HOME
Year	G   PA	 HR   SO/BB	BA	OBP	SLG	GDP	BAbip
2005	10  270	  5    1.47	.250	.302	.351	12	.260
2006	17  475	  5    1.41	.253	.298	.339	20	.267
2007	16  443	  6    2.00	.235	.293	.348	19	.262
2008	8   213	  3    1.13	.241	.324	.337	2	.263
2009	5    93	  5    2.60	.379	.413	.678	4	.406

ROAD
Year	G   PA	 HR   SO/BB	BA	OBP	SLG	GDP	BAbip
2005	8   216	  4    1.47	.264	.326	.394	5	.276
2006	17  425	  7    1.52	.304	.344	.415	13	.322
2007	14  380	  3    1.52	.300	.360	.391	13	.336
2008	7   189	  1    2.33	.259	.312	.333	10	.301
2009	7   113	  2    1.14	.351	.441	.521	1	.403

Here’s a test for you. The above numbers belong to a current Yankees pitcher – they are his home and road splits since 2005. Can you guess who the pitcher is? Further, what do these numbers tell you?

For me, the key stats here are BA and SLG allowed – both in terms of the home/road splits, year by year, and the home lines between 2009 and those seasons before it.

To me, this says this pitcher really misses the old Yankee Stadium. And, I wonder, now that it’s gone, will this pitcher ever be an effective hurler again, overall, numbers-wise, without having that park to help offset the numbers that he usually posts on the road. (And, it gets worse, now, because the new Yankee Stadium is a homer haven.)

Filed under Math Class ·  Print This Post ·  Email This Post

The Yankees have, including today, 74 games left to their season. So, how have they done in their final 74 games, each season, during this decade? Here are the numbers:

Yr	W	L	W%
2008	43	31	.581
2007	50	24	.676
2006	45	29	.608
2005	48	26	.649
2004	45	29	.608
2003	47	27	.635
2002	48	26	.649
2001	43	31	.581
2000	40	34	.541

AVG	45	28	.614

As you can see, on average this decade, the Yankees are good for 45 wins in their final 74 games of a season.

The 2009 Yankees currently have 51 wins this year – and another 45 wins would give New York 96 on the season. (Then again, CoolStandings.com – this morning – has the Yankees projecting out to about 92 wins this season.)

Should that mark, 96 wins, now be the pass/fail mark for the Yankees this season? Would anything less than 96 wins be a disappointment, for you, as a Yankees fan? Or, is the win total not important, as long as they make the post-season? What do you think?

Filed under Math Class ·  Print This Post ·  Email This Post

Via Mike Lupica today -

There is a lot to like about this Yankee team, to make Yankee fans think this team might be different from the all the ones since 2000 who haven’t been able to win the World Series, who haven’t made it past the first round of the playoffs since 2004 despite continuing to have the greatest financial advantage in professional sports.

The Yankees once again scare the other team to death – as long as the other team isn’t the Red Sox or Angels – in the late innings, make no lead seem safe against them, make the eighth and ninth innings at the new Stadium sometimes seem tougher for the opposition than the Tour de France.

But are the Yankees good enough to win the AL East from the Red Sox and Rays and go on to win it all? Or at least make their first World Series since 2003? We will begin to find out over the last 74 games of the season, the first of which are against the first-place Tigers this weekend.

Or is the question Yankee fans ought to be asking:

If Brian Cashman actually does need Roy Halladay the way he needed CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett and Teixeira, then exactly how much Yankee money does he have to spend and how many stars does he have to acquire to put the Yankees back on top?

Once the Yankees won four World Series in five years. Now they win one playoff series in five years. It is why the rest of this season is as much a referendum on Cashman as it is on Joe Girardi.

The rest of the regular season will at least start to tell us if these Yankees can overcome the kinds of things that championship teams are supposed to overcome. Or whether the Yankees have become conditioned to thinking that the best way to overcome things is just wait for another big hitter or big pitcher to walk through the clubhouse door.

“I’m staying and I’m going to change the story,” Cashman said after he signed his new contract, back when he was so chafed that he thought he was getting a bad deal from the media.

Now we find out if his team can change the story, a team that picked up nearly $250 million worth of starting pitching last winter with Sabathia and Burnett, a team that with the acquisition of Teixeira has an infield that is worth around $95 million in ’09 salaries. You would think a team like that would be relatively complete by now, requiring just minor tinkering, not a reinforcement like Roy Halladay. We will see about that.

As much as many often like to get on Lupica for what he writes, in this case, is there really anything in here that’s not true? What are your thoughts?

Filed under Trap Door Items ·  Print This Post ·  Email This Post

Via Dave Zirin in his feature entitled “Canary in the Mine Shaft” –

Last Tuesday night, there were as many African-American presidents at the All-Star Game as players in the starting lineups.

Only the fourteen-year veteran Derek Jeter represented people of African descent. (Jeter, like Obama, is of mixed heritage.) Eighteen percent of the players in the All-Star Game were African-American, including game MVP Carl Crawford, but none were voted in by the fans to open the contest.

Jeter is also the only African-American player in the starting lineups of the two marquee teams in Major League Baseball, the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox in particular have become so bleached in recent years, you wonder if Red Sox Nation has a Whites Only sign on the front door. This is particularly notable when we consider that the Red Sox were the last team to integrate in Major League Baseball.

It sends a message throughout the land that America’s Pastime has reinstituted a de facto color line.

In the mid-1970s, African-Americans made up 27 percent of the players in the league. Today it stands at just over 8 percent. In the NCAA only 6 percent of the nearly 9,800 Division I baseball players are of African descent.

Major League Baseball has attempted to address the access question through a program it runs called RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities), but it has been like shoveling sand in the ocean. The greater problem is that our cities have become shells of their former selves.

Each city is also the site of a sparkling new baseball stadium, paid for in part or in full on the taxpayer dime. The irony has become a collective noose: fewer African-Americans play baseball because our cities are being strangled; our children are being fast-tracked to a ravenous prison industry; and no one has the time, money or will to organize a good old-fashioned game of baseball.

For African-Americans the national pastime is now past its time. The canary in the mine shift has fluttered to the ground. It would behoove us to notice.

This is interesting. When I was watching the All-Star game on Tuesday, I had a different reaction to this issue.

I saw Derek Jeter, Edwin Jackson, Chone Figgins, Carl Crawford, Curtis Granderson, Adam Jones, Prince Fielder, Ryan Howard, Orlando Hudson, and Justin Upton announced during the pre-game and had no reaction, either way, about it.

But, later, Jeter, Crawford, Granderson, Jones, Fielder, Howard, Hudson and Upton were all involved during key moments in the game. And, around the 9th inning, I thought to myself “We hear that there’s less and less African-Americans playing major league baseball, but, tonight, what would this All-Star Game be without all the African-Americans who were in it?”

In any event, as a fan, I want to see more great players in big league baseball. And, to be candid, I really don’t care what race they are – albeit, African-American, Asian, American Indian, White or whatever. But, again, it is interesting that Zirin and I watched the same game and came away with different thoughts with respect to African-Americans playing in the major leagues.

What’s your thoughts on this?

Filed under Trap Door Items ·  Print This Post ·  Email This Post

…when you had to borrow money…

Classic, eh?

Filed under Trap Door Items ·  Print This Post ·  Email This Post

The Yankees game on July 12th ended approximately at 6:40 pm ET. And, the Yankees next scheduled game, on July 17th, is slated to start at 7:05 pm ET.

That’s roughly 96 1/2 hours in between our last and next dose of Yankees baseball. Is it just me, or, does it seem like 9,600 hours?

For the players, that’s four solid days (96 hours) between their last and next game action. Is that too long? Or, is it a good thing at this time of the year?

Filed under Trap Door Items ·  Print This Post ·  Email This Post

Within the last week, there have been a few citing of WasWatching.com elsewhere on the internet.

On July 11, 2009, Rob Neyer referenced a WasWatching.com feature on his ESPN.com Blog SweetSpot.

On July 14, 2009, Marc Carig referenced a WasWatching.com feature on his Yankees Blog at The Star-Leger.

And, on July 16, 2009, Bob Klapisch referenced a WasWatching.com feature in his column for the Bergen Record.

So, I thought it was proper to express my thanks to Rob, Marc and Bob for their interest in these recent WasWatching.com features and to also remind the readers here to check out their excellent work as well.

To read Rob Neyer’s SweetSpot Blog at ESPN.com, click here.

To read Marc Carig’s Yankees Blog at The Star-Leger, click here.

To read Bob Klapisch in the Bergen Record, click here.

Filed under Site News ·  Print This Post ·  Email This Post

To watch SNY.tv’s New York Baseball Today, which features a rotating panel of experts, click play below.

Filed under SNY Baseball Today Video ·  Print This Post ·  Email This Post

Click here for more information about this entry.

Filed under Water Cooler Talk '09 ·  Print This Post ·  Email This Post

Via Tim Bontemps -

Brian Cashman would not discuss trading for Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay today, citing Major League Baseball tampering policy.

“I’m not really allowed by baseball rules to comment on other team’s players — so I just would have to pass on that,” the Yankees GM said at the Double-A All-Star Game in Trenton when asked about Halladay’s availability.

Cashman did say the Yankees do not “have an obvious need right now.”

“We try to look from within first to see if we don’t have the answer right in front of us before we aggressively go outside,” Cashman said. “We’re always keeping our eyes and ears open. And we’re engaged with the other clubs.

“But I can’t say that we have an obvious need right now.”

Cashman said Sergio Mitre was a potential in-house option to fill the rotation spot of injured Chien-Ming Wang.

O.K.,…let us check some up-to-date 2009 Yankees stats via the Complete Baseball Encyclopedia:

BATTERS		RCAA	PA	OWP
Mark Teixeira	20	389	.655
Derek Jeter	17	387	.633
Alex Rodriguez	17	253	.695
Johnny Damon	15	357	.631
Hideki Matsui	13	275	.646
Jorge Posada	8	225	.609
Nick Swisher	5	335	.554
Eric Hinske	3	14	.874
Robinson Cano	3	378	.527
Brett Gardner	1	215	.509
Melky Cabrera	0	277	.506
Jose Molina	-1	54	.411
Xavier Nady	-1	29	.347
Kevin Cash	-2	28	.203
Angel Berroa	-3	24	.072
Ramiro Pena	-4	92	.347
Fran. Cervelli	-5	85	.257
Cody Ransom	-7	73	.129

PITCHERS	RSAA	 IP	BR/9 IP
Alfredo Aceves	10	43.1	9.35
C.C. Sabathia	9	128.1	10.80
Mariano Rivera	9	37.0	8.03
A.J. Burnett	9	107.1	13.00
Phil Hughes	4	53.0	11.72
J. Chamberlain	3	89.0	14.97
Phil Coke	2	38.1	9.39
David Robertson	2	22.2	12.71
J. Albaladejo	-1	25.0	14.40
Edwar Ramirez	-1	17.1	17.13
Brian Bruney	-1	16.2	11.88
Mark Melancon	-1	5.2	17.47
Brett Tomko	-2	20.2	11.32
Andy Pettitte	-4	107.2	14.04
Jose Veras	-4	25.2	14.38
Damaso Marte	-6	5.1	21.94
A. Claggett	-7	1.2	59.40
C.M. Wang	-24	42.0	18.64

I dunno…if you ask me, these numbers say that the Yankees have players at second, center and right who are just about league average with the sticks and they have only two starting pitchers who are fairly above average. Seems to me that the Yankees could use a bigger bat in right field and at least one more solid, reliable, starting pitcher. Heck, while we’re at it, another quality arm in the bullpen wouldn’t hurt too.

What do you think?

Filed under Trap Door Items ·  Print This Post ·  Email This Post

Via Baseball-Reference.com’s Play Index Pitching Game Finder – A.L. leaders, by team, for most “Quality Starts” made before the All-Star break this season:

 Tm  Year Games Link to Individual Games
+---+----+-----+-------------------------+
 TOR 2009    51 Ind. Games
 MIN 2009    46 Ind. Games
 KCR 2009    46 Ind. Games
 BOS 2009    46 Ind. Games
 CHW 2009    44 Ind. Games
 SEA 2009    43 Ind. Games
 DET 2009    43 Ind. Games
 LAA 2009    42 Ind. Games
 OAK 2009    41 Ind. Games
 TEX 2009    40 Ind. Games
 TBR 2009    39 Ind. Games
 NYY 2009    38 Ind. Games
 CLE 2009    37 Ind. Games
 BAL 2009    31 Ind. Games

Games found: 587.

So, the Yankees are 12th in the league (out of 14 teams) in terms of “Quality Starts” made in the first half of this season?

Wow. That’s brutal.

Here’s how the Yankees individual “Quality Starts” shake out:

                   Year Games Link to Individual Games
+-----------------+----+-----+-------------------------+
 A.J. Burnett      2009    11 Ind. Games
 C.C. Sabathia     2009     9 Ind. Games
 Andy Pettitte     2009     8 Ind. Games
 Joba Chamberlain  2009     8 Ind. Games
 Philip Hughes     2009     2 Ind. Games

Games found: 38.

Pretty interesting to see Chamberlain and Pettitte with almost as many “Quality Starts” as Sabathia, huh? So, where would the Yankees starting rotation be without A.J. Burnett, so far, this year? The answer: In deep trouble.

Go figure.

Filed under Math Class ·  Print This Post ·  Email This Post

To watch SNY.tv’s New York Baseball Today, which features a rotating panel of experts, click play below.

In this episode, Sam Borden and Ted Berg each give their keys to the Yankees and Mets’ success in the second half of the baseball season.

Filed under SNY Baseball Today Video ·  Print This Post ·  Email This Post

Click here for more information about this entry.

P.S. – if you want to discuss the 2009 MLB All-Star Game, as a special treat, here – that’s O.K., today, too.

Filed under Water Cooler Talk '09 ·  Print This Post ·  Email This Post

Someone who’s been a Yankees fan for the last 25 years recently said to me “I just wish this Yankees team wasn’t so hard to like.” And, that leads to today’s wild thought.

In comments left by readers of this blog, this season, I have seen laments, at times, about Alex Rodriguez, Joba Chamberlain, Robinson Cano, Brian Bruney, Jorge Posada, Chien-Ming Wang, Nick Swisher, Andy Pettitte and Melky Cabrera. And, there may have been other Yankees players mentioned along these lines as well – and I just don’t remember them now…

And, in comments left by readers of this blog, this year and in the recent past, I’ve seen complaints about Hank and Hal Steinbrenner, Randy Levine, Lonn Trost and Brian Cashman.

So, here’s the wild thought…actually, it’s more a series of questions…

Are these current Yankees a tough bunch to “like” – even for a dyed-in-the-wool Yankees fan? It is because of one player in particular, or a collection of players? Or, is it because of the Yankees front office? Is it because of one person, in particular, in the front office, or a collection of them? Or, are these current Yankees a tough bunch to “like” because of the players and the front office, combined?

Or, is this all hogwash and do you find this Yankees team and/or organization easy to “like”?

Filed under Wild Thoughts ·  Print This Post ·  Email This Post

Please consider taking the following poll:

Thanks in advance. And, please feel free to add comments on your opinion in the comments section below.

Filed under Surveys ·  Print This Post ·  Email This Post

Via Mark Herrmann -

A Yankees spokesman said Monday that the club is not commenting on the Stadium now, instead choosing to see how the rest of the season goes. Hal Steinbrenner, the managing general partner, recently did send out e-mails to some customers inviting them to meetings at the Stadium or Rockefeller Center, and “telling us how we are doing and how we can make the ‘Yankee Stadium Experience.’ ”

Bloggers have objected to relentless promotions on the public address system, the fact that Monument Park is basically hidden behind the centerfield fence and that the place just doesn’t have the electric feel that the building next door had. Visiting players have privately said the new Stadium is not as verbally intimidating as the old.

Well, the Yankees can choose to see how the rest of the season goes…but I can tell you that my personal count is (now) up to “five” different people telling me that they went to the Johnny Rockets stand at the new Stadium, during a game this season, and were told to come back in 20 minutes for their order. Considering that a baseball game is about 3 hours long, on average, for the Yankees, it seems a little silly to have a situation where fans have to order food and then come back, after a full inning, or so, has passed to actually get their order. Fans usually want their food when they order and pay for it. That’s not exactly “Rocket” science, is it?

Filed under Yankee Stadium ·  Print This Post ·  Email This Post

Tim Lincecum nailed him on the hand/wrist.

Derek Jeter now joins Elston Howard (by Turk Farrell in the seventh inning of 1964) and Thurman Munson (by Jerry Reuss in the first inning of 1975) as the only Yankees to be hit by a pitch in the All-Star Game.

Filed under Trap Door Items ·  Print This Post ·  Email This Post

Click here for more information about this entry.

Filed under Water Cooler Talk '09 ·  Print This Post ·  Email This Post

There was some good debate here earlier today regarding “Brian Cashman’s Yankees” ability to play well against the “big boys” in baseball. Seeing that, I decided to take this study a tad deeper.

First, as mentioned here in the past:

Brian Cashman became Yankees G.M. on February 28, 1998. However, from 1998 through 2005, George Steinbrenner’s troops in his Tampa office (including but not limited to Bill Emslie, Billy Connors, Mark Newman and Damon Oppenheimer) had so much input on personnel moves that it was somewhat difficult to know what exactly what were Cashman’s decisions or not.

This all changed in October 2005 when Brian Cashman was given full autonomy on running the Yankees. As Cashman said at that time: “I’m the general manager, and everybody within the baseball operations department reports to me. That’s not how it has operated recently.”

So, without question, we can look at the state of the New York Yankees over the last four seasons (2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 to date) and know that what you see in Yankeeland is “All-Cashman.” And, it’s these seasons that we will use in this study.

Next, we need a “benchmark” as to what teams in baseball were “big boys” in those seasons. To this end, I decided to look at the fourth best winning percentage in the American League for each year in question – and use that mark as our “big boy” line (meaning any teams in baseball who met that mark or did better were the “big boys” in the game that season). Here’s what I found:

Season – 4th Best Winning Percentage In American League

2006 – .574 (Oakland)
2007 – .580 (Los Angeles, tied with New York)
2008 – .549 (New York*)
2009 – .570 (Los Angeles**)

*Chicago was 5th in the league in 2008 with a .546 mark
** Through Games of July 12, 2009

Lastly, via Baseball-Reference.com’s Situational Records tool, here’s how American League teams have done, each season since 2006, when playing someone with a winning percentage at or above the “big boy” line (for that year):

In 2006 and Greater Than or Equal to a .574 Opponent’s Season W-L%:

	Tm	G	W	L	W-L%	RS	RA	pythW-L%
1	LAA	43	26	17	.605	192	176	.540
2	CHW	50	26	24	.520	236	230	.512
3	DET	35	18	17	.514	182	152	.582
4	NYY	28	14	14	.500	148	116	.610
5	OAK	28	14	14	.500	115	134	.430
6	MIN	35	17	18	.486	138	176	.391
7	TOR	44	21	23	.477	216	234	.463
8	TEX	48	22	26	.458	240	244	.492
9	BOS	44	18	26	.409	215	244	.442
10	BAL	43	17	26	.395	195	244	.399
11	CLE	54	20	34	.370	252	246	.511
12	KCR	55	17	38	.309	228	362	.300
13	TBD	42	12	30	.286	152	229	.321
14	SEA	42	11	31	.262	141	225	.298

Here we see that “Cashman’s Crew” in 2006 just played .500 ball against the “big boys” whereas a team like the Angels played much better than that in these situations.

In 2007 and Greater Than or Equal to a .580 Opponent’s Season W-L%:

	Tm	G	W	L	W-L%	RS	RA	pythW-L%
1	NYY	33	19	14	.576	202	171	.576
2	BOS	35	19	16	.543	197	160	.594
3	LAA	29	15	14	.517	137	160	.429
4	OAK	43	22	21	.512	192	171	.553
5	TOR	49	23	26	.469	213	236	.453
6	SEA	45	19	26	.422	191	256	.369
7	DET	41	17	24	.415	224	226	.496
8	BAL	53	21	32	.396	254	307	.414
9	KCR	41	16	25	.390	158	208	.377
10	TEX	44	17	27	.386	198	228	.436
11	CHW	45	17	28	.378	177	278	.304
12	TBD	54	17	37	.315	230	339	.330
13	CLE	23	7	16	.304	78	123	.303
14	MIN	41	12	29	.293	121	221	.249

Here we see that “Cashman’s Crew” in 2007 did a great job when facing the “big boys.”

In 2008 and Greater Than or Equal to a .549 Opponent’s Season W-L%:

	Tm	G	W	L	W-L%	RS	RA	pythW-L%
1	LAA	34	22	12	.647	189	145	.619
2	TBR	48	26	22	.542	200	202	.495
3	CLE	29	14	15	.483	131	126	.518
4	NYY	52	25	27	.481	244	272	.450
5	MIN	37	17	20	.459	166	192	.434
6	BOS	51	23	28	.451	248	249	.498
7	TOR	72	31	41	.431	305	283	.534
8	CHW	40	17	23	.425	156	178	.440
9	DET	29	12	17	.414	131	155	.424
10	OAK	47	19	28	.404	187	172	.538
11	KCR	30	11	19	.367	106	155	.333
12	TEX	51	18	33	.353	260	326	.398
13	BAL	69	22	47	.319	307	406	.375
14	SEA	47	15	32	.319	184	241	.379

Here we see that “Cashman’s Crew” in 2008 played less than .500 ball against the “big boys” – which is disappointing since the “benchmark” in this season for “big boys” was just a winning percentage of .549 or better. And, as was the case in 2006, note how well the Angels did when playing “big boys” in 2008.

In 2009 (through July 12, 2009) and Greater Than or Equal to a .570 Opponent’s Season W-L%:

	Tm	G	W	L	W-L%	RS	RA	pythW-L%
1	BOS	14	10	4	.714	79	62	.609
2	CHW	6	4	2	.667	40	25	.703
3	LAA	18	11	7	.611	110	91	.586
4	TEX	21	12	9	.571	103	109	.474
5	TBR	21	12	9	.571	134	92	.666
6	SEA	25	14	11	.560	112	116	.484
7	CLE	13	5	8	.385	80	73	.542
8	OAK	16	6	10	.375	66	72	.460
9	TOR	18	6	12	.333	75	92	.408
10	DET	12	4	8	.333	51	75	.331
11	MIN	16	5	11	.313	67	83	.403
12	BAL	22	5	17	.227	98	151	.312
13	KCR	10	2	8	.200	29	51	.262
14	NYY	14	2	12	.143	70	105	.323

Yikes!

Here we see that “Cashman’s Crew” in 2009 (to date this season) has gone 2-12 when facing the “big boys” in baseball. Yes, two and twelve – the worst mark in the league. That’s just flat…out…terrible.

So, what do we have here? When facing the “big boys,” in 2006, “Cashman’s Crew” just broke even. However, in 2007, they did very well. Then, in 2008, New York was just about break even again in these spots – being two games under .500. And, this season, to date, “Cashman’s Crew” has been obscenely bad when facing the “big boys” in baseball.

Perhaps another way to look at it is to compare the Yankees against the Angels, since 2006, when facing the “big boys” in baseball?

Here, the Angels have gone 74-50 overall since 2006 (to date) when facing the “big boys” (which is a winning percentage of .597) whereas the Yankees have gone 60-67 overall since 2006 (to date) when facing the “big boys” (which is a winning percentage of .472). And, clearly, this tells us that “Brian Cashman’s Yankees” – overall – have not been a team who has been able to beat the “big boys” (when facing them) with the frequency that a team like the Angels has been able to beat them.

Now, is that good, or bad? I suppose it depends on how you like your tea…er, I mean, Yankees…

If you’re fine with the Yankees playing .472 baseball when facing tough teams, then this is all good news for you. However, if you expect the Yankees to play well – say, at a clip of .530, at the least, or better – when facing the tough teams, then this is not something that will make you happy.

In any event, these stats show us that Brian Cashman has been unable, to date, to build a Yankees team who can consistently beat the “big boys” in the game – more than they don’t beat them. When you see that .472 winning percentage for New York over their last 127 games against the “big boys,” overall, it cannot be ignored.

Hopefully, soon, the Yankees will start to play better when facing tough teams – especially this season…where there’s no where to go, but up.

Filed under Math Class ·  Print This Post ·  Email This Post

Click here for more information about this entry.

Filed under Water Cooler Talk '09 ·  Print This Post ·  Email This Post

With Chien-Ming Wang on the disabled list (for an unknown period) and Joba Chamberlain having issues performing under the requirements of taking a regular turn in the Yankees rotation, today’s wild thought suggests it’s time for Brian Cashman and Joe Girardi to make some changes to their pitching staff. And, here’s what we suggest changing:

1. Add Sergio Mitre to the 40-man roster by cutting Kevin Cash. And, once Mitre is on, promote him to the 25-man roster by optioning Mark Melancon to Triple-A.

2. Move Joba Chamberlain to the bullpen and replace him in the starting rotation with Sergio Mitre.

3. Drop Anthony Claggett from the 40-man roster and replace him with George Kontos. And, once Kontos is on, promote him to the 25-man roster by optioning David Robertson to Triple-A (or, if you can, by disabling Brian Bruney). Sure, some may be thinking here “What about Brett Tomko?” However, as crazy as it sounds, I would keep Tomko – for now – just to pitch in games where the score is out of hand.

4. Have George Kontos take Chien-Ming Wang’s place in the rotation until the latter is back from the disabled list. If Kontos has issues, then flip him with Alfredo Aceves (making Kontos a long-man in the pen) and allow “Ace” to fill in for Wang until he comes back.

5. If possible, try and acquire Cliff Lee via a trade with the Indians – and then give him Mitre’s or Kontos’ spot in the rotation – whichever one is pitching worse. (And, then you can cut Tomko to make room for Lee.)

If you had a chance to give the Yankees rotation a make-over for the second half of 2009, what would you do?

Update, 7/13/09 9:49 am ET: I just became aware that George Kontos is done for the season. (Thanks to WasWatching.com reader “yagottagotomo1″ for the heads-up on this news.)

O.K., simple enough – insert Ivan Nova for George Kontos on the plan above and go from there…six of one, half dozen of the other, as far as I am concerned. I only took Kontos over Nova since he was a little older and had some more Triple-A time under his belt…

Filed under Wild Thoughts ·  Print This Post ·  Email This Post

What stands out the most in my mind, this past week, is what Peter Abraham wrote at the close of it:

[The Yankees] are 51-37 and if the playoffs started tomorrow, they would be the wild card.

But the Yankees have played four teams (the Angels, Red Sox, Phillies and Tigers) who lead their respective divisions at the break and they are 5-15 against those teams. That’s why you can’t just dismiss this weekend as just some bad luck.

The idea for a $210 million team in a $1.5 billion ballpark isn’t to make the playoffs, it’s to win them. For now, the Yankees have not been especially competitive against the best teams.

Back in the end of May, I pointed out that this issue has been a Yankees trend since 2004. When Cashman’s Crew faces a strong opponent, they have not been able to win as often as they lose.

It would be great to see this stop…and soon…for the Yankees. But, it’s starting to feel like this one of those “I’ll believe it when I see it” things…

Filed under Weekly Report 2009 ·  Print This Post ·  Email This Post

T-Shirts that are long overdue to be distributed in the Yankees clubhouse:
“When we play the Angels, we lose today, dat’s it!”

Sure, many may want to claim this one was bad luck – because Nick Swisher crushed a pitch in the 8th inning, with runners on first and second, only one out, and with the Yanks down by one run…and it was turned into an inning-ending double play when the Angels pitcher, Darren Oliver, stuck his glove out and made a miracle play.

But, you know what? In the inning before that one, the Yankees were down by two runs, with no outs and the bases loaded – and they had Mark Teixiera and Alex Rodriguez coming to the plate. That’s $52 million worth of bats, between the two of them, this season (according to the Yankees payroll). But, against a tired John Lackey, Tex went down on strikes and A-Rod hit into a 5-5-3 double-play to kill the rally. No bad luck for the Yankees there – just some really poor performance by two guys who are getting paid beaucoup denaro to produce in those exact kind of situations.

So, New York ends up losing four of their last seven games – as they now head into the All-Star break. Worse, on the morning of July 10th the Yankees found themselves tied with the Boston Red Sox for first place in the A.L. East, and, now, on the evening of July 12th, the Yankees find themselves three games behind the Bosox.

In the words of Chef Emeril: Bam!

That was quick, huh?

Filed under Game Commentary 07/09 ·  Print This Post ·  Email This Post

Click here for more information about this entry.

Filed under Water Cooler Talk '09 ·  Print This Post ·  Email This Post

Here’s a fun Yankeeland Sunday question…what do all of these 14 major league baseball franchises have in common?

Arizona Diamondbacks
Boston Red Sox
Chicago White Sox
Cleveland Indians
Colorado Rockies
Detroit Tigers
Houston Astros
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Los Angeles Dodgers
New York Mets
Oakland Athletics
Philadelphia Phillies
St. Louis Cardinals
Tampa Bay Rays

Hint: It’s Yankees related. O.K., if you don’t know it, hit the link below…

(more…)

Filed under Trap Door Items ·  Print This Post ·  Email This Post

Missed this one. After hitting the pool today with the kids, and an early dinner, our family went up to Yogi Berra Stadium to see the New Jersey Jackals host “the American Defenders of New Hampshire” – and we had to leave the house around 5:20 pm (ET) to make it.

“The American Defenders of New Hampshire” wear some funky desert camouflage uniforms – with “USA” across the chest. Even their batting helmets are done in desert camouflage.

The manager of “the American Defenders of New Hampshire” is former Red Sox player Brian Daubach. Remember him?

In any event, the Jackals played this evening like they were the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim facing the New York Yankees – and won big. There was also an awesome fireworks display after the game – which got in just before the rains came…great timing.

Like I said, I missed the Yankees game today…and, after hearing the final score, it looks like I picked a good one to skip.

Regarding Friday’s Yanks-Angels game, I wrote that it was “like watching the 2002 ALDS all over again.” You could probably ditto that for this one too.

You know, at the end of the day, you can play .600 ball and make the post-season. But, more times than not, at least lately, you’re going to have to go through the Red Sox and/or Angels once you get to October – if you want to represent the A.L. in the World Series. And…hey…let’s face it: The Yankees have yet to show us that they can handle the Bosox or Halos…have they?

Filed under Game Commentary 07/09 ·  Print This Post ·  Email This Post

Click here for more information about this entry.

Filed under Water Cooler Talk '09 ·  Print This Post ·  Email This Post

Well, I’ve been saying it for over six weeks now, but, I’ll keep saying it until the Yankees get a clue on this one.

Joba Chamberlain has not shown us the ability to take the mound every five days and maintain his “stuff.” Note his splits, to date this season, in terms of command and what batters do against him when he has regular (4 days) rest and when he gets an extra day’s rest (meaning 5 days rest):

Days Rest	G	PA	SO/BB	 BA	 OBP	SLG
4 Days		8	165	1.38	.316	.417	.500
5 Days		7	184	2.63	.252	.324	.387
6+ Days		2	53	1.40	.289	.396	.489

So, the answer to the Joba problem is clear – move him to the pen, where he only has to throw an inning at a time, four days a week (or so) – and hope that, used this way, he will not feel as taxed as he is when you ask him to toe the rubber every five days and give you five innings, or more, a pop.

Filed under Math Class ·  Print This Post ·  Email This Post

Given the health issues around Chien-Ming Wang and the inconsistency of Joba Chamberlain, does it make sense for the Yankees to go out and get a proven starting pitcher for the second half of 2009? Well, that’s today’s wild thought…

And, while everyone is focused on the chase for the Blue Jays’ Doc Halladay, perhaps the Yankees should try a sneak attack at another solid starter…like the Indians Cliff Lee? He’s also available…see this, recently, from Bob Nightengale:

The Blue Jays would require a package greater than the three prospects the Cleveland Indians received last year for ace CC Sabathia, Ricciardi said, considering Halladay won’t be a free agent until after the 2010 season. Halladay, 10-2 with a 2.79 ERA, said he is open to a trade but has told Ricciardi the teams for which he would exercise his no-trade rights.

Cleveland is in a similar situation with Cliff Lee, the defending Cy Young winner who is a free agent after next season. Indians GM Mark Shapiro has not publicly made the left-hander available. But since Cleveland has the American League’s worst record, teams are bound to call.

“We’re in a position where we are open to all thoughts and ideas,” Shapiro said.

Few teams might have the resources and prospects to acquire players the caliber of Halladay and Lee, who are making $14.25 million and $6 million this year.

Well, we know that the Yankees have kicked the tires on Halladay. Maybe they should do the same with Cliff Lee and the Indians?

Filed under Wild Thoughts ·  Print This Post ·  Email This Post

Oh, my, it’s like watching the 2002 ALDS all over again – the way the Yankees “pitched” and “fielded” in this one.

And, if that’s not bad enough, you have to watch Scott Boras in the middle of your picture, every time they use the center field camera, standing there behind home plate. Com’on Scott…A-Rod knows you’re there. Please, sit down.

Chamberlain, Melancon and Bruney each allowed 2+ earned runs in this one. The last time this season the Yankees had a game where three pitchers allowed 2+ ER each was back on April 18th when Cleveland beat New York, 22-4. Ugly, man, ugly.

Yanks had 14 hits in this game too. The last time this season the Yankees had 14+ hits in a game and lost was way back on April 25th when Boston beat New York, 16-11. Ugly, man, ugly.

Just a brutual game for the Yanks.

And, let the Joba discussion begin…

Filed under Game Commentary 07/09 ·  Print This Post ·  Email This Post