Friday, July 18, 2008

Yankees Face Greg Smith

The Yankees face left handed pitcher Greg Smith tonight as the previous Oakland starter, Joe Blanton was traded to the Phillies. I don't know about you, but that sounds like a made up name. It was probably the first thing that came to his mind when Beane was asked who was going to start today. Going against Greg Smith is the Moose, who I'm stilling pulling for to win 20 this season, though the chances are much slimmer. The Yankees needed to win at least 1 more of his last 4 starts, and honestly, the way he pitched they should have won all 4. But the Yankees like to pick one pitcher every season who they won't score runs for, and it just so happens that this season, they picked the entire starting rotation, which Moose is unfortunately apart of. He needs a win tonight, so Sexson better get his bat ready.

Tomorrow I will be at the game to watch Joba take on Justin Douchsterer. Yes I misspelled his name, and no I don't care. I waisted too much time figuring out how to spell Mientkiewicz correctly, and then they let him go after one year. Anyway, getting back to tomorrow's game...I've yet to see Joba pitch live as a starter so I'm excited to see him. Douchsterer is a pretty good pitcher himself though (10-5 record with a 1.82 ERA), so it could shape up to be a pitchers duel.

In case you missed it, here's Jose Canseco getting knocked out. Can you believe that this guy played for the Yankees and has a championship ring with us? And on that note...

Some people have been calling for the signing of Barry Bonds. A giant homerun hitting lefty sounds like something the Yankees could use right? Signing Barry Bonds is an awful idea. I'm already upset that Canseco ever wore the pinstripes, and I'd be even more so with Bonds. Are you going to go from Ruth, Gehrig, Dimaggio, Berra, Mantle, Jackson, Munson, Mattingly, Jeter to Bonds? Even if he could single handedly bring us to the world series this year (which he can't), I still wouldn't want him. Now some people believe he can take us to the post season so let me break down the delusion. Bonds has not been playing so he's going to need time to get ready. At best he'd be ready by August, and then what kind of production can you expect from him? 8 homeruns, a .270 average maybe, 18 runs batted in scattered across 55 games? Yeah, that will walk us right into the post season. And that's only if he can stay healthy at his age and at his comic book action size. Signing Bonds is a horrible idea. I am not opposed however to the Yankees pulling off a trade for a hitter. I don't care that he's injured, bring back Soriano! Alright, I'm done.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'd disagree with you here. If I'm the Yanks, I'd absolutely take a chance on Bonds for the league minimum salary. The only argument to detract me is that he is aging and might not perform well, especially after missing most of the season now. But I'd still take the chance, especially with Matsui out for the year. Again, it would cost nothing.

I'd have no problems celebrating because Barry Bonds helped my team win the World Series. My brother said he'd go buy a Mets jersey if the Yanks sign Bonds. I don't get it. For all the legendary players you listed (and I don't have to go through them again), there have always been malcontent players with bad press thrown in.

Mickey Mantle was a great player with a drinking problem who often showed up hungover to play. David Wells pitched his perfect game hungover (according to his book). It's amazing that these players performed in that condition, but they aren't squeaky clean. The Yanks gave Doc Gooden a million chances, as well as Strawberry.

Reggie Jackson was and is a hot dog with an insatiable ego. Rickey Henderson is another case. Same goes for Gary Sheffield.

The current team has Sidney Ponson making contributions.

Aside from all that, the team is already a media circus with all that A-Rod says and does off the field, so if anything Bonds would just help take some of that attention away. I also think that Bonds and Alex are pretty good friends (but hopefully not for the wrong reasons).

Yes, Bonds is a cheater and a liar. So is Clemens. So is Pettitte. So is Giambi. So is Sheffield. I'm sure there are other names that haven't been revealed as well. Am I wrong?

If Bonds can get his timing down quickly and OPS .800 as the everyday DH for the rest of the season, he's better than anything we've got going right now.

The mission statement of the Yanks, as I've understood it, is to win by any means necessary. Bonds fits the bill. The Yanks can trump their pride and class all they want, but they've done plenty of moves like this as well. That's the Steinbrenner way, and people certainly showed him the love for it this past Tuesday night. And to not cheer the Yanks or Bonds should they sign him would be hypocrisy. I'm down for not trading the farm away right now, especially with Wang injured, but I want to win and am certainly not ready to give up on this season. If the Yanks sign Bonds, I'll do my best Chris Russo impression and root for him until he's no longer on the team. I'll even buy a Bonds shirt.

Anonymous Yankee said...

It's gonna be interesting with Sexson in there today. Hopefully he'll give us a little boost.

anonymousyankee.blogspot.com

Roberto E. Alejandro said...

Bonds is damaged goods, and frankly, he could hardly handle the san francisco press, I don't want to see him trying to play in New York. You can't compare drunks (mantle and wells) to Bonds. None of our current players are perfect. Jeter, gangster though he is, is hardly a picture of clean living. He's probably with a new girl every night, which is his prerogative, but he's not a saint in his personal life. He's a saint in his baseball life as was mantle. Bonds is soiled with respect to baseball and for that reason I don't think the yanks will sign him.

Anonymous said...

12 wins? That brilliant Moose must have all his teammates' pets locked up safely on his farm.
A pitchers duel sometimes means a boring game. Every inning is 1-2-3inning, no one can get a decent hit, superstars get struck out 4 times in a roll, and both sides run out of pitchers in the 30th inning so the pitching coaches have to take the mound...
And you'll see Bonds in pinstripes before the Cubs let go of Soriano.

Steve said...

Bonds a Yankee, what has this family have against the Yankee's? First Bobby comes and Murcer goes. Now Barry might come and what little integrity the Stinbrenners have will be lost. Is it collusion amongst the owners that Bonds has not been signed, who cares. He has given the game a black eye. Yes, he is not the only one but he is the highest profile player. Let him go to baseball purgatory and wait with Pete Rose till America forgets.

Roberto E. Alejandro said...

The drinkers and druggies, they have personal problems and aren't the cleanest people, but at least they're not using something to get an edge over their fellow big leaguers. Pettitte and Giambi admitted their mistakes and apologized. Something Bonds refuses to do. Even if he was clean he is still a hyper ego whose a terrible teammate and terrible with the media. We have had some big egos before, but Bonds' is beyond them. He's pushing Canseco territory.