The long short national local nightmare is over.  By hitting his 17th homer of the season in the bottom of the first inning, Alex Rodriguez became the youngest batter in baseball history to hit 600 career homeruns.  And unlike the recent trend of Yankees hitting two-run homers in the first inning only to eventually lose the game, the Yanks even managed to beat Toronto 5-1 today.

The Blue Jays worked deep counts against Phil Hughes (5.1 4 1 1 2 5), pushing him to 99 pitches but never really threatened to break the game open outside of loading the bases in the top of the third.  Hughes’s recent starts seem to have a distinct pattern of dominance early and fatigue late which, really, seems quite normal for a pitcher unaccustomed to the rigors of a 20-start season in the big leagues.  Today was definitely another positive step in the devleopment of Phil Hughes, credible mid-rotation MLB starter.

Beyond that, the heroes of the day were the much-maligned (in 2010, anyways) Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez.  Teixeira (2-for-3, 3 RBI) and Rodriguez (aforementioned 600th HR) played vital roles in the awakening of the offense but Derek Jeter (4-for-4) deserves special praise.  This was Jeter’s first four-hit game of the season, his first four-hit game since 7/10/09 and his first perfect day at the plate since 6/14/09 (min. 4 PA).

With those four hits, Jeter’s career total stands at 2,872, just one shy of Babe Ruth and 39th place all-time.  In case anyone cares to know, a hot week by Captain Jeets and he’ll fly by some great names on the hit list: Ruth (2,873), Mel Ott (2,876), Frankie Frisch (2,880) and Zack Wheat (2,884).

The Yanks have the next day and a half off to rest and focus on their upcoming task: taking three out of four from the incoming Boston Red Sox.  Can it be done?  This morning I would’ve said no chance.  Now?  I’m flush with confidence.

Update 8:10 a.m.: A tip of the morning coffee mug to the Cleveland Indians and Minnesota Twins.  By beating the Red Sox and Rays respectively, our Midwestern bretheren helped us add a game’s distance over Boston and push us up into a first place tie with Tampa.  And they say New Yorkers aren’t polite…!

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They’re the top three in terms of most HRs in their first 2,267 games.

So, in the end, what do you think – will A-Rod’s legacy be more like that of the Babe, or, more like that of Sammy Sosa?

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A-Rod goes yard in today’s game – bottom of the first.

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How did I miss this one from two days ago?

Via the Toronto Sun, the Sports Network’s Andy Roth lets loose on Brian Cashman.

(more…)

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Well, if anything, these numbers show that it’s not 2007 anymore…or even 2005…

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I’m guessing that A-Rod won’t be having sleep-overs at Kevin Kernan’s place any time soon…

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Since the day after Andy Pettitte made his last start, the Yankees have gone 8-7.

On the day that Pettitte made his last start, New York was in first place – up by three games. And, this morning, they’re in second place – one game out.

Cause and effect? Or, just a co-winky-dink?

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WasWatching.com contributing author Corey Italiano was at this abortion of a game and he’ll no doubt have photographs to share of the massacre he witnessed while sitting in the Legends Suite seats.

What else is there to say?  The Yanks have relinquished first place to the Rays and got two-hit by Ricky Romero.  Granted, Romero is no slouch, but the last time they saw Romero, they lit him up like July 4th fireworks.  What a difference a month makes, huh?

Avoiding the sweep and trying to piece together at least the semblance of competence for a now-critical four-game series against Boston has to be the focus today.  Let’s see if Phil Hughes is up to the task.  Truth be told, it’s really up to the moribund offense to show up.  The .227/.298/.419 they’ve put up over the last 11 games isn’t going to cut it.

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Via Kevin Kernan -

A-Rod misses team photo, Girardi said he didn’t read the memo

No worries. I’m sure they can CGI him into the picture – as a centaur, of course.  (No word on whether or not it will be possible to CGI his 600th career homer into today’s boxscore ‘tho…)

Now, why everyone else on the team got the memo and Alex missed it…is anyone’s guess.

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Bob Klapisch weighs in on Alex Rodriguez today -

You had to listen hard, really hard, but there was no mistaking the boos that sprinkled over Alex Rodriguez like a light mist in the ninth inning. He had failed (again) to convert on a chance for career home run No. 600, and the crowd, already irritable from A.J. Burnett’s collapse, had finally reached its breaking point.

Yes, a small number of fans really did turn against Rodriguez, who’s gone 43 at-bats since his last home run with no sign of a breakthrough. His swing has become choppy and mechanical. Pitchers are challenging him without fear. Fastballs are beating Rodriguez in the heart of the strike zone.

Those are the red flags a hitting instructor sees. Joe Girardi, however, picks up on the body language of his troubled slugger. It’s those deep breaths A-Rod takes before he steps into the batter’s box: They’ve become so exaggerated even the Lamaze handbook would consider them a hazard. It’s not an encouraging sign for a slugger looking to make history.

This extended drought is bound to raise questions about Rodriguez’s long-term resiliency. It’s crazy to even ask, but the Yankees have to wonder which A-Rod will be occupying the cleanup spot in the postseason.

Will it be the one who was practically unstoppable last October, the one who hit six home runs with 18 RBI? The one who finally broke through as a mainstream Yankee? Rodriguez finally had turned off the spigot on his narcissism, trading in the ego for a World Series ring. Taking down Barry Bonds’ home run was the next soft target.

But the quest for No. 600 has peeled away a few layers of A-Rod’s psychological flesh, revealing the anxious, self-doubting A-Rod of old. Forty-three at-bats are too many to blame bad mechanics. It’s all about anxiety now, nourishing itself one failed plate appearance at a time.

Rodriguez actually is fighting a two-front war, both against his nerves and Mother Nature. At 35, he’s clearly begun his decline phase – evidenced by a 62 at-bat home run drought earlier this season and one that spanned 72 at-bats in 2009. Before 2010, Rodriguez averaged one home run every 14 at-bats; this year that ratio has plummeted to one every 23.

He’s reached the age that, without chemicals and amphetamines, the muscles no longer fire as quickly. Recovery takes longer. He tires more easily. That, coupled with the stress of the last two weeks, A-Rod’s bat feels heavier, although he’s desperate enough for positive signs to have said, “I thought I swung the bat a little better [Monday].”

Two lines here really caught my attention:

…But the quest for No. 600 has peeled away a few layers of A-Rod’s psychological flesh, revealing the anxious, self-doubting A-Rod of old…

and

…He’s reached the age that, without chemicals and amphetamines, the muscles no longer fire as quickly. Recovery takes longer. He tires more easily. That, coupled with the stress of the last two weeks, A-Rod’s bat feels heavier…

So, what do you think? Do you agree with what Bob’s saying here? Why?

Me? I think they’re both valid points. I’m not saying they’re correct – because I don’t know. Yet, I think they’re at least worth examining and discussing, etc. But, I would be interested in hearing how others feel on this as well.

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Let’s look at the numbers, through last night’s game, for the Yankees primary lead-off and clean-up batter.

Derek Jeter

PA: 483
BA: .275
OBA: .336
SLG: .386

Alex Rodriguez

PA: 433
BA: .266
OBA: .337
SLG: .471

The batting and on-base averages for these two are not what you would expect from your lead-off and clean-up batters, are they? It’s really amazing that the Yankees have the offensive numbers that they do – when you see the stats for these two positions in their line-up.

And, don’t even get me started on the lack of offensive production that’s coming from the Yankees center fielder, Curtis Granderson. Thank goodness for Tex, Cano, Gardner and Swisher.

Anyway, back to Jeter and A-Rod. What’s up with these two? Have they just gotten old in a hurry? And, what does this all mean for the left side of the Yankees infield, this season, and for the four years to follow? It’s starting to look not very pretty, no?

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The Yanks lost to Toronto last night 8-6 and I saw this game coming a mile away.  Beginning with their four-game series in Cleveland last week the Yankee lineup has gone .220/.292/.396 (8 games) and I just knew that a cold lineup and a combustible AJ Burnett (4.2 8 8 8 2 4) would be a toxic mix.  I suppose one could take some comfort in the fact that the team chipped away, eventually turning an 8-2 deficit into a two-run game in the bottom of the ninth but, really, it’s hard to get too up for that news after the ass-kicking Toronto delivered last night.

With Dustin Moseley and Javier Vazquez scheduled to pitch the next two games, it’s not looking like the Yanks can win this series.  Sure, you never know.  But I wouldn’t count on doing much more than splitting these next two vs. the Blue Jays.  And with the Rays on a roll…fuggetaboutit.  We’ll be in second place before long.  Not the end of the world but not a lot of fun either.

Blah.

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The A.L. East Standings as of the end of today are now:

EAST        W   L  PCT GB   RS   RA DIFF
Tampa Bay   66 39 .629 -    530 399 +131
NY Yankees  66 39 .629 -    569 433 +136
Boston      60 46 .566 6.5  551 484 +67
Toronto     55 51 .519 11.5 498 460 +38
Baltimore   32 73 .305 34   379 573 -194

Yup, for Tampa and New York, in the A.L. East, it’s now a 57-game season. And, whoever wins the most of those 57 games will take the division crown.

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Remember what I said back on November 13th, 2007?

Gardy’s looking a whole lot better than Ellsbury these days, ain’t he?

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Frankie Piliere thinks that:

…the reality is that it’s increasingly likely that we’ve seen the last of Alex Rodriguez as a dominant offensive force. The hitter he is now is far from washed up, but at his age, and with his lower half seeming to fail him at least in comparison to how it once helped him, you have to begin to wonder if those power numbers will ever fully return.

Click here to see all of what Piliere has to say on this matter.

Of course, if A-Rod hits four homeruns in tonight’s game, this will probably change how some feel about this topic…

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Yeah, I feel this way, on this day, every year. Unless there’s some breaking news, I’m taking today off. I’ll be back tomorrow. Today, I’m going to leave WasWatching.com to my fellow contributors and appreciated readers. Have fun, use the comments sections, etc., etc.

See you on Tuesday.

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Breaking news! The Tampa Bay Rays are not the Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, Oakland A’s or Houston Astros.

For the record, with this loss, the Yankees are 66-38 overall this season. But, they’re 24-5 when playing the O’s, Tribe, A’s and ‘Stros and 42-33 when playing everyone else. And, by the way, they’re now 5-6 when playing the Rays…and at least two of those wins against Tampa were extremely close.

Really, if anyone wants to brag about the Yankees being 28 games over .500, tell them that 19 of those 28 games came via the sad-sacks in Baltimore, Cleveland, Oakland and Houston. And, for sure, it’s not from playing the Tampa Bay Rays.

In fact, the Yankees were lucky not to get swept by the Rays in this series.

Man, the Yankees looked flat today. The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees could have put on a better showing. Even the new Yankees looked like duds today. Berkman looked like Jason Giambi in his last year as a Yankee – especially in the field. And, Kerry Wood looks like the second coming of Kyle Farnsworth. Just an ugly day in Yankeeland.

So, the Yankees now have just a one-game lead in the East with 58 games to go. Good thing for them that their schedule in August is an easy one. And, hopefully, they won’t blow it.

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I haven’t really been around much this summer, but I did want to get this post out there.

Steve’s win expectancy this month was 16-10.

July Record: 19-7  (vs. SEA, 1-o; vs. TOR, 2-1; @ OAK, 3-0; @ SEA, 3-1; vs. TB, 2-1; vs. LAA, 1-1; vs. KC, 3-1; @ CLE, 3-1; @ TB, 1-1)

Season Standings: New York (66-37),  Tampa Bay (64-39), Boston (59-45), Toronto (54-50),  Baltimore (32-72)

Team Offense: .810 OPS

The Good:

• Mark Teixeira-I have been waiting all year to be able to put Mark Teixeira on this list.  He has had an excellent July.  His OPS for the month is 1.160.  He has a line of .344/.462/.698 which is something much closer to what everyone expects from Teixeira.  His OPS+ for the season is 132.  The only Yankee regulars with a higher OPS+ are Robinson Cano (162) and Nick Swisher (147).  I’m not sure if this says more about Teixeira or the Yankee offense in general, but there you go.
• Nick Swisher-You know, trading for Nick Swisher has to be one of the more lopsided trades for the Yankees in recent memory.  He is having yet another excellent season for the Yankees.  In July, he hit 7 home runs (though, considering the HR total, a shockingly low 16 RBIs), and had an OPS of 1.011.

The Bad:

• Derek Jeter-Le Sigh.  Another month of Derek Jeter on “The Bad” list.  His OPS for the month is .622.  Sadly, this is nearly 100 points lower than it was in his bad month of June.  For the first time since his 1995 season when he only played in 15 games, Jeter’s OPS+ is below 100 (98).  This is pretty much the opposite of how a contract year is supposed to go.  Still, considering Teixeira managed to turn his horrendous start into a good season, it is possible (probable?) for Jeter to turn his horrendous middle (and it wasn’t even as horrendous as Teixeira’s beginning) into a good season.
• Brett Gardner-I don’t know about anyone else, but I am pleasantly surprised about Gardner’s season as a Yankee.  I was hoping for a .350ish OBP, and I figured him to be playing about 5 days a week.  Well, at the moment he is hanging onto a .396 OBP which is the fifth best mark in the American League.  That being said, he did have a difficult month of July.  Though he did get on base at a .375 clip, his batting average was .221 and his slugging was .338.

The Stalled:

• Alex Rodriguez-Mr. Rodriguez has been stalled at 599 home runs since July 22.  Interesting sidebar, I happened to notice yesterday that mlb.com streams every Arod at bat as we wait for 600.  Even more interesting, the online feed was ahead of my TV.

Team Pitching: 3.46 ERA

Seriously, it is no wonder the Yankees had such a terrific month of July.  Their team OPS was up nearly 100 points and their team ERA was down more than half a run.

The Good:

• A.J. Burnett-Burnett bounced back with a vengeance from his horrid month of June to post a 2.00 ERA for the month of July.  He is 3-1 during his five starts this month.  In three of the five starts, Burnett didn’t give up any runs.   His one hiccup coming from his July 17 start when he gave up 4 runs, but had to leave the game after 2 innings because he cut his hand throwing a temper tantrum.
• Mariano Rivera-Rivera showed us that he is GASP human on July 4 when he allowed a single run and was credited with a blown save for the game.  On second thought, I don’t think it proves he is human after all.  It was the only run he gave up for the entire month.  He had the same number of strikeouts as hits given up.  He once again didn’t walk anyone.  His ERA in July was .96.  His ERA for the season is .93.  Mariano Rivera is having his best season ever.  His ERA+ is 438!
• CC Sabathia-If it wasn’t The Year of the Pitcher, Sabathia would probably be vying for the Cy Young this year.  Sabathia’s 3.15 ERA is just the 23rd best ERA in baseball.  It is the ninth best in the American League.  For July, Sabathia went 5-1 in his six starts and posted a 2.30 ERA.
• David Robertson-Robertson seemed to have turned his season around.  He entered July with a 6.15 ERA, and he left it with a 4.42 ERA.  It certainly seems that he is Girardi’s current go to pitcher in high leverage situations that aren’t Mariano Rivera situations.

The Bad:

• Joba Chamberlain-Joba is having a very bad season.  So bad, that his set-up spot has basically been taken away from him…well maybe not completely taken from him, but Girardi seems to be more hesitant to go to him in a big spot.  In July, batters have an OPS of .834 against Chamberlain.  This has added up to an ERA of 6.39.
• Phil Hughes-Hughes has really been struggling for the past 2 months.  This month, his ERA was 5.52.  Only 2 of his starts would be labeled as a quality start.  This does not include the runs he gave up during the All Star Game where he was the losing pitcher for the American League.

The Injured:

• Andy Pettitte-Pettitte’s excellent 2010 campaign is currently paused after he strained his groin.  Chad Jennings is reporting that Pettitte is about a week ahead of schedule for his return, so that’s good.
• Sergio Mitre-Mitre was activated on July 24.  He did not have a good start for Andy Pettitte on that day, but I think he can help the bullpen, but maybe I am just being extra optimistic.

The Trade Deadline:

Maybe I am wrong, but it certainly seems to me that more moves have been made this year involving big time players than in previous years.  This year, the Yankees made 3 trades to upgrade the team.  The upgrades are minor, but I think they are still upgrades.

• Lance Berkman-Heading to the Astros for Berkman was Jimmy Paredes and Mark Melancon.  The Astros also apparently sent money to the Yankees.
• Austin Kearns-Cleveland is receiving a player to be named for Kearns.  With the Yankees, Kearns is a right handed option when the Yankees face lefties.
• Kerry Wood-The Indians also traded Kerry Wood to the Yankees for a player to be named or cash.  To me this a low risk potential high reward type of trade.  It also meant Chan Ho Park was designated for assignment.

Highlight/Lowlight

Highlight-July 31, 2010. The Yankees won 19 games this month, but none of them seemed to be exceedingly exciting, so  I will go with last night’s win.  Robinson Cano is clearly the MVP of the Yankees this season.  He showed again why last night when he hit the go-ahead home run in the 9th inning.  This win was extra fun because if the Yankees lost, they would have been tied in the AL East with the Rays for first place.  Now the Yankees have their 2 game lead back and are guaranteed to leave Tampa in first place.

Lowlight- July 2, 2010. On this day, A.J. Burnett was finally pitching well.  He shut out the Mariners and was clinging to a 1-0 lead when he left the game.  He was in line for the win when Joba came in and blew the save.  David Robertson came in and made it worse.  The Yankees lost this game 6-1.

The June Edition

The May Edition

The April Edition

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I guess this game is not that important enough to have the ‘team’s greatest player since he’s been with the Yankees’ in the line-up. Either that, or, A-Rod has something barking, as Joe Torre liked to say…

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Via Mike Lupica today –

The other teams in baseball want to win. The ones with a realistic chance to win, and that means win it all, do the best they can to put themselves in the best position to do that. The Yankees are different. The Yankees have to win, and that never just means the American League East with them. The Yankees are operated in a way, even when they have the best record in baseball, that makes you think that if they don’t keep adding players and spending money, they are going to somehow turn into sports dummies like the Dolans.

So now they bring in Lance Berkman, Kerry Wood and Austin Kearns as this year’s difference-makers at the trade deadline, even though guys like that are nothing more than sidebars to Roy Oswalt, at least at this point.

And what is interesting about these moves, a few weeks after the Yankees don’t pull off the trade for Cliff Lee, is that the Yankees continue to be general-managed, in an almost twitchy way, as if there’s something missing. As if the Rays, a team spending nearly $140 million less than Brian Cashman gets to spend on baseball players, scare them more than the bogey man.

Now Berkman, who somehow has gone from hitting over 40 home runs in the big leagues to 13 this season, is supposed to make up for the fact that Nick Johnson, the great pitch-taker, never really showed up this season.

Kearns? He is supposed to make up for the fact that Curtis Granderson can’t hit lefthanded pitching here any better than he did in Detroit.

And maybe both of them are supposed to supply enough home-run stick down the stretch to make up for the fact that Alex Rodriguez, who was on his way to hitting 54 home runs in a season exactly three years ago, now has 16 home runs as we begin the month of August.

And Cashman is the one who thought the Yankees could win with Granderson and Johnson instead of Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon.

Interesting stuff. Feel free to discuss in the comments section, if you wish.

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