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New York Yankees: Hurricane Irene Got Nothing On The Bronx Bombers

Posted by on 26 August 2011, 11:17 pm

Up in the Bronx on Thursday afternoon, the New York Yankees started a hurricane with their bats.

Not only did their bats beat the Oakland Athletics 22-9, they also made baseball history along the way. As Robinson Cano, Russell Martin and Curtis Granderson all hit grand slams during the game, which is the first time that has ever happened in the history of the baseball.

The Yankees are in Baltimore to play five games in four days against the bottom feeding Orioles. Problem is that Hurricane Irene didn’t come soon enough to save pitcher AJ Burnett.

The right-hander had another night to forget to add to an ever-growing list, as he gave up six runs in the second inning. Unfortunately, for Burnett, the bats didn’t have a repeat performance in the 12-5 loss.

Regarding Burnett, I am one of the few not worried so much about him righting himself. Burnett’s determination to fix himself is genuine, and he is working hard to make sure that happens. I believe the encouragement from both his teammates, as well as the coaching staff and GM will boost Burnett back to a respectable level again very soon.

**Hurricane Irene is heading up the coast so it is doubtful the weekend games will be played, which includes the double-header scheduled for Saturday that has already been postponed. The latest news on MLB.com is the Yankees/Orioles will play two on Sunday pending on the weather. The Yankees were hoping to get two games in on Friday or one very early Saturday morning but the Orioles wouldn’t do it. Go figure….

On – Off-The-Field Gossip:

Even though I discourage turning athletes personal lives into Hollywood gossip, exceptions are made when it affects a player’s performance on the field.

So, the recent gossip conveyed on JustJared.com that Derek Jeter dumped Minka Kelly is applicable because the Captain’s boosted level of play since the All-Star break has been remarkable; and getting out of a stressful relationship has to play a part. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees: Hurricane Irene Got Nothing On The Bronx Bombers’ »

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New York Yankees: Bombers Vs. Bottom Feeders

Posted by on 22 July 2011, 1:44 am

The New York Yankees are back in the Bronx after splitting series against their AL East foes, the Toronto Blue Jays and the Tampa Bay Rays.

After losing the first two games vs. the Blue Jays coming home 4-4 is a miracle, not ideal but keeps the Bombers just two games behind the Boston Red Sox.

Next up, the Yankees will host a 10-game homestand against the three bottom feeders in the American League, the Oakland A’s, Seattle Mariners and Baltimore Orioles.

The A’s and Mariners have same 43-55 records, the second worst in the AL but still a lot better than the Orioles.

Once again the O’s are posting a 39-56 record (=19.5 games back in AL East), making the Birds not only the worst team in the AL, but in all of baseball. Well you can’t call Baltimore inconsistent, as the O’s continually find a way back down to the basement, season after season.

Still, don’t get any ideas that this homestand will be a breeze because it actually is the opposite.

HUH? WHY VS. THREE-BOTTOM-FEEDERS?

The reason is not one of these teams has anything left to play for this season; and that can be lethal. This theory applies even more so for the Yankees for three reasons:

1)   The line-up is still sans Alex Rodriguez, which is once again sending Mark Teixeira into a slump.

2)   Swisher and Posada are not hitting, again.

3)   The starting rotation is inconsistent, minus Sabathia who finished the road trip with a 1-2 loss to the Rays Thursday night; which was also his 31st birthday.

HOMESTAND SERIES PREDICTIONS:

Vs. Athletics 07-22/07-24:

First up is the A’s who come to town beat-up like you read about, and the Yankees should sweep them right back to Oakland. Yankees win series 3-0.

Vs. Mariners 07-25/07-27:

Next series is against Seattle. Everyone knows the strength of the Mariners is pitching, and it gives them a legit chance to win each night. So, the Yankees bats needs to wake-up ASAP. Even though the Mariners have lost their last 12 games in a row, the tides are bound to turn. ESPN reported that manager Eric Wedge held a closed-door team meeting following #12 with hopes to motivate his players, at least initially by lighting the first match. Yankees win series 2-1.

Vs. Orioles 07-29/07-31:

And lastly, Buck Showalter’s Orioles, who scare me the most. Hard to believe when Baltimore is awful more often than not. Problem is when it is the later; the O’s can beat anyone. Yankees win series 2-1.

WHY THIS HOMESTAND IS SO IMPORTANT:

Fact is the Yankees need to pounce because the schedule gets a heck of a lot harder. In August the Yankees will play 29 games, with 21 on the road. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees: Bombers Vs. Bottom Feeders’ »

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New York Yankees: West Coast Road Trip Schedule

Posted by on 26 May 2011, 1:21 am

Following winning the rubber game 7-3 to take the series against the Toronto Blue Jays, the New York Yankees are on their way out West for the first time in 2011.

Here is the schedule for the next three series on the other coast:

DATE VS. TIME (EST) PROBABLE PITCHERS
Friday, May 27th @ Seattle Mariners 10:10pm Burnett (5-3) Pineda (6-2)
Saturday, May 28th @ Seattle Mariners 10:10pm Nova (4-3) Hernandez (5-4)
Sunday, May 29th @ Seattle Mariners 4:10pm Sabathia (5-3) TBA
Monday, May 30th @ Oakland Athletics 4:05pm Colon (2-3) TBA
Tuesday, May 31st @ Oakland Athletics 10:05pm TBA
Wednesday June 1st @ Oakland Athletics 3:35pm TBA
Friday, June 3rd @ Los Angeles Angels 10:05pm TBA
Saturday, June 4th @ Los Angeles Angels 9:05pm TBA
Sunday, June 5th @ Los Angeles Angels 3:35pm TBA

The Mariners and A’s both have young and talented pitching staffs, so the Yankee bats will play a big role in these two series. Finishing off the trip in Los Angeles against the Angels who are never an easy win, especially for the Yankees

Where will the Yankees be when they return back home?

Honestly, this road trip will be a true test for the Bombers, who leave atop the AL East (27-21) by just a half a game above the Boston Red Sox (27-22). The Tampa Bay Rays (26-23), Toronto Blue Jays (24-25) and Baltimore Orioles (23-24) are all very much in the hunt, as the AL East is as tight as can be.

The one thing that is for sure is that the Yankees return to the Bronx to play host to the Red Sox, Indians and Rangers so there is really no room for error.

On one hand, Yankee fans will get to know what this 2011 team can handle; and so will GM Brian Cashman who will probably use these next few weeks to establish whether a trade is absolutely necessary or not.

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New York Yankees: CC Sabathia Is Actually Right On Track

Posted by on 19 May 2011, 1:35 pm

Since 2009, the anchor of the New York Yankees starting rotation is CC Sabathia.

Sabathia is one of the best pitchers in the game and known to have a personality to match.

So far, it has seemed that 2011 has not been the best start for the 30-year-old Sabathia, but he has always been a second-half pitcher. This is evident looking at his career splits, as his numbers are lower post-All-Star break almost across the board in hits, earned runs, home-runs, walks and strikeouts.

(chart from BASEBALLREFERENCE.COM)

(click on chart if it is hard to read to go to direct page)

Sabathia has made nine starts this season, posting a 3.47 ERA, while giving up 50 hits, 23 earned runs, three home-runs and has walked 21 batters in 53 inning pitched. He does lead the team in strikeouts with 50.

When you look at Sabathia’s first nine starts from 2009-2011, the similarities are comforting but it also clearly shows a pattern. Look at the chart I made below, from stats courtesy of BASEBALLREFERNCE.COM.

IP=innings pitcher; ER=earned runs; HR=home-runs; SO=strikeouts; BB=base on balls or walks; ERA=earned run average

Sabathia’s 2011 starts seem a lot worse than they read because he took two losses that he could have won, but the Yankees bats or the bullpen stumbled. Also, his last start against the Boston Red Sox was his poorest thus far, pitching just over 6 innings and giving up six earned runs, a home-run and three walks.

My prediction is to expect a big night for Sabathia tonight down in Baltimore against the Orioles.

Let’s just hope this game will go the standard nine innings, as the Yankees host their home team rival New York Mets in the first half of the Subway Series, in the Bronx just 24-hours later.

 

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New York Yankees: 15 Innings To Put One On The Left Side

Posted by on 19 May 2011, 3:26 am

What a long night Baltimore Orioles and the New York Yankees, who battled 15 innings only for the Yankees to come away with their second, win in a row 4-1.

The game finished just shy of five hours and into early Wednesday morning, so here is a quick list of seven things I took away from the longest game played so far in 2011.

  1. Yankees Bartolo Colon threw a classic game, going eight full innings and throwing an efficient 87 pitches in total. Without question this was Colon’s best start as a Yankee. I am the first to admit that I never expected much from Colon, nothing even close to a 3.16 ERA, in just over 51 innings pitched, with 48 strikeouts, in his six starts for New York.
  2. Alex Rodriguez is hitting going four for seven against the Orioles, and the night before in Tampa he hit two bombs in the game. Both games the team won, snapping a 0-6 losing streak and once again proving how vital A-rod’s performance is to the team as a whole.
  3. Skipper Joe Girardi pulled Colon after eight with a 1-0 lead, only to have the rare occurrence of Mariano Rivera giving up the tying run; which in essence extended the game an extra six innings. Girardi has been under the gun lately and if the team hadn’t won was about to face major adversity again. Someone has to be the bad guy, but Girardi is not a terrible manager and it’s time for Yankee fans to stop pouncing all over him. Girardi is a good man and trying his best and that is all you can ask for from any manager.
  4. After Rivera’s 19-pitch outing, the Yankees bullpen arms of Luis Ayala, Boone Logan and Hector Noesi (major league debut) threw six scoreless innings and kept the Orioles at bay.
  5. After being called up 16 days prior, the 24-year old Noesi’s finally made his Yankees debut in the 12th inning. Even though the situation of Noesi taking the bump was out of desperation, the rookie showed his true colors and earned the respect of his new teammates. Noesi threw four scoreless innings and got the win.
  6. I did have a minor heart attack in the 15th inning when Orioles pitcher Mike Gonzalez threw a 93 mph fastball that hit the head of Chris Dickerson. Dickerson fell to the ground and was down for about five minutes surrounded by Girardi, bench coach Tony Pena and trainer Gene Monahan. It was a scary moment, but Dickerson got up on his own and handed off his cracked helmet to reveal a welt on the side of his left eye. Girardi pulled him out and Mark Craig from The Star-Ledger reports that Dickerson was taken to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Let’s just pray Dickerson is alright.
  7. The biggest difference I noticed missing form the 2011 Yankees was their fight to win. After watching this 15-inning battle I finally saw it again. Considering I was home on my couch and started getting worn out after the 11th inning. It makes me realize how hard they fought to win.

Thursday night Yankees ace CC Sabathia will take the bump. Sabathia will be looking to lead his team to their third win in a row, as well as pitching deep into the game considering how shredded the Yankees bullpen will be.

Orioles skipper Buck Schowalter burned through nine pitchers and in the end had to use his starter for Thursday night’s game Jeremy Gunthrie. No word yet from the Orioles on whether Gunthrie will go or not, everyone is exhausted so probably won’t know to closer to game time.

Overall, long night but good things are starting to happen for New York and hopefully it will continue.

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New York Yankees Are Not Immune To Slumps

Posted by on 15 May 2011, 12:25 pm

THE LATEST:

As if listening to FOX’s Joe Buck for nine innings wasn’t bad enough, the New York Yankees tacked on another ugly loss, as they fell 6-0 to the Boston Red Sox for the second straight night.

Add that to some internal Yankee drama with ex-catcher, now DH Jorge Posada removing himself from the line-up, about two hours after he was moved to the ninth spot in the order.

It’s no secret that Posada has not been happy in his new role, nor has he been exceling in it either. To his credit Posada has posted 6 home-runs, 15 RBIs, two doubles, 18 hits and 15 walks so far in 2011, which is not horrific but his last home-run was back on April 23rd. Posada has the lowest batting average for players who have more then 100 plate appearances with a .165.

Posada needed a night to clear his head, nothing wrong or nuts about that as we have all been there before. So, try to give Posada a break, end of story.

THE SLUMP:

Overall the bigger problem is that Yankees are not playing well. The good news is that if the team hasn’t hit rock bottom already, they are darn close. For once the media’s antics will actually help the Yankees get their sooner.

Without a doubt it absolutely sucks when a team is slumping. For players it can’t be fun, but speaking as a fan I try to remind myself that this is standard and unavoidable bearing in mind the extent of a 162 game season.

The Yankees are not immune to slumps. Trust me, I know how maddening it is to witness, as it seems never ending. Then you turn on ESPN or pick-up the Sunday paper only to be reminded how ugly it is.

Remember how bad things were for the Red Sox or the reigning World Champion San Francisco Giants the first few weeks of 2011? Or look at what is going on in Minnesota, as the Twins are 12-25 and sitting in the cellar of the AL Central.

I was actually really bummed for the Red Sox because I love the rivalry. I even defended the Red Sox because I knew that this was a temporary situation up in Boston and had no doubt in my convictions.

Look, truth is the Yankees are flirting with a mini-collapse if things don’t change now. This is due to their upcoming schedule, as the Bombers face the hot Tampa Bay Rays, the Baltimore Orioles and the Toronto Blue Jays over the next 10 days. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees Are Not Immune To Slumps’ »

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New York Yankees Vs. Orioles: Time To Win One For CC

Posted by on 22 April 2011, 7:01 am

The New York Yankees are in Baltimore for Easter Weekend to play a three game set against their division rival Orioles. So far in 2011, the Yankees are 2-0 against the Orioles.

The first game on Friday night the Orioles will send 25-year-old, righty Brad Bergesen to the mound to face Yankees ace and one of the best pitchers in baseball CC Sabathia.

Orioles Brad Bergesen:

Bergesen will have his hands full with the hot Yankees bats of Robinson Cano, Curtis Granderson and Alex Rodriguez.

Cano has an 11-hitting streak going; and A-rod has hit a home-run and two RBIs in nine at-bats vs. Bergesen. In Granderson’s seven at-bats against Bergesen, he has a .555 batting average; with three hits, one double, three RBIs, a walk and zero strikeouts.

Bergesen has had some success versus the Yankees, as Mark Teixeira and Derek Jeter have yet to get a hit in a combined 17 at-bats. He also pitched two innings of relief in New York back on April 13th, not giving up a hit and striking out two of the six Bombers he faced even though the Orioles lost the game 7-4.

Still, for the Orioles to have any chance to win the first game of the weekend, Bergesen has to pitch like he did in relief 10 days ago, but for about four more innings.

He has made two prior starts in 2011 posting a 0-2 record, throwing a combined 8.2 innings, allowing seven hits, three homers, four earned runs and striking out five. That isn’t going to cut it with the way the Yankees are hitting.

Yankees CC Sabathia:

Sabathia’s 0-1 record over four starts is not an accurate account of his performances. Sabathia has a 2.52 ERA in just over 25 innings pitched.

This is Sabathia’s slowest start and the only time he hasn’t posted a win in four outings in his 10 past seasons. Sabathia would throw nine innings all the time, but skipper Joe Girardi is not going to allow Sabathia or any Yankee pitcher get overused.

Sabathia is 14-2 in his career against the Orioles, so going eight innings is something Girardi would love to see. Whether Sabathia can keep his pitch count below 100 through seven innings is the question. Sabathia’s pitch count has been over 100 in all four outings, but only once vs. the Twins did he throw an efficient 104 pitches in seven full innings.

MY PREDICTION (and plea):

 

The motto in baseball or any other team sport is you win as a team; you lose, as a team. With the idea that no player is supposed to ever ask or imply otherwise, but this is America and to say it has never happened would be lying.

I can guarantee that selfish attitude has and never will materialize from a player like CC Sabathia. So I have no reason not to hope that Sabathia’s Yankee teammates win this game for their ace, who has come through above and beyond for the team, both as a player and a person.

Obviously the Yankees and the O’s both want to come away with the win, but the Yankees have an extra reason to make sure it happens in this game.

It would be hard to imagine that the Yankee players aren’t thinking about winning for CC and my guess is that is exactly what will happen.

Yankees beat the Orioles with a final score of 10-2.

 

2011 MLB FACT: The Bombers are the only team in baseball who has not lost two games in a row this season.  They also have the most homeruns with 30 already on the season.

 

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