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New York Yankees: Reintroducing Girardi’s binder

Posted by on 12 May 2012, 4:03 am

Joe Girardi, the current Yankees' manager

Joe Girardi, the current Yankees' manager (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

With the devastating loss of Mariano Rivera now sinking in, which not only physically handicaps the Yankees but also mentally, skipper Joe Girardi’s job just got much harder.

The good ‘old comfort of the ninth inning now feels more like a Sergio Mitre start, and no one knows this better than pitcher David Robertson.

In time, everyone figured Robertson to be Mo’s successor, but not now and not like this.

When you consider all the Yankees recent history of screwing up young pitchers by pushing them too hard into uncomfortable roles, it makes you stop and think again.

Why the hell would the Yankees put all the weight on Robertson to fill Mo’s shoes when the timing isn’t right?

Robertson was invaluable to the Yankees last, and he got an All-Star nod to prove it. Also his 1.08 ERA, one homer, and eight earned runs in over 66 innings pitched made Robertson the best reliever in the Bigs.

Just think about it…. Robertson earned the nickname Houdini because he is an escape artist. He thrives when runners are already on bases, as that is where he always got the big strikeouts.

So, could this be the reason that Robertson blew his second save vs. the Rays? Continue reading ‘New York Yankees: Reintroducing Girardi’s binder’ »

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New York Yankees fate hangs on Phil Hughes tonight

Posted by on 25 April 2012, 3:53 am
Photograph of Phil Hughes taken on April 29, 2...

Photograph of Phil Hughes taken on April 29, 2008 at Yankee Stadium. 04:50, 1 May 2008 . . Mandalatv . . 1,272×954 (691 KB) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Hiroki Kuroda had a solid night on the mound, as he limited the Rangers to just two earned runs but unfortunately the Yankees bats got shut out by his opponent Yu Darvish.

I called this outcome yesterday, as the Yankees line-up has a history of struggling when facing a pitcher for the first time but to his credit, Darvish played a part in this too.

Still, watching the Yankees strand 16 runners for nine innings was beyond irritating. It was around the third inning that I knew the Yankees odds of scoring a run were slim-to-none; and that nightmare came true as they lost 2-0.

So now the series is split, and the Yankees will hand the ball to Phil Hughes in the rubber match tonight, which is far from comforting.

For Hughes tonight might as well be Christmas Day, as this start gives him another opportunity to get a huge win against a top team, and come through when the Yankees need him.

Hughes has an impeccable track record in Rangers Ballpark, so everything is working in his favor. (Stats are courtesy of baseball-reference.com)

Phil Hughes career stats vs. Rangers at Rangers Ballpark.

As of now, I am 99% convinced that the 18-game winning, All-Star from 2010 was really just a mediocre pitcher who got lucky and a lot of run support.

Not very often do people get so many chances to prove their critics wrong, and Hughes has this one being served on a silver platter for him to do just that.

And don’t you think it is about time Hughes shows the Yankees that he was worth hanging on to? Continue reading ‘New York Yankees fate hangs on Phil Hughes tonight’ »

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New York Yankees: Why Rangers Yu has advantage over Bombers

Posted by on 24 April 2012, 2:13 am

MLB fans worldwide can thank April showers in the Northeast for giving them the most anticipated pitching match-up so far this season because this one that

Yu Darvish begins his pitch.

Yu Darvish begins his pitch. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

was not supposed to happen.

As the Yankees Japanese pitcher Hiroki Kuroda will now face his fellow countryman Rangers Yu Darvish in the second game of this three game set down in Arlington; and all due to the Yankees postponed game in Fenway Park this past Sunday.

Just in case you missed last night’s game, CC Sabathia pitched a gem and the Yankees bats backed up their ace, as they beat the Rangers 7-4. It was an all around great team effort from New York, as the Yankees look better with every passing game.

Now back to tonight….

This match-up could be the most watched of the season because the entire country of Japan is sure to tune in, as both Kuroda and Darvish are two of their most famed countryman.

Neither pitcher has been stellar this season, but expect them to put on big show tonight.

KURODA

Kuroda has shown what he capable in both directions, as he was phenomenal in his Yankee Stadium début but got shelled in his other two starts.

So far Kuroda is posting a 5.00 ERA, giving up three homers, 10 earned runs, six walks and 12 strikeouts over 18 innings pitched. Kuroda went into the ninth inning in one start and couldn’t get through the fourth in his other two.

This has left Yankee fans wondering which Kuroda will show up tonight, the great one or the bomb?

You can bet the Yankees bullpen is on high alert and ready to go because if Kuroda is not dominant the Rangers bats will hit him hard and score runs from the get-go.

In his career, Kuroda has only faced the Rangers for 31 at-bats where he struck out six, walked two, gave up two doubles and allowed zero homers. It is a very small sample size to even attempt to predict what could happen.

DARVISH: Continue reading ‘New York Yankees: Why Rangers Yu has advantage over Bombers’ »

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Yankees vs Rangers: Whose hitters are hotter?

Posted by on 23 April 2012, 4:36 pm
Alex Rodriguez sharing his thoughts on a calle...

Alex Rodriguez sharing his thoughts on a called strike. Photograph by Googie Man (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Even though the 2012 MLB season is still so young, the media has labeled the Rangers as the best team in baseball.

This is not surprising, as the sports media has a certain love for the Rangers and always gives them the benefit of the doubt.

Currently, the Yankees, also dubbed the evil empire, are in Arlington to face the hottest team in baseball and I have yet to see anyone picking them to win the series.

See most baseball experts and even fans have deemed the Yankees as too old; attest their high home-run numbers to the small confines of Yankee Stadium; and blame what is in skipper Joe Girardi’s binder for every lose.

It boggles my mind why the Rangers seem to get a pass on everything, as Rangers Ballpark is a batter’s dream; their skipper Ron Washington’s decisions have lost them two World Series in a row; and give Josh Hamilton praise but rip Alex Rodriguez for everything.

So, when I went to look at the two teams batting stats for the season I was shocked because I thought the Rangers would be so far ahead of New York but that is not the case.

And as the saying goes…. stats don’t (and can’t) lie.

So, here are the 2012 batting stats for the Rangers and Yankees with the AL league average on the bottom.

Please keep in mind that the Yankees have 38 less at-bats than the Rangers due to a rain out yesterday.

And also, opponents and other factors in a team’s performance are not taken into account. Continue reading ‘Yankees vs Rangers: Whose hitters are hotter?’ »

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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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2012 MLB Team Preview: Texas Rangers

Posted by on 6 March 2012, 11:10 am

Texas Rangers Logo.

Down in Arlington, Texas the last two years have proven to be optimistic yet frustrating.

Last season marked the Rangers second consecutive, yet unsuccessful trip to the World Series.

The franchise had never gotten past the ALDS before 2010, so winning two consecutive American League pennants in their first two visits means it is no fluke and that this team knows how to compete.

Last season the Rangers finished 96-66, which was the second best record in the American League. And in the AL West they left the competition in the dust, as the next best team was the Angels who were 10 games back.

Will 2012, prove to be another year of celebration in Arlington?

Let’s take a look.

THE POSITIVES:

Overall the Rangers line-up, when healthy, is one of the best in baseball. Playing in hitting friendly Rangers ballpark certainly helps, as the team’s overall batting stats are better at home. In 2011, the Rangers finished with the best batting average in baseball posting a .283, and they were the hardest team to strikeout with 930 on the season. Texas finished second in homers with 210, third in RBIs with 807 and had the second best slugging percentage with .800 on the season. And in Ranger Stadium the team is hard to beat, with a batting average just shy of .300.

The Rangers best player Josh Hamilton had a rough off-season, as he fell off the wagon and the concern meter is on high alert. Hamilton’s past does not allow for any slip-ups, but he did this once before during Spring Training in 2009 and went on to win the AL MVP. Turning a negative into a positive seems to be something Hamilton has become very good at. His shame alone should once again make him strive to prove his worth on the baseball field, maybe not another MVP year but a solid one. Also, Hamilton is a free agent after this season and players tend to rev it up in years before they can hit the market.

THE NEGATIVES: Continue reading ‘2012 MLB Team Preview: Texas Rangers’ »

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