The Good
A-Rod hit his 30th homerun of the season, making it his 87th straight 30-homerun season.
The Bad
The Yankees are sure picking a terrible time to lose steam. The post season starts next week, and we've lost 6 of our last 8 games. Unless they pick it up through the weekend, there's going to be no momentum. I'm hoping they pick it up come crunch time, but there are some concerns.
The Ugly
Okay, so Javy Vazquez was not Bronny Cash's greatest idea. Another dissapointing start where he allowed 7 runs in 4.2 innings. This fully assures he'll be pitching out of the bullpen come post season. Burnett should probably join him.
But do the Babies have to Suffer?
The answer is no. A-Rod hit a homerun yesterday, not just to reach a personal milestone, but to make sure the RJG blog gave $2 to the Children's Health Fund as part of their homerun club obligations. We're happy to do it.
Posada 18hr = $36
Granderson 24hr = $48
Cano 28hr = $56
Swisher 28hr = $56
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 30hr = $60
Teixeira 33hr = $66
Thames 12hr = $24
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Berkman 1hr = $2
Total = $398
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Yanks Clinch Playoff Berth, Not Birth, That Would Be Weird
The Good
The Yanks, after toying around with the idea for about a week, decided to make the playoffs after all. Sabathia pitched, Mo pitched, the offense scored.
The Bad
The post game celebration was more understated than last year. Mostly the now even older Yankees sipped on brandy while they discussed investment options in the den.
The Ugly
Not a single RBI hit. We scored five runs purely by arguing that there were ghost runners on base whenever something happened in the game that would have pushed one of those ghost runners in. The umps bought it, but Cito Gaston got ejected for arguing that there are no ghost runners in professional baseball, only playground kiddie baseball. Needless to say, Gaston is no longer welcome on most sandlots.
Flexing the Small Ball?
The Yankees scored five runs by hitting balls into the outfield that would ultimately be caught and taking walks. Oh well, we're in the playoffs so we're not going to complain.
Posada 18hr = $36
Granderson 24hr = $48
Cano 28hr = $56
Swisher 28hr = $56
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 29hr = $58
Teixeira 33hr = $66
Thames 12hr = $24
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Berkman 1hr = $2
Total = $396
Post Script
How in the world does A-Rod have 29 home runs on the season? He had like three or four, then he hurt his calf, and now he has 29. How is that possible?
The Yanks, after toying around with the idea for about a week, decided to make the playoffs after all. Sabathia pitched, Mo pitched, the offense scored.
The Bad
The post game celebration was more understated than last year. Mostly the now even older Yankees sipped on brandy while they discussed investment options in the den.
The Ugly
Not a single RBI hit. We scored five runs purely by arguing that there were ghost runners on base whenever something happened in the game that would have pushed one of those ghost runners in. The umps bought it, but Cito Gaston got ejected for arguing that there are no ghost runners in professional baseball, only playground kiddie baseball. Needless to say, Gaston is no longer welcome on most sandlots.
Flexing the Small Ball?
The Yankees scored five runs by hitting balls into the outfield that would ultimately be caught and taking walks. Oh well, we're in the playoffs so we're not going to complain.
Posada 18hr = $36
Granderson 24hr = $48
Cano 28hr = $56
Swisher 28hr = $56
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 29hr = $58
Teixeira 33hr = $66
Thames 12hr = $24
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Berkman 1hr = $2
Total = $396
Post Script
How in the world does A-Rod have 29 home runs on the season? He had like three or four, then he hurt his calf, and now he has 29. How is that possible?
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Pretty Bad
The Good
What mechanical adjustments could possibly merit the absolute tear Curtis Granderson has been on? Kevin Long is either the best hitting coach in all history, or Curtis Granderson was swinging one handed all this time, whatever the case, Granderson hit his 24th homerun of the season last night.
Our bullpen gave us 5.2 innings of scoreless baseball.
The Bad
Is it me or are the Yankees stalled right now? It would be nice to enter the postseason with force, but it looks like we're just puttering in.
The Ugly
Does anyone have any confidence in AJ Burnett at this point? This seasons a loss for him, and I hope he comes back next season stronger, but in between then we have a post season to compete in. I don't know about the rest of you, but I do not want Burnett handling a baseball in a postseason rotation.
Oh and I almost forgot to mention that he lasted 2.1 innings allowing 7 runs in yesterdays game.
Couple Yanks Ready for the Postseason
Granderson and Teixeira hit homeruns last night. Here's to the last week of regular season baseball.
Posada 18hr = $36
Granderson 24hr = $48
Cano 28hr = $56
Swisher 28hr = $56
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 29hr = $58
Teixeira 33hr = $66
Thames 12hr = $24
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Berkman 1hr = $2
Total = $396
What mechanical adjustments could possibly merit the absolute tear Curtis Granderson has been on? Kevin Long is either the best hitting coach in all history, or Curtis Granderson was swinging one handed all this time, whatever the case, Granderson hit his 24th homerun of the season last night.
Our bullpen gave us 5.2 innings of scoreless baseball.
The Bad
Is it me or are the Yankees stalled right now? It would be nice to enter the postseason with force, but it looks like we're just puttering in.
The Ugly
Does anyone have any confidence in AJ Burnett at this point? This seasons a loss for him, and I hope he comes back next season stronger, but in between then we have a post season to compete in. I don't know about the rest of you, but I do not want Burnett handling a baseball in a postseason rotation.
Oh and I almost forgot to mention that he lasted 2.1 innings allowing 7 runs in yesterdays game.
Couple Yanks Ready for the Postseason
Granderson and Teixeira hit homeruns last night. Here's to the last week of regular season baseball.
Posada 18hr = $36
Granderson 24hr = $48
Cano 28hr = $56
Swisher 28hr = $56
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 29hr = $58
Teixeira 33hr = $66
Thames 12hr = $24
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Berkman 1hr = $2
Total = $396
Monday, September 27, 2010
The Walk-Off Walk
The Good
Phil Hughes pitched an excellent game going 6 strong innings allowing just 1 run. He was a bit shaky in the 7th, but Robertson was able to handle the inning. In fact, the bullpen was generally strong with one exception.
Also good, A-Rod blasted a 2-run homerun to temporarily put the Yankees ahead, until the 9th.
Juan Miranda, the most unlikely of hero's, came through in the 10th with a bases-loaded walk, to win the game.
Lastly, I am not going to bother to write a review of Saturday's game and make you relive that experience. This definitely fits under the "good" category.
The Bad
Lets go with Matsuzaka's 8 innings of 2 run ball. Never mind that his ERA was pushing 5 on the season, and that he hasn't given up less than 4 runs in a start since August 5, the Yankees made the man look like he belongs in the major leagues. Jeter especially with his 2 strikeouts on pitches nearly in the same spot.
The Ugly
Have to give this to Mo's blown save. It normally wouldn't matter that they stole 4 bases on him, since he normally would just get a couple weak groundballs and some strikeouts. Instead it cost him. That's 3 consecutive appearances that Mo has given up a run. Concerning? Not really, but worth mentioning.
Flexing in the Bronx
Though we won't review Saturday's futile effort, we will include Granderson's homerun as well as A-Rod's jack from last night to our tally of homeruns and donations to the Children's Health Fund. Speaking of Granderson, he has really fought his way back to have a respectable season. The last few weeks have been really impressive. A-Rod is now 1 homerun shy of hitting 30 on the season.
Posada 18hr = $36
Granderson 23hr = $46
Cano 28hr = $56
Swisher 28hr = $56
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 29hr = $58
Teixeira 32hr = $64
Thames 12hr = $24
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Berkman 1hr = $2
Total = $392
Phil Hughes pitched an excellent game going 6 strong innings allowing just 1 run. He was a bit shaky in the 7th, but Robertson was able to handle the inning. In fact, the bullpen was generally strong with one exception.
Also good, A-Rod blasted a 2-run homerun to temporarily put the Yankees ahead, until the 9th.
Juan Miranda, the most unlikely of hero's, came through in the 10th with a bases-loaded walk, to win the game.
Lastly, I am not going to bother to write a review of Saturday's game and make you relive that experience. This definitely fits under the "good" category.
The Bad
Lets go with Matsuzaka's 8 innings of 2 run ball. Never mind that his ERA was pushing 5 on the season, and that he hasn't given up less than 4 runs in a start since August 5, the Yankees made the man look like he belongs in the major leagues. Jeter especially with his 2 strikeouts on pitches nearly in the same spot.
The Ugly
Have to give this to Mo's blown save. It normally wouldn't matter that they stole 4 bases on him, since he normally would just get a couple weak groundballs and some strikeouts. Instead it cost him. That's 3 consecutive appearances that Mo has given up a run. Concerning? Not really, but worth mentioning.
Flexing in the Bronx
Though we won't review Saturday's futile effort, we will include Granderson's homerun as well as A-Rod's jack from last night to our tally of homeruns and donations to the Children's Health Fund. Speaking of Granderson, he has really fought his way back to have a respectable season. The last few weeks have been really impressive. A-Rod is now 1 homerun shy of hitting 30 on the season.
Posada 18hr = $36
Granderson 23hr = $46
Cano 28hr = $56
Swisher 28hr = $56
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 29hr = $58
Teixeira 32hr = $64
Thames 12hr = $24
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Berkman 1hr = $2
Total = $392
Saturday, September 25, 2010
We Clawed Back, But Clawed Short
The Good
Cano 28hr = $56
Swisher 28hr = $56
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 27hr = $54
Teixeira 32hr = $64
Thames 11hr = $22
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Berkman 1hr = $2
Total = $372
The offense came alive last night hitting 6 homeruns including multi-homeruns from A-Rod and Teixeira.
The Bad
Though the Yankees clawed their way back and put the tieing run at the plate with 2 outs in the 9th, they couldn't get it done. An ugly swing-and-a-miss strikeout for Cano left A-Rod stranded at 2nd, and fans weeping in the stands.
The Ugly
Andy Pettitte showed massive signs of rust and maybe even some tetanus poisoning with his 3.1 innings of 7 run ball (6 earned). Though he may shake off the rust, tetanus is a little more difficult to shake, and could prove costly in late innings of his starts.
Homeruns Not the Problem
Although this loss cast the Tampa Bay Rays into first in the division, children everywhere were able to breath a sigh of relief when they heard the Yankees hit 6 homeruns, drawing $12 additional dollars from the RJG blog to heal the babies by way of the Children's Health Fund.
Posada 18hr = $36
Granderson 22hr = $44Cano 28hr = $56
Swisher 28hr = $56
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 27hr = $54
Teixeira 32hr = $64
Thames 11hr = $22
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Berkman 1hr = $2
Total = $372
Friday, September 24, 2010
Pitchers Duel Falls Flat
The Good
No Bothan spies died transmitting the events of this game.
The Bad
Where do you start, the Yankees left 16 men on base, Posada struck out 3 times in 3 at bats, and we twice loaded the bases to no avail. Where the offense was bad, the pitching was ugly.
The Ugly
Pitching. While the offense missed several chances to break the game open, the pitching allowed 10 runs essentially burying the Yankees. These 10 runs include a bases loaded walk by Sabathia, and 3 consecutive plunkings to drive in a run by Vazquez. Against a competitor, this just won't cut it.
Silver Lining?
At least Thames hit a homerun last night dropping two additional dollars into the Children's Health Fund coffers.
Posada 18hr = $36
Granderson 21hr = $42
Cano 28hr = $56
Swisher 27hr = $54
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 25hr = $50
Teixeira 30hr = $60
Thames 12hr = $24
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Berkman 1hr = $2
Total = $374
No Bothan spies died transmitting the events of this game.
The Bad
Where do you start, the Yankees left 16 men on base, Posada struck out 3 times in 3 at bats, and we twice loaded the bases to no avail. Where the offense was bad, the pitching was ugly.
The Ugly
Pitching. While the offense missed several chances to break the game open, the pitching allowed 10 runs essentially burying the Yankees. These 10 runs include a bases loaded walk by Sabathia, and 3 consecutive plunkings to drive in a run by Vazquez. Against a competitor, this just won't cut it.
Silver Lining?
At least Thames hit a homerun last night dropping two additional dollars into the Children's Health Fund coffers.
Posada 18hr = $36
Granderson 21hr = $42
Cano 28hr = $56
Swisher 27hr = $54
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 25hr = $50
Teixeira 30hr = $60
Thames 12hr = $24
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Berkman 1hr = $2
Total = $374
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Rain Not Kind to Yankees
The Good
Jeter's continued his surge to save his numbers with a pair of hits in last night's game. Burnett appeared to be doing well before the rain out, which I suppose is good. Berkman hit a solo homerun.
The Bad
Despite a decent showing through 3 innings, Burnett was stuck with the loss giving him a 10-14 record on the season. The biggest difference for Burnett between last season and this one is that he used to watch 300 before every start last season, where now he watches Sense and Sensibility. It apparently hasn't produced the results we all hope for on the mound.
The Ugly
4 releivers, 6 innings, 6 runs, ugly.
At Least A Child Was Helped
Lance Berkman hit a solo shot for the children, but that was probably the only reedemable part of last night's offense.
Posada 18hr = $36
Granderson 21hr = $42
Cano 28hr = $56
Swisher 27hr = $54
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 25hr = $50
Teixeira 30hr = $60
Thames 11hr = $22
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Berkman 1hr = $2
Total = $372
Jeter's continued his surge to save his numbers with a pair of hits in last night's game. Burnett appeared to be doing well before the rain out, which I suppose is good. Berkman hit a solo homerun.
The Bad
Despite a decent showing through 3 innings, Burnett was stuck with the loss giving him a 10-14 record on the season. The biggest difference for Burnett between last season and this one is that he used to watch 300 before every start last season, where now he watches Sense and Sensibility. It apparently hasn't produced the results we all hope for on the mound.
The Ugly
4 releivers, 6 innings, 6 runs, ugly.
At Least A Child Was Helped
Lance Berkman hit a solo shot for the children, but that was probably the only reedemable part of last night's offense.
Posada 18hr = $36
Granderson 21hr = $42
Cano 28hr = $56
Swisher 27hr = $54
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 25hr = $50
Teixeira 30hr = $60
Thames 11hr = $22
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Berkman 1hr = $2
Total = $372
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Yanks Take Second Game from Rays
The Good
Phil Hughes gave us 6.1 innings of three run ball. The Yankees scored five runs in the first, giving us all the offense we would need. Then they gave us some more offense, just to maintain the five run lead.
The Bad
five walks isn't great, but Hughes limited the damage.
The Ugly
As best I can tell, the Rays used every pitcher on their roster in last night's game. Is Girardi ghost managing the Rays?
I Sort of Expected More
Considering the score, I expected more than one solo shot from Swisher, but that's all we got. Sorry folks.
Posada 18hr = $36
Granderson 21hr = $42
Cano 28hr = $56
Swisher 27hr = $54
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 25hr = $50
Teixeira 30hr = $60
Thames 11hr = $22
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Total = $370
Phil Hughes gave us 6.1 innings of three run ball. The Yankees scored five runs in the first, giving us all the offense we would need. Then they gave us some more offense, just to maintain the five run lead.
The Bad
five walks isn't great, but Hughes limited the damage.
The Ugly
As best I can tell, the Rays used every pitcher on their roster in last night's game. Is Girardi ghost managing the Rays?
I Sort of Expected More
Considering the score, I expected more than one solo shot from Swisher, but that's all we got. Sorry folks.
Posada 18hr = $36
Granderson 21hr = $42
Cano 28hr = $56
Swisher 27hr = $54
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 25hr = $50
Teixeira 30hr = $60
Thames 11hr = $22
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Total = $370
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Yanks Take First Game of Series from Rays
The Good
Where to start. Ivan Nova gave us five scoreless innings, and allowed 3 runs over 5.2.
Is Kevin Long a wizard? He magically turned Granderson into a legitimate hitter with flashes of power in a matter of days. Congress should probably investigate whether having Kevin Long as your hitting coach is an unfair competitive advantage.
Lastly, with the AL East race so close, checking the box score every morning has the same anxious feel that it does during the playoffs. I haven't felt this way since last November, and it's nice to have it back.
The Bad
I guess Nova falling apart a bit in the sixth was bad, but the kid has really shown us something. He'll learn to avoid those sorts of innings with time, but he was one out away from a quality start. Not bad for a late season call-up slotted as our number five guy.
The Ugly
After the loss, Joe Maddon went into the visiting clubhouse and chewed out his players. "You lolligag around the bases," he said.
Immediately a hand went up. No one in the room knew what 'lolligag' meant, seeing as no one on the Rays is old enough to purchase alcohol legally in France. This ignorance of his old-timey sayings frustrated Maddon to no end. He then trashed the visiting clubhouse and made his players clean up the mess. Then he was all, "Now you know, and knowing is half the battle."
Immediately another hand went up. "Is that from a movie or something?" came the question. Maddon was pissed.
Just As We Expected
When Brian Cashman traded for Curtis Granderson last winter, we all expected him to hit at least thirty-five home runs. A day. For now, we'll live with two. For now.
Posada 18hr = $36
Granderson 21hr = $42
Cano 28hr = $56
Swisher 26hr = $52
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 25hr = $50
Teixeira 30hr = $60
Thames 11hr = $22
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Total = $368
Where to start. Ivan Nova gave us five scoreless innings, and allowed 3 runs over 5.2.
Is Kevin Long a wizard? He magically turned Granderson into a legitimate hitter with flashes of power in a matter of days. Congress should probably investigate whether having Kevin Long as your hitting coach is an unfair competitive advantage.
Lastly, with the AL East race so close, checking the box score every morning has the same anxious feel that it does during the playoffs. I haven't felt this way since last November, and it's nice to have it back.
The Bad
I guess Nova falling apart a bit in the sixth was bad, but the kid has really shown us something. He'll learn to avoid those sorts of innings with time, but he was one out away from a quality start. Not bad for a late season call-up slotted as our number five guy.
The Ugly
After the loss, Joe Maddon went into the visiting clubhouse and chewed out his players. "You lolligag around the bases," he said.
Immediately a hand went up. No one in the room knew what 'lolligag' meant, seeing as no one on the Rays is old enough to purchase alcohol legally in France. This ignorance of his old-timey sayings frustrated Maddon to no end. He then trashed the visiting clubhouse and made his players clean up the mess. Then he was all, "Now you know, and knowing is half the battle."
Immediately another hand went up. "Is that from a movie or something?" came the question. Maddon was pissed.
Just As We Expected
When Brian Cashman traded for Curtis Granderson last winter, we all expected him to hit at least thirty-five home runs. A day. For now, we'll live with two. For now.
Posada 18hr = $36
Granderson 21hr = $42
Cano 28hr = $56
Swisher 26hr = $52
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 25hr = $50
Teixeira 30hr = $60
Thames 11hr = $22
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Total = $368
Monday, September 20, 2010
Yanks Take Chance to Sweep and Throw It Out the Window
The Good
Pettitte pitched well in his first game back, going six strong innings, allowing only 1 run.
The Bad
As the starting pitching is beginning to stabilize, the bullpen is starting to destabilize. It's called balance.
The Ugly
Missed offensive opportunities, runs allowed by both Mo and Wood, the Knicks, all these things are ugly. Then the Giants go and lose to Indianapolis. Man, just a tough day for New York sports fans.
Just Plain Selfishness
No home runs, no donations to the kids. That's messed up.
Posada 18hr = $36
Granderson 19hr = $38
Cano 28hr = $56
Swisher 26hr = $52
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 25hr = $50
Teixeira 30hr = $60
Thames 11hr = $22
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Total = $364
Pettitte pitched well in his first game back, going six strong innings, allowing only 1 run.
The Bad
As the starting pitching is beginning to stabilize, the bullpen is starting to destabilize. It's called balance.
The Ugly
Missed offensive opportunities, runs allowed by both Mo and Wood, the Knicks, all these things are ugly. Then the Giants go and lose to Indianapolis. Man, just a tough day for New York sports fans.
Just Plain Selfishness
No home runs, no donations to the kids. That's messed up.
Posada 18hr = $36
Granderson 19hr = $38
Cano 28hr = $56
Swisher 26hr = $52
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 25hr = $50
Teixeira 30hr = $60
Thames 11hr = $22
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Total = $364
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Yanks Take Blowout in Baltimore
The Good
CC earned his 20th win of the year, the first pitcher in Major League Baseball to do so. Ever. Named CC. Cano hit his 28th home run. Could a 30 home run season be in his future? Teixeira, Cano, A-Rod are the first trio of Yankees infielders to reach 100 RBI in the same season.
The Bad
Guthrie hit Derek Jeter in the first at-bat of the game. Jeter wasn't bothered by the plunking, as getting hit is a big part of his game. Guthrie also wasn't bothered by the plunking, as hitting people is a big part of his game.
The Ugly
After the game, Buck Showalter was despondent. Another loss like this and people will stop acting as though he's the greatest manager who ever lived. He really needs his team to come through for him tomorrow.
Home Runs
I'm not particularly inspired today, so let's just say that Cano and Granderson each had a home run in this game.
Posada 18hr = $36
Granderson 19hr = $38
Cano 28hr = $56
Swisher 26hr = $52
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 25hr = $50
Teixeira 30hr = $60
Thames 11hr = $22
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Total = $364
CC earned his 20th win of the year, the first pitcher in Major League Baseball to do so. Ever. Named CC. Cano hit his 28th home run. Could a 30 home run season be in his future? Teixeira, Cano, A-Rod are the first trio of Yankees infielders to reach 100 RBI in the same season.
The Bad
Guthrie hit Derek Jeter in the first at-bat of the game. Jeter wasn't bothered by the plunking, as getting hit is a big part of his game. Guthrie also wasn't bothered by the plunking, as hitting people is a big part of his game.
The Ugly
After the game, Buck Showalter was despondent. Another loss like this and people will stop acting as though he's the greatest manager who ever lived. He really needs his team to come through for him tomorrow.
Home Runs
I'm not particularly inspired today, so let's just say that Cano and Granderson each had a home run in this game.
Posada 18hr = $36
Granderson 19hr = $38
Cano 28hr = $56
Swisher 26hr = $52
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 25hr = $50
Teixeira 30hr = $60
Thames 11hr = $22
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Total = $364
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Yanks Take Close One In Baltimore
The Good
A-Rod had two home runs in last night's game, accounting for all four Yankee RBI. Of course, only the second home run was clutch, because building leads early in the game is for p*$$!#$. Burnett gave us 7 innings of 3 run ball. That's pretty good.
The Bad
Too bad the Yankees aren't interested in getting their starters wins anymore. AJ should have another W, but instead he has to settle for a no decision and slight improvement in ERA. He'll never win the Cy Young now.
The Ugly
AJ Burnett was playing hurt yesterday, pitching with a conspicuously black eye. AJ refused to comment, saying that there were more important things going on. But it doesn't take a genius to figure out what happened. AJ plays on the Yankees with a catcher named Jorge Posada, who has a history of fighting pitchers who are underperforming. Clearly, Posada punched him in the face for good measure, just in case AJ was thinking of having another one of those great three inning outings where he buries the team before they even have a chance to finish stretching.
It's The A-Rod Show
A-Rod should hurt his calf every year. He's been doing quite well for himself since coming back from the DL. Two home runs last night and all Yankee RBI. Not bad.
Posada 18hr = $36
Granderson 18hr = $36
Cano 27hr = $54
Swisher 26hr = $52
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 25hr = $50
Teixeira 30hr = $60
Thames 11hr = $22
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Total = $360
A-Rod had two home runs in last night's game, accounting for all four Yankee RBI. Of course, only the second home run was clutch, because building leads early in the game is for p*$$!#$. Burnett gave us 7 innings of 3 run ball. That's pretty good.
The Bad
Too bad the Yankees aren't interested in getting their starters wins anymore. AJ should have another W, but instead he has to settle for a no decision and slight improvement in ERA. He'll never win the Cy Young now.
The Ugly
AJ Burnett was playing hurt yesterday, pitching with a conspicuously black eye. AJ refused to comment, saying that there were more important things going on. But it doesn't take a genius to figure out what happened. AJ plays on the Yankees with a catcher named Jorge Posada, who has a history of fighting pitchers who are underperforming. Clearly, Posada punched him in the face for good measure, just in case AJ was thinking of having another one of those great three inning outings where he buries the team before they even have a chance to finish stretching.
It's The A-Rod Show
A-Rod should hurt his calf every year. He's been doing quite well for himself since coming back from the DL. Two home runs last night and all Yankee RBI. Not bad.
Posada 18hr = $36
Granderson 18hr = $36
Cano 27hr = $54
Swisher 26hr = $52
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 25hr = $50
Teixeira 30hr = $60
Thames 11hr = $22
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Total = $360
Friday, September 17, 2010
Granderson, Take Caution!
Recently, we at the RJG have been reporting on a shocking New York Times report that more people in New York have been getting robbed by criminals wearing Yankee caps. In a recent interview, Granderson had this interesting quote:
"There's more people wearing the 'NY' stuff than I expected, just on a day-to-day basis...You see the Yankees hats, but just the amount of people who wear it and know about the team -- that's a little bit more than I expected."
However, any one of those "NY" hat wearing citizens could be violent criminals out to mug him at the drop of an interlocked NY hat. The truly concerning piece is that I don't know that Granderson realizes the danger. As he said:
"I'll be walking down the street and all of a sudden, a random person 100 feet away will yell out, 'Curtis!' and I'll have no clue how he could recognize me."
Run Granderson! Its not safe! Unless they're wearing a Mets hat, then they probably just need a hug.
"There's more people wearing the 'NY' stuff than I expected, just on a day-to-day basis...You see the Yankees hats, but just the amount of people who wear it and know about the team -- that's a little bit more than I expected."
However, any one of those "NY" hat wearing citizens could be violent criminals out to mug him at the drop of an interlocked NY hat. The truly concerning piece is that I don't know that Granderson realizes the danger. As he said:
"I'll be walking down the street and all of a sudden, a random person 100 feet away will yell out, 'Curtis!' and I'll have no clue how he could recognize me."
Run Granderson! Its not safe! Unless they're wearing a Mets hat, then they probably just need a hug.
Was Jeter Wrong for Faking?
There has been a lot of discussion lately on this blog, the media, around Baseball, and in Congress, over whether or not Jeter should have acted as though he was hit by a pitch in the seventh inning of Wednesday's game in Tampa. While a Congressional hearing will probably be scheduled, it seems only right that the blog best known for respecting Jeter's gangster do a comprehensive review that should probably inform all future discussions of the event.
First, we lay out the situation. Jeter was up at the plate, representing the tying run in a 1-2 ball game. Were he to get on base, it would put Curtis Granderson in a position to display that famous power from the left side we all dreamed about when Bronny Cash traded for him. Then, a pitch inside, a quick pulling in of the hands by Jeter. The ball strikes. Something. What? No one is sure. But the ball rolls into fair territory where it is picked up by the pitcher and thrown to first. By then the ump had already called Jeter hit by the pitch, but Maddon was on his way out to argue. This all happens in about 9/10s of second, according to the RJG atomic clock/stopwatch.
Jeter, aware of the situation, had to act fast. The following is a transcript of what transpired.
[distinct sound of ball hitting the knob of a bat]
Jeter: Oh f*@k! My hand! My f*@king hand! S#!t! There's so much pain. F*@k.
Umpire: Take your base.
Jeter: I've never felt so much f*@king pain. I think I may have to sit out the rest of the season. F*@k.
[Jeter throws himself to the ground in agony as Joe Maddon begins arguing with the home plate umpire].
Maddon: That ball hit the bat. It's a fair ball and he's out. The throw beat him to first.
Jeter [still on the ground]: F*@k. S#!t. Minka's not going to love me anymore.
Umpire: He's clearly hurt. My ruling stands.
Maddon: That's bulls#!t. Unless one of my players did it, but you have to make that call!
Umpire: the call is take your base.
Jeter: I think my pancreas is shutting down. Oh f*@k. Somebody call a priest!
[Girardi and Geno reach Jeter, still writhing in agony on the ground and slyly gagging himself in order to induce vomiting]
Girardi: Keep it up Jete, we're almost home free.
Geno: I'll start wrapping your ankle for no apparent reason. Just stay down.
[Exasperated Maddon, unable to convince the umpiring crew, heads back to the dugout. Jeter gets up, and calmly jogs over to first base].
So did Jeter cross the line? Clearly he did not. He didn't start crying, which would have violated the unwritten rule that there's no crying in baseball. He didn't cross the pitcher's mound, or show up his manager. He also wasn't swinging away on a 3-0 pitch in a blowout game. The only conclusion is that Jeter displayed an extraordinary level of gamemanship. It's like when you're playing checkers, and someone sets you up for a quadruple jump. You don't tell the guy what he's doing. You sit there expressionless until he lifts his finger off the game piece, then you yell "buyaka!" as you quadruple jump his @$$.
How has this affected Jeter's legacy? Positively. We all knew Jeter could slap hit the other way, and run out every ground ball, and do that amazing jump throw, but now we know that Jeter can curse and act his way onto first whenever he needs to.
First, we lay out the situation. Jeter was up at the plate, representing the tying run in a 1-2 ball game. Were he to get on base, it would put Curtis Granderson in a position to display that famous power from the left side we all dreamed about when Bronny Cash traded for him. Then, a pitch inside, a quick pulling in of the hands by Jeter. The ball strikes. Something. What? No one is sure. But the ball rolls into fair territory where it is picked up by the pitcher and thrown to first. By then the ump had already called Jeter hit by the pitch, but Maddon was on his way out to argue. This all happens in about 9/10s of second, according to the RJG atomic clock/stopwatch.
Jeter, aware of the situation, had to act fast. The following is a transcript of what transpired.
[distinct sound of ball hitting the knob of a bat]
Jeter: Oh f*@k! My hand! My f*@king hand! S#!t! There's so much pain. F*@k.
Umpire: Take your base.
Jeter: I've never felt so much f*@king pain. I think I may have to sit out the rest of the season. F*@k.
[Jeter throws himself to the ground in agony as Joe Maddon begins arguing with the home plate umpire].
Maddon: That ball hit the bat. It's a fair ball and he's out. The throw beat him to first.
Jeter [still on the ground]: F*@k. S#!t. Minka's not going to love me anymore.
Umpire: He's clearly hurt. My ruling stands.
Maddon: That's bulls#!t. Unless one of my players did it, but you have to make that call!
Umpire: the call is take your base.
Jeter: I think my pancreas is shutting down. Oh f*@k. Somebody call a priest!
[Girardi and Geno reach Jeter, still writhing in agony on the ground and slyly gagging himself in order to induce vomiting]
Girardi: Keep it up Jete, we're almost home free.
Geno: I'll start wrapping your ankle for no apparent reason. Just stay down.
[Exasperated Maddon, unable to convince the umpiring crew, heads back to the dugout. Jeter gets up, and calmly jogs over to first base].
So did Jeter cross the line? Clearly he did not. He didn't start crying, which would have violated the unwritten rule that there's no crying in baseball. He didn't cross the pitcher's mound, or show up his manager. He also wasn't swinging away on a 3-0 pitch in a blowout game. The only conclusion is that Jeter displayed an extraordinary level of gamemanship. It's like when you're playing checkers, and someone sets you up for a quadruple jump. You don't tell the guy what he's doing. You sit there expressionless until he lifts his finger off the game piece, then you yell "buyaka!" as you quadruple jump his @$$.
How has this affected Jeter's legacy? Positively. We all knew Jeter could slap hit the other way, and run out every ground ball, and do that amazing jump throw, but now we know that Jeter can curse and act his way onto first whenever he needs to.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Why Fox Should Not Be Allowed To Cover Baseball
Did you want more evidence beyond having Joe Buck as a commentator that Fox should not be allowed near baseball? Allow me to submit this piece of evidence, an article on Fox sports asking fans to vote whether Jeter was a cheat for faking the hit by pitch in yesterdays game. Cheating would mean that you broke a rule of the game in order to give an unfair advantage. As far as I know, faking a HBP is not against the rules, its good baseball. I've seen many players do it, and to varying degrees of success. Jeter happened to pull it off quite well, does that mean he's a cheater? I don't think so. But leave it up to Fox's crack staff of sports analysts to come up with this one, plus a little help from the associated press I see, must be a slow playoff race, because this is just plain nonsense.
Yankees Push Over, Let Rays Drive
The Good
Hughes pitched pretty well. Jeter showed that he's been taking acting tips from Minka.
The Bad
Another loss, another day in second place. For whatever reason, the Yankees are a different team without Swish and Gardner. I suspect Swish more than Gardner. Swish has some pop and can hit the ball out of the infield. Gardner basically runs really fast. That's cool, but you can't score a man from second on an infield single.
The Ugly
The New York Times is reporting that criminals in New York are often wearing Yankees caps when they commit their crimes.
The average mugging in New York goes something like this:
[Mugger approaches wearing Yankees cap]
Mugger: Give me all your money!
Victim: Okay. Here. Hey do you know the score?
Mugger: Yeah, the Yanks won. CC went 8, only gave up 2 runs.
Victim: Mo closed it?
Mugger: No, he was unavailable after pitching the last two days. Robertson closed.
Victim: Thanks.
Of course, the causal connections are unclear. Does wearing a Yankees hat, by endowing you with the team's sense of entitlement, make you feel like you can get away with any crime? Do the crimes generally happen after Yankee losses, in which case they are totally understandable? Could it be that the criminals simply live in New York? There's no way to tell.
Regardless, the best sentence in the article is the following: "The Queens robbery suspect was last seen with a Yankees cap on his head." Damn. Robbed in Queens by a guy with a Yankees hat? That's just adding insult to injury. Touche.
Those Acting Classes Are Finally Paying Off
With Jeter on base after his HBP, Granderson hit a two-run home run, putting the Yankees ahead for an entire half inning.
Posada 18hr = $36
Granderson 18hr = $36
Cano 27hr = $54
Swisher 26hr = $52
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 23hr = $46
Teixeira 30hr = $60
Thames 11hr = $22
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Total = $356
Hughes pitched pretty well. Jeter showed that he's been taking acting tips from Minka.
The Bad
Another loss, another day in second place. For whatever reason, the Yankees are a different team without Swish and Gardner. I suspect Swish more than Gardner. Swish has some pop and can hit the ball out of the infield. Gardner basically runs really fast. That's cool, but you can't score a man from second on an infield single.
The Ugly
The New York Times is reporting that criminals in New York are often wearing Yankees caps when they commit their crimes.
The average mugging in New York goes something like this:
[Mugger approaches wearing Yankees cap]
Mugger: Give me all your money!
Victim: Okay. Here. Hey do you know the score?
Mugger: Yeah, the Yanks won. CC went 8, only gave up 2 runs.
Victim: Mo closed it?
Mugger: No, he was unavailable after pitching the last two days. Robertson closed.
Victim: Thanks.
Of course, the causal connections are unclear. Does wearing a Yankees hat, by endowing you with the team's sense of entitlement, make you feel like you can get away with any crime? Do the crimes generally happen after Yankee losses, in which case they are totally understandable? Could it be that the criminals simply live in New York? There's no way to tell.
Regardless, the best sentence in the article is the following: "The Queens robbery suspect was last seen with a Yankees cap on his head." Damn. Robbed in Queens by a guy with a Yankees hat? That's just adding insult to injury. Touche.
Those Acting Classes Are Finally Paying Off
With Jeter on base after his HBP, Granderson hit a two-run home run, putting the Yankees ahead for an entire half inning.
Posada 18hr = $36
Granderson 18hr = $36
Cano 27hr = $54
Swisher 26hr = $52
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 23hr = $46
Teixeira 30hr = $60
Thames 11hr = $22
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Total = $356
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Yankees in the Driver's Seat
The Good
Jorge Posada can still hit. That 10th inning home run went deep, so deep, so deep, put Tampa Bay to sleep. Today was a good day. Mid 90s Ice Cube references are also good. We don't have a 'The Spectacular' section, but if we did, it would be all about Greg Golson's throw from right field to nab Carl Crawford at third to end the game. The best part was, I'm pretty sure Crawford was crying.
The Bad
Poor Ivan Nova. The young pitcher did what young pitcher's do, he got flustered once he started putting men on base in the fifth. This is a natural part of a pitcher's development, and his first four innings of work should give anyone a lot of confidence in this young man's future. But last night, in the fifth, he was bad.
The Ugly
For the second night in a row, a third out was made at third base. When asked about his mistake, Crawford responded, "At least I'm not afraid of wasps," a clear shot at Brett Gardner.
When Gardner was told about Crawford's comment, he responded sharply. "He's just upset because my speed and skills in the outfield basically mean the Yankees aren't going to bother to sign him anymore. He just wishes he could make the third out at third base for the Yankees, and not the Rays." Ouch.
When Crawford was told about Gardner's response, he was all, "Oh yeah?!" When a member of the media responded, "Yeah," Crawford quickly turned around and bolted out of the clubhouse. We would've given chase but he's pretty fast and we're pretty out of shape.
Bombers Allowed to Take Off in Dome
The Yankees finally hit some home runs. Cano, A-Rod, and Posada each had one.
Posada 18hr = $36
Granderson 17hr = $34
Cano 27hr = $54
Swisher 26hr = $52
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 23hr = $46
Teixeira 30hr = $60
Thames 11hr = $22
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Total = $354
Jorge Posada can still hit. That 10th inning home run went deep, so deep, so deep, put Tampa Bay to sleep. Today was a good day. Mid 90s Ice Cube references are also good. We don't have a 'The Spectacular' section, but if we did, it would be all about Greg Golson's throw from right field to nab Carl Crawford at third to end the game. The best part was, I'm pretty sure Crawford was crying.
The Bad
Poor Ivan Nova. The young pitcher did what young pitcher's do, he got flustered once he started putting men on base in the fifth. This is a natural part of a pitcher's development, and his first four innings of work should give anyone a lot of confidence in this young man's future. But last night, in the fifth, he was bad.
The Ugly
For the second night in a row, a third out was made at third base. When asked about his mistake, Crawford responded, "At least I'm not afraid of wasps," a clear shot at Brett Gardner.
When Gardner was told about Crawford's comment, he responded sharply. "He's just upset because my speed and skills in the outfield basically mean the Yankees aren't going to bother to sign him anymore. He just wishes he could make the third out at third base for the Yankees, and not the Rays." Ouch.
When Crawford was told about Gardner's response, he was all, "Oh yeah?!" When a member of the media responded, "Yeah," Crawford quickly turned around and bolted out of the clubhouse. We would've given chase but he's pretty fast and we're pretty out of shape.
Bombers Allowed to Take Off in Dome
The Yankees finally hit some home runs. Cano, A-Rod, and Posada each had one.
Posada 18hr = $36
Granderson 17hr = $34
Cano 27hr = $54
Swisher 26hr = $52
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 23hr = $46
Teixeira 30hr = $60
Thames 11hr = $22
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Total = $354
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
I Don't Want to Talk About It
The Good
The Yankees are playing crippled, but they kept the game tied at zero for 10+ innings. Granted, we had CC starting and our bullpen has largely been consistently good, so no surprises there I guess.
The Bad
Losing a 0-1 game is never good. It hurts. Our offense is struggling. Not having Swish, Gardner, or Posada/A-Rod on a regular basis doesn't help. But this team should be able to score one run in a game where only Swish and Gardner are missing. Sure, those guys tend to see a lot of pitches, but still. Sure, David Price was pitching. But still. One run guys. One run.
The Ugly
Gardner was picked off trying to steal third to end the top of the 10th. Everyone knows you never make the third out at third base. The worst part, however, was Gardner's explanation after the game.
"So I'm taking my lead from second, when suddenly, completely out of nowhere, this wasp appears. Those things don't lose their stinger man, they can sting you multiple times. You could die if you're allergic. So I just bolted. Next thing I know, the ump is all, 'You're out.' And I'm all pleading like, 'There was a wasp.' Umpires are d*%ks."
Asked if he was allergic to wasp stings, Gardner responded, "No."
The Bronx Singles Hitters
That should be our new nickname.
Posada 17hr = $34
Granderson 17hr = $34
Cano 26hr = $52
Swisher 26hr = $52
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 22hr = $44
Teixeira 30hr = $60
Thames 11hr = $22
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Total = $348
The Yankees are playing crippled, but they kept the game tied at zero for 10+ innings. Granted, we had CC starting and our bullpen has largely been consistently good, so no surprises there I guess.
The Bad
Losing a 0-1 game is never good. It hurts. Our offense is struggling. Not having Swish, Gardner, or Posada/A-Rod on a regular basis doesn't help. But this team should be able to score one run in a game where only Swish and Gardner are missing. Sure, those guys tend to see a lot of pitches, but still. Sure, David Price was pitching. But still. One run guys. One run.
The Ugly
Gardner was picked off trying to steal third to end the top of the 10th. Everyone knows you never make the third out at third base. The worst part, however, was Gardner's explanation after the game.
"So I'm taking my lead from second, when suddenly, completely out of nowhere, this wasp appears. Those things don't lose their stinger man, they can sting you multiple times. You could die if you're allergic. So I just bolted. Next thing I know, the ump is all, 'You're out.' And I'm all pleading like, 'There was a wasp.' Umpires are d*%ks."
Asked if he was allergic to wasp stings, Gardner responded, "No."
The Bronx Singles Hitters
That should be our new nickname.
Posada 17hr = $34
Granderson 17hr = $34
Cano 26hr = $52
Swisher 26hr = $52
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 22hr = $44
Teixeira 30hr = $60
Thames 11hr = $22
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Total = $348
Monday, September 13, 2010
Yankees Swept by Texas
The Good
Future Yankee Cliff Lee pitched exceptionally well yesterday. Next season should be interesting. Future Pirate Dustin Moseley also pitched very well, though he had some bad luck in the seventh.
The Bad
Sweeps are rarely good. Unless you're a floor that is. If you're a floor and you get swept, that's cool. But if you're the $200M Yankees and you get swept by a potential play-off competitor, that's bad. I'll go with bad on this one.
The Ugly
The current health of the Yankees is ugly. It's nice to have guys like Ramiro Pena and Francisco Cervelli when you need to give one of the vets a day off. It's not nice when we have to rely on them on a regular basis. Brett Gardner has a sore wrist, Swisher has a sore knee, A-Rod is still coming back from that calf injury, Jeter can't hit, Posada has a concussion like state of something vague, and Pettitte is still pitching in AA Trenton. That the Yankees played as well as they did in the first two games says a lot about this team. Here's hoping they get healthy before October.
The Most Troubling Stat of Them All
Zero. That's the number of home runs we hit in the entire series. I could try to nice that all up for you, but I won't. I won't do you the indignity of trying to put a good face on that.
Posada 17hr = $34
Granderson 17hr = $34
Cano 26hr = $52
Swisher 26hr = $52
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 22hr = $44
Teixeira 30hr = $60
Thames 11hr = $22
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Total = $348
Future Yankee Cliff Lee pitched exceptionally well yesterday. Next season should be interesting. Future Pirate Dustin Moseley also pitched very well, though he had some bad luck in the seventh.
The Bad
Sweeps are rarely good. Unless you're a floor that is. If you're a floor and you get swept, that's cool. But if you're the $200M Yankees and you get swept by a potential play-off competitor, that's bad. I'll go with bad on this one.
The Ugly
The current health of the Yankees is ugly. It's nice to have guys like Ramiro Pena and Francisco Cervelli when you need to give one of the vets a day off. It's not nice when we have to rely on them on a regular basis. Brett Gardner has a sore wrist, Swisher has a sore knee, A-Rod is still coming back from that calf injury, Jeter can't hit, Posada has a concussion like state of something vague, and Pettitte is still pitching in AA Trenton. That the Yankees played as well as they did in the first two games says a lot about this team. Here's hoping they get healthy before October.
The Most Troubling Stat of Them All
Zero. That's the number of home runs we hit in the entire series. I could try to nice that all up for you, but I won't. I won't do you the indignity of trying to put a good face on that.
Posada 17hr = $34
Granderson 17hr = $34
Cano 26hr = $52
Swisher 26hr = $52
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 22hr = $44
Teixeira 30hr = $60
Thames 11hr = $22
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Total = $348
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Pet Rock Forces Yankees Loss
The Good
Before the game there was a buzz throughout the clubhouse. Nick Swisher had arrived with his new pet rock, named Charlie. Nobody else had one and everyone wanted to hold it.
The Bad
The pet rock proved to be a bit of a distraction. No one paid any attention whatsoever during the pregame review of the scouting reports. Everyone was too focused on what they would name their pet rock once they got their parents to buy one for them.
The Ugly
The Yankees many missed opportunities from last night are the story of the game in the liberal corporate controlled right wing media, but we dug deeper for you, our beloved readers.
Jeter at one point grounded out with the go ahead run at third. Many attribute this to Jeter's season long struggles at the plate. Jeter had a different take, however. "Who the f@%k names their pet rock, Charlie? That's so awesome. When I went up there, with the go-ahead run on third, all I could think about was, 'What color should my pet rock be and what should I name it?'"
After a follow up question, Jeter responded, "I decided to name it Ferdinand Piscopo, combining my favorite assassinated Hapsburg with my favorite 80s era celebrity."
Our Level of Compassion Is Worse Than the Mets
No home runs last night. No extra dollars for the kids. For shame.
Posada 17hr = $34
Granderson 17hr = $34
Cano 26hr = $52
Swisher 26hr = $52
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 22hr = $44
Teixeira 30hr = $60
Thames 11hr = $22
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Total = $348
Before the game there was a buzz throughout the clubhouse. Nick Swisher had arrived with his new pet rock, named Charlie. Nobody else had one and everyone wanted to hold it.
The Bad
The pet rock proved to be a bit of a distraction. No one paid any attention whatsoever during the pregame review of the scouting reports. Everyone was too focused on what they would name their pet rock once they got their parents to buy one for them.
The Ugly
The Yankees many missed opportunities from last night are the story of the game in the liberal corporate controlled right wing media, but we dug deeper for you, our beloved readers.
Jeter at one point grounded out with the go ahead run at third. Many attribute this to Jeter's season long struggles at the plate. Jeter had a different take, however. "Who the f@%k names their pet rock, Charlie? That's so awesome. When I went up there, with the go-ahead run on third, all I could think about was, 'What color should my pet rock be and what should I name it?'"
After a follow up question, Jeter responded, "I decided to name it Ferdinand Piscopo, combining my favorite assassinated Hapsburg with my favorite 80s era celebrity."
Our Level of Compassion Is Worse Than the Mets
No home runs last night. No extra dollars for the kids. For shame.
Posada 17hr = $34
Granderson 17hr = $34
Cano 26hr = $52
Swisher 26hr = $52
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 22hr = $44
Teixeira 30hr = $60
Thames 11hr = $22
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Total = $348
Friday, September 10, 2010
Karma?
The Mets' Johan Santana is now set to have surgery on his pitching shoulder. It may be the karmic effects of his teammates' hatred for freedom, but, if nothing else, it vindicates Bronny Cash's decision not to trade the farm for Santana back in '07. No one could've foreseen these events at the time. No one except Bronny Cash that is. It's also the reason he didn't draft Stephen Strasburg. It's also the reason he never traded for Ben Sheets. Man, Cash is good.
Ugh
More sanctimony from the media. This time Jeff Pearlman of SI.com is chastising Beltran, Castillo, and Perez for not visiting Walter Reed. The thing is, according to Pearlman, those three don't realize how precious and short-lived a thing fame is, and so now they're just being self-centered.
Here's the thing, I'm not really interested in defending the players for not making the visit. That said, I don't want to psychoanalyze them as though they come over, sit on my couch, and tell me about their feelings on a regular basis. We can all sit here and opine about how horrible and self-centered they are, divining their motivations from afar, but none of us knows these guys to begin with, including Pearlman (though he's probably met more of them than most of us have).
My bigger issue, however, is the spectacle of a guy who makes a living by treating athletes like the center of the universe chastising athletes for thinking they're the center of the universe. These guys throw and hit a ball for a living. Pearlman devotes his life to writing about guys who throw and hit a ball for a living. He's part of that population of hagiographers we know as sports media (in fact, he takes this column as an opportunity to extend the hagiographies of Torii Hunter and a few others). If you think athletes think too much of themselves, devoting your life to recording their exploits may be a bad way to go of convincing them they owe us more.
But that's the issue, isn't it. The athletes actually don't owe us anything. The fact that they get paid millions to play a kid's game, or that we pay $40 for a ticket (Pearlman must be getting discounted prices) to watch them play, doesn't create a set of obligations to the fans, or the soldiers, or the babies, or anyone else. In fact, thinking so really only suggests that we think of ourselves as the center of the universe. To say the athlete owes us something simply because they make millions doing something we want to watch is to increase our own level of self importance; to make ourselves central. We are in some way slighted when athletes, who have nothing to do with us, don't act in the way we think they should. Maybe Beltran, Castillo, and Perez should've been at Walter Reed, but if so it's certainly not because they owed us, or the soldiers for that matter (I know, it's politically incorrect but it has to be said), anything. If the only reason we can come up with for why it's wrong that they weren't present is that it somehow insults us, or elevates them above us (and let's be honest, the soldiers in this story are really just a stand-in for us, the regular joe), then we are dealing with our own self-centeredness, not theirs.
Here's the thing, I'm not really interested in defending the players for not making the visit. That said, I don't want to psychoanalyze them as though they come over, sit on my couch, and tell me about their feelings on a regular basis. We can all sit here and opine about how horrible and self-centered they are, divining their motivations from afar, but none of us knows these guys to begin with, including Pearlman (though he's probably met more of them than most of us have).
My bigger issue, however, is the spectacle of a guy who makes a living by treating athletes like the center of the universe chastising athletes for thinking they're the center of the universe. These guys throw and hit a ball for a living. Pearlman devotes his life to writing about guys who throw and hit a ball for a living. He's part of that population of hagiographers we know as sports media (in fact, he takes this column as an opportunity to extend the hagiographies of Torii Hunter and a few others). If you think athletes think too much of themselves, devoting your life to recording their exploits may be a bad way to go of convincing them they owe us more.
But that's the issue, isn't it. The athletes actually don't owe us anything. The fact that they get paid millions to play a kid's game, or that we pay $40 for a ticket (Pearlman must be getting discounted prices) to watch them play, doesn't create a set of obligations to the fans, or the soldiers, or the babies, or anyone else. In fact, thinking so really only suggests that we think of ourselves as the center of the universe. To say the athlete owes us something simply because they make millions doing something we want to watch is to increase our own level of self importance; to make ourselves central. We are in some way slighted when athletes, who have nothing to do with us, don't act in the way we think they should. Maybe Beltran, Castillo, and Perez should've been at Walter Reed, but if so it's certainly not because they owed us, or the soldiers for that matter (I know, it's politically incorrect but it has to be said), anything. If the only reason we can come up with for why it's wrong that they weren't present is that it somehow insults us, or elevates them above us (and let's be honest, the soldiers in this story are really just a stand-in for us, the regular joe), then we are dealing with our own self-centeredness, not theirs.
The Playoff Matchup?
Tonight we begin a a 6-game stretch against two potential playoff opponents, the Rangers and the Rays. The good news is that we'll see how this team matches up against legitimate contenders. The bad news is that we'll see how this team matches up against legitimate contenders. After dropping the first two games against the Orioles I lost a little bit of confidence in the Yankees. But starting tonight they could either regain their swagger, or go the way of the '97 Yankees, a good team that just wasn't great. In the American League there are only two teams we have losing records against, Toronto and Tampa. I'm much more afraid of Tampa than I am of Texas, but given how good they've played we're bound to see Tampa in the playoffs at some point or another. Toronto's not in the picture, and the Yankees always have that one team that seems to drill us in the regular season. That's Toronto. So here's to these two series. I think we're going to see the character of this team over the next 6 games. What do you think we'll see?
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Swish Protects Yanks from Embarrasment
The Good
Ivan Nova has been quite impressive thus far, adding 6 innings of 2 run ball under his belt. The bullpen combined for 3 innings and 6 strikeouts, not allowing a run. The best thing however, is that Nick Swisher cranked a walk off homerun with Nunez on base to win the game, and getting the customary pie in his face (I initially had said it was Cano on base, but someone caught me in my lie. I tried to deceive you all and for that I'm nominally sorry.).
The Bad
Though Nick Swisher got pied, a large portion of the whipped cream landed on YES announcer Kim Jones, who did not have a walk off hit that game. Swisher was upset that his spotlight was being shared, and refused to do the interview.
The Ugly
Another 0-4 night, has Jeter down to .262 on the season. He's hitting .125 in the last 10 games. Not pretty.
Swisher Shakes Hands With Babies
Nick Swisher's walk off homerun allowed $2 from the deep RJG coffers to be donated to the Children's Health Fund. Swisher then visited a children's hospital and shook the hands of many adoring babies. "Its all about the babies." Explained Swisher. "Winning games is cool, but making babies healthy is much cooler."
We agree.
Posada 17hr = $34
Granderson 17hr = $34
Cano 26hr = $52
Swisher 26hr = $52
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 22hr = $44
Teixeira 30hr = $60
Thames 11hr = $22
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Total = $348
Ivan Nova has been quite impressive thus far, adding 6 innings of 2 run ball under his belt. The bullpen combined for 3 innings and 6 strikeouts, not allowing a run. The best thing however, is that Nick Swisher cranked a walk off homerun with Nunez on base to win the game, and getting the customary pie in his face (I initially had said it was Cano on base, but someone caught me in my lie. I tried to deceive you all and for that I'm nominally sorry.).
The Bad
Though Nick Swisher got pied, a large portion of the whipped cream landed on YES announcer Kim Jones, who did not have a walk off hit that game. Swisher was upset that his spotlight was being shared, and refused to do the interview.
The Ugly
Another 0-4 night, has Jeter down to .262 on the season. He's hitting .125 in the last 10 games. Not pretty.
Swisher Shakes Hands With Babies
Nick Swisher's walk off homerun allowed $2 from the deep RJG coffers to be donated to the Children's Health Fund. Swisher then visited a children's hospital and shook the hands of many adoring babies. "Its all about the babies." Explained Swisher. "Winning games is cool, but making babies healthy is much cooler."
We agree.
Posada 17hr = $34
Granderson 17hr = $34
Cano 26hr = $52
Swisher 26hr = $52
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 22hr = $44
Teixeira 30hr = $60
Thames 11hr = $22
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Total = $348
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Should We Be Concerned?
The Good
I don't know anymore. Lance Berkman went 3-4 which is good I guess.
The Bad
I don't doubt that Sabathia will get his 20th win, but that he got rocked so bad by the Baltimore Orioles definitely falls in the bad category. 5 runs over 6.1 innings? Did Vazquez put on a Sabathia costume and pitch in his place?
The Ugly
No, seriously, we just lost the series with the Orioles. Is this all the Yankees can muster with the smell of October in the air?
Bronx Bombers Not in the Bronx
Which may explain their apparent inability to hit bombs. No homeruns yesterday, and no money for the babies. I would send them to their rooms to think about what they did, but they all have luxury suites with 70 inch plasma's, butlers, and marble floors and jacuzzi's. I don't think they'll learn their lesson.
Posada 17hr = $34
Granderson 17hr = $34
Cano 26hr = $52
Swisher 25hr = $50
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 22hr = $44
Teixeira 30hr = $60
Thames 11hr = $22
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Total = $346
I don't know anymore. Lance Berkman went 3-4 which is good I guess.
The Bad
I don't doubt that Sabathia will get his 20th win, but that he got rocked so bad by the Baltimore Orioles definitely falls in the bad category. 5 runs over 6.1 innings? Did Vazquez put on a Sabathia costume and pitch in his place?
The Ugly
No, seriously, we just lost the series with the Orioles. Is this all the Yankees can muster with the smell of October in the air?
Bronx Bombers Not in the Bronx
Which may explain their apparent inability to hit bombs. No homeruns yesterday, and no money for the babies. I would send them to their rooms to think about what they did, but they all have luxury suites with 70 inch plasma's, butlers, and marble floors and jacuzzi's. I don't think they'll learn their lesson.
Posada 17hr = $34
Granderson 17hr = $34
Cano 26hr = $52
Swisher 25hr = $50
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 22hr = $44
Teixeira 30hr = $60
Thames 11hr = $22
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Total = $346
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Burnett's Passable Start Cannot Overwhelm O's
The Good
Burnett had another goodish start going 7 innings and allowing 4 runs. That he escaped the third inning without having allowed 5+ runs is growth for him. Hopefully he will continue to build on this.
A-Rod hit a homerun and drove in a pair giving him his one millionth 100-RBI season since he started his playing career a million years ago with the Pangea Raptors.
The Bad
Jeter hit a double in his first at bat, which was promising. Two at bats later with runners on second and third, I thought for sure he would have his second hit of the game. Instead he grounded out. The good is that the double and that groundball were hit with authority. The Bad is that Jeter proved my prediction wrong. Maybe. The double could be the start of something huge. Massive. Like a .900 batting average for the rest of September.
The Ugly
A loss to the Orioles? Really? Our sources tell us that before the game manager Joe Girardi pulled the team together for a meeting. He gave a high energy speech telling them that he had penant fever and all of them have it too. When the players heard Girardi talking about penant fever, they thought it was a legitimate medical condition, and in a classic reverse placebo effect situation, they all started beleiving themselves to be very ill. Girardi clarified the meaning of penant fever after the game.
A-Rod's Back in Power
A-Rod, making up for lost time, hit a homerun for the babies. "I haven't contributed to them in a while. I felt it was my duty. Despite the penant fever." Explained A-Rod. That's $2 going to the Children's Health Fund from the RJG blog.
Posada 17hr = $34
Granderson 17hr = $34
Cano 26hr = $52
Swisher 25hr = $50
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 22hr = $44
Teixeira 30hr = $60
Thames 11hr = $22
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Total = $346
Burnett had another goodish start going 7 innings and allowing 4 runs. That he escaped the third inning without having allowed 5+ runs is growth for him. Hopefully he will continue to build on this.
A-Rod hit a homerun and drove in a pair giving him his one millionth 100-RBI season since he started his playing career a million years ago with the Pangea Raptors.
The Bad
Jeter hit a double in his first at bat, which was promising. Two at bats later with runners on second and third, I thought for sure he would have his second hit of the game. Instead he grounded out. The good is that the double and that groundball were hit with authority. The Bad is that Jeter proved my prediction wrong. Maybe. The double could be the start of something huge. Massive. Like a .900 batting average for the rest of September.
The Ugly
A loss to the Orioles? Really? Our sources tell us that before the game manager Joe Girardi pulled the team together for a meeting. He gave a high energy speech telling them that he had penant fever and all of them have it too. When the players heard Girardi talking about penant fever, they thought it was a legitimate medical condition, and in a classic reverse placebo effect situation, they all started beleiving themselves to be very ill. Girardi clarified the meaning of penant fever after the game.
A-Rod's Back in Power
A-Rod, making up for lost time, hit a homerun for the babies. "I haven't contributed to them in a while. I felt it was my duty. Despite the penant fever." Explained A-Rod. That's $2 going to the Children's Health Fund from the RJG blog.
Posada 17hr = $34
Granderson 17hr = $34
Cano 26hr = $52
Swisher 25hr = $50
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 22hr = $44
Teixeira 30hr = $60
Thames 11hr = $22
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Total = $346
Monday, September 6, 2010
It Starts Today
Its official, Derek Jeter begins his September tear today at 1:05pm. After another dissapointing game where he went 0-4, bringing his average down to .264 on the season, Derek Jeter is ready for his break out. Yes, I know we've been waiting for it all season, and yes, he has been a particular brand of horrible this year. But today, with an opposite field hit, the subtle awfulness will end, and the Derek Jeter we all know will come roaring back into the picture.
It really is hard seeing your favorite players age. We've been spoiled with players like Mariano Rivera who are able to buck the trend, but shortstop is a tough position, and unless your name is Omar Vizquel, playing there into your 40's is unlikely. We'll have to face that with Jorge Posada at some point, and maybe even Mariano, but right now we're facing it with Jeter. I remember in 2008, he was also struggling going into September. The whole team was. Only he picked it up over the last 4 weeks and ended with a .300 batting average. I remember there being talks of Jeter entering his decline and what not, only to see him have an amazing season in 2009. At the end of this season, Jeter enters what will likely be his final contract as a baseball player. That he will remain a Yankee is known, but how much the Yankees will pay and for how many years is not. Lets all hope that he begins his tear today and continues it over the next few years. Its all we really can do.
It really is hard seeing your favorite players age. We've been spoiled with players like Mariano Rivera who are able to buck the trend, but shortstop is a tough position, and unless your name is Omar Vizquel, playing there into your 40's is unlikely. We'll have to face that with Jorge Posada at some point, and maybe even Mariano, but right now we're facing it with Jeter. I remember in 2008, he was also struggling going into September. The whole team was. Only he picked it up over the last 4 weeks and ended with a .300 batting average. I remember there being talks of Jeter entering his decline and what not, only to see him have an amazing season in 2009. At the end of this season, Jeter enters what will likely be his final contract as a baseball player. That he will remain a Yankee is known, but how much the Yankees will pay and for how many years is not. Lets all hope that he begins his tear today and continues it over the next few years. Its all we really can do.
Hughes Bites the Hand that Feeds Him
The Good
In his first game back, A-Rod went two for five, with one RBI. The bullpen pitched decently as well, even though there was no real reason to try, seeing as Hughes had already sunk us with his best AJ Burnett impression.
The Bad
Phil Hughes allowed three home runs and six total runs in six innings of work. Clearly, Hughes has lost his way. That said, this year is like a college internship for Hughes: It's just good experience. By next year he should have that change-up that he supposedly developed in spring training and served as the ostensible reason for him getting the fifth starter spot over Joba. For now, what's important is that he can put this on his resume and it will look good to employers.
The Ugly
The Yankees had a heated, behind-closed-doors, clubhouse meeting after the embarrassing loss. Many angry accusations were bandied about, but it was ultimately decided that the Godfather II is better than the Godfather.
How Many Home Runs Must a Slugger Hit Before You Can Call Him a Slugger?
Probably more than zero, which is how many the Yankees had yesterday as a team.
Posada 17hr = $34
Granderson 17hr = $34
Cano 26hr = $52
Swisher 25hr = $50
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 21hr = $42
Teixeira 30hr = $60
Thames 11hr = $22
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Total = $344
In his first game back, A-Rod went two for five, with one RBI. The bullpen pitched decently as well, even though there was no real reason to try, seeing as Hughes had already sunk us with his best AJ Burnett impression.
The Bad
Phil Hughes allowed three home runs and six total runs in six innings of work. Clearly, Hughes has lost his way. That said, this year is like a college internship for Hughes: It's just good experience. By next year he should have that change-up that he supposedly developed in spring training and served as the ostensible reason for him getting the fifth starter spot over Joba. For now, what's important is that he can put this on his resume and it will look good to employers.
The Ugly
The Yankees had a heated, behind-closed-doors, clubhouse meeting after the embarrassing loss. Many angry accusations were bandied about, but it was ultimately decided that the Godfather II is better than the Godfather.
How Many Home Runs Must a Slugger Hit Before You Can Call Him a Slugger?
Probably more than zero, which is how many the Yankees had yesterday as a team.
Posada 17hr = $34
Granderson 17hr = $34
Cano 26hr = $52
Swisher 25hr = $50
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 21hr = $42
Teixeira 30hr = $60
Thames 11hr = $22
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Total = $344
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Yanks Keep Winning Streak Alive
The Good
The Yanks won again, which is always good. Javy Vazquez proved that I was right about keeping him in the 'pen. Being right, which I usually am, is also good. Bronny Cash signed Thames to a minor league deal last off-season. That was really good.
The Bad
I guess we have to give this one to Javy. He was bad, plain and simple. I made it pretty clear he should be in the 'pen, but no one listened to me. That's bad.
The Ugly
Javy is still in the rotation. We've won eight in a row so it doesn't bother me quite as much, but it's still ugly. It's not that I think Dustin Moseley is that much better than Vazquez, it's that Vazquez is probably our best long relief option; at least until Aceves comes off the DL (which is probably never).
He Done Done It Again
Thames hit another home run last night. It appears that Kevin Long's tinkering with Granderson's swing also improved Thames's swing by osmosis. Weird.
Posada 17hr = $34
Granderson 17hr = $34
Cano 26hr = $52
Swisher 25hr = $50
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 21hr = $42
Teixeira 30hr = $60
Thames 11hr = $22
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Total = $344
The Yanks won again, which is always good. Javy Vazquez proved that I was right about keeping him in the 'pen. Being right, which I usually am, is also good. Bronny Cash signed Thames to a minor league deal last off-season. That was really good.
The Bad
I guess we have to give this one to Javy. He was bad, plain and simple. I made it pretty clear he should be in the 'pen, but no one listened to me. That's bad.
The Ugly
Javy is still in the rotation. We've won eight in a row so it doesn't bother me quite as much, but it's still ugly. It's not that I think Dustin Moseley is that much better than Vazquez, it's that Vazquez is probably our best long relief option; at least until Aceves comes off the DL (which is probably never).
He Done Done It Again
Thames hit another home run last night. It appears that Kevin Long's tinkering with Granderson's swing also improved Thames's swing by osmosis. Weird.
Posada 17hr = $34
Granderson 17hr = $34
Cano 26hr = $52
Swisher 25hr = $50
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 21hr = $42
Teixeira 30hr = $60
Thames 11hr = $22
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Total = $344
Friday, September 3, 2010
Yanks Take First Game
The Good
The bullpen and offense were excellent, combining for another 'W'. Gardner and Granderson combined for pretty much all of our offense. After the game, the two insisted on being interviewed together and being referred to as the Double G Boyz. They were particularly insistent that 'Boyz' be spelled with a 'Z'. When members of the media refused, saying how stupid that was in the early 90s, let alone now, Jason Zillo closed the clubhouse to all media until Mike Lupica, the president of the BBWAA, New York chapter, apologized on behalf of all his colleagues.
The Bad
This offense has come roaring to life the past couple weeks. That's not bad for us, but it's bad for every other team. I don't know how, but the Yankees are organizationally different when the scent of October is in the air.
The Ugly
It's getting ugly out there for Derek Jeter, our beloved captain. We all respect his gangster; it's just that I miss being able to respect his hitting also. Joel Sherman thinks Jeter should be batting eighth or ninth. It's hard to ignore how off Jeter has been at the plate. The Yankees have barely even mustered a Major League best record as a result.
That's a Bit Odd
Despite the seven runs, the Yankees did not manage a single home run in yesterday's game. Tip your hat to the Toronto pitching staff who gave up hit after RBI hit but refused to be beaten by the long ball.
Posada 17hr = $34
Granderson 17hr = $34
Cano 26hr = $52
Swisher 25hr = $50
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 21hr = $42
Teixeira 30hr = $60
Thames 10hr = $20
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Total = $342
The bullpen and offense were excellent, combining for another 'W'. Gardner and Granderson combined for pretty much all of our offense. After the game, the two insisted on being interviewed together and being referred to as the Double G Boyz. They were particularly insistent that 'Boyz' be spelled with a 'Z'. When members of the media refused, saying how stupid that was in the early 90s, let alone now, Jason Zillo closed the clubhouse to all media until Mike Lupica, the president of the BBWAA, New York chapter, apologized on behalf of all his colleagues.
The Bad
This offense has come roaring to life the past couple weeks. That's not bad for us, but it's bad for every other team. I don't know how, but the Yankees are organizationally different when the scent of October is in the air.
The Ugly
It's getting ugly out there for Derek Jeter, our beloved captain. We all respect his gangster; it's just that I miss being able to respect his hitting also. Joel Sherman thinks Jeter should be batting eighth or ninth. It's hard to ignore how off Jeter has been at the plate. The Yankees have barely even mustered a Major League best record as a result.
That's a Bit Odd
Despite the seven runs, the Yankees did not manage a single home run in yesterday's game. Tip your hat to the Toronto pitching staff who gave up hit after RBI hit but refused to be beaten by the long ball.
Posada 17hr = $34
Granderson 17hr = $34
Cano 26hr = $52
Swisher 25hr = $50
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 21hr = $42
Teixeira 30hr = $60
Thames 10hr = $20
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Total = $342
Thursday, September 2, 2010
CC Finishes the Sweep
The Good
CC is now undefeatable. It's like he ate one of those magic stars in Mario Bros., or he broke open the starry box in Sonic, he just won't go down. He can run straight through the competition without even blinking.
The Bad
We only scored five runs. Sure, that was good enough for the win, but as a New York fan I have to nitpick about something.
The Ugly
After Granderson hit his second home run in consecutive innings, he declared that he was the greatest hitter in the world. Then it was pointed out to him that his average was lower than Derek Jeter's. Even Granderson had to acknowledge that was sad.
A Grand Ol' Time
Wow. Granderson is really getting hot right now. Whatever they're paying Kevin Long, they should double it, then triple it. Amazing. Two home runs from Granderson plus one from Posada, who's also been on a bit of a tear. The kids can't complain about that.
Posada 17hr = $34
Granderson 17hr = $34
Cano 26hr = $52
Swisher 25hr = $50
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 21hr = $42
Teixeira 30hr = $60
Thames 10hr = $20
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Total = $342
CC is now undefeatable. It's like he ate one of those magic stars in Mario Bros., or he broke open the starry box in Sonic, he just won't go down. He can run straight through the competition without even blinking.
The Bad
We only scored five runs. Sure, that was good enough for the win, but as a New York fan I have to nitpick about something.
The Ugly
After Granderson hit his second home run in consecutive innings, he declared that he was the greatest hitter in the world. Then it was pointed out to him that his average was lower than Derek Jeter's. Even Granderson had to acknowledge that was sad.
A Grand Ol' Time
Wow. Granderson is really getting hot right now. Whatever they're paying Kevin Long, they should double it, then triple it. Amazing. Two home runs from Granderson plus one from Posada, who's also been on a bit of a tear. The kids can't complain about that.
Posada 17hr = $34
Granderson 17hr = $34
Cano 26hr = $52
Swisher 25hr = $50
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 21hr = $42
Teixeira 30hr = $60
Thames 10hr = $20
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Total = $342
Burnett Gets His Win
The Good
Burnett has been the biggest question mark in our rotation this season, because of how inconsistant he can be. Over his last few starts, he was very consistant, only he was consistantly awful. Yesterdays start, 6 innings and 3 runs with 8 strikeouts was a welcome change for him. $16.5 million for a 10-12 record and an above 5 ERA just won't do.
On the offense side, Teixeira continues to mash! He went 3-4 last night with 3 RBI's. The man can hit. It just takes him half a season to remember how.
Also good, another scoreless effort by Kerry Wood and Mariano Rivera.
The Bad
No homeruns for the babies. Or for the fans. Everyone loses.
The Ugly
Posada got tossed arguing balls and strikes, but mostly strikes because you typically don't argue about getting a ball.
No Homeruns for the Babies
No homeruns last night means no money for the babies. Its a sad but true reality.
Posada 16hr = $32
Granderson 15hr = $30
Cano 26hr = $52
Swisher 25hr = $50
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 21hr = $42
Teixeira 30hr = $60
Thames 10hr = $20
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Total = $336
Burnett has been the biggest question mark in our rotation this season, because of how inconsistant he can be. Over his last few starts, he was very consistant, only he was consistantly awful. Yesterdays start, 6 innings and 3 runs with 8 strikeouts was a welcome change for him. $16.5 million for a 10-12 record and an above 5 ERA just won't do.
On the offense side, Teixeira continues to mash! He went 3-4 last night with 3 RBI's. The man can hit. It just takes him half a season to remember how.
Also good, another scoreless effort by Kerry Wood and Mariano Rivera.
The Bad
No homeruns for the babies. Or for the fans. Everyone loses.
The Ugly
Posada got tossed arguing balls and strikes, but mostly strikes because you typically don't argue about getting a ball.
No Homeruns for the Babies
No homeruns last night means no money for the babies. Its a sad but true reality.
Posada 16hr = $32
Granderson 15hr = $30
Cano 26hr = $52
Swisher 25hr = $50
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 21hr = $42
Teixeira 30hr = $60
Thames 10hr = $20
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Total = $336
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Investigative Journalism at Its Best
John Harper wrote this column in the Daily News regarding Jeter's hitting woes and how this may affect his contract negotiations this winter. The article contains quotes from two former teammates of Derek Jeter, who both speculate that Jeter will expect to get paid. Now over the years Jeter has played with countless teammates. You have t-ball league, pee wee league, little league, junior high team, high school team, travelling team, church softball team, multiple levels of minor leagues, plus all the Yankees teams Jeter has played for. That said, the two "anonymous" sources cited by Harper are Tino Martinez and John Flaherty. How do I know this? Well, both are former teammates of Jeter. Both were in New York covering the Yankees broadcast for the YES Network. Further, one of the comments, the one about Jeter being confident that he'll hit .330 next season, sounds curiously like something Tino Martinez said during one of the broadcasts (or was it Flaherty? Can't remember, either way, one of them was talking about Jeter's limitless confidence). I'm guessing that the first quote, the one about hitting .330, is from Tino, and the second quote, the one about Jeter saying all the right things, is from Flaherty. You can almost hear their voices as you read them, especially that second one. It sounds like it's coming from an analyst. How's that for investigative journalism? I just uncovered two super-secret anonymous sources.
I'll Take It
The Good
Phil Hughes didn't have his best stuff, but he battled. He would watch clips from the movie 300 between innings, and kept the Gladiator soundtrack playing in the clubhouse. It worked, giving Hughes 5 innings of 2 run ball.
The offense came alive, but then again we're playing the Athletics. If there was a mediocre section to these game reviews, I would put this there.
The Mediocre
The offense came alive, but not against an elite team. I'll wait to claim this as good news when we hit like this against Tampa Bay.
The Bad
After a historic tear, Thames went 0-4 with 3 strikeouts. Lance Berkman found this to be welcome news.
The Ugly
Derek Jeter's batting average is sitting at .266 after going 0-3 last night. Is a September turn around in the cards? I hope so.
Best Trade Ever?
One year ago, Brian Cashman bamboozled Chicago out of Nick Swisher in return for Wilson Betemit (let go later that season). Swisher hit his 25th homerun of the season, one of three players (Teixeira and Granderson) to hit homeruns in yesterdays game. Is this the best trade ever?
The three homeruns gives the Children's Health Fund $6 extra dollars from the RJG blog.
Posada 16hr = $32
Granderson 15hr = $30
Cano 26hr = $52
Swisher 25hr = $50
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 21hr = $42
Teixeira 30hr = $60
Thames 10hr = $20
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Total = $336
Phil Hughes didn't have his best stuff, but he battled. He would watch clips from the movie 300 between innings, and kept the Gladiator soundtrack playing in the clubhouse. It worked, giving Hughes 5 innings of 2 run ball.
The offense came alive, but then again we're playing the Athletics. If there was a mediocre section to these game reviews, I would put this there.
The Mediocre
The offense came alive, but not against an elite team. I'll wait to claim this as good news when we hit like this against Tampa Bay.
The Bad
After a historic tear, Thames went 0-4 with 3 strikeouts. Lance Berkman found this to be welcome news.
The Ugly
Derek Jeter's batting average is sitting at .266 after going 0-3 last night. Is a September turn around in the cards? I hope so.
Best Trade Ever?
One year ago, Brian Cashman bamboozled Chicago out of Nick Swisher in return for Wilson Betemit (let go later that season). Swisher hit his 25th homerun of the season, one of three players (Teixeira and Granderson) to hit homeruns in yesterdays game. Is this the best trade ever?
The three homeruns gives the Children's Health Fund $6 extra dollars from the RJG blog.
Posada 16hr = $32
Granderson 15hr = $30
Cano 26hr = $52
Swisher 25hr = $50
Jeter 10hr = $20
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 21hr = $42
Teixeira 30hr = $60
Thames 10hr = $20
Gardner 5hr = $10
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 3hr = $6
Curtis 1hr = $2
Kearns 2hr = $4
Nunez 1hr = $2
Total = $336
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