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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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New York Yankees: Playing Small Works Out Big To Win Subway Series In Bronx

Posted by on 22 May 2011, 10:34 pm
Cap logo of the New York Yankees

Image via Wikipedia

The Subway Series and New York City bragging rights were at stake on Sunday afternoon, as the outcome of the rubber match between the Yankees and Mets got decided in one heck of a 7th inning up in the Bronx:

  • Entering the 7th inning, the Yankees were down 3-1 to the Mets, with no real signs of hope.
  • The one on the scoreboard came off another Curtis Granderson home-run in the 1st inning, but otherwise it was the same old stranding runners-on-base.
  • The Captain came up clutch with a double that drove in the two runs that tied the game 3-3.
  • Curtis Granderson has 16 home-runs, but the guy is just lethal with the bat period. His sacrifice bunt was perfectly knocked down the third-base line, setting up the go-ahead-run.
  • After the Mets walked Mark Teixeira, A-Rod hit a blooper that but ran his heart out and the meager hit was enough for the run to score to put the Yankees on top.
  • 13 Yankees hitters produced five singles, two walks, one double, and a sacrifice in this brilliant inning of small-ball.
  • Not one of the total eight runs scored in 7th came off a home-run.

Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News reported that was the inning the Yankees have been looking for according to A-Rod who he quoted saying:

“There were a lot of good things that happened in that inning, starting with Gardy, and Dickerson drew a nice walk, a perfect base hit by Jeter and a perfect bunt by Granderson. That sets up the big inning and those are the things we haven’t been doing the last few weeks. We can’t hit a three-run homer every time.”

The Mets only managed to score three runs off the 11 total hits they had off Yankees rookie Ivan Nova.

The Yankees beat the Mets 9-3, taking the rubber game and the series 2-1.

Now Yankee fans can look toward the Empire State Building, as it will be glowing of pinstripes for the next few nights.

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New York Yankees: Pitching vs. Mets Schedule

Posted by on 20 May 2011, 2:32 pm

Here are the probable pitchers for this weekends Subway Series at Yankee Stadium:

Freddy Garcia (2-3, 3.22) vs. R.A. Dickey (1-5, 5.08)

Tonight (My9 HD, 7 p.m.)

THINGS TO NOTE:

  • Both the Mets and Yankees are playing good baseball.
  • The Yankees line-up is hot right now beating up the Baltimore Orioles 25-5 in runs total in their last two games.
  • The Mets have won nine of their last 13 games.
  • The Mets will be sans 1B Ike Davis and 3B David Wright.
  • Judging by how much broader Citi-Field is the Amazins could have a field day in the stunted, homer-friendly Yankee Stadium.
  • Both of Friday’s starters, Dickey and Garcia are coming off their worst performances of the season and neither pitcher has any significant familiarity with the others line-ups.
  • Dickey’s knuckleball has been flat lately and if he can’t keep it down Alex Rodriguez, Curtis Granderson and Robinson Cano will feast on it.
  • In the eight at-bats against Dickey, A-Rod is batting .625, with five hits; Gardner is two for three, with a triple, two RBIs and .667 batting average.
  • Dickey has yet to give-up a home-run to any of the Yankees he will be facing on Friday night.
  • Garcia has to watch out for the blazing bat of Carlos Beltran, who just hit three-homers in one game against the Colorado Rockies. Beltran has faced Garcia 31 times, batting a .452, with 10 RBIs, three home-runs, two doubles and a triple.

UP NEXT……

A.J. Burnett (4-3, 3.99) vs. Chris Capuano (3-4, 4.78)

Saturday (FOX, 7 p.m.)

Ivan Nova (4-3, 4.33) vs. Mike Pelfrey (3-3, 5.11)

Sunday (YES HD, 1 p.m.)

 

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Subway Series: Yankees vs. Mets Back In The New York Groove

Posted by on 20 May 2011, 3:34 am

Branded as the Big Apple and the Capital of the World, New York City is undeniably a very extraordinary place.

As a real New Yorker (born in Manhattan), I can say that when it comes to our city’s pro-sports teams it would be a challenge to find a more prideful and demanding bunch of fans.

New York fans have earned a reputation for a win or get-off the pot attitude, which has made our sports teams less popular everywhere else.

So, when two New York teams face-off, like the Mets and Yankees will in the Subway Series this weekend, it is a fight for the city’s pride.

Here is a little “New York Groove” slideshow of random Yankee pictures, by ladylove pinstripes.com….enjoy!

The victor of this three game set get to gloat because the Empire State Building will adorn the colors of that team for all to see.

For a Mets fan, winning the Subway Series provides the last shred of superiority over the big, bad and successful Yankees.

The Yankees have owned the NYC for over a decade, but that comes with as many haters as it does fans. That doesn’t mean that winning the Subway Series is not a meaningful because it is not just another series.

Someone just said to me that it is another b-l-e-e-p for the Yankees to add to their ever-growing list of successes, but as a New Yorker when your team wins you get to walk with your head a little higher come Monday morning.

As the Yankees return to the Bronx after winning three of four games on the road, they are feeling pretty confident as they prepare to host their cross-town rivals from Queens.

With bragging rights up for grabs, everyone in New York will be busting out their caps, t-shirts and jerseys with their loyalty proudly on full-display.

Even though the Yankees have a much better team on paper, the 2011 Mets are finally heading in the right direction after years of going backwards.

Mets fans know they have a good team; with an inspiriting new skipper and a GM who is determined to get the franchise back to the top.

The Subway Series’ are never short on drama, and if you want to see New York’s spirit at its peak going to the Subway Series is a darn good example of it.

There is a reason the New York Times referred to the Subway Series as “George Steinbrenner’s personal World Series.”

Pitching previews to follow…..

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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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Coo, Coo, Ca-Choo, David Robertson The Yankees Win

Posted by on 18 May 2011, 3:26 am

Finally the New York Yankees land in the column on the left, beating the Tampa Bay Rays 6-2 and snapping a 0-6 losing streak.

Was it a great win?

It was a necessary one that is for sure, as there might have a riot if the Yankees lost another game.

To no surprise the team got their legs back due to Alex Rodriguez. A-rod finally hit not one, but two bombs in the fourth and sixth innings respectively.

While, the struggling Jorge Posada came up big with two hits, even as the tacky Rays stadium brass blasted John Forgery’s “Centerfield”…Oh put me in Coach, I’m ready to play, today.

That was really classy.

Still, the most impressive player in pinstripes award on Tuesday night goes to relief pitcher David Robertson.

Robertson was summoned in the bottom of the sixth inning, replacing starter Ivan Nova on the bump who had loaded the bases and with just one out. Not an ideal situation, and talk about the pressure weighing on the 26-year-old. It made it almost to hard to watch.

Then Robertson struck out BJ Upton, followed by Casey Kotchman, with a four-seamer that clocked 96 mph.

What was so arousing was the Joba-esque fist pump and ‘YEAAAA’ by Robertson after he fanned the two Rays like it was the playoffs. Very appropriate because for the Yankees it kind-of was.

Still, what the 2011 Yankees seem to be missing is the fight to win.

The two games prior to the Tuesday’s win, the Yankees lost 5-7 to the Red Sox on Sunday night and followed with a 5-6 loss on Monday to Tampa.

If you watched these two games they looked uninspired the moment they were ahead and their opponents capitalized on it. Remember the way we used to watch the Yankees do in 2009 and 2010.

Please, don’t fool yourself into thinking that the Yankees are back on track because they have to land in the ‘W’ column about 70+ more times to be in contention for October baseball.

Just imagine heading into this weekends Subway Series with a worse record than the Mets?

Well, that can’t happen anymore and that is looking way to far ahead, as the Yankees have to take it one game at a time.

There are still two games left to play against the Baltimore Orioles before they play host to the ‘other’ New York team, who have two games in Queens against the Washington Nationals.

Hey nothing like a good kick in the rear to get things going again and that they certainly got.

Let’s hope this 1-0 win streak continues…

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2011 New York Yankees: What Do May, June And # 28 Have In Common?

Posted by on 29 April 2011, 4:34 am

New York Yankees ace CC Sabathia earned his second win, as the team whacked the Chicago White Sox right out of the Bronx after Thursday night’s 12-3 win and spilting the four game set with Ozzie’s boys.

The Bombers have been cruising right along in April, and certainly earning their nickname leading the Majors with 41 homeruns. Just so you get how good a number that is, following behind the Yankees with 33 homers is the Texas Rangers, who have played three more games due to all the rain delays in New York.

The Yankees also lead in slugging percentage with .485; rank third in RBIs with 125; fifth in OBP posting a .335; fifth in runs with 126 and they are tied, with the Minnesota Twins for second to last in strikeouts with 145.

Look I am well aware that these are just April’s numbers, but something has to be said after all the negative pre-season talk surrounding the 2011 Yankees.

Having a bench of veteran All-Stars might be brilliant and I expect it to continue through the season because between Andruw Jones and Eric Chavez they have 16 Gold Gloves, two Silver Sluggers and appearing on the MVP ballot in nine seasons.

Sorry, I have even had enough of my new Brian Cashman fixation when in essence the man was just doing his job.

My point is that as fun as April has been and about to be was, in the next 24 hours the calendar will read May and looking at the Yankees schedule to say they will be tested is an understatement.

May gradually gets pretty tough, as the Yankees play a series against all four AL East teams, who all want to kill each other.

Then the Yanks hit the road three times to visit the Tigers, Rangers, squeeze in a Subway Series at home and end the month out West with three game sets against the A’s and Mariners.

The above is accurate, except the AL East series are scattered but all are happening in May.

Why am I bothering to recite the Yankees schedule, like some babbling idiot?

Well, have you looked over the Yankees schedule for May and June?

If your answer is YES, than you must understand exactly where I am coming from.

The months of May and June could very well decide the Yankees fate because the summer is going to be brutally hard.

Don’t think I am jumping the gun here.

In June the Yankees, like every other team, play four inter-league series and they will face the Cubs, Reds, Rockies and Brewers. All four are hot NL teams with pitching that the Yankees are entirely unacquainted with, which does NOT work in their favor.

Then throw in series against the Red Sox, Angels, Indians and Rangers before even wishing America a Happy Birthday.

So, now do you get what Do May, June And # 28 Have In Common?

Simply, that the next two months will prove a lot and it could end any hope of #28 in 2011.

Hey maybe this first month’s courteous start is officially over, but it surely doesn’t mean the honeymoon phase has to end.

Let’s go Yankees!!

 

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