11.21.2006 Morneau wins AL MVP despite not being the MVP on his own team

Joe Mauer and Johan Santana, both more valuable to the Twins...yet, "baseball sportswriters" decided to give the MVP to Justin Morneau in a mind-boggling decision.

Meanwhile, the league leader in VORP, Derek Jeter, finished 2nd.  Remarkably, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times gave Jeter a 6th place vote.  Bias?

Well, don't take our word for it.  Look at what ESPN's Keith Law said:

" The AL's voters couldn't even correctly identify the most valuable Twin, never mind wrapping their heads around a whole league."

And what does Law say about Joe Cowley?  He thinks Cowley "...should be removed from the voting process permanently."

Joe Cowley's email address: jcowley@suntimes.com

Let him know what you think.

Robbed.
 

11.20.2006 Which GM has had the worst offseason so far?

Jim Hendry (Cubs): Signing Alfonso Soriano to a whopping 8 years, $136 million contract.

Theo Epstein (Red Sox): Spending $51.1 million just to talk to a player who hasn't played in MLB and will eventually be paying him over $20 million per year.

Wayne Krivsky (Reds): Signing Alex Gonzalez (3 yr / $14 mil), Mike Stanton (2yr / $5 mil with 3rd year option), and Bubby Crosby ($400k).

Email us and we'll post the best responses.
 

11.19.2006 Stay out of the market

NoMaas offseason idea #4

Seriously.  Stay away from the free agent market.  Let teams like the Red Sox and Cubs pay ridiculous prices.  It will come back to haunt them.

Even league-average pitchers like Ted Lilly are asking for big bucks.  According to the NY Post, Lily wants 4 years, $36 million -- that's $9 mil per year for a career 99 ERA+.

So for the Yanks, whose biggest need is starting pitching, let kids like Rasner, Karstens, and newly acquired Humberto Sanchez battle it out for the lower spots in the rotation.  We'll likely get around league-average production, but for the MLB mininum salary.  Plus, Hughes and Clippard should be ready at some point in 2007.

Let's be smart, cost-efficient, and flexible...unlike Boston and Chicago.
 

11.16.2006 Interview with Keith Law

NoMaas' Sensei John Kreese recently sat down with one of ESPN's finest, Keith Law.

Click here to read the interview.

Don't mess with the Law.
 

11.15.2006 If you don't believe us, take it from one of your own

Red Sox Nation member (we wonder if he has the bracelet), Sean McAdam:

Some four years ago, when the Red Sox lost out to the Yankees for the services of Cuban émigré Jose Contreras in a Nicaraguan hotel, a miffed Larry Lucchino, the team's CEO and president, bemoaned the fact that "the Evil Empire extends its tentacles even into Latin America."

Just three months ago, Theo Epstein stood on the field at Fenway Park, answering criticism that the Red Sox had ceded the AL East title by not dealing for Bobby Abreu -- as the Yankees had done -- and said the Sox were merely acknowledging the Yanks' edge in resources. "That's the reality. It's going to occasionally leave us short … every time there's a player who's available in a bidding war or taking on a contract or getting the best free agent."

But Tuesday night, in submitting the winning post for Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, the Red Sox also forfeited the right to whine about their rival's economic might ever again.

No more suggestions, please, that the Yankees are some financial superpower capable of trampling the rest of baseball with their reckless and boundless spending. No more talk about the Red Sox being the plucky underdogs that somehow must make do with less...(Source)
 

11.15.2006 Boston fans celebrate Matsuzaka bid

From L-R: Sully, Smitty, and Sully
 

11.15.2006 This is not a joke

"I am thrilled to be associated with a leading, well respected, and family-owned company like Bigelow," Torre said.  "This partnership made a lot of sense since I've been drinking Bigelow green tea for more than six years for it's nutritional value and taste." (Source)

Special thanks to NoMaas visitor Greg from Northern New Jersey.
 

11.14.2006 Oh yeahhh!

Boston Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein in August:

"We are not the Yankees. We feel our best way to compete with them year in and year out is to keep one eye on now and one eye on the future and to build something that can sustain success. We've gone toe-to-toe with those guys taking that approach. I think we're one or two games under .500 against them since '03 and have won one more World Series than they have. So we're not going to change our approach and try to all of a sudden build an uber-team." (Source)

Red Sox fans justify spending $51 million just to talk to a guy, but:

1. Complain about the Yankees payroll.
2. Don't say anything when the front office doesn't go after Abreu.
3. Claim Johnny Damon was a sell-out.
4. Praise the front office when they trade away the future NL Rookie of the Year.
5. Praise the front office when they trade Cla Meredith and Josh Bard for one of the worst players in baseball, Doug Mirabelli.
 

11.14.2006 Yes, we wanted Matsuzaka...

But, not at A-Rod money.  That's insane -- $25-$30 million per year for a guy who plays every 5 days -- $25-$30 million per year for a guy who has never pitched in MLB.  Yes, we wanted him, but not at the cost of financial stupidity.

11.12.2006 One man's garbage is another man's treasure

Cashman trades the untradeable

by NoMaas' Brisco County Jr.

I honestly don't understand this. Jaret Wright posted an ERA of 4.49 last year, which put him just under league average.(ERA+: 98).  Despite the fact that he averaged less that 5 innings per start, there's some value to that, if you can repeat it. However, Wright also posted a 1.52 WHIP, a 1.47 K/BB ratio, and a 0.97 G/F ratio. So, if I'm betting, he probably is not going to repeat it.

He was foolishly given a three-year deal after a career of mediocre performance and constant injury. If he got significantly injured, which he did, there was a clause in the contract that allowed the Yankees to buy out his third year. However, the contract stipulated a $7 million salary in 2007, and the buy-out was $4 million. So the deal was set up to ensure that if a crappy, injury prone pitcher proved over the first two years of the deal that he was still crappy and injury prone(he is), the Yankees could get him off the roster and save less than half of his salary. I really do not think I need to remind you that this signing came from George Steinbrenner, and not resident superpimp Brian Ca$hmoney.

Somehow, Brian Ca$hmoney made this work, anyway. Wright was just traded to the Baltimore Orioles, along with that $4 million buy-out, for 23-year-old reliever Chris Britton, a hard-thrower with a plus curveball. He's also fat, but that's neither here nor there. This is the same price it would have cost the Yankees to just cut Wright from the team, and somehow Ca$hmoney turned it into a young, quality relief arm. A young quality relief arm who put up a 2.41 K/BB ratio and a 1.17 WHIP last year, and in his last 179 minor league innings, totaled 214 strikeouts, 60 walks, and only 137 hits. Go back and read those stats I posted. I know that Wright sucks. You know that Wright sucks. Everybody knows that Wright sucks.

Apparently, Mike Flanagan does not know that Wright sucks. We love Mike Flanagan, and we wonder if he is interested in Carl Pavano.

11.11.2006 Time to say goodbye

NoMaas offseason idea # 3

"We certainly hope if Bernie wants to play, this is the only home he's ever known, and I like having him around," Torre said. "I've talked to Bernie several times this winter and I told him if I know something I'll call him." (Source)

In 2006, Bernie was about average at the plate with a 101 OPS+.  He was excellent against LHP with a .936 OPS.  In fact, one may entertain the notion of using him strictly as a right-handed pinch hitter.

However, since Joe Torre is our manager, we fear he will continue to use Bernie in excess.  What happens when Damon needs a day off?  What happens if someone gets hurt?  If we could be guaranteed Joe would use Bernie solely as a PH, we wouldn't mind seeing him back.  Given Bernie's veteranitude is off the charts, we believe Torre will play #51 much more than he should...and that isn't good for the Yankees.

Time to say goodbye to Bernie Williams.
 

11.11.2006 Our GM is very good

We need to transition this organization and get the payroll down and get the talent up. Hopefully this will help do that.'' - Brian Cashman (Source)

Player profiles courtesy of MLB.com

Humberto Sanchez: Sanchez, 23, posted a 10-6 record and ranked second among all Tigers' minor-league pitchers with a 2.63 ERA and 129 strikeouts in 20 games (20 starts) with Triple-A Toledo and Double-A Erie in 2006 (123.0IP, 97H, 40R, 36ER, 47BB, 129K). He began the season with Erie, where he went 5-3 with a 1.76 ERA and held opposing hitters to a .190 batting average in 11 starts before being promoted to Triple-A Toledo in June. In his first five starts with Toledo, Sanchez went 4-1 with a 2.05 ERA and was named the International League "Pitcher of the Week" from June 12-18.

Sanchez, who attended high school in the Bronx, was named the Tigers' minor-league "Pitcher of the Month" in back-to-back months (May and June) after allowing just three earned runs over seven consecutive starts from May 17- June 18 (47.2IP, 49K). Sanchez entered the 2006 season ranked as the Tigers' sixth-best prospect, according to Baseball America.

Kevin Whelan: Kevin Whelan, 22, ranked third among all Tigers' minor-league pitchers with 27 saves in 2006, going 4-1 with a 2.67 ERA in 51 games for the Class-A Lakeland Tigers. He limited opposing hitters to a .178 batting average (33-for-185) and held right-handed hitters to a .158 average (18-for-114). In addition to being named a top prospect in the NY-Penn League following the 2005 season, Whelan also ranked as the 10th-best prospect in the entire Tigers' organization according to Baseball America.

Anthony Clagget: Claggett, 22, posted a 7-2 record with a team-best 0.91 ERA and 14 saves in 51 games for Class-A West Michigan in 2006 (59.1IP, 35H, 7R, 6ER, 20BB, 58K). He held opposing hitters to a .174 batting average (35-for-201) and did not allow a run in his final 10 appearances of the season.
 

11.11.2006 This GM is not very good

Looking to add some outfield depth and more competition, the Reds signed outfielder Bubba Crosby to a one-year contract worth $400,000 on Friday

"We're getting a guy that's been on winning teams, that plays the game the right way, that always plays it hard and can play all three outfield positions," Reds general manager Wayne Krivsky said. "We're happy to have him." (Source)
 

11.11.2006 "I'll take potbellied pitchers with mullets for $200, Alex."

Curt Schilling appeared on Celebrity Jeopardy Thursday night.

11.08.2006 Is anyone even listening to this guy anymore?

 Gary Sheffield said he's being blocked by "middle men" from speaking with Yankees owner George Steinbrenner about his desire to stay in New York and will comply with the team's request to form a list of clubs he'd prefer to be traded to.

"My situation, honestly, the truth about it, I never was comfortable," Sheffield said Wednesday night at the opening of the Brooklyn Diner's Times Square location. "I was always feeling a little insecure about where I fit here and where I belonged, or do they want me here? And I had to play on those terms, and I was being a man about it and going out and trying to do my job under the conditions." (Source)

We agree with you, Sheff.  It must be very difficult playing under the conditions of a $39 million contract.
 

11.08.2006 It's Arod's fault

11.08.2006 And the winner is...

Wednesday's 5 p.m. ET deadline to submit a bid for negotiating rights to Daisuke Matsuzaka has passed, and the Major League teams that placed bids must now wait to hear from the Seibu Lions, who have four days to accept or reject the top bid.

The 26-year-old right-hander, described by scouts as a top-of-the-rotation pitcher for practically any big-league team, was due to arrive in Los Angeles on Wednesday, uncertain where his journey across the Pacific Ocean eventually will take him.

It might be New York, Boston or Chicago, or maybe even Texas.

"He is very special," former MLB manager Bobby Valentine recently told The Seattle Times via e-mail. "He has a good fastball that he throws from 90 to 95 mph. He has very good control and can throw any one of three other pitches over for a strike at any time in the count.

"He likes to compete and is a good fielder. He would do very well in the States. He is going to pitch at 27 next year and has pitched more than any other pitcher his age. He might pay the price for that in the future, but you have to play now to find out about that later." (Source)

By the way, we'd love Bobby Valentine to be our manager.
 

11.05.2006 It's Arod's fault

11.05.2006 Move Matsui to 1B

NoMaas offseason idea #2

Yeah, we know. His crappy range and crappy arm are made up for by his quick reactions and release -- Whatever.  Melky Cabrera was rated the #1 defensive outfielder in the system until Brett Gardner and Jose Tabata came along for a reason, and shows better range in virtually every fielding statistic.  In addition, he’s going to be 22 next year, and may still be improving as a fielder.  Matsui is 32, and 32 year-olds do not get better in the field.  The opposite happens.

So, by putting Matsui in a position where less athleticism is required, we decrease the defensive damage he can inflict on the Yankees.  Furthermore, this gets Jason Giambi off the field, where he struggles to stay healthy and is one of the worst fielders in MLB.  Matsui will have an entire off-season to learn first base, and I think we all know we do not have to worry about him putting in the necessary effort to learn the position.

11.01.2006  The wonders of technology

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to play for Joe Torre? Now you can find out.

The Yankees manager has teamed up with Van Wagner Sports Group to develop "Joe Torre's Virtual Baseball Academy," a CD-ROM licensed by Major League Baseball and available for purchase at MLB.com.

The interactive, animated 3-D CD-ROM features Torre's coaching method to teach baseball to youth baseball players, coaches and parents.

"This is a unique product, because it's done in 3-D animation," Torre said. "When you combine that technology with my method of teaching the game, we think we have created the best baseball training product in the market." (Source)

The game's features include:

Find Scott Proctor's Arm - a "Where's Waldo" type odyssey that involves multiple elbow surgeries!

An interactive "Mix Joe's Green Tea" minigame - minutes of fun for the entire family!

As the season progresses, monitor your Belly-Full-of-Guts Meter!

See how many times you can shove Bernie Williams into centerfield!

Watch 3D animated Joe sleep... in Real Time!

Play the Verducci Bonus Level - see how many private player conversations you can get on record before time runs out!

Unlockable characters include: Frank Torre, Frank Torre's Angry ex-heart, Bubba Crosby, and Don Zimmer!

Get to Enrique Wilson's locker before Nick Green can claim The Pictures!

10.31.2006 Everybody loves Derek

Critique Derek Jeter?  How dare we!!
 

10.31.2006 Boo

10.26.2006 Somebody is cranky

"What would you like me to do?" Jeter asked a group of reporters from New York, when the question of supporting Alex Rodriguez arose. "I'm trying to think."

"You're there. You support him. Everyone supports all your teammates at all times. I don't really know if there's anything else I can do. Maybe I'm not that smart. Maybe you can help me out." (Source)

10.26.2006 It's Lee Mazzilli's fault

You knew somebody was going to be the fall guy for the Yankees' collapse against the Tigers in the division series and if it wasn't going to be Joe Torre, then it was surely going to be one of his coaches. And so it is Lee Mazzilli, a victim of circumstances, who takes the hit as the Yankee high command moves manager-in-waiting Don Mattingly into the bench coach position, in which he can concentrate on game strategy instead of tutoring hitters. (Source)
 

10.26.2006 Sheff insulted he'll only make $13 million next year

Gary Sheffield is angry that the New York Yankees plan to exercise his $13 million option for next season rather than allow him to become a free agent.

"This will not work, this will not work at all," was quoted as saying in Thursday's editions. "I don't want to play first base a year for them. I will not do that."

"I don't know what they're (Yankees) going to do," Sheffield was quoted as saying. "Maybe they picked it up just to trade me. If they do that, if I just (go) to a team for one year, there's going to be a problem." (Source)

10.22.2006 Bonzai

NoMaas offseason idea #1

We're definitely not the first people to bring his name up, but we're fans of Daisuke Matsuzaka.

He's 26 years old, has a plus fastball, and has put up excellent numbers in Japan.  He also has an array of other pitches, some of which have mind-boggling movement.  It is rumored he throws a gyroball, although Matsuzaka says he does not.  Regardless, check this out.

The knock on Matsuzaka is he's thrown a ton of innings for someone his age.  He's played Japanese pro ball for 8 years, and has already registered 1,402 innings.  However, this could prove his durability as an innings-eater.

Here are some career numbers:

8.70 K/9 (9.10 K/9 over the past 3 seasons)
2.70 K:BB
7.07 Hits/9
0.72 HR/9
2.95 ERA

He was also named MVP in the World Baseball Classic.  Here's a clip of him pitching in the championship game versus Cuba.

He's definitely a better option than other free-agent pitchers available, including Barry Zito.

10.22.2006 Arizona Fall League update

Brett Gardner: .547 OBP / .514 SLG / 1.061 OPS, 3-for-3 SB, 13 BB vs. 8 K
Eric Duncan: .320 OBP / .383 SLG / .703 OPS / 2 BB vs. 9K

TJ Beam: 4 G, 6 IP, 9 K, 4 H, 1 BB, 0.00 ERA
Sean Henn: 3 G, 6 IP, 6 K, 4 H, 3 BB,  3.00 ERA
Darrell Rasner: 2 G, 6 IP, 6 K, 7 H, 4 BB, 9.00 ERA
 

10.16.2006 NoMaas offseason plans

As of today, NoMaas has received over 50,000,000 hits and been viewed by over 110,000 unique visitors.  The NoMaas staff thanks you for your support.

In the next few days, we'll unveil our first of many offseason recommendations.

Stay tuned.  Eat corn.
 

10.16.2006 Don't go, Sal

Catcher Sal Fasano has elected to become a free agent. (Source)

10.10.2006 Joe Torre makes all the right moves

Jason Giambi led the Yankees this year with a 154 OPS+.

10.10.2006 Together again

10.10.06 Torre: "I never take responsibility for anything."

""I know what I am and I know how my coaches and players prepare ... John Wooden taught me this, not only personally, but from reading his books: you can only do so much as a coach or a manager."

"The wins and losses aren't always made by your decisions. There is another team on the field. Detroit shut us down and we weren't able to do that to them. ... I don't think about where did things go wrong."

On not winning the World Series:
"I don't want this to sound badly: It's been six years — it was 18 when I got here..."
 

10.10.06 We just can't get rid of him

Torre will not be fired, has Steinbrenner's support

"He's still alive. They hit'em with five shots, and he's still alive"
 

10.09.2006 Sheff tells the truth about Torre

Granted, Sheff isn't the most stable person, but he shows Torre isn't God's gift to managing:

Gary Sheffield told USA Today that Joe Torre's decision to bat Alex Rodriguez eighth in Game 4 ended up dooming the Yankees.

"We were worrying about all of that stuff, and we still had a game to play. If I'm on the other side, and all of a sudden they're putting Rodriguez eighth and putting me or Jason on the bench, you wonder what's going on. Those guys [the Tigers] were asking me about it. I think it boosted their morale. It gave them confidence they didn't have," Sheffield told the newspaper.

"[Tigers manager] Jim Leyland took advantage of that. He can make you believe anything. He can put a fire under your belt like you never had before in your life.

"Not to make excuses, but we didn't have that."  (Source)
 

10.07.2006 The most disappointing playoff loss in the past 10 years

"The greatest lineup ever" utterly failed.  They went 20 innings without scoring a run.  They went 5 innings without a baserunner in Game 4.  They were dominated by an inferior team.

This is a complete disgrace.
 

10.07.2006 Fire Torre

Enough is enough.  Torre cannot continue to receive a free pass from the media and Yankees ownership.  If he constantly gets credit for his four rings, then he needs to be held accountable for six years of playoff failures, including two straight ALDS losses.

Batting Arod 8th is one of the most ridiculous things we have ever seen.  Yes, Arod had not performed, but neither had anyone else.  Was it solely Arod's fault the Yankees were shut out in Game 3?  By hitting Arod 8th, Torre is basically assigning blame to Rodriguez for the Yankees' poor performance.  He's encouraging the media to continue their smear campaign.  This manager is making a scapegoat out of a player who hit 35 HRs and letting him know he isn't in the Four Rings Circle of Trust.  We find Torre's move disgusting.

Furthermore, why on earth was Giambi out of the lineup?  How do you decide to sit a .971 OPS hitter, especially against a righty, in an elimination game?  And before Torre-apologists rush to defend him and say Giambi was hurt, read the following:

Giambi got a cortisone shot in his right shoulder because of inflammation following Friday's game, but said he told Torre he could play if needed. Giambi, who played first base on Friday, said he got the injection so he would be ready for Game 4.

"I told Joe I was fine," he said. (Source)

Then, Giambi should have been in the lineup.

Lastly, many often say that Torre is a great manager of people, the players respect him, he knows how to motivate, etc.  Well, where was the sense of urgency?  The Yankees came out swinging at the 1st or 2nd pitch from Bonderman.  They played like they all drank Torre's green tea.  Where was the emotion?  Where was the fire?  This team needs someone who doesn't just sit in the dugout and look like he's asleep.

The job of a manager is to maximize his team's probability of winning.  Time and time again, Joe Torre does not do that.  It's time for him to go.

10.07.2006 We support Alex Rodriguez

In his three years with the Yankees, Alex Rodriguez has hit 119 HRs, won an MVP award, and been the best hitting 3B in MLB.  The venom he has received from the media and fans is appalling.  We at NoMaas feel very fortunate to have him on this team.  We hope Cashman agrees.

If he is traded, we will still root for him as he continues his Hall of Fame career.
 

10.06.2006 Pathetic

There's nothing else to be said.
 

10.05.2006 Embarrassing

1. Verlander allows 11 baserunners in 5.1 IP, and this lineup only scores 3 runs.
2. Sheff should not be batting 4th.  He clearly isn't ready yet.
3. Cano looks like he hasn't swung a bat before.
4. Alex needs to hit.
5. How does Mussina allow a triple on an 0-2 count?
 

10.05.2006 Who will it be?

Randy or Randolph?

10.05.2006 Jeter's bunts drive us crazy

And ESPN's Keith Law agrees:

First inning, Johnny Damon on first, Verlander already looking like his control is shaky. So Derek Jeter tries to bunt -- for a sacrifice or a hit, I'm not sure. Even if it was for a hit, it's incredibly foolish. Let Verlander walk you, and even if the count ends up 0-2, you're Derek Jeter, one of the best two-strike hitters in the game. (Source)
 

10.04.2006 Party over here

10.03.2006 MVP favorite Jeter leads Yanks to Game 1 victory

5 for 5

10.03.2006 Pitching moves

Bottom of the 7th, 2 outs, no men on base, Wang at 93 pitches: Torre takes him out
Bottom of the 8th, Farnsworth in, throws 6 straight balls: Mariano doesn't warm up

??
 

10.03.2006 What could be better than October baseball?

10.02.2006 Torre up to his old tricks

Leave it to St. Joseph to unveil a new lineup right before the playoffs begin. When the Yankees face the Tigers on Tuesday, Gary Sheffield will hit cleanup and Alex Rodriguez will hit 6th.  Now, we realize the Yankees lineup is ridiculous.  It could end up being the best lineup ever.  It probably doesn't matter who bats where.  But, is it really necessary to subject Alex to the "Torre thinks Arod is a basket-case, drops him to 6th" media speculation?  Also, Arod had a 1.157 OPS in September.  Is that worthy of a demotion?  Plus, is Sheffield even fully recovered?

And then we have this from Torre:

Rivera appears to have recovered from the elbow problems that kept him sidelined for most of September. However, Torre said he will not use his closer for more than one inning.

"We're going into the postseason with Mariano being a ninth-inning pitcher," Torre said. "We feel we have enough support leading up with him to be able to do this." (Source)

Is Joe telling us he will refuse to use Mariano before the 9th inning of a critical game?  If we need the greatest reliever in the history of baseball in the 8th, will Torre not bring him in?  Let's hope Joe was drinking too much green tea when he made this comment.
 

10.02.2006 Predictions

ESPN staffers have unveiled their playoff predictions.  Here are a few:

Peter Gammons: Yankees over Mets
Rob Neyer: Dodgers over Twins
Keith Law: Yankees over Mets
Clubber Lang: Pain
Steve Phillips: A's over Mets
Jayson Stark: Yankees over Padres
 

10.02.2006 Wang: "The only way we lose is if the Tigers turn into Ligers."

In a candid interview on Taiwanese television, Yankees pitcher Chien-Ming Wang expressed his confidence about the Yankees advancing in the ALDS: "I know we are the favorites heading into this series.  We've been playing solid baseball and I like our chances.  The only way we lose is if the Tigers turn into Ligers.  Ligers are bred for their skills in magic.  It would be difficult to beat that."

The liger

10.01.2006 Yanks to face Detroit

Out of 14 AL teams, Detroit is:

12th in OBP (Yanks 1st)
5th in SLG (Yanks 3rd)
7th in OPS (Yanks 1st)
1st in ERA (Yanks 6th)
11th in K (Yanks 4th)
5th in BAA Against (Yanks 4th)
 

10.01.2006 Is there anything more embarassing than having a $125 million payroll and finishing in 3rd place?

09.27.2006 The best lineup ever?

Damon CF
Jeter SS
Abreu RF
ARod 3B
Giambi DH
Sheffield 1B
Matsui LF
Posada C
Cano 2B
 

09.27.2006 Video discovered in Pavano's house, new career apparently on the way

Sources have leaked the video to NoMaas: Watch here.
 

09.27.2006 Another solid outing by the "ace"

6.2 IP, 8 ER, 2 HR

09.25.2006 Global leaders meet to discuss world peace

09.24.2006 Robbie

Robinson Cano: .884 OPS, Best among AL 2B

09.21.2006 Farns lets 'em know

As the celebration slowed, reliever Kyle Farnsworth took note of the fact that the Red Sox would occupy the same sodden room..."The best thing is Boston has to come in here next," he said. "It's the smell of victory they've got to smell. You can print that." (Source)
 

09.20.2006 AL East Champs, plenty of baseball left in the Bronx

09.20.2006 Yanks clinch division, Villone throws 40 pitches in locker room

As the champagne was flowing, Ron Villone allowed 1 run on 3 hits in 1.2 innings of relief in the Yankees locker room. "I wanted to get him some work," remarked Joe Torre. "He needs to trust his stuff."
 

09.19.2006 Oh snap

Sheff is back.

09.19.2006 Popular excuses given by Red Sox fans to justify their team's dismal performance

1. Sticking to the "long-term plan"
2. Protecting their valuable prospects...except for the ones they have traded away.
3. Their payroll is small.
4. Yankees suck.
5. Jason Varitek's "C" is not big enough.
6. Official membership to Red Sox Nation is too expensive.
7. Need more gritty players with facial hair and hockey haircuts.
 

09.16.2006 Is Octavio Dotel even on this team?

Since being activated on Aug 17, Dotel has pitched a grand total of 7.1 innings. Yes, he's been ineffective in this small sample size, but how would you expect someone to pitch if they're rarely used? Dotel was one of baseball's elite relievers before his injury. I guess we'll never get the chance to see if he can help the Yankees.
 

09.16.2006 Boston cuts lead to 10.5, fans celebrate

09.14.2006 Team with the 2nd highest payroll in baseball and no shot at the playoffs heads into the Bronx

09.14.2006 Arod stinks

.289 BA / .385 OBP / .522 SLG / .907 OPS
 

09.14.2006 Thank you, Melky

...Although Matsui has not yet played left field, both he and Torre envision his return.

“That’s Matsui’s job,” Torre said. And where does this leave Melky Cabrera, who has filled the position well and began last night’s game with an average of .286? “Melky did a good job filling in for him,” Torre said. (Source)

09.12.2006 Jeter fires back at Big Sloppi

"I'm not thinking about the MVP right now," he told reporters Monday. "We're thinking about winning a division. We've still got something to play for."

He then added, "No one here's focused on individual awards." (Source)
 

09.12.2006 Matsui, XL batting helmets return

With Sheffield to possibly return in a few days, how sick is this lineup?!?
 

09.11.2006 Shrek being Shrek

Self-promoter David Ortiz cares more about the MVP award than his team's terrible play. Now that's someone fans can be proud of:
 

``I'm right there," he said, ``but I'm not going to win it. They give it to Alex [Rodriguez] one year, even though his team was in last place, so now they can't play that BS anymore, just because your team didn't make it. They gave it to Alex that year because of his numbers. But they always have a reason to vote for whatever, so that's why I don't worry about it." ...

Rodriguez, incidentally, is the last AL player to hit 50 or more home runs in a season. Now it is one of his Yankee teammates, Derek Jeter, who is receiving considerable support in this year's MVP race. But he wouldn't get Ortiz's vote.

``I'll tell you one thing," Ortiz said, ``if I get 50 home runs and 10 more RBIs, that's going to be a round number that no one else in the American League will have [Ortiz has 127 RBIs after driving in two yesterday].

``But they'll vote for a position player, use that as an excuse. They're talking about Jeter a lot, right? He's done a great job, he's having a great season, but Jeter is not a 40-homer hitter or an RBI guy. It doesn't matter how much you've done for your ball club, the bottom line is, the guy who hits 40 home runs and knocks in 100, that's the guy you know helped your team win games. (Source)

09.11.2006 Signore Fasano

Kyle Farnsworth, the lean and muscular Yankees relief pitcher, spotted Sal Fasano across the clubhouse Sunday morning. Fasano is more everyman than Everlast, and Farnsworth needled him for his tight workout clothes.

Fasano took it with good humor, noting proudly that his shape was enhanced by doughnuts and pasta. “Don’t forget cannolis,” said a teammate from the chess table, and Fasano heartily agreed.(Source)

09.10.2006 10 games back

09.09.2006 Coming attractions?

While the Yankees began a four-game series against the Orioles yesterday, Gary Sheffield was at an indoor batting cage in New Jersey taking swings at a baseball on a tee...His physical therapist, Gary Flick, said yesterday that Sheffield will continue to hit off a tee this weekend, then do one more day of hard therapy on Monday before taking live batting practice with the Yanks when they return home on Tuesday...

That is good news for the Yankees, though if and when Sheffield returns it will create some interesting playing-time situations. Hideki Matsui, who has been rehabbing his own left wrist with Double-A Trenton, also hopes to be back in the next week or two... (Source)

09.06.2006 Anibal Sanchez throws no-hitter, we just laugh

09.06.2006 We couldn't have said it any better

Hideki Matsui is batting cleanup as the DH for Trenton. Joe Torre said in Kansas City that Matsui would only DH once he comes back. The Melkman is his left fielder for the rest of the year.

Most of the reason is to protect Matsui. But the Yankees also recognize how good Cabrera has been. "We were taking him out on defense when he first got here and the other day we put him in for defense," Torre said. "Shows you how smart the manager is." (Source)
 

09.05.2006 This is not photoshopped

This is an actual screenshot of an MLB.com headline:

Arod's hot steak recipe: 2tb red wine vinegar, 2tb sherry, 2tb soy sauce, 2tb brown sugar, 2ts seasoned salt, 2ts red pepper flakes, 1ts Worcestershire sauce, 1ts paprika, 1ts chili powder, 1/2ts garlic powder, 1 1/2lb flank steak
 

09.04.2006 Seriously Joe, stop using Villone all the time!!

How will we know if Dotel can be a serious contributor when he's pitched a grand total of 4.1 IP since he was re-activated? With Villone obviously fatigued, why does Torre continue to use him in inappropriate situations?

Need proof Villone is hurting? Villone's July ERA was 2.12 (17 IP). His August ERA was 6.04 (22.1 IP). And he's been terrible so far in September. You would think a big division lead and expanded rosters would end this madness...
 

09.04.2006 We like Rasner

6 IP, 4 H, 2 K, 1 ER

And we told you back in May.
 

09.04.2006 Boy Wonder?

Hanley Ramirez: .351 OBP / .463 SLG / .814 OPS, 44 SB, $327,000 salary
Josh Bard: .404 OBP / .500 SLG / .904 OPS, $353,000 salary

Josh Beckett: Worst K/9 of his career, Worst K/BB of his career, Worst OPS Against of his career, 33 HRs allowed, signed to $30 million extension??

Doug Mirabelli: We won't even list his stats -- they are just horrendous.

09.01.2006 Guess who's heating up

Alex Rodriguez in his last two games: 6-9, 3 HR, 2B -- Be afraid rest of baseball. Be afraid.
 

09.01.2006 Damon is sticking it to us

22 HRs, .370 OBP, .513 SLG (highest of his career), .883 OPS (3rd highest among AL CF)

09.01.2006 Ca$hmoney: "Arizona got jacked."

Why did Arizona drop Brian Bruney? He's only 24. He throws a 97-98 mph fastball. He averaged nearly 10 K/9. He's a little wild, but so what? He's still very young. Since Cash picked him up, he's averaged 15.00 K/9!!

08.31.2006 Team with $120 million payroll giving up on the season

Bravo, Greg Doyel of CBS Sportsline:

A team with such an (unfair) payroll advantage over most of baseball has no business going into September with little postseason hope, but that's the way it is. An 8-21 August means Boston's playoff hopes are bleak at best.

If the Red Sox don't make the 2006 postseason -- if they don't even come close -- they will belong aside some of the game's most ridiculous losers, including Boston's massacre in 1978, the Philadelphia Phold of 1964 and Brooklyn's 1951 collapse.

Boston entered this season at $120 million, well behind the Yankees ($194 million) but far ahead of everyone else. The closest AL team, Chicago, was at $103 million.

The Red Sox have the No. 2 payroll in the AL, but are sixth of 14 teams in winning percentage -- and could end up in eighth or ninth. Their payroll is almost double that of Minnesota, yet Boston trails the Twins by six games in the wild-card standings. Not counting interleague play, which took place before Boston began gargling, the Red Sox are five games under .500 against the American League.

History revisionists will say Boston was undermined by injury and bad luck, that the August ailments of Ortiz and Ramirez took away the best two run-producers in the American League. Let the record show that Ortiz and Ramirez played for most of August, combining for 165 at-bats. Boston's unraveling has coincided with catcher Jason Varitek's knee injury, true, but that's the thing about Boston's enormous payroll -- For that kind of money, there should be high-quality depth. (Source)
 

08.28.2006 Get this guy out of here

Brian Cashman has just informed the media via conference call that Carl Pavano cracked two ribs in a car accident on Aug. 15 while in Florida on a rehab assignment. Pavano did not inform the organization until late Saturday night. That is in violation of his contract.

Cashman has said several times how "disappointed" and "frustrated" he is. Pavano apparently faces disciplinary action.

"Of course I'm angry," Cashman said. (Source)

08.26.2006 Hey Yankees, you still have to beat other teams besides Boston

Yankees are 1-3 on their current West Coast trip.

08.24.2006 Phil Freakin' Hughes

5 IP, 0 H, 9 K, 1 BB -- Are you serious?
 

08.24.2006 The Eye

Here's what The Eye has done since coming over from Philly:
 

23 G, 19 BB, 7 SB, .393 BA / .505 OBP / .562 SLG / 1.067 OPS -- and to think Philadelphia paid him to waive his no-trade clause.
 

08.24.2006 Who's the master

7 IP, 5 K, 7 H, 0 BB, 11 groundouts, 2 ER

08.24.2006 Torre: "I eat bullpen arms for breakfast." p>

Villone leads the league in appearances since the All-Star Break with 22 (Proctor is second with 21, of course).

In the last week, Villone has tossed 7.1 innings, making appearances in 6 of the Yankees' last 9 games, while throwing 157 pitches.

This includes a 40-pitch outing in a blowout loss to the Orioles, followed by a 32-pitch outing the very next night in Fenway, then 40 more pitches 2 days after that, and an additional 29 two days later (last night). He has an 8.59 ERA in that span.

Overall, the top 3 leaders in AL appearances are Yankees.
1. Proctor 64
2. Farnsworth 59
3) Villone 58 (tied with 3 others)

Rivera is tied with 3 others for 9th, so 4 of the top 10 in the AL in appearances are Yankees.

Further proof that Joe Torre is a poor bullpen manager.
 

08.21.2006 Complete annihilation

08.21.2006 It feels good to be a gangsta

08.21.2006 Boston exposed

From NoMaas discussion board member, pacewon:

The Red Sox are 16-2 vs. the weak National League and 11-1 vs. the awful Orioles. Against everyone else, they're 42-52, a whopping 10 games under .500.

They're 16-22 since the All-Star Break. This includes a 12-14 mark at home. Of those 12 wins, 3 of them are vs. Kansas City, 2 are vs. Cleveland, and 3 are vs. Baltimore. Eight of the 12 Fenway wins came against crappy teams.

It gets better -- 7 of their 12 wins were by 1 run, and an additional two wins were by two runs, so even the wins they have tallied at home were nail-biters.
 

08.21.2006 Thank you, Terry Francona

For batting Coco Crisp leadoff: .319 OBP

08.21.2006 Giambi steps on Boston's throat

08.21.2006 Boston slipping away

08.21.2006 Schilling falls asleep on mound...

Dreaming of bacon.

08.21.2006 How dumb are Red Sox fans?

08.21.2006 One of several bad moves Theo Epstein has made

08.19.2006 "Coco's better", Damon & Co. take first two

Damon: 6-12, 2 HR, 3B, 7 RBI, .507 SLG% (would be highest of his career)

Abreu: 6-9, 3 BB, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 1.023 OPS since joining the Yanks

Melky: 3-7, 3 BB, 2 RBI, .370 OBP on season
 

08.17.2006 Huge series in Boston

Pitching matchups:

ERA+ numbers are from The Hardball Times. What is ERA+?

Friday: Game 1 - Wang (ERA+ 118) vs. J. Johnson (ERA+ 65)
Friday: Game 2 - Ponson (ERA+ 51) vs. Lester (ERA+ 115)
Saturday: Unit (ERA+ 92) vs. Respect the Game Beckett (ERA+ 93)
Sunday: Mussina (ERA+ 128) vs. Schilling (ERA+ 122)
Monday: Lidle (ERA+ 98 w/ Philly) vs. Wells (ERA+ 77)
 

08.17.2006 Cash delivered, can the Yankees?

Brian Cashman schooled Theo Epstein at the trading deadline.  Can the Yankees follow suit as they begin a 5-game set in Red Sox uriNation?

08.17.2006 Yanks make Baltimore pitchers look like aces

First Adam Loewen, then Rodrigo Lopez -- the Yankees made two 6.00+ ERA pitchers look like studs as they could only muster up 4 runs combined in the last two games of the Baltimore series.  Let's hope the Bombers pack their bats as they head into Fenway with a 1.5 game lead.

08.16.2006 'Stache

08.16.2006 Dotel's up

08.15.2006 Torre on Bernie

"That's the toughest thing for me right now, figuring out some kind of regular work for him," Torre said. "Bernie and I talked about it the other day and I said to him, 'Just give me some time to get the lay of the land.'

"Bernie is the one that's kind of up in the air right now. He's come in and asked me and wanted to get my thinking, and I told him, 'I'm trying to formulate that right now.' And he accepts that. (Source)

Hopefully, the lay of the land will show Joe that Bernie shouldn't be playing.

08.14.2006 Jeter continues his fantastic season

3-5, 2B, HR, 2 RBI
Now at .344 BA / .421 OBP / .486 SLG / .907 OPS

08.14.2006 What was up with all the bunting?

Sacrifice bunting with Bobby Abreu in the 7th inning with no outs and 2 men on could be one of the stupidest things we have ever seen.  Yes, a run later scored, but why would you give up an out with one of your best hitters at the plate?  Talk about a rally killer.
 

08.14.2006 Postseason odds

Before Monday night's game, Baseball Prospectus gave the Yankees an 82% probability of making the playoffs, with a 76.5% chance of winning the division.  Boston has a 33% probability of making the playoffs, with a 21.5% chance of winning the division.
 

08.14.2006 Phil Hughes: A Review

We took this graphic from one of our discussion board users, Jelly Doughnut.  He has logged Phil Hughes' Trenton starts.

101 IP, 121 K, 30 BB, 5 HR, 69 H, 2.50 ERA, 10.78 K/9, 6.14 H/9, 0.44 HR/9, 2.67 BB/9
 

08.13.2006 We hath returned

We have returned from our hiatus, fresh and re-energized.  As a token of our appreciation for your patience, we present to you this picture of hot love.

08.13.2006 Oh Bobby

Since joining the Yankees:

Bobby Abreu: .347 BA / .418 OBP / .469 SLG / .887 OPS, 4.33 pitches per AB
 

08.13.2006 Pavano talking smack despite never pitching

A Tampa-area fan reportedly filed a complaint with the Yankees after Carl Pavano allegedly made a derogatory comment referring to the fan's sexual orientation during a heated dispute Thursday night. Apparently, the fan was heckling Pavano during his rehab stint for Tampa, and Pavano became locked into a verbal altercation. He's still on tap for another start in Tampa on Tuesday. (Source)

Glass Carl is still on the DL recovering from such injuries as a bruised buttocks.
 

08.03.2006 We're taking some time off...

The NoMaas staff will be recording their first studio album from August 4-13.  Thus, the site will not be updated during that time.  The discussion board will still be open.

While we're away, have a look at this.  If you're at work, you might want to turn down your speakers.

We'll see you on August 13th.
 

08.03.2006 Yankees up 2 games over Boston in the loss column

Yanks sweep Toronto, new guys chip in:

Abreu: 3-5, 2B, 2 runs
Wilson: 2 RBI
Lidle: 6 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 5 K, 2 BB

08.03.2006 Our Captain

Derek Jeter leads MLB in VORP.

Value Over Replacement Player. The number of runs contributed beyond what a replacement-level player at the same position would contribute if given the same percentage of team plate appearances. VORP scores do not consider the quality of a player's defense. (Source)
 

08.02.2006 Wang carries Yankees to win

Another start, another groundball frenzy (16 GB to 4 FB): 8 IP, 4 H, 0 ER

08.02.2006 Same old, same old: Phil Hughes dominates again

vs. the Reading Phillies: 5 IP, 8 K, 2 BB, 0 ER

His season numbers are simply outstanding.
 

08.02.2006 Boston loses their Captain

We have already established that Jason Varitek is a poor hitter and poor defender.  However, the Red Sox don't pay him $10,000,000 per year to do these things.  Rather, they made him a multi-millionaire for what doesn't show up in the box score.  With their Captain out at least a month, Boston must now find another source of the following:

1. Leadership
2. Heart
3. Soul
4. Grit
5. Running like you have a load in your pants
6. Facial hair which shows you're blue collar
7. Superior game-calling to lead a pitching staff in the bottom half of AL Team ERA

 

08.01.2006 Interview with Rob Neyer

Just before the trading deadline, NoMaas' Sensei John Kreese sat down with ESPN's Rob Neyer to discuss his Big Book of Baseball Blunders, Mr. Myagi, and the Yankees.

Click here to read the interview.

07.31.2006 C-Money pistol-whips WFAN

To listen, click here and then go to the July 31st chat with Cashman on the Mike & the Mad Dog show.
 

07.31.2006 So to summarize...

07.31.2006 Ca$hmoney takes Littlefield to school

Shawn Chacon to the Pirates for Craig Wilson?  When we first heard this, we thought it was a joke.  How could a pitcher with an ERA of 7.00 be traded for a hitter with an .817 OPS?  Somehow, Brian Cashman pulled it off.  We are amazed.

Not only is Wilson a solid hitter, but his career production is in the vicinity of Hideki Matsui's.  Wilson has a career OPS+ of 120 versus Matsui's 125.

This is a jaw-dropping trade.  We're still in shock.

07.30.2006 Ca$hmoney takes Gillick to school

As you all know, the Yankees have acquired OBP-Machine Bobby Abreu from the Phillies.  NoMaas' Brisco County Jr shares our opinion on the deal.

7.30.2006 Boston counters Yankees by acquiring a guy nobody has ever heard of

As Red Sox uriNation gears up for a potential blockbuster deal leading up to Monday's 4 p.m. ET trade deadline, general manager Theo Epstein made a much quieter transaction on Sunday, acquiring right-handed reliever Bryan Corey from the Rangers for right-handed prospect Luis Mendoza.

Before his 16 games with Texas this season, Bryan Corey had not appeared in the Majors since pitching for the Dodgers in 2002 (Source).

07.26.2006'N Sync's Lance Bass says he's gay, rest of band blames Arod for breakup

Bass, who formed 'N Sync with Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick, tells People magazine that he didn't earlier disclose his sexuality because he didn't want to affect the group's popularity.

"I knew that I was in this popular band and I had four other guys' careers in my hand, and I knew that if I ever acted on it or even said (that I was gay), it would overpower everything," he tells the magazine.

However, the other members of the now defunct boy band say that the discovery of Bass' sexuality would not have been an issue, because the group was doomed anyway.

"This band was being held together by paperclips and duct tape.  Alex Rodriguez was ripping us apart, " explains Justin Timberlake.  "I remember one night when we were practicing and found out that Arod went 2-5 with a double.  That means he made three outs!  How are we supposed to choreograph dance moves when that happens!"

Joey Fatone expresses similar sentiments.  "I'll never forget it.  I'm watching the Yankees on TV, while I'm cybering with some teenage girl who has my poster on her wall.  All of a sudden, Alex Rodriguez hits a home run in the first inning.  Are you kidding me?  Why couldn't he wait until the 9th inning to do that?  From that point on, I could never get my hair right."
 

07.26.2006 Yanks fans irate over Pavano's Olive Garden photo, demand real Italian

Italian-American fans flooded the Yankees executive office with phone calls on Wednesday, apparently upset over Carl Pavano's visit to the Olive Garden.

"All these people kept calling me up, threatening to throw cannolis through my window," said Yankees General Manager, Brian Cashman.  "They told me that Pavano was an insult to Italians.  Frightened to death, I went out and got Sal Fasano."

07.26.2006 Proctor for Betemit?  Yes, please.

Wilson Betemit's hitting surge helped bolster the Braves' offense, and now he might be dealt for bullpen help.

A person familiar with negotiations said Wednesday the Braves and the Yankees are discussing a deal that would send the versatile infielder to New York in exchange for hard-throwing setup man Scott Proctor. (Source)

This would be a perfect example of selling high.  Proctor's perceived value has increased significantly this year, especially since the All-Star break.  As we noted earlier this season, we're not sold on him.

Wilson Betemit is a good young infielder.  He's just about to turn 26 years old.  He put up a 104 OPS+ last year in 115 games.  He currently has an .844 OPS this season.  This would be a dynamic acquisition as the Yankees would be adding a young cheap player with considerable talent.  These are exactly the types of moves that the Yankees should be making.

Proctor for Betemit straight up?  Most definitely.
 

07.25.2006 Subs lead Yankees attack

Guiel: 3-run HR
Cairo: 2 RBI

07.24.2006 Melky, Unit lead Yanks over Rangers

Unit: 6 IP, 7 K, 7 H, 2 ER
Melky: 3-4, 3B, 2B, BB

07.24.2006 Asian fetish

Daisuke Matsuzaka, who gained international acclaim during the World Baseball Classic, figures to have the most dramatic, most secretive battle - between the Yankees and Mariners - for his services.

The Seibu Lions could post the 25-year-old righthander this winter...

Which is why Japanese insiders have taken note of a recent Yankees hiring. As first reported by Sankei Sports, the Yankees have taken Shoichi Kida aboard as an associate scout, who will be based in his native land. Kida went to the same high school as Matsuzaka, although the two men are four years apart, and the former infielder spent time in Seibu as Matsuzaka's teammate.

"He knows the people there," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. "We're building a network. We're going to hire more." Cashman said he wasn't aware of any connection between Kida and Matsuzaka, and Kida does have bona fide credentials for the job. (Source)

07.24.2006 Pavano sighting

NoMaas photographers caught a rare glimpse of Yankees pitcher Carl Pavano.

07.24.2006 Eric Duncan putting on a show at Trenton

Twenty-one year old Eric Duncan continues his assault on AA pitching:

.286 BA / .380 OBP / .558 SLG / .938 OPS
21 BB vs. 18 K
 

07.23.2006 Toronto takes 3 out of 4

Bubba Crosby has no baseball value.  Where is Kevin Thompson?
 
 
 
 
 
 

07.23.2006 Finally, someone steps up for Arod

Mike Mussina doesn't think that Jeter has the responsibility to defend A-Rod, but the Yankees' pitcher does think that the fans have been far too harsh on Rodriguez this season.

"It's hard to be looked upon to help carry a team and at the same time, be the lone target of ridicule when we don't do well," Mussina said. "That's what he is. He's expected to go 3-for-4, yet he'll be booed when he makes the one out. If he misses one ball or makes one mistake and we end up losing the game, it becomes his fault that we lost the game.

"Leave this guy alone for a while, let us see if we can get him to play," Mussina said. "The way he's being treated right now, it's not going to make it any better. It's making it worse -- and we can't win without him."

"...When Jeter went 1-for-April a couple years ago, how long did it take people to actually boo him?" Mussina said. "And even then, it was a smattering. It wasn't lethal booing." (Source)
 

07.20.2006 Alex Rodriguez appears in Boys & Girls Club commercial

What a jerk.
 

07.20.2006 Heart & Soul

From an ESPN chat earlier in the week:

Brent (Grand Forks, ND): Jason Varitek is really struggling this year with the bat, and some of his pitch calling has been suspect, especially with Beckett. Do you think the Red Sox are being too loyal to Varitek by continuing to throw him out their everyday and bat him high in the order?

Steve Phillips: You can't blame the catcher for the pitch selection. The pitcher is the one that controls what pitch is thrown. It's been a down year for Varitek, no doubt about it, but he still leads and is the heart and soul of the team now.

According to former GM Steve Phillips (and many Red Sox fans), Jason Varitek's Intangibility Index is off the charts.  However, does his Leadershipatude make up for the following facts?

Varitek's .719 OPS is 2nd worst among qualified catchers in the AL.
Varitek has thrown out the 2nd lowest percentage of basestealers in the AL (25%).

One could make the case that Jason Varitek is the worst starting catcher in the American League.

Jason Varitek makes everyone around him better.™
 

07.18.2006 Melky wins it on the celebration of Torre's birth

Melky Cabrera's 11th inning walkoff HR gave the Yankees a 5-4 win over the Mariners on Joe Torre's 66th birthday.  Since it was his birthday, we will overlook the fact that Joe hit Miguel Cairo 2nd and started Kelly Stinnett despite Alex Rodriguez being out of the lineup.

Hopefully, we'll never see Joe's Bikini Bottom.
 

07.18.2006 Out of control

On Tuesday, this poll was on ESPN's main page.

Would it be in the Cardinals' best interest to trade Albert Pujols?  Would it be in the Mets' best interest to trade David Wright?  Would it be in Cleveland's best interest to trade Travis Hafner?  Would it be in Boston's best interest to trade David Ortiz?

And speaking of Boston, let's see how Massachusetts voted in this poll.

I wonder why?
 

07.17.2006 5 IP, 3 H, 9 K, 0 R

Just another Phil Hughes performance.

He is ridiculously good.
 

07.16.2006 Yanks sweep White Sox, pull even with Red Sox in loss column

Jeter continues his great season: .344 BA / .425 OBP / .475 SLG / .900 OPS
Arod hits a 2-run HR (but it was in the first inning so it doesn't count -- see AIC rule)
Mariano pitches 2 innings to pick up his 400th save

07.16.2006 Don't run on Melky

Guns down another runner at the plate (8th assist)
 

07.15.2006 Yankees beat ChiSox again, go for sweep

07.14.2006 Boston's lead cut to 1.5 games

A Yankees win, combined with another lousy pitching performance by Josh "Respect the Game" Beckett, has the Bombers within striking distance of Boston.

Look who leads MLB with the most HR allowed:

07.13.2006 Throwing a bunch of $#*% against the wall...

Right-hander Sidney Ponson, who became a free agent when he was released by the St. Louis Cardinals, has reached an agreement on a deal with the New York Yankees.

...the Yankees will be responsible for the pro-rated portion of the minimum salary -- between $150,000 and $175,000 -- for the rest of this season. (Source)

Do we expect anything from Ponson?  No.  But, we see nothing wrong with this signing.  There aren't any options at AAA (Darrell Rasner is hurt).  The Yanks might as well see if they can get a few decent starts from Ponson -- he has had a couple good years.  Why not give him a try?  Are there any compelling alternatives?

Ponson: "I hope the Yankees have a good caterer."
 

07.12.2006 Bravo, Daily News, bravo

Anthony McCarron of the NY Daily News has released his Yankees midseason grades.  In his thoughtful analysis, he gave Alex Rodriguez a C+.  We would agree  that Arod is capable of better things than what we saw in the first half.  His current OPS of .895 is below his career average of .959.  However, it still leads all AL Third Basemen.

If the AL's best hitting 3B received a C+, one must assume that McCarron is a tough grader.  Nothing wrong with that, right?  We've all had teachers who were like this.

Though upon further examination, it seems that Miguel Cairo also received a C+.  That's interesting considering Miguel Cairo and his .609 OPS should be playing for a men's softball team.  Yet, according to baseball expert McCarron, Alex Rodriguez = Miguel Cairo.

Who else received grades in Arod's range?  Bubba Crosby (C-), Jaret Wright (C+), Kelly Stinnett (C-, who McCarron said was "brought in to add offense"???), and Nick Green (C).

So then the next time someone tells you how good Alex Rodriguez is, you tell them about Miguel Cairo.
 

07.10.2006 Jose Tabata: Baseball's best prospect?

ESPN columnist, Keith Law, had this to say about Jose Tabata at the Futures Game:

The clear star of batting practice was 17-year-old Yankees phenom Jose Tabata. With a more developed body than your typical high school-aged player, Tabata doesn't have a teenager's physique. He starts with a high setup and has a strong, furious swing that produces good power to all fields. He also took fly balls in center field, and if he can legitimately play there, he'll be a contender for the title of the top prospect in baseball this winter. (Source)

At Low-A Charleston, Tabata has the following line:

.321 BA / .393 OBP / .454 SLG / .847 OPS

He turns 18 on August 12th
 

07.09.2006 First half completed, can the Yanks catch Boston?

07.06.2006 Bombers beat up on Cleveland again

07.06.2006 What does Thompson have to do?

Former KC Royal Aaron Guiel started in RF for the Yankees on Thursday night.  Guiel is 33 years old and possesses an awful career OPS+ of 84.

Meanwhile, Thompson continues to rot in Columbus.  Let it be known again that we don't believe that KT is a high profile prospect.  After all, he is 26 years old.  But, he would provide better production, both at the plate and on the basepaths, than these waiver-wire veterans that are being brought in.
 

07.06.2006 More on the Yankees' international activity

The "Garrett" referred to in the following article excerpt is Lin Garrett, the Yankees director of international scouting.

The Yanks went for quality and quantity when the July 2 international signing date arrived. Not only have the Yankees signed catcher Jesus Montero...but they have signed eight players total, three from Venezuela and five from the Dominican Republic. And Garrett said he hopes the organization is not done yet, as general manager Brian Cashman authorized the international scouting department to be aggressive this summer...

While two scouts from National League organizations said they believed Montero's future lies elsewhere on the diamond, Garrett said the Yankees have confidence he can remain a catcher as he moves up the ladder. And Garrett enjoyed hearing one of the two scouts had touted Montero's raw power as pegging the 80 on the 20-80 scouting scale...

One of the NL scouting directors said of Montero..."He looks like Travis Hafner at age 16." (Source)

07.05.2006 Say hello to my little friend

Revenge proved to be sweet as Melky Cabrera went 3-4 with a Grand Slam to lead the Bombers in an 11-3 pounding over the Indians.

3-4, Grand Slam, 2B, 5 RBIs
 

07.05.2006 Hughes dominating AA

In his last start on Monday, Phil Hughes went 4 2/3 and struck out 9.  Yes, that's right...9 Ks in less than 5 innings.

Hughes' line at AA Trenton looks like this:

72 IP, 52 H, 76 K, 23 BB, 2.75 ERA

All this at barely 20 years old...He is going to be a very special pitcher.
 

07.04.2006 Yankees get lit up

We hope that people had better 4th of July plans than to watch the Yankees.

Chacon has been horrific in 2006: 6.71 ERA, 0.97 K/BB, .931 OPS Against, and he wears his hat crooked.
 

07.02.2006 Yeah so, Alex Rodriguez is really good

And Yankee fans who boo him are morons.

3-5, Grand Slam, 3-run HR, 7 RBI
 

07.02.2006 Yankees have a 10-run lead and guess who Torre brings into the game...

SCOTT PROCTOR
 

07.02.2006 Yankees sign the top international free agent

According to PinstripesPlus.com, the Yankees have landed the best prospect in the 2006 International free agent class, 16-year old catcher Jesus Montero.  Montero is a right-handed power hitter from Venezuela who was scouted heavily by both the Mets and Red Sox.
 

07.02.2006 Durazo opts out

We were big fans of his signing, but apparently he elected to leave the organization in search of another opportunity:

The Yankees released veteran DH/first baseman Erubiel Durazo from Columbus, apparently because of an out clause in his contract. (Source)
 

07.02.2006 Is Eric Duncan reclaiming his status...

As one of the organzation's top prospects?

He had a subpar season in 2005 at AA Trenton (.734 OPS, 136 K in 126 games).  He was then named MVP of the Arizona Fall League.  He started off 2006 in AAA Columbus, despite only being 21 years old.  Many claimed that he was rushed and his numbers proved that to be the case (.534 OPS in 110 AB).

He was recently sent back to AA Trenton where he has been making more contact and putting up solid numbers.  In 22 games, he has a line of .360 OBP / .560 SLG / .920 OPS.  He has also walked 9 times while only striking out 10 times.

Good to see and hopefully he'll keep it up.
 

07.01.2006 AL beating up on the NL, except for the Yankees

Randolph: 6 IP, 8 ER
 

06.30.2006 Italians win it for the Yankees

Jason Giambi: Solo HR which proves to be the game-winner
Ron Villone: Relieves Mike Mussina after the rain-delay, 2 IP, 0 ER

06.30.2006 C-Money:  "Step off Phil, ya heard!"

"I've got players people ask us about other than Phil Hughes," Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman said. "People ask about him, too. I really have no interest. There are some guys you can have longer conversations about than others." (Source)

06.29.2006 Oh Octavio

"To be honest, even though I haven't done anything for the Yankees, I love being a part of this team," Dotel said. "The way that the front office, the trainers and the coaching staff treat their players, it's something that you really love to see. It's better than being with any other team I've been with. I'd love to stay here -- not for one more year, but for three or four years."

"I feel like I owe them," he said. "They knew my situation, and I knew my situation, but I feel like I owe them something. I can't wait to get on the mound and start paying them back." (Source)

If Dotel can perform near his pre-injury levels, the Yankees will have made the best bullpen addition in baseball.
 

06.28.2006 Bad news for the haters

06.28.2006 Wang squishing hitters like grape

Another start, another solid performance by Chien-Ming Wang.

8 IP, 2 ER, 19 groundouts

...Stinnett said. "When you throw 96-97 and have movement like he does -- and you put it over the plate -- that's pretty special." (Source)

Ranks 2nd in the AL in IP
Ranks 1st in the AL in Groundball Outs
Ranks 1st in MLB in Groundball Double Plays
Ranks 4th in the AL in SLG% Against
Ranks 7th in the AL in OPS Against

06.27.2006 Yanks offense struggles again, time to bring up Durazo

In three out of the last four games, the Yankees have failed to score more than 2 runs.  It's time to tinker with the lineup and that calls for the promotion of Erubiel Durazo.  The Yankees have a career 125 OPS+ hitter sitting in Columbus and it's time to bring him to the Bronx.  In 16 games at AAA, he has a line of:

.321 BA / .413 OBP / .472 SLG / .885 OPS

Bring up Durazo.
 

06.27.2006 Could we have had Navarro?

There is a significant lack of catching depth around baseball.  Young promising catchers are a rare find.  And, for some mind-boggling reason, the Dodgers just traded one for two bad players.

With an eye toward the future, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays traded pitcher Mark Hendrickson and catcher Toby Hall to the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday for pitcher Jae Seo, catcher Dioner Navarro and a player to be named. (Source)

How in the world do the Dodgers make this deal?  Toby Hall is a career 80 OPS+ hitter.  Mark Hendrickson is a career 86 ERA+ pitcher.

In exchange for these awful players, they traded away a 22-year old switch hitting catcher (who the Yankees included in the Randy Johnson deal).

The question we ask is why didn't the Yankees jump on this, especially if the trading cost was so cheap.
 

06.26.2006 Giambi beats the Braves

06.26.2006 Randy is in the house

Randy Johnson over his last 3 starts:

20.1 IP, 4 ER, 20K, 2 BB
 

06.26.2006 A wretched hive of dumb and stupidity

Comments made by John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman during Monday night's game:

Sterling: "Cairo knows how to handle the bat."

Miguel Cairo on the season: .230 BA / .294 OBP / .300 SLG / .594 OPS

Perhaps by saying that Cairo "knows how to handle the bat," Sterling meant that Miguel knows how to pick a bat up off the ground and hold it in his hands?

Waldman: "Aaron Small cleared waivers and was outrighted to Columbus.  I'm surprised he wasn't picked up by someone."

Apparently, the market for 8.46 ERA pitchers isn't as hot as it once was.

06.26.2006 Best pitching prospect in baseball: Phil Hughes

AA - Trenton:

62.1 IP, 64 K, 3.18 ERA
OPS against vs righties: .627
OPS against vs. lefties: .656
 

2006 Splits between Tampa (High A) and Trenton (AA):

9.16 K/9, 6.63 H/9, 0.49 HR/9, 2.14 BB/9
 

And he just turned 20 years old on Saturday.
 

06.21.2006 Yankees to have off-day, Proctor will pitch anyway

Fresh off their 5-0 victory over the Phillies, the Yankees will use Thursday to rest up and prepare for a weekend series versus the Marlins -- that is all of the Yankees except Scott Proctor.  Although an off-day, Torre plans on using Proctor for at least an inning or two on the flight back to New York:

"Scotty needs a little more work," said Torre.  "He has electric stuff, but he just needs to locate better.  We're going to set up a flight attendant at one end of the aisle and have Scott pitch from the other end."
 

06.21.2006 Mo pitches the 9th in a 5-0 game?

Why?
 

06.21.2006 More ridiculous analysis

It was only recently when we told you how the Sports Guy had transformed into Sully from Revere, attempting to provide baseball analysis while wearing his Red Sox Nation rubber bracelet.  Well, he's at it again and the commentary is getting even more ridiculous.

Jonathan Papelbon has been outstanding for the Red Sox.  His numbers so far this year have been Playstation-like: 0.25 ERA, 8.83 K/9, 8.75 K/BB, .372 OPS Against.

However, in Bill Simmons' latest column, he annoints Papelbon, as he did Foulke, as the heir apparent to:

And that's the right comparison: Mariano Rivera (Source)

Papelbon has been superb, but he's only had success for 3 months.  Mariano is in his 11th season as an ultra-elite reliever.  Such longevity and utter dominance is unprecedented for relief pitchers.  Mariano is the best reliever in MLB history.  That's not opinion.  That is fact.  Three months of great pitching does not compare to Rivera.

So Bill, take off the Red Sox goggles if you are going to write an analytical baseball piece.  You're really making a fool of yourself.

06.20.2006 Mo, O bail out Torre

Despite a horrific exhibition of bullpen management, the Yankees fought back from a Torre-induced deficit to defeat the Phillies, 9-7.

Four Rings™ turned the bottom of the 7th into a disaster with his normal display of tactical incompetence.  The Yankees entered the frame in a 5-5 tie.  Ron Villone apparently had not kicked Joe Torre's dog and had relieved Mike Mussina when he was removed after five innings.  After pitching 1.2 innings of effective ball, Torre realized that Scott Proctor still had naked pictures of him and took Villone out of the game.  Proctor proceeded to walk Pat Burrell on four pitches and before you knew it, the Yankees were losing 7-5.

Luckily, the offense battled back with four runs in the top of the 8th and Mariano pitched two scoreless to nail down the win.

Don't question the rings.
 

06.20.2006 Bernie: "The people at NoMaas are a bunch of idiots."

Coming into Tuesday's game, Bernie Williams was sporting a .920 OPS in the month of June.  He continued his scalding hot streak with a 5-for-5 performance, bringing his season line to:

.294 BA / .333 OBP / .425 SLG / .777 OPS

He began the month of June with a .676 OPS.

Bernie is hitting like it's 1999.
 

06.19.2006 Senior Circuit beating up on the Yankees

The Yankees have lost 8 out of their last 11 games and have fallen to 2-5 versus the National League this season.  Somehow, even with all the injuries, the Yanks are only two games behind Boston.

Will George tolerate this poor play?
 

06.19.2006 We should release Arod

2006 with Runners on Base:
.290 BA / .407 OBP / .556 SLG / .963 OPS

2006 with Runners in Scoring Position:
.299 BA / .444 OBP / .558 SLG / 1.002 OPS

2006 with Runners in Scoring Position, 2 outs:
.343 BA / .511 OBP / .600 SLG / 1.111 OPS

Even Yankee fans can be ignorant.
 

06.18.2006 Torre: "Ron Villone eats babies."

How else can you explain Torre not using Villone during the Washington series?

Despite declaring Villone as "the closer" for Sunday's game (Mo & Farnsworth were unavailable), Torre had Proctor (surprise, surprise) warming in the 9th of a 2-1 game.

Torre has been stating recently that the bullpen is being overworked.  It's easy to overwork a bullpen when the only pitcher that he uses is Scott Proctor.
 

06.18.2006 Dotel is coming, Dotel is coming

Dotel is on a rehab assignment, completing his comeback from Tommy John elbow surgery, and he is expected to join the Yankees in 7-10 days. (Source)

His addition to the bullpen could be one of gigantic proportions.

Career: 10.87 K/9, .671 OPS Against, 125 ERA+
 

06.18.2006 Old Ca$hMoney had a farm...

And on that farm he had J.B. Cox:

Age 22, 2005 2nd round pick, closer at the Univ. of Texas (succeeded Huston Street)

2006 Trenton (AA): 20 games, 2.11 ERA, 42.2 IP, 31 K, 13 BB

Splits: 74 Groundouts vs. 31 Flyouts. Lefties have a .482 OPS against him, Righties are at a .632 OPS

06.17.2006 It affects all of us...

Even the Yankees.

Phillips has traveled home on every day off to be with his wife as she deals with the debilitating side effects of chemo...

They learned last month that the chemo killed the cancer -- doctors delivered the news in an appointment on a Yankees off day, so Andy was there, too -- and they're finally returning to a sense of normalcy.

Bethany, given the go-ahead this past week to travel again, is here on her first road trip. What she and Andy have gone through is something they'd never wish on anyone else. (Source)

We're very happy for Andy Phillips and his family that his wife is now cancer-free.  We wish her the best in her recovery.

We're making great progress in the battle against cancer.  Help us continue the fight and consider making a donation to cancer research.  For more information on how you can help, click here.
 

06.17.2006 Cash cleaning house

In deciding they needed better bullpen depth, they turned to a 25-year-old...T.J. Beam is up and Aaron Small is out, designated for assignment. (Source)

Small-Erickson-Long: all DFA'd.  Yanks getting younger, better, and more efficient.

TJ Beam, age 25, 6' 7"
2006 numbers:
Trenton (AA): 18 games, 0.86 ERA, 42 IP, 34 K, 12 BB
Columbus (AAA): 5 games, 9.2 IP, 13 K, 2 BB

06.15.2006 Randy Johnson suspended for throwing an inside pitch

Yankees pitcher Randy Johnson was suspended five games by the commissioner's office Thursday for intentionally throwing at Cleveland's Eduardo Perez the night before. (Source)

So Randy is suspended 5 games for throwing a pitch that did not hit a batter...

In 2005, MLB established a policy that originally suspended a player for up to 10 games if he tested positive for steroids.

06.15.2006 Respecting the game

Eduardo Perez on the Randy Johnson brushback:

"I was taught how to play this game," Perez said, "and that's not how you play the game -- unless I missed the memo." (Source)

Playing the game the "right way."
 

06.15.2006 The Scrappy Gritty Hustler™ returns

(Source)

Bubba Crosby was welcomed back to the Yankees clubhouse Thursday...Manager Joe Torre has said in the past few days that it was just a matter of Crosby getting his timing back at the plate and feeling comfortable. The reserve outfielder struggled a bit with Class A Tampa, going 1-for-8. But after being moved up to Triple-A Columbus on Tuesday, Crosby started to find his stroke.

Find his stroke?  Bubba Crosby has a 46 OPS+ for his career.  He never had a stroke.

"After the base hit the first night, I felt I found something," Bubba said.

I think it was a piece of bubble gum in his pocket.
 

06.14.2006 Unit, Phillips lead Yanks back into first place

Behind a strong pitching perfomance from Randolph Randy Johnson and great offense/defense from Andy Phillips, the Yankees moved into sole possession of first place in the AL East.

Johnson was Big Unit-like by striking out 6 and walking none through 6 1/3.  He was ejected after brushing back Eduardo Perez in retaliation for Jorge Posada getting beaned.  It is about time a Yankee pitcher showed some passion after seeing one of teammates get hit.

Andy Phillips hit a 2-run jack and flashed some great leather, including an amazing catch to end the game.  Andy Phillips' defense has been spectacular.  He currently has a Zone Rating* of .902, which would be good for 2nd among all MLB first basemen if he had enough games to qualify.

*Zone Rating is the percentage of balls fielded by a player in his typical defensive "zone," as measured by STATS, Inc.
 

06.14.2006 NoMaas Stats 101: ERA+

Continuing on with adjusted statistics, we will explain a very useful pitching metric: ERA+
 

06.13.2006 A brilliant performance

Wang: 7.1 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 14 groundouts to 5 flyouts
 

06.13.2006 Phil Hughes dominates Blue Jays AA affiliate

vs. New Hampshire Fisher Cats

7.1 IP, 1H, 8K, 3 BB

And we have confidence that Cashman will hold his ground:

The New York Post reports that Washington is asking for pitching prospect Philip Hughes from the Yankees in exchange for Alfonso Soriano. "Obviously I know what our shortcomings are," Yankees GM Brian Cashman said. "But I also know we are better than this. I will try to address whatever shortcomings we have. Up to date, nothing makes sense." (Source)
 

06.11.2006 Yanks get swept by Oakland

Couple thoughts:

1. On Saturday, Kevin Thompson hit a HR and drew a BB.  On Sunday, he sat the bench.  Logic?

2. Five different Yankee pitchers threw on Sunday, but not Ron Villone.

Villone has a 1.79 ERA and has held opponents to a .580 OPS.  Yet, he never seems to pitch in close games.  He's made 25 appearances in 2006, but in only 5 of them has the score differential been 2 runs or less when he entered the game.  It makes no sense.  He should be getting some of Proctor's innings.
 

06.11.2006 Amen

Pitcher Scott Erickson was designated for assignment.. (Source)

06.11.2006 Old Ca$hMoney had a farm...

And on that farm he had Jose Tabata:

Signed in 2005, from Venezuela
OF, age 17, Charleston Riverdogs (Low-A)
.317 BA / .374 OBP / .480 SLG / .854 OPS

06.09.2006 Randolph serves up his favorite dish, yet again

4 IP, 5 ER, 6 H, 5 BB, 2 K, 3 HRs allowed

06.08.2006 Sheff to have surgery, now what?

Our first thought would be for Kevin Thompson to start in right field.  He would give the Yankees good defense, good basestealing, and a league-average bat.

However, there is no way that Torre will play him over Bernie and Bubba.

Thus, C-Money will have to acquire another outfielder that Torre will actually play in order to bump Bernie/Bubba out of the lineup.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

06.08.2006 Is Francona drinking Joe's green tea?

Why on earth is Kevin Youkilis hitting 8th?  His stats heading into Thursday's game:

.319 BA / .434 OBP / .505 SLG / .939 OPS

06.07.2006 The decline of the Sports Guy

In a state of disbelief during Karate Kid Part II, Mr. Myagi said to his old friend Sato, "What has happened to you?"

NoMaas' Lane Meyer asks the same question to the Sports Guy.

Bill Simmons loves to drink the Red Sox Kool-Aid
 

06.06.2006 Melky shocks the world

His catch to rob Manny was a million-to-one shot.
 

06.06.2006 If you throw right-handed, they will draft you

On the first day of 2006 MLB Draft, the Yankees went berserk with right-handed pitchers by selecting 13 of them.

NoMaas' initial take is positive as the organization loaded up on big power arms.  Our Marty McFly offers this report on some of the names you need to know.
 

06.06.2006 Parting is such sweet sorrow

Dear Terrence,

Although you have been designated for assignment, I have faith that we will be reunited once again.  Fate has deemed it so.  I must now bid you farewell, but please know that I love you.

Always,

Joe

06.05.2006 Andy Phillips leads attack on Beckett, Yanks back in first place

For someone who talks alot of smack, Beckett isn't very good.
 

1.1 innings, 7 ER, 7 H, 2 BB, 2 HRs allowed (one by Andy Phillips)

ERA now at 5.27

Remember when Sox fans were so quick to label Beckett an ace?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

06.05.2006 Draft Day

Tuesday marks the beginning of the 2006 MLB draft.  Who will the Yankees select?  NoMaas sat down with Yankees General Manager, Brian Cashman.

NoMaas:  "Hi Brian.  Thanks for taking the time to speak with us."
Ca$hmoney: "Holla."
NoMaas: "The draft is almost here.  What type of players will you be looking for?"
Ca$hmoney: "Straight up gangstas."
NoMaas: "Gangsters?"
Ca$hmoney: "You heard me, biatch."

06.05.2006 Not-as-good-as-Scott-Brosius wins AL Player of the Month

Rodriguez reached based safely in 25 games during the month of May and finished the month with a nine-game hitting streak. In 28 games overall, the reigning American League M.V.P. batted .330 (36-109) and hit eight home runs...

Rodriguez recorded five doubles, one triple and 67 total bases while posting a .416 on-base percentage and .615 slugging percentage. (Source)
 

06.04.2006 Yankees to play Boston...again

06.04.2006 Why are these guys on the team?

vs. Baltimore on Sunday

Aaron Small: 2.2 innings, 7 runs, ERA now at 9.67
Scott Erickson: 3.0 innings, 4 runs, ERA now at 7.59
Terrence Long: 0-3, now hitting .167 BA / .250 OBP / .194 SLG / .444 OPS
 

06.04.2006 Even Jason Giambi agrees: "NoMaas was right."

While Giambi...has had trouble handling the DH role in the past, he is glad to rest his glove to give Phillips a chance.

"I want him to stay up here in the big leagues," Giambi said. "I know the only way he can showcase what he can do is by getting playing time.

"He can hit." (Source)
 

Andy can rake.  And we told you so.
 

06.04.2006 And now the NY media loves Melky

Did we call this or what?

Daily News & the Post

This is what happens when you hire people who don't know much about baseball.
 

06.01.2006 Sheff out for the season?

Sheffield and the Yankees yesterday got the bad news they feared, learning that his left wrist is so injured that he could be disabled for the rest of the season.

General manager Brian Cashman, calling it "a serious injury," said Sheffield's wrist will be immobilized in a splint for the near future to see if the swelling subsides. But he would not come close to promising this "conservative treatment" will work.

If the doctors determine that Sheffield's wrist is not healing as quickly as hoped, the next option likely will be surgery, which very well could be season-ending. "To be quite honest, I can't rule out surgery," Cashman said. (Source)
 

06.01.2006 Yanks blow game, sweep

Farnsworth: 16 BB in 24.1 IP
 

06.01.2006 Andy Phillips starts 3 games in a row

And produces.

7-12, BB, 6 RBI

How can you evaluate players if you don't give them a chance?
 

06.01.2006 Kevin Thompson wins election
 

Sheffield was replaced on the active roster by outfielder Kevin Thompson. (Source)

This is a move that was horribly overdue.  It is unfortunate that an injury is the reason why he was called up.  He should have already been on the Yankees roster.

His line at Columbus: .288 BA / .380 OBP / .453 SLG / .833 OPS / 7 SB in 8 tries

He should also be playing everyday, especially over Terrence Long who does not belong in professional baseball.  After going 0-5 in Thursday's game, Long now has an OPS of .497.  Apparently though, possessing zero talent does not bother Joe Torre.  Experience matters more than actual production:

 "He's a pro and easy to like in the clubhouse," Torre said of Long, "He has been in the fires before with Oakland when they were winning pennants," Torre said. "You can never discount that experience in my mind." (Source)
 

05.31.2006 Mussina continues his renaissance

9 IP, 5K, 1 BB, 6 H, 0 ER, 1 Torre smackdown

05.31.2006 Alex Rodriguez is a jerk

He's starting to pad his stats again.

.303 BA / .404 OBP / .554 SLG / .958 OPS
 

05.30.2006 3 innings, 25 pitches, 19 strikes, 3K

The Greatest of All-Time
 

05.30.2006 They bashed him -- now when will the NY media jump on the bandwagon?

Melky Cabrera:

4-6, 3B, 2B, BB, 2 RBI

And that's why you give young players a chance to succeed.

Cabrera: .328 BA / .406 OBP / .410 SLG / .816 OPS
 

05.29.2006 Now batting, the designated hitter, Terrence Long

91 career OPS+
Currently sporting a .200 BA / .273 OBP / .200 SLG / .473 OPS

Where are Durazo and Hidalgo?  Or Kevin Thompson who now has an .841 OPS at AAA?
 

05.29.2006 Is he alive?

6 IP, 2 H, 0 ER
 

05.28.2006 Who cares

05.28.2006 Yanks to battle Central-leading Tigers

05.28.2006 After 48 games, Torre discovers that Ron Villone is in on the roster

The manager would like to create a mix in which he doesn't have to include working right-handers Scott Proctor and Kyle Farnsworth on the same days as often as he has this season...

"We just have to work out a way to make sure they get enough rest so that when they do come in they are not trying to muscle, or overthrow or feel that they need to do that."

"You are going to have to find another body out there and it may be Ron Villone," Torre said. (Source)
 

05.25.2006 .163 hitter complains about ARod

The Red Sox contend that Alex Rodriguez was faking it when he didn't realize he hit a Tim Wakefield knuckleball for a three-run homer in the top of the seventh that propelled the Yankees to a 7-5 win Tuesday night.

"The guy's got 450 career home runs, he doesn't know when he squares one up?" said Boston catcher Doug Mirabelli. "I don't believe that." (Source)

Home run expert, Doug Mirabelli

"I was surprised by it," A-Rod said of being asked about Mirabelli's quote. "Especially since the other guy [Ramirez] stood there like the Statue of Liberty."  (Source)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

05.24.2006  Melky hits leadoff 

And he responds:

2-4, BB, 4 RBI

OBP now at .413
 

Further proof that the media has no idea what it's talking about.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

05.24.2006 Mr. Clutch

05.24.2006 ARod speaks out

"It'll never stop," he said, "until I win five or six world championships, and hit a Joe Carter home run to win one of them."

"I don't take anything personally. I think it's comical. Anyone who drives in 130 runs has to hit in the clutch. I've done a lot of special things in this game. For none of that to be considered clutch is an injustice." (Source)

Bravo, Alex.
 

05.23.2006 Yanks lose to Boston 5-4 because ARod HR doesn't count

Citing the A-Rod Isn't Clutch rule (AIC), Major League Baseball subtracted three runs from the Yankees final score against the Red Sox on Tuesday night.  Alex Rodriguez's three-run HR was declared "ineligible" because it did not occur in the 9th inning.

The Yankees will try to avoid the series sweep as a struggling Randy Johnson takes the hill on Wednesday.
 

05.23.2006 This is why we're not sold on Proctor

His 2006 stats are not very different from his career numbers.

Career numbers are in italics.

K/9 7.36 (7.36)
K/BB 1.85 (1.84)
Groundball/Flyball 0.68 (0.66)

What really has changed?

05.22.2006 S.O.S

Yanks drop a 4-spot in the ninth, but lose again to Boston.  Now 2.5 games back.

The good news though...help is on the way.

Hopefully, Sheff will sine yo piddy on the runny kine.
 

05.22.2006 Darrell Rasner should be in the rotation

Aaron Small has been designated as the replacement for injured starter Shawn Chacon.  Since Small has lost his pixie dust and is reverting back to the bad pitcher that he is, we believe that there are better options for the rotation.  Take a look at AAA and you will find 25-year old Darrell Rasner.

Rasner was claimed off waivers from the Washington Nationals in February 2006.

Coming into this year, Rasner has had a solid professional career.  In four minor league seasons, he's compiled a 3.53 ERA while averaging 6.79 strikeouts per nine innings.

He's been even better in 2006:

46 innings, 40 K, 9 BB, 3 HR allowed, 2.74 ERA

Also, opposing batters have a line of .264 BA / .292 OBP / .348 SLG / .640 OPS, which is good for an OPS+ against of about 85.

This young guy may be legit.  Give him a chance.  He's a better alternative than Aaron Small.

The only job that Aaron Small should have is being a stunt double for Beaker.
 

05.21.2006 Who's reading NoMaas?

The Yankees signed designated hitter Erubiel Durazo to a minor league contract. (Source)

It was only a few days ago when we...
 

05.21.2006 Yankees to face Schilling

Schilling's month of May:

3 starts, 17.2 innings, 14 earned runs, 6 HRs allowed, 7.13 ERA, 957 interviews

Schilling embraces a dear friend