Pudge

I think I like the Pudge for Farnsworth deal. Pudge is batting .295/5/32, a huge upgrade over either Molina or Moeller offensively. I haven't seen him play at all this year, but supposedly he is still a pretty good defensive catcher but nowhere as good as he used to be. I wonder how he is relative to Molina defensively.

Farnsworth, although having a good year since Joba moved to the rotation, still sucks. No matter how hard you throw people will hit it if the ball doesn't move. Answer me this: Would you trust him in a big situation? Girardi showed he didn't when quickly called for Mariano with one out in the eighth in Boston the other night once Farnsworth gave up two base runners (granted on weak hits) making him dispensable. Also, he is probably fourth to come out the pen behind Edwar Ramirez, Jose Veras, and Damaso Marte. Basically they gave up nothing to get a little. One other plus, Pudge's contract is up after this year so there will not be any position battle next year when Posada comes back.

Finally, I wonder if Moeller gets optioned to the minors. Earlier this year Girardi kept three catchers but that might have been because he understood Posada could not throw. Moeller has helped Rasner out (his ERA more than doubles when someone else catches him) and has entered games at third to try to increase his value. Still, it is hard to see Girardi keeping three catchers in this situation. One would think that the Yankees would have to call up another reliever to fill in for Farnsworth. Perhaps stud prospect Mark Melancon might finally get a chance. He could relieve for now and possibly start a game or two if Rasner and Ponson continue to suck. 

O's Series

It was a tough series to lose two of three from the Orioles. Making it especially hard was Boston getting swept by the Angels leaving a huge opportunity to pick up multiple games on Boston. 

Mussina and Robertson got shelled in game one. Guess you can blame me for jinxing Moose. I only hope he can turn it around his next start. Game two included a valiant comeback attempt that fell a run short. Aubrey Huff's homer off of Mariano in the top of the 9th proved the difference. It was frustrating to see Cano and Betemit both whiff after Gardner had successfully stolen second with one out. Christian got a great jump and beat a great throw on an easy pitch to throw off. Cano looked like a bigger fool than Betemit missing a 2-strike slider that was way outside. Cano, like many lefties, is susceptible to a sweeping curve coming from a low arm-angle throwing lefty. Betemit struck out by swinging at a ball. 

Today's victory included yet another impressive outing from Chamberlain. Missed the Edwar throwing at Millar's head so I can't really comment on it. Robertson came in and looked ok. Abreu had two HRs, A-Rod added another, and Xavier Nady had two doubles. Nady, along with the today's addition of Pudge (see newest post) will lengthen the lineup. 

As a whole the series was a disappointment for the Yanks, but at least they salvaged today's game to pick up a game on Boston, while only netting a loss of one to Tampa this week.

Commercial

The commercial currently running that rates highest on the unintentional comedy scale (ty Bill Simmons) has to be the MLB playoff ad where Spanish from Old School or the ghetto-drug-dealing-on-and-off-the-team-whose-uncle-is-actually-a-big-time-dealer-gets-shot-therefore-said-character-cries-on-Samuel-L.-Jackson's-shoulder-and-then-has-a-dramatic-quote-about-what-he-fears-most-in-life-player (however you wish to remember him) relives his memories of the past few playoffs before saying, "I cannot even remember where my keys are." That commercial is hilarious. 

In other news, this entry definitely contains a run-on sentence.

Melky v. Gardner

Melky Cabrera has been the centerpiece of most Yankee offers at the trade deadline which makes sense considering he is a 3rd to 4th OF and Austin Jackson, the number one ranked prospect in the Yankees' system according to Baseball America, seems like he will be ready by mid-2009, so why not sell on Melky when his value is about as high as it will get. 

Yet what I do not get is why insist that Melky be in a deal instead of Brett Gardner. ESPN's trade blog and several threads on ProSportsDaily.com are reporting the Yankees rather put Melky in a deal than Gardner in an offer to Seattle. ESPN is also reporting the Yankees turned down a deal that would land them Washburn for both young OFs, while the Mariners have no interest in Kei Igawa, the Japanese SP (who sucks and was a total reactionary pick up to Boston getting Dice-K) who the Yankees want to center a deal around. Cashman has been given the go ahead to pick up Washburn's salary over the next two years by Hank and Co. Cashman wants this to be the centerpiece of the deal, the absorption of the contract, not young prospects.

Getting back to the point, why deal Melky when you could deal Garnder? If an offer of Gardner and Igawa would get the deal done (which I cannot say it can considering I have no sources beside and ESPN Insider subscription) why not do it? Like I've written before, Gardner sucks. He would make make an excellent women's softball player with his quick swing and ability to get down the line quickly yet I do not think he would have the power to hit one over the 220 foot fence. Melky has a better arm, covers about the same ground in center (thanks to a great first step and ability to judge fly balls - not pure speed), and is a year younger than Gardner. He is also a switch-hitter who has proven to be only a below average hitter, not a fully incompetent one like Gardner (this may be a tough statement considering Gardner got 70+ ABs but he really looked like he had no clue at the plat taking countless pitches for strikes to fall into pitcher's counts). Plus, Melky had a decent year when he was 21, and as Rob Neyer notes, there is little precedent for players peaking at such a young age. 

The deal I would do if I was the Yankees would be to offer Melky for Brian Bannister. The Yankees' interest in the 27 year old Royals starting pitcher has been noted. Neyer (a Royals' fan) wrote that the Royals would have to accept that deal. As a Yankee fan, I think that would be a huge steal for the Yankees. Bannister, who started his career with the Mets, could be a legit 3rd starter. He is having a disappointing year so far, but last year he had a 3.87 ERA, a 1.21 WHIP, and a 4.20 K/9. Without doing much research I would rather him than Washburn, especially as he making less than half a million dollars and about 40k less than Melky. He will be eligigle for super-two arbitration, but will make nowhere near the 10+ million that Washburn will make next year. If the Royals would accept this offer, then by all means, I would make this trade. And if they would take Gardner instead then that would be even better.

Sunday Night Post

It's the top of the sixth and it looks like the Yankees are heading to their first loss since the All-Star break. Usually I would wait until tomorrow to write about this series but I figured I'd be considerate towards Matt Abromowitz's Monday morning reading schedule.

As was expected, Ponson blew up. He gave up 7 ER over 4.0 IP. I don't care what his record is with the Yanks, he sucks. I can't remember how the games panned out too well but I am guessing that pitching when getting 8 runs per game in support isn't too hard. My point being there is no fear of getting hit when you get support early and often.

The real problem with tonight's game came in the top of the fifth. Bases loaded and no outs and the Yankees only score two runs. ARod's line out to third is acceptable, but Nady and Cano making easy outs is not. Furthering the problem was Damon not tagging up on Nady's shortish fly ball. The inning illustrated the Yankees' inability to hit with RISP. I think John Miller (IHHD) said they were second to last in the AL in the category. Simply put, they are leaving a lot of runs on the table.

Finally, Richie Sexson sucks. He cannot hit, he cannot hit lefties, he cannot field, and on any ground ball to his right he immediately runs to cover the bag. He could have easily made a play on Jacoby Ellsbury's single in the bottom of the sixth. That would have been nice considering he easily went first to third on Youkilis's single to left. And it is not like Sexson hits lefties well. As has been pointed out by many, Sexson did not hit lefties last year or the year before making his .300+ avg against them this year more of an aberration than the norm. Subjectively speaking, Phillips mentioned during the broadcast that Sexson cheats for the fastball leaving him susceptible to off-speed pitches and cutters. So if he cannot hit lefties or field, the two things he is supposed to do in his current role, why get him at all.

On a positive note, Bobby Abreu just made a catch on the warning track without being scared for his life. 

And if you told me at the break the Yankees would be 3 games out of first after the Red Sox series I would have been ecstatic. 

Moooooooooose

There have been a lot of "Moose" calls this year at Yankee Stadium as Mike Mussina must have drank from the fountain of youth. Last night was another great performance as he pitched eight shutout innings, striking out seven, walking none, while spreading out 6 hits over 105 pitches. Mussina's ERA is now 3.26 and he is tied for the league lead with 13 wins.

The other day while doing predictions for the second half, Mike Francesca of "Mike and the Mad Dog" said that anything Mussina gave the Yankees this year from now on is gravy. His point was that Mussina has pitched so beyond anyone's beliefs so far this year that it would be unfair to expect him to continue at a rate near to what he is at now.

I disagree.  With the way Mussina is hitting corners, mixing in and controlling his off-speed pitches, and (over the last few starts) lowered his batting average against, I think it is reasonable to assume he can continue pitching well for the rest of the year. Whether or not you want him to be, Mussina is probably the second best starter on the Yankees behind Joba. He is going to pitch in the playoffs and totally deserves to do so. I will now be looking forward to every fifth day when Moose gets to start.

Christian v. Gardner

After his 2-3,  2B, 2 RBI, and SB line on Wednesday, Justin Christian proved he deserve to be starting ahead of Brett Gardner in LF. Both players bring speed and defense to the team, but the real difference is Christian can at least hit a lick. In 21 ABs Christian percentages are .286/.375/.381 while Gardners are .161/.238/.179 in 56 ABs. Gardner only has 3 more hits than Christian in 35 extra ABs. Furthermore Gardner only has 2 more SBs with five, and would only be one more if Christian did not trip attempting to steal third in a pinch run situation in the ninth against the A's (he had a great jump). 

So if both players can run and field, but only one of them can hit for a decent average plus has the ability to hit a home run in a little league park isn't the choice obvious of who should play?

Shockey

Jerry Reese had a headache. The only medication was more cowbell - - I mean trading Jeremy Shockey. In return the Giants received 2nd and 5th round choices in next year's draft.

John Clayton pointed out in his blog that the timing of the deal was the confusing aspect of it. If the Giants were just going to take a 2nd and 5th rounder, the same offer that was on the table on draft day, why not accept it then and take Fred Davis with the second rounder to help fill the void Shockey would create. Now the Giants have to go a year with Kevin Boss who cannot block a lick - see the third and short where Jacobs got stuffed versus Dallas - as the starter with Mike Matthews who cannot catch a lick -  see countless dropped balls when wide open in the flats - as the main back up. Reese's logic in the timing just does not make sense.

On top of all this I do not like the deal at all. Shockey was the heart and soul of the offense and when healthy (even just healthy enough to play) was still a top 5 TE. Granted he dropped too many easy balls, but he was Eli's safety outlet on third downs, and for some reason could make the tough catches (Amani Toomer has this problem as well).  If the Giants dealt Shockey for a first rounder, even in 2009, I might be more apt to accept the deal, but I think they are losing too much for what they received and are putting too much faith in Kevin Boss, a guy who in a small sample set looked like a nice pass catcher and proved he cannot block.

I know the Giants won a Super Bowl without Shockey but the key on offense during the hot streak was Eli Manning's play. I think he will continue to improve but cannot play at the high level he did in the Week 17 and the playoffs especially without Shockey. The disgruntled TE, no matter how many times he "showed up" Eli by throwing his arms up after a pass that was not intended for him, still made Eli better, and I think the Giants will unfortunately find that out this upcoming season. 

Joba as SP

Joba Chamberlain makes his ninth start today and at this point not many people sans Goose Gossage are questioning the move to make him a starter. He has built up his arm strength to the point he can easily throw 110 pitches per start without a worry. So much of his power comes from his legs a la Roger Clemens (hopefully without the PEDs) that there is little worry about hurting his arm (knock on wood). 

The results have been there too. As a starter he has pitched 41.2 innings with a 2.81 ERA, 46 Ks, 21 BBs and a .245 BAA. He seems to dominate his starts except for one bad (meaning 2-3 ER) inning. If he can learn how to get rid of this inning (often this means not giving up the bloop hit with RISP and 2 outs - see his last Blue Jays start) and make it past the 6th inning (less wasted pitches and maybe pitching to contact more) then he can become a legitimate ace.

On the last parenthetical point, there is obviously a tradeoff between Ks and pitches thrown. SABR guys love pitchers with high K rates as it decreases the probability of lucky hits and illustrates a pitcher's dominance. Still, especially with a bullpen as streaky as the Yankees, at what point should a SP with Joba's stuff start pitching to contact to make it deep into games, especially if he can control the contact (i.e. weakly hit and/or ground balls). Personally I think he should not worry about changing his style, especially at such a young age. If he can continue to keep his K-rate up I would think he should, and hopefully the ability to make it deeper in games will follow.

The Boss Looks Lost

George Steinbrenner's appearance during the All Star pregame ceremony brought mix emotions. Although it was clear that Steinbrenner understood the significance of the situation he was in, it was unclear whether he actually knew he was in Yankee Stadium. He almost looked like a king on his deathbed giving one last appearance in front of his kingdom's people.

The man has been in hiding for nearly two years now and has, according to reports, shown signs of aging and Alzheimer's.  Still, although he looked kind of sad, I felt happy for the man as he seemed to understand he was in front of people that appreciated the dedication (and dollar) he has put into the team.

On a personal note I feel like the man helped to create part of my childhood. I was eight years old when the Yankees won in 1996. My first conscious baseball memory is from the year before when the Mariners came back from a two game deficit to beat the Yankees in the ALDS. Needless to say I was spoiled to see four championships in the next five years. I still remember Charlie Hayes catching the fly ball to secure the first World Series. The glory years, which can even be extended to 2003 (that way we get two more pennants) include seeing Scott Brosius' game tying home run, Derek Jeter's and Tino Martinez's game winners against the Diamondbacks, Jeter's flip against the A's, Boone's homer off Wakefield, Jimmy Leyritz's game winner against the Braves (actually I was told about that one by my mother the next day because I had cried myself to sleep the night before) and countless other memories. I feel like I owe a thank you to The Boss. Even though one hears about all the incredulous stories about you, I would like to thank you, for making my childhood as a Yankee fan be so memorable. (Tear Tear.)

Impressive 2nd Half for Gallanari

Danilo Gallinari's first summer league game showed hints of brilliance that hopefully can translate to real NBA games. Granted the competition consisted of free agents, young players, and Tractor Traylor, Gallinari exhibited shooting, passing, ballhandling, and, most importantly, toughness. He scored 14 points all in the second half on a mixture of put backs and jumpers. The jump shots were both off the pass and the dribble. Furthermore Gallinari brought the ball up several times and initiated the offense, and looked comfortable doing so. The Euro did not seem to back down from anything he was asked to do even though he was thrown around early on by bigger, stronger competition. (Which is not to say he looked weak. More he was learning how to play defense strongly.) All in all the Knick fan should be excited about Gallinari who showed that he has, deep down, what it takes to be a good player in the league. 

Knicks

The Knicks have made some moves lately starting with the drafting of Danilo Gallinari. Of course the Garden faithful booed him. Who can blame them? They are still waiting for Frederick Weiss to cross the pond; last time he was spotted he had Vince Carters nuts in his face. Plus to the common eye Gallinari looks dreadfully close to Andrea Bargnani.

But let us look at the facts. Gallinari was the go-to-guy for Armani Milan, a top tier Euro team. He can do everything offensively and with D'Antoni's offense who really cares about defense? He definitely will be at least a number two and is one of the only players in this year's draft who has the possibility of becoming a team's number one weapon. He should grow to be almost 7 feet tall and a true force in the league.

The Knicks also signed Chris Duhon. According to many he is the only true PG on the team. I disagree. I am one of the few who thinks Marbury is a real PG and a good PG but Zeke messed with his head. I do not know if he will recover to be a big time player ever again so I get the Duhon signing. Furthermore, it is only a two year deal so his salary will be gone in time for the Lebron-Wade-Bosh sweepstakes. Still, if the Knicks were going to try to sign a true PG to a short contract, why not go for a more high risk-high reward player like Shaun Livingston. The kid was billed as a Magic Johnson type PG and was just coming into his when he blew out his knee in 37 places. Not only would he come cheap but he could actually develop into an asset that would attract one of the 2010ers. Unlike Livingston, Duhon's maximum marginal benefit to the team is so slim to the point they probably won't resign him in two years. Why not take a chance?

My final thoughts stem from rumors on espn.com. Supposedly Baron Davis' first choice was the Knicks. Why? I am not sure. I do not see what they have to offer that the Clippers do not. Still, there were no reports that Donnie Walsh even looked into it. Furthermore it is being reported that Donnie turned down a deal in which the Clips would've taken Zach Randolph and his miserable contract. Walsh's logic was that he did not want to give away Z-Bo in something that
would amount to only a salary dump. My question is why not? Randolph might be the first player in the history of the NBA to die on the court! With him and Curry on the court the Knicks will be playing 5 on 3 for most of the game. They might be the first team to have the double cherry picking strategy with one staying on the defensive end and the other the offensive end so the team is constantly playing 5 on 4. Better than constant 5 on 3s with the two of them lollygagging back and forth between the 3-point lines. If I was Walsh I would've given the Clips Randolph for a bag of basketballs, they wouldn't even have to be new. They could be old with no grip. And flat.

So where does that leave everything? I am hoping not good enough for a first round playoff loss and just bad enough to get extremely lucky in the lottery in order to draft Euro PG Ricky Rubio and begin a new Knicks era with a European flavor.

I'm Baaaaack

Loyal readers, all four (generous figure) of you, I am here to announce I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaack! I'll be wearing number 45 as my previous number, 23, has already been retired. Furthermore, as only I can, I will be dropping 55, double nickels, on the Knicks within two weeks. But no worries, next time I retire I will stay retired. No washed up comeback with another team including a missed dunk on a free path to the basket in the all-star game.