well...

160 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:01 pm

that was a *wicked* breaking pitch!

161 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:01 pm

[150] I know the feeling. I had a shock a few weeks ago when I was informed I didn't have a teaching gig this fall. I had about 24 hours of sheer terror wondering wtf I was going to do. Fortunately everything worked out but I know, it's a harrowing feeling. Here's hoping your guardian angel's watching over you.

162 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:03 pm

WOW!!! : O

163 Just Fair   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:03 pm

The gas-face. : D

164 ms october   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:03 pm

wow, looking godd philly hughesie

165 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:03 pm

HUGHES DA MAN!!!

166 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:03 pm

Oooh, damn, how gutsy!

He went right back with the same pitch!

Nice job, Philip.

167 OldYanksFan   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:03 pm

I just don't see it.
Let's trade this kid for a vet... like Betemit.

168 51cq24   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:04 pm

8th inning guy!

169 PJ   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:04 pm

Wow Phil!

Wow!

That's puttin' some hair on it!

170 Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:04 pm

Wow, he whiffed Gabby Solis there? Got to watch that tonight..

171 tocho   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:05 pm

nice inning there by Hughes. he's gonna be a real weapon for years to come in whatever role they choose for him.

172 PJ   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:06 pm

[171] His future is so bright, I'm wearin' shades right now!

: )

173 PJ   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:07 pm

Tack on time!

174 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:07 pm

[161] my guardian angel is my grandma and she's ALWAYS watching over me!!! i had minor eye surgery 2 weeks ago and when i looked up she was right there. i knew i was fine. : )

the music business is really tough and unfair. i still have some private students and gigs with a coupla other bands, but it's gonna be a rough summer. i wanna move into a house too, but real estate may not be realistic right now...

my public school teaching gig status is up in the air also. fall semester is all about marching band and i'm a Classical music teacher, so i might not have that until the very end of the year, beginning of '10.

my mom's a school teacher and the dean of a private school in NY and they might CLOSE the entire school down. my brother's business in brooklyn is collapsing and he's got 3 little kids. double plus ungood.

weh! (sorry guys, didn't mean to vent here...)

175 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:10 pm

[174] Zero apologies necessary.

176 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:10 pm

i wish Swish beat out his double play ball the other inning...

177 ms october   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:10 pm

wow not only is he hitting, i think swisher even ran faster there!

178 Just Fair   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:11 pm

5 hits, including Swish's cheapy, agains Andy S. is suboptimal.

179 tocho   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:12 pm

I think the offense wanted a quick inning to watch Phil again.

180 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:13 pm

[151] ms october - i have a gig booked in your home state in August. as luck would have it, i'm double booked with a gig in Atlanta the same night. i'm taking the Birmingham gig. unfortunately, i can't maximize my opportunities and play 'em both.

i was supposed to have a little reunion w/ my college friends at Penn State this summer, but i have to cancel it to play ONE crappy little gig here in town. thing is, i really really really NEED that crappy gig!!! oy yuy yuy...

181 Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:14 pm

ummm..why is Hughes out of the game??????

182 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:14 pm

wait... wha? huh? is phil COKE in to pitch? um...WHY?!?!?! wrong Phil, Joe!!! : /

183 Just Fair   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:14 pm

No Phil. WTF.

184 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:15 pm

Could Hughes really not have gotten three more outs with more reliability than Coke?

185 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:15 pm

i don't think i like this matchup. WTF, is right!!!

186 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:15 pm

grrrrr.

i've got a bad "joey joe joe making a move for the sake of making a move" move here.

187 tocho   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:15 pm

clueless joe

188 ms october   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:15 pm

ugh why is hughes out for coke??

[180] that's cool - hope it goes well

189 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:16 pm

Please don't let's piss this thing away.

190 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:16 pm

Nice.

Way to go, Cokehead.

191 ms october   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:17 pm

phil hughes is not so fragile he needs to feel good about his outing michael - jesus your inaneness is high tonight

192 OldYanksFan   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:17 pm

I'm not a Girardi basher, but WHY THE F is Phil out of the game?

193 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:17 pm

whew. i'd still rather see the "other" Phil in there...

194 OldYanksFan   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:18 pm

Bad, BAD move taking Hughes out.

195 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:18 pm

I feel ill...

196 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:19 pm

[191] the stupid is strong in that one tonite ...

197 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:19 pm

[187] i thought the same thing. good to see ya again, tocho!

[190] cokehead. haha. thanks for making me laugh!

great, a 4-pitch walk. awesome. just awesome.

198 tocho   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:19 pm

4-pitch walk... why? why?

199 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:19 pm

Somebody do something.

200 OldYanksFan   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:19 pm

Is Mo available? He went Sat. and yesterday.

Show/Hide Comments 201-300
201 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:19 pm

[197] Heh hehe heh

202 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:20 pm

nice gun, Alex!

203 tocho   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:20 pm

[197] thanks man... good to see you too. hope things get better in the music industry soon. I'm a lawyer and things are r-e-a-l-l-y-s-l-o-w....

204 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:21 pm

Good Lord, are they doing the wave?

WTF???

205 51cq24   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:21 pm

it would be nice if there were better options than coke, but i'm not totally against the idea of getting phil out after that nice inning.
doesn't matter anyway.

206 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:21 pm

Pfew.

207 ms october   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:21 pm

well the outcome was good - still not that thrilled with the process

208 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:22 pm

not what i would have done, but it worked.

ok, let's get some runs here.

sounds like Mo is still a bit shaky.

209 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:22 pm

nice play, jetes!

well, that went as well as could be expected. still, i would've MUCH rather have seen the "other" Phil. i have NO idea why Joe pulled hughes. i guess to face the lefty Pena and turn Zobrist around. anyway, Hughes was *dealin'* and shoulda stayed in.

top of the order. let's get some insurance runs. thank you, please!

210 PJ   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:23 pm

I'll see your Sonnanstine and raise you two Phils!

: )

211 Just Fair   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:24 pm

3rd time's a charm. Word.

212 ms october   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:24 pm

yeah jeter - take that fluid dynamics!

213 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:25 pm

that's my captain!!! : )

214 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:25 pm

that'll do, lads, that'll do ...

215 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:25 pm

Nice, Derek. Nice.

216 tocho   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:25 pm

you kiddin' me with the wave. what is this, killing time at fantasmic? unbelievable. get into the game!!!!

217 PJ   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:25 pm

Woohoo Derek!

Apparently they are doing the 7TH, 8TH, and 9TH different alternating armed young hurlers tonight in rehearsal for our collective future!

: )

218 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:25 pm

CHOATE!!!!!!!!

219 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:27 pm

[214] That sounds like a cross between the farmer (James what's-his-name, the actor) talking to babe and George Martin talking to the Beatles.

220 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:28 pm

[203] thanks man. i hope things pick up in your field, too! i've had a really good run of things the last 3 years. it caught up to me as soon as the calendar flipped to June. i've got a lot of projects to take care of this summer, so hopefully i'll be productive...

i'd have NO issues with scoring many more runs and saving Mo! : )

221 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:28 pm

[219] kinda had a "Babe" thought going on in my mind ... and I ain't talking George Herman ...

222 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:29 pm

[219] ah, i see you had it the 1st time ... James Cromwell is the actor.

223 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:29 pm

Wtf was that, Johnny?

224 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:30 pm

[222] Cromwell, thank you! :)

225 51cq24   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:31 pm

this is the last kind of pitcher i'd throw against teixeira

226 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:31 pm

Izzy into face Alex...

227 monkeypants   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:32 pm

Another HR--launching pad???

Somewhere Ichiro and Weepingforbrunhilde sigh adn ahske their heads.

228 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:33 pm

mike gonzalez has such a weird routine on the mound. i'm glad we didn't get him from the Bucs a coupla years ago...

(i'm switch to the local braves games here on commercial breaks, if my atlanta based comments seem to come from left field...)

229 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:34 pm

[227] Somewhere, indeed. Evening, mp.

230 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:34 pm

[227] don't forget Tyrus Cobb!

231 monkeypants   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:34 pm

I see on gameday and by reading the thread that Hughes was pulled after one inning?? I take it is being groomed to be the eighth inning guy???

232 ms october   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:34 pm

god izzy has ballooned up

233 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:34 pm

[227] awesome, man! : )

hey, what's league average IsoD and what's elite?

234 monkeypants   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:35 pm

[227] Yikes, that was a lot of typos! Just got back from work and feeling a little woozy.

235 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:35 pm

bollox.

236 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:35 pm

Let Mo be Mo.

237 monkeypants   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:35 pm

[233] I never had a chance to look it up. Let's see if I can get motivated here.

238 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:35 pm

[232] heh, I was thinking the same thing!

239 51cq24   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:36 pm

[231] that would be my guess, and i think it's a pretty good idea. though eventually i'd hope he can be the 7th/8th inning guy.

240 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:36 pm

[230] there's a museum for him about an hour.5 north of here. i've never been though...

[231] 7th inning, apparently...

241 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:37 pm

[237] oh, no worries, man...

242 PJ   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:37 pm

[231] Honestly they couldn't do badly with Hughes, Coke, and Robertson before Mo... really...

243 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:37 pm

Swish outta the game...

244 ms october   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:38 pm

ah mo time

245 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:38 pm

heh ... Hughes AND Coke are The Players of the Game ...

they should have given it to the "Philthys"!

246 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:38 pm

[242] and eventually Bruney and maybe Melancon.

247 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:39 pm

1 down.

nice stretch Tex.

boomer called that a "bounder". sure, whatever, dude...

248 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:40 pm

[245] Philthy Animal Taylor! (old Motorhead drummer for the uninitiated...)

249 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:40 pm

1 more. let's make it quick, baby!

250 ms october   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:42 pm

beautiful mo!!

251 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:42 pm

Mariano Rivera, ladies and gentlemen.

Mariano Rivera.

252 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:42 pm

PERFECT MO.

hit the glove!

253 51cq24   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:43 pm

not bad for someone with swine flu

254 Just Fair   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:43 pm

Clappity-clap. Bring on the Fens.

255 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:43 pm

first pitch had some nice spin action on it.

2nd pitch was tough to take.

3rd pitch = simply beautiful

4th pitch = I LOVE YOU, MO!!!

game over!!! 1st place!!!

thanks for the well wishes, everyone! you all ROCK!!!

: )

256 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:43 pm

[253] : )

257 PJ   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:45 pm

Well that was a good win! The future sure looks good for them from here!

Great fun to watch!

I'm sorry how things are going for you currently, Thelarmis! I hope they get better for you very soon!

Have a great evening folks!

: )

258 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:45 pm

[253] Heh heh heh heh.

259 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:47 pm

andy's 6-2 w/ a 4.22 era. had a good in-game WHIP, but i don't like the 3 walks. 7 K's. a lot of pitches thru 6. i'll take it for a 4th starter against a good team. we still have Hughes & Wang as rotation backups...

Tues/Wed pitching matchups should be quite interesting:
Burnett/Beckett
Wang/Wake

260 monkeypants   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:48 pm

[241] Well, the AL average for ISO (not ISO-D) is .159. Ichiro is #70 in the AL at .125. Teixera is #2 at .325.

261 monkeypants   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:49 pm

[259] And now we have the new secret weapon: Hughes in the seventh inning!!!!!

262 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:52 pm

[260] i think i'm confused. (remember: i'm an idiot drummer, who's essentially out of work!). i'm looking for the iso-discipline, which i thought was OBP minus AVG. like the difference between Ichiro's avg & obp was less than 50 (iirc, from last night's post) and A-rod's is like over .150. i would guess around +80 would be average and +100 or +125, would be elite, but i could be waaaay off.

does any of that make sense? btw, thanks for lookin' stuff up!

263 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 9:54 pm

it's not ideal, but i'm glad i get to see BBTN. i don't have MLB network, so...

264 monkeypants   ~  Jun 8, 2009 10:00 pm

[262] Ah, I see. I was looking up isolated power. I'm not sure where to find isolated siscipline. I will say, in Ichiro's favor, that he is #20 in Offensive Win Percentage.

265 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 10:03 pm

[264] acha. i'd be interested in knowing more about isolated discipline and the lines of average and elite...

266 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 10:04 pm

i believe around .333 is average OBP, for each league, give or take a few 10th's...

but i guess, that's different from knowing the lines in regards to Iso...

267 monkeypants   ~  Jun 8, 2009 10:08 pm

I see on ESPN.com that Big Papi's slump is not because of his eyes. That's heartening, because I though I read somewhere that using steroids (which we all know have no positive effect on batters) can mess up a person's eyesight.

268 Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO   ~  Jun 8, 2009 10:10 pm

[267] You're baiting me! We don't know WHAT effect streoids have on batters OR pitchers..there is no tangible evidence no matter what people speculate...

269 monkeypants   ~  Jun 8, 2009 10:14 pm

[266] According to baseball-reference, so far in 2009 the American League has a .336 OBP and a . 265 BA. So I guess the average isolated discipline would be .336-.265 = .071. I'm not sure what elite would be, but Swisher right now is at .140 or so. Ichiro is at around .040.

270 monkeypants   ~  Jun 8, 2009 10:15 pm

[268] That's exactly what I wrote.

271 Rich   ~  Jun 8, 2009 10:16 pm

Phil Hughes needs to remain on the 2 man roster. That is all.

272 Rich   ~  Jun 8, 2009 10:16 pm

^25 man

heh

273 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 10:18 pm

[269] awesome, good thinkin'! i was just looking up stuff and, of course...failing. okay, so .071 is average. .100, is probably good, .125 very good and 140/150+ is elite. that'd probably work. swish, a-rod, tex are all doing great in this category. i think Ichiro at .040 really helps your point of him not being elite...at least in this area. and on-base IS pretty much the most important offensive stat. even moreso for a fast guy, probably...

274 monkeypants   ~  Jun 8, 2009 10:18 pm

[272] Yes. He is an indispensable weapon in seventh inning every six days.

275 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 10:22 pm

hey, here's gammons and his "inside pitch." guess who he's talking about? first ellsbury, now ortiz's eyes. boston sticking with the fat god!

276 monkeypants   ~  Jun 8, 2009 10:22 pm

[273] But to be fair, OPB is OBP. If he gets .380 using a high average, that is not worse than Swish using lower average and more walks. However, it does make Ichiro's OBP more BA dependent, which means it will tend to vary a lot from year to year (which it has).

Actually, I am coming around to the idea that I have undervalued Ichiro...but I am still convinced that most everyone else overrates him.

But, dead horse or not, this is the most fun I've had discussing/debating baseball in a long time. It beats steroids (which we all no do not help players, especially Big Papi) and/or bitching about various Yankees' managers named Joe.

277 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 10:22 pm

[274] i vote for every other thursday.

278 Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO   ~  Jun 8, 2009 10:25 pm

[276] Fun here too..be interesting to pick someone completely the opposite of Ichiro and look deeper into their advanced stats...someone like..Greg Luzinski..

279 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 10:26 pm

"But to be fair, OPB is OBP."

that is awesome, monkeypants!!! ; )

no, i totally hear you about that point and i thought of that, too. high average + high IsoD, would rock. i haven't looked, but Boggs was probably doing well in this dept. of course, not a lot of power...

280 williamnyy23   ~  Jun 8, 2009 10:28 pm

Phil Hughes performance tonight showed us exactly why he is better off in the bullpen than being in the minors. Unfortunately, Girardi's usage of him showed us exactly why he may be better off in Scranton.

I am going to assume that Girardi either just wanted to get his feet wet with a great outing and/or wanted to keep him fresh for the Red Sox series. Hopefully, the plan for Hughes isn't to turn him into a one inning pitcher. Not only would that limit his impact, but pretty much ensure that he'll be on another low innings limit in 2010.

With Hughes and Aceves, the Yankees seem to have two pitchers that can give you 2-4 quality innings at a clip. Even if they each only pitch twice per week, that would cover 4 of 7 games in which you should be able to provide a quality bridge to Mo. Hopefully, Girardi will maximize the usefullness of both. He seems to have the right idea with Ace; now he needs to do the same with Hughes.

281 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 10:30 pm

[280] nice on all that. where do you thing CMW fits in there?

282 Rich   ~  Jun 8, 2009 10:32 pm

[272] Yes. He is an indispensable weapon in seventh inning every six days.

Two points:

1) He is probably their third best starter, but because this organization isn't smart enough to understand that you can develop and win at the same time, he's not in the rotation.

Nonetheless:

2) I can't control how Girardi uses him, but as David Cone has repeatedly pointed out, a young pitcher can learn more in the pen than he can in the mLs. Plus, Hughes has nothing left to prove at AAA.

If Girardi doesn't realize how big a contribution Hughes can make, then he doesn't deserve to keep the job, but it still makes sense to put the best players on the 25 roster.

283 monkeypants   ~  Jun 8, 2009 10:33 pm

[279] Actually, Boggs hit for a lot more power than people realize, at least in his peak years. Here are his SLG frm 1983 to 1992: .486, .416, .478, .486, .588, .490, .449, .418, .460. He led the league in OPS twice!

40 or so doubles a year help.

284 monkeypants   ~  Jun 8, 2009 10:36 pm

[282] I agree with you entirely. I was just being sarcastic about Girardi. Yes, he should stay at the MLB level--I argued that before. But I fear he will be squandered in the pen AND have his development slowed again, through piss poor use.

I just don't understand why this organization can't log onto to baseball-reference and look up Santana, Johan. The game logs for his first couple of years are quite revealing.

285 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 10:37 pm

well, Boggs had a high lifetime batting avg (.328) and high career OBP (.415). so, his IsoD was .087.

Tex's career IsoD right now is .089, plus a MUCH higher SLG.

A-rod's at .084 with a SLG even higher than Tex...'

yeah, this is FUN!!!

i'm thinking .140 IsoD, is insane and elite is probably lower than that. who knows what it'll look like at the end of the season for these guys...

in A-rod's amazing MVP season of '07, his IsoD was .108

286 monkeypants   ~  Jun 8, 2009 10:38 pm

[280][281] In my version, CMW would be in Hughes' spot in the BP, pitching two or three innings a time until he proved that he had the stamina to start. Then, if I needed to limit Hughes' innings, I would swap the two of them later in the year.

287 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 10:42 pm

[283] oh yes, i saw that and remember he did have pop...when he wanted. and 578 doubles! 757 XBH. he had ELEVEN seasons of .400 OBP or better, including eight in a row to start his career!

288 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 10:43 pm

boggs had that 1 season of 24 homeruns. only one other time did he reach double digits (11). he, like ichiro, was one of those guys that had power and displayed it in BP, but just went for basehits...

289 monkeypants   ~  Jun 8, 2009 10:44 pm

[285] I wonder if there is some sort of tendency to diminishing returns. It *seems* that the guys who have super isolated discipline all have low BAs--Giambi-like .250/.400 guys (I'm leabing out freaks like Bonds). Guys with higher BAs (like .300 or .320) seem to max out at around .420 OBP. If my instinct is correct, then players like A-Rod and Teix must on some level trade a few walks for a few hit...but with their power that means higher SLG.

290 monkeypants   ~  Jun 8, 2009 10:47 pm

[288] HIs big HR season was 1987, right? When there were rampant rumours that the ball was juiced. The balls were supposedly juiced, not the players (and in any case, we all know that "juice" does not help batters, including Big Papi).

291 williamnyy23   ~  Jun 8, 2009 10:48 pm

[281] I am not ready to give up on Wang as a starter. Unfortunately, I still think he as another start or two to go before reaching full strength (and even more unfortunately, one will come against Boston), but I do believe he'll get there.

[282] I am not sure how you can say he IS the third best starter. He has the potential to be the third best starter, but he isn't yet. Furthermore, the Yankees have been trying to develop and win at the same time. This is, after all, the same organization that gave rotation spots to IPK and Hughes last season. What's more, you can't get around the fact that Hughes has an innings limit (as does Joba), so he can't be a full-time starter anyway. The bottom line is that if he is used properly, he can still develop in the bullpen, and the Yankees can win while that process takes place.

[284] Johan is the poster boy for the hybrid starter/reliever role (and there are many others). I hope/expect Hughes and Joba will both see time in both roles and reach a comforable 140-150 innings doing it. Of course, to achieve this, one inning relief stints will need to be more the exception than the norm.

292 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 10:49 pm

[289] i think you nailed it. good work!

293 williamnyy23   ~  Jun 8, 2009 10:51 pm

[289] That makes sense intuitively. Basically, when a hitter walks there's a good chance that he is (a) ahead in the count; and/or (b) facing a lesser quality pitcher. In both instances, I'd imagine a hitter would hitter above his normal average if eschewed the walk and expanded the strike zone. While that would result in a higher BA, the trade off would be a lower OBP.

294 thelarmis   ~  Jun 8, 2009 10:57 pm

[290] yup, '87. same year he had his highest RBI total (89) and the only time he reached a 4-digit OPS.

295 monkeypants   ~  Jun 8, 2009 11:00 pm

[281] I haven't given up on him as a starter, either. But I don't understand why CMW's stamina can't be built up in the pen--rather than potentially sacrificing a few starts as essentially rehab/experimentation. meanwhile, right now Hughes is a better starter than CMW, but he got bumped to the pen. And using Hughes for one inning today was simply perverse.

296 OldYanksFan   ~  Jun 8, 2009 11:12 pm

http://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_1987.shtml
How did Boggs only finish 9th? What is up with the voters?

297 Diane Firstman   ~  Jun 8, 2009 11:15 pm

Just got back from the game ..... those left field seats behind the aux. scoreboard are quite nice!

I'm now 2-0 in the new Stadium .... though I was nearly apoplectic when Hughes didn't start the 8th, and went a little nutty when Mo got the call for the third game in a row. But it all worked out!

Tomorrow, Johnny Depp and I share the exact same birthday .... life is good!

298 williamnyy23   ~  Jun 8, 2009 11:16 pm

[295] I'm not sure how you can build up stamina in the bullpen. The Yankee 5-man rotation has the real potential to give you 6+ every night. So, unless you are going to gerrymander one game every 5 days to get Wang 4 innings, then you run the risk of never having a real opportunity to use him for length.

As for Hughes, if the starter gives you 7 and Mo is ready for the 9th, I could live with the occassional one inning stint in the 8th, but I definitely agree that tonight's game was a chance to get him 2 and even three innings (which could have saved Mo for the Boston series).

299 williamnyy23   ~  Jun 8, 2009 11:17 pm

[297] Johnny Deep? Is that Damon's new nickname?

300 RIYank   ~  Jun 8, 2009 11:21 pm

Diane, happy birthday!

Show/Hide Comments 301-312
301 monkeypants   ~  Jun 8, 2009 11:24 pm

[298] Well, his last four appearances were 3, 2, 3, and 4.2 INN, with 51, 26, 42, and 69 pitches. The last was a start where he already started to get touched up in the third inning. So basically, starting or relieving, he has not shown that he can go much more than 3 innings.

Given that, it should be fairly easy to get him appearances of three or four innings out of the pen. Surely it would not be so hard to marry him to Hughes, who is only averaging about 5 innings per start?

302 monkeypants   ~  Jun 8, 2009 11:27 pm

[301][298] Basically, I am not yet confident that Wang can go three innings. Until he can prove that, he should be in the pen.

303 williamnyy23   ~  Jun 8, 2009 11:33 pm

[301] But how many appearance of 3 or 4 innings out of the pen will present themselves? What's more, if he does go 3 or 4 innings, he likely wouldn't be available for at least three games. It's really hard to get regular work like that.

I thought Wang pitched a pretty strong 4 innings last time out (even if the numbers left something to be desired) and think the fastest way to get him up to a regular 6 innings/100+ pitches is by having him start in rotation. Hopefully, he can still keep them in the next two games while he builds to that, but for the long haul, I still think it's the right approach even if he doesn't (i.e., sometimes you lose a battle or two to win the war).

304 Rich   ~  Jun 8, 2009 11:39 pm

HB, Diane.

305 monkeypants   ~  Jun 8, 2009 11:47 pm

[303] How many opportunities. Well, going back the last 15 games (not including Wang's satrt), which represents three times through the rotation, the Yankees starters have gone:

7 to 9 innings: 6 times
6 innings: 4 times
5 innings or fewer: 5 times.

By my reckoning, that means that something like three starts out of five a reliever will have the opportunity to throw three or more innings. I'm pretty certain that a rotation with Pettitte (two of last three starts were 5 innings), Hughes and Chamberlain will yield at least one long relief appearance a week.

306 monkeypants   ~  Jun 8, 2009 11:54 pm

[303] I thought Wang pitched a pretty strong 4 innings last time out (even if the numbers left something to be desired)...

This is the critical point on which this debate turns, I think. You see his in his last start 4 strong innings. I see two strong innings, followed by a third (double, walk, wild pitch, single, single), fourth (single, double, double), and fifth (HR) that were not so strong.

He got smacked around in his first relief appearance (3 INN, 6 H, 2 R). That leaves one excellent relief appearance (2 INN, 0H, 0R) and one mixed but very good relief appearance (3 INN, 3H, 1BB, 3K).

In my mind, he has still not shown that he can last even three innings consistently.

307 SteveAmerica   ~  Jun 9, 2009 12:41 am

276. Let me preface this by saying that you are the one poster at Banter that I most often agree with so please don't take this as some sort of attack or whatever. Do you really think that OBP is OBP. I've given this a lot of thought and here's where I net out.

a high OBP that is made high by walking (see Giambi) is slightly less valuable than the same OBP if it were made up mostly of BA. Some of those hits go more than one base, some of those hits advance runners more than one base.

Now, what I'm not saying is that I'd prefer to build a team around guys who are BA machines, because to your point BA is more volatile over time, less reliable and projectable. But I think that if you had two guys with a .380 OBP and one of them has a .360 BA and one of them has a .225 BA, I bet the first guy did more to help the team score runs. So in that sense, I don't really think "OBP is OBP."

308 SteveAmerica   ~  Jun 9, 2009 12:42 am

I bet the reason Girardi only let Hughes pitch one inning tonight was so he'd be available for an extended appearance in the Boston series in case Wang spits the bit.

309 seamus   ~  Jun 9, 2009 12:50 am

[301] he can't go deeper than 3 innings until he goes deeper than 3 innings. If it sounds like a catch 22 it is because it is a catch 22. Your arm strength adjusts to what you are throwing. Think of it this way, if a runner is going to run a marathon they don't prepare by running solely 3 mile stints. They need to actually run longer distances to prepare to run the longer distance. I'm not a runner but I think the analogy works. It holds for me with the sports I play.

310 monkeypants   ~  Jun 9, 2009 1:05 am

[307] i actually agree with you--sort of. If you look at what I was responding to, I only said that "OBP is OBP" as a response to [273], who criticized Ichiro for having a low isolated discipline. In other words, although I too criticize Ichiro for not walking enough, at the same time his OBP (around .380) is still very good. That's all I meant.

And yes, all things being equal, it is almost certainly better to have a guy with a .400 OBP and a a .400 BA than having a guy with a .400 OBP and .250 BA. But in the real world it doesn't really work that way. Guys like Ichiro, who don't walk a lot, are VERY dependent on their BA, thus their OBP tends to vary a lot. Look at Ichiro's OBPs: .381, .388, .352, .414, .350, .370, .396, .361, .393. That wide variation is because so much of his game is tied to BA--when he doesn't hit .330, his offense really suffers.

311 monkeypants   ~  Jun 9, 2009 1:06 am

[309] I agree. But Wang has yet to show that he can even go three innings consistently. Let's use him out of the pen several times for 3 innings, and maybe the odd 4 inning stint, before moving him to the rotation. If he can go three consistently without getting shellacked, then swap him with Hughes.

312 SteveAmerica   ~  Jun 9, 2009 1:40 am

310 totally agree. It's one of the reasons I will never fully embrace cano. He's a guy who can really contribute sometimes, and sometimes for long stretches, but I would never want the team to rely too heavily on his offensive production because his value is so closely tied to BA.

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