Friday, August 17, 2007
A.L. East update
The Yankees have done what they were supposed to do. They plowed through a long stretch of largely lousy sub .500 competition.
They Yankees may have exceeded expectations, slightly, by playing at such a high level. The Red Sox helped by coming back to the pack a little, treading water at three over .500 since the All-Star break. The race is on, or so it appears. Depending on your rooting interest, beware, or be aware, the Yankees still have issues.
The Clarion’s concerns are not with the offense. The offense has been scorching, led by Matsui, Cano, Melky, and Posada. Even Johnny Damon has come around. Rookie Shelley Duncan has made an instant contribution. Statistically Alex Rodriguez is having an MVP season. No, no the Clarion's concerns are not with the offense.
It is the Yankees pitching that is the issue. Even during the Yankees recent magnificent hot stretch, their pitching was still 7th in the league over that time. The offense was just scoring so many runs that they were able to mask it. Many of the Yankees games, wins and losses, were lopsided. The stretch run will be tougher. The Yankees will be facing higher caliber pitching when they play the Tigers, Angels and Red Sox.
The Yankees starting pitchers must do a little better. Unfortunately, Mussina is all but finished. His last contract extension was a big mistake. The sooner he leaves the better. Hopefully, the Pirates want to put him along side Matt Morris. The Clarion has no worries about Andy Pettitt. Roger Clemens is a gutty, gamer. The Clarion is happy to have him on the Yanks side. He even drilled a Toronto hitter for A-Rod last week. If the Yankees make the playoffs it will be because Clemens had a great stretch run. Wang is solid. Especially when, as Joe Torre said yesterday, he doesn’t overthink. He has stuff he can and should trust, he is never going to be unhittable, but great groundball pitchers can be a hitter's worst nightmare.
The best news for the Yankees since the All-Star break, in this columnist’s view, even better than the post All-Star break record, is that the Yankees didn’t trade any young pitching at the deadline. Something the Red Sox can’t say. They traded their best young pitcher Gabbard (5-1 in ten starts, though he left a game last Sunday with elbow pain) to the Rangers for the aging Eric Gagne. Close observers new this was a dangerous deal. Gagne, who's arm has yet to come all the way back, had been inconsistent in his last month plus in Texas. Even worse news for the Red Sox is superb Japanese relief pitcher, Hideki Okajima, has cooled off. He has allowed 4 runs in his last 11 and 2/3 innings, after having a long scoreless streak earlier in the year. Gagne melted down again tonight spoiling a four run, eighth inning rally.
As for the Yankees young pitching, Joba Chamberlin and Phillip Hughes are integral to the Yankees future. Obviously, they are quite important this year, Hughes is the fifth starter, but this is only the beginning. Much better to use them carefully now, than to use them up like Ed Lynch and the Cubs did to a young Kerri Wood.
The Yankees middle relief, season to date, has been very shaky. Scott Proctor was likeable, but Joe Torre had used him up (83 appearances last year.) Luis Vizcaino is doing okay, at the moment, but confidence is limited. Kyle Farnsworth is so atrocious that the Yankees couldn’t bribe anyone into taking him at the trading deadline. He may be second only to the charlatan, Carl Pavano, as the worst signings off the Brian Cashman era. Mariano Rivera, the ageless wonder, has looked somewhat less than his most potent self in the last few outings.
One area the Yankees have improved in significantly since the All-Star break is the bench. Wilson Betemit has some pop. Clearly, Shelly Duncan is a promising young hitter. Even better, perhaps because his Dad, Dave Duncan, is a pitching coach, he is very selective at the plate for a big bopper. Damon’s rememergence has helped. He has gone from the .230’s to almost .260. In the rotation between he, Melky, Matsui, Abreu, Phillips and Giambi somebody is always going to be on the bench. Phillips has tailed off somewhat at the end of both of the last two seasons. Each time it appeared that he felt the pressure of being a regular down the stretch. It got to him, especially as starters (Sheffield, Giambi) returned from injuries. Hopefully, the same thing isn’t about to happen this year. Phillips has been playing well around the bag and hitting near .290. Tonight, unfortunately, he made a boneheaded defensively play cutting off a ball that gave the Tigers a run instead allowing it to be a close play at the plate. (On the other hand it probably saved Jorge some wear and tear.) It was a bad mental play because as the first baseman, on a ball to the leftfielder, he isn’t the cut-off man. The third baseman is, worse Phillips it cut it to trap the batter between second base and third base, but because he would have been the guy covering second base, there was nobody there when the Yanks attempted to catch Branon Inge in a run down.
Note: no sooner did those words leave the keyboard than Phillips got his second hit of the game, a double and two, big, rbi insurance runs. This bench is a huge improvement from the likes of Cairo and Doug Mientkiewicz. Nobody is talking about retired Yankee great Bernie Williams now.
Sorry Orioles and Devil Rays fans your franchises currently suck wind.
Good news for Blue Jay fans. The most exciting new discovery in the A.L. East this side of Joba Chamberlin, is Toronto's uber-slick field shortstop, John McDonald. Follow this link to the multimedia header for some sweet fielding highlights.
They Yankees may have exceeded expectations, slightly, by playing at such a high level. The Red Sox helped by coming back to the pack a little, treading water at three over .500 since the All-Star break. The race is on, or so it appears. Depending on your rooting interest, beware, or be aware, the Yankees still have issues.
The Clarion’s concerns are not with the offense. The offense has been scorching, led by Matsui, Cano, Melky, and Posada. Even Johnny Damon has come around. Rookie Shelley Duncan has made an instant contribution. Statistically Alex Rodriguez is having an MVP season. No, no the Clarion's concerns are not with the offense.
It is the Yankees pitching that is the issue. Even during the Yankees recent magnificent hot stretch, their pitching was still 7th in the league over that time. The offense was just scoring so many runs that they were able to mask it. Many of the Yankees games, wins and losses, were lopsided. The stretch run will be tougher. The Yankees will be facing higher caliber pitching when they play the Tigers, Angels and Red Sox.
The Yankees starting pitchers must do a little better. Unfortunately, Mussina is all but finished. His last contract extension was a big mistake. The sooner he leaves the better. Hopefully, the Pirates want to put him along side Matt Morris. The Clarion has no worries about Andy Pettitt. Roger Clemens is a gutty, gamer. The Clarion is happy to have him on the Yanks side. He even drilled a Toronto hitter for A-Rod last week. If the Yankees make the playoffs it will be because Clemens had a great stretch run. Wang is solid. Especially when, as Joe Torre said yesterday, he doesn’t overthink. He has stuff he can and should trust, he is never going to be unhittable, but great groundball pitchers can be a hitter's worst nightmare.
The best news for the Yankees since the All-Star break, in this columnist’s view, even better than the post All-Star break record, is that the Yankees didn’t trade any young pitching at the deadline. Something the Red Sox can’t say. They traded their best young pitcher Gabbard (5-1 in ten starts, though he left a game last Sunday with elbow pain) to the Rangers for the aging Eric Gagne. Close observers new this was a dangerous deal. Gagne, who's arm has yet to come all the way back, had been inconsistent in his last month plus in Texas. Even worse news for the Red Sox is superb Japanese relief pitcher, Hideki Okajima, has cooled off. He has allowed 4 runs in his last 11 and 2/3 innings, after having a long scoreless streak earlier in the year. Gagne melted down again tonight spoiling a four run, eighth inning rally.
As for the Yankees young pitching, Joba Chamberlin and Phillip Hughes are integral to the Yankees future. Obviously, they are quite important this year, Hughes is the fifth starter, but this is only the beginning. Much better to use them carefully now, than to use them up like Ed Lynch and the Cubs did to a young Kerri Wood.
The Yankees middle relief, season to date, has been very shaky. Scott Proctor was likeable, but Joe Torre had used him up (83 appearances last year.) Luis Vizcaino is doing okay, at the moment, but confidence is limited. Kyle Farnsworth is so atrocious that the Yankees couldn’t bribe anyone into taking him at the trading deadline. He may be second only to the charlatan, Carl Pavano, as the worst signings off the Brian Cashman era. Mariano Rivera, the ageless wonder, has looked somewhat less than his most potent self in the last few outings.
One area the Yankees have improved in significantly since the All-Star break is the bench. Wilson Betemit has some pop. Clearly, Shelly Duncan is a promising young hitter. Even better, perhaps because his Dad, Dave Duncan, is a pitching coach, he is very selective at the plate for a big bopper. Damon’s rememergence has helped. He has gone from the .230’s to almost .260. In the rotation between he, Melky, Matsui, Abreu, Phillips and Giambi somebody is always going to be on the bench. Phillips has tailed off somewhat at the end of both of the last two seasons. Each time it appeared that he felt the pressure of being a regular down the stretch. It got to him, especially as starters (Sheffield, Giambi) returned from injuries. Hopefully, the same thing isn’t about to happen this year. Phillips has been playing well around the bag and hitting near .290. Tonight, unfortunately, he made a boneheaded defensively play cutting off a ball that gave the Tigers a run instead allowing it to be a close play at the plate. (On the other hand it probably saved Jorge some wear and tear.) It was a bad mental play because as the first baseman, on a ball to the leftfielder, he isn’t the cut-off man. The third baseman is, worse Phillips it cut it to trap the batter between second base and third base, but because he would have been the guy covering second base, there was nobody there when the Yanks attempted to catch Branon Inge in a run down.
Note: no sooner did those words leave the keyboard than Phillips got his second hit of the game, a double and two, big, rbi insurance runs. This bench is a huge improvement from the likes of Cairo and Doug Mientkiewicz. Nobody is talking about retired Yankee great Bernie Williams now.
Sorry Orioles and Devil Rays fans your franchises currently suck wind.
Good news for Blue Jay fans. The most exciting new discovery in the A.L. East this side of Joba Chamberlin, is Toronto's uber-slick field shortstop, John McDonald. Follow this link to the multimedia header for some sweet fielding highlights.
Comments:
A couple more odds, ends and notes:
Melky Cabrerra's recent 18 game hitting streak was the longest by a Yankee under age 23 since Joe DiMaggio had a 22 game streak in 1937.
Robbie Cano has made a couple of baserunning blunders in recent weeks. Last night he failed to tag up on a deep fly to right when he was on second base with nobody out. Earlier in the week, he got doubled off first on a soft liner with one out. Clearly he had thought there were two outs.
The Yankees are currently 5th in the A.L. in stolen bases!
A-Rod and Posada combined on a nice defensive play last night to catch Carlos Guillen on a delayed steal.
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Melky Cabrerra's recent 18 game hitting streak was the longest by a Yankee under age 23 since Joe DiMaggio had a 22 game streak in 1937.
Robbie Cano has made a couple of baserunning blunders in recent weeks. Last night he failed to tag up on a deep fly to right when he was on second base with nobody out. Earlier in the week, he got doubled off first on a soft liner with one out. Clearly he had thought there were two outs.
The Yankees are currently 5th in the A.L. in stolen bases!
A-Rod and Posada combined on a nice defensive play last night to catch Carlos Guillen on a delayed steal.
