My Take on Wang: Send Him to the Bullpen

We are 12 games into the seasons Yankee fans. We are 6-6. With our new improved rotation we all expected better. However we start off slowly every season. Pettitte and Sabathia are second half pitchers, and we don't yet have A-Rod. It can't surprise us this much. However, one thing does surprise me. Chien-Ming Wang has 3 of our 6 losses.

Wang has been one word. Awful. Call him whatever you want, but they will all be synonyms of that word. Through 3 starts, he hasn't finished the second inning twice, given up at least 7 runs in each start (8 in his last two), and is 0-3 with a 34.50 ERA. Something isn't right.

This is supposed to be the same pitcher that won 19 games two years in a row. The same pitcher that started last season 8-2. Before this season he has lost two starts in a row just once (beginning of 2007). And now we come into this season, he had a nice spring, and we feel that we have a potential ace on most teams as our number 3 pitcher. Then he comes out and gets bombed for 3 straight starts. The crowd at Yankee Stadium really let him hear it yesterday as he walked off the mound with the Yankees already essentially out of the game. Almost 50,000 fans booed him off the mound as he came out of the game with his ERA somehow higher than when he came in.

Something is going wrong with him. I don't know what it is. The Yankees need to figure that out. He's leaving pitches up in the middle of the plate. His sinker isn't sinking. Whatever "adjustment" the Yankees made between this start and his last one did nothing. They need to figure out what is wrong. However, they can't afford to keep sending him out to get destroyed while he's trying to figure it out. That will cost the Yankees games. They are .500 now because of him. 

He can't be sent down to the minors. He is out of options, so he would have to pass through waivers where he would almost certainly be claimed. Whatever work he has to go through, it has to be here.

So, they can't send him down, and they can't keep sending him out there. That leaves one option. Bench him. Demote him to the bullpen to figure it out. Send him up against real hitters like before, but more than just one time. I don't know how they are going to solve his struggles, but they need to. He's a big part of this rotation. The Yankees are counting on him for 15-20 wins. They can't afford him to pull an Ian Kennedy of last year, or an August Mike Mussina of 2007 for an extended period of time. 

Now that I come to think of it, Mussina was demoted to the bullpen. He figured out his problems there, had one relief appearance, got some confidence back, and came back to be the Yankees best pitcher in September of that year. I think that is what needs to be done with Wang (despite the fact that his ERA is almost twice as bad as Mussina's in August of 2007). Bring up Hughes or Kennedy from the minors (both are pitching great!), and put Wang in the bullpen. Have him figure it out there.

I know that he's capable of turing it around. He's a two time 19 game winner and only 29 years old. Last years injury can hardly be considered as a "career threatening injury." However, the way the Yankees have to do it isn't to keep sending him out there. His next scheduled start is against the Red Sox. Don't let him make it. There is an off day in between the end of the Oakland series and the beginning of the Red Sox series. You can skip Wang and go right to Burnett. Use the bullpen time to figure him out. Use Hughes and Kennedy if you have to. Do whatever it takes. Just don't send him out there unless you feel confident he has his problems solved.

Also, like I said in my last article, I'm visiting Yankee Stadium on Wednesday. I'm sitting in Field Infield seats. Anything on what the experience is like or how the seats are would be appreciated. Thanks!

Opener at the New Stadium: Ballpark Looks Great, Bullpen Looks Bad

The New Yankee Stadium looks great. It looks wonderful. Although I don't ever think it will develop the same history as Yankee Stadium I think it is a great park that suits the fans, and the players much better than the original. I think it is the beginning of a new era of success for the New York Yankees. The beginning of the beginning of that era, however, finished about as badly as it could have.

The game started out really good. We had the legends come out on the field and the players get introduced. CC Sabathia threw the first pitch, and Johnny Damon got the first hit. Both those balls are going to the Hall of Fame. Then we got to baseball. Sabathia threw a lot of pitches, and a lot of balls, similar to his start in Baltimore. However, the difference between this one, and the season opener is that this time he never gave up the big hit. The balls that went over the plate, the Indians made outs on instead of hitting it to the gaps and over the fence. I was encouraged by his start because we know he isn't going to have his best stuff every time. I'm happy that he is capable to get batters out when he doesn't. Cliff Lee had much better stuff today, but Sabathia, aside from the number of pitches, matched Lee inning for inning until he left. It was a good pitchers duel. Posada picked up the first homer in the new park. It was a great, 1-1 game. Until Jose Veras came in.

The bullpen was awful. Just awful. Veras couldn't throw a strike to the first batter, then he gave up back to back doubles. He was taken out. Marte came in, gave up a few walks, couple hits, a grand slam, and then before we know it it's 10-1. We lost 10-2. 

The bullpen needs to get it together. The starters can't give us 8 innings every time. They need to figure it out. Veras and Marte have been awful. Ramirez has been good but he's pitching in trouble too much. He has a 2.40 Whip. Coke has struggled. All we have had is Bruney and Rivera. We need them to come through. It's really important if we want #27.

I'm writing this post after the second game of the series. I saw us win 6-5 today despite a rough start by Joba. The pen got it together, we hit a bunch of homers, and we got ourselves a victory. Now that the first one in this new park is out of the way, I have a feeling a lot more will come.

Chein-Ming Wang is going tomorrow. He has been terrible his first two starts. He's left too many pitches in the middle of the plate. His sinker hasn't been sinking. He, sort of like Lee for the Indians, need to get it together. He's an important part of this staff. We will know early tomorrow whether he has it or not. If he doesn't, then prepare for a long day Yankee fans because Cleveland has proved they can hit bad pitches.

The New park looks absolutely beautiful! I'm going for the first time on April 22, thats a Wednesday against the A's. Main Dugout seats. If anyone has gone to the Stadium feel free to tell me some fun things to do there, good places to go. If anyone in particular has sit in those seats tell me what they are like. I'm really excited! It's gonna be fun.

CC: Thats More Like It

As you know, CC Sabathia really struggled in his opener in Baltimore. He wasn't happy with himself at all. He had a bullpen session where the Yankees fixed something in his mechanics. He's now taking a little shorter stride to better locate his fastball and get more velocity. He responded tonight. All I can say is CC Sabathia pitched brilliantly!

He pitched 7 2/3 innings, striking out 6, walking none in 108 pitches. He got out of the jams he got into with strikeouts and double play balls. Most of the night he pitched with ease. He was outstanding tonight. I looked on the MLB websites. Not too many Sox fans there now!

Now, at the same time, it's just the Royals. One of the weakest offenses in baseball. He was great tonight,  but at the same time it will be twice as fun to watch him fool strong lineups like the Red Sox or Angels. However, this is reassuring.  It means that he isn't losing his form because it was early in the season, or because it was cold. It means he isn't injured in the slightest, and that he's ready to pitch a great season for us this year. This is just the first step.

Sabathia Roughed Up as Yanks Lose Opener

A very unfortunate opening day for the Yankees, especially since they have been playing so well. The Yankees lost to the Orioles 10-5 in the opener of the 2009 season from Camden Yards. CC Sabathia, in his first official start, was really roughed up. I watched the game, and here is my view on it.

CC, I could see, didn't have his good stuff. Right from the start, right in the first inning, I could tell he was going to have a tough time with it. He couldn't locate his fastball. He threw a lot of pitches, and had an awful strike to ball ratio. He was working really slowly right out of the gate. I knew he was going to struggle. He managed to get out of trouble in the first and pitch a 1-2-3 second, his only easy inning of the game. He gave up 3 in the third, got into and out of trouble in the fourth, and completely lost it in the fifth. He left the game with 4 and a third innings pitched, giving up 6 runs, walking 5, and striking out none! That, more than anything else, stuck out to me. CC is a strikeout pitcher. When he can't get that done once you know he's struggling. 

After the game I read some fan comments on mlb websites. Half were Sox fans trashing to Yanks because they never seem to comment on their own site, and then there were some Yankee fans who already seem to be writing CC off. That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard! We invested 161 million dollars in this guy for 7 seasons. You can't give up after one start! He was pretty bad, but last year he started out bad in April too. He's a second half pitcher. He has always struggled in April. I am positive Sabathia will find it, hopefully sooner than later, but I'm sure he will find it and have a great, ace type season we expect from him. Also, you select fans who are saying that he can't pitch in the clutch, or in big spots, I couldn't disagree more. He single-handedly carried the Brewers to the playoffs last year, and pitched great games in some huge starts in September on three days rest. Those are some pretty big starts he had to pitch in. There is my point there. Also, I have heard some say he can't pitch in the American League. I just have this to say to you. The 2007 AL Cy Young Award Winner is incapable of succeeding in the AL? Sox fans, get a life. Yankee fans, Sabathia will be fine, and we are going to have one heck of a season. We were never going 162-0. We lost one game. Let it go. We have a stacked rotation with a capable ace at every spot. Not like last year where every time Mike Mussina wasn't pitching you didn't have a good feeling going into the game. This year we aren't sending the likes of Sidney Ponson and Darrell Rasner out to the hill every fifth day. We have a great team, and we are going to win a championship!

Other parts of the game, Matsui and Posada seem fine. They each had 2 run homers. Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon are both off to good starts. Teixiera had a rough start. I think the booing Orioles fans may have had an effect on him. If thats true then he needs to get over it because he is going to hear that a lot. Bullpen was roughed up in the eighth, ruining any chance we had of coming back in the 9th. 

Remember Yankee fans, it's one game. We are going to win a championship this year. We have the players, the stadium (best clubhouse in major league baseball), and the motivation. We have all the tools. Now we need to get it done.

Check Up on Yanks

Sorry I haven't written for a while. I've been really busy lately but I'm back and I'm prepared to write a lot more. You guys have been getting plenty of Yankee news lately from other sources, I'm sure. I'm just going to go through everything thats happened lately.

-Brett Gardner wins center field job

-Xavier Nady wins right field job

-Yankees win 10 straight to finish spring training

-New Yankee Stadium opens with 2 wins

Thats pretty much it. I would have prefered Melky like I said before. He had a great spring, a spring worthy of the center field job. Also he's proven he can play center field at the big league level, and Gardner hasn't yet. I hope he will if he's going to be playing, but I just think Melky would have been a better choice. I always knew Nady would win in right. He deserved it with his year last year. The Yankees finished spring playing great, and I know it was only spring, but it's good to get used to winning, and get better at playing as a team. Winning creates team chemistry, which I think is very important. Never too early to start. It's time for a great season.

Melky Not Done Yet

Melky Cabrera and Brett Gardner have a competition for the starting center field job this spring. The winner will be the primary center fielder for the season, and the loser will probably be sent to a fourth outfielder job, or the minor leagues. The winner of the competition will play center on most days, and Johnny Damon will play center when the Yankees need to get Nick Swisher some playing time, or when they want to go with a more offensive lineup for that day. When Brett Gardner got to a hot start this spring, most people immediately said, "this is our center fielder" and are expecting that he is a lock.

Not so fast.

Joe Girardi reported that Melky is "very much alive" in the center field competition, and it seems to be that, when most people thought Gardner had all but won the job, Girardi comes out and gives an indication that the battle is pretty much even. 

For me, I really like Melky Cabrera. Now, I like Gardy too, but I honestly believe that Melky deserves the job. I know that he struggled last year, but I think, overall, he is a better baseball player than Gardner. Melky has a stronger arm, can lay down a bunt, can play good defense, and is actually a better hitter than Gardner with more power. Gardner has more speed on his side, which can help him track down more balls. However, his arm is almost as bad as Johnny Damon, and I'm not even sure he's capable of hitting .220 in the majors. This spring hasn't changed my mind.

Remember Brett Gardner last year? Except for a little hot streak for the last 2 weeks, Gardner couldn't hit the broad side of a barn. I watched him, game after game, for the longest time when he started, watching him go 0 for 4, or 1 for 5. He had a good game here and there, but I don't think he's capable of hitting in the majors. He hasn't proven anything.

Melky Cabrera, however, has proven to me that he can hit in the big leagues. He was above average as our starting center fielder in 2007. He hit for the first month and a half of 2008 too before slowing down. However, he has worked hard this offfseason. It's a new year. There are a lot of guys that had off years in 2008. He's one of them. He's more than capable of coming around this year. Am I saying he will? No. For all I know, maybe Gardner will be a better hitter. But from what I've seen so far from both players, Melky is the better hitter. Thats all I'm saying.

My favorite thing about Cabrera is his throwing arm. It is probably the best arm I've seen us have since we had Raul Mondesi. And Cabrera has a better arm than Mondesi. He led the AL in assists in 2007. He saved us a whole bunch of runs that could have made the difference in some games. Gardner doesn't have nearly the same arm. I believe that Melky and Damon together give us range in the outfield that is as good as any team in the majors. Gardner would give us better range because he can just fly. I will give him that. He's one heck of an outfielder for tracking down balls. I remember him robbing a home run at Yankee Stadium last year against Baltimore. However, I think that Melky's arm makes a bigger difference than Gardner's range, simply because the difference between Melky's arm and Gardner's arm is much bigger than the difference between Gardner's speed and Melky's speed. Other people might disagree, but thats more than okay.

When you look at it all, I'm actually fine with either of them there. Both of them provide different talent with a lot of upside. I would prefer Melky because I think he can make more of a difference if he starts. I would actually like the Yanks to hang on to Gardner as a pinch runner, or back up outfielder for defensive purposes. Gardy can be great use there, pinch running in a big spot, or coming in to play defense in a close game. Thats another reason. What does Melky Cabrera do on the bench? Not really much. But Gardner can do quite a bit off the bench. I think we would be using more out of both of these players if Melky starts, and Gardy plays off the bench. I think that would give us the best chance to win.

What do you think?

With A-Rod Out, Yankees Should Get Figgins

Alex Rodriguez has opted for surgery rather than to play the year hurt, which will leave him out until May. The Yankees have a few options on who should replace him. One is Cody Ransom. Another is Angel Berroa. There has been talk about trading for a third baseman. I like that idea, and I think that the Angels third baseman Chone Figgins would be a great option.

Figgins has experience at third base. He is the starter there for the Angels, and would be a very suitable replacement for A-Rod for a couple of months. I'm not just thinking of a couple of months though. I'm thinking about after that. 

Figgins is a speed guy. They have Gardner, but another guy with that kind of speed off the bench, or in the lineup could be very helpful. Playing everyday, Figgins can steel 50+ bases every year. Off the bench, he can be a very effective pinch runner. As a manager, another guy on the opposing team with that kind of speed can change the way he manages. Figgins can win the Yankees extra games without even doing anything. His speed can really be helpful.

He also is very versatile. He can play third, short, second, and anywhere in the outfield. When A-Rod comes back, Figgins doesn't have to move to the bench. If Gardner or Cabrera doesn't work out, Figgins can play center field. If Johnny Damon gets hurt, he can play left. If Jeter gets hurt, he can play short. You get the idea. His ability to play a number of different positions can really help the Yankees.

He is also young. He is only 30 years old. If you ask me, he has about 4 years of his prime yet. He can be helpful to the Yankees for the next bunch of years too. Johnny Damon is a free agent at the end of this season. The Yankees will need a new left fielder. They will want Matt Holliday, who is a great player. However, the Yankees won't have to pay nearly as much for Figgins, and Figgins brings a different style of baseball that may be more helpful to the Yankees. I would much rather have Figgins leading off next year in left field, than Matt Holliday in left field. He's a great player, but I don't want another power hitter. We've failed to win the World Series the last 8 years because we have payed money for sluggers. Giambi, Sheffield, and so on. I much better like the speed idea. We have 2 power hitters, so lets leave it at that. Lets go back to the small ball idea that got us to 6 World Series in 8 years. The winning by manufacturing a run with a single, a sac bunt, a stolen base, and a sac fly, instead of always waiting for the 3 run home run. Getting Figgins, I think, will get us a lot closer back to that idea.

So, there is my case. Figgins can fill in for A-Rod, be a solid pinch runner for the rest of this year, and then be our left fielder and lead off hitter for a few hitters after that. I have always liked Chone Figgins, and always hated it when he hit against us. However unlikely it is that this will happen, I think the Yankees should at least attempt to get him. I like his style. He is a gamer, and he is the type of player we need to build our first dynasty since the late '90s. 

What do you think?

A-Rod: Get Surgery

Once again, the headline in Yankee camp is Alex Rodriguez. Nobody cares that CC Sabathia pitched well in his first start during spring training, or that the Yankees won yesterday. People care about Alex Rodriguez. But guess what? A-Rod may not be here for a while. Personally, I think he should get surgery.

You would know that Alex Rodriguez has a torn labrum in his right hip. Since then we have heard 2 different sides of the story. We have heard A-Rod's brother say that he is getting surgery, and we have heard the Yankees saying they want to take a "conservative" approach to A-Rod. Basically, what they are saying is that they want their third baseman to play through the season, hurt, for 7 months including postseason, and get surgery in the offseason directly after that, take 4 offseason months to recover, and be ready, completely healthy, for opening day in 2010. I have one thing to say to that. Big Mistake. I have many reasons, and if you hear them, it should be an easy decision.

First of all, remember, this isn't the 2008 Yankees. This is the 2009 Yankees. We've added a lot of great guys. Sabathia, Burnett, Teixiera, are all healthy and all be productive in 2009. Yea, Alex is really important, and the lineup really suffers without him. However, We have one of the best rotations in baseball. We don't need a great lineup to win ballgames. Does it help? Of course it does! But is it required? No. The Yankees of 2004-2008 really needed a strong lineup to win because they really had no reliable pitchers. 2004 they had nobody. 2005, they had Mussina, but nobody after that. 2006, they had nobody after Wang and Mussina. 2007, they had Wang and Pettitte, nobody after that. 2008, Mussina, nobody after that. We have had no more than 2 reliable starting pitchers in a season since 2003. Now, we have CC, Burnett (if healthy, which I expect he will), Wang, Joba (if he stays healthy), and Pettitte if he can have a comeback season. That is 4, possibly 5 reliable starting pitchers. Now that we have a powerful rotation, we don't need as much a powerful offense. Basically, my point is that this team is stacked and could swallow the loss of A-Rod for half a season.

Secondly, I think it will be good for A-Rod to get away for a little bit. Selena Roberts book on A-Rod comes out in April. The thought of his steroid use is fresh in everyones mind. Remember, no matter how much Rodriguez just wants to "get back to baseball," fans won't think that way. He will be booed everywhere, and it will be bad. Also, remember that he isn't the most emotionally stable guy in the world. He doesn't handle these things really well. I believe that it might be good for Alex to get away from the game of baseball a little bit. Let the stories die down. Let the thought of steroids go away from everyones mind. I think it would be good for him emotionally to miss a little bit.

Thirdly, remember at the end of 2007 he signed a 10 year, 275 million dollar contract. Thats a lot of time, and a lot of money. If he tries to play through this injury, and his hip blows up, it could end up being a lot worse. He would miss the end of the season rather than the beginning. He would miss postseason. And his future in baseball may start to be questioned. Will he ever be healthy enough to play again? We wouldn't know. I don't think it's worth the risk. This is a big investment. The Yankees shouldn't risk it. Remember, A-Rod is trying to prove himself again. It wouldn't be good if his career ended a year after his steroid episode, would it? All Hall of Fame chances would be destroyed, and 275 million dollars from the Yankees would be wasted.

I also need to say that Mike Lowell, the Red Sox third baseman, also had a torn labrum. He tried to play through it last year. What happened? His production decreased. Also, the pain got to be so much that he missed the postseason! So Lowell played worse than he otherwise would, and missed the playoffs. What if that happened to A-Rod? I would rather have a productive Rodriguez for the second half of the season and postseason, than a less productive Rodriguez for 5-6 months, with no postseason, and a possible chance of permanent injury. Mike Lowell is evidence that something bad is very possible. We wouldn't want that to happen.

Well, when you look at all this, it is an easy decision. We won't fall out of the AL East race without him, and it is too big of a risk. He should have surgery. Will it hurt our team without him? Of course it will! Any time you lose a player like A-Rod for an extended period of time it will hurt your team. But the Yankees have to look at the big picture. Keep him healthy in the long run. It may hurt the Yankees even more if he decides to play. Get surgery, come back in July, have a strong second half, and help the Yankees win a World Series!

Manny Finally Signed

Manny Ramirez has finally signed a contract. Finally. You know, when you look at the whole thing, this greed, and waiting that he's been doing did absolutely nothing but make him look bad. He signed with the Dodgers for 2 Years, worth 45 million. Remember the first offer, waaaaaaaaaaay back in November? 2 Years, 44.5 million was, I believe, the offer. Nice job Manny. Serious skill. You earned 500,000 dollars more. Let me ask you. What can you do with 45 million that you can't do with 44.5 million? Seriously, all Manny did was make himself and his agent look bad, make himself 2 weeks late for spring training, and show himself off as a completely greedy jerk. Seriously Manny, it's not worth it. I made a post in January about how he should be a Yankee, but that was then. A lot of people weren't signed then. He didn't seem like a jerk. I knew he loved money, but I thought he loved baseball more. Now that I've seen him sacrifice 2 weeks of spring training for an extra 500,000 dollars, which for him is like 50 cents to the most of the working world. What's wrong with him? He is a complete idiot. He doesn't care about anything but money. Now, I'm glad we never signed him. We didn't need him, and he would have just been a bad influence in the clubhouse. He would have been a liability defensively. He would have hurt more than he helped. I feel bad for Joe Torre. He's as good as anyone at handling people, and I still feel bad for him. He has to deal with a major headache. Another thing, Joe Girardi probably would never have been able to handle Manny. I'm really glad he's not a Yankee.

The guys a great baseball player, but thats all he is. The Dodgers are going to have a tough season. They don't care though, because they do need him. He, regardless of his personality, will be the reason the Dodgers are in the postseason this year.

What do you think?

A-Rod Comments Not a Big Deal

Once again, I am writing about Alex Rodriguez. I am not happy about what people have made with his comments, but I'll get to that in a moment. First I just want to say that A-Rod is a bloggers dream. He can't go 2 days without another story about him, whether he means to or not. 

First on the comments. A-Rod said, "I wish he (Jose Reyes) was leading off our team." These comments have been controversial because people have interpreted it as an insult to Derek Jeter, and/or Johnny Damon. First of all I want to say that it's unbelievable that A-Rod can't even say something nice without getting slammed. Second, this has been blown way out of proportion. This wasn't another diss on Derek Jeter, and he wasn't insulting Johnny Damon. He was just complementing Reyes. And he should. He's his teammate right now and should be supported. He doesn't wish Jeter or Damon wasn't on the team, and wasn't dissing either of them. I'd bet if you asked A-Rod that he'd say the same thing. Damon's already defended him. I would expect Jeter will defend him too. If you ask me, leave A-Rod alone, give him his space. Try saying something nice about him. Have you realized that he's the best player in the history of the game, and the media can't ever find one good thing to say about him. He's done nothing wrong lately. Just praise an opposing player and play baseball. Play baseball. Thats what he needs to do all year.

A-Rod Off to Nice Start

Yankees Third Baseman Alex Rodriguez got off to a nice start during spring training of 2009, after hearing boos from over half the fans, one guy wearing an "A-Fraud" shirt, and having one fan yell out "that was a steroid induced foul ball" after he fouled off a 2-1 pitch to foul territory, belting a home run in his first official at bat of the season (walked his first time) on the next pitch after the fans comment. This is a really good sign. He showed, on the first day, that he is capable of blocking fans out. Now, I know that there will be a lot more fans when the regular season starts, but it's a good start.

The Yankees need A-Rod to win. That is a simple fact. They have a lot of money invested in him, and he is one of the most important players on this team. I know that because of his steroid allegations he is going to be treated horribly at most every park except Yankee Stadium, especially Fenway and probably Citi Field. He has to meet with MLB Investigators, so this clearly isn't over. However, for me, I won't pay attention to steroids anymore. A-Rods taken enough heat right now, he's had enough shots taken at him. However, he came out and admitted that he did it, and he wants to move on. I think that for baseball to move on from this issue, we need to move on instead of continuing to look back, because if MLB continues to look back, we are never getting passed this problems (one of the reasons I think Bud Selig is one of the worst commissioners we've ever had). 

Alex came out today and knocked a two run homer in the first game of spring training, to tack on to Brett Gardner's lead off homer (I'm actually surprised he could hit it out). The Yankees went on to beat the Blue Jays 6-1, for a nice start for A-Rod, and the Yankees to the '09 Spring Training season. For pitching, they started a Brett Tomko, who pitched two shutout innings, giving up one hit. Only Jose Veras had trouble, giving up the only run the Jays got. The rest of the relievers (even Igawa) managed to pitch shutout innings. 

Well this was a good first day. The Yankees managed to win the first spring training game, A-Rod shut those fans up, and we got pretty good pitching from guys who might make an impact in a few years (there weren't many pitchers who pitched today who will be on the opening day roster). Austin Jackson got a hit, Brett Gardner hit a homer, and it seemed that things just went right for the Yanks today. With this new team, thats what I expect for the whole season!

Alex Rodriguez News Conference - Good, but Could Have Been Better

Yankees Third Baseman Alex Rodriguez reported to Spring Training today, and had to give a news conference where he confronted his use of banned substances. He gave an opening statement, and then he answered questions from the audience. 

"The last couple of weeks have been difficult and emotional," A-Rod said, "on one hand, it's difficult to admit mistakes, but on the other hand, it feels good to be moving forward."

Good start, I thought. First he thanked his teammates, then went with the comment above. Now, we all know that we will not be moving forward with this today. This will stick around, at the least, for a couple of months. It may never go away. However, this was a difficult day for him and I thought that is a good way to start.

Also in his opening statement, he issued a few extra details we did not see in the Peter Gammons interview 8 days ago. He said that his cousin injected him with a substance called "boli" which he said was an "over the counter" drug from the Dominican Republic. He never gave reporters his cousin's name.

"It was his understanding that it would give me a dramatic energy boost and otherwise harmless," he said. "It was pretty evident that we didn't know what we were doing."

He stuck to his story from the Peter Gammons interview. He said he didn't know exactly what he was injecting into his body. He avoided one problem there. People won't be saying that he contradicted himself. However unlikely it is that he just didn't know, at least he didn't change his story. He said that his cousin said they were harmless, yet he was very secretive with it and didn't share it with anybody. That is going to be a big question coming out of this. "Why were you so secretive if you thought what you were doing was okay?" He was asked that during the Q&A and seemed unable to answer the question. He ended up saying that there are some things that you don't want to get out into public, and that this was just one of them. Not a great answer.

"We went without the team doctors, team trainers, just two guys doing it. I'm not even sure if we were doing it right."

Not very believable at all. I believe that he wasn't telling the doctors about it (obvious), but to not know if he was even doing it right, I mean, come on Alex! His cousin didn't explain anything to him? However, I guess if his cousin is just as stupid as he says he is then it isn't very surprising. I guess I could believe that. To a certain extent. I do believe his cousin exists, by the way. How much he was involved in this, or whether there were other people involved too, we may never know.

"I stopped taking it in 2003 and haven't taken it since. I stopped taking the substance for several reasons. In 2003, I had a serious neck injury and it scared me half to death. I was scared for my career and truly my career after baseball - my life after baseball. Secondly, after our voluntary test, all the players voted for a major league drug policy. At that time, it became evident to me how serious this all was, and I decided to stop then."

Now that, I believe! He gave us a good time frame, told us exactly when he stopped, and gave us good, detailed, believable answers as to why. I really liked this part of the opening statement. 

"Since that time, I've been tested regularly. I've taken urine tests consistent with Major League Baseball and blood tests for the World Baseball Classic. Before I walked here today, I took a test as part of my physical, and I';; take another blood test next week for the Classic."

You don't really need to believe that, it's a fact. All players have been tested a lot since the new policy came to place.

"It isn't lost on me the good fortune I've received from playing baseball. When I entered the pros, I was a young kid - the major leagues. I was 18 years old, right out of high school. I thought I knew everything, and clearly I didn't. Like everyone else, I've made a lot of mistakes in my life. The only way I know how to handle them is to learn from them and move forward. One thing I know is for sure is that baseball is a lot bigger than Alex Rodriguez."

"And to my teammates -"

"Thank you."

Well, thats the most of his opening statement. I thought it was pretty good. There was a little in there that was tough to believe. The fact that he didn't know what he was injecting into his body is really tough to believe. However, there was nothing in there that was absolutely terrible. I think it was a pretty good opening statement. As far as the way he answered the questions, that was his biggest problem. A couple questions just absolutely stumped him. I think it was a mixture of that he was wondering what to say to make the answer come off with the least suspicion, and that he just didn't know what the answer was, maybe for a number of reasons. A few questions he knew right away. The questions that stumped him usually resulted in 5-10 seconds of silence, and I think really hurt his press conference more than anything else. Overall, the opening statement I think was great, and the questions were mixed. The reactions he has been getting has been mixed as well. The Yankees continue to give him mostly praise and encouragement. Most other players also supported him. Cliff Lee, Grady Seizmore, Ryan Braun, and Angels Manager Mike Scioscia. Then there is the middle category, where most reporters are. I watched MLB Network after the conference, and they were all talking a bit more about the bad parts, about how he didn't know about what he was taking, and how they were upset because he kept going back to saying that he was "young" and "curious" and "stupid" and "naive." For all those excuses, I can believe curious and stupid, and, if his far-fetched idea that he didn't know what he was injected into his body is true, I can believe naive too. I can't believe young though. The reporters were right when they said that the "young" excuse could only take him so far. He was 25 years old, that isn't that young. So they were right on that. Anyway, they kept focusing on the bad parts on the interview, but, in the end when asked if it was a good day or bad day for A-Rod, they all said good. And then, you have the people who are giving him no sympathy at all. Roy Oswalt wants all his stats erased, as he said that A-Rod "cheated me out of the game." Lance Berkman said "I don't feel the least bit sorry for him." Cubs First Baseman Derrek Lee said "there should be zero tolerance." David Ortiz (Loser, I'm going to boo him twice as loud when I visit Yankee Stadium this season) suggested that he be suspended for a whole season. And also, a few reporters have been absolutely unfairly bashing him and giving him zero credit, but just pointing out every bad part of his interviews and making them 100 times worse. Overall, it's been pretty balanced to what the reaction to A-Rod has been across the baseball world. I would expect fans reactions would be balanced in a similar way. 

So when you look at the overall way Alex Rodriguez has handled this situation, it certainly could be worse. He could have denied, denied, denied, and may have eventually found himself facing perjury charges like Roger Clemens. He went out and told the truth. Maybe not the whole truth, that is for others to decide, but he went out and told people he used steroids, went into pretty good detail, tried his best to explain himself, and sounded sorry and regretful. No matter how much of this you believe, you can at least see that he is sorry for what he did. The way he is talking, the way he sounds, the way his body language is, I honestly think he looks sorry and very regretful. The press conference could have been better, but it wasn't terrible. I don't think it hurts him in any way, I think this only helps him. Alex wants to move forward, he wants to get back to baseball, and he wants to win a championship! 

Manny Still Not Signed

My first post when I opened this blog was that the Yankees should sign Manny Ramirez. At that point, I didn't realize that they couldn't sign any more Type A free agents, so they really can't sign him. However, I couldn't help notice that he still hasn't signed with anybody. Also, with all the A-Rod junk, he hasn't even been in the news. I'm honestly sick of hearing reporters say, "I think he will eventually be back with the Dodgers." He has rejected two offers from them, and I'm not even sure if they are still negotiating with him. If you ask me, they should stop pursuing him all together. Nobody else is really negotiating, and, because of his greed, he would end up not signed when the season starts. I honestly think that there is a possibility that might happen. Here are the places I think he might end up.

Los Angeles Dodgers - The only team that reporters think he will end up with. The only team that seems to be negotiating with him. I think that this will be the most likely team he ends up with.

San Francisco Giants - Unlikely, I really think. The Giants already have quite a lot of money invested in Zito, and that hasn't worked out. Yet. I don't think it ever will. However, he would really help them, and could be a big piece that would help them actually compete in the very weak NL West.

New York Yankees - The most unlikely of all the teams I am mentioning because they said they are out of it, and the 3 Type A Free Agent rule. However, like I said, it is starting to look like a real possibility that he won't be signed when the season starts. If he isn't signed, then the Yanks can take him if they need him or want him. Again, very, very unlikely, but more likely than some teams (Boston).

Texas Rangers - I don't know, I've heard it thrown out there a couple times. Texas could use him, and it's a great place to hit (We all saw how A-Rod hit there). It probably won't help that much. The only team that will do anything in the west is the Angels. 

All teams really sound unlikely except the Dodgers. However, if Manny continues all this greed and his turning to Scott Boras to try and get him his 25 million for 3-4 years, he will never get signed. He also, can't help but notice, but he also hasn't said anything publicly all offseason (except for his prediction that the Yankees will offer him 3 years). Who knows? Maybe he still thinks he can get the money and the years. He never came across as the brightest to me. If he does, he needs to get his head straight and accept anything that comes his way here on out or he won't be playing anywhere at all. The longer this goes on, the more I don't know where he will sign. The more likely it is that he won't be playing at all.

The guys a great player, but he needs to put aside his greed, forget the money (he has enough anyway, more won't change his life), and just sign. He also may need to go up to the Dodgers or wherever he wants to sign and start a negotiation himself, instead of waiting for a team to come to him. Because no team seems to be coming to him anymore. If he does these things, he will sign, and will have a great season!

So, where do you think he will sign?

AL East: Yankees, Red Sox, or Rays?

Spring Training '09 starts in just a few days. It doesn't look like, right now, that any of the AL East teams expected to compete are going to be changing. The question now is, which team will win it? The Rays had the best team, as they are defending American League Champions. The Red Sox are practically the same, except for a few new 1 year additions. The Yankees made the most drastic changes, and some people are saying that they are now better than both teams, and then some are saying they are still third best. I think now might be a good time to compare each ballclub in every aspect of their team, and then decide who is better. Here we go!

Starting Rotations

Aces

Yankees - CC Sabathia

Red Sox - Josh Beckett

Rays - Scott Kazmir

CC Sabathia had one heck of a year last year, and he almost single-handedly carried the Brewers to the playoffs. The year before, he won a Cy Young. His durability isn't a problem, and I don't think his weight or conditioning will be a problem. At least not next year.

Josh Beckett had an injury plagued season last year, and while he was healthy he had a rough time with it. The year before, however, he won 20 games and had a remarkable postseason. As far as postseason pitchers, he is the best out of the three.

Scott Kazmir is really good, but he has to stay healthy, similar to Beckett. He only made 27 starts last year. As an ace, you need to be able to lead your team in 33-35 starts, and pitch 200 innings. If he stays healthy, he should have a great year.

I think that they all have the potential to have Cy Young type years. However, I think that CC Sabathia comes with the least risk, and that he is the best ace. The advantage goes to the Yankees.

# 2 Starter

Yankees - Chein Ming Wang

Red Sox - Daisuke Matsuzaka

Rays - James Shields

Chein Ming Wang is a great pitcher, but he is coming off a serious injury and I'm not sure if he can return to the same level he was the 2 years before. I think he can, and he can return to another 19 win season, and be a strong #2.

Daisuke Matsuzaka had a tremendous season last year. He won 18 games, had a great ERA, got Cy Young votes, and was overall, just one of the most difficult pitchers to hit against that I have ever seen. His only problem is that he walks too many batters, but his great stuff seems to put that aside.

I really like James Shields. He won 14 games, had a mid 3's ERA, and pitched innings. That was my favorite part about him. He pitches innings. He doesn't get hurt, and he can pitch in the postseason. 

Overall, I think it is a competition between Shields and Matsuzaka, and I think Dice-K's stuff outshines everything that James Shields has to offer. The advantage goes to the Red Sox.

#3 Starter

Yankees - AJ Burnett

Red Sox - Jon Lester

Rays - Matt Garza

AJ Burnett has the ability to be one of the nastiest pitchers in the game. He needs to stay healthy, and he needs to have his best stuff more often. Remember how much he owned the Yanks last year? He can't own them anymore. He needs to put the stuff he had against the Yankees against other teams, and more often. If he can do that, he  will be fine.

Jon Lester had a great year last year. Period. He is young, he is a cancer survivor, and a great pitcher. I think he has a bright future.

Matt Garza is a good young pitcher. I think that he also has a bright future, but I don't think he is as gifted as Lester

Here, this one isn't that hard. Unless Burnett has a career year, I think that this one goes to Lester. The advantage goes to the Red Sox.

#4 Starter

Yankees - Andy Pettitte

Red Sox - Tim Wakefield

Rays - Andy Sonnanstine

Andy Pettitte had a really rough year in 2008 with a 4.54 ERA. However, I think he is more than capable of turning it around. We watched Mike Mussina in 2008 with a comeback season, in what turned out to be his final season. This is, in all likelyhood, Pettitte's last season as well. I think he doesn't have the ability to make a comeback the way Mussina did, simply because Mussina has better stuff, but I do think he can have a better year.

Tim Wakefield - One thing I've noticed about Tim is that he is either really good, or really bad. It's fun to watch him pitch, but he just isn't a great pitcher anymore. I'm expecting an ERA in the mid to high 4's for him next year.

Andy Sonnanstine had a very good year last year and I think he will only improve. He is the youngest out of the three, and posted numbers better than both other 2 pitchers last season.

I think Pettitte has the capability out of being the best of these three, but I think that the most likely will be Sonnanstine. The advantage goes to the Rays.

#5 Starter

Yankees - Joba Chamberlain

Red Sox - Brad Penny

Rays - David Price

I think Joba should be in the bullpen. Period. However, the Yankees don't feel that way, so he's their fifth starter. He had great numbers as a starter last year, and if he can stay healthy and limit the pitches he throws per batter, he could be successful.

Brad Penny is full of question marks. We have no idea how he is going to do. He could be an ace-type pitcher, or he could be a bust (Pavano). We just don't have any way of knowing until the season starts though. John Smoltz could also join the rotation later in the year, by the way.

David Price has the potential to be just as good, if not better, that Joba Chamberlain. However, he has not proven himself as a starter yet. I'm not saying that Joba has, but I'm saying that Joba has some big league experience there. Price doesn't. I think hopes are high for David Price though, no doubt about it.

Overall, they all have question marks. I'm going to have to say that the advantage goes to the Yankees.

Now the question is "which team has the best overall rotation?" This is a really, really close one. They are three of the best rotations in baseball. I think that the Red Sox have the best top three overall, the Yankees have the best pitcher overall, and the Rays have least differential between their ace and their #5. I don't think it's the Red Sox because they completely fall off after their first 3 pitchers, and Josh Beckett has health questions. The Rays are a great rotation, but they are really not the best in any of them, and if they are, it is not by a large amount. The Yankees have the potential to be the best, and also are the most likely to be the worst of the 3. They have one sure thing in CC Sabathia, but the rest are question marks. Can AJ Burnett stay healthy? Can Wang bounce back after missing most of last season? Can Andy Pettitte bounce back? All of these are question marks. I think they are question marks with a good chance of turning out well for the Yanks, however. Overall, I think the most complete rotation with the least question marks will be in Tampa. The Best Rotation is the Tampa Bay Rays.

Bullpens

Yankees - Brian Bruney

  Jose Veras

  Dan Geise

  Damaso Marte

    Edwar Ramirez

Red Sox - Hideki Okajima

  Ramon Ramirez

  Manny Delcarman

  Takashi Saito

  Javier Lopez

  Justin Masterson

Rays - Grant Balfour

    JP Howell

   Joe Nelson

   Jason Hammel

   Brian Shouse

   Lance Cormier

Overall, when you look at it, the Red Sox and Rays both have players who have faced injury problems and haven't played in a while (Javier Lopez). When you look at the Yankees, they have a bunch of home grown players who proved themselves last year. The bullpen was the strength for the Yankees last year, and I think it will be the same this year. The Best Bullpen Goes to the New York Yankees.

Closer

Yankees - Mariano Rivera

Red Sox - Jonathan Paplebon

Rays - Dan Wheeler

Well, you can pretty much eliminate the Rays out of this one. Look at it this way. Mariano Rivera is the Greatest Closer in the History of the Game. He had a better year than Paplebon last season. The only thing with him is that he is coming off shoulder surgery. I think he has a better than 80% chance that he will come back healthy, strong, and ready to pitch. If he does like I expect, this one isn't that hard. The Best Closer Goes to the New York Yankees.

Position Players

Catcher

Yankees - Jorge Posada

Red Sox - Jason Varatek

Rays - Dioner Navarro

This one isn't that difficult. Posada and Varatek (especially Varatek) are both well out of their prime. Posada is coming off surgery, he is a question mark. Varatek just can hope to do better than a .220 average. The advantage goes to the Rays.

First Base

Yankees - Mark Teixiera

Red Sox - Kevin Youkilis

Rays - Carlos Pena

Pena is out. He is a great player, but just not at the level that Youk and Tex are at. Both Youkiilis and Teixiera are in their prime. Both are great players. In this one you don't have to worry about intangibles. So, I just looked at the numbers. Youk's average is 4 points higher, but Teixiera had more production. I also think he offers more on defense. The advantage goes to the Yankees.

Second Base

Yankees - Robinson Cano

Red Sox - Dustin Pedroia

Rays - Akinori Iwamora

Not that hard. This one goes to the Raining MVP. The advantage goes to the Red Sox.

Third Base

Yankees - Alex Rodriguez

Red Sox - Mike Lowell

Rays - Evan Longoria

Steroids or not, A-Rods the best player in the game. The advantage goes to the Yankees.

Shortstop

Yankees - Derek Jeter

Red Sox - Jed Lowrie

Rays - Jason Bartlett

I think that Jeter still has a lot of game left. He is a great influence in the clubhouse. He's the captain, he can still hit in the clutch, and he can still play shortstop. He's not at the level of Bartlett defensively, but I think he can still deliver, and still above the other 2. The advantage goes to the Yankees.

Left Field

Yankees - Johnny Damon

Red Sox - Jason Bay

Rays - Carl Crawford

I'm going to have to go with the Rays here. Johnny Damon is still a great leadoff hitter, but I don't think he nor Bay is at Crawford's level. Crawford is faster than both, and he can hit as just as good. The advantage goes to the Rays.

Center Field

Yankees - Brett Gardner/Melky Cabrera

Red Sox - Jacoby Ellsbury

Rays - BJ Upton

Again, I'm going with the Rays. You can pretty much eliminate the Yankees out of this one, and I just don't think Ellsbury is as good as Upton. Upton had better numbers last year, and I also think he can play better in the postseason. The advantage goes to the Rays.

Right Field

Yankees - Xavier Nady

Red Sox - JD Drew

Rays - Gabe Kapler

I think that Nady isn't capable of putting up the overall numbers he produced last year. I think what you saw the last month and a half last season is what you are going to get from Nady this season. The Rays really don't have a Right Fielder, so I think the best choice is Drew. The advantage goes to the Red Sox.

Designated Hitter

Yankees - Hideki Matsui

Red Sox - David Ortiz

Rays - Pat Burrell

Hideki Matsui has a bunch of question marks, but if he stays healthy then he should be able to produce 100 RBI. Pat Burrell I think can do a lot more out of the DH Spot, and hit better than he did in the National League. However, even though Big Papi took a big drop off last year, he can go back to being the big player the Sox can count on (likely). I still don't think either of the other two can go up to his level, especially in the clutch. The advantage goes to the Red Sox.

When you look at the whole thing, each team has their strengths and weaknesses. The Rays and Red Sox are pretty much the same team, but the Yankees have added Tex, and are getting guys back from injury. I think that if you look it all, the Yanks have the best lineup. The Best Lineup Goes to the New York Yankees.

Manager

Yankees - Joe Girardi

Red Sox - Terry Francona

Rays - Joe Madden

I realize that Madden won the Manager of the Year award, but I think that Terry Francona just has the most postseason experience, and has the best methods. I like Joe Girardi's methods too, but he hasn't had enough success to be considered for this one. He needs to win a championship, or at least get to one. Francona has done that. Madden has done that. Out of those two, this one goes the Terry. The Best Manager Goes to the Boston Red Sox.

Well, thats it. The Yankees and Rays were pretty close in the lineups, the Yankees were really the only choice for the bullpen, and the Rays, in my opinion, have the best overall rotation. The Rays, although I didn't mention it, also have the best defense. The Red Sox have the best coaching staff. I think that missing out on Teixiera was big for them. The players, not the coaching staff, play the game. I just think that the other two teams have, overall, better players. So, to answer the question of "Who will win the AL East?" I'm going to go with the Yankees to win the east, and the Rays to take the wild card. Now, if any Red Sox fans read this, I really tried not to be biassed toward the Yankees, and I don't think I was. I will agree that you guys had the best team in every year since 2004 (except for 2006). I weighed in a lot on injury possibilities, and other intangibles. If I didn't then things might have been different. I also may have a different way of thinking then you guys, like what I consider to be good and bad in a player, and what I consider to be more important. 

Everyone please feel free to leave your comments on what you thought about this post, and answer this question. Who do you think will win the East?

Alex Rodriguez Used Steroids in 2003

Four different sources have reported that Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez tested positive for steroid use in 2003, where he won the MVP as Shortstop for the Texas Rangers. I honestly don't know how to react to this. It seems like every single home run hitter has been juiced on steroids during some portion of their career. There is going to be a lot of questions now. Forget Torre's book! This, is what I call a distraction

How A-Rod is perceived for the rest of his career is going to depend completely on how he reacts to this situation, both off the field, and on the field. He has to report to spring training in less than two weeks. He can't avoid the media forever. Some people, most likely Red Sox fans and Mets fans are never going to be forgiving to him. He is almost certainly going to hear, unless he can somehow prove this to be false, "Steroids" and "A-Fraud" for the rest of his career when he goes to Fenway and the new Citi Field. I see two different ways he could deal with this report.

First is to deal with it the same way Roger Clemens has dealt with his steroid accusation. I have lost all respect for Clemens. All he has done is deny using steroids even though all the evidence is against him. During his interviews, he was very flustered and very defensive. He looked scared, and it was very clear that he was lying. Now, all people have lost respect for him. He has lost all credibility. All Hall of Fame chances. His career, and his life have gone down the drain.

Second is to deal with it the way Jason Giambi dealt with it. Jason went out, admitted using steroids right away, apologized, and worked really hard to be able to play will without steroids. He spent countless hours of work and practice, and eventually got back to be a reasonably good player. He won the Comeback Player of the Year award in 2005, and now, people have either forgotten, or have forgiven him for using steroids. And you never know. If Giambi sticks around for a while and has a strong finish to his career. Maybe gets to 500 homers, then he has a shot at the Hall of Fame. Something that would have no chance at happening if he had taken the "Roger Clemens" route. Now, I doubt A-Rod is ever going to get Red Sox fans to stop making chants at him at Fenway Park, simply because Alex is on a different level of playing then Giambi has ever been on. However, he can still keep the respect of Yankees fans, and eventually make this go away.

I am also concerned with how he is going to react on the field. It is probably linked with how he reacts off the field. If he acts like Giambi, he will probably continue to be the best player in the game. If he acts like Clemens, he probably won't ever be the same player again. I hope he takes the right route, and I think he will. I don't think he is on steroids anymore, I don't think he has been on them through his entire tenure with the Yankees. 

I said that this may be a distraction. That also depends on how he deals with it. If he takes the "Clemens" route, then I think it will be a major distraction this year and will affect the way other players play as well. However, if he makes the right decision, then it will still be a distraction, but not nearly as much, and I think the players will forgive him as well. 

Like I said, how he reacts to this is going to greatly impacts how he is reguarded and how he plays this season. I wonder what decision he will make. Leave your comments on how you think he will react to this. We will all get our answer very soon.

Yankees want Joba in rotation: BIG MISTAKE

Mlb.com has reported that Yankees RHP Joba Chamberlain is preparing for a full season in the Yankees starting rotation. This has been a big controversy in the last few years. Start him, or put him in the pen? I, for one, am against starting him. I have been from the start. I have many reasons, and those reasons make it so that it just doesn't make sense to put him in the rotation

Joba has already proven himself as a brilliant reliever. He posted a 0.38 ERA in 2007 in middle relief, and had a strong season in 2008 out of the pen as well. Yankee fans, and the front office knows that he can pitch out of the bullpen. He would shorten up the game. The starters only have to go 7 innings, because the last 2 innings are locked down. That way, guys like CC Sabathia don't have to throw 251 innings during the regular season, and might be successful when it really matters in the playoffs. They may even have to throw less. The Yankees bullpen was the strength of this team last year, and if guys like Veras, Ramirez, Coke, Marte, and Bruney come through like last season, the game is even more shortened for the starter.

Joba has a lot of energy. What I have noticed is that he runs himself on enthusiasm, and it helps him pitch in games. The "fist pump" is a perfect example of him showing his enthusiasm. It is very difficult to keep that enthusiasm for a 7 inning start, but he is easy to keep it for an inning. That energy he has in the pen won't be there as much if he is starting.

He may get hurt. He could break down if he starts. He broke down in August last year, and that turned out to be costly to the teams playoffs chances. Who's to say it won't happen again? Would you rather have no Joba at all?

Putting Joba in the rotation would mean another year without Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy, and Alfredo Aceves to develop. You guys all know that I am big on wanting these kids to develop. They have all proven that they can pitch at the big league level. I think that they have a lot of potential to be just as good as Chamberlain, and I feel that the sooner you develop them, the sooner they will become that good.

He should be a reliever. There is no bad to it, and almost no risk. He can take Rivera's place in 3 years and the Yankees will still have one of the best closers in the game. He throws too many pitches to be a starter. He will be gone after the 5th on most starts. I just think he is best suited for the bullpen

So what do you guys think. Leave your comments with your decision. Starter or reliever? If I may try and influence your decision even more, what is it you want. For him to influence 80 games, or 30 with the chance of breaking down?  

Joe Torre's Legacy Should Not Be Tarnished By His Book

For the last couple of days, we have been hearing a lot of things about "The Yankee Years," Joe Torre's new book which covers his 12 successful years as manager of the New York Yankees. I have been reading and hearing many things that have said that Torre's legacy has been destroyed by his new book because of the insults that he shot at players that are, and were, on the Yankees. Personally, I don't believe a word of it. It's the New York Post people! They are trying to make money, so they put the things that people will be most interested in the paper. I have quite a few reasons why this book shouldn't be made too big a deal of.

It has been reported that in Torre's book, he says that A-Rod was called A-Fraud by teammates. It has been reported that David Wells went out of his way  to make people frustrated with him, and Kevin Brown was just naturally good at making people frustrated. It was reported that Brian Cashman betrayed him on several occasions, particularly the final meeting last year when he was essentially fired. He killed Carl Pavano, and had a number of insults toward Randy Johnson, Kenny Lofton, Gary Sheffield, and more, as it was reported. See a pattern here? Nobody has read the book yet! It has all been reported by New York Post. Am I saying that none of it is true? No. Am I saying that the newspaper blew it out of proportion? Absolutely.

Lets go through the reported insults for a little bit. He said that A-Rod was called A-Fraud during his tenure with the Yankees. Well, we know it wasn't in the last 2 years, because Andy Pettitte said he has never heard it once. Mike Mussina reported that it is possible that he heard it, but that it didn't necessarily mean that he heard it in a bad way, as it might have been a joke. We haven't even seen it in context yet. I don't think this one is a big deal.

He said Brian Cashman never "betrayed" him, and that they had disagreed, but that is normal for 2 different people. This one isn't anything.

He killed Pavano. This one doesn't surprise anyone. Everybody killed Pavano. It's not like he didn't deserve it.

He had insults for Kenny Lofton, Gary Sheffield, David Wells, and Randy Johnson. Well, Sheffield and Lofton insulted him for "treating white players better," which we all know isn't true. He said Kevin Brown just was naturally frustrating, and had insults for Randy Johnson too. Maybe these weren't called for, but what do they expect. They didn't live up to what they were expected to do. He also insulted Cashman for becoming increaingly obsessed with numbers, and didn't like "the feel" of players. I think he is right here, because none of his signings since 2004 have worked out. 

Well, I think the Post makes it a lot worse than it really is. If we wait until we get the book, and see it in context, and listen to what Torre has to say about it when he addresses the media, I think that our opinion of him won't change. Maybe some of the stuff in the book is a little harsh, but once we read it, we will still look at him as a legend, and one of the best managers the Yankees have ever had.

Andy Pettitte to Return

Well, the Yankees and Andy Pettitte will be having a reunion after all. I posted earlier that I didn't think that the Yankees should bring him back because I didn't feel that he wanted to come back for a pay cut. I said that since he rejected the offer, another one shouldn't be on the table. However, another one was, and he took it. He took a 5.5 million dollar offer, and would have to pitch 210 innings and not get injured at all to get 12 million. 

This contract has made me see things in 2 ways. Either the guy is an idiot, or he really wants to pitch for the Yankees. I don't think he can pitch 210 innings next year, being a year older. He may have a better ERA, may have more wins, have a better batting average against, but he won't get 10 million if he doesn't pitch 210 innings. He may think he can, but I'm not sure if anyone else thinks he can. I guess he is an idiot and he wants to pitch for the Yankees. If he is going to take this offer, there is no reason why he didn't take the guaranteed 10 million dollar offer. But also, if he took the lower offer, I guess he does want to pitch here. And no question he helps the team. In my opinion, his return means the Yankees can go two ways.

The first is to go with a deep rotation of CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett, Chein-Ming Wang, Andy Pettitte, Joba Chamberlain. That is a pretty deep rotation when your number 5 pitcher had an ERA of under 3 during his short time as a starter last season. I say Joba is the number 5 because if the Yankees do it this way, Joba will be skipped to keep his innings down. That may very well be the best rotation in the American League. That is the first way they can go.

The second, as you may have guessed, involves putting Joba Chamberlain back in the bullpen. Permanently. This is the way I think would be better. I think that the kids need to be developed, and have the potential to be just as good as Chamberlain. I also think that out of all the kids, Chamberlain is the least durable, throws the most pitches to get people out, but is also the most dominant. We've seen what he can do in the bullpen. They only have to fill 7 innings with starters and other relievers, which, by the way, are pretty good. After that, if you have a lead, 99 times out of 100 the game is over (except, unfortunately, the one time it failed happened to be in the postseason). And when Rivera is gone, Joba can be closer and you will still have the end of the game locked down for another 15-20 years. This is the smartest way to go.

Well, Andy's return makes the Yankees better, and gives them different options. Hopefully, whichever option they take, it will be a championship team on the field in 2009.

Good Bye Yankee Stadium

Well, this is it. The Yankees front offices have officially moved out of Yankee Stadium today, and into the 1.3 billion dollar park across the street. Well, I guess it isn't official, because they don't get the keys until February 17th, but it is true that there will never be another event here again. For me, it is disappointing. I never liked it that they were moving into this new place. I believe that the atmosphere will never be the same again at this new park. None of the legends, Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Lou Gehrig, Joe Dimaggio, Whitey Ford, Yogi Berra, and so on, never will have played there. I think that the feel you get when you walk into the New Yankee Stadium will never be the same as it was before. I don't like it, especially since I have to watch Fenway Park (I've been there, really don't like it), Wriggly Field (Now that's a nice park), and Dodger Stadium (Never been there, if someone has tell me what it's like) still stand while the House That Ruth Built will no longer be up, and above them. Going to games at Yankee Stadium just wasn't the same as going to Fenway, or Toronto's Rogers Centre, or any other major league park. The atmosphere is much more intense, much more exiting. You get the feeling that special things are going to happen on every pitch, especially during a big game. You don't get that feeling anywhere else. My favorite moment, and it was hard to pick since there are so many, was probably Games 4 and 5 of the 2001 World Series, and the 2 miracles. That was really special, especially in that year, with the 9/11 tragedy. After that was Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS, and in that game I knew something big was going to happen. It couldn't just end 5-2, something exciting had to happen, and then it did. They came back, and won on the Boone home run. The building had so many incredible moments that I really can't believe they are going to tear it down. I am going to miss it.

Feel Free to leave comments on your best memories on Yankee Stadium, and whether you think they should tear it down.