First Half Report Card

Its that time...the first semester of baseball is complete. A-Rod will be showing off his gold star, while Johnny Damon and Kyle Farnsworth will be running home to get their report card before their parents see it.

The Honor Roll


Alex Rodriguez - A+
The numbers speak for themselves. A .317 average, 30 home runs, 86 RBI, and 79 runs scored. 21 doubles, 47 walks, and 1.078 OPS. If not for a dreadful May his numbers would have been even more unreal.

He's also had 9 stolen bases and is playing a gold glove caliber third baseman. With the ability to opt out of his current contract, A-Rod is firing on all cylinders.

Derek Jeter - A
The Captain has had an incredibly consistent season at the plate. He's had 3 hitting streaks better than 15 games in length and leads the team with a .336 average. He's also been clutch, hitting .427 with runners in scoring position, and torrid .528 with RISP and 2 outs. Jeter's also hitting .462 with a runner on 3rd and less than two outs.

Jeter's streaky play in the field is what keeps this grade from being an A+. He has 13 errors after committing just 15 all of last season.

Jorge Posada - A
Jorgie's in his contract year and he'll get a big one if his offensive season continues. This is by far Posada steadiest season with the bat. His .326 average is 32 points higher than his career mark. His HR and RBI pace are average (18 and 95) for most hitters, but for a 35-year old catcher who plays most days, they're better than good. He's also got 25 doubles, 1 less than his full-season average for the past 4 seasons.

His lack of throwing runners out- primarily the fault of the Yankees pitching staff- is what keeps this from an A+.

Chien-Ming Wang - A-
The Wanger suffered a setback in spring training - a pulled hamstring - that contributed to a slow start during the regular season. But Wang has gone 6-0, 2.72 over his last 8 starts. And he's done it despite a badly torn fingernail that the Yankees' training staff patches together before each start. If not for a mediocre May, Wang would be in San Francisco right now for the All-Star game.

The Wanger has been a God send since being recalled from the minors in 2005. He's 36-15 after Sunday's victory.


Work Harder and You Can be an 'A' Student Too

Hideki Matsui - B
It's not difficult to like Godzilla. He comes to play ever day, is amiable with the press, and is genuinely liked and respected by his teammates. But he's got to be more consistent if he's going to stick around. I said last week that I thought it might be wise to move him this off-season. I would rather actually see Damon moved, but the Yankees could get more for Matsui. I relayed this to Mrs. MM at the Twins game on Thurs and a little while later Hideki hit the game winning home run.

Matsui had miserable months in April and June, and was solid in May and so far in June. The Yankees really need him to be the 30-100 guy he was.

Andy Pettitte - B
It's been great having Pettitte back in a Yankees uniform. He should have always been here, but that's a discussion for another day. There's definite concern in my mind after Pettitte's last 2 outings - blow ups at the hands of the A's and Angels. Pettitte's ERA jumped over a point from 3.24 to 4.26 after those 2 starts. His 4-6 record could easily be 11-4 with some run support and a more reliable bullpen.

Hopefully Pettitte bounces back from his recent rockiness and goes back to how he looked in April and May. And here's to him pitching in the pinstripes in 2008.

Miguel Cairo - B
Cairo has done an outstanding job, playing primarily at 1st Base, rather than his natural middle infield spots. Saturday's 3 error disaster has been the exception as he's handle the position quite nicely. He's hit a decent .263 with 7 steals.

Cairo should really go back to being the Yankees' utility man as they need more offense from the position.

Scott Proctor - B-
Some will think this grade is too high, but most of Proctor's problems can directly be associated to Joe Torre. We've documented this many times on My Pinstripes. Torre overworked Proctor and is doing it again this year. Proctor is tied for the league lead in appearances and most of those appearance are for more than 1 inning (just for clarification purposes- if Proctor pitches 1 full inning, but its .1 in one inning and .2 in the next, it's still working 2 innings).

Proctor hasn't give up a run since his ritualistic equipment burning. Now if Joe Torre could only forget his name now and then.

Mariano Rivera - B-
Giving Mo a minus stings, no question, but this hasn't been the same old Mo. Granted, he has looked more and more like him after that awful April. There just haven't been enough saves opportunities for him this year and Torre has used him very inconsistently.

When it comes right down to it, he's still the guy I want with the ball in his hand, and they had better re-sign him.

Ron Villone - B
Has done an adequate job despite little use by Torre. So what if he's not a lefty specialist, he can't come in instead of Myers?

Villone is really just an innings eater..that is until Torre overworks him like he did in '06.

Sliding By

Melky Cabrera - C+
Melky has been the beneficiary of Johnny Damon's aches and pains. His defense has been solid all year, whether in the corners or in center field where he is now playing regularly. After a slow start with the bat, Melky hit .298 in June and is hitting at a .405 clip in 8 games in July. He already has 2 less RBI than he had in the entire month of June. His grade stays in the 'C' range though because he's hit only .234 with RISP and has just a .716 OPS

It remains to be seen whether Melky can ever hit enough to be a regular fixture in any team's lineup. He may very well get the chance to prove more in the 2nd half. His defense - .995 pct, 7 assists - though at least assures him of a 4th outfield spot.

Brian Bruney = C+
Bruney's overpowering fastball had me clamoring for him to the pitching in the 7th and 8th innings. Then Bruney' control went out the window and he's been walking the park. I don't trust him at all now in big situation. Well, any situation for that matter.

Bruney needs to be the mop up guy until he gets back on track. Either that or swap places with Chris Britton in Scranton.

Robinson Cano - C
The Yankees were counting heavily on Cano's bat this season after his .342 sophomore campaign. But Cano's lack of patience has really been exploited by opposing pitchers. The highest OPS he had for the first 3 months was .753 in June. He had only 1 home run in each of those months and only 33 RBI.

Hopefully July is the turning point for a player that has way too much talent to waste it. He's hit .323-3-7 thus far. Someone needs to work with him on being more selective at the plate without losing his aggressiveness. Cano has done a very good job defensively.

Mike Mussina - C
Moose's recent streak must be the most deceiving off all time. He has a 2.87 ERA over his last 6 starts, but the Yankees have only split those games. With his fastball dying out, he's been slow to make adjustments. Now maybe those adjustments have come, but his overall 4.62 ERA and tendency to blow leads/ties, drives me to drink.

Moose needs to be gone after this season. Actually, the Yankees need to move this season, be it the Mets, Phillies, Orioles, whomever.

Luis Vizcaino - C
Vizcaino's recent resurgence has been attributed to work he's done with Mariano Rivera. He's allowed only 2 earned runs in his last 15 appearances. His ERA was 7.27 at the end of May, down to 5.02 now.

Vizcaino could be a key contributor if he can maintain this consistency. If not, he has to go.



Looks like Summer, er Winter School

Johnny Damon - D
Damon has aged about 10 years overnight- overnight being from early October '06 t0 now. The excessive money that Damon received from the Yankees was acceptable when he was hitting .285 with 24 HRs, 80 RBI and 25 stolen bases, and playing stellar defense. But Damon has missed 9 games with various ailments this season and has been relegated to DH'ing in 25 games. If Jason Giambi were healthy, Joe Torre would have some tough decisions to make for playing time. Damon's hitting just .245 with 27 RBI and 44 runs scored.

Damon has had back, calf, rib, abdominal...it goes on and on, issues this year. Torre has already used him in left field once this season and that trend will probably continue.

Bobby Abreu - D
Expectations were very high for Abreu after his tremendous '07 Yankees campaign. We all figured Abreu would be patrolling right field for several seasons after he hit .330 with 42 RBI in 58 games. But a strained oblique muscle nearly wiped out all of a spring training and except for a brief hot streak, coinciding with the Yankees hot streak in early June, Abreu has been awful at the plate. He's hitting .264, 36 points below his career average. He's also only walked 44 times and has shown less patience at the plate in general. Torre left him in the 3-hole for way too long.

Abreu's offense covered up his defensive short comings last year. This year he has been fully exposed. One wonders how he ever won a gold glove. He's fearful going back on a ball or chasing one in the corner. If the Yankees don't move him this season, they have to forget his option and let him walk.

Kyle Farnsworth - D
My least favorite - maybe I should say most hated player - on the ball club. What a mistake this contract was. The Yankees should have learned from overpaying Steve Karsay (whose issue was injuries not attitude) when it comes to signing set up men. Farnsworth has pretty much stunk in his 1 1/2 seasons here and his attitude has stunk as well, as evidenced by his recent tantrums.

The guy can't pitch more than an inning and can't pitch on back to back days. Can you sense my hostility? Brian Cashman should be marketing this guy like crazy right now.

You have Flunked

Mike Myers - F
Myers has been a complete and utter failure. If not for the fact that he's not an a-hole, I would loathe him more than I do. But he's the guy I least want out on the field. A lefty specialist who can't get out left handed hitters.

Cashman has to get rid of this guy ASAP. Release him now before he damages the Yankees season even further.

Kei Igawa - F
Remember all that praise we were reading about during his time in the minors. Got command of his change up back, pitching well. He still stinks.

Having had the displeasure of watching him last week, there is no question that Igawa needs to go back to the minors, or better yet, back to Japan. Nice panic move there Cash.

Wil Nieves - F
Another poor job by Cashman here. The Yankees have done a horrible job preparing for the future in the catcher position and a worse job providing a solid back up for the present.

Nieves is a terrible hitter and can't reach 2nd base on the fly. Must be go NOW.

Incomplete

Roger Clemens - Solid B so far.
Andy Phillips
Doug Mientkiewicz - was heading towards a D before injuries hit.
Tyler Clippard - Had a huge win when they needed it.
Darrell Rasner
Jeff Karstens
Sean Henn - Should be given another shot in Myers' place.
Jason Giambi - Deserves to be on the scrap heap.
Matt DeSalvo - Not likely to be back.
Phil Hughes - Be the man.
Edwar Ramirez