Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Low Quality

by: Mr. November

I'm currently watching one of the worst-played baseball games I have ever seen. Here's what makes it so bad:

1) Phil Hughes - he's a disaster right now. He needs to get sent down, regroup, and come up later once he figures things out.

2) Chris Stewart - he's the worst catcher I've ever seen. He can't stop simple pitches in the dirt and can't figure out how to work out basic hand signals with the genius I mentioned in point #1. The only person worse than him is...

3) Joe Girardi - he's clueless right now, and this game is the perfect example. The Yankees gave up an extra run in the first inning thanks to his benching of Melky (the hottest hitter on the team right now, who also happens to have a right-field quality arm in center field). And, of course, he's the mastermind who decided to help a struggling 21-year old pitcher by starting Stewart behind the plate instead of one of the top defensive catchers in Jose Molina.

4) Jason Giambi - he's more of a disaster than Hughes. He couldn't get a hit if Colonel Tom Parker was his manager. The only thing that makes the Giambi nightmare worse is that Shelley Duncan, his backup, not only looks like Sloth from the Goonies, but he hits like him too. Oh, what about Wilson Betemit, you ask? He has the longest case of pink eye ever. Pink eye? Seriously? Are you 6, Wilson?

This team will not make the playoffs.

Monday, April 28, 2008

Not All Negative...and Jorge too

by: Mr. November

I agree with Miss October's post about Wang. Congrats, Chinny! Though we do need to remember that the last Yankee pitcher to go 5-0 in April was none other than the legendary Kevin Brown - so let's not get too excited.

Right now, the Red Sox look worse than the Yanks, so I'm not ready to write off the Bombers just yet. But please, please, can we put together a winning streak of more than 3 games? Pretty please?

Also, and I love Jorge, but can someone step up and admit that losing him for a long stretch won't hurt as much as it would have in past years? His numbers last season were a result of what I like to call "The Contract Year Flu", and he is a 36 year old catcher. We actually gain defensively behind the plate with Molina, so I'm fine with that. And any lineup that includes Jeter, Arod, Abreu, Matsui, Cano, etc. can afford to lose one big hitter for a while.

The Yanks should be fine once Girardi settles into a lineup he actually likes. 23 different lineups in 25 games? It's like Torre never left - but all the championship rings disappeared.

5-0 !!

By: Miss October

Since Mr. November has been a bit negative lately (I can't rebut any comments about Saturday's game, since I didn't see any of it), I thought I would compose a positive post. With all the troubles the Yankees have had lately, Chien-Ming Wang has quietly gotten off to a perfect 5-0 start. Even though the Indians' out of shape starting pitcher, C.C. Sabathia, only gave up one run, Wang was even better. He had the hitters clueless and fooled.. I'm not sure why they did not react the same way to Wang's pitches in the first round of the playoffs last year... but.. I digress.

Wang's calm composure and efficiency on the mound is not something you find every day. He pitched a gem of a game, yet reacted like he was just doing his job. (Unlike Sabathia, who on at least one occassion, felt the need to pump his fist and yell at one of his strikeout victims). Yes, I realize Joba Chamberlain has also been guilty of this, but, even YES broadcasters Michael Kay and David Cone said Sabathia's animation was way more exaggerated than Chamberlain's. (But, who am I kidding, Joba can do nothing wrong in MY book... )

The one disappointing thing about Wang is that he somehow seems to escape the media. I mean, you see him in the dugout speaking with coaches and teammates.. even laughing and joking, but when it comes to answering reporters questions, he somehow forgets how to speak English. All the other Yankees who do not speak English have translators.. I just don't get it.

In any case, let's hope Wang keeps up the good work so a Yankee takes the mound as the starter of the 2008 All Star Game... in Yankee Stadium. Like it should be!

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Trouble

by: Mr. November

I didn't get the chance to watch much of the game today, but if the Yankees are watching games on TV in October instead of seeing playoff action, we can point to days like today as the reason.

How does any manager in his right mind sit Cano, Abreu, and Posada in the same game? No one needs a rest yet - it's only April - and Posada has barely played anyway. I know they all ended up pinch hitting, but what kind of rhythm can a team get into if three of its best hitters get benched for no apparent reason?

The team finally gets some decent pitching from one of the young guns, and Girardi tells the offense to take a day off. Confusing...and scary.

Friday, April 25, 2008

J. G.

by: Mr. November

I'm still complaining, but about a different "J. G." this time.

How can Girardi not elect to walk Crede in the 9th inning last night? One out, runner on second, and Joba's facing Crede, one of the White Sox's best hitters and a guy who's batting .356 against righties this year. On deck is Alexei Ramirez, a middle infielder hitting a robust .167 on the season.

You can NEVER let your opponent's best guy beat you. It may be debatable as to whether or not Crede is the "best guy," but he's clearly a great hitter. Walking him in that spot was the obvious choice, and the fact that Girardi didn't make it, honestly, is quite scary.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

(Solid) Gold Glove

by: Mr. November

I know the "Giambino" hit a HR the other night and his bat has been looking better the last couple of games, but his fielding is still atrocious. There was a "smash" hit towards him last night that he felt the need to dive (read: fall over) for.

The analysis was that he couldn't reach it because he was holding the runner on first, which is ridiculous. The ball was about 10 inches to his right. I know he's fat, old, and immobile, but maybe he needs to stretch a bit more if he can't reach 10 inches to either side. Ridiculous.

Vote Teixeira in '09!

Monday, April 21, 2008

My New Raison d'Etre


by: Mr. November

The rest of my posts on this site, at least for the foreseeable future, will be dedicated to getting Jason Giambi removed, Frank Thomas-style, from the New York Yankees.

The man is a disaster. Hank Steinbrenner needs to leave Joba alone and speak out about Jason. His throw during yesterday's game, when the Yankees had Brian Roberts picked off, made me ill. How can a professional baseball player not make a throw to second base? Ridiculous.

All the man is paid to do, basically, is hit. And he can't even come close to doing that any longer. He's currently hitting .109 on the season, a paltry 5-for-46. Two of those hits were HR's, meaning that after 15 games, Giambi only has 3 non-HR hits. The man is making $23.5 million this season, and frankly, I'd rather pay a blind midget the same amount. He couldn't do any worse.

Cut Giambi. Please.

Monday, April 14, 2008

Curses? Is Anyone Else Wondering....

By: Miss October

...whether David Ortiz's disastrous start this season (only three hits in 43 at bats; 0-for his last 17) was caused by his jersey being buried in the foundation of the New Yankee Stadium?

Usually a Yankee-killer, Ortiz looked totally lost at the plate this weekend.... popping up and striking out in key situations.

If Ortiz suddenly breaks out of his slump this week, I will wonder whether we should have left the jersey (and symbolically Ortiz) dead and buried....



Saturday, April 12, 2008

Yankees/Sawx

by: Mr. November

Nothing like the first NY/Boston series to get the blogging going again.

Great game last night by Wang, but overall the bats are scaring me. Which leads me to this point:

How can Jason Giambi, hitting .087 on the season, rationalize NOT bunting every time up?

I hear analysts say all the time that he's not paid to bunt, he's up there to hit home runs and get RBI's, but let's be realistic. He's in a lineup with many guys around him who can drive in runs with one swing of the bat. Every time "The Greasy One" comes to the plate, the opposing 3B is playing SS (and even shading towards 2B most times). If Giambi bunted down the third base line, literally, every time he hit, one of two things would happen:

1) He'd bat 1.000 for the season, or

2) Opposing defenses would stop the shift, opening a whole on the right side of the infield, and potentially opening up some more RBI chances in the process.

His job may technically be to hit homeruns, but he's not hitting anything right now. Time to mix it up and have Joe G. bring a little National League to the Bronx.