Friday, September 28, 2007

Hanging with Mr. Cooper

Congrats to Cecil Cooper on being named full-time manager of the Houston Astros. Coop got a 2 year deal after taking over from Phil Garner on August 27th.

Coop gave the Yankees trouble back in the '70s and '80s with as a sweet swinging 1st Baseman for the Milwaukee Brewers. He had 3 top 5 finishes in the AL MVP race.

Good luck to a class guy!

Hanging with Mr. Cooper

Congrats to Cecil Cooper on being named full-time manager of the Houston Astros. Coop got a 2 year deal after taking over from Phil Garner on August 27th.

Coop gave the Yankees trouble back in the '70s and '80s with as a sweet swinging 1st Baseman for the Milwaukee Brewers. He had 3 top 5 finishes in the AL MVP race.

Good luck to a class guy!

Tonight's Lineups (9/28)

Mike Mussina vs. John Leicester

Yankees

Johnny Damon CF
Derek Jeter SS
Bobby Abreu RF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Hideki Matsui LF
Jorge Posada C
Jason Giambi DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Doug Mientkiewicz 1B

Orioles

Brian Roberts 2B
Tike Redman CF
Nick Markakis RF
Miguel Tejada SS
Aubrey Huff DH
Melvin Mora 3B
Ramon Hernandez C
Jay Payton LF
Scott Moore 1B

Tonight's Lineups (9/28)

Mike Mussina vs. John Leicester

Yankees

Johnny Damon CF
Derek Jeter SS
Bobby Abreu RF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Hideki Matsui LF
Jorge Posada C
Jason Giambi DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Doug Mientkiewicz 1B

Orioles

Brian Roberts 2B
Tike Redman CF
Nick Markakis RF
Miguel Tejada SS
Aubrey Huff DH
Melvin Mora 3B
Ramon Hernandez C
Jay Payton LF
Scott Moore 1B

The Wild Wild West, and East, and Central

When Bud Selig sprang the Wild Card on the world, he could not have envisioned a final week such as the one taking place in the National League. All 3 division races as well as the Wild Card are coming down to the wire.

NL East

The Mets got off to a fast start, struggled at times, but still manged to hold a healthy lead over the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves. Then the Phillies beat the Mets in 8 straight meetings and the Mets stopped pitching in their other games. The bullpen, once a strength, has become the biggest problem.

After the Mets got swept by the Nationals, they had a match up with the Cardinals last night. The Mets dominated the Central Division this year and hoped to get healthy on the ailing cards. Pedro Martinez took the hill for the Mets and gave them his longest outing this season, 7 innings. But the hot Met bats suddenly went cold and Joel Pineiro shut them down for 8 innings in a 3-0 Cards win.

Meanwhile in the city of brotherly love (boy is that an oxymoron), the Phillies got home runs from Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell to beat John Smoltz and the Braves, 6-4. The Mets and Phillies go into the weekend in a flat footed tie for 1st place.

The Mets open a 3 game series with the woeful Marlins tonight. Here are the pitching match ups:
Byung Kim vs. Oliver Perez
Chris Seddon vs. John Maine
Dontrelle Willis vs. Tom Glavine
The Mets have a clear advantage in 2 of the 3 games, so you would think the Mets would win 2 of 3 minimum. But with the current state of their bullpen, they might just be lucky to win 1 of 3.

The Phillies host the pesky Washington Nationals for 3 games. The (g)Nats helped the Phillies out earlier this week with a 3 game sweep of the Mets. Here are the pitching match ups:

Tim Redding vs. Cole Hammels
Matt Chico vs. Adam Eaton
Jason Bergmann vs. Jamie Moyer

The Phillies have a big advantage tonight with their ace going, but the next 2 are toss-ups. Kyle Lohse will replace Adam Eaton earlier if Eaton falters.

We picked the Phillies to win the NL East prior to the season and even in August, we still felt we had made a stupid pick. People like Guillermo Mota are starting to make us look real smart.

NL Central

Milwaukee sprinted out early while the Cubbies were busy fighting each other. When the Brewers started to falter, the Cubs, and the Cardinals started to reel them in. While the Cards faded, as expected, the Cubs kept firing on all cylinders. Now its the Brewers doing the chasing and it doesn't look good. The Cubs lead by 2 games with just 3 to play. The Cubs got swept by the Marlins, but the Brewers couldn't cut their lead.

The Brew Crew's biggest problem. They started a 4 game series with the San Diego Padres last night. The Pads took the opener 9-5. Meanwhile the Cubs go on the road to face a bad Reds ball club, that just got worse with the loss of Adam Dunn to knee surgery.

Here are the pitching match ups for the 2 series:
Cubs vs. Reds

Carlos Zambrano vs. Bronson Arroyo
Rich Hill vs. Aaron Harang
Ted Lilly vs. Homer Bailey

Padres vs. Brewers

Greg Maddux vs. Chris Capuano
Chris Young vs. David Bush
Brett Tomko vs. Jeff Suppan
Conclusion- the Cubs should have no problem wrapping up the division title. Nice year Brewers.

NL West and Wild Card

We've already talked about the Padres series up above, so we'll focus on the division leading Arizona Diamondbacks. We never saw this coming. We know its a weak division, but the DBacks and their ugly new uni's? They have a 1 game lead over the Pads, thanks in part to an amazing 24-9 mark against the NL East.

Arizona goes on the road for a 3 game series with the hot Colorado Rockies. The Rockies looked like they were dead in the water, but they suddenly find themselves tied with the Mets and Phillies, 1 game behind the Padres for the Wild Card lead.

Here are the series pitching probables:
Brandon Webb vs. Jeff Francis
Edgar Gonzalez vs. Mark Redman
Doug Davis vs. Ubaldo Jiminez
What a great pitching match for tonight's opener. After that you have to give the edge to the Dbacks- decidedly on Saturday, and just barely on Sunday.

The DBacks should take 2 of 3, and since the Pads should do the same this weekend, we see the DBacks hanging on for the division and the Pads taking the Wild Card. Which means either the Phils or Mets, and the Rockies are SOL.

The Wild Wild West, and East, and Central

When Bud Selig sprang the Wild Card on the world, he could not have envisioned a final week such as the one taking place in the National League. All 3 division races as well as the Wild Card are coming down to the wire.

NL East

The Mets got off to a fast start, struggled at times, but still manged to hold a healthy lead over the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves. Then the Phillies beat the Mets in 8 straight meetings and the Mets stopped pitching in their other games. The bullpen, once a strength, has become the biggest problem.

After the Mets got swept by the Nationals, they had a match up with the Cardinals last night. The Mets dominated the Central Division this year and hoped to get healthy on the ailing cards. Pedro Martinez took the hill for the Mets and gave them his longest outing this season, 7 innings. But the hot Met bats suddenly went cold and Joel Pineiro shut them down for 8 innings in a 3-0 Cards win.

Meanwhile in the city of brotherly love (boy is that an oxymoron), the Phillies got home runs from Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell to beat John Smoltz and the Braves, 6-4. The Mets and Phillies go into the weekend in a flat footed tie for 1st place.

The Mets open a 3 game series with the woeful Marlins tonight. Here are the pitching match ups:
Byung Kim vs. Oliver Perez
Chris Seddon vs. John Maine
Dontrelle Willis vs. Tom Glavine
The Mets have a clear advantage in 2 of the 3 games, so you would think the Mets would win 2 of 3 minimum. But with the current state of their bullpen, they might just be lucky to win 1 of 3.

The Phillies host the pesky Washington Nationals for 3 games. The (g)Nats helped the Phillies out earlier this week with a 3 game sweep of the Mets. Here are the pitching match ups:

Tim Redding vs. Cole Hammels
Matt Chico vs. Adam Eaton
Jason Bergmann vs. Jamie Moyer

The Phillies have a big advantage tonight with their ace going, but the next 2 are toss-ups. Kyle Lohse will replace Adam Eaton earlier if Eaton falters.

We picked the Phillies to win the NL East prior to the season and even in August, we still felt we had made a stupid pick. People like Guillermo Mota are starting to make us look real smart.

NL Central

Milwaukee sprinted out early while the Cubbies were busy fighting each other. When the Brewers started to falter, the Cubs, and the Cardinals started to reel them in. While the Cards faded, as expected, the Cubs kept firing on all cylinders. Now its the Brewers doing the chasing and it doesn't look good. The Cubs lead by 2 games with just 3 to play. The Cubs got swept by the Marlins, but the Brewers couldn't cut their lead.

The Brew Crew's biggest problem. They started a 4 game series with the San Diego Padres last night. The Pads took the opener 9-5. Meanwhile the Cubs go on the road to face a bad Reds ball club, that just got worse with the loss of Adam Dunn to knee surgery.

Here are the pitching match ups for the 2 series:
Cubs vs. Reds

Carlos Zambrano vs. Bronson Arroyo
Rich Hill vs. Aaron Harang
Ted Lilly vs. Homer Bailey

Padres vs. Brewers

Greg Maddux vs. Chris Capuano
Chris Young vs. David Bush
Brett Tomko vs. Jeff Suppan
Conclusion- the Cubs should have no problem wrapping up the division title. Nice year Brewers.

NL West and Wild Card

We've already talked about the Padres series up above, so we'll focus on the division leading Arizona Diamondbacks. We never saw this coming. We know its a weak division, but the DBacks and their ugly new uni's? They have a 1 game lead over the Pads, thanks in part to an amazing 24-9 mark against the NL East.

Arizona goes on the road for a 3 game series with the hot Colorado Rockies. The Rockies looked like they were dead in the water, but they suddenly find themselves tied with the Mets and Phillies, 1 game behind the Padres for the Wild Card lead.

Here are the series pitching probables:
Brandon Webb vs. Jeff Francis
Edgar Gonzalez vs. Mark Redman
Doug Davis vs. Ubaldo Jiminez
What a great pitching match for tonight's opener. After that you have to give the edge to the Dbacks- decidedly on Saturday, and just barely on Sunday.

The DBacks should take 2 of 3, and since the Pads should do the same this weekend, we see the DBacks hanging on for the division and the Pads taking the Wild Card. Which means either the Phils or Mets, and the Rockies are SOL.

Our Pal Hal

Steve Swindal's misfortune has turned into Hal Steinbrenner's opportunity. Swindal, King George's son-in law, is officially on the outs after a DUI this past Spring and a divorce from Jennifer Steinbrenner. Hal Steinbrenner, 38, has been selected as the chairman of the board of Yankees Global Enterprises LLC, the holding company for the team and the Yankees Entertainment & Sports Network.






The Yankees new chairman of the board with THE Chairman of the Board







While King George has never named a successor to the throne, this is a pretty good indicator of just who that person will be.

Source

Our Pal Hal

Steve Swindal's misfortune has turned into Hal Steinbrenner's opportunity. Swindal, King George's son-in law, is officially on the outs after a DUI this past Spring and a divorce from Jennifer Steinbrenner. Hal Steinbrenner, 38, has been selected as the chairman of the board of Yankees Global Enterprises LLC, the holding company for the team and the Yankees Entertainment & Sports Network.






The Yankees new chairman of the board with THE Chairman of the Board







While King George has never named a successor to the throne, this is a pretty good indicator of just who that person will be.

Source

Olberman: Thaaaaaaaa Yankees Win

SPORTSbyBROOKS has an amusing piece on Keith Olberman's desire to become the Yankees play-by-play announcer. It's definitely worth checking out.

Olberman: Thaaaaaaaa Yankees Win

SPORTSbyBROOKS has an amusing piece on Keith Olberman's desire to become the Yankees play-by-play announcer. It's definitely worth checking out.

Hughes Makes a Pitch for Post-Season

In our discussion the other day of the Yankees post-season roster we didn't feel that Phil Hughes would be included in the 1st round . No need for too many starters and the rook doesn't have relief experience. But last night the Yankees #1 pick in 2005 may have pushed his way on to the playoff roster.

Hughes improved his record to 5-3 with 7 innings of 4-hit ball as the Yankees subs topped the Devil Rays 4-1. Hughes threw 102 pitches, walking 2 batters and striking out 5. He finished his rookie campaign with a 4.46 ERA and was 3-0, 2.73 in his last 5 starts.

The only Yankees regulars in the lineup last night were Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui, Robinson Cano, and Jason Giambi, and even Giambi hasn't been a regular of late. Carlos Pena had given the Rays a 1-0 lead in the 4th with his 44th HR of the season, and Scott Kazmir blanked the Bombers through 5. But Damon's RBI double tied it in the 6th, and Jose Molina bounced a 2-run single back up the middle off of Jon Switzer (0-2) in the 7th to give the Yankees the lead for good.

Joba Chamberlain entered in the 7th in his first back-to-back appearance as the "Joba Rules" continue to be molded for the post-season. Chamberlain started the inning throwing in the mid 90's, but was hitting 97-98 when he struck out B.J. Upton to end the inning. He allowed a double to Josh Wilson and hit Pena on the foot with a breaking pitch, but did record 2 strikeouts. Jose Veras pitched the 9th to earn his 1st save of the season, and 2nd of his career.

...

Bronson Sardinha started in right field and picked up his 1st major league hit. Alberto Gonzalez accomplished the feat as well, getting the start at shortstop.

Shelley Duncan started at 1st Base, and made a nice diving stop, throwing to 1st from his butt to get the out.

Hughes Makes a Pitch for Post-Season

In our discussion the other day of the Yankees post-season roster we didn't feel that Phil Hughes would be included in the 1st round . No need for too many starters and the rook doesn't have relief experience. But last night the Yankees #1 pick in 2005 may have pushed his way on to the playoff roster.

Hughes improved his record to 5-3 with 7 innings of 4-hit ball as the Yankees subs topped the Devil Rays 4-1. Hughes threw 102 pitches, walking 2 batters and striking out 5. He finished his rookie campaign with a 4.46 ERA and was 3-0, 2.73 in his last 5 starts.

The only Yankees regulars in the lineup last night were Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui, Robinson Cano, and Jason Giambi, and even Giambi hasn't been a regular of late. Carlos Pena had given the Rays a 1-0 lead in the 4th with his 44th HR of the season, and Scott Kazmir blanked the Bombers through 5. But Damon's RBI double tied it in the 6th, and Jose Molina bounced a 2-run single back up the middle off of Jon Switzer (0-2) in the 7th to give the Yankees the lead for good.

Joba Chamberlain entered in the 7th in his first back-to-back appearance as the "Joba Rules" continue to be molded for the post-season. Chamberlain started the inning throwing in the mid 90's, but was hitting 97-98 when he struck out B.J. Upton to end the inning. He allowed a double to Josh Wilson and hit Pena on the foot with a breaking pitch, but did record 2 strikeouts. Jose Veras pitched the 9th to earn his 1st save of the season, and 2nd of his career.

...

Bronson Sardinha started in right field and picked up his 1st major league hit. Alberto Gonzalez accomplished the feat as well, getting the start at shortstop.

Shelley Duncan started at 1st Base, and made a nice diving stop, throwing to 1st from his butt to get the out.

Thursday, September 27, 2007

The Boss Speaks

through Howard Rubenstein of course...

"I'm elated," Steinbrenner said in a statement. "After a tough first half of the season when everyone seemed to lose faith except for our players and our fans, the team has really stepped up and shown themselves to be the champions that they are. ... I really like the mix of veterans and younger players who have contributed to this comeback. It has been exciting to watch them play, coalesce and pull together. The fans and I look forward to the team accomplishing our ultimate goal -- bringing a world championship back to New York."
Sounds like Rubenstein's words, not George's...coalesce? C'mon.

The Boss Speaks

through Howard Rubenstein of course...

"I'm elated," Steinbrenner said in a statement. "After a tough first half of the season when everyone seemed to lose faith except for our players and our fans, the team has really stepped up and shown themselves to be the champions that they are. ... I really like the mix of veterans and younger players who have contributed to this comeback. It has been exciting to watch them play, coalesce and pull together. The fans and I look forward to the team accomplishing our ultimate goal -- bringing a world championship back to New York."
Sounds like Rubenstein's words, not George's...coalesce? C'mon.

A-Rod Wants to Stay

At least that's what his words were last night, via Peter Abraham:

Then there was this quote from Alex Rodriguez:

“This feels like home. It’s hard to believe that I played for another two organizations. So much has happened to me here, adversity, some success, that I feel like anything but New York feels weird for me now.”

A-Rod Wants to Stay

At least that's what his words were last night, via Peter Abraham:

Then there was this quote from Alex Rodriguez:

“This feels like home. It’s hard to believe that I played for another two organizations. So much has happened to me here, adversity, some success, that I feel like anything but New York feels weird for me now.”

Let the Champagne Flow...

...and may the Steve Phillips and Mad Dog Russos of the world, shove it up their collective asses! I am not going to lie and say I was confident on July 1st that the Yankees would return to the post-season, but I never gave up watching/listening/hoping. And neither did millions of Yankees fans. Tonight we were rewarded.

The Yankees uncorked a blow out, beating up on the Devil Rays 12-4. Chien-Ming Wang won his 19th game for the 2nd consecutive season and Robinson Cano homered and drove in 5 runs.

In a scene repeated many times over the years, Mariano Rivera stood on the mound as the final out - in this case a Greg Norton pop out to Cano - was recorded. A jubilant, and is that ever understated, celebration ensued in the locker room with many of the Yankees youngsters energizing the party.

A tearful Joe Torre couldn't help but let his pride show through his emotions. And even owner George Steinbrenner was in the house. Seeing Andy Pettitte back where he belongs made a great night even more special. So was seeing Kim Jones soaked with champagne.

As for the game, it was only a contest until the 4th inning when the Yankees scored 7 runs. Already leading 2-1 on a Derek Jeter home run and a Cano ground out, the Yankees drove J.P. Howell from the game with a mix of timely hits, and battered the Rays bullpen. Jeter's sac fly gave the Yankees a 3-1 advantage and was the 2nd out of the inning. But with the help of an error by Josh Wilson to start the inning, the Yankees opened the flood gates.

Jorge Posada singled in 2 runs, Cano belted a 3-run home run, and Mientkiewicz, batting for the 2nd time in the inning, doubled in a run. The Yankees added 3 more in the 6th, which would be Wang's final inning. Joba Chamberlain tossed a scoreless 7th before Luis Vizcaino gave up a 2-run bomb to Jonny Gomes. But the plan was already in place for the Yankees Hall of Fame closer to enter and for another celebration to begin.

...

Robinson Cano's monster 2nd half continued. He's hit 13 HR and driven in 54 runs in 276 at-bats. He's also hitting better than .340 since the break.

Doug Mientkiewicz's post game interview with Kim Jones was special, as the Yankees veteran 1st Baseman clearly appreciated how much it meant for him to get back to playing this season. He talked about his moment with Joe Torre following the game, and how important the injured Andy Phillips had been to the team.

Let the Champagne Flow...

...and may the Steve Phillips and Mad Dog Russos of the world, shove it up their collective asses! I am not going to lie and say I was confident on July 1st that the Yankees would return to the post-season, but I never gave up watching/listening/hoping. And neither did millions of Yankees fans. Tonight we were rewarded.

The Yankees uncorked a blow out, beating up on the Devil Rays 12-4. Chien-Ming Wang won his 19th game for the 2nd consecutive season and Robinson Cano homered and drove in 5 runs.

In a scene repeated many times over the years, Mariano Rivera stood on the mound as the final out - in this case a Greg Norton pop out to Cano - was recorded. A jubilant, and is that ever understated, celebration ensued in the locker room with many of the Yankees youngsters energizing the party.

A tearful Joe Torre couldn't help but let his pride show through his emotions. And even owner George Steinbrenner was in the house. Seeing Andy Pettitte back where he belongs made a great night even more special. So was seeing Kim Jones soaked with champagne.

As for the game, it was only a contest until the 4th inning when the Yankees scored 7 runs. Already leading 2-1 on a Derek Jeter home run and a Cano ground out, the Yankees drove J.P. Howell from the game with a mix of timely hits, and battered the Rays bullpen. Jeter's sac fly gave the Yankees a 3-1 advantage and was the 2nd out of the inning. But with the help of an error by Josh Wilson to start the inning, the Yankees opened the flood gates.

Jorge Posada singled in 2 runs, Cano belted a 3-run home run, and Mientkiewicz, batting for the 2nd time in the inning, doubled in a run. The Yankees added 3 more in the 6th, which would be Wang's final inning. Joba Chamberlain tossed a scoreless 7th before Luis Vizcaino gave up a 2-run bomb to Jonny Gomes. But the plan was already in place for the Yankees Hall of Fame closer to enter and for another celebration to begin.

...

Robinson Cano's monster 2nd half continued. He's hit 13 HR and driven in 54 runs in 276 at-bats. He's also hitting better than .340 since the break.

Doug Mientkiewicz's post game interview with Kim Jones was special, as the Yankees veteran 1st Baseman clearly appreciated how much it meant for him to get back to playing this season. He talked about his moment with Joe Torre following the game, and how important the injured Andy Phillips had been to the team.

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Tonight's Lineups (9/26)

Chien-Ming Wang (18-7, 3.72) vs. J.P. Howell (1-5, 6.80)

Yankees

J. Damon lf








D. Jeter ss








B. Abreu rf








A. Rodriguez 3b








J. Posada c








R. Cano 2b








S. Duncan dh








D. Mientkiewicz 1b








M. Cabrera cf

















Devil Rays








A. Iwamura 3b








J. Velandia 2b








C. Pena 1b








B.J. Upton cf








D. Young rf








G. Norton dh








J. Gomes lf








D. Navarro c








J. Wilson ss







Tonight's Lineups (9/26)

Chien-Ming Wang (18-7, 3.72) vs. J.P. Howell (1-5, 6.80)

Yankees

J. Damon lf








D. Jeter ss








B. Abreu rf








A. Rodriguez 3b








J. Posada c








R. Cano 2b








S. Duncan dh








D. Mientkiewicz 1b








M. Cabrera cf

















Devil Rays








A. Iwamura 3b








J. Velandia 2b








C. Pena 1b








B.J. Upton cf








D. Young rf








G. Norton dh








J. Gomes lf








D. Navarro c








J. Wilson ss







Post Season Roster Not Set in Stone

The usual suspects will be on the Yankees post-season roster, but there are still a number of question marks for the bench, rotation, and bullpen. Lets take a quick look at each area and see how it shakes out.

Okay, the given - Jeter, A-Rod, Cano, Giambi, Posada, Matsui, Damon, Cabrera, Molina, Mientkiewicz, Betemit, Abreu, Pettitte, Clemens, Wang, Rivera, Chamberlain, Mussina, Vizcaino.

That's 19 players, leaving 6 spots to fill on the bench and the bullpen. And that's assuming Clemens will be able to give it a go.

Of those 6, Shelley Duncan is probably a lock to give the Yankees a right-handed bat off of the bench. That leaves 5 spots, all going to pitchers. The Yankees have already stated that its not likely that Ian Kennedy will be on a 1st round roster. With Mussina seemingly locking down a spot, Phil Hughes may not be needed either. He's certainly not used to pitching out of the pen.

A new rule change may also dictate how the roster is assembled. For the first time, a player may be replaced in mid-series because of an injury. A pitcher would have to replace a pitcher, and a position player would take the place of one of his colleagues. The injured player would not be allowed to participate in the next round.

With the new rule, the Yankees could opt to leave Hughes off the roster initially, and add him later if Clemens can't go or Mussina reverts back to total ineffectiveness. Also the division series is likely to have more off days than usual, so the Yankees may only use 3 starting pitchers.

That leaves Joe Torre, Brian Cashman, etc., to choose from Russ Ohlendorf (could definitely be the dark horse here), Jose Veras, Kyle Farnsworth (most likely will be added), Brian Bruney, Edwar Ramirez, Chris Britton, and Ron Villone (could be added simply beacuse he's left-handed).

So lets say Ohlendorf, Farnsworth, and Villone are added. That leaves 2 openings - the Yankees could take another position player (either Bronson Sardinha or Alberto Gonzalez) and leave the final spot for a coin flip between Veras, Ramirez, Britton, and Bruney. For now we'll say they go to Veras, whom they seem to have fallen in love with lately.

So the 25 would look something like this:

Catchers (2)
Posada
Molina

Infielders (6)
Giambi
Mientkiewicz
Betemit
Cano
Jeter
A-Rod

Outfielders (6)
Damon
Cabrera
Matsui
Abreu
Duncan
Sardinha

Pitchers (11)
Pettitte
Wang
Clemens
Mussina
Veras
Rivera
Farnsworth
Villone
Ohlendorf
Chamberlain
Vizcaino

Post Season Roster Not Set in Stone

The usual suspects will be on the Yankees post-season roster, but there are still a number of question marks for the bench, rotation, and bullpen. Lets take a quick look at each area and see how it shakes out.

Okay, the given - Jeter, A-Rod, Cano, Giambi, Posada, Matsui, Damon, Cabrera, Molina, Mientkiewicz, Betemit, Abreu, Pettitte, Clemens, Wang, Rivera, Chamberlain, Mussina, Vizcaino.

That's 19 players, leaving 6 spots to fill on the bench and the bullpen. And that's assuming Clemens will be able to give it a go.

Of those 6, Shelley Duncan is probably a lock to give the Yankees a right-handed bat off of the bench. That leaves 5 spots, all going to pitchers. The Yankees have already stated that its not likely that Ian Kennedy will be on a 1st round roster. With Mussina seemingly locking down a spot, Phil Hughes may not be needed either. He's certainly not used to pitching out of the pen.

A new rule change may also dictate how the roster is assembled. For the first time, a player may be replaced in mid-series because of an injury. A pitcher would have to replace a pitcher, and a position player would take the place of one of his colleagues. The injured player would not be allowed to participate in the next round.

With the new rule, the Yankees could opt to leave Hughes off the roster initially, and add him later if Clemens can't go or Mussina reverts back to total ineffectiveness. Also the division series is likely to have more off days than usual, so the Yankees may only use 3 starting pitchers.

That leaves Joe Torre, Brian Cashman, etc., to choose from Russ Ohlendorf (could definitely be the dark horse here), Jose Veras, Kyle Farnsworth (most likely will be added), Brian Bruney, Edwar Ramirez, Chris Britton, and Ron Villone (could be added simply beacuse he's left-handed).

So lets say Ohlendorf, Farnsworth, and Villone are added. That leaves 2 openings - the Yankees could take another position player (either Bronson Sardinha or Alberto Gonzalez) and leave the final spot for a coin flip between Veras, Ramirez, Britton, and Bruney. For now we'll say they go to Veras, whom they seem to have fallen in love with lately.

So the 25 would look something like this:

Catchers (2)
Posada
Molina

Infielders (6)
Giambi
Mientkiewicz
Betemit
Cano
Jeter
A-Rod

Outfielders (6)
Damon
Cabrera
Matsui
Abreu
Duncan
Sardinha

Pitchers (11)
Pettitte
Wang
Clemens
Mussina
Veras
Rivera
Farnsworth
Villone
Ohlendorf
Chamberlain
Vizcaino

The Ump Gets Struck Back

Trouble has followed Milton Bradley everywhere he's been, but Major League Baseball has partially agreed that this time he got pushed into it. As you may recall, Bradley blew out his ACL after a confrontation with 1st Base ump, Mike Winters.

An anonymous official from MLB stated that Winters used a profanity towards Bradley, and would be suspended for the remainder of the regular season.

Source

The Ump Gets Struck Back

Trouble has followed Milton Bradley everywhere he's been, but Major League Baseball has partially agreed that this time he got pushed into it. As you may recall, Bradley blew out his ACL after a confrontation with 1st Base ump, Mike Winters.

An anonymous official from MLB stated that Winters used a profanity towards Bradley, and would be suspended for the remainder of the regular season.

Source

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Yankees Forced to Wait Another Night

With Kei Igawa replacing Roger Clemens for this evening's start, you had to figure the odds were not good for clinching the AL Wild Card tonight. Given 5 runs and 5 scoreless innings by Igawa, you would have thought it would have been a lock, but the garbage that is the rest of the Yankees bullpen made sure it wasn't to be. The Devil Rays rallied from 5-0 to take a 6-5 lead, and eventually won in 10 innings, 7-6 on Dionner Navarro's walk-off home run off of Jeff Karstens (1-4).

Igawa had done the impossible, holding the Rays to 2 hits and no runs over 5 full innings. He did struggle with his control, walking 5, but didn't give up the big hit to the Rays. Already leading 1-0 entering the 4th, the Yankees thought they had broken the game open when Alex Rodriguez belted his 3rd grand slam of the season, off of Jason Hammel. A-Rod's 53rd HR gave the Bombers a 5-0 lead and gave him 151 RBI. The latter total are the most since Joe DiMaggio drove in 155 in 1948.

But the Yankees middle relievers provided no relief. Early favorite Edwar Ramirez is quickly moving into the doghouse alongside Brian "Base on Balls" Bruney, who helped blow the game. BB-Ram (the former K-Ram) walked B.J. Upton to start the 6th, and one batter later Navarro doubled in the Rays first run. When Ramirez walked Jonny Gomes, Joe Torre sent for Bruney, and the small fire quickly became a 4-alarmer.

In typical Bruney fashion, the right-hander walked Greg Norton to load the bases, blew away Josh Wilson with 3 straight upper 90's fastballs and then walked Akinori Iwamura to force in a run. Then household name Jorge Velandia struck with a grand slam, the 32-yr old's 1st major league home run to give the Rays the lead.

The Yankees tied things up in the 8th against Dan Wheeler on Melky Cabrera's sac fly, but with runners on the corners and 2 outs, Derek Jeter took a 3-2 pitch for an inning ending strike 3. But Al Reyes and Gary Glover (6-5) blanked the Yankees over the next 2 innings and Navarro's 9th HR kept the Tigers breathing for one more day.

...

Johnny Damon certainly can't be blamed for the loss. The left-fielder went 5-5 with 2 stolen bases and 2 runs scored.
Publish Post
Derek Jeter had hits in first 2 at-bats to extend his hitting streak to 12 games.

Roger Clemens has been shut down for the rest of the regular season, and remains a question mark for the post-season roster, when and if it finally gets here.

photos courtesy of AP

Yankees Forced to Wait Another Night

With Kei Igawa replacing Roger Clemens for this evening's start, you had to figure the odds were not good for clinching the AL Wild Card tonight. Given 5 runs and 5 scoreless innings by Igawa, you would have thought it would have been a lock, but the garbage that is the rest of the Yankees bullpen made sure it wasn't to be. The Devil Rays rallied from 5-0 to take a 6-5 lead, and eventually won in 10 innings, 7-6 on Dionner Navarro's walk-off home run off of Jeff Karstens (1-4).

Igawa had done the impossible, holding the Rays to 2 hits and no runs over 5 full innings. He did struggle with his control, walking 5, but didn't give up the big hit to the Rays. Already leading 1-0 entering the 4th, the Yankees thought they had broken the game open when Alex Rodriguez belted his 3rd grand slam of the season, off of Jason Hammel. A-Rod's 53rd HR gave the Bombers a 5-0 lead and gave him 151 RBI. The latter total are the most since Joe DiMaggio drove in 155 in 1948.

But the Yankees middle relievers provided no relief. Early favorite Edwar Ramirez is quickly moving into the doghouse alongside Brian "Base on Balls" Bruney, who helped blow the game. BB-Ram (the former K-Ram) walked B.J. Upton to start the 6th, and one batter later Navarro doubled in the Rays first run. When Ramirez walked Jonny Gomes, Joe Torre sent for Bruney, and the small fire quickly became a 4-alarmer.

In typical Bruney fashion, the right-hander walked Greg Norton to load the bases, blew away Josh Wilson with 3 straight upper 90's fastballs and then walked Akinori Iwamura to force in a run. Then household name Jorge Velandia struck with a grand slam, the 32-yr old's 1st major league home run to give the Rays the lead.

The Yankees tied things up in the 8th against Dan Wheeler on Melky Cabrera's sac fly, but with runners on the corners and 2 outs, Derek Jeter took a 3-2 pitch for an inning ending strike 3. But Al Reyes and Gary Glover (6-5) blanked the Yankees over the next 2 innings and Navarro's 9th HR kept the Tigers breathing for one more day.

...

Johnny Damon certainly can't be blamed for the loss. The left-fielder went 5-5 with 2 stolen bases and 2 runs scored.
Publish Post
Derek Jeter had hits in first 2 at-bats to extend his hitting streak to 12 games.

Roger Clemens has been shut down for the rest of the regular season, and remains a question mark for the post-season roster, when and if it finally gets here.

photos courtesy of AP

Tonight's Lineup (9/25)

Kei Igawa (2-3, 6.75) vs. Jason Hammel (2-5, 5.88)

With Igawa going, we probably won't have to miss out on the season premiere of NCIS.

Yankees









J. Damon lf








D. Jeter ss








B. Abreu rf








A. Rodriguez 3b








H. Matsui dh








J. Posada c








R. Cano 2b








D. Mientkiewicz1b








M. Cabrera cf

















Devil Rays








A. Iwamura 3b








J. Velandia 2b








C. Pena 1b








B.J. Upton cf








D. Young rf








D. Navarro c








J. Gomes lf








J. Guzman dh








J. Wilson ss








Tonight's Lineup (9/25)

Kei Igawa (2-3, 6.75) vs. Jason Hammel (2-5, 5.88)

With Igawa going, we probably won't have to miss out on the season premiere of NCIS.

Yankees









J. Damon lf








D. Jeter ss








B. Abreu rf








A. Rodriguez 3b








H. Matsui dh








J. Posada c








R. Cano 2b








D. Mientkiewicz1b








M. Cabrera cf

















Devil Rays








A. Iwamura 3b








J. Velandia 2b








C. Pena 1b








B.J. Upton cf








D. Young rf








D. Navarro c








J. Gomes lf








J. Guzman dh








J. Wilson ss








Another Rocket Launch Scrubbed

CBS Sportsline is reporting that the Yankees have scratched Roger Clemens from tonight's start with the Devil Rays due to lingering hamstring problems. Kei Igawa, last seen in a flying monkey costume, will get the start. Make alternate plans ASAP.

Another Rocket Launch Scrubbed

CBS Sportsline is reporting that the Yankees have scratched Roger Clemens from tonight's start with the Devil Rays due to lingering hamstring problems. Kei Igawa, last seen in a flying monkey costume, will get the start. Make alternate plans ASAP.

We're Off to See The Wizard

It was rookie hazing day following yesterday's game and the result was a riot. With Wizard of Oz as the theme, the Yankees rookies stepped outside, fully costumed, to an awaiting crowd of autograph seekers. There was Joba Chamberlain as the Cowardly Lion, Ian Kennedy as Dorothy, Shelley Duncan as the Scarecrow, and Phil Hughes as the Tin Man. Each had to sign autographs before leaving for the flight to Tampa.

Chase Wright was dazzling as Glina the Good Witch, while Edwar Ramirez took on the Wicked Witch of the West. Kei Igawa was dressed as a flying monkey, while Matt DeSalvo, Tyler Clippard, and Russ Ohlendorf were palace guards. Yankees strength coach Dana Cavalea was the Munchkin Mayor.































































































photos courtesy of AP, Daily News

We're Off to See The Wizard

It was rookie hazing day following yesterday's game and the result was a riot. With Wizard of Oz as the theme, the Yankees rookies stepped outside, fully costumed, to an awaiting crowd of autograph seekers. There was Joba Chamberlain as the Cowardly Lion, Ian Kennedy as Dorothy, Shelley Duncan as the Scarecrow, and Phil Hughes as the Tin Man. Each had to sign autographs before leaving for the flight to Tampa.

Chase Wright was dazzling as Glina the Good Witch, while Edwar Ramirez took on the Wicked Witch of the West. Kei Igawa was dressed as a flying monkey, while Matt DeSalvo, Tyler Clippard, and Russ Ohlendorf were palace guards. Yankees strength coach Dana Cavalea was the Munchkin Mayor.































































































photos courtesy of AP, Daily News