Comments on: Boo

By: Raf

Raf — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 19:53:16 +0000

[34] Nice!

By: Shaun P.

Shaun P. — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 19:42:05 +0000

Don't look now friends, but our friend william just got a (somewhat nice) mention by Mr. Rob Neyer on this very subject. I do have to say, looking at the BB and K numbers again (small sample caveat aside) does make me wonder if there wasn't a bit of "luck" involved. Thinking about it more, you'd think that a veteran lineup might be a little eager against a rookie, and so maybe there are a lot of early groundouts? Or I might just be remembering that it seemed like A-Rod would ground out on the first pitch every at bat last night.

By: Raf

Raf — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 19:24:36 +0000

[30] I dunno, outside of a scouting report, I would think that most of these guys have BTDT with regards to pitchers and their stuff. This isn’t the first time they faced a pitcher like Tomlin, or a pitcher that has had his type of stuff, or the combination of pitches that he threw.

By: Cliff Corcoran

Cliff Corcoran — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 17:11:47 +0000

[30] Maybe, but who are “the Yankees?” That’s my point. In last night’s lineup, Jeter, Rodriguez, and Cano were the only players who were regulars on the 2008 team, never mind 2000.

By: monkeypants

monkeypants — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 17:03:49 +0000

[28] One *could* argue, however, that the fact the trend has continued over many years and changing personnel suggests that the cause is structural or organizational (i.e., bad job at scouting).

I’m not saying I believe that. Rather, I think there a lot of small sample size Mitre-like luck involved, as well as specific contingent factors on any given night (is it a surprise in retrospect that the team did poorly against Jake Peavy’s first star? Or in a game where many of the starters are out of the lineup or playing poorly?).

By: williamnyy23

williamnyy23 — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:44:21 +0000

[28] It’s easy to say there is nothing meaningful, but I wouldn’t be so quick to dismiss. There is a mental aspect to the game, so if the Yankees buy into it, then it could manifest in the results.

[29] I don’t know…I wouldn’t think so, at least not to the same extent as those who have pitched in the majors. Besides, I think what hitters want to see is how pitchers try to get out major league hitters. Watching a major league quality pitcher blow away minor league hitters probably isn’t very telling.

By: kenboyer made me cry

kenboyer made me cry — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:39:27 +0000

[27] Doesn’t every player from single A on up have a scouting report and film available?

By: Cliff Corcoran

Cliff Corcoran — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:37:37 +0000

[25] Indeed, what do the 2010 Yankees have in common with the 2000 Yankees? Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada, one of whom wasn’t in the lineup last night? There’s nothing meaningful behind this trend other than our frustration.

By: williamnyy23

williamnyy23 — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:36:06 +0000

[24] [25] Sample size is obviously a factor, but I think it is become somewhat of a self fulfilling prophecy (i.e., mental). In other words, not having the scouting reports might not be as much of a problem as knowing you don’t have the scouting reports.

I also think we need to look at things from the other end. There could be something to the opposing pitchers getting really pumped up AND focused to face the Yankees.

[26] By “known”, I was really referring to the availability of film and scouting reports, and not really direct experience by those in the Indians lineup.

By: kenboyer made me cry

kenboyer made me cry — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:27:34 +0000

[21] You’re right that Moseley is known in Cleveland, he has faced the Indians about 21 innings in his career, with a 3-0 record and a 4.35 era. He has not faced the majority of the current Cleveland hitters, with only Peralta, Hafner, Astro Cabrera, and Marte having ABs against him. Both Hafner and Peralta have one HR lifetime v. Moseley.

We’ll see if that is an advantage or not.

By: monkeypants

monkeypants — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:05:03 +0000

[21, 24] The numbers don’t lie, but still we are only talking about a dozen or so games stretched over about ten seasons…in other words, small sample sizes. I’d be interested to look at what sorts of lineups the Yankees trotted out against these kids, though I don’t have the time or patience to do it today.

Still, looking at the first game, May 21, 2000 against Paul Rigdon (the fortieth game of that season): the Yankees started Knoblauch (.673 OPS on that day), Ledee (.684), Leyritz (.507), Brosius (.628), and Soriano (.548). Torre PH for Knoblauch with…Wilson Delgado (.640). Heck, even Tino was OPSing under .800.

So basically, the “Yankees” that the youngster faced were, well, not your typical Yankees.

Now, some of these guys truly sucked, some were simply slumping. But it’s not *that* surprising that a debutant had success against a lineup with only about half MLB level hitters.

By: JohnnyC

JohnnyC — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:53:28 +0000

[21] Any guess why this is unique to the Yankees? Bad advance scouting? Bad minor league scouting? Batting coach not good at reviewing video? Hitters stupid? This seems to refute Jim Kaat’s oft-repeated contention that young pitchers shake in their boots when facing the big, bad Yankees first time out of the box (usually referencing his first game at the Stadium facing Whitey Ford).

By: The Hawk

The Hawk — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:38:18 +0000

I hadn’t given it much thought, but Joba to AAA is so appealing to me, so logical, that it can never, ever possibly happen.

By: ms october

ms october — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:29:52 +0000

[19] yeah, almost forgot about him, but i too think albie *could* be worthwhile.

By: williamnyy23

williamnyy23 — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:24:25 +0000

[13] Mosely really isn’t that unknown. Besides, the effect doesn’t work for the Yankees. A ran some numbers and the Yankees really are unique in their struggles against debuting pitchers. The charts are too cumbersome, put you can click on my name if you are interested.

By: monkeypants

monkeypants — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:21:50 +0000

18) I’m with you on the DH thing, of course. As for Joba to AAA, I think that I read someplace that he cannot be sent down after August 7 without having to pass through waivers. Maybe I am wrong, or what I read was wrong. Still, I really, really doubt they will put him in the minors, unfortunately.

By: monkeypants

monkeypants — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:19:53 +0000

18) I think Albie can be a legitimate pen arm if given the chance. But he has the dreaded options, so he is the first to go down. Maybe when the (hopefully) inevitable elimination of some or all of Park/Gaudin/Mitre/Mosely happens, he’ll get another call up.

By: ms october

ms october — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:00:39 +0000

trade deadline seems awful quite to me.
hopefully the yanks can get a real dh, which would basically by default strengthen the bench (if not now at least later through the waiver deadline) and probably a legitimate arm in the pen – then chop and gaudin can gtfo and joba can go to aaa and possibly be salvaged.
if andy really will be back soon, i don’t think they need to waste talent on trading for a starter unless there really is some salary dump out there.

i am not a consistent follower of mil, can nova, sanchez, or someone else come up from the mil and be a legitimate pen arm at the end of the season and potentially for the playoffs?

By: ms october

ms october — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 14:54:07 +0000

[16] indeed it did; i am giddy with anticipation.

By: monkeypants

monkeypants — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 14:49:37 +0000

[15] Ah, thanks.

Of course, this only begs the question—what will he be like when he gets all the way back? I think last year gave us some insight into his fullest potential!