As I type this, neither the Rays nor the Yankees has made a deadline deal, but that could change by first pitch with the non-waiver trading deadline of 4pm Saturday bearing down on us. Both teams are said to be looking for a designated hitter, but the Yankees are in more urgent need of a relief pitcher (though apparently not urgent enough to give Jonathan Albaladejo an extended look).
On first glance, it might seem the Yankees would be wise to stay in the DH market to cause problems for the Rays, who trail by just two games in the AL East entering this weekend’s three-game set at the Trop, but the real threat to their playoff chances is the Red Sox. Though the Sox are another 5.5 games behind the Rays, they are the second-place team in the Wild Card race and thus the team with the best chance of keeping either the Yanks or Rays out of the playoffs, and the Red Sox big target is relief pitching.
Of course, all of that is mere speculation for now. The hard facts are that the Yankees took two of three from the Rays in the Bronx two weeks ago to even the season series at 4-4, but the Rays have gained a game back in the interim by winning eight of ten and their last six in a row. The Yankees last visited Tropicana Field on the first weekend of the season, taking two of three from the Rays then as well.
In the second game of that series, the Bombers put up four runs in six innings against Wade Davis, who starts for the Rays tonight against Phil Hughes. Davis had more success against the Yanks in a rematch in the Bronx in May, and has been sharp of late, turning in three straight quality starts and posting a 3.47 ERA in his last eight games.
Hughes, meanwhile, seems to be wearing down a bit as the season progresses. He was effective in two of his last three starts, but those came against the lowly Royals and Mariners, while the Angels, Blue Jays, and Mariners in a previous turn got to him good in his other most recent starts. Going back to his start in CitiField on May 17, Hughes has posted a 5.47 ERA over 12 starts, though good run support has lifted his record to 7-3 over that span. However, it’s worth noting that two of Hughes’ recent duds came after his previous start was skipped. Five of his last eight starts on regular rest have been quality and a sixth saw him allow three runs in 5 1/3 innings. Hughes will be be on regular rest again tonight.
Tampa Bay Rays
2010 Record: 63-38 (.624)
2010 Pythagorean Record: 63-38 (.624)
Manager: Joe Maddon
General Manager: Andrew Friedman
Home Ballpark: Tropicana Field
Bill James Park Indexes (2007-2009):
LH Avg-100, LH HR-91
RH Avg-95, RH HR-96
Who’s Replaced Whom:
- Reid Brignac has taken over the majority of the second base starts from Sean Rodriguez
25-man roster:
1B – Carlos Peña (L)
2B – Reid Brignac (L)
SS – Jason Bartlett (R)
3B – Even Longoria (R)
C – John Jaso (L)
RF – Ben Zobrist (S)
CF – B.J. Upton (R)
LF – Carl Crawford (L)
DH – Matthew Joyce (L)
Bench:
S – Willy Aybar (IF)
R – Sean Rodriguez (2B/OF)
R – Kelly Shoppach (C)
R – Gabe Kapler (OF)
Rotation:
L – David Price
R – Wade Davis
R – Matt Garza
R – James Shields
R – Jeff Niemann
Bullpen:
R – Rafael Soriano
R – Joaquin Benoit
R – Grant Balfour
R – Dan Wheeler
L – Randy Choate
R – Lance Cormier
R – Andy Sonnanstine
15-day DL:
LHP – J.P. Howell (strained left shoulder)
Lineup:
S – Ben Zobrist (RF)
L – Carl Crawford (LF)
R – Evan Longoria (3B)
L – Carlos Peña (1B)
L – Matthew Joyce (DH)
L – John Jaso (C)
R – B.J. Upton (CF)
L – Reid Brignac (2B)
R – Jason Bartlett (SS)
I don't get why Albie isn't with the team. He did fine in his call up. I'm sure there is a rationale but I'd sure like to know what it is (not that they are going to tell us).
Twitter is a-flutter. Lance Berkman seems likely to be a Yankee by the deadline. Stay tuned . . .
Dude, if the Yanks get Lance Berkman that will be so cool. He's GREAT-looking, like an Elvis Impersonator or an Opera Singer--big, doughy face, first name, Lance. C'mon, he's tons of comedy. Be great in our line-up, too, my goodness, I don't care if he is past his prime.
[3] Gets on base, kills righties, will jack a few (he had five homers in four games earlier this month, though mostly against the Pirates). Big Puma, I'm down.
It is a good name this Berkmanmeister Meisterberkman.
Berkman Turner Overdrive ... takin' care of bizness!
Berkman to Yanks all done ...
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2010/07/yankees-close-to-acquiring-lance-berkman.html
I read that one condition of being dealt is that receiving team would NOT pick up Berkman's option for 2011 ....
Interesting .... I would think if its the Yanks, Berkman might want to stay.
7) beware ... We heard this before with cliff lee. I'll not celebrate until he's in uniform.
8) it makes sense at his age, though. He stands a better chance to sign a multi-year deal after this season than after next season.
I wonder whom the Astros are getting ... I bet there is a catcher in there somewhere.
Now, when this deal is finalized, my prediction that the Yankees would go for a DH-OF will have been prove correct, sort of. I predicted Dunn, but it looks like the Nats kept the asking price high. Also, Berkman hardly qualifies as a DH-OH. He'll be a DH-only, I imagine.
11) supposedly the PTBNL is a non prospect. the Yankees are picking up his entire salary for the rest of the year, so I doubt they are giving up much of anything of value.
[12]
That still doesn't solve the backup 3B, bench bat issue (Ramiro Pena is NOT the answer)
[14] this is true. The yanks supposedly asked about Hairston. They'll make another move, I think, but I have no idea whom they would be targeting.
Dude, get us a reliever and another bench player, and let's do this. Berkman will draw the big, Wade Boggs walk in the playoffs, also hit a bunch of big dingers along the way too. I think he's a great personality too. This would be so cool....
Colin Curtis at DH? I mean, he's a fine young kid with a great story (overcoming cancer @15) but DH? Lance Berkman, get here ASAP.
I'm on board for Big Puma. He's not partying like its 2006 anymore, but dude's a professional hitter and won't be asked to play the field everyday or bat cleanup. This is the definition of low risk/high reward.
[17] seriously, i mean even where is juan miranda?
It's a good deal because it's a cheap deal (prospect-wise) quite frankly. And I like it for that reason.
Joel Sherman on the whys and wherefores of the Berkman deal
http://tinyurl.com/2bgadbb
[9] i bet if he isn't in Astros lineup deal is as good as done.
[21] and there it is: "Berkman earlier was removed from the Astros lineup for their game Friday against the Brewers in Houston."
dang this is exciting huh? big game starting in 10 minutes, new guy on his way...this is broadway after all.
[24] yeah i was getting worried we'd do nothing at the deadline. Mostly because it's exciting when you do pick someone up. I remember how much I loved the BBobby deal.
[25] Berkman's further down the other side of the hill than Abreu, but it's a good comp. Berkman is Abreu at the plate (tons of walks, occasional bursts of power) without the speed on the bases or defense (whatever you thought of it). For next-to-nothing, I'm totally down.
A Rod goes yard tonightski.
[27] That'd cap it. Big trade, big game, big homer . . .
[27] that'd be awesome!
Book it, Dano.
Am I the only one stuck on a two way street? Yanks lead MLB in runs scored..why not upgrade the pen for the playoffs? I can't take anymore CHP!!
[28]
And Rays fan reflexively throws the homer ball back onto the field ... :-)
I am not as excited about the Berkman deal has many others seem to be. I mean, it could work out well, but there are a lot of questions about how he fits (and whether Girardi even wanted him). What it does point out is Cashman erred badly when he let Damon walk away.
[18] Don't you mean "Professional Hitter™"?
[31] The solution to Chan Ho Park is addition by subtraction: Chop CHoP!
[33] I agreed with the move to let Damon go at the time and with the gamble on NJ. It didn't work out. Mistake? OK, sure. Water under the bridge. But Berkman is a nice pickup right now. Not Dunn, but a darn good deadline deal.
Oh goody .... Kay AND Tino
All right Cap'n.
First three get on base, A-Rod goes deep.
[34] Is Berkman an upgrade though? I am not so sure.
this is a nice way to start the game.
swish!!!
Ok, I'll take a Swish swat.
nice start!
Yankees on the boob tube and an icy cold 24 oz Corona in the fridge. Mmmmmm.
Hey, it's ok to alum it once and a while!
yeah, the good news got swish and jetes going!
Swisher is actually taking a lot fewer pitches this year, Tino.
can you watch a-rod's at bats on mlb.com? i know they sometimes do that.
[37] Over Miranda? Ummm, yeah, I think he'll be.
41) hahahaha
....to SLUM it.
Sausage fingers.
[44] hmm allegedly you can but it's not working...
Maybe ARod is having trouble picking up those specially marked balls??
ok. gonna go read. catch yinz later
[45] That's not really who he will be replacing. The only way he becomes an upgrade is if Posada can catch a heavy workload, which might be wishful thinking. Also, Berkman is really a platoon player, so if his price tag forces him into the everyday lineup, it could be a drag, especially with Granderson already being a hole against lefties.
Going into action today, Yankees' DHs have matched Berkman's production (and that includes Nick Johnson's futility). So, if Berkman winds up replacing Posada and other vets "getting a day off", it wont really be an upgrade at all.
Wow, was the 2B playing way over to the right on Cano's hit?
Gameday sayd two pickoff moves to 1B..no scouting dept for Tampa Bay?
50) if Jorge can't catch regularly, then it makes no sense to pick up a DH. I can only assume that they plan to DH Berkman and start Jorge behind the plate. This also has ramifications for the postseason.
At worst case he'll be a heckuva PH...agains, better than Miranda at the LH half a platoon.
Jaso leading off is an example of why I really like Joe Maddon.
[53] I think banking on a healthy Posada isn't a great strategy. I agree that Berkman on the roster is better than Miranda, but if it means more Berkman and less Posada, for example, then the upgrade is mitigated or even negated.
Brian Downing led off for the Angels years ago ... was he catching
[56] I think Kendall may have also lead off with the Pirates.
55) banking on a healthy Posada is the only strategy. otherwise they should have traded for a starting catcher.
Kendall led off
as has Russell Martin
[58] Not really...they could have targeted a player who can play the field to give them more flexibility, addressed other needs, or even considered a promotion of Romine/Montero. I hope Berkman works out, but if he is playing against lefties, while Posada sits, it could backfire.
I would count on resting Posada AMAP so he can Catch AMAP in the PS. I do agree with William [50], but it all depends on the cost. If we don't give up any talent and it's basically a cash deal, then it's a no brainer. We are talking about $5m.... a lot of money, but well worth a bit of insurance to get into the PS and have a PH bat for the PS.
[62] With the option, it's $7mn, which brings me back to the Damon decision. If that amount of money is going to prevent them from improving their team in the offseason, then you have to weigh the impact of what Berkman's cost will do to next season's budget.
61) anything could backfire. And yes, more flexibility inn the field would have been preferred. But really, this is such a no brainer good pickup.
And then I read the following:
It just keeps getting better.
Why on earth would Jeter swing at the first pitch with Gardner on first? Seems like the kind of thing that an "intangibles" player wouldn't do.
Over the last 3 years, Berkman has posted a .773 OPS (and it's worse this year) against LHP... so basically, he is a LH Bat only. So against LHP, Brains Catches and Po is DH. Against RHP, Po catches 2 of 3 games and LB is DH.
It improves the team some, but doesn't really address our more pressing issues. Look for more moves from Cashman.
[64] In that case, the deal does get better, especially if it means the Yankees wont feel compelled to play Berkman everyday. I just hope the Astros picking up money doesn't mean a good prospect isn't involved (remember, the MSM didn't look at Vizcaino as a top prospect in the Vazquez deal).
[65] Looking at Jeter's ABs this year, he appears to have 'Contract Jitters'.
63) yeah, the damon decision was a mistake. That's more or less irrelevant to this deal right now,, in the present context.
Also, I thought part of the deal was that the team would NOT pick up his 2011 option, by Berkman's request. And it may be that the Astros are eating a bunch of his cost for this year, see 64).
66) Or against LHP Posada catches and Thames DHs.
[64] Ooooh. They really wanted to get rid of Lance, or is it an organizational favor to a long time player by trading him to a contender?
[69] Not picking up the option means paying a $2 million buyout.
Johnny Damon, on the road this year .... .278/.378/.385 1 homer
7 homers and 7 SBs total this season
71) according to mlbtraderumors, he vetoes a trade to the WSox.
The Astros are making some odd moves, grading players for not much in the way of prospects and picking up salary. Got me why, but it may go some way in explaining why that team is so bad.
72) yeah, but picking up the option costs even more.
[71]
Its Drayton McLane sticking his nose where it gets squashed.
73) so, he prefers to hit in comerica???
YES fueling my man crush on Joe Maddon.
[70] On way or the other, of the remaining 60 games, Posada will Catch 36 at most. Having him well rested for the PS is more important then an extra 5-10 games now.
And his cyst issue makes it hard for him to squat.
nice pitch there hughes.
[75] If the Yankees had to pick up the option, it would be an awful deal. It's actually cute that Berkman requested that the option not be picked up.
[80] Seems like Hughes is much more aggressive away from the Stadium.
[62] oyf, what does amap stand for?
79) I would argue that making the PS is more important than being rested up for it. fortunately, the Yankes are strongly positioned to make the postseason, which gives them some wiggle room with personnel now.
[77]
nah ... I was giving him the benefit of the doubt that Comerica was gonna hurt his offense. .... he actually has hit decent there .....288/.368/.475 6 homers
[72] C'mon William... this is Cashman bashing. He made calculated gambles this winter KNOWING he had money to spend now... once he knew his needs.
JD has a .805 OPS and Matsui has a .755 OPS... so I can't lament their loses too much.
Let's not forget we have the best record in baseball.
[83] hey ms october, where ya been? :)
Another Swisheroonie now, please!
Tigers get to Lester for 2 runs on 5 hits in first 2 innings.
[86] How is that Cashman bashing? If the Yankees don't pick up the option, they have to pay a $2 million buyout. That's a fact.
[83] As Much As Possible.
Is it me, or does Alex not bend at the knees as much while swinging nowadays ... very little leg movement
[86] Damon's OPS+ is 115. With offense down, that.805 OPS is actually pretty good.
[87] hi mr. ok jazz - mom was in town, went away for a week, been a little occupied.
lots of disagreements with fucking welke already.
[90] oh, thanks rbj - i don't know how i didn't get that.
Is there an announcer who reads the ball off the bat worse than Michael Kay?
Um, that's not deep, Kay. M'kay?
STFU, Kay. Deep to right center field. Come on.
So, we're acquiring Bubba Crosby's old Rice Owls teammate?
Any word on what we're giving up for him?
[94] Took me a couple of minutes.
[93] Great! I took the morning off to watch Yanks-Rays..and found that it's Mariners vs Twins on tv here...so following online now while reading about the new Miles "Live in Montreux" box set..
[95] no, he is truly awful. obvious foul balls he thinks are fair, shallow fly balls he thinks are deep, deep fly balls he thinks are gone.
[100] sounds like a pretty good morning given that you can't watch the game.
Damon's relevant success is not really the issue. Most of us would agree that NJ would have outhit Johnny if he could avoid injury. Cashman was not really gambling that Damon would decline badly, but tat her that NJ would stay healthy. He lost the gamble. Now he is trying to fill the gap. Crying over the spilt milk that is Damon is really beside the point.
stuff it mk.
Phew!
Kay must have learned from Sterling. Is he generating false excitement, or does he just have poor depth perception?
At least that ball was deep. Not deeeeeeeeep, but deep.
I LOVE Joe Maddon!
106) at least sterling is on radio,and there is an old tradition of radio announcers making plays sound more exciting for a radio audience that can't see what's going on. But it's even more annoying,and risible, for a TV announcer to do it.
[109] It is different on the radio, but Sterling takes it to an extreme. I used to prefer listening to him with the sound down on the TV, and his "lined down the left field line....curving foul", were usually balls hit about 15 rows into the seats.
I've not had the chance to watch Hughes this year. This is fun.
110) i agree...sterling is awful.
20 years from now, if Matt Joyce's daughter marries Blake DeWitt's son ...
It would be nice to score some more runs.
First two batters = optimal
Subsequent batters < optimal
The fearsome DH, Colin Curtis.
116) I didn't say it...I didn't say it..
[117] You were thinking it.
gardner is such a pest. i love it!
118) how did you know?
;)
Chone Figgins caught stealing by Joe Mauer...exciting M's & Twins baseball!
That was a big friggin' bat.
[120] Psychic.
Now you're thinking tacos.
Kay hates bats? How can he stand to be around a baseball game?
The other kind of bats eat nasty insects.
Beat the pitchout...awesome.
So if a batted ball hits a flying "bat" in the field of play ...
I think I've seen bats at just about every ballpark I've been to. The flying mammal type, I mean.
You see flocks of them above the SWB Yankees field once the sun goes down.
And they were flying around the dugout at PNC Park in one game. Some of the players screamed like little girls.
If Jae Seo were pitching to Jaso ....
(yeah, I'm very punny tonight .... tired .....)
126) have you ever seen the giant bat colony in Austin, TX? Crowds gather at dusk to watch them feed along the river, more than a million bats. One of the strangest, awesome sights i have seen. I was dumbstruck, if you can believe that about me!
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/10852
Amare Stoudamire off to Israel to explore his roots and learn the language..and somewhere deep in MSG, the cultural marketing department staff rub their hands in glee..Knicks now need to add Yao Ming to go along with Galinari and Amare, cover every group in the city! :)
[128] I've heard of it, but never been there. I would like to.
Been to Dallas and Houston, but never Austin. One day...
Sox with 1st and 3rd, no out, in the 4th... but can't score. Still 2-0 Tiggers.
[129] they need carlos arroyo too, but if they get melo next year that would be even better :}
generous call but i'll take it.
interesting little note: if/when the Yanks get Berkman, the Astros will no longer have any players from the Astrodome era...weird.
[133] Not really, the entire ball was over the plate when it crossed.
Target Field on tv here..looks beautiful. Love the huge Twins sign.
How does Hughes' stuff look on tv?
133) i noticed that YES did not give us an overhead replay, either.
[135] yeah saw that on the replay, at first it looked inside to me.
Hughes is working hard this inning. He might not have more than six innings in him tonight.
Yanks are going to only pay 3.5 million of the 7.5 owed to Berkman. Not bad.
Peralta hits #2 against Lester. Now 4-0.
[140] x 1.4
Still, that's a good deal for his services.
Figgins botches the easiest ground ball ever..Thome then goes opposite field for the tater..with two outs...D'oh!
I can't do this much longer
Oh, Alex ...
Arod is really missing pitches now. The Yankees need him to get this thing out the way.
Yeah, this is getting to be torture. Just whack the thing already!
If only it was that easy...
[140] That sounds like a good deal all around. The Astros are cellar dwellers and might as well get some cash for Berkman. The Yanks get a Nick Johnson replacement without spending too much. Berkman gets a chance at a ring, and could even return to Houston next season if he wants.
Wasted inning.
It's just too bad Nick Johnson's spot will be blocked when he returns from the DL....
Posada almost beat that out.
.
.
.
That's a sentence I never thought i would find myself writing.
if i was girardi i'd think about giving alex a day off maybe - after all the yanks have pena and can always dh curtis (unless of course they insist on consummating this trade for berkman and use him as the dh)
150) comment of the night?
Well played, sir.
That was a mistake on 1-2. Fastball down the middle.
alright hughesy, time to bear down here.
Cano is the only 2B who could make that play.
very nice curve.
fuck
That's an awful job by Hughes.
fuckity fuck fuck
Crap.
Shit...the HR bugaboo. Shake it off, Hughes. Finish the inning and the Yanks will get it back in the seventh.
Damn.
Joyce looked awful on the curve all game...you have to wonder about the pitch selection, which in fairness to Hughes, might actually be on Posada.
164) whatever the pitch, Hughes missed his spot by about a foot.
give me one more inning Phil and I won't complain
woooow Sherman says Melancon going to Houston in the deal, guess the Yanks finally gave up there.
[164] i'm pretty sure posada didn't call for a belt high cutter in the middle of the plate.
167) well, he is blocked by Mitre, Gaudin and especially Park...
A-Rod hits #600 with a man on, leading to a Yankee win.
Brutal AB by Granderson.
[169] no I know, just saying 2 years ago we all thought he was gonna be the next whatever...now he's going the other way in a salary dump.
[169] oh wait nevermind, just picked up on your sarcasm.
which shows what an impression Melancon has made.
[172]
He seems to have taken a step back this season
http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=melanc001mar
[172] i really never got the fascination with him.
Two 3-1 counts and both batters can't even square up a foul ball.
big puma can't get here fast enough, there is just no way colin curtis should be the dh for the yankees.
172) yeah, i know. I looked up his MiL stats...this is his fifth year in the organization. That means they would have lost their rights to him after next season, right? Ah well.
Did anyone think, after the first two batters, that Davis would be in there for pitch 115?
Each batter had a three ball count and Davis simply blew them away with fastballs.
Great Joba time.
Meanwhile, 3 runs in 6 innings is a disappointment from Hughes.
This is not meant sarcastically, and it ay not matter anyway, but with Joba pitching the seveth who is going to get the eighth? is Robertson available after being used, inexplicably' yesterday? Or was that the day before?
[181] as a line it isn't, just the fact that the 3 runs came the way they did.
Ah, a Tanyon Sturtze reference!
[183] Since his first 6 starts, Hughes hasn't been very good at sealing the deal. He really has been a different pitcher since that great start.
Flash loves him some Sturtzie
181) Nah, one big mistake against the third best scoring team item league, no real disappointment for me.
per Jon Heyman
source in TOR: #yankees on the verge of a trade for #indians OF austin kearns, removed from tonight's game for pinch runner.
187) ...team in the league...
[182] he pitched an inning yesterday but none the day before, so i assume he could go today; he is used on back-to-back nights
[187] Aces don't make those mistakes often...Hughes has been making them regularly of late. Maybe my expectations are too high, but I was hoping Hughes would "make a statement" today.
So Melancon is a non-pospect?
[188] I like that move.
[193]
me too .... he still has some pop .... plays good D
yeah I just think if 3 hours ago someone told you "yes or no, you'll take 6 innings 3 runs from Hughes tonight" most of us would've said yes and we'll take our chances.
188) now THAT strikes me as a bit of an odd deal. I guess he would be an improvement over Curtis as a BUOF, but otherwise I'm not sure.
Jeter has no chance against a good fastball.
[188] Who are they giving up is the question.
Still want another arm for the bullpen.
191) well, he is not really an ace yet, right? I am far less disappointed with Hughes than I am with the offense after the first two batters of the game.
[199] No, he is not...and I guess that's why I am disappointed.
like the Kearns move a lot, all of the sudden we have real live depth!
[199] cano has been worthwhile too.
Jeter has been all over the map vs. power pitchers in his career, but hasn't K'ed as much as this in a few years:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.cgi?n1=jeterde01&year=Career&t=b#vs.%20Power
200) i'm not at all disappointed that in his first real season as a starter, after injuries and getting thrown in the BP, at age 24, he is a very solid #3 starter.
I thought the Yankees were a good fastball hitting team. They've done nothing but pop up fastballs in the hitting zone.
Kearns deal is done, for a PTBNL .... Kearns was pulled for pinch-runner in tonight's game.
[204] Fair enough...guess I want him to be the Yankees answer to Price, but he may not even be their answer to Davis.
What happened to the offense in this game?
[207] he's not the same kind of pitcher as Price, we know that. But he more than held his own against the second best team in the AL.
I always said I envisioned Hughes as the next Pettitte as opposed to the next Clemens. I stick by that.
hmm, multi-innings for joba.
Rats, no A-Rod homer to put the team ahead.
Ooooh, Joba for another batter or two.
207) he'll be the answer to price in a year. Look at price's numbers last season, his first a more or less full time MLB starter. Whether or not using Hughes as the eighth inning guy last season wont he Yankees the WS, I remain convinced it basically cost him a year of development as a starter. He'll get there.
Phil was 1 pitch away from 6 IP, 0 Runs, 3 hits.
I can't call today's performance poor.
210) Girardi is a madman, I tell ya'!
[214] indeed, and ole joba looked really good.
well...that was encouraging
Good stuff Joba.
[213] But he threw that one pitch, which in fairness to him, was a very poor decision by Posada (unless Hughes actually called it).
Losing this game on that one bad decision is going to really annoy me.
Joba looked great, but he has pitched very well at times. Consistency is the issue, so hopefully he carries it over.
218) Davis threw that one bad pitch too.
it happens now
Hey All,
Just back from Dinner (and really rushed my family to see the endgame). I'm calling it. Arod ties the game right now. Joba pitched well with no drama. He looks a little more in shape too.
[208] A dark cloud of negative random has kept it off balance. Maybe Davis pitched as expected?
221) I like your thinking.
god in heaven...
Another pop up.
[221] [222] arod is not the only one pressing :}
[222] Not...
this sucks
Nerts
When was the last time the Yankees poped up so mamy fastballs? This was really a pretty pathetic offensive performance.
Friggin Cow Bells
[231] That would make for an excellent name for a rock band/
ah fuck.
oh hey look the Rays just won Game 7!
!*#&^#$%^$!*@#&#!$!!!!
Night all, can't call it good.
Posada's lack of speed was a big factor in this game.
Posada is soooo slow.
Dammit. Tough loss, get 'em tomorrow.
Posada is slow, but he's been slow since, oh I'd say 2002...so I'm not gonna go nuts there
Hopefully CC is ready for a big game on Sunday because Javy vs. Garza doesn't look on paper.
You see that awful, awful Phil Hughes cost us yet another game. If only Joba had his place in the rotation.
[232]
with "Specially Marked Balls" as their opening act
Terribly bitter loss.
One damn, lousy pitch.
Such a nice play by Robbie before that, and yet I had an uneasy feeling that nice play might not make a difference. Which it didn't, once the ball was in the seats.
Balls.
I like Maddon's maxim that you never get angry over a physical mistake - that's always been one of my tenets when I've coached - but I officially am so over his bullshit. He has very good players. That's why the team wins.
241) haha
[230] you are obviously a very knowledgeable fan, and really care about the Yankees performance, but descriptions like "pathetic" and "shameful", and "idiotic" are just a little too anal. I don't want to goad you but I fear that you must have had a tough upbringing.
These are men on the top of their game, playing the best competition. They can't win them all. Please lighten up.
238) im not gonna go nuts either...what can you do? It's tough luck that he was the runner on a ball that dribbled away from the 1B, who made a heckuva play too.
[241] Specially Marked Benoit Balls!
Matt Joyce is 14.2 runs above average against the fastball and 2.1 runs below average against the curve.
When you lose a ball game because you threw a fastball to a dead fastball hitter, well, you deserve it.
To me, the 4th inning looms large offensively, with Cano and Posada being retired on two pitches. Other than that, what are you gonna do? Go beat em tomorrow. Garza is coming off a no-hitter and is bound to be a little tired.
[244] I appreciate your deep interest in my vocabulary, but your pop psych skills leave something to be desired. I wont get into what that says about your upbringing, but whether you like or not, I think the Yankees were pathetic on offense. I hope you can deal with that.
[249] I can deal with it well, can you?
I wonder what the roster moves will be, to make room for Kearns and Berkman.
[250] I knew you'd see it my way.
[252] Yes, daddy.
Agree completely with [175], [192], yes, I think Melancon is a non-prospect. I've never liked a single thing I've seen from him in terms of actually watching him pitch. I don't see any stuff that translates to getting out major league hitters.
[244] You know I agree that such things are way over the top. It's true the poster doesn't tell you much about the author, it just seems childish and spoiled. One person doesn't like profanity, one person finds excessive teeth-gnashing sets the teeth on edge. Different strokes.
With that said, I think William makes an excellent point in [247], and agree that the pitch selection was very questionable. Particularly if it was, indeed, one of those cutters. I don't get it. Only use 8 to 10 a game? Because the cutter is lousy and makes all the other pitches worse? What are you saving those 8 to 10 for? Do you stop and think, "gee, this is the perfect spot to use up one of those 8 to 10 shitty pitches?"
Whuh?
Did anyone else see that homer coming, btw?
I always hesitate to mention these things, because obviously, if nothing happens, I never mention it at all, but boy, did I have a horrible feeling that whole at bat.
[254] I absolutely agree with William on that point too. He knows the game.
251) my guess is Miranda and Curtis get the axe.
I'm not getting into that.
Btw, does anyone know how accurate pitch fx is?
I have it in my mind that it's this infallible rendering of where every pitch was, but is that completely untrue?
If it is always on the money, Welke was consistently giving Davis pitches off the plate, but squeezing the heck out of him on a bunch of low strikes.
254) i don't know enough about the game to know whether it was a good time to try to fool the batter with a cutter or acid the cutter since it one of his lesser pitchers and Joyce apparently smacks fastballs.
I do know, however, that Posada set up low and in and Hughes threw it over the middle of the plate gist above the belt. That mistake was much, much more about location than pitch selection, it seems to me.
And even then Joyce didn't hit it 400 feet.
I'd rather read ten posts complaining about how pathetic the Yankee hitters are than just one complaining about another poster complaining.
258) supposedly it's accurate within an inch or so, I think.
[259] Oh, he missed big-time. But I think that is precisely the point - that the cutter is not a pitch he locates particularly well, and that the cutter, in fact, throws off his location on all his fastballs.
When you see Hughes start to miss - which the broadcast seemed to accurately link to something the cutter is doing to his mechanics, it's always up and to the right.
That one was up and to the right - bringing it right into a very bad place.
260) i really hate when you whine about posters complaining about complaining.
; )
[260] I find your post very annoying.
[257] Agreed. Don't know who the other person is that's coming off the 40-man roster, though.
Dammit [263], you completely beat me to the punch. Fuck that shit (stomps off, throwing bats).
[261] Do you have any link for that or anything of the sort? I searched and searched for something that spoke to the accuracy of pitch fx, and came up completely empty.
[259] Agreed, it was the right call, just could've been executed better. No matter the pitch, if it's down the middle, I'd expect it to be hit, and hit far
265) ah, right, i forgot about that. My guess is that CHoP will get cut. However, there is still a long time before the deals are finalized (i.e. till tomorrow), so they may make another move to shift someone off the 40 man roster. Didn't they do that last year? I don't remember.
267) actually, I think I might have gotten that from William!
melancon is on the 40-man, so maybe that helps out somehow.
[269] surely chop will be chopped through a waiver deal come sunday.
[270] Hey, sometimes you take 'em where you find 'em! Good information is good information...
[269] Somehow CHoP getting cut would really soothe the hemorrhoid that was this game.
[271] I think Russo was rumored to go in a trade too, so that may be it; Russo and Melacon off the 40 man, Curtis and Miranda off the 25 man
[254] Well, I guess we'll see what he does in Houston.
FWIW, from BPro's 2010 Yankees Top 11 Prospects (Melancon was #10)
Oh, well, I'm glad the kid will get a chance with another organization, hopefully he'll run with it like Tyler Clippard did ...
272) for pitch f/x, look at the following article, mentioned in passing right near the end. That's the best that I could find:
http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/the-eye-of-the-umpire/
[263][264] You realize of course that this double posting of inanity is the pinnacle of posting pusillanimity .
274) Perfect World Projection: He’ll be an excellent set-up man.
What's a set-up man? Is that anything like an eighth inning guy?
: )
More seriously, Melancon's control didn't just abandon him in the big leagues. He is walking a lot of batters and is getting clobbered in AAA this year, with a WHIP of 1.6+.
[278] Kinda makes me wonder if he's hurt or something
279) and he's already had one arm surgery.
[275] Many thanks for the link.
[276] What a perfect example of how enjoyable the commentary on the commentary on the commentary on the commentary on the commentary can be!
[257] Melancon is on the 40-man, so they could send someone down rather than DFA him. Option Miranda, DFA Curtis?
[281]
[276] What a perfect example of how enjoyable the commentary on the commentary on the commentary on the commentary on the commentary can be!
=========================
I REALLY hope Christopher Nolan doesn't read the Banter ...
[278] Well, that was the *pre*-season Top 11 Prospect list, so it obviously doesn't include what he's done this year.
It could certainly be another injury.
It could also be that jerking him back and forth between New York and SWB the last 2 years hasn't done him any favors either.
Oh well, I was always hoping he'd stick here, in part because I like saying his name
[284] I imagine Bob Sheppard would have enjoyed it too!
[283] Help me out, is that a memento reference?
I think I'm not getting it.
[286]
More of an Inception reference ... a dream of a dream, etc.
Ah, I thought it might be some reference to Inception (and therefore lost on me). For some reason, I had no desire to see that movie. I think it was mostly that I thought "Inception" was an exceptionally silly title for a movie. I'm not sure if my reasoning was poorly thought out. Didn't they keep bugging us with promos for Inception during baseball? That may have also been my non-impetus.
"..."