Game	Inn	Runs
G2LDS	11	4
G3LDS	9	4
G1LCS	8	4
G2LCS	13	4
G3LCS	11	4

The Yankees have scored just 4 runs in each of their last 5 post-season games this October. But, some of those games were extra-inning contests. (See chart above.)

When you boil it down to runs scored per 9 innings of play, over their last five games of this post-season, the Yankees are averaging 3.46 runs/9 Inn played. And, some of those runs were gifts from the Angels bad defense in Game 1 and 2 of the ALCS.

So, what’s happened to the big, bad, bats of the Yankees regular season offense? Are they all on vacation or something? Or, is it a whole different ballgame when you’re facing post-season teams and their pitching compared to when you’re facing teams like Mets, Orioles, Blue Jays and A’s in the regular season?

Via the Houston Chronicle with a h/t to BBTF –

Former New York Yankees star Chuck Knoblauch surrendered to authorities this morning after being charged with assault.

The former major leaguer is accused of choking his common-law wife Friday night after drinking heavily and taking the anti-anxiety prescription drug Xanax, prosecutors said.

Assistant District Attorney Kari Allen told State District Judge Hazel Jones that the couple was arguing and Knoblauch’s wife was trying to take his car keys away from him when the alleged assault occurred. She said a family friend saw Knoblauch beat, punch and choke his wife.

The two are divorcing and have a 5-year-old child.

Knoblauch, 41, was charged with assault of a family member, a third-degree felony. He is being held in Harris County Jail in lieu of $10,000 bail.

Knoblauch’s attorney, Dan Cogdell, called the incident a dispute between two divorcing people and said charges should not have been filed.

This goes back to my Mell Hall beef back in 2007.

Chuck played with the Twins for seven seasons – and he played in New York for four years. Yet, when it’s bad news to report…they’re always a “former Yankee.” It’s just not right…

Excuse me while I go on a little rant…

I am so tired – and done – with hearing people talk about pitch counts and innings limits. (And, in Yankeeland, where there’s “Joba,” there’s talk about counts and limits, etc.)

Regarding pitch counts and innings limits, with respect to preventing abuse of pitchers, to quote the dying Comedian “It’s a joke. The whole thing is just a joke.” And, here’s why:

1. Using an inning as a measuring unit for pitcher workload is a mistake. Not all innings are alike. Do you really think a pitcher works as hard in a 9-pitch inning as he goes in a 35-pitch inning? Of course, the answer is “no.” But, in the world of limiting innings, based on innings pitched totals alone, you are treating the 9-pitching inning the same as the 35-pitch inning and that’s just silly.

2. Using pitch counts, to determine a pitcher’s workload, alone, is a mistake. Not all pitch count totals are the same. Do you really think that a pitcher who throws 100 pitches over 7 innings in a game has worked as hard as a pitcher who has thrown 100 pitches over 4 2/3 innings? Of course, the answer is “no.” But, in the world of watching pitch counts, based on pitch count totals alone, you are looking at the destination and ignoring the journey that it took to get there. And, the journey is where all the labor is – and it’s not at the end of trip.

3. Heck, not all pitches are alike in terms of the stress they put on a pitcher’s arm. Do you think it’s the same on a pitcher’s arm when he throws a four-seam fastball as it is when he throw a split-fingered fastball? How about when he throws a two-seam fastball and a curve? Think that feels the same on his elbow? How about a straight-change versus a slider? While we’re at it, how about a pitch thrown from the full wind-up versus the stretch? Think they both feel the same on the arm?

So, forget pitch counts and innings limits when worrying about protecting a pitcher’s arm. If you really want to protect a starting pitcher’s arm, do this: The day after each of his starts, do a test on his arm – the shoulder, rotator cuff, elbow, etc. – and measure the strength of it. And, if you see that his arm is not losing any strength after each start, more so than usual, then he’s fine. And, only if you start to notice a trend where his wing is starting to weaken, again, more so than usual, after his starts, then you can start to back-off on his workload.

Anyway, that’s what I would suggest – rather than just look at pitch counts and/or innings totals. How about you?

Yankees pitching prospects Ian Kennedy, George Kontos, Christian Garcia, Alan Horne, Zach McAllister, Brett Marshall, Garrett Patterson and Dellin Betances are all currently on the disabled list, in the minors. And, most of them have serious injuries. Just who is in charge of keeping the Yankees minor league pitchers sound? Or, is it more a matter of the Yankees drafting guys without doing their homework on their injury risk?

Via Bill Madden -

Say this for the Yankees and Mets: They went into the baseball trading deadline with low expectations and met them.

Privately, the Yankees were astounded at the seemingly underwhelming return Seattle GM Jack Zduriencik got for Jarrod Washburn (second-tier pitching prospects Luke French and Mauricio Robles) – especially after he’d pulled off such a coup earlier in the week by fetching shortstop Jack Wilson and former 14-game winner Ian Snell out of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ firesale for light-hitting shortstop Ronny Cedeno, defensively challenged catcher/first base prospect Jeff Clement and three low-level pitching prospects. The Yankees thought they could have given Seattle a better package for Washburn, who’s a free agent after the season, but Zduriencik kept asking for top-tier prospects such as outfielder Austin Jackson.

Nevertheless, the Yankees have to be classified with the losers at the deadline, if only because they really needed to add a starting pitcher, while two of their potential postseason opponents, the Tigers (with Washburn) and the Red Sox (with catcher/first baseman Victor Martinez) made significant upgrades.

I’ve seen the reports since Friday that say the Yankees passed on Jarrod Washburn because Jack Zduriencik was insisting on Austin Jackson in return…and, I have to confess, it sounds like Yankees propaganda to me. You know…like…”Hey, we wanted Washburn, but, Seattle tried to rob us blind…and Brian Cashman is too smart for that!”

Sure, maybe the M’s asked for Jackson. I bet they may have asked for Jesus Montero too. Shoot, maybe they even asked for Mariano Rivera? After all, that’s the job of the G.M. – to get the best player in return, if possible. But, on the flipside, the Yankees should have not let it go at that…there’s an art to negotiations, no? If Jack Zduriencik started high on the return for Washburn, the Yankees should have tried to get him down from there…rather than just say “No way!” and walk away.

Maybe the M’s would have taken a package of Dellin Betances and Ian Kennedy for Jarrod Washburn? When you look at what Seattle got, Luke French and Mauricio Robles, it’s not an insult to say Betances and Kennedy are somewhat close to that…

In any event, this whole “They wanted Austin Jackson and that was the end of it” thing just bothers me…because it really does make it seem like the Yankees really weren’t trying here…

Some of the notable and should-have-been-available guys missing the action at today’s Old Timer’s Day at the new Yankee Stadium:

Bernie Williams, Tommy John, Paul O’Neill, Ed Figueroa, Dave Winfield, David Wells, Tino Martinez, Jim Abbott, Mike Pagliarulo, Jim Kaat, Wade Boggs, Kei Igawa, Scott Brosius, Chuck Knoblauch, and David Justice…

O.K., I’m kidding about the Kei Igawa part…

But, no Bernie, Tino, Boomer or the Warrior? What’s up with that?

(And, I’m not forgetting guys like Don Mattingly, Willie Randolph, Chris Chambliss, Lou Piniella, Roberto Kelly, Dave Righetti, Sparky Lyle, Tim Raines and Mike Torrez. I left them off because they have jobs that would not allow them to be there. Roger Clemens? Well, if you gotta ask…)

Over the course of their first 28 games this season, from Opening Day on April 6th through May 7th, the New York Yankees went 13-15. And, at the close of business on May 7th, the Yankees found themselves sitting in 3rd place in the A.L. East, 5.5 games back of first place. With an overall record two games under .500 after their first month of play, New York played, and looked like, a mediocre ballclub.

However, over their next 13 games, the Yankees caught fire – as they went 11-2 from May 8th through May 21st. During this time, they moved four games closer to first place (shaving their games back from 5.5 to just 1.5).

At that time, few looked at that 11-2 run by New York and were willing to say that most of that was against the Orioles and Twins (where the Yankees went 9-1).

In fact, the Yankees went 5-1 against the Orioles during this time and Baltimore had just fashioned a terrible string of games prior to this period where they went 6-15 (from April 15th through May 7th). Basically, the Yankees caught the O’s when they were playing terrible baseball. Also, the Yankees went 4-0 against the Twins during this period where the Yankees were very lucky, out-scoring the Twins by five runs, overall, in those four contests.

But, for the record, at this blog, on May 27th, one week after the Yankees finished that 11-2 run, I wrote:

As of this morning, the Yankees are in second place in the A.L. East – one game back of the Boston Red Sox. That’s the good news.

Overall, the Yankees record is now 26-20. They are 6 games over the .500 mark.

However, to date, the Yankees are 6-3 against the lowly Baltimore Orioles this year. And, the Yankees recently took a four-game series from the Twins – where the Yankees were very lucky, out-scoring the Twins by five runs, overall, in those four contests.

When you take these layup games against the O’s out of the picture, and subtract those four lucky wins against the Twinkies, the Yankees are 16-17. This is one game below the .500 mark.

This leads to today’s wild thought: Is the Yankees current place in the A.L. East standings misleading in terms of capturing their performance this season, so far? Has New York, sans some favorable match-ups and a few lucky games, been more of a mediocre performer this season?

Based on the comments left to that entry, many disagreed with my suggestion that “sans some favorable match-ups and a few lucky games” the Yankees had “been more of a mediocre performer this season.”

Well, what’s happened in Yankeeland since that run where New York went 11-2?

Including today’s loss against the lowly Washington Nats, in their last 25 games, from May 22nd through June 18th, the New York Yankees have gone 13-12. Just as was the case in their first 28 games of the season, with this mark, New York has played, and looked like, a mediocre ballclub. Actually, it’s worse than this when you consider that Willy Aybar and Luis Castillo handed the Yankees two wins during this period. Even Yankees fanboys with the biggest and baddest pair of Yankees Blinders possible would be willing to admit that New York’s record should be more like 11-14 over these last 25 games rather than the 13-12 that it’s been, in reality.

So, in summary, this has been the Yankees 2009 season to date: 28 games of mediocrity, followed by 13 games of serendipity, followed by 25 games of mediocrity. Basically, it’s been a couple of thin slices of luck sandwiched by two thick oversized slices of mediocrity. And, to me, when you digest that sandwich, you mostly taste the mediocrity.

Hopefully, the remaining 96 games for the Yankees this season will be more palatable. However, if it ends up being another big bowl of mediocrity, I would not be shocked. As, so far this season, the Yankees have showed us that they are capable of little else other than playing bourgeoisie (middle class) baseball.

Several readers of this blog have questioned my recent criticism of Nick Swisher’s play in the Yankees game of June 10, 2009 – where I said it was Nick Swisher who cost the Yankees the contest that evening. Many wanted to know why I was not willing blame Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, or Robinson Cano for not providing hits – or blame Worm Killer Wang for his poor pitching. The answer to this is simple.

There’s a huge difference between physical errors, failures, shortcomings that happen in the course of a baseball game and bad play that is the result of a lack of concentration and focus. Every baseball manager understands this matter. In fact, many times, the physical “stuff” is a matter of law of averages, the sun not shining on the same dog’s butt everyday, or, even, the result of a player trying too hard. In baseball, you have to learn to live with that. However, it’s inexcusable, when a player fails on the field because of a lack of hustle or they just don’t have their head in the game. This is the stuff that drives baseball managers – and some fans, like me – crazy.

When you allow yourself to fall asleep on the bases, and/or misplay a fly ball after tracking it and being in a position where it is inches from your glove, like Swisher did in this game (in question), it shows that you’re not giving the contest 100% concentration. And, such lack of attention during a critical game is indefensible – again, in my opinion. Hence, this is why Nick Swisher has garnered the bulk of my wrath about the loss of June 10th.

Save the bonehead act for the clubhouse and the media Nick. On the field, it’s important to play “hard” – in the sense of staying focused – all the time, not just most of the time.

Via Tim Brown -

For several hours before Rivera took the ball Saturday afternoon in that tie game, he’d suffered with a stomach ailment that brought aches and repeated vomiting, according to one Yankee. Rivera had rolled off the trainer’s table, where he’d hoped to sleep it off, and into the bullpen in the eighth inning, when he began to warm up.

So, no, he didn’t have his best command. And, no, he didn’t have his best fastball.

But, he didn’t sprinkle the Yankee Stadium mound with breakfast, which, in itself, was a small victory, even in defeat.

“He was so upset afterward,” the teammate said.

And yet, Rivera did not mention it after the game, and he did not reveal it late Sunday afternoon, when it would have played less like an excuse than, in victory, the simple retelling of a trying 30 hours. He did not hang those hittable fastballs or that loss on his illness. He did not blame manager Joe Girardi for asking him to pitch in a tie game when a healthier body might have – and probably should have – done.

He accepted the baseball.

That was that.

A day later, when clearly his vigor had returned and the Rays had been helpless, Rivera said only that these are the public and emotional wanderings he accepts as a closer, indeed, as the Yankees’ closer. He said he slept fine Saturday night, and that he would again Sunday night.

“Yesterday was yesterday,” he said.

Well, Mo may not want to blame Joe – but I will do it. When someone has a stomach bug – bad enough to cause repeated vomiting – it’s insane to ask them to play in a major league baseball game at the same time. You need at least one day, of eating real food and being able to keep it down, before you start to tax your body again.

Granted, if this were Game Seven of the World Series, sure, that would change my stance on this one. But, the Yankees should be able to find someone else to pitch the 9th inning of a tie-game in June, right? Or, is the bullpen that Brian Cashman built so bad that there’s no one else to trust in a spot like this other than Mariano Rivera on fumes? If so, maybe Cashman, and not Girardi is to blame here? What do you think?

Before a game on the Yankees last homestand, Nick Swisher, as he ran out to his position in right field in the top of the first inning, did a “Lambeau Leap” type move – where he sprung up against the outfield wall in order to give a fan a high-five. The problem was, on his “landing,” Swisher crashed down to the ground, ending up with his buttocks in the warning track dirt, and nearly sprained his back. Seeing this, YES broadcaster Kenny Singleton said something along the lines of “If I’m the Yankees, I put a stop to that move by Swisher in a hurry. He’s going to injure himself.”

In last night’s game, Nick Swisher, after doubling and then moving to third on a ground out, in the fouth inning, got picked off third base by the pitcher – sleeping on the bases so badly that Yankees third base coach Rob Thomson pushed him back to the bag…which is a no-no, per the rules. Swisher’s nap on the bases cost the Yankees a run in that spot.

In this evening’s game, during the bottom of the second with runners on first and second and no outs, Phil Hughes allowed Gregg Zaun to single to right. Nick Swisher, playing right field, picked up the ball and air-mailed a throw…way past home plate…when the lead runner, who was on second, had stopped at third base. Swisher’s throw then allowed the run to score while also allowing the runner on first to go to third and Zaun to reach second. The safe and secure play would have been to get the ball to the cut-off man. Instead, Swisher’s boner set-up Hughes for what would become a disaster of an inning.

Nick Swisher is showing us, in Yankeeland, that he’s a meathead on the field as much as he is in the clubhouse and when he’s hamming it up for the media.

I know that I may come across, to some, like Siegfried saying “This is Kaos. We don’t shush here!” when I say this, but, frankly, someone needs to take Nitwit Swisher aside and tell him “We’re the Yankees. We don’t play with our craniums lodged in our sphincter here.”

There’s a pattern forming with respect to Swisher’s on field actions and it needs to be nipped in the bud. Pronto.

Via Marc Carig –

During games, the Yankees bullpen remains a lively place. The relievers still swap stories, they still chatter, they still joke. And those who grow tired of the obstructed view from their seats don’t hesitate to improvise, standing on benches they’ve moved against the fence so they can get a better view.

But lately, in light of their struggles, there has been a difference in the mood.

“Even though it’s loose, you can see it in people’s eyes,” lefty Phil Coke said. “As soon as that phone rings, it goes dead silent.”

For the first part of what’s so far been a difficult season, the team’s relievers have tried to prepare themselves for a tough reality. Because they have been generally ineffective, roles in the bullpen remain undefined. Regardless of situation, a ringing phone means any one of several Yankees relievers could be getting a call to pitch.

“We’re getting used in such a different fashion every time we step on the field,” said Coke, who admits that in several instances this season, he and his colleagues may have been caught mentally unprepared. “We’ve got to be ready to go from the first inning.”

To hammer home the message, the venerable Mariano Rivera called a relievers-only meeting in Boston last week to address how to end a stretch in which the bullpen has emerged as a glaring weakness.

“We have to do our thing,” said Rivera, who opened the floor during a 10-minute talk with his fellow relievers. “We can’t go about business the same way we’ve been doing it, don’t give too much credit to the hitters and just go at it.”

Coke said he tries not to get too caught up in which role he is used.

“I feel my role is in the seventh inning, and I’ve got to come in in the second because we have no one else, then I’ve done nothing for my team except hurt my team right out of the chute because of my mental preparation,” Coke said. “As a bullpen guy, you’ve got to be willing to do what you’ve got to do.”

Right-hander Jonathan Albaladejo said he believes that roles will eventually shake out, and he would like to be able to get a stronger sense of when he would enter games.

“Right now, I think nobody’s got a role in the bullpen and you’ve got to be prepared for whatever situation comes up, be ready every day,” Albaladejo said. “I think it will change the more we play.”

…As a bullpen guy, you’ve got to be willing to do what you’ve got to do…

Phil Coke nails it with that one. The “role” of any pitcher is to retire the batter that he’s facing at that moment. And, it should not matter what the inning or score is, etc. Anyone in the Yankees bullpen who can’t handle that should be sent packing.

Via the Daily News on November 11th 2006:

The Yankees consider Humberto Sanchez, who went to South Bronx High School, the jewel of the three pitchers they got from Detroit in exchange for Gary Sheffield yesterday. Sanchez is a 6-6, 230-pound righty who can reach 96mph on the radar gun, but mostly throws his fastball between 90-94 mph. Yankee GM Brian Cashman said Sanchez, 23, also has “an average changeup right now, but it could be above average, and he has a power curveball.” Sanchez had an identical 5-3 record as a starter for both the Tigers’ Triple-A team and their Double-A team, and had a combined ERA of 2.63. He struck out 129 batters in 123 innings and held opposing hitters to a .220 average. He’s had elbow problems, but the Yanks believe he’s healthy. Cashman said he’ll likely begin next season at Triple-A Scranton, and the Yanks “hope he takes a big step forward. He’s got a lot of ability.” The Yankees had a chance at him earlier – Cashman noted that Sanchez was at a tryout at the Stadium the year he was drafted (2001).

On that same day, WasWatching.com told you that Humberto Sanchez’ elbow was shot. Just 164 days later, that was proven to be correct.

And, today, we have this from Sports Network:

Prior to the game, the Yankees made a slew of roster moves, which included placing pitcher Brian Bruney and third baseman Cody Ransom on the disabled list. Pitcher Mark Melancon and Berroa also had their contracts purchased from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and righty Humberto Sanchez was released.

Humberto Sanchez threw 29 pitches for the Yankees, in the big leagues, during his time with the team – with 15 of them going for strikes.

What was Brian Cashman talking about when he said Sanchez had “a lot of ability”? Was that the “ability” to “do nothing”?

Via the Post with a hat tip to “It Is High…” –

The Yankees are snubbing one of their biggest fans. Novelist Jane Heller’s latest, “Confessions of a She-Fan,” chronicles the time she spent traveling the country with her husband, watching the transformation of the 2007 squad from the doldrums to a wild-card playoff berth. The book earned praise from play-by-play man John Sterling, but the Yankees wouldn’t run an ad for it in their Opening Day program because they deemed it too “controversial.” “It’s sad to have the Yankees so mad at a fan who writes about how much she loves her team,” Heller said. A rep for the Yankees declined to comment.

Now, I’ve read Heller’s book. Believe me, it’s a good read – and I enjoyed it. But, if the Yankees are painting her work to be in the class of Ball Four, Joe You Coulda Made Us Proud, The Bronx Zoo and/or Perfect I’m Not, then I think we’ve discovered what has happened to the sod from the last Yankee Stadium. The gang in the Yanks’ front office has rolled it up and started smoking it…

Really, I know what this is all about. In the book, Jane Heller shares that people in the Yankees front-office gave her a major league stiff arm during the season in which she was following the team – with Jason Zillo and Jean Afterman leading the charge. (Heller also shared that Kim Jones blew her off – but, I doubt that the YES Princess of Tight Sweaters has the pull to keep someone from running an ad in the Opening Day program.)

Could Zillo and Afterman be this thin-skinned? Hey, we know how thin-skinned Brian Cashman is…should it be a shock that his underlings are the same way?

The really stupid thing here: With this action, the Yankees have done exactly what they didn’t want to do: Give Jane Heller’s book some publicity. And, in fact, they saved Team Heller the dime of having to buy the ad now…smart, huh?

Score this one: Heller 1, Yankees 0.

Via Tyler Kepner -

[Yankees G.M. Brian] Cashman said the Yankees discovered an irregularity in Rodriguez’s hip last May when he underwent a magnetic resonance imaging exam for a right quadriceps injury. By June or July, the hitting coach Kevin Long said he could notice subtle changes in Rodriguez’s hitting, notably in his right foot — the back one in his stance.

The foot was not pivoting fully, Long said, and as a result, Rodriguez could not completely turn his waist and clear his hips. This caused his bat to drag and prevented him from driving through the ball and generating maximum power.

“Speed-wise, to catch up to 95-, 96-mile-an-hour pitches, you’ve basically got to get your hips through,” Long said. “It affects bat speed, power, balance. From a technical standpoint, it affects quite a few things. But he’s so gifted and so talented that he made do with what he had.”

Cashman said Rodriguez had always had stiff hips, and there was no need to examine him after the season. The condition was so minor, Cashman said, that Rodriguez did not seek treatment from team trainers last season.

“That’s why I termed it as an incidental finding,” Cashman said. “If you took an M.R.I. right now of everybody in our clubhouse, you are going to find in many of them — 20 percent, 30 percent, 40 percent — the same finding. Just because they have it doesn’t mean it’s a problem. Just because you have it doesn’t mean you need surgery.

“So that’s why you put it in the file,” he said. “You treat the patient, not the symptom. You don’t treat the M.R.I. You treat the patient.”

…You treat the patient, not the symptom. You don’t treat the M.R.I. You treat the patient…

Then why even bother doing an M.R.I.? Well, this explains why Cashman ignored Carl Pavano’s health history when he signed him for forty million…

According to Steve Kelley, John Wetteland can now laugh off the 1995 ALDS. (Hat tip to BBTF.)

I’ve shared this before, but, I’ll say it again: After the winning run scored in the [1995] ALDS for Seattle, I sat, on my knees, on the floor, about a foot away from the TV, for what seemed like an hour. I couldn’t move. For whatever reason, this one really hurt – probably because of the lead they blew in the series and the fact that it had been so long since Yankees October baseball.

So, you’ll forgive me if I don’t laugh along with Wetteland. (Although, to his credit, Wetteland did say that the failure in 1995 was a motivator for him in 1996.)

My rant yesterday about Randy Johnson has brought cause for me to think deeper about my disdain for certain former Yankees pitchers – and for the man who brought them into the organization. Related, I’m going to vent some more, today, on this topic. On your mark, get set, go…

Javier Vazquez: He was 26-years old and coming off four solid seasons of pitching for the Montreal Expos. So, the Yankees traded for him. As “The Royal Order of the Cashman Kool-Aid Brigade” likes to say “It seemed like the right move at the time.” Me? I wanted to see this move pay-off for the Yankees like the deal that the Red Sox made at the end of 1997, when Boston (via trade) acquired (then) 25-year old Pedro Martinez who, like Vazquez, was coming off four solid seasons of pitching for the Montreal Expos. But, that didn’t happen. Pedro went on to star, and then some, for Boston for the next seven years. Vazquez only lasted one season in New York.

Randy Johnson: In January 2005, the Yankees traded for the “Big Unit” – then already a future-Hall-of-Famer-lock – coming off a super season, albeit as a 40-year old. The Yankees starting pitching in 2004 was terrible. And, Johnson was supposed to be a big part of the solution to that problem. Plus, he was going to be the “Games-One-Four-Seven Horse” for New York in the post-season. The kind of pitcher who could carry a team on his back in October. Here, to me, this acquistion for New York was supposed to, according to the Cashman plan, work out as well for the Yankees as the November 2003 trade by the Boston Red Sox where they picked up (then) 37-year old Curt Schilling. But, that didn’t happen. While Schilling was a hero in Boston for four seasons, Johnson was done in New York after two years – and the Big Unit did not help the Yankees at all in October.

Kei Igawa: In December 2006, Brian Cashman spent $46 million to pick-up Igawa from Japan. This was in response to the Boston Red Sox out-bidding the Yankees, and others, that same month for Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka. To date, Matsuzaka has made 61 starts for Boston whereas Igawa has made 13 for New York.

Jeff Weaver: In July of 2002, Brian Cashman swung a three-team in-season deal to pick up (then) 25-year old Weaver (from the Detroit Tigers). The Yankees logic at the time was that Weaver was a former hot prospect, who was still young, and someone who had gotten his feet wet at the big league level and was ready to go on a roll. I would imagine that the expectation here was that this trade would work out for the Yankees the way an in-season trade worked out for the Pittsburgh Pirates back in 1996 when they traded for (then) 23-year old Jason Schmidt from the Atlanta Braves. Schmidt pitched well for the Pirates – for about four and a half seasons – before they had to trade him because he was about to become a free agent. But, on the whole, Schmidt was a solid big league pitcher for 9 seasons following that 1996 trade. Weaver? He was out of New York by the end of 2003 and has spent the last 5 seasons bouncing around trying to be an effective pitcher (and failing, for the most part).

Carl Pavano: In December 2004, Brian Cashman spent $40 million to acquire the (then) 28-year old Pavano (as a free agent). And, well, we all know what the Yankees expectations were here…and how this deal worked out for New York, in the end.

Javier Vazquez, Randy Johnson, Kei Igawa, Jeff Weaver and Carl Pavano. All big plans by the Yankees G.M. Brian Cashman. And, all did not work out in New York as promised/expected. So, you have to excuse me, as a Yankees fan, if the mention of the names Vazquez, Johnson, Igawa, Weaver, Pavano and Cashman send me into a Niagara Falls routine…

Randy Johnson needs 5 more wins for 300 in his career. And, he needs 211 more strikeouts for 5,000 lifetime K’s.

This may be sour grapes, but, as a Yankees fan, I hope that he doesn’t reach either mark. Part of it is being a sore loser over what Johnson did to the Yankees in the post-seasons of 1995 and 2001. And, part of it is still being ticked over the way Johnson came to New York in 2005, making a money grab, and then pitching poorly in 2006, and then running back “home” in 2007.

Am I the only Yankees fan out there who feels this way about the Big Unit and his milestone chase? How do you feel about it?

Via Joel Sherman -

Andy Pettitte’s chances to return to the Yankees have dropped precipitously because in the aftermath of the Mark Teixeira signing the organization is now strongly inclined to lower the $10 million offer that the lefty already has been resistant to all offseason, the Post has learned.

Pettitte recently rejected the Yankees’ latest $10 million overture, and now – barring a wave of sentimentality by the Yanks or significant change of strategy by either side – that dollar figure very likely will not be offered again.

Multiple sources refused to divulge if the offer had been lowered already. But one executive briefed on the matter described both the chances of making a deal and the $10 million bid as on life support. Another executive said he did not believe that the $10 million offer was there to be taken any longer. A lowered offer almost certainly would assure the end of the prideful Pettitte’s second tour with the Yankees.

While I still think that having Andy Pettitte return to the Yankees, for just the 2009 season, is vital to New York’s chances to reach the post-season this year, at this point, it’s clear that Brian Cashman and the Brothers Stein do not feel the same way. Therefore, at this junction, Pettitte should pull the string on any other offer that he has out there – and, I hope that he has a stellar season and wins twenty games. He deserves it – and the Yankees front office deserves to watch it happen for some other team…because of the lack of respect that they have shown Andy this off-season.

Anyone else tired already of hearing about where A-Rod is spending Thanksgiving and what his ex-wife is saying about him on it?

Via Mark Feinsand -

[Brian] Cashman said that a player’s ability to handle New York is something he takes into consideration, but it’s impossible to know how a player will fit with the Yankees until he’s already wearing the uniform.

“It goes to some degree, but at the end of the day you have to light a candle that if you make a decision on a trade or free agent acquisition that they stay healthy, that they perform to the levels you expect when you make the commitment you make,” Cashman said. “We’ve had some successes and we’ve had some failures. There’s certainly not a science that I’ve been able to discover. You have to go with your scouting assessments and hope the players perform.”

…at the end of the day you have to light a candle that if you make a decision on a trade or free agent acquisition that they stay healthy, that they perform to the levels you expect when you make the commitment you make…

…There’s certainly not a science that I’ve been able to discover. You have to go with your scouting assessments and hope the players perform…

Or, in other words, ‘if something goes wrong, don’t blame me,’ right? It’s ‘blame the scouting reports,’ or the famous defense of ‘don’t blame me, it seemed like the right move at the time.’

Geez, this really burns me. There is a way to figure out if a player is going to be able to handle New York or not. It’s called doing your homework, networking, asking around, etc.

The previous Yankees G.M.’s did this with players like Jimmy Key, Tino Martinez and Paul O’Neill. You ask their former managers. You ask coaches in your system who have worked with the players before…or you ask players in your system, who you trust, who may have played with the player (somewhere) in the past. It’s really not that hard. Pro-baseball is a small community and just about everyone is connected within one link or two with each other.

But, then again, it requires a little work to pull this off – and it’s much, much, easier to just light a candle, pray, and hope for the best, right?

Via Jon Heyman -

Yankees GM Brian Cashman has done a nice job of selling New York in the past, and this year the economic advantage may be greater than ever. “It’s a special place for those who have an opportunity to come and say they were a Yankee,” Cashman said. “For players interested in playing in the playoffs, it’s a good place to be.”

Hearing this makes me see red. And, this goes back to what I wrote (almost four years ago) on May 2, 2005:

Until the Yankees start stocking their team with players who realize you have to work for a ring, and it’s not an automatic given because of your payroll size or the names on your roster, we may just continue to see what we’ve been seeing since 2002 (and that World Series in 2001 might just be the closest we’ve come to seeing a champion for a long time to come).

The Yankees don’t need players joining the team because playing here provides a chance to play in the post-season. The Yankees need players coming here who will take the team into the post-season and help them win there.

The Yankees should be about teams who want to work towards a ring – and not about providing over-paid newcomers some post-season welfare.

Via Joel Sherman today -

Now it’s the Yanks who have atmospheric and fraternal issues, and [Joe] Girardi’s bosses have quietly asked him to make adjustments. They recognize his lack of a human touch not only looks terrible following Torre, but has brought about a tension that has begun to suffocate the team. Again, Girardi can’t be Torre. He is not going to learn in one offseason how to project wise grandfather rather than marine drill instructor.

So he should follow the [football Giants' Tom] Coughlin blueprint.

Girardi then should form a leadership council and request full honesty from the Jeters, A-Rods and Riveras. Because he finished the year saying he had good relationships with the media and his players, and neither was true. Maybe Girardi is too good at deceiving himself, as well.

His players want Girardi, among other items, to stop walking through the clubhouse without making eye contact, to stop closing his office door so frequently and to stop shutting out coaches they respect. In other words, they want him to show he cares about more than Xs and Os.

I have to laugh at this. How many times – countless times – has Girardi protected one of his players in a post-game interview when the player clearly deserved some blame, etc., for some failure on the field? How many times did Girardi go into his “I believe in…” speech in support of some Yankees player when the media would pepper him with questions about said player’s lack of performance?

And, now, on top of this, Girardi is expected to ask Jeter, A-Rod, and others for input on how to run the team?

Know what? Let’s give Joe Girardi five decent starting pitchers and some hitters up the middle of the diamond and then let’s see if his style works, or not, in the Bronx. Call me crazy, but, think, given those items, he’ll be just fine the way he is…

Via Jack Curry -

“The A.L. East is the best division in baseball by far, and a lot of that was because of the Red Sox and the Rays,” Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman said. “Hopefully, we’ll still be a part of that conversation.”

You know, back in 1924, Emily Dickinson said:

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune–without the words,
And never stops at all,

I’ve heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.

And, that’s a nice thought. But, in any event, as a Yankees fan, do you really want to hear your G.M. ‘hoping’ that his team can keep up with the Rays and the Red Sox?

As we learned yesterday, Brian Cashman and the Yankees have agreed on a three-year deal that will keep him with the team through the 2011 season as their General Manager.

Now, Brian Cashman has some great qualities. As I wrote back on August 29, 2008:

Brian Cashman has value. He understands New York. He can navigate through the Yankees organization. He’s polished. He can take a punch. There’s nothing wrong with having Brian Cashman as the face of the front office – and being the person on point between the owners, the team, the media and the fans.

Still, Brian Cashman’s career resume in Yankeeland is also full of bad results as well.

“What a minute!,” some are probably thinking here…”Cashman has three World Series rings on his report card. How are those results bad?”

The answer to that is simple.

Brian Cashman became Yankees G.M. on February 28, 1998. And, yes, the Yankees did win rings in 1998, 1999 and 2000. However, when Cashman took over as the head man in charge, the following players were already on the team: Bernie Williams, Mariano Rivera, Paul O’Neill, Derek Jeter, Tino Martinez, Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada, Mike Stanton, David Cone, Ramiro Mendoza, David Wells, Joe Girardi, Jeff Nelson, Chad Curtis and Darryl Strawberry.

This group of Yankees was added to the team by Stick Michael and Bob Watson. It was they, and not Cashman, who built a powerhouse entity (via this cadre of players) who went on to win three rings from 1998 through 2000 – and which benefited Brian Cashman when he took over for Watson in 1998.

After 2001, when that the force that Michael and Watson created was nearly tapped out, is when the Yankees sincerely became “Brian Cashman’s team.” And, sure, from 2002 through 2008, under Cashman, the Yankees were marvelous in terms of their win totals and revenue. But, if not for Boston collapses in the 2003 ALCS and the regular seasons of 2005 and 2006, this seven-year period would not look as pretty for New York as it does on the average fan’s ledger.

On the whole, Brian Cashman took a team that was a three-peat World Champion and turned them into a team that would finish first and then lose in the LDS…and then into a team that would no longer finish first but would win a Wildcard (and lose in the LDS)…and then into a team that would not make the post-season at all. Notice the trend here?

In addition, there’s a long list of moves made by Brian Cashman that suggest he’s clueless when it comes to evaluating talent. For example:

On February 1, 1999, he traded Mike Lowell to the Florida Marlins for Mark J. Johnson, Ed Yarnall, and Todd Noel.

At that time, it was claimed that Cashman was stocking the Yankees system with up-and-coming young pitching talent – like Yarnall, Ben Ford, Ryan Bradley, and Craig Dingman – much like his recent “plan” with Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy and Joba Chamberlain. (The plan didn’t work back then and it sure didn’t work this season.)

On July 5, 2002, as part of a three-team trade, Cashman traded Ted Lilly, John-Ford Griffin, and Jason Arnold to the Oakland Athletics and received Jeff Weaver from the Detroit Tigers. For the Yankees, Weaver was a complete bust – while Lilly has been a solid major league starter since leaving New York.

Looking to later dump Jeff Weaver, on December 13, 2003, Cashman traded Jeff Weaver, Yhency Brazoban, Brandon Weeden and cash to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Kevin Brown. Like Weaver, Brown was a bust in New York.

Three days later, on December 16, 2003, Cashman traded Nick Johnson, Juan Rivera, and Randy Choate to the Montreal Expos for Javier Vazquez – who had as much fun in New York as Kevin Brown.

The next year, on December 20, 2004, Cashman signed free agent Carl Pavano to a four-year deal worth nearly $40 million. Pavano would go on to become the modern day poster-child for a terrible free agent signing.

Then, about two years later, in November of 2006, Cashman spent $26 million to earn the right to sign Japanese pitcher Kei Igawa – and then spent another $20 million on a contract for Igawa. When last seen, Igawa was coaching first base for the Yankees Triple-A farm team.

Granted, it’s not been all bad under Cashman’s watch. As many would be quick to point out, players like Chien-Ming Wang and Robinson Cano have come to the Yankees under his leadership. Yet, Cashman reportedly also offered Wang and Cano to the Arizona Diamondbacks back in January 2005, in an attempt to acquire Randy Johnson, and they only remained with the Yankees because Arizona instead wanted Brad Halsey and Dioner Navarro. So, was Cashman smart with Cano and Wang, or, just lucky?

Here’s another way to look at the job Brian Cashman has done – in terms of building the Yankees pitching (which is the element of the game that separates the men from the boys). Start with ERA+ (which is the ratio of the league’s ERA, adjusted to the pitcher’s ballpark, to that of the pitcher). An ERA+ greater than 100 is above average and an ERA+ less than 100 is below average.

From 1998 through 2008, here’s a count of how many pitchers were on each Yankees team where they pitched in at least 10 games and had an ERA+ of 90 or less:

Year	#
2005	12
2008	9
2006	8
2004	8
2007	4
2003	4
2000	4
2002	3
2001	3
1998	2

[* Pitchers names appear at the close of this entry.]

As you can see, from 1998 through 2003, the Yankees only had a few “dud” pitchers on their roster each year. However, in the last five seasons, the Yankees, on average, have had around eight “dud” pitchers on their roster each season. Those Yankees pitching staffs from 1998 through 2003 were manned by the Michael and Watson carry-overs. Since 2004, the Yankees pitching staff has been all-Cashman…and contained many “duds.”

When you take this all in…the bad moves, especially when it comes to pitching, and bringing the team from the status of World Series contender down to first-round post-season road-kill and then down to non-contender…I just don’t see how you can reward Brian Cashman with another three years of being in charge of the New York Yankees.

Obviously, the Yankees feel differently. And, if you ask me, that’s a mistake.

Continue reading »

This is a tale of two Yankees prospects.

One is a batter who is just 23-years old. The other is a pitcher who is just 22-years old.

Let’s look at the pitcher, first. He’s ripped through the minor leagues – making stops at Rookie Ball, Low-A, High-A, Double-A and Triple-A. To date, in his minor league career, he’s logged 310.6 IP and allowed an ERA of just 2.40. Further, he’s only walked 77 of the 1,186 batters that he’s faced – while whiffing 348 of them.

In the big leagues, he hasn’t done all that well – so far. In 94.6 IP he’s allowed an ERA of 5.51 – and, he’s only won 5 games in 19 starts. Yet, because of his age and minor league track record, many are convinced that he will be a major league star in the near future.

Now, let’s look at that batter. He’s ripped through the minor leagues – making stops at Short-Season A-Ball, Low-A, High-A, Double-A and Triple-A. To date, in his minor league career, he’s logged 1,489 At Bats while posting a batting average of .296. Further, at the Triple-A level, his lifetime batting average is .325 – and on top of that he’s a plus defender in the outfield with a strong throwing arm.

In the big leagues, he hasn’t done all that well – so far. In 1,425 At Bats he’s batted .266 with no power – and he’s hit just .242 in his last 401 At Bats. Yet, despite his age and minor league track record, many are convinced that he will never be a useful, full-time, player in the major leagues.

Seems sort of inconsistent, doesn’t it? Both are very young. Both have shot through, and excelled, in the minors. Both have struggled in the majors. Yet, one is seen as a future ace in the Yankees rotation and the other is seen as a bench player, at best.

Oh, by the way, the pitcher is Phil Hughes and the batter is Melky Cabrera.

Now, I’m not saying that Hughes will be a bust. And, I’m not saying that Cabrera will be a star. But, when you look at their resumes, they’re not all that different, are they? And yet, they are looked upon differently – by many Yankees fans. And, that seems unfair – at least to me.

At this point in the season, CoolStandings.com is predicting the Yankees to finish with 85.6 wins this season – and for the Blue Jays to finish with 85.2 wins. Basically, they’re saying that it’s now a toss-up between New York and Toronto as to who finishes in 4th place (in the A.L. East) this year.

Ken Rosenthal, back in January, warned this could happen.

When has the last time the Yankees didn’t finish in 3rd place, or higher, in the final standings? That would be 1992 – which was also the last season of a four-year period which has a strong claim towards being the worse run in the Yankees’ timeline – in terms of the team’s relative and collective shortcomings.

Just how is this possible when you have a payroll in excess of $200 million? Sure, injuries played a part of it. But, there’s also an element in play here that falls under the heading “bad planning.” And, you would not be flogged – at least by me – if you suggested that there’s a lack of inspired play by certain members of this team.

It will be very interesting to see what the Brothers Stein do to address these situations. Right now, based on what we read and hear, it doesn’t sound like much will happen – in terms of changes. So, don’t be shocked if the Yankees, next season, repeat this horror show in the first year of the new Yankee Stadium.

I’m a little late on this one…with the Cooperstown trip and all…but, I still felt it was worth noting, albeit somewhat tardy. Via Ken Davidoff:

Phil Hughes missed three months last year after pulling his left hamstring, and about 3 1/2 months this season with a fractured rib. So the question must be asked: Is Hughes injury-prone?

“Obviously, it becomes a concern if it keeps happening,” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. “At the same time, you look at examples elsewhere. [Jose] Reyes had a history of hamstrings. Everybody was like, ‘He can’t stay healthy. Move him, move him, move him.’ It seems like he’s been his healthiest in the big leagues.

“There are a ton of other guys who can never stay healthy. Nick Johnson, guys like that. For every example I can give you that’s good, you’ll give me an example that’s bad, and I’ll say you’re right. That’s the great thing on this stuff. You place your bets on certain individuals and then you hope those horses finish the race first for you.”

…You place your bets on certain individuals and then you hope those horses finish the race first for you…

Well, after placing losing bets on Weaver, Vazquez, Brown, Pavano, and Igawa, Cashman is due for a winner, no? Yeah, right…

In 1996, Yankees second baseman Mariano Duncan came up with the game mantra of:

“We play today, we win today. Dat’s it.”

And, the Yankees kept attitute for the next few years. What do we hear from the Yankees today? Via Joe Girardi, in his post-game press conference last night:

“You have another game tomorrow.”

And, you’ve heard this line from other Yankees – such as Johnny Damon, Alex Rodriguez, and Derek Jeter – quite a bit lately. Heck they might as well be singing…

The sun’ll come out
Tomorrow
Bet your bottom dollar
That tomorrow
There’ll be sun!

The sun’ll come out
Tomorrow
So ya gotta hang on
‘Til tomorrow
Come what may
Tomorrow! Tomorrow!
I love ya Tomorrow!
You’re always
A day
Away!

This is what this Yankees team has become – it’s no longer a take care of business today type of team…and, now, it’s all about ‘Well, we still have tomorrow.’

Well, guess what fellas? There’s not a whole lot of tomorrows left for this season. So, stop insulting the intelligence of your fans with this “You have another game tomorrow” nonsense. It’s way too late for that now.

It’s time to sing this song now…

[Regarding the Yankees poor record this season, to date] When it is suggested that no one could have foreseen all the injuries and no victories from touted rookie pitchers Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy, [Yankees G.M. Brian] Cashman said, “That has nothing to do with it. It’s our … offense. We can’t hit with runners in scoring position.” [source]

We can’t hit with runners in scoring position.

I am sooooo tired of hearing this excuse from the Yankees and some of their fans.

Yes, statistically speaking, the Yankees, as a team, have done a poor job with respect to batting with runners in scoring position (RISP). To date their BA/OBA/SLG line with RISP is .259/.347/.381 (in 1,309 PA). That OPS mark of .729 for New York, with RISP, is 11th worst in the league.

But, there’s a problem with the batting with RISP stat…as it does not tell you anything about the score of the game during those Plate Appearances when the runners were in scoring position.

It treats the PA with RISP when the score is 16-0 (either way) the same as the PA with RISP when it’s the bottom of the 9th, no outs, with a runner on third, and when you’re down by a run. And, that’s stupid.

For me, I’d rather look at how a team is batting, period, when it’s a close game – say when the score is within 2 runs (either way). And, in this “Within 2 Runs” situation snapshot, this season, to date, the Yankees BA/OBA/SLG line is .270/.343/.419 (in 3,142 PA).

Now, some may see that “Within 2 Runs” OPS for New York of .761 and offer that it’s very close to the OPS mark of .729 for New York with RISP. However, there is a difference here.

That OPS mark of .761 for New York when the score is “Within 2 Runs” is 5th best mark in the league. So, when it comes to batting when the game is close, the Yankees are one of the better teams in the league, to date, this season.

Perhaps a better reason why the Yankees have done so poorly this season is their pitching.

During the first half of the season, the Yankees starting pitchers had an ERA of 4.51 (in 525.3 IP). This mark was 9th worst in the league during the first half – and just a few points from being 11th worst.

And, during the second half of this season, to date, the Yankees bullpen has an ERA of 5.83 (in 78.6 IP). That ERA is the worst mark – out of all 14 teams – in the league during the second half of the season.

If the Yankees, or their fans, what a reason/excuse for the team’s poor record this season, to date, it was the terrible pitching of Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy, and Darrell Rasner during the first three months of the season; and, it’s been the terrible pitching of Edwar Ramirez and Damaso Marte this month.

Maybe that’s not 100% of it – in terms of where to lay the blame. But, it’s a huge part of it – and more important than how the Yankees have been batting with runners in scoring position.

Maybe Brian Cashman doesn’t want to ‘fess up to that? After all, Hughes, Kennedy, Rasner, Ramirez and Marte are all part of his pitching plan for this season. So, it’s much easier to point to a stat like batting with RISP – which looks bad…but, which tells you nothing, in reality, because it’s not reflecting when those Plate Appearances occurred.

But, to me, when it comes to the Yankees “story” this season, it’s the same as it’s been for the last four years before this one – it’s all about the pitching…and Cashman’s bad plan in terms on who to count on…for the Yankees staff.