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New York Yankees: Ron Washington Is To Idiot As CC Sabathia Is To All-Star

Posted by on 4 July 2011, 12:50 am

The announcement of the 2011 MLB All-Star Rosters came about an hour before the start the final game of the Subway Series.

Even though the Yankees were going for the sweep, but lost in extra innings 2-3 after taking the first two games from the Mets, the bigger news was that ace CC Sabathia didn’t get named to the 2011 AL All-Star team.

Unfair?

Without question when looking at individual performances, Sabathia is easily All-Star worthy. The fact that he is a Yankees is what worked against him.

Texas Rangers skipper Ron Washington (AL All-Star Game Manager) should have realized that Sabathia is pitching the Sunday prior to the game, so he could not have participated anyway. It would have been the smart thing to do considering Sabathia would pass off his spot to another, available pitcher.

The above cancels out the fact that Sabathia plays for the Yankees, who are well represented already.

Still, should the fact of what uniform a player wears belittle their performance and deem it as less worthy because of it?

In my opinion, I understand that every team needs to be represented but in Sabathia’s case it almost seems like it was done on purpose.

What better an All-Star is there than CC Sabathia?

This guy is loved everywhere he goes; he is generous, kind and humble both on and off the field.

Currently, Sabathia is tied with Philadelphia Phillies Roy Halladay with 11 wins, which is the best in the Majors, has an ERA of 3.05 and 106 with one start still before the All-Star game down in Arizona.

Personally, I don’t know many players who represent a sport as well as Sabathia does for baseball.

So, I guess Washington must have a darn good reason for why he snubbed someone so praiseworthy because right now it doesn’t look so good and comes off as pretty personal.

Hey when a rival, like Boston Red Sox ace Jon Lester, who could have easily made the All-Star roster, made this statement to Brian MacPherson at The Providence Journal:

“If CC doesn’t make it, I don’t think there’s too many pitchers that should make it.”

Evidently, something is not right and in this case it is not that surprising as Washington almost gets it right a lot. This time is not different. Party on.

 

 

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MLB Trade Rumors: Oh No Yankees Bring Back Sergio Mitre

Posted by on 30 June 2011, 12:41 am
NEW YORK - OCTOBER 09: (L-R) Robinson Cano #2...

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

The New York Yankees are playing some darn good baseball, posting a 17-26 record in the month of June.

The Bombers just won their sixth series in a row tonight after taking the second game vs. the Milwaukee Brewers 5-2 and will go for the sweep tomorrow afternoon in the Bronx.

The Brewers are one of the better teams in baseball, sitting in first place in the NL Central. Maybe they are star-struck, but I have watched a few Brew-Crew games this season and they are no doubt out of sorts. Basically, I expected this series to be the highlight of playing the NL teams.

Not that I am taking away anything from the Bombers, as they look indestructible as of late. Fact is the Yankees don’t have the best record in Interleague Play (153-106) for nothing, and the trend continues on.

So understand my dilemma when in Wednesday’s post-game skipper Joe Girardi said something to the tune of getting back a pitcher that had helped the team in the past. Then I thought I heard the name Sergio Mitre come out of his mouth.

My first thought was something was wrong with my hearing, or maybe I was asleep and having a nightmare?

Well, neither came true once I heard my phone bleep. I grabbed it, only to see a Yankees update as I get them sent to my phone.

This one was from MLB Trade Rumors:

YANKEES ACQUIRE SERGIO MITRE.

Sergio Mitre is heading back to the Bronx. The Yankees acquired the right-hander from the Brewers for cash considerations, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (on Twitter). Milwaukee designated Mitre for assignment Monday and he has since drawn interest from other teams.

My first thought was that was so funny…an April Fools on the Fourth of July?

Unfortunately that is not the case because it is June 29th. So, why not celebrate America’s Birthday by wasting a roster spot on an injury prone, righty who stinks?

Also, don’t forget when Mitre was suspended for 50-games in 2009 after testing positive for androstenedione, the same “stuff” Mark Maguire took.

Obviously none of the above has phased Girardi. The Yankees skipper clearly has a thing for this guy off the field, because Mitre has caused about as many headaches as Javier Vazquez and Kyle Farnsworth when he is on it.

I would love to ask GM Brian Cashman, how many games does Mitre have to blow for the Yankees to realize he is useless?

You can’t ask Girardi because he is evidently whipped after seeing his expression when he talked about Mitre coming back to “help out”. Personally, I would rather have Nick Swisher pitching any day of the week over Mitre.

Let me put it this way, I hate booing individual player’s but I have no problem screaming “You Suck” at Mitre.

Girardi’s pet is a poor man’s version of Chien Ming Wang that the Brewers designated for assignment because he apparently couldn’t get the job done, again.

The Yankees just can’t ever be normal, as when it seems like everything is flowing they throw out B.S. like this.

Let’s just pray someone drops the hammer on Girardi when he decides to give Mitre a chance in the starting rotation, and I am dead serious.

This announcement didn’t just ice the cake, as that happened when the Yankees resigned Mitre this past off-season; this time it knocked the darn thing onto the floor.

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New York Yankees: Pitcher Bartolo Colon To Start On Saturday

Posted by on 29 June 2011, 4:01 am

New York Yankees ace Bartolo Colon has been on the 15-day DL (disabled list) since June 11th.Colon was dealing, allowing just two hits into the 7th inning that Saturday. It was obvious by his hobbling on a routine grounder to first base, against the Cleveland Indians that something was wrong. It was later diagnosed as a strained left hamstring.

Well, according to the New York Daily News Yankee fans might not have to wait much longer before Colon is back on the bump. Right now it is looking like Colon could rejoin the team as soon as this Saturday, making his first start in Citi Field in the second game of this weekend’s Subway Series vs. the Mets.

This past Monday, Colon threw 60 pitches in a simulated game down in Tampa and looked really good. He posted 15 pitches in each of the four innings, fanning three and allowing just two hits.

First, Colon has to get the green light after his Wednesday check-up by team doctors in New York. If all is good, it looks like the Yankees are confident enough after Colon said he could have thrown a lot longer in the simulated game to let him return without making a rehab start in the minors.

MLB.com reported what Yankees skipper Joe Girardi had this to say about Colon’s situation, preceding Tuesday night’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers up in the Bronx:

“I mean, there’s always a little bit of concern, but he hurt [his left leg] covering first base. If he’s healthy, and we feel that he’s ready to go, there’s a chance he’s going to go out there and pitch.”

So far Colon has been phenomenal in the pinstripes. In his 10 Yankee starts, Colon is posting a 5-3 record, with a 3.10 ERA, allowing 27 earned runs, nine homers, with 72 strike outs, and a total of 78 innings pitched. He also threw a complete game, shutout and was well on his way again before he got hurt.

It will be nice to get minor league journeyman Brian Gordon out of the rotation. Gordon could be a temporary long reliever or a permanent one, pending that he does better than his last outing.

I called Gordon’s first Yankee start beginners luck before he threw the first pitch, so no surprise there.

It will be nice to have Colon back, feeling good again and back on the mound in Yankee pinstripes.

The Yankees are now a game and a half ahead of the Boston Red Sox in the AL East, and have been playing their best baseball of the season. Shocking when you realize this team is riddled with injuries, making players returns to health all the more heaven-sent.

Go figure…. who would have guessed that these sentiments would be coming from me about him.

How great that the only person Colon has to thank for this resurge is, his cells. I meant himself…oooppps.

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New York Yankees Rumors: Go To Starbucks And CC Sabathia To The Phillies

Posted by on 28 June 2011, 9:38 pm

Every afternoon, I hit up Starbucks for my midday coffee fix and today was no different.

As I waited for my triple-skim-grande-wet cappuccino with an extra shot, the part time manager was behind the machines and he happens to be a huge Seattle Mariners fan, as well as a stats guru.

Having our normal banter, I told him how good young ace Michael Pineda looked and was surprised that he had no innings limit for the rest of 2011.

Also, I said that in if Seattle could trade for a legit, big bat they could win the AL West. He agreed completely, but was happy that I took notice.

As he handed me my drink, we are going back and forth about pitching, he remark about how stellar CC Sabathia has been. I concurred, and went on to ramble about how lucky the Yankees were to have Sabathia.

That is until I heard this angry voice behind me say, “Sabathia is not a good pitcher, not even close.”

In complete shock I spun around to see a larger woman glaring at me with a Philadelphia Phillies lanyard around her neck.

Rarely am I ever at a loss for words, but in this instance I froze. The woman didn’t stop, as she continued on her crusade.

“Sabathia stinks in the Post Season, like he did in 2009. He is not good at all.”

My shock quickly turned to anger, “Do you not remember 2009??? FYI.. Your Phillies are not the ones with the World Series rings.”

Not responding to my question, this Philly fan went on a tangent, “Sabathia is gone after this year anyway because he is going to become a free agent and go elsewhere. He wants to leave too for more money.” Continue reading ‘New York Yankees Rumors: Go To Starbucks And CC Sabathia To The Phillies’ »

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Press Needs To Lay Off New York Yankees Derek Jeter

Posted by on 28 June 2011, 2:33 am

New York Yankees Derek Jeter has a lot more working against him than turning 37 this past Sunday, and I am referring to the local New York press.

In my opinion, age is just a number and the Captain is without a doubt hitting the later part of his torrid career. Instead of embracing Jeter before he returns from the DL just six hits short of making baseball history, the NY media extorts him.

How do I know this for a fact?

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to attend Joe Torre Safe at Home Foundation 2011 Golf Classic. This event’s purpose is to raise money for the Joe Torre Safe At Home Foundation; a program that enlists professional counselors to teach children about abuse while providing a safe haven for them to talk about any problems they are facing.

As a press-newbie, I was so excited to here from Mr. Torre about this wonderful program that has already helped over 10,000 kids. I had my questions written out, and even if my nerves got the best of me, I could always just record responses to the other reporters’ questions.

Well, was I dumb to ever think that the press was actually reporting on the Charity in hopes of getting as much exposure to it as possible?

Instead, when Mr. Torre got to my group of print and internet reporters, NOT one asked him anything to do with the huge issue of domestic violence in homes.

It was all about Derek Jeter, and the two minutes when it wasn’t about the Captain being a failure it was about the Dodgers going belly-up and if Don Mattingly, who replace Mr. Torre in 2011 as the skipper was scared or distraught and would he make any trades.

This un-classy clan kept asking Mr. Torre would move him in the line-up or if he thought Jeter should step-down and demotes himself?

Torre, being the class act as always answered honestly without giving his opinion. He rightly replied that he is not the Yankees skipper and ask Joe Girardi if they were in such dire straits.

One example of how the event was not the headline, New York Post’s Tim Bontemps story titled, Torre says Jeter would move in Yankees lineup, if asked only mentioned the event as the locale that is it.

Maybe Bontemps missed when Jorge Posada had a temper tantrum after learning he was moved to ninth in the batting order a few weeks back.

Posada got benched, but apologized and admitted it was a bad decision. It was refreshing because it was an honest reaction from a baseball player who is struggling, because he is used to playing everyday.

Jeter, like other Yankee player, will do the job they are given. Understandably it will be hard to adjust but Posada’s immaturity did not last even 24 hours because he is a team player and baseball is a team sport. Continue reading ‘Press Needs To Lay Off New York Yankees Derek Jeter’ »

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New York Yankees Rumors: Alex Rodriguez Injuries Mount

Posted by on 27 June 2011, 1:58 am

It was impossible to miss New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez’s especially slow stride in the third inning during Saturday’s 8-3 win vs. the Colorado Rockies.

As Yankee fans gasp in fright at what looked to be their worst nightmare unfolding right in front of them, another injury to the team’s cleanup hitter.

See, just a week ago an anonymous clubhouse attendant spilled some hush-hush news to ESPN New York’s Wallace Matthews, that A-rod was suffering from a left shoulder injury.

As the news broke back on June 20th, the Yankees immediately went into defensive mode. In typical fashion, manager Joe Girardi did what he is supposed to do and using phrases like “nothing serious” and “just sore” when asked about the his best hitters condition.

As the day went on, A-rod disclosed this problem dated back early May in a game down in Texas against the Rangers and has had treatment on it ever since.

Still, A-rod kept stuck with his original explanation:

“It’s not bad. It’s like what I told you guys out there, just normal soreness.”

Now back to this past Saturday.

Unless he runs on his hands, A-rod’s slow gallop off that third-inning double indicated that another body part was feeling some pain.

Following the Yankees 8-3 win, MLB.com’s Matt Fortuna tweeted that A-rod had a sore right knee and had dealt with it since last Sunday night in Chicago.

So, the same night A-rod’s shoulder gets revealed, he also met another injury to his right knee.

A-rod acknowledged the problem and had this to say to the New York Daily News:

“It’s getting better. There are some injuries you can play through and some you can’t. This one is one I feel like I can play through.”

This is starting to sound like a broken record over in Yankee camp, and one the fans have heard many a time out of the players and coaches mouths.

In A-rod’s specific case, the limping made it way to noticeable so what other choice did they have but to blame it on A-rod’s prone for bruising.

Anything other than a lack for going deep, this last week A-rod posted 10 hits, eight RBIs, four doubles, two walks and posting a batting average of .556.

Regardless of how bad things really are for A-Rod, he is still a vital producer in the Yankees line-up.

If A-rod’s status goes from bruised to DL stint, things will get ugly really fast.

No matter if you are an A-rod hater or lover, fact remains that the team is better when he plays. So losing A-rod for a game, two, or three, is better than what could wind up being weeks.

All of Yankees universe will be keeping an eye on the situation because with every new revelation things are only growing worse.

Let’s just pray that no other injury rumors about A-rod bruising come to surface this week and that the road to recovery is working and not just prolonging the unavoidable.

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New York Yankee Rumors: Righty Prospect Who Can Fan Lefties

Posted by on 24 June 2011, 4:28 am

The New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman has some work to do, but not as much as initially thought but he might not have to go to far to do it.

Other than skipping Brian Gordon’s next start, the need for a starting pitcher will be filled when Bartolo Colon and Phil Hughes return; and if all goes well that will be before the All-Star Break.

So, looking at the team the obvious problem is the lefty reliever Boone Logan can’t get batters out. Logan is currently the only left-arm in the bullpen, but what good is having a specialist who lacks a forte?

Lefty-arms are coveted in the world of pitching for obvious reasons; they are are less of them in existence.

Like any MLB skipper, Joe Girardi yearns for a reliable lefty specialist. The guy that can get one or two outs in the eighth inning and preserve a one-run game before handing the ball the great Mariano Rivera in the ninth.

Right now this is a luxury that Girardi doesn’t have, but certainly one he will need with more than half the season to still play.

You might be wondering how this relates to prospect Dellin Betances, who currently takes the bump in Double-A for the Trenton Thunder and throws right?

My answer is because Betances could be that guy for Girardi to call on, and the proof is in his numbers.

WHY BETANCES?

Betances might not throw with his left arm, but when facing them he has an ERA of 1.09 this season.

In just shy of 25 innings pitched, Betances has held left-handed batters to .191 average, giving up two home-runs, three earned-run, while striking out 28.

To make it easier, below are Betances split stats from MILB.com from this season:

Betances stats against lefties are solid, and even though the information is limited it is still accurate.

One thing I noticed was Betances’ 2.91 GO/AO vs. lefties, as it is almost double in comparison to vs. righties.

What is GO/AO?

GO/AO stands for Ground Ball/Fly Ball Ratio (also denoted by G/F) represents how often a pitcher gets batters out on ground balls versus fly balls; formula: (ground outs) / (fly outs).

To put it in perspective, Rivera currently has a 2.33 GO/AO; David Robertson posts a 2.09 and Joba Chamberlain’s GO/AO before he got sidelined was a 3.64.

Another asset of Betances is his mound presence, and particularly smooth delivery for someone who stands at 6’8.

Without question his best pitch is a fastball that averages 95mph, but he easily knocks it up to 96-98 mph. Betances throws his fastball with complete confidence, and has no problem using it as his out pitch.

Betances, also has a wicked mid-80’s curve-ball, which dips late and gets a batter to swing…that is when he is focused. He has been known to get lazy when delivering and you have to finish strong in order for a curve to be effective.

The last in Betances arsenal is a change-up that clocks around the low 80’s, but as time goes on it is getting closer to becoming a plus pitch.

Pitchers who have Betances height have to work harder than the average because they can get Gumby-like and their mechanics look unnatural, hindering their delivery. Continue reading ‘New York Yankee Rumors: Righty Prospect Who Can Fan Lefties’ »

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