Today’s news is powered by the memory of a music legend, Mr. Les Paul:
- The “Joba Rules” have some quirks:
Joe Girardi announced Joba Chamberlain will start on Wednesday in Oakland, which will be on seven days’ rest and prevent him from pitching against Boston in next weekend’s series. Girardi also said that come playoff time, the Joba Rules may be waived as it will be “all hands on deck.”
“This is part of the plan, and this is what we have to do because this is not just about the next two months,” Girardi said of the varying degrees of rest between starts. “This is about years and years to come.”
- A couple of choice Q&As from Thursday’s online chat with Steven Goldman at Baseball Prospectus:
Pete (Bronx): If you were Brian Cashman, what would you offer Johnny Damon to re-sign? 2 years for ?? million?
Steven Goldman: It seems like the assumption now is that Damon should be brought back. Given that the Yankees don’t have great alternatives (Austin Jackson’s MLE doesn’t inspire confidence)and the free agent class is not bursting with possibilities, maybe it’s a reasonable assumption. I do worry about Damon being a product of Friendly YS II (or III, really), with only .273/.346/.459 rates on the road and declining defense. Two years would be my upper limit… I really wonder if Damon is going to last long enough to get 3,000 hits and wind up as a totally unexpected HOFer. It could happen.
Jeff P (NYC): Hi Steve, thanks for the chat. What are your thoughts on how Girardi handles the Yanks’ pen? He seems to be excellent strategically (players know and are comfortable with their roles, no one’s overworked, flexible in who has what role) but mediocre tactically (who to bring in to face which batters).
Steven Goldman: I think you’ve nailed it exactly. As I said earlier, in both of his seasons in New York, he’s started with one bullpen and finished with another, and after more than a decade of Joe Torre’s obsessive focus on one or two relievers, as well as blind loyalty to anyone who had been on the roster for more than 15 minutes, it’s been quite refreshing. If Torre were here, we’d still be watching balls hit off of Edwar Ramirez fly over the moon… It’s been so long since I’ve seen a manager who excelled at pen matchups on a regular basis. Who would you rate as tops at that? Scioscia? LaRussa?
- What might playoff tickets at the Stadium cost?
- Can you find healthy food at the Stadium?
- I’m not a big Rick Reilly fan, but the subject matter of his piece in the latest ESPN magazine is an absolute winner (excerpt here, but the whole article is a must-read):
The team facing Yankees ace A.J. Burnett a few weeks back at Yankee Stadium has to go down as the oddest in baseball history.
For one thing, it plays only at night. The players have no choice. Even one minute of sunshine can kill them.
They’re from Camp Sundown, in Craryville, N.Y., and they live life on the other side of the sun. All of them have the rare disease known as XP — xeroderma pigmentosum. If kids with XP catch the slightest UV ray, they can and do develop cancerous tumors. Even fluorescent lights fry their skin like boiling oil. Most of them don’t live to be 20.
So how could they take the field at Yankee Stadium? Because this was 3 a.m. Superstar right-handers should be tucked into bed by then, yet there was Burnett, throwing Wiffle-ball splitters and chasing down line drives.
- Weak-hitting (some might say “Sub-Mendozian”) Jim Mason turns 59 today. Mason spent three seasons with the Bombers (’74 as their starting SS, ’75-’76 as a part-timer). His line with the Yanks? .208/.261/.288. In the expansion era, his .203 (!) career BA is the 2nd-lowest for any non-pitcher with as many career PAs as he had (1,753). The Blue Jays inexplicably selected Mason off the Yanks roster during the expansion draft after the ’76 season. Mason DOES have the honor of being the only man in ML history to hit a HR in his ONLY post-season plate appearance (1976 World Series).
- On this date in 1942, the Yankees turn a ML-record seven double plays in an 11 – 2 win over the Athletics. Bill Dickey guns down two runners following third strikes, three are started by the DP combo of Phil Rizzuto and Joe Gordon, reliever Johnny Murphy triggers another, and 3B Red Rolfe initiates one.
- On this date in 1990, California posts a 9 – 5 win over the Yankees with the winning margin coming on an inside-the-park grand slam by Luis Polonia. Yankee RF Jesse Barfield misses a shoestring catch and his leisurely pursuit of the ball allows Polonia to score. Barfield will misplay another drive into an inside-the-park grand slam home run two weeks later.
Back on Monday!
The RandMcNally, MapQuest, and Google maps all have Joba starting on different days. If you average them out, I think he's starting Tuesday morning. These Joba maps are not very helpful, but the kid'll be fine, right?
Looks like Andy, AJ and CC for the Boston series...something tells me this realignment of the rotation has at least as much about that as implementing the Joba Plan (which is the sequel to the Joba Rules). I can't wait for the world premier of Joba, the Unbridled.
[2]
To be quickly followed by "Joba: The Musical"
Goldman is the best. Damon makes a lot of sense, but his inability to play the outfield makes Bay or Dunn more appealing. Bay of course would require a longer contract. But Dunn could be had on a one-year deal if the Nationals will trade him. Given how Matsui has been hitting, I'd also include him but on a one-year deal. If they retain one of Damon or Matsui for DH, they might be able to get by with good defense in the OF but no power (Melky, Gardner, Swisher). But that's a big risk, especially with the age of Jeter, A-Rod, and Posada.
Also agree on the bullpen. Girardi certainly knows how to build a pen from random bits. Two years running with the same trajectory isn't a fluke. I do worry about his tactical decisions, but I'm still not convinced they're not made within a trying to figure out the bigger picture. If Coke faces righties in playoff games we're going to have trouble.
[3] The book is better.
[1] Everytime someone mentions the "Joba map", I want to put on pirate gear and start saying, "Arrgghh . . . avast, ye old timers with your lack of pitch counts! This here map will lead us to gold, I tells ye!"
Or something like that.
In the last thread, before things took a turn into something about Disney, hookers, and the effects of weed on the brain - someone mentioned that its likely the Yanks' offense will regress next year. They are, after all, #1 in RS right now. That doesn't bother me, as long as the pitching improves (#8 in RA right now), which I think it will.
[3] Being that it would be Off-Broadway, you'd expect a discount on the prices, but nooooooo...
[6] I wonder how much Mitre and Wang are affect that RA ranking? Wang was historically bad, and Mitre has been merely abysmal. Simply improving on those two (perhaps aiming as high as typically awful for a fifth starter) should improve the RA, I would think.
They are, after all, #1 in RS right now. That doesn’t bother me, as long as the pitching improves (#8 in RA right now), which I think it will.
Looking @ RS and RA over the past few years, I think WYSIWYG.
[6] The pitching is more variable though. You can sorta count on the hitting. For the Yankees, with their payroll, there really isn't a reason to choose one or the other.
Their best in the league offense is also benefiting from bounceback years from most the participants (Jeter, Cano, Posada, Swisher, Matsui, Damon). The last two are likely gone. But of those first four, how many can be expected to repeat or best this year?
Only A-Rod is really underperforming his career rates (of course, while he finds clutch performances). In a sense, almost everything has gone right for the offense this year. It would be a mistake to assume it will continue without Matsui or Damon. They need another big bat.
I have criticized Torre's bullpen management as much (more) than anyone, but to imply that he wouldn't use Hughes in the pen, after using Joba, is a risible comment.
OTOH, Girardi hasn't given Melancon a real chance, which is Torre-like.
[10] And there's my point: Let's say the Yanks lose 40 runs off this year's offense, with regression of the guys overperforming and whatnot. They can replace those 40 runs by signing a big bat who'll net them +40 runs. OR they can subtract 40 runs from the pitching/defense part of the equation.
Especially given the slim picking of this year's free agent market, and the folly in overpaying for guys on the wrong side of 30 - coughJasonBaycoughMattHollidaycough - it may be much easier for the Yanks to subtract 40 from the runs allowed column, than add 40 in the runs scored column.
Melancon has gotten his chances. The problem is he has options while Bruney does not.
Last year Robertson didn't get much of a shot. This year it's Melancon. Next year they'll both be part of the pen.
[12]
And how will they do that subtracting from the pitching side of the ledger? The rotation #1 through #4 is likely set. I don't see how they don't bring back Pettitte for depth. Then there's Hughes. Besides, as someone else just noted, their pitching looks worse than it is given Wang and Mitre. There may not be much room for improvement. Who would they sign if they truly wanted Hughes as the #5?
Combined Damon and Matsui are at 40 RAA. Dunn, by himself, is at 37 RAA. Bay is at 25 (same as Damon). I agree that the market is bare, but dropping two hitters means you have two openings in the lineup (and $26 million//year). I don't see that opportunity to upgrade the pitching.
[12] I mis-read you. If they let Damon and Matsui they're already down 40-50 RAA just based on their years. Assuming any regression or injuries from the rest, and they could be looking at another offense like 2008.
Jackson doesn't seem ready to help. Montero might. Still, that leaves them one bat short.
[13] The real question of the offseason, to me, is do the Yanks keep Bruney, or trade him? I bet he gets traded:
M. Rivera
P. HughesD. Marte (L)P. Coke (L)
A. Aceves
B. BruneyM. MelanconD. Robertson
C. Gaudin
And that's before we consider Albaladejo or any of the other kids down on the farm.
[13] The entire "he has options" line of reasoning drives me to distraction. In the case of a close call, yes it makes sense to farm out the guy with options rather than DFA the guy who is out of options. On the other hand, "out of options" seems to have been the excuse for keeping around Veras, Ransom, Tomko and Berroa.
I'm not sure whose fault that is (manager or GM).
[16] shaun if the real question of the offseason centers on bruney, that is going to be one boring offseason :}
i don't think the yanks can punt by not either re-signing damon or getting some kind of replacement for at least one of damon or matsui
[14] with both dunn and bay liabilities in the field too, you have to be careful with either too though. i'd gladly sign up for a year of dunn since he can sort of play the field, but i'm not sure what package the nats would want for him. i have totally soured on bay since wishing the yanks would have sweetened the offer to the pirates to get him last year.
[16] Given their minor league depth and Girardi's ability to slowly find something workable, I'm not worried about the pen. They'll figure it out.
Hitting though is much harder to figure out mid-stream without paying a steep price. The Sox got Martinez but look at the cost. Masterson could be a decent starter. Offense was so cheap this past winter, they really missed a chance there. The Yankees in 2006 got lucky with Abreu, but that's the exception.
[17] Agreed, but Bruney at least seems like a guy not to give up on quite yet (whereas Ransom and Tomkon and Berroa were never to be counted on). So it was Melancon shipped out.
[18] Problem is, the market is so bare Bay might be the best option. Or, heck, sign both Damon and Matsui. Left-handed bats so few and the Yankees are the best to take advantage.
I'm also looking at Hank Blalock. Seems like he'd be an ideal filler at 1B, 3B, and DH.
[20] If I was the Yankees I absolutely wouldn't stand in the way of the Red Sox signing Bay to a long-term extension.
The real question of the offseasono is what to do with Damon if he won't accept a one year contract.
I would not re-sign Matsui.
The real question for the off season, and into the following season, and probably never ending will be...who will pitch the eighth inning?!?
[23] If past is prologue, the next heralded Yankee starting pitching prospect...
[24] Indeed...
; )
[25] Zack McAllister?
[21] Why? Bay is the only guy on the market who gives a .900 OPS almost every year. He's not going to get more than four years and the Yankees should absolutely consider it based on his OBP (which will age well) and with the money off the books. He lengthens their lineup AND signing him would hurt the Sox that much more. As it is there are so few hitters available, if the Sox lose out on Bay, they're looking at needing 2 or 3 hitters for 2010 and the one guy they thought would be ready - Lars Anderson - is struggling to hit AA pitching. Then where do they go?
As soon as you buy into the fact that the Yankees need at least one bat to replace Damon/Matsui, Bay should be at the top of the list, especially if Damon is looking for a two or three year deal. Dunn would be nice too, but the cost in prospects may be too great.
Looking ahead (fans can do this, frowned upon by players!), for the Boston series next week in the fens, looks like we miss Lester and Bucholz, meaning we get some combination of Beckett, Penny and possibly Tazawa (dont kno if wake is back by then).
Good eats