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Yankees Sabathia vs. Rangers Holland

Posted by on 23 April 2012, 2:49 am

Rangers vs. Yankees - 2010 ALCS - Yankee Stadium

The New York Yankees didn’t get to go for the sweep up in Boston, as it hasn’t stopped raining here in the Northeast since late Saturday night.

So, the team heads to Texas to face the red-hot Rangers in a three-game set that promises to be a dogfight.

These are two of the best teams in the American League and it is a must-watch series for all serious baseball fans.

With CC Sabathia’s scheduled start in Fenway being a wash, the Yankees ace will instead open the series at Rangers Ballpark vs. Derek Holland.

Let’s breakdown this match-up:

Vs. Derek Holland:

So far in 2012, Holland is 2-0 over three starts, posting a 3.10 ERA and has pitched no less than 6 innings in each. He has given up 2 homers, seven earned runs, and six walks; while striking out 20 of the 79 total batters he has faced.

These numbers are solid but you have to take into account that his last two starts were against the offensively anemic Mariners and a severely troubled Red Sox team.

Holland’s first start, where he got a no-decision, was against the White Sox and he didn’t get through the sixth inning and gave up three runs and three walks. The Rangers also lost the game 3-4.

The active Yankees bats have a combined .326 average against Holland, but the real trouble could come from Mark Teixeira and Derek Jeter. Continue reading ‘Yankees Sabathia vs. Rangers Holland’ »

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New York Yankees: Things are about to get harder.

Posted by on 17 April 2012, 3:26 am

Pavano on the hill at Yankee Stadium - 04.16.2012

After a lovely weekend of taking two of three from the Angels, the Yankees looked good minus Phil Hughes.

Last night the Yankees opened a four game set in the Bronx against the Minnesota Twins with a 3-7 loss.

It didn’t help that Carl Pavano (aka. American Idle) was on the mound for the Twins, as considering his history in New York losing to him didn’t sit well with Yankees fans; of course not much does these days.

Minnesota is in town for three more games, and the Yankees have manhandled the Twins over the last decade, winning 33 of their last 44 meetings in the Bronx; so winning the next three games should be mandatory.

Reality is the Yankees cannot really afford to lose any of them, as things are about to get a lot harder starting this Friday when they head to Fenway Park.

Their schedule is about to get kicked into high gear and the Yankees could very well wind up in a hole come mid-May if they don’t take advantage when possible. Figuring out which way this team will go is the million, I meant billion-dollar question.

Attempting to come up with a logical formula of where any team will be a month from is fundamentally impossible and might even send Bill James brain into a tailspin.

Still, like every team, the Yankees have issues that need to be ironed-out sooner than later but time is not on their side…look for yourself. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees: Things are about to get harder.’ »

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Do you think the Yankees are in trouble?

Posted by on 9 April 2012, 2:50 am

Joe Maddon

Joe Maddon (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Do you think the New York Yankees are in trouble?

Well, the Yankees are off to a horrid start to the 2012 season, as they got out pitched, out hit and out managed by the Tampa Bay Rays who swept the Bombers right out of Tropicana Field this past weekend.

Even though it is the beginning of the season, I was embarrassed for the Yankees, as it seems like the same old story from the end of 2011 to many men left on base, 26 in total.

Since there are 158 games left to play to say anyone is in trouble would be ridiculous but getting swept to start the season certainly doesn’t feel good.

Here are two things to ponder over in the wake of this semi-concern:

1) Anyone watching the three games will tell you that Rays skipper Joe Maddon might have just taught the rest of baseball how to beat the New York Yankees by employing defensive shifts.

Righty or lefty bat didn’t matter, as the Rays scouting reports had an answer for almost every Yankee hitter as they kept hitting right into the shifts.

All I can say is that Joe Maddon’s moves from this past weekend were the most successful at stopping the Yankees from scoring runs.

I can promise you it is a blueprint that the other 28 managers in baseball will certainly get copies of even if it doesn’t work as well because it probably won’t.

The counter to this argument is that the Yankees could start hitting home-runs and unless Maddon hangs Rays players from the rafters at the Trop there is not shift that can block knocking it out of the park. Continue reading ‘Do you think the Yankees are in trouble?’ »

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New York Yankees: Being too un-risky proving costly

Posted by on 8 April 2012, 7:44 pm
Joe Girardi

Joe Girardi (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon notoriously gets called out for making ‘risky moves’ all the time but after this weekend’s sweep of the New York Yankees that label seems unfair and inaccurate.

A risk is supposed to be hazardous, as you are acting in spite of what could go wrong.

And the only jeopardizing things I saw during the first series of the 2012 season came from the Yankees bench. Here are the three ‘safe’ moves that potentially lost the Yankees games:

1)    Intentionally walking Rays Sean Rodriguez in the first inning, of the first game of the season against CC Sabathia was senseless. Sabathia always takes a few starts in the beginning of the season to get rolling and he was clearly struggling with his control. To purposefully bring up power hitter Carlos Pena instead of letting CC strike out Rodriguez with breaking balls, which he did later in the game was over managing the Yankees ace. It ended with Pena hitting a grand slam.

2)    Again in the first game, but in the ninth inning, Girardi walked two Rays to get to Pena again who hit a rocket to deep centerfield, which won the game for the Rays. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees: Being too un-risky proving costly’ »

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New York Yankees: Not exactly the start I was hoping for

Posted by on 7 April 2012, 1:48 am
Mariano Rivera of the New York Yankees deliver...

Mariano Rivera of the New York Yankees delivers a pitch. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The 2012 Opening Day between the Yankees and Rays was not exactly the start New York fans were hoping for, as the game was more than just a loss.

The Yankees were entering the bottom of the ninth with a 6-5 lead, and skipper Joe Girardi called on Mariano Rivera to finish off the Rays.

That is where things got ugly, as Mo allowed a single, a double, which led to a run scored, and no outs.

Girardi had no choice but to instruct Mo to walk the next two batters intentionally so the bases would be loaded. Next he swapped Nick Swisher for Eduardo Nunez to crowd the infield in hopes that the Rays Sean Rodriguez would bunt.

Regardless of what you have or will hear about Girardi’s decision, it was without question the Yankees best option at the time. The Yankees were looking for the double play at either first or third and home plate.

Rodriguez wound up not bunting, but Mo struck him out.

Than came up Carlos Pena, who was 0-11 lifetime against Rivera but he had the hottest bat of the night by far including a grand slam off Sabathia in the first inning.

Well, Pena came through again and hit a deep ball over Brett Gardner’s head and the Rays won the game 7-6.

 SHOULD YANKEE FANS BE WORRIED ABOUT MARIANO RIVERA?

Well, the Yankees and Rays are both playoff contenders and even though this is just one-game, remember that is what last season came down too.

I understand that players are adjusting but what made this loss sting was that Mariano Rivera could not do his job and that is something Yankee fans are not used too.

Rivera is by far the best closer ever to step on a mound, but he is almost 42-years old and in 17-seasons has yet to regress at all, so convincing myself that it is all good after a blown save plus a loss on Opening Day is hard to do.

When it comes to Mo it stings in the hearts of Yankee fans, and New Yorkers are not supposed to care like that about anything but championships but this time it is different.

Now getting back to answering my question of whether I am worried about what transpired at Tropicana Field yesterday afternoon…in my mind no I am not, but in my heart yes.

All I know for certain is that yesterday is over and hopefully the Yankees get a win today.

ABOUT CC SABATHIA?

The table below is for all Yankee fans, including myself, that got chills when Rays Carlos Pena hit a grand slam off ace CC Sabathia in the first inning of the 2012 season. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees: Not exactly the start I was hoping for’ »

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New York Yankees: 3 pitching scenarios maybe 4

Posted by on 25 March 2012, 12:13 am

The New York Yankees have some pitching situations to solve.

I have narrowed it down to three or four possibilities based on what I believe the 2012 Opening Day rotation should be, which in order is Sabathia, Kuroda, Pineda, Nova and Hughes.

My crazy pitching diagram.

First being the plethora of starting pitching.

That leaves Freddy Garcia hanging out to dry, and initially I thought Garcia should go the bullpen but now since he is willing to hear any trade ideas that GM Brian Cashman should send Garcia hiking.

Second up is Andy Pettitte’s return, and what to do when the southpaw decides to grace us with his presence again.

Someone has to go either the bullpen, or more likely Triple-A Scranton as it allows the cast-off to keep his arm fresh by pitching every five days.

This should not be decided until Pettitte and the Yankees set a date. And the odd-man should not be told he is out until the day before Pettitte arrives. Determining ‘who’ should be performance based, so the biggest loser goes.

Thirdly, with the devastating news about Joba Chamberlain’s trampoline injury, which will sideline him indefinitely, the Yankees cannot just keep him on the payroll because they like him. It is not going to be easy but they need to cut Joba. I know it is harsh considering all the crap Joba has been put through but reality is the Yankees owe him $1.6 million for 2012 and reality is players are paid to play. Joba can be resigned next season, which I feel is the Yankees are almost obligated  to do if he can pitch. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees: 3 pitching scenarios maybe 4’ »

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New York Yankees: What would you do if you were Girardi and Rothschild

Posted by on 23 March 2012, 3:32 am
Joe Girardi, manager of the New York Yankees.

Joe Girardi, manager of the New York Yankees. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The New York Yankees have CC Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda, Michael Pineda, Ivan Nova, Phil Hughes, Freddy Garcia and now Andy Pettitte, which leaves them with the same problem that trading AJ Burnett was supposed to solve, seven starters for five rotation spots.

It is tough to complain about being overloaded with starting pitching especially after the Yankees had the opposite issue last spring, but it will be a tough decision for skipper Joe Girardi and pitching coach Larry Rothschild.

THE LOCKS:

1) Obviously Sabathia, who Girardi confirmed would be opening the season at the dumpy Trop vs. the Rays.

2) Kuroda was named the team’s #2 from the get-go.

3) Pettitte has a rotation spot waiting for him, and that makes complete sense. It was nice to hear that Pettitte hit 94 mph in a bullpen session, but not that surprising. Before he hung up his mitt, the first time, the Southpaw was having a career year in 2010, finishing 11-3 in 21 starts, posting a 3.28 ERA and holding opposing bats to a .256 average.

And fans might even get to see Pettitte in a spring game, as ESPN reported that Girardi has not ruled it out as a possibility yet. Rothschild has already had Pettitte throw live BP so things are moving right along in his comeback. And after speaking to many Yankee fans, Pettitte will be welcomed in the Bronx with open arms.

FOUR FOR TWO:

So, this leaves Hughes, Nova, Pineda and Garcia.

Pettitte’s un-retirement does give the Yankees about a month to give the remaining four a real test run, as the veteran Southpaw said he is aiming for May 1st but knowing Girardi’s usual paranoia that means more like mid-May.

Regardless, in my opinion Spring Training stats don’t mean that much for two reasons. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees: What would you do if you were Girardi and Rothschild’ »

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