It sounds odd to say just days after Friday afternoon's debacle, but when one takes a step back and looks the the 2008 New York Yankees after 81 games (44-37) they are much improved compared to the 2007 version (40-41) at this point. Which not to slight Torre, but makes me wonder with the kind of talent he had if Buck Showalter wouldn't have done as good if not better or if Don Zimmer really was the "man behind the curtain" whom Torre had little post-season success without from 2004-2007. In any event the Joe Girardi Yankees aren't perfect but they are better.
Jorge Posada (A): I know Jorge hasn't had a huge sample given injuries, but he can still flat out hit and his presence alone on this team really shows.
Jason Giambi (B+): Who says the ghosts don't still come alive at Yankee Stadium? This guy was dead in April, but now leads the team in homers and is in the top five in the American League and probably should be an All-Star. Contract year sure, but Girardi really cracked the whip on him in Spring Training and it shows.
Robinson Cano (F): I know that Robbie has picked it up the last two weeks or so, but given his new contract he has just looked lethargic this season. Terrible on base percentage.
Derek Jeter (B-): Ok its a bit of a pass but Jeter is a gamer, coming back quickly from a strained quad and playing regularly after getting hit on the hand. Jeter like Cano has picked it up in the average department the last couple of weeks, but it would be nice to see some more power output.
Alex Rodriguez (A): Sure Mike Lowell would've plugged in nicely, but like with Posada and Kobe and Shaq, the Yankees couldn't do without A-Rod. A-Rod has been blazing a trail since his return and is still near the top of the A.L. with 15 homers and a .327 batting average.
Johnny Damon (A): Another guy who looked almost completely lost but has been burning up the basepaths of late. Damon has been the consumate table setter, leading the team in hits with 93, doubles with 20, steals with 13 and is sporting a .322 batting average.
Melky Cabrera: (C): Melky got off to a hot start which really raised expectations in a hurry. No he's not Bernie Williams yet (if ever) but he does give the Yankees a plethora of contributions either in the field or on the bases even when he's not hitting.
Bobby Abreu (A): Probably the most consistent of all Yankees hitters to date. Abreu leads the team with 53 RBI, is second in hits and third with 10 homers.
Hideki Matsui (A): Was tearing it up, now his knee might be torn up, again. Helped to carry the team in the early going, but with all of these knee injuries I really have to start wondering about steroids with this guy.
Bench (D): The bench pretty much gets a D. Duncan didn't play enough, Betemit was hurt too much and Ensberg was a Josh Phelps-esque bust. Moeller and Molina have provided some stout defense as well as Gonzalez but this group just can't hack it. Bring back Bernie anyone?
Mike Mussina (A): Speaking of those ghosts at Yankee Stadium, Mussina has been flying around New York but instead with a super-hero's cape. Moose was being counted on as a 4th/5th starter to win 10-11 games. In order to keep the Yankees in the race he's had to pitch like a 3rd starter and has already won 10 to lead the staff before the All-Star break. He would've probably tied last year's total had the Yankees game in Pittsburgh not been rained out. Who would've thunk Mussina would be the leader in wins and Giambi the leader in homers at this point?
Andy Pettitte (B+): After a rocky start Andy looked a little tired from all of the off-season circus that was the Mitchell Report. But with 9 wins and a recently concluded 20.2 scoreless innings streak, Pettitte looks primed for another huge 2nd half. Pettitte is the best 2nd half pitcher in baseball and who wouldn't rather have him at $16 million for this year than Johan Santana for $150 million minus your best prospects?
Chien-Ming Wang (B+): Wang looked as if he'd put those doubters to bed with a rapid 6-0 start. He tailed off a tad and was just starting to get back into a groove before his freak injury.
Darrell Rasner (C): Some of his early starts Rasner got no run support. In some of his more recent starts he's gotten knocked around. But Rasner is what he is, an adequate back of the rotation guy who can eat up innings and keep you in the game.
Phil Hughes & Ian Kennedy (F): It should probably be an incomplete because of injuries but a combined record of 0-7 doesn't cut it boys.
Joba Chamberlain (A): Last year contrary to popular belief, he not Roger Clemens spurred this team onto the post-season. Joba was lights out again in the pen and will try to save the Yankees bacon again, this time as a starter. One can tell already just how mentally tough those late inning situations out of the pen have helped in Joba's progression.
Mariano Rivera (A+): You can tell I don't throw around A+'s lightly. Think the Yankees may have wanted to give MO a 4th year on that contract? Rivera an ERA under 1.00 and perfect in saves with 22, enough said.
Kyle Farnsworth (C+): Has been better than most in the Yanks pen which isn't saying a lot, but he does seem a little more confident with Girardi at the helm.
LaTroy Hawkins (F): I'm sorry but did anyone mention to Brian Cashman that this guy has the worst ERA of any pitcher at Yankee Stadium? Forget O'Neill or Clemente, why does this guy have anyone's jersey number?
Ross Ohlendorf (F): Maybe the Yankees should groom his as a starter because his confidence looks shot.
Edwar Ramirez (C+): If this guy could learn a pitch to compliment his change-up he might really turn out to be something good.
Jose Veras (B-): Sometimes he's lights out, sometimes he's lit up. Effectively wild with some great velocity.
Bullpen etc: Bruney and Albaladejo were solid early before getting hurt, Giese was decent in long relief, but Traber and Igawa have looked like flops as lefties out of the pen.
All in all Joe Girardi has navigated this group fairly well in the early going. He's done a much better job of balancing the bullpen and seems to have instilled more aggressiveness into this squad. Given injuries to A-Rod, Posada, Wang, Jeter, Matsui, Hughes, Kennedy, Bruney and Albaladejo, considering the Yankees are only four games back in the loss column to Boston speaks volumes about Girardi. No Girardi hasn't been as "rah-rah" in public as say Billy Martin, and sometimes he does look like a 2nd year manager still learning the ropes, but he does know and uphold the principle of the "Yankee-way" of the late 1990's.
This Yankees squad, somewhat in transition is in almost the same place as another pioneer Yankee team. The 1993 Yankees under 2nd year manager Buck Showlater posted a record of 46-35 after 81 games. That was the last Yankees team in a non-strike year to miss the playoffs, however had there been a Wild Card back then they would've made it. This Yankees squad is better than that one talent wise and this time around there is a Wild Card, but the division is still very much within reach.
Before one starts clamoring for Johan Santana, I would just ask you to take a moment and look at your starting centerfielder. Now granted Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy could use some extra seasoning in the minors but, dealing them would've also meant dealing Melky Cabrera and that would've been an even bigger mistake.
Now my opinion on the pitchers is that by sending them down they have the opportunity to fine tune their stuff and perhaps by beating up on some minor league competition, build up some confidence along the way. I'm a big believer that Darrell Rasner, just named International League pitcher of the week, can be an adequate 4th or 5th starter and as much as it pains me to say it they are paying Kei Igawa $ 46 million so at least try to get something out of the guy. There's nothing to say these guys can't be brought back up in early June and perhaps if they weren't limited to a certain amount of innings and were allowed to be stretched out, maybe they'd go six or seven innings instead of three or four like a reliever.
But onto our beloved centerfielder "Leche." Ok so you want to tell me the Yankees could've signed Torii Hunter or someone like him to replace Melky? Fine, but he may be the next Bernie Williams and may already be the best centerfielder in New York.
Thus far in 2008 Melky vs. Carlos Beltran has two less runs scored (17-15), five more hits (24-19), three more homers (5-2), two less RBI (13-11), one more stolen base (3-2), better batting average (.289-.224), lower OBP by one percentage point (.359-.358) and a higher slugging percentage (.494-.412). Mind you the calendar can flip to May and all of this could just as easily go out the window, however people are taking notice.
As for the "Bernie Baseball" comparison, adding up the first three years for Bernie (1993-1995) and Melky (2006-2008): Bernie leads in hits (443-302), runs (240-156), doubles (89-52), triples (14-10), homers (42-20), RBI (207-134), stolen bases (33-28), Melky has struck out less (140-258), Bernie walked more (189-109), both batting averages are fairly even.
Though Bernie did seemingly take off with his power numbers in his "third year" of 1995, he was 26, Melky is still only 23. In any event the one player the Yankees may be estatic they didn't trade for Johan Santana is wearing number 28.
The Yankees final game in Kansas City before they head off to Boston, showed just how different this team is at the start of this year compared to the 2007 Bombers. Well ok, so Andy Pettitte is still back to being the stopper again, but it goes much deeper than that.
Pettitte who shut down the American League in the 2nd half of 2007 to win 15 games overall, still could've won much more. In fact had Pettitte had this type of run support and bullpen help early last season he could've easily gotten himself around 21-22 wins.
Pettitte and his efficient outing of 6/2/3 innings of one run ball were aided by a couple of guys who weren't in the mix this early last season. Melky Cabrera the Yankees now starting Centerfielder batting in the two hole for the injured Derek Jeter, went 2-5 with a solo HR, two RBI and a run scored, raising his average to .320 on the season. Remember folks, Melky was being used as the 4th outfielder at this time last year and got off to a slow start, not this time around.
Morgan Ensberg also had his best game as a Yankee, filling in for Mr. .056, going 2-4 with a run scored. Jose Molina was also 2-4, brilliantly continuing his play for Posada. Additionally chipping in for the Yanks were two guys who were hot last April and are hopefully breaking out of it just in time for Boston in A-Rod who hit his 520th career HR while passing Mickey Mantle on the RBI list and tying Bobby Murcer on the Yankees HR list and Jorge Posada who went 2-4 with a HR as well.
Finally the Yankees got some Mo-Jo out of their bullpen to pick up Pettitte and keep the lead. Joba Chamerlain was just dominant, there's just no other way around it, as he worked 1/1/3 fanning two on 98 MPH fastballs. And of course Mariano Rivera was as sharp as ever in his one inning of work, sending the Yankees off to Boston with a 5-5 record.
No not quite a bloop and a blast. But how about two bunts and a bloop? Yes it was ugly, but it sure beats losing pretty as the Yanks improved to 2-1 on the season, beating the Jays 3-2.
Phil Hughes was particularly sharp throwing six strong innings of two run ball while striking out four along the way. Phil's velocity wasn't quite up as much as the Yanks would've liked but his control was marvelous all night in his first appearance in the cold Bronx since he picked up the Yankees only win in Game 3 of the 2007 ALDS.
From there Billy Traber and Brian Bruney looked solid in their respective 2008 debuts, with the lefty Traber striking out the only batter he faced.
Offensively (and some of this could be attributed to being an older team playing in colder weather) the Yankees still have some kinks to work out, though Toronto pitching has to be given a tremendous amount of credit.
A wild pitch and sac fly resulted in the Yankees first two runs to tie it in the 6th. Then in the 8th Melky Cabrera found himself in another rally with a single to right, a Johnny Damon bunt muffed by pitcher Scott Downs gave the Yanks two runners aboard. Derek Jeter then laid down a sacrifice of his own (though wrongly called out at first) and the Yankees had runners in scoring position. Then it was Bobby Abreu dunking one into short left-center to plate Damon and put the Yanks in front for good.
Then it was Joba Chamberlain giving the 'ol "Omaha Haymaker" to the Blue Jay bats for his first victory of the season. That kept the seat warm for Mariano Rivera, who with Vernon Wells on 3rd serving as the tying run with two outs, struck out Aaron Hill looking to pick up his 2nd save on the young season the 445th of his illustrious career.
Bomber Bites: The "kiddy carousel" continues Friday night at Yankee Stadium as Ian Kennedy takes to the mound against the Rays or whatever they're calling themselves these days.
Ok Joe, now that we've seen all the relievers, can we also see some bench guys like Duncan, Betemit and Ensberg?
The mark of a solid manager is one that knows how to play situational baseball and knows how to make adjustments throughout the course of a game. And seeing as how his big boppers weren't booming, Joltin' Joe Girardi-o decided to change it up and play some small-ball rather than waiting on the 3-run homer.
Perhaps Jason Giambi and Mike Mussina don't speak Spanish, but apparently Bobby Abreu certainly must've heard the words uttered... "contract year."
For the first time since October 4, 1995, (Game 2 of the ALDS to be exact) a Yankee manager not named Joe Torre led the Bronx Bombers to a victory. That man was Buck Showalter and just as Buck had a young up and coming star centerfielder in Bernie Williams, so too does the Yanks new skipper Joe Girardi in Melky Cabrera.
And as we embark on a change from this Yankee Stadium to a "new Yankee Stadium" it is evidently clear that change is a good thing (and no I'm not an Obama supporter). That change in philosophy, brought on by Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman should put the minds of Yankee fans at ease. When we wonder if we'll ever see the next "Bernie Baseball" we get a young switch hitting kid with speed and a rocket arm, making diving grabs and catches up against the wall with a new confidence and swagger. That confidence with a little help from the "Ghosts" hanging out on the Bambino's short porch, allowed Melky to take Toronto ace Roy Halladay deep.
Yes it is that same peace of mind we get as fans as we once pondered if we'd ever get an "Andy Pettitte type" pitcher out of the allegedly dry farm system until it produced Chien-Ming Wang. Like Pettitte, Wang isn't flashy, but he's a workhorse and all the guy does is win and give the team an opportunity to win.
And it is that same pitching first philosophy on the farm which has given us a glimpse of hope that we may have the next Mariano Rivera in Joba Chamberlain.
Folks, Opening Night 2008 was certainly "night and day" in scope from Opening Day 2007. Wang was on the hill, not Carl Pavano, Cabrera was in center, not Johnny Damon, in the 8th inning Chamberlain was on the mound, not Kyle Farnsworth and at first base it was Giambi, not Josh Phelps.
I know it's only the first game and that Melky is projected to hit 80 homers and Wang to win 30 games and the Yankees to go 162-0, but one can't help but notice the drastic change in preparedness in this ball club. This team just looks primed, ready and in shape to win. A lot of that credit goes to manager Joe Girardi
Change is good for these Yankees, especially if the "winning" refrain remains the same.
Bomber Bites: A-Rod looks very comfortable and motivated this season already. It is obvious that he has taken to New York and the feeling is mutual. The reassurance that he'll be a Yankee for life, makes him an even more likeable figure in the Bronx.
Anyone else thankful that Melky was doing that in our yard and not in the Metrodome? Well that and thankful that one is allowed to appeal Spring Training suspensions.
Robbie Cano, slowly but surely creeping up to 6th in the batting order.
Jason Giambi flashes the leather. Donnie Baseball left the building and apparently left his glove. Well at least Giambi has a glove, unlike that Shreck character up in Boston.
And finally, though Jonathan Papelbon may be in his prime and the premiere closer over the length of the season in the American League, there's no question in my mind that when it comes down to getting one batter out with the game on the line I'm taking Mariano Rivera every time, hands down.
They were American league rivals back in the late 1940's and early 1950's. A.L. East rivals until the mid-1990's. Heck they even faced eachother in the movie Major League. From 1995 through 2001 it was always either the Yanks or the Tribe playing for the American League in the World Series.
During that time span the Cleveland Indians and New York Yankees met twice, each team splitting, with the Indians winning the ALDS in 1997 and the Yankees winning the ALCS in 1998. However there's about a handful of players left from those teams.
Setting the table: The Indians are the A.L. Central champs while the Yankees took the Wild Card. The Yankees went 6-0 against the Indians this season and have fared well historically at Jacobs Field. Here's the positional breakdown.
Catcher: Jorge Posada vs. Victor Martinez - Given the speed of the Yankees top four and Melky Cabrera, if they don't get aggressive and actively run on Martinez, Joe Torre needs to have his head checked. Martinez at the plate has numbers that make one gush, he's been over .300 most of the year until recently and his 25 HR and 111 RBI lead all catchers. Posada however has been scorching the ball all year, a sparkling .337 batting average not only leads all catchers but is 5th in the league and he has 20 HR and 89 RBI to boot. Posada is hitting over .300 in every possible situation, lefties, righties, day, night, home, away, grass, turf, and Posada isn’t slowing down hitting around .390 this month.
Edge: Yankees
1st base: Doug Mientkiewicz vs. Ryan Garko – If one is merely looking at total stats the edge would clearly go to Garko. Garko strikes me as a clutch hitter who you can’t afford to fall asleep on if you’re a pitcher even though he’s lower in the order. Mientkiewicz has been red hot with the bat since coming back from injury and hit .429 in the month of September. Mientkiewicz is the best I’ve seen at first defensively since Don Mattingly wore the pinstripes, he also has playoff experience.
Edge: Yankees
2nd base: Robinson Cano vs. Asdrubal Cabrera – Cabrera looked overmatched against the Yankees in August but picked it up gaining more confidence down the stretch. Its guys like Cabrera who in October get a hit in a key spot and everyone says who the heck is that guy? However Cano ripped up the league in the second half. Cano goes surging into the playoffs, finishing up with 19 HR’s and 97 RBI, both career highs. Beware C.C. Sabathia, this lefty hits lefties at a .328 clip.
Edge: Yankees
Shortstop: Derek Jeter vs. Jhonny Peralta – Some fools dare to call Jeter overrated in the regular season, but if one doesn’t call him the best playoff performer of his generation if not ever, they just haven’t been paying attention the last decade plus. For Jeter the one-time World Series MVP his ALDS stats read like this, .370, 9 HR, 20 RBI along with 67 hits in 46 games. Peralta has had a bounce back season of sorts with his power numbers, 21 HR and 72 RBI. While he does hit well at home batting .297, he’s not much of a road warrior hitting just .243. Do I even have to ask? Clearly it’s Jeter.
Edge: Yankees
3rd base: Alex Rodriguez vs. Casey Blake – As much as I’ve praised Jeter’s playoff prowess it would only be fair to mention A-Rod’s post-season misfortunes of the last couple of seasons. However in baseball A-Rod is what we call due. He’s clearly the best player in the game and consensus MVP and nothing seems to get to the guy this year. He had 6 of his 54 homers against Cleveland including a walk off grand slam at the Stadium. Blake on the other hand is a solid, gritty player with some pop at 3rd base. He’s essentially Peralta in reverse, hitting .247 at home and .294 on the road. Blake is a pesky player but not in A-Rod’s class, but really who is?
Edge: Yankees
Leftfield: Johnny Damon vs. Kenny Lofton – Two guys winding down solid careers and two guys who’ve been through the playoff wars before. Lofton has given the Tribe a veteran boost as a guy who has been there before the last time the Indians tasted October. His acquisition from Texas allowed the Indians to slot Grady Sizemore into the number three slot in the order. However when it comes to postseason Lofton despite his experience is hitting a paltry .244 overall. Damon on the other hand seems to have gotten his legs back under him and has recaptured his stroke at the right time. Damon is still a threat on the base paths leading the Yanks with 27 and is hitting .390 in his last 41 at bats. In ALDS play Damon is hitting .337.
Edge: Yankees
Centerfield: Melky Cabrera vs. Grady Sizemore – The one position where Cleveland gets a definitive edge. Sizemore has a great glove, can beat a team with power 24 HR or speed 33 SB. Sizemore can create runs in so many different fashions and isn’t afraid to take a walk. Sizemore is hitting .375 in his last 32 at bats. Cabrera gives the Yanks a shot of enthusiasm and has the best centerfield arm this side of Ichiro. Cabrera though may have tired down the stretch as his late season numbers would show, hitting only .154 in his last 39 at bats.
Edge: Indians
Rightfield: Bobby Abreu vs. Franklin Gutierrez – Abreu has really picked up the slack in the second half for the Yanks, hitting 16 HR with 101 RBI. Abreu was one of the few impressive Yankees along with Jeter and Posada in last year’s playoffs against Detroit hitting .333. Gutierrez is a young player with a little pop. Gutierrez socked 13 HR’s but is only hitting .247 in the last month.
Edge: Yankees
DH: Hideki Matsui vs. Travis Hafner – Even if this turns out to be Jason Giambi or Shelley Duncan in game one, even with Hafner having a “down year” for his standards, the man they call “Pronk” gets the edge. Hafner who last year was Mr. Grand-slam, is one of those dangerous players who can carry a team on his back in a short series. Hafner hit 24 HR and drove in an even 100 RBI and is also smashing the ball of late, hitting at a .485 clip in his last 33 at bats. For Matsui, yes the stats are there .285, 25 HR, 103 RBI. However it has been somewhat of a streaky and injury plagued season for the man they call “Godzilla.” Matsui suffered early on from a hamstring injury and really didn’t heat up until July where he won A.L. Player of the Month honors, but a cranky knee stunted his power to an extent in September.
Edge: Indians
Starters: Chien-Ming Wang vs. C.C. Sabathia – Both 19 game winners, both have different styles, but neither are particularly bat shy. Both pitchers won their team’s last postseason game. Both are workhorses who’ve pitched fairly well down the stretch. I’m not saying that either is invincible for a number one starter, but based on the fact that Sabathia going against a lefty laden Yankee lineup is only allowing lefties to hit .203 and Wang has a 4.91 road ERA, I have to give the slight edge to Sabathia.
Edge: Indians
Starters: Andy Pettitte vs. Fausto Carmona – In 2003 Pettitte was also number two, however that year he was anything but, bailing out the Yankees and winning each time they went down 1-0 in a series. Pettitte also has 14 postseason wins to his name. Pettitte was also the ultimate Yankee stopper and carried the team with a brilliant second half going 11-2. While Pettitte has fared well against the Indians this season, Carmona has gotten knocked around by the Yankees. However Carmona was no slouch this season, like Sabathia he also won 19 games and actually pitched to a better ERA 3.06. Carmona also pitched well down the stretch going 9-4 in the second half and has won his last five starts. Though I get the strange feeling that things change when the calendar changes. Pettitte was brought back for this reason and he will rise to the occasion.
Edge: Yankees
Starters: Roger Clemens vs. Jake Westbrook – Contrary to popular belief, Roger Clemens and not A-Rod will be the determining factor as to whether the Yankees advance deep into the 2007 postseason. Unless one has the rare combo of a Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale or Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling, having at least three solid starters in the playoffs is pivotal. One only needs to look at Clemens’ last two starts to know what to expect. If he’s healthy he’s usually on and will give an automatic six innings of two-hit shutout ball. If not, Phil Hughes will be pitching in the 3rd inning. Westbrook the former Yankee has had if nothing else an up and down season. Lefties seem to hit him well and the Yankees absolutely drilled him in two starts this year. While Westbrook has pitched better of late, his 4.78 road ERA doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence. If nothing else Clemens will gut it out and try to capitalize on an impatient Indians lineup.
Edge: Yankees
Starters: Mike Mussina vs. Paul Byrd – The two squared off on August 11th at Jacobs Field, with Byrd getting smacked for seven hits and seven runs in just two innings of work. Mussina on the other hand picked up the win, pitching into the 8th striking out six along the way. While Mussina has had the roughest season of his solid career, the Yankees have just absolutely eaten up Byrd, including smacking him around when he was a member of the Angles at Yankee Stadium during game three of the 2005 ALDS.
Edge: Yankees
Bullpen: In Mariano Rivera the Yankees have the best postseason closer if not pitcher ever. In the ALDS Mo has a record of 2-0 with a microscopic 0.42 ERA and overall in the playoffs a record of 8-1, 0.80 ERA, 34 saves, a World Series MVP in 1999 and an ALCS MVP in 2003. Finally, unlike the last five years or so the Yankees have someone who can get the ball to Mo without him being overly taxed. That man is none other than Joba Chamberlain. Joba who gives opposing hitters the “Gas-Chamberlain,” is the Yankees Mariano Rivera to Mariano Rivera’s, John Wetteland making them the best 1-2 relief punch in the Bronx since 1996. Did I mention Chamberlain has an ERA of 0.38 in with 34 strikeouts in 24 innings? Joba Rules indeed! The rest of the bullpen is really a tossup depending on the durability of Luis Vizciano’s arm and the stability of Kyle Farnsworth’s head. Personally I’d give Phil Hughes a bigger role in the pen if he’s not going to start. On the Indians side, former Yankee Joe Borowski led the A.L. in saves with 45. Borowski in his lone postseason appearance with the Cubs in 2003 fared well, going 1-0 with a 1.17 ERA and six strikeouts in five games. The Indians bullpen also likes the tunes of Raffy. So much so they have two, lefty Rafael Perez who is sporting a 1.78 ERA with lefties hitting only .145 off him. And righty Rafael Betancourt who has an even more impressive 1.47 ERA and righties are only hitting .147 off him. Jensen Lewis has also been a pleasant surprise.
Edge: Yankees
Bench: Both teams have a solid mix and presence on the bench. For the Yankees it’s Jason Giambi, Jose Molina, Shelley Duncan and Wilson Betemit. For the Indians, Jason Michaels, Kelly Shoppach, Chris Gomez and Trot Nixon.
Edge: Even
Manager: Joe Torre vs. Eric Wedge – Torre has struggled without Don Zimmer by his side the last few postseasons. For Wedge this is his first go-around in the playoffs.
September is a time for call-ups in baseball. Which was further illustrated last night when the Yankees went through a slew of players in their 14 inning afair with the Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium last night. Thus it begs the question, when teams are forced to cut back down to 25 on the roster for the playoffs, who makes the cut for the Yankees? It will be the first time since 1981 that a Yankee playoff roster will not include Bernie Williams.
Jorge Posada: The starting catcher, batting over .330 with over 20 HR's and 85 RBI, been through the battles and has the rings to show for it.
Derek Jeter: The starting shortstop, captain clutch, you've heard it all before, he's got the hits, the rings and a nice shiny World Series MVP trophy from 2000, the last time they won it all.
Mariano Rivera: Not to take away from his career in the regular season, but if anyone could get into the hall on playoff numbers alone, Mo would be your guy. Once again another guy with the rings along with the 1999 World Series MVP and 2003 ALCS MVP to boot.
Andy Pettitte: Is it any suprise or wonder I went with the dynasty guys first? Pettitte is back with the Yankees just like David Lee Roth is back with Van Halen, no more imposters with the likes of Randy Johnson and Kevin Brown playing the roles of Sammy Hagar and Gary Cherone. Oh yeah, Andy also has the rings, 14 playoffs victories and a 2001 ALCS MVP.
Alex Rodriguez: A reminder to come back and read this after the playoffs are over, without A-Rod in 2007 there are playoffs for the Yankees. A-Rod thus far has 52 HR's and 143 RBI, if he just tries to stay relaxed and not try and duplicate those numbers within a span of three weeks, he should no doubt thrive in October.
Robinson Cano: Has had quite a jolt of power this season, hopes to revert to his playoff form of two years ago.
Hideki Matsui: Salvaged his season with a hot July and August, however he's also endured a bit of a September swoon. Absolutely tore up the playoffs in his first two seasons in 2003 and 2004, the last two not so much. Will be counted on once again.
Bobby Abreu: Another guy who when on can beat you in so many different ways with the bat. Nice to have a third hitter who can lay down a bunt in a crucial spot and also have 16 HR's and 98 RBI. One of the few guys who hit in the playoffs last year for the Yanks.
Melky Cabrera: Has cooled off somewhat of late, but speed and defense don't go into slumps for very long and count big time come playoff time. It's the little guys like Melky who emerge as the un-sung heroes with big hits in October.
Doug Mientkiewicz: Staying on that theme of defense, with apologies to Tino Martinez, Mientkiewicz has to be the best defender at first since Don Mattingly. While on occasion Doug can slug, his defense will same at least one to two runs a game and when one scales that down to a playoff series, usually that's all it takes to win a game. Again has a ring and the playoff experience, he'd be my starter at first and is a sleeper pick for a clutch hit or two.
Johnny Damon: Damon can still be useful, has the ring and has been through the playoff wars before. Another guy capable of beating you in so many different ways. He'd be my starting DH and depending on Matsui's health, possibly LF.
Jason Giambi: Don't push it with this guy, he reminds me of Jose Canseco circa 2000. Can still be useful as a pinch hit bopper off the bench or as DH, but in the field, uh no thanks.
Chien-Ming Wang: Ace of the staff, 18 wins. Won their only playoff game last year, Yanks just feel confident when he pitches, no matter what. A cool customer on the mound, important in the pressure of the playoffs.
Roger Clemens: Just get him to October in one piece please. Given his Hall of Fame ledger, Rocket's playoff stats aren't quite what one would expect them to be. However his presence and ability at any time to pitch dominantly to the tune of two hits and one run over seven innings, still makes him very dangerous. Has the rings from the days of the "old guard."
Mike Mussina: Veteran who has rebounded of late and deserves a roster spot, possibly even a start. Not so sure if I'd pitch him with my season on the line in game four. It will be interesting to see if pitches like David Cone did in the 1999 playoffs after falling off a bit down the stretch or if he'll be like the Cone of 2000 and see little to no action.
Phil Hughes: Has stepped up of late and might warrant a start in October. That or he could be a righty specialist out of the pen or relieve Clemens or Mussina in case of injury or if they're getting pounded.
Joba Chamberlain: An absolute witch on the mound. Chamberlain is clutch, embraces the big moments and soakes in the spotlight. Don't be shocked if you see Joba coming in during the 6th inning of some playoff games if the situation dictates it.
Jose Molina: If the Yankees need to pinch run for Posada in a late spot, they won't lose much in Molina defensively, very important. Won a ring with the Angels and has actually hit some in limited post-season action.
Luis Vizcaino: Meet the new Ramiro Mendoza of the Yankee bullpen. If kept fresh, Luis is lights out. Another guy with a ring from the Chicago White Sox.
Wilson Betemit: Has had his action and plate apperances reduced of late. However he is Mr. Versatility, Betemit can play virtually any infield position, has some pop from the left side off the bench and can switch-hit. Blasted the ball with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2006 NLDS.
Ron Villone: On the roster if for no other reason than he's a veteran lefty. If fresh can be effective, best not to push it though.
Shelley Duncan: Gets the team pumped and is a long ball threat off the bench with some righthanded pop. Also has a rocket arm in the OF.
Ian Kennedy: Another solid young arm who can get the Yankees innings should one of their starters go down or i####ame goes into extras. Having guys like Kennedy, Vizcaino, Hughes, Chamberlain, Rivera out of the pen could make most games a 5-6 inning affair. These guys will be important especially if Clemens and Mussina can't give them length for whatever reason.
Kyle Farnsworth: As much as it pains me to give him the 25th spot, they're paying him way too much and probably won't leave him off. Though with the depth they have in the pen, I'm not sure what his role is anymore and if it's end of the line aka 14th inning guy, he's not the guy you want in there with the game on the line like Jeff Weaver in the 2003 World Series. Other candidates would likely be Edwar Ramirez and Ross Ohlendorf.
I'll be the first one to admit back in late May I was calling for Gene "Stick" Michael to take over the GM duties for Brian Cashman. Looking at what Cashman has done recently is putting those thoughts on hold. Best of all Cashman and the Yankees seem to be concerned with themselves and not the rival Boston Red Sox.
Gone are Wil Nieves, Josh Phelps, Miguel Cairo, Kevin Thompson, who comprised the majority of the Yanks bench this season. In are Andy Phillips, Shelley Duncan, Wilson Betemit, Jose Molina and Jason Giambi with Johnny Damon on the bench and Melky Cabrera starting. Injuries and ineffectiveness to players such as Damon, Giambi, Phelps and Doug Mientkiewicz allowed Melky Cabrera to flourish playing every day in centerfield, while also forcing them to trust their farm system in guys like Phillips and Duncan who've injected quite a spark into this ballclub.
Getting Molina and Betemit also gives them greater versatility and a much greater sense of mind. Betemit has popped more homers in his brief stint thus far than Cairo did for a year and a half with the ballclub. Molina is the best Yankee backup catcher to Jorge Posada not named Joe Girardi since he left town. Could anyone have imagined Nieves catching three straight games in Cleveland, handling that staff and collecting five hits along the way, including a four hit effort on Saturday?
I'll admit that I thought he might be done and was a little bit leery of what Jason Giambi would do to this lineup and its overall synergy. But then wouldn't you know it, ####, two homers in back to back games.
While it would've been nice to have Bernie Williams back, the way this bench has been re-constructed, one doesn't even hear those calls coming out anymore at this point in the season. There are so many more options and matcups that Joe Torre has at his disposal, especially if he needs somebody to come up off the bench and pop one. In June Phelps was "that guy." Now Giambi, Duncan, Betemit and to some extent Damon all have the ability to launch one into the stands from off the bench.
Another area I must get back to is where Cashman refused to buckle into what Boston was doing. Instead of making the move to get the next Jose Contreras or Carl Pavano, aka the guys Boston wanted to get, he simply said no to the Texas Rangers when they asked for Cabrera, Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy and even when the Rangers said they'd be ready to deal Eric Gagne to the Red Sox Cashman still said no.
Cashman deserves a lot of credit on that front in staying true to his convictions of building the farm system. Because Chamberlain is starting to look like the 1996 version of Mariano Rivera, while Gag-ne is looking like the 1999 version of Rod Beck. Kudos to Cashman.
It's just not fair they say about the New York Yankees. No it's not from the signing of every big money free agent from the Bronx to Tokyo. Nor is it the YES Network TV revenue or the new Yankee Stadium. No this time around opposing teams and their fans are once again dreading this fact: The Yankees have a farm system and they know how to use it.
The 2007 edition of the New York Yankees has encompassed 18 players at one time or another who have been on the active roster who have come up through the Yankees farm system. Among the regulars are: Jorge Posada, Robinson Cano, Derek Jeter, Melky Cabrera, Andy Phillips, Shelley Duncan, Andy Pettitte Chien-Ming Wang, Mariano Rivera, Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain.
All of the Yankees starters up the middle are all homegrown and are all hitting over .300 this season. Of course it helps that A-Rod is having an MVP type season and Hideki Matsui and Bobby Abreu have rebounded nicely from their slow starts. But it's old warriors like Jeter and Posada and what I like to call "The Greatest Hits of CCR" otherwise known as the Cano-Cabrera-Revival, which has sparked the resurgence of the Yankees and has pumped some new blood into an aging prized fighter.
Hard to believe that this team once looked as bad and old as the bad old San Francisco Giants. However like those bad old SF Giants, these Yanks have some absolute witch doctors on their pitching staff.
Obviously there's still the old homegrown standby's of Pettitte and Rivera and the ace of the staff Wang. But it's afwully hard not to be mesmorized by Hughes and Chamberlain. In addition Ian Kennedy may be starting for Roger Clemens next week against the Baltimore Orioles, which ought to be something else to get excited about.
With a superb farm system, the Yankees have allowed themselves to re-group, re-build, re-tool and re-charge.
The New York Yankees are engaged in a "Cold War" of sorts. Well armed with pitching to be sure, it's all a matter of whether the Yankees fire off any of their missles in a trade or if they can get them to fire for themselves down the stretch. Back in the 1980's the Yankees dealt away the likes of Jose Rijo, Doug Drabek and Bob Tewksbury and ended up with little or nothing to show for it. However in the 1990's they held onto the right guys in Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera and Ramiro Mendoza and turned prospects such as Sterling Hitchcock, Eric Milton and Matt Drews into Tino Martinez, Jeff Nelson, Jim Mecir, Chuck Knoblauch and Cecil Fielder. Now the Yankees must decide on what they'd like to do with a plethora of prospects which include: Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, Ian Kennedy, Alan Horne, Tyler Clippard, Jeff Karstens, Darrell Rasner and Jeff Marquez.
If I'm the Yankees, I'm not letting any of these guys go at the deadline period. Not that I'm writing off the division just yet, but if this team as currently constructed with enough talent, can't catch the Cleveland Indians who are just four games ahead of them presently in the Wild Card standings, then they don't deserve to make the playoffs.
What the Yankees should do is unload Kyle Farnsworth on somebody, call up Phil Hughes to replace the recently demoted Kei Igawa (which will happen assuming all is right, this Saturday), call up Jeff Karstens to be their long-man/spot starter out of the pen and call up Joba Chamberlain to pitch out of the pen. The worst case scenario is for the Yankees to remain stagnant, the best case is that their moves aid them much like the 2002 Anaheim Angels where Phil Hughes becomes John Lackey and Joba Chamberlain mirrors Francisco Rodriguez.
Would a guy like Eric Gagne, Chad Qualls or Octavio Dotel be an upgrade over Farnsworth? Yes. But worth the prospects? No.
What is all comes down to is that the Yankees can't be afraid to trust their own guys, especially their heralded prospects. Over the last three years (2005-07) the Yankees have called up players that weren't initially on many people's radars nor were they trusted until injuries or poor play necessitated their call-ups. It was Robinson Cano and Chien-Ming Wang who were called up two years ago to replace failures like Tony Womack, Kevin Brown and Jaret Wright. Last year it was Melky Cabrera getting called up due to the injuries of Gary Sheffield and Hideki Matsui. This season it's Andy Phillips getting the every day nod in place of the off-season disaster situation at 1st. In summary, Cano, Cabrera and Phillips while pumping life into this club as every day regulars are all hitting around or over .300 on the season and Wang has 12 wins as the ace of the staff after missing almost a month of the season.
While it would be nice for the Yankees to also further upgrade their bench at the deadline, they'll likely have to hope that Jason Giambi can come back at full strength either as a power bat off the bench or as a DH. If Giambi can come back at 100% it would do wonders for the type of protection A-Rod needs. Because A-Rod knows that he has to be the guy to knock in runs consistently given the fact that others usually don't and thus with opposing pitchers knowing that, they aren't giving A-Rod anything to hit, which in turn is frustrating A-Rod and making him impatient at the plate. A healthy Giambi would curb that. However what a healthy Giambi should not curb is the playing-time of the surging Melky Cabrera.
Hall of Fame Perspective: Anyone happen to notice about 70,000 fans descended upon Cooperstown this weekend? This was for two guys in Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr. who transcended the game, were class acts and were guys who you could just respect and admire watching as a fan no matter what team you rooted for. Imagine then given the proximity of New York Yankees and New York Mets fans state and city wide with Cooperstown in their own backyard so to speak, just how jam packed that place will get when players like Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Alex Rodriguez, Roger Clemens and Mike Piazza all get inducted one day? Perhaps we'll get a barometer and a small taste for that next year when Goose Gossage is finally enshrined at Cooperstown.
Remember back when Roger Clemens was making his proclamation from the owner's box at Yankee Stadium of his return to the New York Yankees? And how after that Curt Schilling and the Boston Red Sox beamoned that they didn't really "need" the Rocket's services anyway? Well the Yankees are now 7.5 games back of the Red Sox for first place in the American League East after just two weeks ago trailing by 14.5.
The Yankees have won 12 of their last 14 games including the last 9 in a row, having taken the last four series in a row which included 2 of 3 at the Red Sox, 3 of 4 at the White Sox, and sweeps of the Pirates and Diamondbacks. The Yankees are 11-2 so far in June. In fact it only gets sweeter for the Yankees who start a series this weekend at home against the reeling New York Mets and then travel to play the Colorado Rockies, San Francisco Giants and Baltimore Orioles. If after that trip you were to tell me with the way the Yankees are playing that they'd arrive in the Bronx for their next homestand against the Oakland A's riding a 21 game winning streak and leading the A.L. East, I might be shocked but in the same token none too suprised.
Everything about this team looks so alive. Manager Joe Torre ever since getting ejected on that Friday night up in Boston looks rejuvinated standing on the steps of the dugout whenever the Bronx Bombers are up to the plate. They seem to be a lot more comfortable and relaxed in their roles. No doubt they are getting sparks from guys like Melky Cabrera and Miguel Cairo playing regularly and contributing to keep the team loose. It's quite apparent that Cabrera and Cairo are doing for this year's club what Cabrera and Bernie Williams did for last year's team when Hideki Matsui and Gary Sheffield went down.
If we're comparing this season to 1978 Cairo who was essentially forgotten for the first two months may be the 2007 version of Brian Doyle. Doyle was the 2ndbaseman who took over after Willie Randolph got injured and batted .438 in the '78 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Cabrera gives the team another dimension as well, the best centerfielder this team has had since Bernie Williams in his prime, with a cannon for an arm to boot. Cabrera's presence in center gives him more confidence as the every day guy and allows Johnny Damon to stay fresh and set the tone at the top of the batting order. It's no suprise that having guys like Jason Giambi and Carl Pavano out of the picture has helped this club to move forward.
Of course these moves allow everything to click in the batting order. With Damon regularly in there at the top, that allows Bobby Abreu to settle back into the 3rd spot between Derek Jeter who has been consistently solid all year and Alex Rodriguez who is putting up MVP numbers again and he is backed up now by Jorge Posada who is 2nd in the A.L. in batting and that is aided by having some pop at the bottom with Matsui, Robinson Cano looking like a batting champ again and even Cabrera lifting his offensive game. The only thing this team may be lacking is a bopper off the bench, perhaps that will come in the person of Giambi or they make a deal for Cincinnati Reds slugger Ken Griffey Jr. who has 16 HR's and could be looking for a ring after playing for the reeling Reds could be brought in as a DH and reunited with A-Rod.
A-Rod ignoring and silencing the off the field critics with his impressive play and Abreu looking like he won't turn into the 2001 version of David Justice or the 1997 version of Cecil Fielder are by far the best news of cranking the Yankee machine.
Finally it's the pitching that will always serve as the backbone of this ballclub if they're going anywhere in October. Bringing Clemens back has been a gigantic boost to this ballclub. Clemens just brings that something extra to push guys harder and gives them that drive to take their games to the next level along with an added sense of excitement. Andy Pettitte is getting run support and is still lights-out. Mike Mussina has picked it up and doesn't look quite ready yet to turn into the 2000 version of David Cone. Chien-Ming Wang looks like the ace who won 19 games last year and not the shell of a pitcher who was hobble by early injuries thanks to the brilliant signing of Marty Miller as strength and conditioning coach. Most importantly they're getting length and consistency out of the starters, which keeps the offense in ballgames allowing them not to have to press so often, keeps the bullpen fresh and allows Mariano Rivera to get a normal workload.
News & Notes: Jorge Posada with his 206th homerun puts him past Hall of Fame outfielder Dave Winfield for 9th on the all-time Yankee list. Posada is just 17 away from passing Yankee hitting coach and former 1stbaseman Don Mattingly for 8th on that list. Posada is only 7 RBI away from passing Winfield for 15th on the all-time Yankee RBI list. Meanwhile Derek Jeter needs just 6 more HR's to pass Tino Martinez for 13th on the list with 193. And A-Rod with this next HR will give him 145 as a Yankee passing Mr. October Reggie Jackson for 28th on the Yankee all-time HR list.
Speaking of A-Rod, he picked up his 67th and 68th RBI on the season in the finale against the Diamondbacks. If you're wondering who has the record for most RBI before the all-star break, that record is held by Detroit Tigers great Hank Greenberg back in 1935 the Tigers slugger knocked in 103 RBI which is still the MLB record and get this Greenberg that year wasn't even selected to the all-star team, imagine that?
Andy Pettitte with Yankee win 153 in his career is 5 away from passing Waite Hoyt for 8th place on the all-time Yankee win list. Mike Mussina with 95 is two away from passing Ray Caldwell for 16th on the list. Mariano Rivera with 61 is 1 away from passing Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez and Urban Shocker into a tie for 40th on the list and is only 4 wins away from passing Catfish Hunter and David Cone.
And of course Manager Joe Torre picks up his 2,000th win in Chicago last week, with many more to follow.
The Boston Red Sox (12-5) pulled the lever and came up all seven's this weekend. Sweeping the New York Yankees (8-9) by scores of 7-6, 7-5 and 7-6. This was Boston's first sweep of the Yankees at Fenway Park since 1990. Red Sox fans have to be pumped that their team is off and rolling with a 1.5 game lead on the Baltimore Orioles, while the Yankees are 4 games out.
In the bottom of the 3rd with the Yanks leading 3-0, the Sawx hit four homers in a row, tying an MLB record. First it was Manny Ramirez going yard, then it was J.D. Drew who was involved in last year's game winning four consecutive homerun rally for the Los Angeles Dodgers over the San Diego Padres. After that was Mike Lowell, the former Yankee who was traded once upon a time to the Florida Marlins for a bag of balls, hit his first of two homers, the second one the eventual game winner. Finally to cap it off was the cap, Jason Varitek smashed Chase Wright's offering to give the Red Sox the lead at 4-3.
The four consecutive homers were the first since last year's Dodgers accomplished the feat and the first American League team to do so since the 1964 Minnesota Twins. Another quirk besides Drew being a part of the Red Sox and Dodger record was a connection to something that happened a year before the Twins hit their four homers. In 1963 the Cleveland Indians hit four consecutive homeruns against the Los Angeles Angels. Angels pitcher Paul Foytack, until Chase Wright last night, held the record as the only pitcher in MLB history to surrender four consecutive homeruns in a game, the third of those four to go yard off Foytack was none other than Red Sox manager Terry Francona's father Tito.
Incredible the amount of connections with this game and those other record breakers and how they all weave together.
As far as the Yankees go, it's not time to panic, they can take solace that they were still in ballgames teeing off on an overrated Boston starting rotation, while throwing rookie hurlers themselves. The final difference maker turned out to be how the team's shined in the late innings, with the Red Sox bullpen getting the upper hand.
Stench on the Bench: Remember when the Yankees used to have guys coming off their bench like, Darryl Strawberry, Luis Sojo, Jim Leyritz, Chad Curtis, Tim Raines, Shane Spencer and Ricky Ledee? Well I would imagine those guys would still be better options than what the Yankees bench currently consists of now. Bernie Williams was not brought back because he doesn't "excel" in a pinch hitting role consistently enough? Tell me out of this group who exactly does? None of these guys strikes the fear into the heart of a pitcher coming off the bench. Not can't hit Will Nieves, or the light hitting first base combo of Josh Phelps and Doug Mientkiewicz, or singles hitter Miguel Cairo, nor have Melky Cabrera or Kevin Thompson shown anything inspiring. It's seriously time to get a serious bench, bringing back Bernie would be a nice start!
News & Notes: Hideki Matsui and Chien-Ming Wang are slated to come off the 15-day DL soon. A-Rod has a hit in every game this season thus far. Joe Torre still has not retaliated for two of his stars being hit by Matsuzaka pitches. Where's Don Zimmer to charge Pedro Martinez when you need him?
