I was just using the Complete Baseball Encyclopedia to see the Yankees hitters to date:

Bernie Williams’ Offensive Winning Percentage stands out the most to me here. Two-oh-seven?

If Williams does that for the season, and qualifies for the batting title, it would be an all-time low mark for a Yankees player.

Even if Bernie only gets 300 PA, that mark would be the lowest (for those with at least 300 PA) since Alvaro Espinoza posted a mark of .217 in 1990.

For what it’s worth, in 1985, Bobby Meacham had an OWP of .317. Maybe that Bernie Meacham mention I had the other day was an insult to Meacham?

From BP via SI -

Apparently, Randy Johnson didn’t think his shoulder stiffness was a baseball decision. Johnson was lifted from his start after five innings and 87 pitches, something that has less to do with his shoulder and more to do with his knees. When Johnson’s knees are pain-free (or, more likely, pain-reduced) in the effective period of his Synvisc injections, his mechanics are smooth. While I do not know when Johnson had his last series of injections, his mechanics in tonight’s game implied that he was due for a new series of Synvisc. If you want a key, watch the chest of his jersey. When he’s right, the jersey pops out as he’s about to release the ball. When he’s not, his delivery is much more of a long arc that stresses — you guessed it — the shoulder. Johnson’s quick hook was a baseball decision; the Yankees can’t afford to stress his arm in this condition if they intend to win. It would be interesting to know when Johnson’s last series of injections was, to gauge whether or not the lubrication is having a shorter period of effectiveness.

I missed this report over the weekend. And, as far as I know, none of the New York media is running with it. It will be interesting to see if the guys in the YES booth make any mention of it in Johnson’s next start.

The Phoenix, out of Boston, has released their “100 unsexiest men in the world” list. Randy Johnson made # 2:

2. Randy Johnson: If he couldn’t throw a ball 100 miles per hour, Johnson would be wearing a wife beater and getting hauled into a squad car on Cops. Could you imagine the nights when he pitched to Otis Nixon?

They’ve also listed Big Stein at # 71 and Godzilla Matsui at # 91.

Funny, David Ortiz, who would be a pimple on the butt of ugly if ugly was a living entity, didn’t make the cut. Shocking, huh?

And, am I wrong, or, is Manny Ramirez looking more and more like something stuck in Bob Marley’s arm pit hair these days? Yet, he’s not on the list.

Also, Trot Nixon looks like the son of the banjo player from Deliverance. But, he missed the list too.

I guess you’re only noticeable when you have “New York” written across your chest.

At his current pace, to date, Manny Ramirez will bat .214 this season with zero HRs and 41 RBI.

Then again, Ramirez hit .211 with no homers and four RBI through the first 10 games of last season. Then, he hit five homers and had 12 RBI in his next 10 at-bats.

Still, how nice would it be for Yankees fans this year if Manny slumps for an extended period this season?

From the Post:

Blame Alex Rodriguez for the Yankees’ inconsistent ways. At least that’s what A-Rod says.

“I feel when I swing the bat well, the team does better. I need to swing the bat better,” A-Rod said after the Yankees suffered a killer, 6-5, loss to the Twins last night thanks to going 3-for-13 in the clutch. “I need to elevate my game. I am the one guy to blame for what has been happening. I have been [ticked] at my game for a week now. I expect a lot out of myself. I have to get better.”

What I feel is deep inside
This is real and I won’t hide
Go ahead, use my name
I’ll be proud to take the blame

You just did what I made you do
You love me and I love you
So if the way they talk can bother you
Put the blame, put the blame on me

So, who sings it better, A-Rod or Elvis?

I was nervous for Wang at the start of this game. Something about his sharp ground-ball ratio and the Twins’ turf was concerning me. But, Chien-Ming figured out a way around that – with a career high 8 whiffs. Great timing too – the Yankees are now just two games behind from having the best record in the AL (wink, wink).

Still, if you were to listen to the last seven Mets fans that I’ve run into this season, it doesn’t matter what the Yankees do – since they’ve all told me that the Mets are going to win it all this year.

And, I would guess that Boston fans probably feel the same way about the Sox so far this year.

The more that I think about the Mets and the Red Sox, the more that I have to consider that the Yankees have faced some tough pitchers in 9 of their first 12 games. And, all of those tough games have been on the road. Yes, they have not faired well against those tough pitchers. But, when you look at some teams that are doing very well at this point in the season, you have to consider the teams that they’ve faced, and where, as well.

If the Yankees win two in Toronto, and sit at 8-6, heading into a nice long homestand, I like their chances (now) to be sitting pretty on May 1st.

On the flip side, if the Yankees are not, say, 14-9 on May 1st, then I suppose the Mets and Red Sox fans might be right.

You have a meeting in Montclair, N.J., at 9:00 am. You live 45 miles south of Montclair. With zero traffic, you can get there in 55 minutes. But, you know, on average, it takes you around 80 minutes (with traffic) – so, you leave at 7:30 am.

You get on the Garden State Parkway at Exit 114 and it’s just about stopped dead. Nothing but bright red tail-lights. It takes you 35 minutes just to go 10 miles – and, as far as you can see, there’s nothing by traffic in front of you.

Screw it. You throw in the towel and realize that you’re going to lose this one. There’s no way that you can go 35 more miles, in this traffic, in 55 minutes. At the pace so far, you’ll be just lucky to get to Montclair some time today.

But, then, when you least expect it, around Exit 135, the Parkway opens up. For some reason, there’s no traffic. And, you start flying up the northbound side, doing 85 MPH. Before you know it, you’re at Exit 153 and it’s 8:45 am. You start to think “I just need to jump on Route 3 for around a mile, and then Route 46 for a second, and I’m there. I’m going to win this thing after it looked like I had no hope at all when I started out!”

Then you get off the Parkway to enter Route 3 – and, it’s a parking lot. You’re so close to Montclair that you could probably hit it with a rock, but, you’re sitting on Route 3 with your car in park. You’re stopped, dead, and there’s no way off or out. It’s 8:50 am, then it’s 8:55 am, then it’s 8:58 am, then it’s 8:59 am……..and you still haven’t moved since you got on to Route 3.

It’s over, you’re totally screwed, you miss the meeting, and the middle miles from 135 to 153 was just a great big f’ing tease.

You know, this has happened to me countless times over the last six years or so. It used to make me want to rip the steering wheel right off of my dashboard when it would happen. But, through the years, I’ve learned to deal with it. It’s traffic. What can you do? It happens.

You would think this would help me with a game like tonight. It’s the same No Hope/Great Hope/Turns Out It Was A Tease scenario. Yet, I still want to rip my cable connection out of the wall now. Why is that?

When will I learn that….It’s the Yankees. What can you do? It happens…….?

If you’re not good enough to pitch for Tampa Bay, you suck. The fact that the Yankees would take a flier on someone like this tells you volumes around how bad they are hurting for pitching.

I saw a link to this story over at BaseballThinkFactory.org -

Just because the New York Yankees signed Johnny Damon to play center field doesn’t mean there isn’t room for Torii Hunter.

Damon told the Pioneer Press he would be willing to move to right field if the Yankees were to acquire Hunter. Hunter has talked openly about playing for the Yankees if the Twins do not show a commitment to winning beyond this season.

“I know how good Torii Hunter is, and he would be a good fit,” Damon said before Friday night’s game at the Metrodome. “We still have Gary Sheffield (in right field), which Gary may end up moving to the DH spot. I’m sure there’s a lot that we can do. Whatever makes the team better.”

“I had to do it for Carlos Beltran to make his job easier in the big leagues, and he seemed to do pretty good,” Damon said. “Yeah, it doesn’t matter to me. Whatever needs to be done. It’s all about going out there and trying to win. (Hunter is) definitely one of the game’s best players, but I’ll leave that up to (Yankees general manager) Brian Cashman. I can’t be running my mouth.”

Johnny, dude, you don’t have to answer every question they ask you.

Besides, Hunter’s had one good year in his career – and that was 2002. Sure, he’s great with the glove. But, otherwise, he’s an average stick at best.

I’d rather leave you (Damon) in CF until Brett Gardner is ready.

From the Journal News:

“We need to know how to win close games, and this was close most of the way,” Damon said. “We need to know how to push runs across.”

You tell ‘em Johnny.

Smith is ten times more valuable than a 3rd string catcher. So, I like this move.

Interesting, in Yankees history, only once did they have a season where three LHP pitched in 40+ games (in the same season) – 1990 with:

Lee Guetterman
Greg Cadaret
Dave Righetti

If Smith can stick, he, Villone, and Myers should be able to join the club. The big question is: Will they do it before the All-Star break?

Just two days ago, I wrote:

Of course, against good pitching, the Yankees need to find another way to win – because you’re not going to get the chance to try and wear down the other team. But, that’s a topic for another day.

Boy, I was hoping to have a few more days than two before that ‘nother day came around.

I really have no issues with the Yankees pitching today. If you watched the game, you may have noticed that there were a few plays where the Yankees could have helped out their pitchers tonight. Giambi on that foul pop. Bernie in RF on a ball that dropped in front of him. A-Rod on the bouncer down the line. And, there were a couple of key balls that were just out of Jeter’s reach too.

I bet, if you took the best fielders at 1B, RF, 3B, and SS in the league, and gave them those same chances, you’re looking at three (or maybe four) big outs being made as opposed to balls falling in.

Still, at the end of the day, even if the Yankees held the Twins to just one run tonight, at best they’re still playing, and, for sure, it’s not a win (as I write this). You’re not going to win many games when you only score one run.

There’s a problem when you live and die by walks and the three-run HR. When you face great pitching, you’re not going to get the walks and then you’ll have less chances for that three-run HR.

It’s the reason why the 1969-74 Orioles did not win more rings. Ditto the 2000-04 A’s. Once they faced great pitching teams in the post-season, they were unable to find ways to score (outside of the 3-run HR).

To be a champion, you need to be able to find a way to win against great pitchers. It’s either throw an ace against their ace, or find a way to get some runs on their ace. Since the Yankees don’t have many aces, and even when they do, the defense usually hurts them, New York needs to be able to find a way to score runs outside of waiting for the walk and the homer.

It’s either that, or, two things: Pray that you can play the Kansas City Royals everyday, or, get used to losing games against teams with very good pitching.

From the student paper at B.U. -

Ever since the New York Yankees snatched Babe Ruth from the Boston Red Sox, Red Sox fans have harbored a deep resentment toward their division rivals, and since that time, “Yankees Suck!” chants became a fixture of New England sporting events.

Although the Red Sox banned the popular “Yankees Suck!” T-shirts in Fenway Park two years ago, T-shirt vendors tapped into their creative energy this off-season to come up with new digs against the Evil Empure.

While Yankee captain Derek Jeter and all-star third baseman Alex Rodriquez have long suffered the wrath of Red Sox Nation, Sox fans, not surprisingly, have found a new punching bag.

And the T-shirts show it.

Boston’s former center fielder and fan favorite Johnny Damon, who led the renegade Red Sox to a World Series title in 2004, is now the subject of T-shirts that read “Johnny Who?”, “From Jesus to Judas” — on his betrayal of the Sox — and “Johnny Demon.”

I wonder – where were the shirts for Boggs in 1993 and Clemens in 1999? Maybe it’s a “you can only do this after you’ve actually won one” thing?