From top to bottom, inside and out, backwards and forwards, this team needs some energy. Somehow, they need to get a spark.

Right now, they’re just blah.

Go ahead, blame the schedule. Or, blame the weather. Or, blame injuries. Heck, blame whatever. But, at the end of the day, all of those things are excuses.

This is now the 5th year in a row where the Yankees April has not been impressive. Granted, in the four years before this one, New York has rebounded to post a very good win total on the season. Can they do it again?

Well, let’s put it this way: If the Yankees month of May turns out just as poor as their month of April, I wouldn’t want to bet on them making the post-season this year. Heck, they barely made it last year.

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The Yankees have now announced that they have placed Phil Hughes on the 15-day disabled list this evening with a strained right oblique muscle.

While the Yankees will not confirm it, there’s a school of thought out there which offers that the delay of this announcement was required in order to buy time for the removal of an oblique muscle from Carl Pavano’s body, which was then surgically implanted into Hughes, since there was nothing actually wrong with Hughes, physically, that would support him being placed on the D.L.

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Via Tyler Kepner –

The Yankees appear to be on the verge of removing the struggling Phil Hughes from the starting rotation.

Hughes was not on the field with the rest of the team during batting practice and was not available for comment before the game. It is not known if Hughes would be optioned to Scranton or placed on the disabled list with an injury not believed to be related to his pitching arm.

When asked after batting practice if Hughes was healthy, Manager Joe Girardi said he was. General Manager Brian Cashman said he could not comment on Hughes’s health status, but he said Hughes’s immediate future was being discussed.

I was doing a bit of driving this afternoon – between the hours of 4 pm ET and 6:30 pm ET. While in the car, I was flipping back and forth between Michael Kay on ESPN Radio and Mike & The Mad Dog on WFAN.

On both shows, they were really picking on Joe Girardi and Brian Cashman for making statements today of “Hughes is still a member of the starting rotation” while not answering the question of “Will Hughes make his next start?” Both shows, and all three hosts, concurred that Girardi and Cashman not stating, yes or no, that Hughes would make his next start meant Hughes was going to be replaced.

Michael Kay, between 4:30 pm and 5 pm, was especially tough on Hughes. Kay was saying things like:

‘I don’t understand how someone can be considered the best pitching prospect in baseball when they throw a 91 MPH fastball that’s as straight as an arrow.’

…and…

‘Last year people said were weren’t seeing the real Phil Hughes because of his injury. And, he’s not hurt now and we’re still seeing the same unimpressive stuff.”

But, Kay really got me when he said something along the lines of:

‘The Yankees people say that Hughes is an ace in the making. I want to believe them, but, players that I’ve talked to have told me that Hughes, at best, will be a forth or a fifth starter.’

Man, when a Yankee Propaganda Puppet like Kay starts ripping on Hughes like this, you know the worm has turned on poor Phil Franchise.

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Looking at the schedules, off-days, and pitching rotations of the Yankees and Mets, it appears that this could be the pitching match-ups for the first subway series of 2008 (next month at the Stadium):

May 16th: Oliver Perez vs. Andy Pettitte
May 17th: John Maine vs. Ian Kennedy
May 18th: Nelson Figueroa vs. Chien-Ming Wang

Get this, on May 15th – again, according to schedules, current rotations, etc. – Johan Santana should be starting for the Mets and Phil Hughes should be starting for the Yankees.

So, by one day, we missed seeing Johan Santana vs. Phil Hughes, at Yankee Stadium, in the first game this season where the Yankees and Mets face-off. Now, that would have been Hank Stein’s worst nightmare.

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WFAN’s Marc Malusis and Lori Rubinson has some interesting takes on the Phil Hughes situation on SNY’s Geico SportsNite. Click here to see the video.

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Edinson Volquez was once considered, by some, to be among the best pitching prospects in baseball. He had a cup of coffee with the Texas Rangers in 2005 – at the age of 21. And, in 2006, the Rangers called him up in August and gave him a regular turn in the rotation for the last two months of the season. That season, then 22, Volquez got banged around in 8 starts. Here’s more on that from a report in Baseball America that was published on October 6, 2006:

Here’s what top prospect Edinson Volquez learned during his eight-week audition in the Rangers rotation: He may be a prospect, but he’s still not a big leaguer.

If the numbers didn’t spell out the story (1-10, 9.20 in 14 appearances) then the Rangers did it letter-by-letter during a summit meeting with the 23-year-old righthander during the final week of the season.

“I think he knows the way he has pitched here is not going to be good enough,” Buck Showalter said. “The world is full of guys who have failed up here some. At some point, the good ones will grasp it. I think he will grasp it.”

The Rangers also laid out on offseason work plan they hope will accelerate Volquez’ comprehension of the problem and eventually his performance.

The organization wants Volquez to stop by instructional league for a couple of weeks to continue working on fastball command. In addition, the Rangers want him to slide over on the rubber toward the first base side to create more of an angle for his pitches. Even his best stuff was getting fouled off by hitters because they had too much of a look at his delivery. And finally, they want him to hold runners better.

(more…)

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Via the Post -

[Alex] Rodriguez had an MRI and last night the Yankees announced that the test revealed a Grade-2 strain of his right quad. He was placed on the 15-day disabled list, joining Jorge Posada (right shoulder strain) on the shelf.

It’s unknown whether Rodriguez will be able to return as soon his 15-day DL stint is up. The truth is, it could be longer. His injury is more severe than Derek Jeter’s strained quad earlier this season, which was a Grade-1 level. Jeter’s, though, did not force him to the DL.

“We’ve just got to make sure we get him right,” GM Brian Cashman said, “so we can get him going again.”

Rodriguez’s quad forced him to sit out three games last week, but he returned before having to leave Monday’s game in Cleveland when he aggravated it. The Yankees ordered the MRI yesterday.

When asked if A-Rod made the injury more severe by continuing to play, Cashman replied, “You’d have to ask him in fairness.”

What kind of answer is that from Cashman?

In any event, Morgan Ensberg, who has whiffed in 12 of this 43 ABs so far this season – while also posting an OBA of .267 and a SLG% of .302 – is your starting third baseman. If he’s going to hit like that, you might as well play Alberto Gonzalez at third and give him an extended look at big league pitching.

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Just another one of those games where the Yankees were trailing at the start of the 5th inning and they went on to lose the contest.

Actually, what was most interesting about this game was listening to John Flaherty and Al Leiter, on the YES coverage, go to town about how Phil Hughes’ 89-92 MPH fastball was straight with little movement, and, that, along with just a curve was not enough to retire big league batters on a consistent basis. I believe Leiter referred to Hughes’ fastball as being a ‘hittable speed.’ (The two also went on to talk about how Hughes needs to feature – or even just show – a slider or change-up on a more regular basis to be more effective.)

Actually, what Flaherty and Leiter were saying today ties right into David Cone’s point on Hughes the other day – that after the line-up sees him once, they pretty much have him sized up.

I know that many Yankees fans will want to blame Hughes’ game today on Chris Stewart – noting all the cross-ups, etc. But, for what it’s worth, Hughes crossed up Molina too during his third start of this season. Being that it’s two different catchers here and the same pitcher, it’s more likely that it’s the pitcher at fault. Either Hughes can’t keep up with the signs, he’s not concentrating out there, or he needs glasses.

In any event, back to the Flaherty and Leiter commentary, they’ve really set Hughes up for a fun week. (Probably for Brian Cashman and Joe Girardi too.) Expect to hear lots of talk and read lots of features over the next few days – debating if it makes sense or not to send Hughes down to Triple-A to refine and learn to use a third (and maybe fourth) pitch.

And, if Hank Stein was tuned into YES this evening, he may pick up on this as well.

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21-year old Phil Hughes, who’s in his second big league season, got knocked out of his start this evening for the Yankees – lasting just 3.2 innings pitched.

This was the third time in five non-rain impacted games this season where Hughes was unable to log at least four innings in his start.

Did you know that, in 1987, then 21-year old Greg Maddux, in just his second season in the majors, had 7 starts for the Cubs (out of his 27 starts that season) where he failed to retire 12 batters. Seven out of twenty-seven. Do the math – that’s better than one out of every four starts.

When you press 21-year old kids into starting rotation duty, things like this – meaning guys getting undressed on the mound – are going to happen (with some frequency).

If you want to blame someone for this happening, remember, it’s not the kid’s fault that he’s a kid. Instead, blame the team for being in a position where they had to ask the kid to be a member of their starting rotation at such a young age – where you know that you’ll have to deal with his learning curve.

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Via the AP:

Others, including New York Yankees co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner, are taking notice of the increased competition in the division, where Tampa Bay has finished last nine of 10 seasons since beginning play in 1998.

“I said that before the season started, the American League East is going to be great and it’s only going to get better,” said Steinbrenner, who lives in nearby Tampa.

“The Rays are going to keep getting better. The Jays will always be tough. The Orioles will get better, they’re already getting better. It’s not just going to be us and the Red Sox in the future. It’s going to be the best division in baseball.”

You want to know when the last time the A.L. East was really tight with a lot of teams in the action? That was probably 1988. And, that was probably the only time that the A.L. East had several teams in the mix during the same season. It will be interesting to see if Hank’s prediction – which many share – comes true.

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Can someone please tell me why this man is still in the Yankees organization? He’s 22 and has been in A-ball for the last 5 seasons. As of yesterday, he’s had 1,927 minor league At Bats and has whiffed in 634 of them – fashioning an OPS of .661 in the process.

Yes, reports say he’s a fine defensive outfielder. But, he cannot hit – at all.

Sure, he was a 3rd round pick (in 2003). And, O.K., some say he’s a hard worker with great tools. Also, I know that he’s a survivor of B-cell lymphoma (a form of bone cancer) which he had in his left ribcage (back in 2003).

But, again, he’s 22-years old and been stuck in A-ball for 5 years because he cannot hit. It’s time to cut the cord, no?

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From Ken Rosenthal today -

The Rangers can only dream of moving Padilla, who is erratic and earning $23 million in 2008 and ‘09. Millwood, too, is expensive, but he could be perfect for a team such as the Yankees, who would value his stable presence in their rotation.

The Yankees remain deep in young pitching, and they’ve got two promising outfielders, Austin Jackson and Jose Tabata, at Class AA. As crazy as it might sound, the Rangers should include significant cash in a Millwood deal with the Yankees or another high-revenue team, enabling them to effectively buy prospects.

Millwood is earning $8.5 million this season, $11 million next season and $12 million in 2010, but his deal could be voided before ‘10 if he fails to meet certain innings thresholds.

Millwood is an interesting pitcher – in that he always seems to start pitching better about 15 to 20 starts into the season. But, I’m not sure he’s got the stomach for New York? Plus, he’s old and had two years left on his contract after this season. There’s no reason, whatsoever, for the Yankees to trade a blue-chip prospect like Jackson, Tabata, or Horne for him.

But, if the Rangers wanted to throw in a bunch of bucks to cover some of his salary, and they were willing to accept a prospect package along the lines of Jeffrey Marquez, Austin Krum, and Steven Jackson for Millwood and the cash, well, maybe it’s something to think about?

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Via the AP and ESPN -

Jorge Posada’s shoulder injury does not appear to be season-threatening. That’s the early word on the New York Yankees catcher following an exam by Dr. James Andrews on Monday.

File this under: If true, whew!

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Click here to see the excerpt. It’s full of Yoo-hoo!

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This off-season, Hank Steinbrenner elected to make Alex Rodriguez the new face of the Yankees franchise – when Hank gave A-Rod his monster contract deal. So, how was the new face’s first month on the job compared to his other March/April starts in Yankeeland? Here are the stats via Baseball-Reference.com:

YEAR   G	  PA   HR  RBI  BB	 BA     OBP   SLG	  OPS    BAbip   tOPS+
2004   23	 102   04	  07  10	.253   .333   .440	  0.773   .264     075
2005   24	 109   09	  27  07	.304   .349   .618	  0.966   .314     084
2006   23	 105   05	  16  17	.267   .390   .477	  0.867   .290     091
2007   23	 106   14	  34  09	.355   .415   .882	  1.297   .328     135
2008   24	 099   04	  11  06	.286   .343   .495	  0.838   .324     100

As you can see, Alex’s start this season is not close, at all, to the awesome start he had in 2007. In fact, in some respects, his start this season is very close to the start that he had in 2004 – which was his least productive season as a Yankee (to date).

(more…)

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Is it just me, or, is there something cool about a night like tonight? Nothing directly related to the details of this game – just the fact that there was a game. This is what I mean: There’s something within me that feels like I’m getting away with something when it’s pouring rain “here” and yet I get to watch Yankees baseball at the same time because they’re on the road. It’s a hard feeling to describe – but, it’s somewhat like when you were in school, had a test or an assignment due for the next day, and you were not ready at all. And, then, when you woke up that morning, you discovered that there was two feet of snow on the ground and there was no school that day. It’s a first-rate freebie bonus – and, it just feels so good.

To the game…

Mussina got lucky this evening – hanging in there for five innings while throwing 92 pitches. Lots of runners left on base for the Indians while Moose was out there and some batted balls were luckily directed at Yankees fielders in those situations.

By the way, is Jeter now looking less-rangy again at short? His plays on that Peralta grounder in the 2nd and the Blake ball in the 3rd did not help Mussina today.

Gold star for the bullpen tonight – covering four innings and allowing just two baserunners. That was the game, right there.

The Yankees offense? Just as lucky as Mussina. New York had only 10 runners reach base in this contest – but, five of them scored. Further, three of the five runs scored on non-hits and another scored on an infield-single. Death by small ball for the Tribe tonight.

In any event, it’s a win – and, that always makes for a lot less teeth grinding when the head hits the pillow…and for a better night’s sleep.

Last thought: Listening to David Cone, on the YES coverage, in the 9th, having an on-the-air big “O” over the mechanics of Mo Rivera and his combination of speed and movement on his pitches, got me thinking: When was the last time that Mariano Rivera pitched from the full wind-up in a game? Would that have been on October 8, 1995 when he faced Vince Coleman leading off the 9th? That’s just a guess on my part.

That’s a great trivia question, if someone knows the answer. “Who was the last batter to face Mariano Rivera from the full wind-up?” I wonder if even Mo knows?

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My Pinstripes takes apart Michael Kay with their feature “Michael Kay, Yea or Nay?”

It’s a read worth checking out.

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The Jorge Posada news has me thinking about Gene Tenace.

Late in the 1972 season, Tenace strained his shoulder too – and could no longer make the throw to second base from his catching position. He took cortisone shots to get through the playoffs and World Series. And, in 1973, Tenace was moved to first base.

Of course, they’ve come a long way with what they can do with surgery since 1972. And, maybe things will be different for Posada? Then again, maybe all those in Yankeeland better start thinking about Jorge becoming the Yankees first baseman when he returns to play.

I know that many Yankees fans lust after free-agent-to-be Mark Teixeira. But, given Posada’s contract and injury, maybe it just makes more sense to figure on having Jorge play first until someone like Jesus Montero, Bradley Suttle, or Derek Jeter (?) is ready to become the Yankees full-time first baseman.

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Via SI:

SI.com: Is there an event or a stadium you haven’t performed at that you would like to at some point?

Bon Jovi: I would have liked to have played Yankee Stadium, but I never had the chance because they would never give anyone the license to do that. I would like to play the halftime at the Super Bowl I haven’t done that yet.

Maybe it will happen in the new place Jon…just wait and see.

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Recently, I’ve been reading “Walkoffs, Last Licks, and Final Outs: Baseball’s Grand (and Not-So-Grand) Finales” by Bill Chuck and Jim Kaplan.

Bill Chuck is the man behind Billy-Ball.com and Jim Kaplan is a former writer for Sports Illustrated who has authored (or co-authored) several other books.

With “Walkoffs, Last Licks, and Final Outs,” Chuck and Kaplan take a look at the greatest post-season races and World Series games of all-time, the final moments for many Hall-of-Famers, the last games played at ballparks now gone, some famous streaks in baseball history, players who passed away while in active duty, and a slew of other “last” baseball trivia type items.

For a baseball fanatic, “Walkoffs, Last Licks, and Final Outs” is a fun little book. I’ve enjoyed thumbing through the pages and reading it in a pick and choose type fashion.

Chuck and Kaplan have done a great job compiling the information for this book. If you’re looking to add a unique reference material to your baseball library, or, if you want to get an original and entertaining gift for the baseball fan in your life, I recommend that you pick up a copy of “Walkoffs, Last Licks, and Final Outs: Baseball’s Grand (and Not-So-Grand) Finales.”

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Phil Allard has a feature up today at WCBS NEWSRADIO 880 entitled “Remembering the Days of Strat-O-Matic.”

Amazing as this may sound, it’s true: I have never, ever, played Strat-O-Matic in my entire life.

Yet, every single time that I hear something about it, I get the feeling that it’s something that I would have really enjoyed playing. How I missed out on this one, I dunno? Gotta score this one E-Lombardi, I suppose. Maybe when my kids are a little older, I can get them started on it and I can join in on the fun – finally.

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Via the Daily News with a hat tip to BaseballThinkFactory.org -

Roger Clemens carried on a decade-long affair with country star Mindy McCready, a romance that began when McCready was a 15-year-old aspiring singer performing in a karaoke bar and Clemens was a 28-year-old Red Sox ace and married father of two, several sources have told the Daily News.

Hey, for the Clemens camp, this could have been worse. It’s not as if McCready was his third cousin and he married her. What I find interesting is that this went on for six years while Clemens was in Boston and the media there turned a blind eye towards it. That’s not always the case in Beantown. Go ask Wade Boggs about Margo Adams.

To borrow Mark Patrick’s tag line on things like this: A-Rod and Joslyn Morse could not be reached for comment.

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Via the Providence Journal:

[Josh Beckett] didn’t get any help from his offense, and when he looked around the clubhouse after the team’s 3-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, he saw a lot of tired players. So he made his feelings known.

“A lot of our guys need that,” he said, referring to today’s off-day. “It’s unfortunate we’re just a little banged up right now. Tito is usually pretty good staying on top of giving guys days off when we’re in a stretch like that. I mean, Kevin Youkilis (0-for-3 yesterday) needs to be in there right now because he’s either playing third or first.

“There’s nothing you can do,” added Beckett. “Tito’s hands are tied. It’s going to be nice to get Mike Lowell back pretty soon. (MLB) makes the schedule and it’s not just the 20 games in a row we play — 8 o’clock getaway games in Oakland. There’s not enough [complaining] and moaning that goes on to get it changed. I don’t know what we can do.”

He wasn’t done.

“That’s what strings guys out,” he said. “It’s tough playing 20 in a row, anyway, but whenever you get Sunday night baseball here and Sunday night baseball there, it’s at 8 o’clock and you don’t get home until 5 in the morning. Then you’re right back out there the next day.”

Hey, Josh, have you seen the Yankees April schedule this season? Excuse me if I don’t play the violin for you.

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Personally, before the Yankees signed Jose Molina this past off-season, I thought that P.J. Pilittere had a chance to be the Yankees back-up catcher in 2009.

If Posada is going to be out for the season, how about P.J. Pilittere as a back-up, now, to Molina?

Defensively, Pilittere has the tools. Granted, he’s never played above Double-A. But, sometimes you just have to skip a guy when situations call for it.

Pilittere is 26-years old. So, it’s not like he’s a baby. Plus, this season, to date, in Double-A, he’s batting .317 with only 3 strikeouts in 63 At Bats. So, he’s shown that he can make decent contact.

What more do you want from a back-up catcher?

If the only other option is Chris Stewart – assuming that Chad Moeller cannot be brought back – why not at least give P.J. a try?

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I would imagine that more than a few Yankees fans may be wondering if the Yankees should make a run at Free Agent Mike Piazza – given the recent news on Jorge Posada.

I’ll just offer two facts on the thought. Piazza is 39-years old and has not caught a baseball game in the last 574 days.

Given these facts, I’d rather see the Yankees sign Smoky Burgess as a stop-gap measure to address the Posada issue. And, Burgess passed away in 1991. Smoky would offer the same value as Piazza and cost the team a lot less in terms of room and board.

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How special was Chien-Ming Wang in this game?

Let’s put it this way: The last time a Yankees right-handed starter pitched on the road and went 7+ innings allowing no earned runs was on May 31, 2006. Yeah, that’s just about two years ago. (The last time a Yankees RH-starter went 7+ on the road allowing no actual runs was September 17, 2005.)

The last time that a Yankees starting pitcher, regardless of his throwing hand, pitched a game in Cleveland going 7+ innings and allowing no earned runs was on July 11, 2002. Yeah, that’s almost six years ago.

When was the last time the Yankees won a 1-0 regular season game in Cleveland? It was May 30, 1981.

That’s a long, long, time ago. What Wang did today, well, you don’t see that everyday in Yankeeland. Special, indeed.

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The New York Times is reporting this may be the case. (Just now, on YES it was reported that the Yankees will not confirm this report.)

From what I can quickly tell, if surgery is required, Posada could be out for the next four to six months (post-op). So, this situation would basically wipe out his season.

While the Yankees would miss his bat behind the plate, Jorge being MIA would also be a huge loss in terms of the leadership that Posada provides the team.

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Some stats via the Complete Baseball Encyclopedia:

A.L. RIGHT HANDED PITCHERS with G >= 10 & G.S. = 0
BASERUNNERS/9 IP and ERA are vs. the league average

			RSAA	G	GS	BR/9 IP	ERA
1	LaTroy Hawkins	-6	11	0	-2.13	-4.25
2	Jeremy Accardo	-4	11	0	-1.98	-3.69
3	Joaquin Benoit	-3	10	0	-4.34	-2.44
T4	Dennis Sarfate	-1	10	0	-2.98	-1.69
T4	Manny Delcarmen	-1	12	0	-0.48	-0.75
T4	Matt Guerrier	-1	11	0	-1.42	-0.08
T4	Mark Lowe    	-1	10	0	-2.94	-0.60
T4	Huston Street	-1	10	0	 0.31	-0.45
T9	Fran. Rodriguez	 0	12	0	-0.48	 0.09
T9	Jamey Wright	 0	11	0	-1.77	-0.19
T9	Pat Neshek	 0	11	0	 4.02	 0.22

So, there’s a case to be made that, to date, LaTroy Hawkins has been the least effective regularly-used RH-reliever in the American League. And, if not for a great play in yesterday’s game by Alberto Gonzalez, these numbers would be worse.

If Hawkins is still pitching this poorly at the end of May, should the Yankees let him go? If his numbers are this ugly come June 1st, I would send him packing – even if he is a nice guy.

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