06.30.2007 One-hit wonder
"He had one-hitter type stuff," Yankees captain Derek Jeter said. "He pitched well, that's the bottom line." (Source)
No, Derek, the bottom line is your team is an embarrassment. Stop making excuses.
06.28.2007 How would acquiring one of the worst players in baseball help this team?
Shea Hillenbrand could become the next righthanded hitter to play first base for the Yankees. The team is engaged in serious talks to acquire the 31-year-old who is about to be dumped by the Angels, according to a person familiar with the situation. (Source)
He currently has a putrid OPS+ of 62, which is less than Miguel Cairo's 63 OPS+. He has the 11th worst VORP in MLB, ranking 775 out of 785 players. He also has a career OBP of .322, so forget about seeing him on the bases.
Shea
Hillenbrand is one of the worst players in MLB.
06.28.2007 Cash speaks out
"I'm not worried about saving my job," Cashman said. "I'm not worried about doing my job. In doing my job, you have to balance both [now and the future.] I don't think it is a tough call. You have to make the right call. I'm not being paid to save my job. I'm being paid to do a job."
Cashman said that Steinbrenner agrees with this stance on not trading prospects.
"At the same time, [Steinbrenner] doesn't want to give up those young guys either," Cashman said. (Source)
With the team severely struggling, he has received harsh criticism from many fans. However, we strongly believe that losing Cashman would be the worst possible event that could happen to this organization.
If you look at what has happened this season, how much of the blame could you place on the GM? In the first couple months of the season, the Yankees saw 6 starting pitchers head to the DL. And since the pitching stablized, the offense has been marked by shocking underperformance. Was there any person on the planet who thought this offense would be mediocre? Did anyone think Bobby Abreu would go from a 129 OPS+ to a 91 OPS+? Or Cano would go from a 116 to a 91? What about Damon falling completely off a cliff resulting in Melky getting more playing time than he should?
And Giambi is probably gone for the year.
Now, there were moves with which we disagreed. For example, we thought Igawa was a bad signing, and we pushed against inking Damon (although we didn't think he would become as useless as he has this year).
However, based on the existing data, there was no reason to believe this team wouldn't be one of baseball's elite. That's the best a GM can do. Analyze the data and make a forecast. It's very easy to critique after-the-fact.
We're not trying to ballwash Cashman. We are simply saying there's not a person on earth who could have predicted this type of performance from the Yankees this season.
In the short time that Cashman has had "sole authority," he has turned the Yankee farm system into one of MLB's best through great drafting and international signings. He's making the organization younger, more efficient, and more holistic.
Ca$h still rules everything around us.
06.27.2007 NoMaas to be on Long Island's 1240 AM
On Sunday July 1st, NoMaas' Sensei John Kreese will be a guest on NY Baseball Talk with Mike Silva. The show is on Long Island's 1240 AM WGBB and runs from 9-11pm. You can also listen online here.
06.27.2007 Jump
According to Baseball Prospectus, the Yankees had a 17% chance of making the playoffs before they entered Wednesday's game versus Baltimore.
The
Yankee offense has been pathetic, scoring 21 runs total over the last 8
games. That's an average of 2.65 runs per game.
06.27.2007 Good thing Joe saved Mariano Rivera...
To
pitch the 8th inning of a game with the Yankees trailing by 4 runs.
06.27.2007 This has to be a joke
We received an email from one of our visitors berating us for our criticism of Joe Torre. We're fine with that. Torre defenders email us all the time. However, the conclusion of this email was beyond human comprehension.
I am huge Yankee fan and watch every game. For you (nomaas) to blame the San Fransisco game and last night in Baltimore on Joe Torre shows how little you really know about baseball. For example in the SF game only Rivera was left in the bullpen, if Rivera was brought in on Saturday after he threw 1 and 2/3 innings on Friday who was going to throw after him because the Yankee lineup is horrid with Miguel Cairo in it. Last nights game the umpire was squeezing proctor and and Joe didn't want to go to Rivera yet because they might get a lead. I am always on your website and you advocate Bruney, who was been atrocious recently walking everyone and their father. Instead of blaming Torre for the bullpen you need to blame Cashman for keeping Damon in the lineup (although he hit a HR), abreu, matsui, cairo are all struggling, the yankees need a first baseman someone like Jeff Conine of the Reds to come in and play, he has 2 rings and would serve as right handed bat.
Oh.
My. Word.
06.26.2007 Joe Torre hates you, Yankee fans
For the second time in three games, Joe Torre has blatantly exhibited his complete ineptitude. The Yankees lost again in a walkoff situation with the greatest reliever in MLB history picking splinters out of his rear end.
If a team is facing a scenario which allowing a run ends the game instantly, you use your best weapons to get your team another at-bat. The Bullpen Maestro is too incompetent to understand this.
Oh yes, Mariano Rivera hasn't pitched since last Friday.
It's
just madness at this point.
06.24.2007 Dear Carmen
Carmen Angelini was selected by the Yankees in the 10th round of this year's draft. He is a very talented high school shortstop who dropped in the draft due to his strong commitment to Rice University. In our to attempt to help Carmen arrive at the only logical decision, we have penned a letter to him.
Our letter to Yankee draft pick, Carmen Angelini
Carmen,
do you really want to give up your chance at this?
06.23.2007 You're killing us, Torre
1) Top of the 11th. Kevin Thompson with a leadoff single. Bobby Abreu at the plate. Arod on deck. Torre asks Abreu, who is supposed to be one of NY's best hitters, to sacrifice bunt. That is dumb in itself, but here's a question for Joe.
Q: What happens if Abreu executes a successful sacrifice (which he didn't)?
A: San Fran would have walked Arod with 1st base open, rendering the sacrifice bunt to be meaningless.
2) Torre has an extreme aversion to using Mariano Rivera in a tie game, when the Yankees are the visiting team. Apparently, he does not realize that if the Yankees allow a run, the game ends. Once again, the Yankees lost in a walkoff situation with Mariano rotting in the bullpen.
This is a mistake the Bullpen Maestro has made often. Game 4 of the 2003 World Series is the most memorable example of this, when Mariano Rivera sat while Jeff Weaver allowed a walkoff home run to the Marlins' Alex Gonzalez.
3) Torre completely gave up on the 13th inning. Two outs. Posada on first. Scott Proctor due up. You would think a pinch hitter would be used here. No, Torre elects to surrender the inning and let Proctor hit.
06.23.2007 Posada continues to rake
In his walk year, Posada continues to put up superb numbers. Already the best-hitting catcher in MLB this season, Jorge went 3-5 with 2 BB in Saturday's loss versus San Fran.
Re-signing him is a no-brainer.
Posada
keeps this in his locker.
06.23.2007 In all our years of watching baseball...
We've never seen anything like this:
The Yankees hope to avoid using Johnny Damon, even as a pinch hitter, in this series. If his abdominal strain/rib cage still bothers him when they open the series in Baltimore next week, they likely will place him on the disabled list. "I'm just praying I'll be ready for Tuesday," Damon said. (Source)
Dear Johnny Damon,
Your
body is in shambles. You have completely missed 9 games. You
have pinch-hit in 8 games. So, in reality, you have been inactive
for 17 games this season. You can't play centerfield anymore.
Your .690 OPS is attrocious. You have resorted to prayer to heal
your various physical ailments. You are currently a waste of a baseball
player. No one cares about your disabled list streak. We do
not think you are courageous. You are hurting the team. Go
on the DL.
06.21.2007 Rocky Mountain low
Yanks swept by Colorado. Rodrigo Lopez and his new facial hair send the Yankees 10.5 games behind Boston and 6.5 behind Detroit for the wild card.
"I don't want to see them again, how's that?" manager Joe Torre said Thursday after the Rockies denied Roger Clemens his 350th win and completed a three-game sweep of the suddenly stumbling Yankees with a 4-3 victory. (Source)
Good
attitude.
06.21.2007 This would make too much sense
In a very surprising move:
The A's designated the outfielder for assignment on Thursday morning, a day after general manager Billy Beane met with Bradley to let him know that the transaction was coming. Bradley left the clubhouse upset, and he also had expressed dissatisfaction on Tuesday after not being activated when he felt he was ready to return from a calf injury.
There was a good chance of more discontent in the future, with an increasingly crowded outfield in the offing. Chris Snelling is likely coming off the disabled list soon and he is out of options, while Bobby Kielty is also expected to be available by the end of the month. Bradley, who will be a free agent after this season, would have seen a decrease in playing time, according to a source, largely because most of the rest of the outfielders are part of the team's future, while Bradley was not. (Source)
We were interested in Bradley a couple years ago when he was a free agent. The Yankees should definitely investigate this. His OPS+ for each of the last three years has been: 115, 121, 108.
But
not only can he hit, he's also a very good defensive outfielder.
Since Damon is a hobbled mess, the Yanks could DL him, DH Matsui and move
Bradley to the OF. An outfield with Melky and Bradley would be superb
defensively.
Put Damon on the disabled list.
06.20.2007 Coors...light
Apparently, the Yankees forgot that Coors Field is a venue known for offensive outbursts.
06.20.2007 Two months too late
Johnny Damon might be headed to the disabled list for the first time in his career.
The New York Yankees' designated hitter and former center fielder has been bothered since last week by a strained abdominal muscle, which he aggravated Tuesday while taking cuts in the batting cage at Coors Field
"Obviously, I'd like to be very healthy, but that damn voodoo doll that somebody has of me, they're getting a pretty good laugh," said Damon, who grounded out as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning Wednesday night.
We're glad Damon can crack jokes.
"He's still a threat and has good at-bats," Torre said. "Now, is it going to get worse? That's something I can't give you an answer to. Again, I think if it keeps popping up and it keeps him from being able to do his work, then I think (putting him on the disabled list is) something we have to seriously talk about." (Source)
He's still a threat? How's that below-average OPS+ still threatening? And Joe, Damon hasn't been able to do his "work" all season. He should have been put on the DL months ago.
Note: Torre said in his Wednesday night postgame that Damon will start in CF on Thursday. Ridiculous. This sounds like the whole Matsui consecutive game streak, where personal records are given more importance than the team's best interest. Big deal Damon's never been on the DL...he looks elderly this season.
06.18.2007 Yankees seeing red
The New York Yankees announced today that they have signed left-handed pitcher Kai Liu and catcher Zhenwang Zhang to minor league contracts, becoming the first Major League team to sign a player from the People's Republic of China with approval from the Chinese Baseball Association. (Source)
China still has much work to do in creating a respected professional baseball league. However, it's great to see the Yankees investing their resources into untapped global markets, especially China. There has to be one or two good ballplayers among the one billion people who live there. It's this type of innovation and strategy which will maintain the superior quality of the Yankees' system.
06.17.2007 Silent but deadly
Wang's monster performance helps Yanks take two out of three from the Mets. Interesting stat: 2007 K/9: 4.71 --- 2006 K/9: 3.14. Could Wang be purposely mixing in strikeouts along with his vicious sinker?
06.17.2007 Alex Rodriguez is putting up video game numbers...
Yet at the beginning of the season, many Yankee fans, sportswriters, and analysts believed the team was better off without him.
How dumb were they.
1.110
OPS, best in MLB
189
OPS+, best in MLB (before Sunday's game)
06.17.2007 What a waste
When the Yankees play in the vast outfield of Coors Field in Denver, it's still uncertain who will be roaming center field. The Yankees will not have the DH when they play in National League parks, however, and Damon's nagging physical ailments could keep him from returning to his old position in center field for some or all of those games. (Source)
Waste.
Of. Money.
06.14.2007 Selig to Giambi: "You need to cooperate with the Red Sox board director or else."
First of all, it's ridiculous Giambi is being persecuted by Bud Selig for being honest and admitting he made a mistake. Selig is encouraging other players to keep quiet and/or lie about steroid usage.
Additionally, it's absurd that the steroid investigation is being conducted by a Boston Red Sox board director. Three words: Conflict of Interest.
06.14.2007 Don't call it a comeback
Let's
take another look at those adjusted standings. When a team scores
more runs than they prevent, there's a good chance they'll have a winning
record. It finally looks like the wins are catching up with the run
production of the Yankees. In fact, the adjusted
standings now show that the Yankees should be about 2 games behind
Boston. It looks like the Yankees still have some room to run.
06.13.2007 Back from the dead
6 games
off Boston's lead in 10 days
06.12.2007 Review of the Yankees draft with Patrick Ebert of Perfect Game
Last week, we were fortunate enough to get Perfect Game's Patrick Ebert to preview the draft. This week, Patrick has graciously returned with a review of the Yankees selections. This is really an amazing resource. Enjoy!
06.12.2007 Wang stiff against Dbacks, Abreu continues his revival
Wang: 7 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 2 K, 0 BB (2.08 ERA in his last 3 starts)
Abreu: 1-3, 3-run HR, 1 BB
Yanks
at .500
06.12.2007 Joba the Hutt debuts in Trenton
And he dominated.
Joba Chamberlain: 5 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 9 K, 2 BB
Here comes another awesome Yankees pitching prospect.
06.11.2007 The bizarre world of ESPN player ratings
New
NoMaas addition, Bobby Budnick, takes a look at the idiocy that is newESPN
Player Ratings.
06.11.2007 Fourteen of the future
NoMaas' minor league correspondent Lane Meyer has identified fourteen 2007 draftees which will require above-slot money to sign, and explains why their signatures are vital.
06.10.2007 Boogie Down production
Arod:
2-3, 2 HRs, 2 BB, 5 RBI, 4 runs
Abreu:
4-4, 2B, 3B, BB, 3 RBI, 4 runs, OPS has increased by .132 since May 30th
06.09.2007 Here I come to save the day
6
IP, 3 ER, 7 K, 5 H, 2 BB -- Good first start and it definitely beats Matt
DeSalvo pitching.
06.09.2007 1.80 ERA, 0.40 WHIP, .368 OPS Against: "Sorry son, back to the minors"
Needing to make room on the roster for Roger Clemens, the New York Yankees optioned reliever Chris Britton to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Saturday.
Britton was recalled June 1 and was 0-0 with a 1.80 ERA in three appearances covering five innings for the Yankees this year. His demotion kept left-hander Sean Henn on the big league roster.
"That was a tough decision,'' manager Joe Torre said. "We just felt Sean Henn seems to be improving. He's probably closer to the long man that we want.'' (Source)
Sean Henn seems to be improving? He hasn't made an appearance for the Yankees since May 10th.
Meanwhile, Luis Vizcaino (62 ERA+) and Kyle Farnsworth (82 ERA+) will continue to be put into games at a high rate.
Mind-boggling.
06.07.2007 Don't look now, the Yankees have won 3 in a row
And seriously, how ridiculously good is Alex Rodriguez. Home run # 22 --a grand slam in the 9th. Give him an extension.
And Bobby Abreu continues his awakening: 2-4, 2B, BB, 3 runs, 2 RBI
Oh
yes, Kyle Farnsworth should not be used as a set-up man. How much
more do we need to see?
06.07.2007 Tigers snag Porcello at # 27, Yanks select Brackman at #30
Rick Porcello, arguably the best pitcher in the draft, came so close to the Yankees, but unfortunately was selected by the Tigers. Here's to the Tigers not being able to sign him!
At # 30, the Yankees drafted another Boras client in NC State RHP Andrew Brackman. Physically, Brackman is a monster. He's listed at 6'10", 230lbs. He throws fire as reports have his fastball sitting in the mid-to-high 90s, with it touching 99. He also features a knuckle-curve.
The knock on Brackman is injury risk. Brackman split time between baseball and basketball at NC State and this season was his first year devoted soley to baseball. Late in the season, he was shut down to a tired arm/arm soreness. This could be a red flag, but hopefully the Yankees did their due dilligence.
The reaction to the pick has been mostly positive. Keith Law loved it: He has a special arm with the chance to become a No. 1 starter, or at worst a No. 3. (Source)
Peter Gammons loved it (is that a good thing?). And in our interview with Perfect Game's Patrick Ebert, he had high praise for Brackman:
Brackman is just an unreal talent, and like I said earlier, based on pure talent, there is no way he should fall to the 30th overall pick. Therefore, if he does, and money isn't an object, you can't let him slide.
But, Kevin Goldstein and Bryan Smith, both of Baseball Prospectus, didn't like the pick.
We think everyone would agree though that Brackman is a project and will probably take a few years to develop. His upside is absolutely enormous. He's physically imposing and is a fireballer. Yet, his injury issues are indeed a concern and he's really still learning how to pitch. Time will tell.
One
of the things we are curious about is why the Yankees didn't take a shot
at RHP Matt Harvey with their second round pick at #94. Harvey was
generally regarded as the 2nd-best high school pitcher in the draft and
dropped considerably, supposedly due to money and his high likelihood of
going to college. He went to the Angels at pick #118, who are going
to see if they can convince him to sign.
06.06.2007 Holy crap, the Yankees only use 1 pitcher
Complete game for Wang, Scott Proctor on suicide watch due to dismay over not pitching.
06.06.2007 Will Porcello drop to the Yanks?
From Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com:
I'm talking at No. 2. I've learned the Kansas City Royals will most likely not take Rick Porcello with that selection and instead will go with a high school bat from California.
As for Porcello, his ability is not in question. He's good enough to go No. 2 and there are even some scouts who'd consider taking him No. 1. But his bonus demands, especially for a high school right-handed pitcher -- the biggest risk pick there is -- could very well force him to slide really far...maybe even as far as the University of North Carolina. (Source)
Porcello is at least the 2nd best pitcher in the draft (behind David Price of Vanderbilt). Some believe he's a better prospect than Price. He's 6"5 and throws four pitches including a plus-plus fastball. He has great mechanics too.
Porcello is advised by Scott Boras and his bonus demand, supposedly $6 mil+, is making him unaffordable to teams. Thus, draft experts are predicting him to drop significantly. If he's around at #30, we have great faith the Yankees will show him the $$ signs.
In
Baseball
Prospectus' latest mock draft, they have Porcello going at #27 to the
Tigers and the Yankees selecting 1B Matt
LaPorta, also advised by Scott Boras. LaPorta, from the University
of Florida, is also forecasted to drop due to bonus demands.
He is generally regarded as the best college hitter in the draft.
We would be thrilled to get him too. Porcello would be truly amazing
though.
06.05.2007 Yanks hammer White Sox, 7-3
The biggest story here is it seems Bobby Abreu is starting to come alive. Entering Tuesday's game, Abreu had a 1.417 OPS through the first four games of June. That will only improve as he went 2-4 with a BB in the Yankees win over Chicago.
You know that Jermaine Dye for Abreu rumor? No thanks. Abreu is too talented to hit so poorly. It looks like he's on his way back.
Note:
Arod hit his bush-league leading 21st home run.
06.05.2007 Who removes a starting pitcher after 5 innings of 1-run ball?
Joe
Torre does.
06.04.2007 Cashman on the draft
"There's no doubt, there was a period of time when we disregarded how important the Draft really is," Cashman said. "That's changed. There are players I passed on last year as free agents that had No. 1 picks attached to them. I wasn't giving up our No. 1 pick. We need that for our future.
"[The Draft] is huge. It's vital. One of the reasons we're struggling now is that we're paying for sins of the past."
"The
strategy is just to get the best player available at that moment, period,"
Cashman said. "We want the best baseball player possible, regardless of
position. We don't draft by projected needs in five years. We've got a
lot of pitching prospects, more than position player prospects, and that
doesn't bother me. If the best player is a pitcher, we're taking a pitcher.
If the best player is a position player, we're taking a position player."
(Source)
06.04.2007 Papelbon comes back down to Earth
06.03.2007 Shhhhh
06.03.2007 The dumbest fans in all of sports
(AP
PHOTO)
Beckett
tips his hat to the congratulatory fans after letting up 4 runs, 8 hits,
and 3 walks.
06.03.2007 Great Yankees draft preview coming Tuesday
Make
sure to visit this site on Tuesday for an interview with an amateur baseball
expert.
06.03.2007 In year two of a four-year deal
With Jason Giambi on the disabled list, the bulk of Johnny Damon’s playing time is going to come as the designated hitter. However, the Yankees are making plans to turn Damon into a jack-of-all-trades player, The Post has learned.
Spotted taking ground balls and making throws at first during batting practice yesterday at Fenway Park where he wasn’t in the starting lineup, Damon was asked if he was doing it to kill time or with designs on playing there.
“He told me to work there and in the [outfield] corners,” Damon said of Joe Torre. “I am going to play [first] eventually. I am OK with it.” (Source)
Damon hasn't even played two seasons for the Yankees and he's already transitioning out of centerfield. His value diminishes significantly if he's no longer capable of playing the important position he was signed to play. Did anyone keep the receipt?
06.02.2007 Yankees forget how to play baseball in the 7th
Clutch errors by Jeter, a horrible toss from Cano on the botched double play, and a putrid play by Bobby Abreu led to the Yankees being trounced by the Red Sox, 11-6.
Joe Torre's favorite son, Scott Proctor, should not have started the 7th as he's now been used in 6 of the last 8 games and was clearly gassed, but the defense was utterly abysmal.
This team is embarrassing to watch.
06.02.2007 Schilling vs. the Yankees
Here are the lines of Schilling's starts versus the Yankees this season:
April
20: 7 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 2 HR
May
23: 6 IP, 12 H, 5 ER, 2 HR
June
2: 5 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, 2 HR
18
innings, 29 hits, 14 earned runs, 6 HRs, 7.77 ERA
06.01.2007 Inexcusable: Torre publicly calls out Arod
Everyone seems to have an opinion on Arod yelling in the Toronto game. After initially supporting Rodriguez in his post-game interview, Yankees manager Joe Torre has changed his mind and felt the need to make his thoughts public.
"They were angry," Torre said. "Oh, there's no question. I can't say I blame them, but what are you going to do about it? What's happened has happened."
Torre said he spoke with Rodriguez after the game.
"It's probably something he shouldn't have done," Torre said. "I don't sense he's going to do it again." (Source)
Torre has every right to have his own opinion of what Rodriguez did. However, what would possess him to broadcast his thoughts to the media? That's like pouring gasoline on a fire. Rather than sticking up for his player or offering no comment, Torre has once again added to the polarization of Alex Rodriguez.
Oh
yes, we forgot, Torre is a great manager of people. He knows how
to handle the clubhouse!111!!!
06.01.2007 Britton called up, but apparently his 0.78 ERA isn't good enough
Right-hander Chris Britton was summoned from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to offer additional relief if needed during the Red Sox series, but his time is limited. Britton will be optioned back to the Minors on Monday, when the club activates right-hander Roger Clemens for his start at Chicago. (Source)
It's
mind-boggling that Britton will be sent back down after the weekend.
DeSalvo was finally demoted, but Vizcaino will somehow still occupy a spot
in the pen. There's no way Vizcaino should be ahead of Britton.
05.31.2007 You may think it's cool to look like this...
But sooner or later, it will catch up to you:
Jason Giambi will be sidelined at least three weeks and possibly far longer after tearing tissue in the arch of his left foot while rounding the bases on a home run.
The latest setback in a tumultuous season for the New York Yankees designated hitter occurred Tuesday night in Toronto. Giambi was examined in New York on Thursday by Dr. William Hamilton and will be placed on the disabled list before Friday's game at Boston.
"I'd say it's a severe injury," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said.
While
the best-case scenario likely would have Giambi returning in three-to-six
weeks, Cashman couldn't rule out that Giambi could miss the remainder of
the season. (Source)
05.31.2007 Cashman & Matsuzaka
In recent weeks, many sportswriters have been criticizing Brian Cashman for either bidding low or miscalculating the market on Daisuke Matsuzaka. These baseball oracles include John Donovan of Sports Illustrated:
They underestimated the importance of getting Daisuke Matsuzaka. You bid $32 million for the right to talk to Matsuzaka, the phenomenal right-hander from Japan, and you figure you're doing plenty. As it turned out, the Yanks, in their new conservatism, badly miscalculated. Their offer was nearly $20 million less than Boston's. And the decision to go low is killing them...Matsuzaka is exactly what the Yankees need...(Source)
Apparently, John Donovan does not look at statistics. Matsuzaka has been anything but "phenomenal." In fact, he has been below-average. He currently sports a 4.83 ERA and has an ERA+ of 93 (100 being average). His ERA+ is good for 34th best in the AL.
Hey,
we wanted Matsuzaka, but how on earth can you critique Cashman at this
point for not trumping Boston's $100 mil investment? Based on his
performance so far, Boston should look for a rebate.
05.30.2007 Wow, they won
The Yanks finally won a game, but with NY already leading Toronto in the 9th inning, the Blue Jays infield fell for a Little League trick.
Rodriguez hit an RBI single with two outs in the ninth that made it 7-5. Jorge Posada followed with a high pop and Rodriguez ran hard, cutting between Clark and shortstop John McDonald.
It seemed as if Rodriguez said something, and Clark backed off at the last second. McDonald was only a few steps behind Clark, but couldn't make the catch and ball dropped for an RBI single.
McDonald started jawing with Rodriguez, and third base umpire Chad Fairchild got between them. Toronto manager John Gibbons came out to argue, and exchanged words with Rodriguez and third base coach Larry Bowa before leaving the field as plate umpire Eric Cooper intervened. (Source)
We have to give credit to Joe Torre in his postgame interview in which he said that when a catcher comes near an opposing dugout to catch a popup, everybody in the dugout screams "I got it!". And according to the close-up shown on TV, Arod didn't even yell "I got it!" - he just yelled. Blame Arod all you want (it seems to be the cool thing to do), but it's rather funny that a professional infielder would fall for that.
05.30.2007 Don't steal on Sal Fasano
Hopefully, Robinson Cano learned his lesson.
We
miss you, Sal.
05.30.2007 Why, God?
Phil Hughes, one of baseball's top pitching prospects, has a Grade 3 sprain of the left ankle that is expected to set the hurler back an additional four to six weeks in his efforts to rejoin the Yankees' Major League roster.
Hughes, a 20-year-old right-hander, rolled his ankle while performing conditioning exercises Friday at Legends Field in Tampa, Fla., where he was rehabilitating a strained left hamstring.
The Grade 3 diagnosis is considered the most severe possible strain, in which one or more ligaments are stretched and completely torn..
Yankees
officials had hoped Hughes would return in mid-June. But now with the setback,
the hurler won't even throw off a mound until somewhere from late June
to early July. (Source)
05.29.2007 Tarausi wins Western Conference Player of the Week
Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi was named the WNBA's Western Conference Player of the Week for the first week of the 2007 season, the league announced today. (Source)
We expect great things from Taurasi. She was the league's scoring champion last season, her third in the league, and she's opened the 2007 campaign on a tear. She's also protecting the ball better averaging 1.67 turnovers/game versus her career average of 2.75. The future is bright for Lady Di.
And
the Yankees lost again.
05.29.2007 When
you thought it couldn't get any worse...
BASERUNNING
SB:
A Rios (5, 3rd base off A Pettitte/J Posada); A Hill (3, Home
off A Pettitte/J Posada)
05.29.2007 Joe Torre: "Brian Bruney has leprosy"
Tonight's game was an illuminating illustration of Joe Torre's managerial incompetence. With the game tied 2-2, Andy Pettitte gave up a lead off double in the 8th inning. The Blue Jays followed that by sacrificing the runner to third, after which Torre (correctly) pulled Pettitte for the bullpen.
The situation was such that a sacrifice fly would have scored the run. In an ideal world, one would use a pitcher who could either strike a batter out to take away the sac fly possibility or a pitcher who at least tends toward groundballs to potentially keep the runner from leaving third.
As a matter of fact, the Yankees have just such a pitcher: Brian Bruney. Although he tends to be a flyball pitcher (.59 G/F on the season), he more than makes up for this disadvantage by his excellent K/9 of 9.00.
However, Scott Proctor, recovering from the flu and sporting both a worse G/F ratio (.49) and a significantly worse K/9 (5.47), was inappropriately brought into the game here. Throughout his career he has had flyball tendencies, and so far this season he has not struck out enough batters to potentially make sense in a situation where a strikeout is needed. Predictably enough, Proctor then surrendered the sacrifice fly to the Yanks' own center field noodle arm, allowing the winning run to score.
05.28.2007 Torre inspires Yankees to 7-2 loss and last place in AL East
Sensing an attitude problem on his struggling team, Torre held a lengthy meeting before Monday night's game in Toronto. The session ran so long the Yankees were nearly a half-hour late taking the field for stretching and batting practice. (Source)
This
man knows how to motivate a team.
The Yankees have told sore-legged Johnny Damon to put his feet up for a while. But he's not going on the disabled list.
Damon is not expected to start today's series finale and is questionable for the three games starting tomorrow on Toronto's artificial turf.
Damon, who left Friday's game after 6½ innings, said about not going on the DL: "It's not taking 15 days. I told them it's not 10. It won't even be five." (Source)
Perhaps we were correct when we campaigned for the Yankees not to sign Damon. He's been absent this year and the reason why noodle-bat Melky Cabrera has been in the lineup so often. To think Damon's under contract for another two years is disturbing.
For kicks, take a look back at what Scott Boras had to say about then free-agent Johnny Damon in December 2005:
“He’s the ironman of baseball,” Boras said yesterday from Dallas. “What Cal Ripken used to represent, Johnny Damon does today.”
“Johnny Damon is the most durable major league player in the game today,” Boras said.
“Johnny Damon is a model physical athlete with a body type that no one else has."
False
advertising.
05.27.2007 NoMaas: Phoenix Mercury fans since 2007
Diana Taurasi scored 37 points, including 10 during a key three-minute stretch of the third quarter Friday night, to lead the Phoenix Mercury to a 111-85 victory over the Houston Comets.
Taurasi, who has scored 30 points 10 times in her three-year WNBA career, hit two 3-pointers and made four throws during the third-quarter stretch during which Phoenix (2-1) opened a 69-59 lead. The Comets didn't get closer than nine the rest of the way.
Taurasi was 11-of-18 from the field, making six 3-pointers. She had four assists. (Source)
Go Mercury!
Oh,
and the Yankees got swept by the Angels
05.27.2007 Torre should be on a "big hook"
Time and time again, Joe Torre has demonstrated a neurotic refusal to trust his starting pitchers. If a pitcher has cracked the mythical 90 pitch/6 inning barrier, they are given the slack of a disobedient dog before he starts ripping through the bullpen. Mike Mussina began the sixth inning with a strikeout, his sixth of the game, an indication that, despite his inferior fastball mileage, he still knew what he was doing. He followed that with a walk to Casey Kotchman. Forgetting his green tea, Torre walked out of the dugout with his hand pointing to Scott Proctor.
Although Brian Bruney, a far superior reliever, had also been warming, Proctor has been mostly effective this year. But why exactly does Torre think Proctor had a significantly better chance than Moose of recording the inning's two remaining outs? And why was Scott Proctor then handed a rope long enough to hang himself?
The first batter Proctor saw doubled. His inherited runner had not scored, so no harm no foul as yet. Then, however, Proctor loaded the bases with a walk. This was not a nibbling walk, where strike three was missed by a centimeter or the umpire blew a call: Proctor was missing the zone by a mile and was clearly ineffective. Bruney and Myers, two of the team's better relievers, were already warming.
But Proctor was given more slack than Mussina yet again. And, in an 11 pitch battle against Erick Aybar, Proctor inexcusably walked in the tying run with balls that were feet out of the zone. After Proctor walked Aybar, Torre left him on the mound to next pitch to Figgins. Proctor then walked him on 5 pitches, bringing in another run & making the score 3-2 Angels. Only then did Joe emerge from the dugout to call for Bruney. And, for perhaps the first time ever as Yankee manager, he was jeered by the Yankee Stadium crowd.
The boos are beginning to attach to Torre now. His complacent offense is no longer capable of masking him for the incompetent manager that he is.
05.25.2007 Torre puts game out of reach, Yanks lose
Would you pull a starter out of a one-run game because he allowed 3 runs in 4 innings on 76 pitches? That's what Joe Torre did when he removed Tyler Clippard. Granted, it wasn't a great performance by Clippard, but Torre's hook was completely unneccessary. Clippard should have pitched at least another inning. It's not like he was at a high pitch count. No need to pull a starter at that point.
What made the move even worse is that Torre removed Clippard to bring in the horrible Matt DeSalvo...in a one run game. We have no idea why DeSalvo is even on the roster with Chris Britton still rotting in the minors, but he is, and Joe brought him in. DeSalvo couldn't record an out and allowed 3 ER on 2 hits and 2 BB. Then, the right-handed version of Felix Heredia was brought in and just like that, the game was over.
Nice
job, Joe. Way to put your team in a big hole.
05.25.2007 For the love of God, bring up Chris Britton
He's
dominating
AAA and he's a better option than DeSalvo, Vizcaino, and Farnsworth.
Seriously, what is taking so long?
05.24.2007 Class organization
The New York Yankees made a $1 million contribution to the Virginia Tech "Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund" prior to playing the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday.
The Yankees, who are also honoring the victims of the massacre by wearing the Virginia Tech logo on their caps, plan to play an exhibition game on or near the campus in 2008.
"The
events that took place this spring in Virginia have deeply affected us
all," Yankees owner George Steinbrenner said in a statement. "But the Virginia
Tech community has shown great spirit and resolve during this difficult
time, and the New York Yankees are proud to join so many others in supporting
the healing process." (Source)
05.23.2007 NoMaas obtains rough draft of Schilling's next entry on 38pitches.com
After being lit up again by the Yankees, Curt Schilling sat down next to his locker, surrounded by cupcakes, to type his next entry on his personal blog, 38pitches.com. Through our sources, we were able to obtain Schilling's first draft.
5/23/07
vs. New York
May 23, 2007
by Curt Schilling
Well, that didn't go well. First, I found out my jeans don't fit me anymore and now I have to buy some size 44s. Second, I once again failed to make 55,000 New Yorkers shut up. I've now allowed - wait a second, spilled some mustard on the keyboard.......Ok back. I never thought the SHIFT key could taste so good. Good thing I have two of them. Anyway, I've now allowed 10 ER in 13 IP versus the Yankees this year, including tonight's upper deck blast from Doug Mientkiewicz. That's good for a 6.92 ERA. But then again, I've never really been that good against the Yankees. Over the last 3 seasons, I have a 4.35 ERA against them. Nothing to write home about, or better yet, do an interview about. But, what can you do? Just sit back and enjoy the catered spread in the locker room. LOL! : ) TTYL!
05.23.2007 How good is Derek Jeter?
3-4, 3B, 2 RBI, 2 R -- OPS now at .944
He entered the game with a whopping 154 OPS+.
Tangible.
05.22.2007 Mussina stinks up the stadium, Yanks can't hit world's ugliest man
He whines when he's pushed back a day. He whines when his start is delayed due to rain. After allowing seven earned runs, what will he whine about this time?
Meanwhile, the Yankees couldn't hit burn victim Julian Tavarez, who entered the game with a 78 ERA+.
05.22.2007 Thief
All that remains between Carl Pavano and reconstructive elbow surgery is permission from the New York Yankees.
The pitcher is awaiting word from the team on whether he can go ahead with an operation that would sideline him for most if not all of what remains on his $39.95 million, four-year contract.
Pavano believes surgery is the only way to repair his elbow, and Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has been awaiting written diagnoses from the three specialists who looked at the 31-year-old right-hander's arm.
"We've
received all the written reports from all the doctors that examined Carl
over the several weeks," Pavano's agent, Gregg Clifton, said Tuesday. "I'll
be reaching out to Brian tomorrow in an effort to get all of us moving
in the same direction with regard to Carl and the proper steps for his
recovery."
(Source)
05.21.2007 Yanks rough up Wakefield, Sox
Damon:
3-4, BB
Jeter:
1-3, BB, RBI
Arod:
1-3, HR, 2 BB, 2 RBI
Giambi:
1-2, HR, 2 BB, RBI
Cano:
2-4, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI
We were ready to compliment Torre for his handling of the staff during this game. He extended Wang into the 7th, brought in Bruney in a high-leverage situation, and looked like he would pitch him more than one inning -- as opposed to using multiple relievers on consecutive days.
That was until he decided to take Bruney out of the game with 2 outs in the 8th after he allowed a soft dribbler back to the mound, in which Bruney made a throwing error to first. Torre removed Bruney for allowing this 50 foot tape-measure shot and brought in Proctor, who threw 27 pitches against the Mets on Sunday.
Scott
promptly hit the next hitter and got out of the inning on a nice play by
Robinson Cano. Way to burn Proctor for no reason and not let your
most effective reliever finish the inning.
05.21.2007 Jeter gets beaned, Yankees once again "too classy" to protect their hitters
Ridiculous.
05.21.2007 Meyer's minors, Issue #4
A weekly recap of the Yanks' farm system.
ESPN Page 2 writer Jonah Keri believes so:
Based on their 19-23 record, the Yankees look like one of the worst teams in baseball. They may turn out to be one of the best.
With 27 more runs scored than allowed (227 to 200), the Yankees' combination of offense and run prevention points to a team that would figure to be three or four games above .500 instead of four games under. One of the biggest reasons for the divergence? The Yankees are just 2-8 in one-run games, the second-worst mark in the majors. Teams rarely fare so much worse in one-run games than they do the rest of the time. When you see a team post such a bad record in one-run games, it's usually the result of two factors: a lousy bullpen and bad luck. There's no denying that the Yankees' relief corps has been lousy, with Mariano Rivera uncharacteristically struggling, and a band of would-be set-up men failing to do the job. But bad luck can often turn for the better, especially over a 162-game season. (Source)
Add Hughes & Clemens and the margin between runs scored and runs allowed likely becomes wider. And keep in mind the Yankees have scored more runs than they've allowed without contributions from Damon, Cano, or Abreu, and very limited SLG from Giambi.
6 IP, 6K, 3 H, 3 BB (1 IBB)
We asked for him at the end of April and we told you last week: Clippard should have been up earlier than this. Yes, it's only one start, but his minor league numbers indicate that this 22-year old can flat-out pitch. We hope to see him and Phil Hughes in the Boogie Down for many years to come.
T-Clip:
Thug
05.20.2007 Dear Peter, at least try to hide your manlove
For a pitcher who has had a long history of blister problems, we've found it funny how the Sox propaganda machine has insisted Beckett's latest finger problem is an "avulsion."
On Sunday night's ESPN broadcast, Peter Gammons brought the hilarity to another level explaining to viewers that Beckett injured himself on a "defective baseball."
This
is the ball which caused Beckett's latest finger problem.
He's the only player to admit he did steroids and believes he was wrong for doing so. He also thinks an apology should be issued to the fans by Major League Baseball.
MLB
is looking to punish him for his comments. Why? Because he
told the truth? Now, let's celebrate Barry Bonds!
5.20.2007 And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance
Darrell Rasner left his outing against the Mets with a broken index finger Saturday that could sideline him three months, becoming the latest New York Yankees starter to go down with an injury. (Source)
05.19.2007 How can anyone make an argument that he should still be the manager?
Joe Torre after Friday's loss to the Mets:
“I’ve been very proud of this ballclub, the fact they’re coming to play,” he said. “We’re just not firing on all burners right now. I really don’t have any issue with anything other than the final score.” (Source)
Are
you serious?!?
05.18.2007 Garbage
10
games back and truly embarrassing
05.17.2007 They're right
05.17.2007 Tyler Clippard, come on down
You're the next different pitcher to start a game for the Yankees.
Tyler Clippard was pulled from his start today for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after one inning, apparently to save him so he can be called up Sunday to face the Mets. Tuesday's rainout left the Yankees without a rested starter for Sunday. (Source)
Clippard should have been up earlier than this. He's better than DeSalvo, Wright, Rasner, and Karstens. He actually has the potential to be a productive major league starter. He's a real prospect.
We hope this isn't just a spot start. DeSalvo's performance on Thursday was much more indicative of his true abilities. He should not be in the rotation. Insert Clippard.
05.16.2007 Johnny Damon: Age 33 going on 43
He's missed five games so far this year. In four games, his only appearance was as a pinch-hitter. He's been the DH three times. So, in 38 Yankee games, he's been inactive for 9, plus three more in which he hasn't been in CF.
It's unacceptable to wonder each day if Johnny Damon is going to play or not, so put his fragile body on the DL and let him heal.
Yankee
trainers have designed a new protective coat for Damon's aging body.
05.15.2007 Villone up, Henn down, Britton invisible
Villone joined the Yankees at U.S. Cellular Field on Tuesday, his contract having been purchased from the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre club. In accompanying moves, the Yankees optioned reliever Sean Henn to Triple-A and transferred injured reliever Jose Veras to the 60-day disabled list. (Source)
We're not upset Henn has been sent down. We think some Yankee fans were way too quick in annointing Henn as a good reliever. He can take his 80 ERA+, 11K, and 11 BB back to the minors.
Villone's arm is definitely not fresh though. He's pitched in 17 games at AAA and has thrown 23 2/3 innings, a total more than any reliever currently in the Yanks' pen. And we all know Villone developed into one of Torre's boys last season.
Bottom
line is that Chris Britton should be called up. His arm is fresh
as he's only pitched 11 innings at AAA. He has a 0.77 ERA.
And last season he produced a 135 ERA+ in 52 games with the Orioles.
What more does he have to do?
05.13.2007 Where's the sense of urgency?
8
games back
05.13.2007 Meyer's minors -- special edition
Every once and a while our very own Lane Meyer will take a look at prospects from other organizations, just to keep our visitors "in the know." This week he takes a look at RHP Bryce Cox.
05.13.2007 Like a fine wine
Derek Jeter seems to be getting better with age.
.376 BA / .447 OBP / .475 SLG / .922 OPS, 158 OPS+
05.10.2007 Coaches order players to watch video after being thrashed by Texas
With
Posada and Arod not knowing how to conduct a rundown -- with Bobby Abreu
misplaying flyballs, missing cutoff men, and making Damon's arm look decent
-- and with Miguel Cairo looking like the worst kid on the Little League
team who is stashed away in the outfield, the Yankees coaching staff ordered
all players to watch the following video (endorsed by superstar Fred McGriff):
05.10.2007 A lesson on the strike zone
This is a regulation strike zone:
This is Robinson Cano's strike zone:
.250
BA / .296 OBP / .339 SLG / .635 OPS
05.09.2007 Yanks starting to roll
"The Yankees have no pitching!!!111!" "The Yankees are done!!!!111"
It's
funny how things work when your pitchers are healthy.
05.09.2007 The Circle of TrustTM
Could the leash on Brian Bruney be any shorter? Even though he has been the Yankees best reliever so far this year (186 ERA+), Joseph Torre has been reluctant to use him in high-leverage situations. Rather, the Yankees manager believes Kyle Farnsworth is better (78 ERA+).
However, in Wednesday's game, Joe actually used Bruney in a non-blowout situation with the Yankees having a 4-run lead in the 7th inning. It wasn't really a high-leverage situation, but we'll take it. Bruney first let up a hit to Sammy Sosa. Next, Hank Blalock flied out. Then, Bruney walked Ian Kinsler.
Keep in mind though that it's a 4-run lead and Bruney has been excellent so far this season. You would assume that he would be given a chance to work out of the jam.
Apparently, the Bullpen Maestro thought differently and promptly removed Bruney from the game, only to use two more relievers in the same inning to get the two remaining outs. 7th inning - 3 relievers - 3 outs
Furthermore, the Yankees used 5 relievers from the 7th-9th innings. Five relievers to get nine outs. Wow.
Bruney
isn't in Joe's Circle of Trust.
05.09.2007 Wil Nieves gets his first hit since 2002
And somehow he is the backup catcher for the most celebrated franchise in professional sports. How does that happen?
Seriously...since
2002.
05.08.2007 NoMaas: Now serving you for two years
When we started NoMaas in May 2005, our goal was to create a site which would advocate ideas and opinions not being represented in the Yankees organization, nor in the mainstream media. Most importantly, we wanted to do it in a way which was creative, dynamic, and effective.
Two years have passed and we're amazed how widely followed NoMaas has become. We've been cited in newspapers around the country. We get traffic from all over the world. When you do a search on Google, nearly 30 results pages show up. We're praised. We're hated. We have a huge audience.
Since our inception, we've registered 204,476 unique visitors and 71,156,098 hits. In April of this year, we had over 7,000,000 hits for the month.
From
all of us at NoMaas, we would like to extend our sincere appreciation for
your support. We hope you keep visiting.
05.08.2007 Yanks beat up Texas, 8-2
These types of games are what this team is capable of -- the consistency will occur. When it happens, keep in mind we told you that there would be a correction.
Doug
E Fresh and Pettitte led the way for the Yanks.
05.08.2007 Carl Pavano, you are pathetic
The Yankees want Carl Pavano to be examined by yet another doctor, and the oft-injured pitcher certainly sounds annoyed about it.
The Yankees said they'd like to send Pavano to see one more renowned doctor before determining if he needs season-ending elbow surgery.
"We'll pull out all the stops," general manager Brian Cashman said. "Clearly, I want to make sure that we have a really accurate reading on this."
The team was trying to schedule an appointment for Pavano with Dr. Lewis Yocum in California. Pavano has already been examined by three doctors, including Dr. James Andrews.
"I got three professionals telling me what to do, and now I'm supposed to go to a fourth?" Pavano said. "There's ligament damage. ... I don't want to have surgery. But if that's what it takes to get my arm better, that's what I'm going to do."
Pavano
was examined by Dr. Andrews on Friday. While damage was found in the elbow,
the ligament was not torn, a Yankees official said Sunday, speaking on
condition of anonymity because the team didn't make any announcement. The
team would like Pavano to try to rehabilitate without an operation, but
the pitcher was leaning toward surgery, the official said. (Source)
05.07.2007 Umpire, Yanks give Seattle a gift
Umpire Gerry Davis made one of the worst calls we've ever seen and it was a huge factor in the loss.
Pinch-runner Willie Bloomquist then stole second, though replays showed he was clearly out -- by at least a foot -- on a strong throw by catcher Jorge Posada. (Source)
Screen
capture from NoMaas message board user, Unfrozen Damon Lawyer
Here's Gerry Davis' website. Feel free to find a way to contact him.
The Yankees also played a role in the defeat by leaving 10 men on base, while Mariano delivered another pedestrian performance.
A very disappointing night.
**Note: We really liked how Mattingly stretched out DeSalvo into 7 innings. Only 2 relievers were used. Kudos to Mattingly. Here's to Torre being suspended more often!
Thanks
a lot, Gerry.
05.07.2007 Igawa heads to the minors
We suggested Scranton. He went to Tampa. We're satisfied. He needed to be sent down.
05.07.2007 Meyer's minors
Weekly recap of Yankees' farm system:
05.07.2007 Proctor suspended 4 games, will be the only games he doesn't pitch in this year
Yankees reliever Scott Proctor was suspended four games and manager Joe Torre was penalized one game by Major League Baseball on Monday, a day after a skirmish between the Seattle Mariners and New York.
Proctor appealed his suspension, meaning he can pitch until a hearing is held and a ruling is issued. (Source)
Hopefully,
he'll lose the appeal and get some rest.
05.06.2007 Absolutely huge
A few days ago we suggested the Yankees immediately go to Roger Clemens, offer him a blank check, be as aggressive as possible, and blow the competition away.
It looks like they did just that:
Roger Clemens returned to the New York Yankees, making a dramatic announcement to fans from the owner's box during Sunday's game against the Seattle Mariners.
At the end of the seventh-inning stretch, Yankees public address announcer Bob Sheppard told fans to turn their attention to the box, where Clemens was standing with a microphone. As the video scoreboard in right-center showed Clemens, the seven-time Cy Young Award winner made the announcement himself.
"Well, they came and got me out of Texas and I can tell you it's a privilege to be back," Clemens said. "I'll be talking to y'all soon." (Source)
This is tremendous news. Any person trying to spin this like it isn't a big deal suffers from a mental deficiency. The Yankees have acquired a dominant pitcher who will give them high-quality starts. It's a one-year deal too, so there's very minimal risk. When healthy, the rotation will look something like this:
Wang, Clemens, Pettitte, Mussina, Hughes
That is mighty good.
The
beast returns to New York.
05.06.2007 Yanks win two in a row (wow!) and get first shutout, but why was Rasner pulled so early?
When Joe Torre decided to take him out of the game, Darrell Rasner had allowed 0 runs on 3 hits on 80 pitches through 5 2/3. Four relievers were then used to finish off Seattle.
Torre
defenders, please explain to us how that makes sense.
05.06.2007 Keep an eye on "Adjusted Standings"
We've mentioned Adjusted Standings before, but we thought it was worth highlighting again.
Baseball Prospectus' Adjusted Standings are a great way to to gain perspective on whether your team is underperforming or outperforming in relation to its actual record. It allows you to make a reasonable forecast on what you expect a team to do in the near future.
Before Sunday's game against Seattle, the adjusted standings showed that the Yankees should be around 16-12 based on their previous play, as opposed to their actual 13-15 record.
So
what can you take from this? There should be a correction coming
soon.
05.05.2007 We'd still really like to take a look at Brett Myers
When the Phillies made their # 1 starter a reliever, we thought it was one of the most idiotic moves we have ever seen. Over the last two years, he's had ERA+ numbers of 122 and 118, while pitching a total of 413.3 innings.
Recently, Myers has been named the closer since Tom Gordon is on the DL.
We still think the move is laughable and we wonder if the Yankees have inquired into the availability of Myers. If the Phillies are looking for relievers, we would gladly offer some of ours for Myers. Chris Britton is in AAA and he could easily replace anyone who was traded.
Myers
could be a solid addition to the rotation and we all know the Phillies'
leadership smokes crack.
05.04.2007 Yankees score 11 runs and lose
Mainly due to another terrible performance by Kei Igawa.
4 IP, 8 ER, 3 HR, 9 H
Igawa
looks like he should be pitching somewhere else.
05.04.2007 **Correction**
We made our entry immedietely after Thursday's game -- before the news broke which explained Mussina asked out of the game after the 5th inning. It turns out we made a mistake in our initial evaluation, as we went to sleep right after the game ended and did not see the post-game interviews. It was an error on our part.
However,
we will not apologize for our criticism of Torre using 5 relievers from
the 6th inning on. That was absurd.
05.03.2007 Seriously, please fire Joe Torre
The longer Joe Torre is kept around, the more damage he is doing to this pitching staff. He is a truly horrible manager. He needs to be removed immediately as he is jeopardizing the health and effectiveness of the bullpen.
Who in their right mind removes Mike Mussina after allowing 1 run through 5 innings on 64 pitches?!?!? 64 pitches!
And then, Four RingsTM uses 5 relievers to finish off the game. From the 6th inning on, Torre brings in Bruney, Henn, Proctor, Farnsworth, and Rivera.
Are you kidding? Six total pitchers in a game in which the Yankees allow 2 runs?!?
How can anyone defend this guy? This insanity needs to be stopped. He's killing the bullpen.
05.03.2007 Wil Nieves should not be in professional baseball
We
don't care how thin the catchers' market is, there has to be someone better
than Wil Nieves. He is utterly horrendous.
05.02.2007 Pavano's season & career done?
From the Hartford Courant:
The Pavano news is bad. He had been throwing on the side, and got up on the mound on Sunday, but though the team kept saying he was getting better, he didn't seem so optimistic. He is going to see Dr. James Andrews in Alabama and may, in fact, need Tommy John surgery, which would finish him for this season and probably next season,too, possibly ending his career. (Source)
Broken.
05.02.2007 Matt DeSalvo?
Rumor has it that Scranton SP Matt DeSalvo may be getting a start for the big club on Sunday.
DeSalvo is off to a hot start with a 1.05 ERA in 25.2 IP.
Maybe the Yanks are trying to catch lightning in a bottle, but one thing you can expect from DeSalvo is a ton of walks. He gives away base-on-balls like they're going out of style.
First of all, he has a career minor league BB/9 of 4.59. In 2006, between AA & AAA, his BB/9 was a whopping 7.17. He had more walks than strikeouts.
We're
really not sure why Tyler
Clippard hasn't been given more focus.
Phil Hughes has a no-hitter going through 6 1/3 -- then he hurts his hamstring.
Baseball
sucks.
Clemens will decide, according to Hendricks, "sometime during the month of May, but certainly, not very soon." Of course, he first has to decide whether he wants to pitch, and while Clemens is playing coy, few in the industry believe he'll retire.
Last year, Clemens signed on May 31. It's likely the same ETA can be expected this year. (Source)
The Yankees should go to Roger Clemens now, ask him how much he wants, and just give it to him. Money talks. Simple as that. This team needs high quality starting pitching and Clemens will provide that. He was the best pitcher in the National League from 2004-2006...by a very big margin.
It's a pro-rated one year deal. Empty the wallet. Take out a loan. Give him whatever he wants. Blow the competition away.
04.30.2007 Interview # 2 with ESPN's Keith Law
Last week, NoMaas' Sensei John Kreese sat down with Keith Law for a quick interview.
When everyone is healthy (and we're close to that happening), the rotation will look like this:
Wang
Pettitte
Mussina
Hughes
Igawa
We don't count Pavano. Additionally, we would like to see Tyler Clippard given a shot at the 5th spot. However, with that front 4, this is a formidable rotation.
Don't
jump off the GW yet.
04.29.2007 Jeter speaks out for Joe
“It’s unfair,” Jeter said. “It shouldn’t be questioned. His job should never be questioned. Like I said, he is in no way responsible for us not playing well. He puts the best players out on the field for every game, and then it’s up to us.” (Source)
Unfortunately
Derek, there are many occasions when Torre does not put the best players
on the field.
Weekly recap of the Yankees' farm system
04.29.2007 Why is our bullpen emptied every game?
The Yankees starting pitching has been very, very bad. And it must be difficult for any manager to deal with three of his starters going down to injury at the same time. No one could have anticipated this.
However, what we don't understand is why the Yankees' skipper feels the need to use at least 3-4 relievers in every game.
When the bullpen is extremely overworked, Torre should recognize the importance of stretching out starters when he does get a decent performance. He also needs to realize that using a tired bullpen to mix and match against hitters just adds to the problem. He also needs to learn that relief pitchers don't always have to pitch in their Torre-designated inning.
In Sunday's game for example, Wang was removed after 84 pitches. He had only allowed 6 hits in 6 innings. It wasn't a great start, but he could have started the next inning. Yet, the Yankees ended up using 4 different relievers from the 7th inning on.
This has been a repeated pattern this season. The classic example is when Torre removed Darrell Rasner on April 19th after 81 pitches in which he allowed 1 run. Five relievers were used after Rasner was pulled.
With
the bullpen suffering from overusage, there is no excuse for these tactics.
The manager has to look for any chance to reduce their workload.
No matter how bad the starting pitching has been, you simply cannot use
every reliever in every game.
04.29.2007 This is your brain on drugs
(Source)
NY
Post
04.29.2007 What about Chris Britton?
Yankees are likely to recall righty reliever Colter Bean to take Jeff Karstens' spot on the roster. Karstens fractured his right fibula yesterday when he was hit by a liner on the first pitch of the game. (Source)
While we're happy to see Colter Bean finally getting opportunities, why isn't Chris Britton getting a nod in his direction?
Britton had a very good season last year for the Orioles, posting a 135 ERA+ in 53 2/3 innings.
Kyle Farnsworth, for example, posted a 100 ERA+ last season.
In his brief time at Scranton this season, he's pitched 5 innings of scoreless ball with 4 K and 4 saves.
Britton
should be in the pen.
04.28.2007 At last...
Still
too many walks, but a valiant effort and an end to the losing streak.
04.28.2007 There is hope
Before Saturday's win, the Yankees record stood at 8-13. However, based on runs scored and runs allowed, their record should have been 11-10. Take a look at BP's adjusted standings:
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/statistics/standings.php
So
what does this mean? There should be a correction.
04.28.2007 Three players who look really bad
(other than Doug Minadasdgsk)
Robinson
Cano: .279 BA / .323 OBP / .349 SLG / .672 OPS
Bobby
Abreu: .253 BA / .364 OBP / .310 SLG / .674 OPS
Johnny
Damon: .242 BA / .367 OBP / .348 SLG / .715 OPS
04.27.2007 Awful
Nothing
else to say.
04.26.2007 When does football season start?
04.26.2007 Looking at Phil's debut
He pitched better than his line shows, as he struck out five and walked one in 4 1/3. He also had five groundouts versus three fly outs. He was very impressive in the 2nd through 4th inning.
Although his fastball was hit at times due to mislocation, his fastball (probably his 4-seamer) sat from 92-94 mph (according to the Stadium gun) and on occassion, showed his well-known ability to spot it. His curveball is going to be devasting as it has a huge 12-6 break and drops in at least 20 mph slower than his fastball. He also threw his developing changeup and got some swings & misses. We don't think he threw any sliders, as he indicated in a pre-game interview that he's just starting to re-introduce that pitch into his throwing sessions.
This
kid is the real deal and deserves to be in the rotation. Now that
his first game jitters are out of the way, he'll hopefully be able to get
in ahead in counts more, build up his endurance, and be able to fully display
his arsenal. Although Hughes still has a good amount to learn, he
will be a very significant upgrade in a battered rotation. He can
still develop while pitching in the Boogie Down. We expect great
things from him in the near future.
04.26.2007 Hitting second for the Yankees...
Doug Mientkiewicz
Coming into Thursday's game, Doug was sporting a .506 OPS, 43 OPS+, and a - 2.6 VORP. His VORP rating was ranked 479 out of 533 players.
Saint Joseph felt he was worthy of hitting between Damon & Abreu.
04.26.2007 Igawa bumped out of the rotation
Igawa, 27, will be skipped in the Yankees' next turn around the rotation, manager Joe Torre confirmed on Thursday. The left-hander was scheduled to have pitched on Saturday, but instead will be replaced by rookie Jeff Karstens, who pitched last weekend against Boston.
"I thought Karstens pitched a more controlled game the last time he pitched, as opposed to Kei," Torre said. "Kei really struggled the other night. His stuff was fine, except that he just couldn't command it. We figured this would give him a couple times in the bullpen to work on some stuff with [pitching coach] Ron Guidry." (Source)
53
ERA+, 5.65 K/9, 3.91 BB/9, 2.17 HR/9
04.25.2007 Finally, the Yankees don't lose
Game versus Toronto rained out.
But, how fantastic is this:
04.25.2007 From the vault: The Decline of the Sports Guy
We
originally posted this article in June 2006, but Bill Simmons is once again
showing how little he knows about baseball. If you are a fan of "Yah,
dude!" baseball analysis, stick with Simmons. If you're not, check
out what NoMaas' Lane Meyer had to say about the ESPN writer who once
annointed Keith Foulke as the "premiere money reliever in baseball."
04.24.2007 Please get him away from this team
Joe Torre's in-game management skills are truly a joke. Once again, his decisions did anything but maximize this team's chance of winning a game. Let us look at the numerous errors he made in the Yankees 5th straight loss.
1. Taking out Damon & Phelps with a 1-run lead in the 7th inning...and replacing them with automatic outs, Melky & Doug M. These substitutes each came to the plate in the 9th inning with the Yankees losing, and did what they do best -- make outs.
2. Pulling Chien-Ming Wang after 81 pitches with a bullpen on life support.
3. Bringing in Vizcaino to issue an intentional walk to Rocco Baldelli. Why would you ever bring in a reliever and have his first action be an IBB?
4. Bringing in Vizcaino in the hopes of inducing a double play (after issuing the IBB to load the bases), when Viz has been a flyball pitcher throughout his career (0.88 G/F). What makes it even more crazy is that he took out one of the league's premiere groundball pitchers (Wang) to do this.
Please, please, please get rid of Torre.
We questioned this move from the beginning and so far, it looks like we were right.
4.1
IP, 8 H, 3 BB, 3 K, 7 ER, 2 HR allowed -- his ERA now sits at 7.84.
04.23.2007 Phil cometh
The Yankees' top prospect, Phil Hughes, is headed to Yankee Stadium. Hughes will make his major-league debut Thursday night in a start against the Blue Jays.
"We have a need, and he's the best guy to fill that need," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said by phone.
Hughes pitched six scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and striking out 10, in his last start at Syracuse Wednesday. (Source)
Save
us, Phil
04.23.2007 New feature: Meyer's minors
In a new feature we're very excited about, our very own Lane Meyer will be providing a weekly recap of all the notable happenings in the Yankees' farm system. It's designed to give you a quick and easy way to stay updated on the kids. From now on, we'll be running this feature every Monday. We hope it's a great resource for you.
04.23.2007 Melky needs major work
Melky
Cabrera looks horrid at the plate. Everything about his approach
is ugly. He has no discipline. His swing is putrid.
At this point, we he needs to be sent down to AAA. Let him attempt
to regain his 2006 form there. He's an automatic out right now. Call
up Kevin Thompson.
The red-cheeked Red Sox fans will probably set cars on fire and destroy public property in celebration, but there's an upside to this series for Yankees fans.
With a decimated rotation and and some key pieces in the lineup missing, the Yankees were in a position to win every game and most notably, hammered Boston's front three starters.
Against Schilling, Beckett, & Matsuzka: 15 ER in 20.2 IP.
That's good for a 6.55 ERA.
Insert Wang & Mussina. This series would have been much different.
Again,
we're very comfortable.
04.22.2007 Jon Miller: "The rookie, Phelps."
During the bottom of the 4th inning, when Nieves was injured, ESPN's Jon Miller referred to Josh Phelps as "The rookie, Phelps."
Josh
Phelps has 1,353 plate apperances over 7 MLB seasons.
04.22.2007 Red Sox last team to honor Jackie Robinson
Wow,
that's a surprise.
04.21.2007 If there's anything we can take from this...
The Yankees are hitting Boston's starters. Five earned runs versus Tubby, and four earned runs versus Playing the Game the Right Way....If Karstens isn't starting and the Ghost of Felix Heredia leaves Mo's body, there is a good chance the outcomes would be different. Oh yeah, no Matsui, and no Damon & Posada for the 2nd game.
Keep in mind the Red Sox are at full strength.
We're
comfortable.
04.21.2007 Even Boston writers can't stand the "dudes"
Click
here and then go to the Bob Ryan interview called "Sox fans have
spoiled the rivalry." It's currently on page 3 of the video selections.
04.20.2007 Shocking performance by Mo
Perhaps, you can take some solace in Mariano's tough April of 2005. Then, hitters had a .778 OPS against Mo for the month. His career OPS Against is .559.
In
2005, he finished the season with a 1.38 ERA and a 323 ERA+...both of which
were career-bests.
04.20.2007 Message to Joe Torre
This first game of the Boston series was very close to being a Torre loss, but when you give the ball to Rivera, and he allows 5 runs to score, we just can't pin the game on Torre.
That being said, Torre is horrible and we have a message for him.
1. Brian Bruney should not be below Vizcaino, Farnsworth, Proctor, and Myers on the bullpen depth chart. He should be in front of all of them.
2. Stop pinch running for Giambi in every game. You keep taking his bat out of the lineup and once again, it came back to hurt the team.
3.
Stop sleeping in the dugout.
04.19.2007 Boy, the Arod haters are looking rather foolish
We
wonder what all the anti-Arod sportswriters will do now, like the one who
called us fanboy.org.
04.19.2007 Bombers to face Schilling
"The
clothes make me look fat."
04.19.2007 Demographics of Fenway Park (in %)
GREEN
- White Frat Kids
PURPLE
- People with the last name "Sullivan"
ORANGE
- African-Americans
MAROON
- Pizza throwers
BLUE
- Sober
04.18.2007 Yankees crush Indians, go for sweep on Thursday
Yeah, so, Alex Rodriguez hit another HR. Whatever, we'd rather have Scott Brosius.
The Yankees offense unloaded on Cleveland pitching, but the story to us was the performance of Kei Igawa. Igawa had his first good start of the season:
6 IP, 5 H, 5 K, 1 BB, 2 ER
04.18.2007 The Phillies are run by idiots
On Wednesday, Manuel indefinitely moved struggling No. 1 starter Brett Myers to a set-up role in the bullpen and promoted right-hander Jon Lieber to the starting rotation.
Manuel plans to use Myers mostly in the seventh or eighth innings, as a set-up man for Phillies closer Tom Gordon. He also could see work as a closer when Gordon isn't available. (Source)
Moving a 26 year old with ERA+s of 122 and 118 over the past two years to the bullpen...to make a spot for Jon Lieber??
This
is at least worth a phone call by the Yankees.
04.17.2007 Back up the truck
If this guy wants an extension to stay in New York, give him one.
8
home runs so far in April
04.17.2007 Why use Bruney in a 5-run game?
Could Brian Bruney be Torre's next victim? Joe felt the need to use Bruney for 1 1/3 when the Yankees led Cleveland by 5 runs. Bruney has now logged the most innings of any Yankees reliever. This is a pattern Torre has displayed over the past few years: use your best relievers regardless of what the score is.
Why not use Sean Henn in this situation? Let him throw for a couple innings, especially considering how hard the bullpen has been worked this season. Henn is the longman and he hasn't pitched since last Saturday.
Here's
to another season of Torre burning out high-quality relief pitchers.
04.17.2007 What was Bobby Abreu doing?
Bottom of the 2nd, two outs, Damon on third... Abreu BUNTS? Fortunately it went foul and Abreu singled on the next pitch.
Don't
do that again, Bob.
04.16.2007 A sad day
On
behalf of all of us at NoMaas, our hearts go out to all those who lost
family members and friends at Virginia Tech. May you all find the
comfort and courage you will need to move forward. Our prayers are
with you.
04.15.2007 More starters to the DL
With Chien-Ming Wang already out of action, Yankee starters Mike Mussina and Glass Carl have also joined the disabled list.
See you in 2008, Carl!
04.15.2007 Very funny
Click image to watch.
04.15.2007 If Carl doesn't grow a set...
Torre said the inexperience of Chase Wright would not preclude him from starting for the Yankees, if needed, on Tuesday. Wright, 24, has been dominant in two starts for Class AA Trenton. Carl Pavano is scheduled to start on Tuesday if he feels good in the bullpen on Sunday. (Source)
Chase
Wright at Trenton: 14 IP, 0 ER, 19 K, 1 BB, 4 H, 0.36 WHIP, 12.21 K/9
04.15.2007 Sorry Yankee fans, but we do not have a good defensive SS
Already
having the 3rd
worst Zone Rating among AL SS, Jeter is now tied for the most errors
in MLB (5) with Tampa Bay's BJ Upton.
04.14.2007 Torre beats Yankees for first time this year
Yes, the Yankees' hitters failed in key situations with the bases loaded, and yes, Abreu made a costly error...but sometimes in baseball, you have close games,and when the manager makes ridiculous decisions which impact the outcome, his idiocy needs to be highlighted.
Let us begin:
1. Torre apparently hasn't realized that Doug Mientkiewicz cannot hit. We'll ignore not pinch hitting for Doug in the 6th inning with bases loaded. However, in the 8th inning of a tie game, again with bases loaded, Torre allows Mientkiewicz to hit again. Doug does what he does best and hits a 60 foot bomb.
Top of the 10th, Cano on first base with two outs -- Torre again allows Mighty Mientkiewicz to bat. Cano steals second. Doug fouls out to third base.
2. Torre also believes Kyle Farnsworth is more effective than Brian Bruney. In the bottom of the 7th in which the Yankees led 4-3, Joe has Farnsworth pitch and he promptly allows a HR to tie the game. Then, Farnsworth walks the next batter on 4 pitches. Naturally, Joe leaves Farnsworth in the game to face Piazza.
Even though Bruney has been dominant and his K/9 is off the chart, Torre would rather have a struggling reliever with reduced velocity pitch in the high leverage situation.
3. Top of the 8th, potential winning run on 3B (Arod) and Giambi on 2B, Torre pinch runs for Giambi. Giambi's bat is lost for the rest of the game.
4. Once again, the Yankees lose an extra innings game as the visiting team, with the greatest reliever in MLB history sitting on the bench.
#
1
04.12.2007 It's Arod's fault
04.12.2007 Why "wins" are a terrible way to judge a pitcher
When the Yankees play Oakland on Friday night, they will be hitting against Dan Haren. Haren is 0-2 this season with a 0.69 ERA.
Is
it Haren's fault he doesn't have a win on the season? "Wins" are
too team dependent.
04.12.2007 Tabata dominating High A ball
.444 BA / .500 OBP / .722 SLG / 1.222 OPS
Trenton,
anyone?
04.11.2007 No juice
Giambi has a .552 OPS through 8 games.
04.11.2007 Incredible quote
Rodriguez spoke mostly in platitudes, smiling when an agitated Mike Mussina joked that his locker stall was crowded with reporters waiting for Rodriguez.
“Come
on!” Mussina wailed. “Six home runs in seven games? He’s supposed to do
that, just ask you guys!” (Source)
04.10.2007 Alex continues to show that the media is a bunch of tools
Another game, another home run (6)...
Suck
it, media.
04.09.2007 Who knew? Starters can go more than 5 innings
And believe it or not, it was Carl Pavano.
7 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 K, 0 BB
Pavano
arriving at the Metrodome before his start.
04.09.2007 Thank you, Philadelphia
3-5, HR, 4 RBI
And
to think, Philly fans booed this elite offensive performer. Yankee
fans would never do that.
04.09.2007 Thank you, Arizona
Brian Bruney: 17.21 K/9
We
just hope Torre doesn't run his arm into the ground.
04.08.2007 Starting pitching has been awful...
...and everyone's talking about it. No need for us to analyze it. We're not worried yet. It's hard pitching in freezing temperatures.
However, another significant reason why the Yankees have dropped three out of five is defense.
The Yankees have made 7 errors in their first five games, but let's break it down even further by looking at the individual Zone Ratings of some key regulars:
Cano:
.625, worst among AL second basemen, 2nd worst among MLB 2B
Jeter:
.538, worst among MLB shortstops
Arod:
.727, 3rd worst among AL third basemen
Matsui:
.727, 5th worst among AL left fielders
It's
hard to prevent runs when your position players aren't getting to batted
balls.
04.08.2007 KT
With
Matsui going on the DL, it's nice to see the right people being called
up from the minors. Welcome back, Kevin Thompson. We've been advocates
of KT for a long time. (Source)
04.08.2007 Boooooooo
04.06.2007 Wanted: Pitchers who can go at least 5 innings
Pavano:
4 1/3
Pettitte:
4
Mussina:
4
Way to go.
Can
Igawa give the bullpen a rest?
04.06.2007 Lousy pitching, defense doom Yankees
Andy Pettitte's homecoming turned into a disaster as Yankee pitching couldn't find the plate, and the team defense was terrible for a second straight game.
Yankee hurlers issued 6 walks and 3 wild pitches, while the defense committed 3 more errors to bring their total to six in the first two games of the season. Jorge Posada was also charged with a passed ball.
On defense, no one has looked worse than Derek Jeter. He committed two more errors to bring his total to three in just two games. In addition to his errors, Jeter has shown the range of a 75-year old woman. There were several balls on Thursday night which Jeter could have made a play on, but his lousy first step prevented him from doing so. How he wins Gold Glove awards is beyond our comprehension.
Yanks begin a 3-game set vs Baltimore tonight at 7:05pm.
04.05.2007 We kid, we kid
After we made our entry last night, MLB struck a deal with cable TV:
After negotiations that went into extra innings, baseball struck a deal to keep its "Extra Innings" package of out-of-market games on cable television.
IN Demand began making games available to cable systems in progress starting at 8 p.m. ET Wednesday, president Robert Jacobson said. The package will be available for $159 this year through a free preview period that will extend into next week...(Source)
Now
what about those people who ordered MLB TV? Refunds or just an "oops,
sorry?"
04.04.2007 MLB: "We take away Extra Innings and make you use a product which is terrible."
Since announcement of the DirectTV deal, which took baseball off the televisions of many fans, MLB has touted the capabilities of its new online TV product, MLB Premium. What a great product indeed.
From the MLB TV blog, a service of MLB.com:
We've had some reports, and have confirmed that a few of you may have had issues with multiple credit card auths for purposes of address verification, possibly as a result of some of the early issues we had with the form. To put you somewhat at ease, we're not actually charging your cards...
For anyone still having trouble with player tracker, i understand and appreciate the frustration with putting in a roster, and not having it appear. as of yesterday afternoon, we believe we've resolved this.
Sorry we've been a bit off the air, needed to focus more on some specifics of some of the technical issues we're working through...
If you launch the player on the PC and see just black, or frozen video, give it 15 or 20 seconds. We're having some stream startup related issues, and are working through them. It will start up, it just takes a few minutes. We know this isn't a great experience, and will have it resolved.
Today, our developers are split between working through all of the audio/video playback issues we've seen reported, fixing more application bugs (making sure player tracker is working well, cleaning up game specific stats feeds, etc.), and addressing the stability and installation issues that some of you have reported.
Thank you again for your patronage and support, we're working to get baseball to all of you as quickly as possible.
Go
Bud Selig!!
04.03.2007 The encore
04.02.2007 Sick offense + dominant bullpen = Yankees Opening Day victory
Giambi:
2-5, 3 RBI
Arod:
2-5, SB, HR, 2 RBI
Posada:
2-4, HR
Abreu:
2-5, SB, RBI
Nice debut for Josh Phelps who walked twice and saw 13 pitches in his 2 AB.
Bruney
- Henn - Vizcaino - Farnsworth - Greatest Reliever Ever:
4.2
IP, 0 ER, 5 K, 0 BB, 3 H
We're looking at a very good bullpen.
Pavano pitched OK. He was really hurt by errors by Jeter and Phelps, but at least he pitched better than Curt Schilling.
With
his HR on Opening Day, Arod is trying to win over New York.
04.02.2007 This is getting ridiculous
The Journal News' Peter Abraham has provided Yankees fans with great access to the clubhouse via first-hand reports and audio clips. His blog has been the best of all the Yankees' beat writers. However, his hostility towards Alex Rodriguez is now reaching the realm of the ridiculous.
In the 7th inning, Arod hit a laser to Tampa Bay SS, Ben Zobrist. The ball reached Zobrist on a very short hop and went into left field. It would be a very difficult play for any SS to make as the ball was absolutely scorched. Arod stole second base and was then knocked in by a Jason Giambi single.
Solid contribution in the inning by Arod, right?
Abraham, who ran an in-game commentary on his blog, decided to post this:
Yankees catch a break and lead 6-5
Ok, I know some (most) of you believe I don’t like Alex. But in the major leagues that should not be a hit.
You hit a grounder at the shortstop, he’s supposed to make a play. (Source)
Are you serious, man? Give it a rest, will you?
And then when Abraham was challenged by some of his readers in his "Comments" section, he replied, "You guys have no reading comprehension." (Source)
How
nice.
04.02.2007 American League predictions
NoMaas staff picks:
Sensei
John Kreese: Yankees, Tigers, Angels, WC: Indians
Lane
Meyer: Yankees, Indians, Rangers, WC: Twins
Lili
Von Shtupp: Yankees, Indians, Angels, WC: Tigers
Brisco
County Jr: Yankees, Indians, A's, WC: Tigers
ChaCha
DiGregorio: Yankees, Indians, A's, WC: Tigers
Brian
Shute: Yankees, Tigers, A's, WC: White Sox
Walter
Penbigh: Yankees, Indians, Rangers, WC: Red Sox
Chet
Steadman: Yankees, Indians, A's, WC: Angels
Lacey
Underall: Yankees, Tigers, Angels, WC: Indians
As you can see, none of us picked Boston to win the division, unlike "experts" Peter Gammons, Jayson Stark, and Buster Olney. In fact, only one of us picked Boston to make the playoffs (Walter, you're a loser.)
Is this because we're biased? Sure. But, we try to remain as objective as possible. The Yankees have major advantages over Boston. First, the Boston bullpen is a complete mess (nice job Theo) and the Yankees probably have one of the best pens in the AL.
Second, go ahead and compare lineups. Look at Boston's bottom four hitters: Lowell, Varitek, Crisp, and Pedroia -- the Yankees: Matsui, Posada, Cano, Phelps. Which set would you like to have? Also, Boston's leadoff hitter, Julio Lugo, sports a below-average career OPS+ of 92.
We
will not mention how awful Beckett was last year, Boston's 5th starter
situation, or their 40-year old overweight #1 starter.
03.31.2007 Can Glass Carl finally contribute?
Pavano
last pitched for the Yankees on June 27, 2005.
03.31.2007 Joe, is that you?
So the Yankees' opening day roster was released, and believe it or not, we generally like what Torre did. God help us though if Posada goes down to injury because Wil Nieves is horrible.
Also, as you know, Yankees homegrown pitcher Sean Henn has made the bullpen and this is what Torre had to say about him:
"If you have young pitchers," Torre said, "and you don't reward when they do well, you shouldn't have young pitchers." (Source)
Joe?
03.28.2007 Goodbye Steve Swindal
His [Steinbrenner's] other daughter, Jennifer, filed for divorce from her husband, Steve Swindal, in the family law division of Hillsborough County Circuit Court on Tuesday.
...The pending divorce ends any chance he had of succeeding Steinbrenner in running the Yankees, as Steinbrenner had said he would do in June 2005.
With Swindal soon leaving the family, he is also leaving the Yankees. According to an individual with direct knowledge of the matter, Steinbrenner no longer plans on promoting him. But removing him altogether from the Yankees is complicated because Swindal owns a stake in the team and the specifics of that must be unraveled. (Source)
Steve
Swindal was a strong advocate of Brian Cashman and moving the Yankees to
a more modern methodology of player evaluation and development. We
hope this doesn't change the new direction of the organization.
03.28.2007 MLB/Direct TV update
Sen. John Kerry urged Major League Baseball on Tuesday to hold off on a deal to put the sport's "Extra Innings" package of out-of-market games exclusively on DirecTV Group Inc. A top baseball official declined to agree, with opening day less than a week away.
Kerry, D-Mass., made the push at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on behalf of subscribers to cable TV and EchoStar Communications Corp.'s Dish Network who had received the package previously.
DuPuy [MLB's Chief Operating Officer] said that fans who have gotten the out-of-town games on other providers will still have the option of receiving them this year: by switching to DirecTV or subscribing to MLB.TV to watch the games on the Internet. (Source)
03.27.2007 Nooooooooo
Joe Torre yesterday gave a beefy indication he wants to return next year to manage the Yankees.
On the way out of a Legends Field bullpen where Andy Pettitte had thrown 25 pitches to start a perfect Florida morning, Torre was asked by The Post if he wanted to work in The Bronx beyond this season.
"I'm enjoying myself," said Torre, beginning his 12th season at the helm of George Steinbrenner's collection of expensive players with super-sized egos. "If that tells you something, then that tells you something." (Source)
The Yankees finished 97-65 last year. Based on runs scored (930) versus runs allowed (768), their adjusted standing was 96-66.
What will they do this year? Here are our staff predictions:
Brisco
County Jr: 98-64
Lane
Meyer: 95-67
Lacey
Underall: 94-68
Lili
Von Shtupp: 99-63
ChaCha
DiGregorio: 96-66
Jimmy
Two Times: 100-62
Sensei
John Kreese: 98-64
03.26.2007 Buster Olney, stick to reporting news and stop offering analysis
Your baseball analysis is absolutely moronic.
Olney on the Yankees rotation:
This year, they probably have the least rotation depth since Joe Torre took over as manager. Jeff Karstens moves into the rotation as Wang's replacement, and the Yankees feel very good about Karstens, about the way he has thrown this spring, about his future. But it says a lot about where the Yankees are now and where they are going, philosophically, that they will ask an unproven pitcher, rather than a former All-Star, to plug a rotation gap for them. (Source)
A response from one of our forum members, Bruce:
This might be the stupidest thing I've ever read. Yes, Karstens will likely step in, though you could make arguments for Rasner, Sanchez, Hughes, and several other guys.
And really, this is the least rotation depth since Torre took over? What about 2004? In 2004, there were 21 starts distributed between Tanyon Sturtze, Esteban Loaiza, Brad Halsey, Donovan Osborne, Jorge DePaula and Alex Graman. In 2005, they started the season with a rotation of Johnson, Mussina, Pavano, Kevin Brown, and Wright. They were tossing starts around to anyone they could get a hand on: 38 starts went to Leiter, Chacon, Sturtze, Proctor, Small, Henn(3 starts!), Darrell May, and Tim Redding. And then last year. A mid-season signing of Sidney Ponson and Jaret Wright getting postseason starts.
This
team has a ton of rotation depth...
(Source)
03.25.2007 Rotation shuffle
Right after Jeff Karstens appeared to be the 5th starter (in Wang's absence), this happens:
Six runs were already in for the Tigers on Sunday when Todd Pratt took a seat next to starting pitcher Jeff Karstens...
"Man, I'm hurting," Karstens told Pratt, pointing to his stiff right elbow.
It's probable that right-hander Darrell Rasner -- who has allowed two earned runs in 12 innings this spring, compiling a 1.50 ERA -- has vaulted into serious consideration for the roster spot. (Source)
Tough break for Karstens, but we like Rasner better anyway.
2006 at AAA:
Rasner:
58.2 IP, 2.76 ERA, 7.21 K/9, 1.69 BB/9, 0.61 HR/9
Karstens:
73.2 IP, 4.28 ERA, 5.86 K/9, 3.67 BB/9, 1.10 HR/9
Karstens
will undergo medical tests on Monday.
03.25.2007 Gritty
Bubba Crosby on his time with the Yankees, 2/21/07:
"I hit every spring training. I got to the big leagues with the Dodgers because I could hit," Crosby said. "I was ready to see what I can do, hitting. I knew I could go out there in spring and lead the whole camp in hitting and it wouldn't matter, I'd still be the fifth outfielder. It's nice to go to an organization that if you produce, you're going to play." (Source)
March 24, 2007:
Outfielder
Bubba Crosby was sent outright to Triple-A Louisville (Reds) on Saturday
afternoon.
(Source)
03.24.2007 A little insecure, Curt?
For 15 years, I've been wearing labels that people have perceived me to have. I'll give you a great example. One of the nicknames that has always gnawed at me a little bit was the "Red Light" thing. People believe that someone called me Red Light because I like to be in front of the camera, which is not how it happened. (Source)
03.22.2007 Hmmmm...
Today:
"I haven't been sleeping well because there's been that feeling deep down in my heart that I wanted to close," Papelbon said after the Phillies and Red Sox played to a 4-4 tie in 10 innings on Thursday. and "This is something I want to do for the rest of my career," he said. "It has nothing to do with Timlin's health or us not having a closer or my shoulder. I broke into the league as a closer. They drafted me as a closer. In college, I learned to pitch in the bullpen. It's where my heart is." (Source)
February 7, 2007:
While it's always been Papelbon's goal to be a starter, he doesn't believe every pitcher shares that dream. "There are a lot of pitchers I know whose goal it is to be a closer. Or to be a middle reliever," he said. "For me, my entire makeup is to be a starting pitcher. That's what I know. Since I've been in the Red Sox organization, I've been a starter until last year." (Source)
*thanks
to NoMaas forum member, yankeebot, for the find.
03.21.2007 Jeter: "I voted for Sanjaya."
03.21.2007 The greatest reliever of all-time may be getting scarier
Mariano Rivera may actually be serious about adding the changeup he has talked about putting in his repertoire for years. He threw two changeups in a row to last year's home run king, Ryan Howard, striking him out with the second.
"That's what spring training is for, just trying to get confidence on that," Rivera said. "I'm throwing it more. I'm just putting it in [batters'] minds."
Said Joe Torre: "He was tickled, obviously, after he struck [Howard] out."
Rivera's
perfect inning with two strikeouts gives him a 0.00 ERA in seven innings,
with three hits, no walks and seven strikeouts. (Source)
03.20.2007 Our apologies: Varitek is a good receiver
We received several emails from Red Sox fans complaining about our recent entry in which we used Curt Schilling's blog to imply Jason Varitek is a bad game-caller. From all of us at NoMaas, we offer our sincerest apologies. We did not mean it. For the record, we strongly believe Varitek is a good receiver.
Varitek
prepares to receive Schilling's split-finger.
03.19.2007 Was signing Igawa necessary?
Jeff Karstens has created a bit of a story in spring training. Through 13 1/3 innings, he's K'd 11 hitters, allowed 11 hits, and has not walked a batter.
Darrell Rasner has pitched 7 1/3 innings, while allowing 8 hits, striking out 4, and also has not walked a batter.
Kei Igawa has pitched 7 innings, while allowing 8 hits, striking out 12, and walking 7.
Now, we don't put much stock in spring training numbers, so let's look at historical performance.
Karstens:
4 seasons in the minors, 7.43 K/9, 2.29 BB/9, 0.72 HR/9, 9.31 H/9
Rasner:
5 seasons in the minors, 6.87 K/9, 2.39 BB/9, 0.52 HR/9, 9.19 H/9
Igawa:
8 seasons in Japan, 8.49 K/9, 2.86 BB/9, 0.84 HR/9, 8.39 H/9
Based on those numbers, no pitcher has a glaring advantage. Japanese professional baseball is generally regarded to be at a talent level between AAA and MLB. However, for the difference in expected production, was it necessary to spend $45 million on Igawa when the Yankees could have used Karstens or Rasner at $400k a piece? We're talking about a 5th starter here.
03.18.2007 Phelps vs. Phillips
The battle for the right-handed side of the 1B platoon with Doug Minkesadfasdeh is between Andy Phillips and Rule 5-acquired Josh Phelps. Joe Torre has made numerous references that Phillips is the favorite to win the position. As long-time NoMaas visitors know, we've been a big advocate of Phillips since our inception in May 2005. However, when a better option presents itself, we are not too proud to admit our defeat. Josh Phelps should be the man who makes the roster, not Phillips.
In 442 PAs vs MLB left handed pitching, Phelps sports a line of .292 BA / . 357 OBP / .500 SLG / .857 OPS.
In 107 PA (albeit a much smaller sample size) vs. MLB LHP, Phillips has a line of .186 BA / .224 OBP / .265 SLG / .489 OPS.
They're
both around the same age (28 & 29) and their minor league numbers are
similar. So, we'd rather have the guy who has proven he can hit LHP
at the major league level.
03.18.2007 And the beat goes on
ESPN's Buster Olney is also a card-carrying member of the "It's Arod's Fault" club. In a recent mailbag, after he explained how Arod is the anti-Christ, he dropped this gem:
...remember that it wasn't the media's decision to bat him eighth in the lineup in the playoffs last year (that would be Joe Torre, after a summer's worth of frustration with A-Rod's inconsistency)...(Source)
Arod's inconsistency?
2006
VORP: 51.6 (1st among AL 3B)
2006
OBP: .392 (1st among AL 3B)
2006
SLG: .523 (1st among AL 3B)
2006
OPS: .914 (1st among AL 3B)
Sure thing, Buster.
03.14.2007 Another day, another Arod hackjob
Let's recap Alex Rodriguez's interview yesterday on WFAN.
"I want to get into the city more, do more New York things, do more charity things...feel the vibe of the city..."
"One hundred percent, my wife and I, my daughter, we want to stay in New York."
Yet, the Journal News' Peter Abraham leads with, "A-Rod hints he might opt out of his contract."
Huh?
And he continues with, "The revelations marked the second time since spring training started that Rodriguez thrust himself into the spotlight...But now he seems intent on paving the road for his departure. (Source)
It gets even worse on Abraham's blog:
"What a lot of the A-Rod Forever crowd doesn’t understand is that this has nothing to do with the Yankees or Jeter or Torre or the media. It has everything to do with Alex Rodriguez, Inc.
Given what the market was like last winter, what would a player like Alex be worth next winter? Starting the bidding at $33 million a year for seven years. But Alex wouldn’t want to make it look like he ran away from New York, because that would hurt his marketability. So now he drops it on your doorstep.
Alex can backtrack all he wants. He knew what he saying, he knew how many people were listening and he knew it would blow up." (Source)
And Honest Abraham also tries to reignite the "Everyone on the Yankees hates Arod" rumor by stating that an unnamed Yankee laughed at Alex following the interview.
So, the only question we can think to ask Honest Abraham is, "Did Arod steal your lunch money?"
Wow, man, this is one of the most brutal hackjobs we have read in a while, and it was done with very apparent anger. Move over Lupica. Here comes Peter Abraham.
03.14.2007 The new Arod continues his candid ways
Quotes from his Tuesday interview on WFAN:
"The notion that I don't have any friends on this team is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."
"This is not tennis or golf. I can't judge myself on if we win the World Series...That is ridiculous. This is such a team game. I can't judge myself strictly on winning on World Series."
"One hundred percent, my wife and my daughter, we want to stay in New York."
(On hitting eighth in the ALDS) "I was very embarrassed. I was crushed to be honest with you. I couldn't believe it."
"I don't think the fans have been fair all the time."
"People pay too much attention to me."
"I want to get into the city more, do more New York things, do more charity things...feel the vibe of the city..."
"Do
I look like a jerk to you or something?"
03.13.2007 Backup catching option?
Rookie catcher Chris Iannetta received a strong endorsement from the Rockies on Monday. The team released veteran catcher Javier Lopez, who conceded he had lost the No. 1 catching job. >(Source)
The
article also states that if Lopez can't be a starting catcher, he'd like
to go back to the Braves. However, it's worth having a conversation with
him. He's forecasted to have a 9.5 VORP by PECOTA and he had a 110 OPS+
year in 2005. He'd be a terrific backup catching option.
03.12.2007 Protect ya neck
Cano signed a new one-year contract worth $490,000 yesterday while Wang's contract was renewed for $489,000.
Among the other players to sign yesterday were Scott Proctor ($442,000) and Melky Cabrera ($430,000), who were both major contributors to the Yankees' division title last season.
"We need to have more guys like that," general manager Brian Ca$hmoney said. "That's the method to the madness that we're going through, trying to find as many young players that are (not yet eligible for arbitration) that can come out and be productive for you on a daily basis, rather than having a veteran with a high amount of money committed at every position." (Source)
03.12.2007 Schilling: "Varitek is a lousy game-caller."
From Curt Schilling's new personal blog:
So
we're into the fourth inning, and the inevitable happens. I start Cuddyer
off with a curve ball-strike one. My thought as the pitch is being called
is, "OK, anything but a fastball here." Tek puts down fastball in, I shake
no. Tek puts it down again, which means he feels great about the pitch.
At this point the ONLY thing to do is commit to the pitch and throw it
as I called it or step off. I do neither. Mentally I think no, but physically
I nod yes. In the middle of my windup I'm thinking, "OK, you idiot, why
the hell are you throwing this pitch? About ten seconds later, when the
ball lands over the left-field wall, I'm dropping words I'd put soap in
my kids mouths for saying. (Source)
03.12.2007 Yankees' brass pointedly ignore hanger-on Bill Bellichick
03.10.2007 Steinbrenner reaches out to victims
The New York Yankees have voluntarily committed to paying the funeral costs for victims of a Bronx house fire that killed nine people Wednesday.
Yankees principal owner George M. Steinbrenner addressed the club's commitment in a statement released Friday through spokesman Howard Rubenstein.
"The horrible tragedy in the Bronx which has resulted in the loss of life of nine of our neighbors has touched our hearts and those of all New Yorkers," Steinbrenner said.
"The New York Yankees have tremendous sympathy for the families and friends of those who have lost their lives or have been injured. We hope that by paying for the funerals, our assistance will be able to ease some of their burden." (Source)
Great
gesture by the Yankees.
03.08.2007 MLB is run by scumbags
Major League Baseball has announced an agreement that will give satellite giant DirecTV what looks to be exclusive rights to the sport's Extra Innings package of out-of-market games. The agreement, announced formally at a press conference Thursday afternoon, is reportedly worth $700 million over the next seven years...
Under the deal, DirecTV will be the exclusive carrier of the Extra Innings package if Dish Network and In Demand, before the start of the season, do not match the rates and requirements to carry Extra Innings and the MLB Channel at the same level of commitment that DirecTV has agreed to in the deal. Baseball officials would not publicly disclose what terms that DirecTV has agreed to and what terms Dish and In Demand would have to meet.
Baseball commissioner Bud Selig has downplayed the controversy over the deal, calling it "ridiculous," and claiming that only a small number of consumers who previously received the Extra Innings package through cable will be unable to get a DirecTV satellite signal
"Of course we're sensitive to our fans," MLB president and chief operating office Bob DuPuy said. "But we're happy with our arrangement with DirecTV."
Said Tim Brosnan, the executive vice president of MLB: "This has been [done] with months of open, competitive negotiations. That choice, to whether these ... end up on cable, will not be ours, but cable's." (Source)
Email these guys and let them know what you think. It doesn't matter if you're a fan of the Yankees or not. This affects all fans. Flood their inbox. And make sure you send a very special message to Tim Brosnan. Remember this?
bud.selig@mlb.com
bob.dupuy@mlb.com
tim.brosnan@mlb.com
Also,
the number for the commissioner's office is 212-931-7800.
03.08.2007 $4 million a month
A
source on another team said Clemens is believed to be seeking $4 million
a month, which would represent a slight raise over the pro-rated $22 million
he made in 2006. (Source)
03.08.2007 Four Rings vs. Arod
What stood out more, from the ugly ending to the Yankees' 2006, was the way Rodriguez's relationship with manager Joe Torre appeared to unravel.
While always outstanding with the media, Torre usually has known where to draw the line when it comes to sensitive inside information. That line moved when Torre told SI's Tom Verducci about his one-on-one conversation with the slumping A-Rod in Seattle. The manager gave up such details as Rodriguez playing with his wedding ring while listening to Torre's stern words. (Source)
Torre:
"I like what I see in this kid."
03.07.2007 Hughes to NYC: "Bring it."
We've seen enough players get overwhelmed by New York to know it isn't for everybody (not mentioning the names of any 6-foot-10 left-handers here). But it doesn't seem to faze Hughes, even though he grew up nearly 3,000 miles away.
"I'd
rather be in a situation like the Yankees," he said, "where there's all
this attention and media coverage. Some people think it's added pressure.
But I just try and enjoy it." (Source)
03.06.2007 Backup catcher wanted: apply within
With the Sal Fasano era coming to an unfortunate end, the Yankees are left without a backup catcher. Let's take a look at some of the backstops currently in Tampa.
Wil Nieves - Age 29, on the 40-man roster, 11 minor league seasons, .288 BA / .339 OBP / .398 SLG /.737 OPS, Forecasted VORP: -8.8
Todd Pratt - Age 40, non-roster invitee, last 3 years .240 BA / .319 OBP / .370 SLG / .689 OPS, Career 95 OPS+, Forecasted VORP: -1.7
Ben Davis - Age 30 (on March 10th), non-roster invitee, has seen time with 5 different MLB teams, last MLB appearance in 2004, signed by Yankees in January 2006, Career 78 OPS+, Hit .222 BA / .254 OBP / .333 SLG / .587 OPS at Columbus last year, Forecasted VORP: Unavailable
Raul Chavez - Age 34 (on March 18), non-roster invitee, 16 seasons in the minors, 435 PA over 9 MLB seasons, Career 39 OPS+, .212 BA / .253 OBP / .284 SLG / .537 OPS, Forecasted VORP: -15.2
So who do we want as backup catcher? It doesn't matter because all the candidates stink. Gun to our head: Pratt, because he's forecasted to suck less, and he's pulled a good season out of his rear end every now and then.
If
anything, this situation shows how important it is to develop catching
depth in your farm system. This is a problem all around baseball.
Hopefully, the Yankees will be able to solve their own dilemma.
03.05.2007 The debut of Kei Igawa
Igawa showed good strikeout ability, fanning all three batters he retired in his exhibition start against the Tigers, but he struggled with his command and issued three walks. He left the game after surrendering a leadoff single to Sean Casey opening the second inning.
"The result was not good, but it was something I can learn from and move forward," Igawa said through interpreter Yumi Watanbe. (Source)
03.05.2007 Prospect Watch: Tyler Clippard
Monday's Line: 2 IP, 1 K, 0 BB, 0 H
The Good: Clippard consistently hit 91 with his fastball, a few ticks better than he was last year, and showed plus command with good lateral movement on his weakest offering. His curve had good break and average control. His changeup, typically his best pitch, had movement similar to his fastball, only about 10 MPH slower.
The Bad: He started overthrowing a bit towards the end of his 1st inning, which led to a changeup getting away from him and hitting Brent Clevlen in the head. While his fastball was better than expected, it's still average at best, and he'll have to pitch off of his secondary stuff to be successful in the majors.
What we expect: Clippard will almost certainly start the year in AAA. If he pitches like this, a mid to high 3's ERA seems reasonable. Right now he's behind Hughes and Sanchez on the depth chart, but if Sanchez' health problems continue he'd likely end up next in line for a promtion after Hughes. His raw stuff translates to a #4 or 5, but his plus command gives him a good chance of becoming a dependable #3.
Summary
by NoMaas' Marty McFly
03.04.2007 Carl
Pavano makes his spring debut:
"Sometimes, you're out there just trying to survive instead of trying to win the battle," Pavano said. "I've definitely dealt with both those emotions. It's not always going to be perfect, it's not always going to be in your favor. But what I've dealt with in the past, hopefully, I can keep that behind me."
Pavano said that his consistency in the strike zone could have been better, but all things considered, he was pleased. His fastball had good downward plane, catcher Wil Nieves said, and Pavano's slider was darting around the zone.
"He looked great," Nieves said. "He looked like he's been pitching for a while. I liked what I saw, and I know he's going to get better. I'm going to keep praying for him to stay healthy all year." (Source)
03.02.2007 Bob Raissman, you are a hack
This was on the back cover of Friday's NY Daily News:
If you read the article, you will notice that Raismann creates a story out of absolutely nothing, only to stake his claim in the Who Can Defame Alex Rodriguez contest. In an upcoming interview on HBO, Alex Rodriguez is asked his thoughts on new Cubs manager Lou Piniella. Arod offers many compliments on Piniella and explains that Lou is a great friend of his. That's it. That is all he says.
However, Raismann turns that into this:
If you come away sensing the Yankees third baseman has the Windy City on his mind you will have plenty of company.
While Deford never asks Rodriguez to compare Piniella to Joe Torre, it is abundantly clear the managerial qualities - and style - A-Rod enthusiastically attributes to Piniella are not subscribed to by the Yankees manager.
The emotion he displays while speaking about his former manager and mentor leaves a distinct impression that reuniting with Piniella would be a dream come true.
Yet even though, Alex had this to say about the interview:
"He's on a different team in a different league," Rodriguez said. "My memories of Lou are in the present and the past, not the future."
This hackjob somehow makes the back page cover of the Daily News.
Worst of all, the writer looks like this:
We
did not Photoshop this.
03.01.2007 Get 'em next time, kid
1.1 IP, 2 BB, 1 H, 1 WP, 1K (Justin Morneau)
However:
Damon
hit a leadoff home run, Jason Giambi also homered and Chien-Ming Wang pitched
two perfect innings as the New York Yankees beat the Minnesota Twins 6-1
Thursday in an exhibition opener. (Source)
02.28.2007 How will Torre mismanage the bullpen this year?
Joe Torre was talking about the bullpen today and more or less said non-roster LHP Ron Villone would be on the team. The only spot they need to fill is for a long man and that could well be somebody like Jeff Karstens.
Right now, the seven relievers look to be Mariano Rivera, Scott Proctor, Krazy Kyle Farnsworth, Luis Vizcaino, Mike Myers, Ron Villone and TBA. (Source)
We
know it's still very early, but if Sleepytime Joe arranges the bullpen
like that, we will be disappointed. Here is how we think the bullpen
should be constructed. Ladies and gentlemen, back for an encore
performance, NoMaas' Brisco County Jr.
02.28.2007 Lard
Left unspoken was Schilling's disappointing physique when he showed up at Fort Myers. He was clearly overweight, and members of the front office took note.
"In 2004, I came into spring training at 242 pounds, and it felt like 210," he said. "This year I came in at 248 and it felt like 310." (Source)
(Above)
Curt Schilling's personal trainer
02.27.2007 Pavano should be indicted for embezzlement
Pavano admitted yesterday he wasn't always hell-bent on making it back from injuries. Now, as he attempts to return from a bruised bone in the right foot, he feels the difference.
"This is the first time I could say, 'I am just going to pick up where I left off,' " said Pavano, who has had plenty of experience returning from injuries the past two seasons. "In the past it has just been positive words. I don't know how committed I was. This time I am definitely ready to go." (Source)
02.26.2007 Taco Bell is on your left
First, there were celebrity greetings on cell phones; now lost motorists can get directions from Curt Schilling on their vehicle navigation systems.
TomTom Inc., a navigation solution provider with offices in Concord, said today that it is offering 70 preloaded voices in 36 languages that owners of its portable navigation systems can purchase and download.
"We know our customers have a very personal connection with TomTom," company president Jocelyn Vigreux said in a statement. "Now with the recognizable voice of Curt Schilling, the journey becomes more enjoyable and fun."
For a TomTom-equipped motorist driving to Fenway Park, the company said it's come up with a new wrinkle; instead of hearing Schilling say, "You have reached your destination," the Schilling voice-over is programmed to say: "You're almost home! Slide! Slide!" (Source)
In addition to "Slide! Slide!", NoMaas has learned that TomTom Schilling also says the following:
"Turn
right into McDonalds"
"I'm
still hungry, go back to McDonalds."
"Follow
that ice cream truck."
"Dunkin
Donuts and step on it."
02.26.2007 Everyone loves NoMaas
...even the Damon family
Graphic
by NoMaas forum member, 23and2
02.25.2007 Because of the terrible things he does
NoMaas'
Brisco County Jr is off to see MLB's worst GM,
the wonderful Wizard of Ughs.
02.22.2007 From Big Papi to Big Racist
"I don't remember what Matsuzaka looked like till I saw him this winter," Ortiz said. "I always tell people that everybody looks the same to me in Japan.
He just needs to be able to tell the difference between the two pitchers, he joked, saying, "I know there's going to be one pitching every five days and another one coming into the game every day." (Source)
02.22.2207 Damn, son
Cashman on the Bernie Williams situation:
"That ship has sailed."
"Last year was his farewell tour," Cashman said. "A lot of people in this organization would have let him go after 2005, but I brought him back because of who he was and because we had a need."
"I'm trying to do this as respectfully as I can," he said. "It's a balancing act between your emotional ties to someone you love and what's best for your team. And whenever you're transitioning to younger players, this is what happens."
"We're talking about a role player here, the 25th man on the roster. I know what Bernie Williams meant to this team, but he's not that guy anymore." (Source)
02.22.2007 Giambi on Hughes
"He's like a young Rocket." (Source)
02.22.2007 Notes
Couple interesting comments from interviews posted on Newsday:
Joe Torre: "My number one priority is finding a way to consistently get Melky enough at-bats."
Brian
Cashman: "Bobby Abreu is an offensive machine. He's constantly
on base. Obviously that's good for the guys who want to drive in
runs to have someone like that in front of them."
02.21.2007 BP's Top 100 Prospects
Baseball Prospectus released their list of the Top 100 prospects in baseball. Five Yankees made the list.
# 2
Philip Hughes, Age 21, RHP (behind Alex Gordon of the Royals)
#
22 Jose Tabata, Age 18, OF
#
56 Joba Chamberlain, Age 21, RHP
#
65 Humberto Sanchez, Age 24, RHP
#
92 Dellin Betances, Age 19, RHP
02.21.2007 Where there's a will, there's a way
If he did show up in Tampa, sixty-seven percent of our visitors believe Torre would find a way to get Bernie on the 25-man roster.
And here's an excerpt from a Rob Neyer column running on ESPN:
But while the Yankees certainly owe Williams a great deal of respect and perhaps even a dollop of gratitude for what he's done, the Yankees certainly do not owe him a precious roster spot. The Yankees are, more than any other franchise in the game, bigger than any single player. Like them or not, the Yankees are serious about winning the World Series every year. History will forgive the Yankees for showing Bernie Williams the door. History would not forgive the Yankees for letting sentiment get in the way of playing big games in October. (Source)
Word
up, Neyer.
02.20.2007 Lay off me, I'm starving
02.20.2007 Unlike the guy above, Arod is leaner
Alex Rodriguez streamlined his body by dropping 12 pounds this offseason in attempts to regain his full agility. (Source)
Hopefully,
this will improve his defense and allow him to better catch up on fastballs.
02.19.2007 Alex speaks about relationship with Jeter
"I think it's important to cut the ----," he said. "I think when you get in all the BS, people start assuming things are worse than what they are, which they're not. But they are obviously not as great as they used to be, when we were like blood brothers."
Rodriguez
described their relationship as a "good working relationship. I cheer very
hard for him. He cheers for me. And most importantly we're both trying
to win a world championship." (Source)
This
guy wants an extension?!?!
02.16.2007 "80/20" Clemens leaning towards retirement
Clemens, who had narrowed his choices to the Boston Red Sox, Houston Astros and New York Yankees, said he was responding when his son, Koby, commented that he was working out harder than his father.
"Koby asked me last night when we were working out, he was doing more of a workout than I was," Clemens said, KRIV-TV reported. "I still told him 80-20 that I wasn't going to play." (Source)
Is
their love not enough to bring Clemens back to baseball?
02.16.2007 Torre: "I don't care what Cashman wants to do."
The way general manager Brian Ca$hmoney has constructed the roster entering camp, there is no room for Williams because the team plans to carry 12 pitchers and employ a platoon at first base so Jason Giambi can be made a full-time designated hitter. That leaves room for only one reserve outfielder, Melky Cabrera.
But Torre Thursday mentioned several scenarios that would make room for Williams, including using Giambi at first base, making lefthanded-hitting Doug Mientkiewicz the everyday first baseman or using Miguel Cairo as the righthanded part of a first-base platoon.
Addressing his various options at first base, Torre said, "I don't think that I would be afraid to play Mientkiewicz [against lefthanded pitchers]. He's always played both ways ... If we see Jason as a first baseman, that all of a sudden opens up a spot, too." (Source)
02.14.2007 What is up with Mo?
Sorry to say it, but Mariano is acting like a d*ck.
Mariano Rivera had this warning for the New York Yankees: If he becomes a free agent, he'll consider offers from other teams.
"Everybody has the same shot," he said Wednesday. "The Yankees will not have an advantage."
"The Yankees always knew that I wanted to be with the Yankees and finish my career with the Yankees," he said. "If they don't want to do (anything) with me, I'm not go home crying. I'm going to move on."
He doesn't see himself playing in another uniform.
"But if I have to, I have to do it," he said. (Source)
Where
is all this coming from?
02.14.2007 New season, same arrogance
After dropping Alex Rodriguez to the eighth spot in Game 4 of the Tigers series last October, Joe Torre was asked where he was going to bat A-Rod this year.
"I don't know yet, but it won't be eighth," he said.(Source)
02.14.2007 Baseball Prospectus: Yanks have 4th best farm system in MLB
Philip
Hughes leads off the best collection of mound talent in the game. Unfortunately,
Jose Tabata is left alone to carry the weight offensively, as the hitting
talent is thin. (Source)
02.13.2007 This makes no sense to us
Ron Villone has agreed to a minor-league deal with the New York Yankees.
He stands to make $2.5 million if he makes the club, which is likely, and an additional $300,000 in incentives based on games pitched. He will compete with Sean Henn and Mike Myers for a spot in the bullpen. (Source)
Ron Villone was a type B free agent. If he was signed by another team, the Yankees would have received a sandwich pick in the draft. In 2005, the Yankees drafted University of Texas closer JB Cox with a sandwich pick. Cox has been very effective in the minors and is nearly ready to contribute to the big club.
The Yankees now lose that opportunity by signing 37-year old Villone. Even if the interest in him from other teams is low, we would have rather seen the Yankees wait it out. With the other relievers at spring training, Villone doesn't need to be offered any deal. We'll take the chance (no matter how remote people may argue) of getting a pick over signing Villone any day of the week.
Additionally, is it necessary to spend $2.5 million for a reliever (if he makes the club) when the Yankees could get similiar production from a cheaper player?
We're
also curious to see what happens if Villone does make the roster.
The Yankees are supposedly carrying 12 pitchers into the season.
If the Yankees decided to carry two lefties (Villone and Myers), who is
left out of the pen? We'll have strong opinions on that one.
02.12.2007 Could it be?
A healthy Pavano?
After
his workout on Monday, Pavano addressed the press. When asked about
his newfound health, Pavano stated, "I feel a lot better. I switched
to organic Ragu."
02.11.2007 The end is near
Five-time All-Star Bernie Williams has rejected the New York Yankees' offer of a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training, according to newspaper reports.
Instead, Williams on Friday revealed his preference to stay at home, stay in shape, spend time with his family and wait to see if the Yankees change their minds and offer him a guaranteed roster spot.
"I think if they wanted me they would have signed me already," Williams told reporters at a benefit in Connecticut on Friday night. "The option to go to spring training and see what happened -- I don't think at this moment it is something I want to consider."
The Daily News quoted Williams as saying, "I'm working out, but I think the way it looks right now, it doesn't seem like I'm going to be playing with that team this year."
Williams, who has been with the Yankees since 1991, has made no secret of his desire to remain with them. But with the team's plan to go with 12 pitchers, platoon at first base and move Jason Giambi to designated hitter, there is no spot on a 25-man roster for the 38-year-old Williams at this point, general manager Brian Cashman said.
"We
love and respect Bernie, but with the dynamic of our roster, there's not
a spot," The New York Times quoted Cashman as saying. "We had a lot of
conversations with him. I understand that he doesn't want to accept a minor
league deal." (Source)
02.11.2007 Hammer & sickle
According to our latest poll, 32% of our visitors are Communists.
Odd
bunch of people.
02.08.2007 Let the witch hunt begin again
by Fred Claire of MLB.com:
Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees has a contract that guarantees him $95 million over the next four seasons and yet he says he is going to take things "day to day."
The question waiting to be asked had to do with Rodriguez' contract, the richest in baseball history at 10 years and $252 million.
Rodriguez, you see, has the ability to opt out of the deal after the upcoming season due to a clause in the contract that was negotiated by Boras.
The media thus delivered what should have been an easy fastball for Rodriguez to hit -- what did he think about Drew's decision to opt out of a contract with the Dodgers and sign with the Red Sox.
"I didn't follow the J.D. Drew situation," Rodriguez replied. "My situation and my only goal is to win a world championship, and I'm going to take it day to day. And that's about it."
It may seem like a harmless answer, but it isn't. When you make reference to "day to day" it sounds short term and leaves open the speculation that there might be a desire to opt out of the current contract.
Rodriguez' teammates Posada and Williams have been around New York long enough to know you don't have to say things to create controversy -- the media in the Big Apple is more than willing to help in this area. (Source)
God forbid ARod reserves the right to examine a clause which is part of his negotiated contract. How dare he!
Arod doesn't owe the Yankees or the fans anything. He's hit 119 HRs as a member of this team. He's won an MVP. Yet, he's constantly ridiculed my moronic fans. He's crucified by writers who know very little about baseball. And he's not in Joe Torre's Circle of Trust.
If
Arod leaves, we won't blame him.
02.08.2007 Odd things happen in Boston's clubhouse
02.07.2007 Curt Schilling is fat
Michael Holley is a co-host of a radio talk show on WEEI in Boston.
Holley also said today that a trustworthy source told him that Curt Schilling is "woefully out of shape." He said there are those who worry about his legs and that this could be the reason the Red Sox might be hesitant to give him a contract extension. (Source)
"I
want a contract extension!"
02.06.2007 Extend him
Jorge Posada is focused on the season as he heads into the final year of his contract with the New York Yankees.
Posada will make $12 million in 2007, the final season of a deal paying him $59 million over six years. The 35-year-old catcher says he's leaving his contract situation up to his agents, Sam and Seth Levinson, and Yankees general manager Brian Cashman. (Source)
Playing a position which has very little depth around the league, he is still one of the majors' best hitting catchers.
Interesting
sidenote: According to baseball-reference.com,
Posada's career is most similar to Carlton Fisk through the age of 34.
02.05.2007 Red Sox invest $70 million in a player who needs extraterrestrial equipment to avoid the disabled list
What JD Drew uses in his attempts to stay healthy:
The gadgets he's turned to include a cosmonaut-tested healing device, a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, an infrared sauna, chips implanted in his cell phones and computers to limit radiation damage, and a myriad of other health-oriented products that promise better overall health.
The most noticeable piece of Drew's wellness equipment, which come at a price tag in the thousands, is a device known as QRS or Quantron Resonance System.
The QRS is a mat, a pen-shaped rod and a control panel. It hasn't been sanctioned by the Food and Drug Administration in the United States for medical usage, but can be imported from Europe, where it is widely used by the mainstream medical community.
By simple exposure of the body to QRS, pulsating low frequency magnetic fields stimulate cell metabolism, increase oxygen assimilation and accelerate the removal of toxic chemicals and waste. Pulsating electromagnetic fields can fully penetrate the body and reinforce weak functional cycles in a natural way. This allows the body to recover its self-healing capabilities." (Source)
(Above)
Drew receiving treatment for his fragile body.
02.01.2007 Cashman b*tchslaps Mel
After retiring as pitching coach following the 2005 season, Stottlemyre helped the Yankees make the transition to Ron Guidry in spring training last year. Torre and Guidry wanted Stottlemyre to return to Tampa, but Stottlemyre was interested in a part-time role that included more than spring training work, and the Yankees apparently said no thanks.
"I
had a nice talk with (GM) Brian Cashman but basically he said he had nothing
for me," Stottlemyre said yesterday. "I was a little surprised and disappointed,
but I don't have any hard feelings. I just decided I'd move on." (Source)
Ca$h:
"Stay away from our young pitchers, biatch."
02.01.2007 Rock the vote
In the spirit of the Yankees' front office trip to China, we thought we would ask a question to our visitors.
01.25.2007 A step ahead of everyone else
The Yankees consider themselves the most driven team in a competitive sport, so their push to boost baseball in China is not purely altruistic. They believe there is talent to be cultivated in China, and when future prospects have a choice of where to sign, the Yankees want their brand and reputation to stand out.
The Yankees’ presence in China will give more exposure to their well-known brand, but yesterday’s briefing offered few details of the business aspects of the trip. The primary motivation is baseball, Levine said. To Cashman, the venture made sense for the long term.
“It’s a country of roughly a billion people that has expressed an interest in the sport of baseball,” Cashman said. “As we’ve all seen over the years, when China has an interest in a particular sport — and they invest time, effort and money — they typically become very good at that sport. (Source)
Vision.
01.24.2007 Another NoMaas exclusive: Interview with the NY Times
In an exclusive interview, NoMaas's Sensei John Kreese sat down with NY Times reporter Richard Sandomir, who originally broke the MLB/Direct TV story.
To
learn more about this deal and how it will affect fans, click
here to read the interview.
01.23.2007 NoMaas exclusive: Email from MLB
The following is an email exchange between one of our visitors and Tim Brosnan, MLB's Executive VP of Business. We have protected the identity of our visitor.
From:
XXXXXX
To:
Brosnan, Tim
Sent:
Mon Jan 22 16:30:13 2007
Subject:
MLB's deal with DISH Network
Is this a joke? You have to be kidding me.
Shutting out fans from your product has got to be one of the worst business decisions I've ever heard of in my life.
Brosnan's response:
Thanks
for the note. You need to get your facts straight. I also appreciate your
business advice.
--------------------------
Sent
from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld
Now,
Brosnan was referring to the "Dish Network" reference when he said "get
your facts straight" -- the deal is with DirectTV. However, is that
any way to respond to a fan? What's with the harsh sarcasm?
It seems MLB couldn't care less about us.
01.22.2007 Dropping a hint?
Major League Baseball pitcher Roger Clemens shows off his World Series ring with the New York Yankees as he arrives at the myspace party during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, Saturday, Jan. 20, 2007. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)
Here's
what NoMaas' Marty McFly said about Clemens
on December 3rd.
01.22.2007 It's Arod's fault
01.21.2007 Updated MLB contact information
We have been told the proper email address format for MLB executives is firstname.lastname@mlb.com.
Also, the number for the commissioner's office is 212-931-7800.
Let
them know your opinion on the DirectTV deal.
01.20.2007 Bud Selig, MLB shutting out fans
Major League Baseball is close to announcing a deal that will place its Extra Innings package of out-of-market games exclusively on DirecTV, which will also become the only carrier of a long-planned 24-hour baseball channel.
Extra Innings has been available to 75 million cable households and the two satellite services, DirecTV and the Dish Network. But the new agreement will take it off cable and Dish because DirecTV has agreed to pay $700 million over seven years, according to three executives briefed on the details of the contract but not authorized to speak about them publicly.
The only other way that fans without DirecTV will be able to see Extra Innings will be on MLB.com’s mlb.tv service.
DirecTV is available to about 15 million subscribers. (Source)
75 million people to 15 million people...this is an outrage. Do you think MLB cares about its fans? We need to do something about this. NoMaas will be contacting other blogs to alert them about this situation. We also hope you make your voice heard to the officials at MLB. We're still looking for a phone number to the MLB executive office, but here is a list of the top brass:
• Allan
H. (Bud) Selig Commissioner of Baseball
•
Bob DuPuy President & Chief Operating Officer
•
Jimmie Lee Solomon Executive Vice President, Baseball Operations
•
Tim Brosnan Executive Vice President, Business
•
Rob Manfred Executive Vice President, Labor Relations & Human Resources
•
Jonathan Mariner Executive Vice President, Finance
•
John McHale Jr. Executive Vice President, Administration
We
are assuming their individual email addresses are the first initial of
their first name and their last name @mlb.com. For example, Bud Selig
may be bselig@mlb.com. Email these people
and let them know how outrageous this is. If anyone has better information
than we have, please email admin@nomaas.org
01.18.2007 Nationals sign Make Things HappenTM
Tony
Womack and the Washington Nationals have agreed to a minor league deal
that would pay the veteran infielder $600,000 if he makes the 40-man roster.
(Source)
01.18.2007 Arrivederci, Sal, arrivederci
Sal Fasano, a major leaguer since 1996, has signed a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays and will be invited to the team's spring training. (Source)
01.14.2007 I'm a New York Yankees kid
In
a rare move for a baseball team, the Yankees signed Jeff Nelson to a minor-league
contract yesterday so he could retire as a member of the organization.
Nelson officially retired shortly after officially becoming a Yankee for the third time in his career.
"I'd like to thank George Steinbrenner, Brian Cashman, Joe Torre and the entire Yankees family for allowing me to retire as a New York Yankee," Nelson said in a statement released by the team.
"I
enjoyed a fulfilling 15-year major-league career, and each season brought
experiences and friends that I will cherish forever. But being able to
be a part of four world-championship teams with the Yankees, while playing
in a place like Yankee Stadium in front of the greatest fans in the world
- that time will always hold a special place in my heart." (Source)
01.10.2007 Ca$h: "I do what I do cuz I gots to do it."
"Our thought process for the past two years has been to stockpile as many young pitchers as we can, so you don't have to go into the free agent market and do desperate things," Cashman said. "It's been proven again and again you can be slaughtered there, where all the pitchers are over-priced. Plus, our payroll simply couldn't go any higher than it was." (Source)
“I understand by making the move with Randy Johnson, I do put our rotation at risk,” Cashman said. “Maybe you could describe it as taking a half-step back to take a greater step forward with more inventory to turn to, either with a trade or with a new Yankee player who can emerge.” (Source)
Holla.
01.10.2007 Randy Johnson smokes crack
"I
think in any year, I can still win 20 games." (Source)
125 OPS+, .858 OPS, .381 OBP, 1068 BB, 2336 H...he's had an amazing career.
But, it's time for it to end. Bernie should not be playing for the Yankees next season.
01.09.2007 Scott Brosius received 0 votes for the Hall of Fame...
Which means Alex Rodriguez should receive negative votes when he is eligible.
To
see the complete voting list, click
here.
01.07.2007 Will they still cry poverty?
When
the Yankees agreed to trade Randy Johnson to the Arizona Diamondbacks,
they chopped roughly $15 million from a payroll that was in the range of
$195 million. And while there has been ample speculation in New York that
the Yankees might now turn their attention to Roger Clemens, the bottom
line is that New York’s 2007 payroll currently projects to the $180 million
range, a mere $20 million more than your free-spending Boston Red Sox.
(Source)
01.07.2007 Unit deal
The
deal still isn't official, but NoMaas' Brisco County Jr. was tired of waiting.
Here's his analysis of the Randy Johnson deal.
01.04.2007 Randolph headed back to Arizona
Although not official as of the time we write this, Randy Johnson appears to be on his way back to Arizona:
New York would receive Vizcaino and minor league right-handers Ross Ohlendorf and Steven Jackson, and shortstop Alberto Gonzalez, a baseball official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The Yankees also would pay $2 million of Johnson's $16 million salary this year. (Source)
While we will provide our analysis once the deal is official, let us look back at those magic words Randy Johnson offered at his introductory press conference:
"I will pitch a lot of very good games here." - January 11, 2005
01.02.2007 Offseason report cards
NoMaas' Brisco County Jr. ruggedly evaluates this offseason's deals.
Very
fancy.
01.01.2007 Happy New Year
01.01.2007 What's your resolution?
Joe Torre: "I resolve to try and keep my eyes open while ignoring the game.
Alex Rodriguez: "I resolve to cry less and laugh more. To stay without my own head and within my own game. To seek my inner child and ask him if he wants some ice cream or maybe just a nap.
Derek Jeter: "I resolve to add one or two people to my clique."
Brian Cashman: "I resolve to throw myself out of a window if Joe forces me to sign Bernie for another season. "
Curt Schilling: "I resolve to only eat the cream filling."
Josh Beckett: "I resolve to crane my neck less while watching one of my pitches sail out of Fenway."