Losing is NOT OK

General Joe did something in his 19th game as manager that Gentle Joe didn't do in 12 years - show obvious frustration with one of his players. In the 3rd Joe went to the mound and essentially read Ikky the riot act. It had nothing to do with the score, or the count, or Ikky's stuff - it had to do with his approach.

The Yanks have been preaching to both Kennedy and Hughes that their stuff is more than good enough to get major league hitters out. They have been telling them constantly that nibbling is only going to get them in unneeded trouble and that they need to attack hitters.

Kennedy walked 5 batters and threw 85 (!) pitches in 2.2 innings; he also stuck out 4. As Ikky struck out half the outs he recorded, obviously his stuff was very good. In comparison it took Ohley 48 pitches to complete 3.1 innings.

While patience with young pitchers is going to be necessary, watching them throw ball after ball in an effort to avoid contact certainly is not. We have wished for more fire from our manager and our team, and last night we got it from Gen. Joe. It will be interesting to see how Kennedy responds his next time out.

Thoughts on Phil - Mechanical Issues

Before I start I would like to say that I am NOT panicking. I am still willing to show the patience that I have preached since the offseason and allow Phil the room to grow.

That being said, I believe that there were some worrisome signs in last night's game.

First, for the first time, I believe Phil's stuff was not very good. In prior starts he had trouble finding the zone and hitting spots; last night, however, I think his fastball was unusually hittable. Not only did it seem that he did not break 91 on the gun, but it seemed the pitched lacked the typical late movement that makes Phil's fastball such a great pitch.

Second, in addition to not being able to throw it for strikes for much of the outing, Phil's curveball was 2-4 instead of the usual 12-6. As the curve had essentially the same movement as his slider, Phil basically lost a pitch last night.

There has been a lot of talk coming both from the coaching staff and from Phil himself about his mechanics being 'off.' The focus going into this start was not rushing and allowing his body to slow down and let his arm catch up.

There have been more than one analysis of Phil's mechanics over the past year (one good one here) that show Phil has been employing a much lower arm angle through delivery which would not only costs him velocity, but also add right-to-left drift on his curveball.

The above picture shows Phil in '07 on the left, and in '06 on the right. The arm angle is noticeably lower.

The lower arm angle creates more rotation around the release point. Instead of getting on top of the ball and driving it down toward the zone using the pitcher's legs, a lower arm angle causes the pitcher to rely more on arm speed and the whip action of the arm for power. Instead of driving the body forward there is more pulling the arm through the release point. The result of this is a loss of control and velocity.

Another obvious sign of what I am talking about is here:

Notice the difference - in the earlier picture (left) Phil's left leg is straight, he is completely on top of it and throwing on a downward plane. In the more recent picture (right) Phil's left leg is slightly bent - a result of the lower release point which causes more rotation around the release point and a lower head/shoulder finish. The lower head/shoulder finish is due to Phil pulling his arm through release and having to rely on arm speed rather than leg drive for power.

While I have not done any video analysis of last night's start, I am willing to bet that in concentrating on slowing his body down he allowed his arm angle to drop even further. The result was a lack of control on the curve, and a change in tilt from 12-6 to 2-4.

As the issue seems to be mechanical, I think it might do Phil some good to go to SWB and take 2 turns through the ro there to work on getting his mechanics straight without the pressure of being in the bigs. Again, I am not 'on the ledge' with respect to Phil...I simply believe that at 21 it will be hard for him to get multiple mechanical issues straightened out under the weight of pressure to win.

Go Ahead, Manny...Charge the Mound!

The last Guy that charged the mound on Krazy Kyle ended up looking like this!

This is NOT a big Start for Hughes

Before every Phil Hughes start the various blogs and newspapers want to take note of Phil's progress. Specifically, does he look like an Ace? There is no shortage of these type of stores today;

The Post - Phil is Falling Fast

From Peter Abe - Big Game for Phil

The Daily News - Phil looks to Mow down O's(Actually pretty calm and not overly dramatic)



The truth of the matter is this is not a big start for Phil. He could pitch to a 6 era the rest of the year and still blossom into an ace. We might all be disappointed in the outcome this year but it really is not a death sentence to his future ability to grow into an Ace. It might take two years before we really know what we have in Phil. The question is if it takes that long will he stick around?

General Joe Rant #2

It's really unfortunate that rant #2 has to be essentially the same topic as rant #1, but for god's sake can we please acknowledge that the only true threat right now in the Red Sox lineup is Manny and not give him anything to hit??

The guy is hitting like .800 vs us, higher against Moose, and had already cost us a game over the weekend. How flipping hard is it to make the decision that we are not going to let him beat us?

Every lineup has one person that should not be allowed to hurt you - with Fat Papi hitting half his weight, Manny is obviously that guy. Unless it's Mo, The Beast, or bases loaded late in a tie game, Manny has been so hot that we either plunk him in the arse (NOT behind his head, Farnsy!) with the first pitch or put 4 in the dirt without hesitation.

Might not have made a difference last night, but certainly we would have had a much better chance at winning if Manny had simply been handed 1st base.

Yanks Bury Bernie Under New Stadium For Luck

From one of my favorite sites on the web, The Onion. Read the story here.

Bullpen Thoughts

After watching the newly sculpted Brian Bruney blow away the Red Sox with a 97 mph heater last night, and LaTroy Hawkins start to show some reliability, it's becoming obvious that a real strength of this Yankees team will be the bullpen.

Assuming 6 innings from our starters, General Joe has an enviable wealth of arms from which to choose for the last 3 innings of a game.

In the 7th, Hawkins, Bruney, Traber and Ohley have all shown to be very reliable in the early going. Additionally, provided he is used correctly (one inning only, no back-to-back appearances, etc...), even Farnsworth has shown flashes of effectiveness.

The depth of the Yankee relief corps is damn near embarrassing. At SWB are the following relievers -

Jose Veras - 7ip, 10k, 2er
Chris Britton - 7ip, 7k, 0er
Edwar Ramirez - 7ip, 11k, 0er
Jonathan Albaladejo - 7.2ip, 7k, 0er (includes 2.2 ip, 4k, 0er with Yanks)
Scott Patterson - 5.2ip, 4k, 2er
Heath Phillips - 9ip, 7k, 2er

At least 4 of these pitchers could/would be on the majority of other team's major league rosters and be extremely effective.

With the game essentially over once getting the ball to The Beast in the 8th, the depth and quality of 7th inning candidates should make most games 6 inning affairs.

Your First Place NY Yankees

For the 1st time this season the Yanks are 2 games over .500 at 9-7, and sit tied with everyone's favorite pretenders in 1st place. The bats have seemingly come to life, and for the most part the pitching is coming together.

Even with the shelling CMW took last night, there were good pitching signs in the game. The Hawk calmed things down with 2 impressive scoreless innings. In his last 5 appearances, Hawk has 7 ip, 4h, 0er, 5Ks - 5 of those shutout innings have come against the Red Sox allowing only 2 hits.

Brian Bruney looked awesome in the 8th last night hitting 97 on the gun and generally looking dominant.

Hopefully Moose can continue his rebirth and keep the Sox in check long enough for us to put a whoopin' on Joshy Blister tonight.

How Hard Can it Be?

I realize Jason Giambi has been considered a 'run producer' in his time in MLB. I realize chicks dig the long ball. But when you're 2 for 96 or whatever anemic numbers Jason has put up so far this year would it be so out of the question to lay one down against the shift?

The guy with a hedgehog attached to his face playing 3rd base for Boston was 2 feet from 2nd base. All he has to do is get the ball past the pitcher and he has a guaranteed hit. Who knows - maybe if he does lay down a few successful bunts against the shift teams will be forced to stop using it against him!

Maybe I'm wrong, but if your true goal is to help the team and the opposition is giving you a base hit, LAY IT DOWN!!

Piazza Measured for Pinstripes?

With the current state of Yankee catching, one intriguing option has surfaced - Mike Piazza.

While his throwing ability is somewhere between Johnny Damon and Jason Giambi, Piazza is a very adept game-caller and has shown an ability to work well with young pitchers.

Many reports have Piazza close to signing a deal with the Cincinnati Reds, though others are stating the Reds want more of a 'catch and throw' guy for the position.

What it comes down to is how long Jorge and Molina will be out. Chad Moeller is obviously not a long-term option, but if either backstop will be back within a couple of weeks there is really no room for Piazza on the roster.

With the play of Alberto Gonzalez up the middle and Morgan Ensberg able to play either corner infield spot I believe Wilson Betemit's days in Pinstripes are close to over (Pink Eye? Couldn't they come up with anything better than that?). Should Jorge and Molina return the question then becomes who gets the last roster spot - Piazza or Shelley Duncan? While Shelley is no Ozzie Smith at any position in the field, any Mets fan will tell you that Piazza at 1B or the outfield is truly not an option. Shelley's versatility and energy make him my choice.

(Hat tip to Sliding Into Home)

"It was nice to be able to work up a sweat"

The above quote by A-Rod says it all. For just about the first time this season the Yanks didn't need long sleeves under their uniforms. For the first time this season there weren't bumble bees buzzing inside every bat. For the first time all season the pitchers could feel their pitching hands and didn't have permission to blow into them on the mound.

The result? 6+ solid innings by Ikky, 15 hits, 4 home runs and 8 runs scored.

Look for more of the same tonight.

Boston Still Owns April

The Yankees simply can't beat the Sox in April;
2007 1-5
2006 0-0
2005 3-3
2004 1-5
2003 0-0
2002 1-3
2001 3-4
2000 0-0
Total Record 9-20 in April.
Simply put, when the Sox and Yankees meet in April the Red Sox win.

How about when the games really count(Aug/Sept)?

2007 5-1
2006 1-3
2005 3-3
2004 3-3
2003 3-3
2002 4-1
2001 6-0
2000 3-1
Record in Aug/Sept, 28-15.

I know I would rather it this way...let them own the games early but late in the season, close to playoff time when we can get inside their heads, I want to win.

So calm down Yankee fans this is the way its supposed to be and really, would you have it any other way?

Perspective

Yes, it sucks the Yanks are 6-7 after 13 games.

Yes, Phil Phranchise has looked like the second coming of Sr Nervous (Jose Contreras).

and Yes, the team has looked old and lifeless.

I'm here to tell you, though, it's no time to panic.

Thus far the Yanks have played series in NY, KC and Boston; places where the average 7pm local temperature has yet to exceed 45 degrees. I firmly believe that this is a major contributor to the terrible start of both TM and the offense. Hughes grew up in SoCal and started every season prior to this one either in the Gulf Coast League, the South Atlantic League or the Florida State League. The game-time temps of his starts have been 42, 46 and 46 degrees. Not only are there no viable options to replace him, but even discussing removing Hughes from the rotation is totally premature. Every game is a learning experience for Phil, and I expect he will learn these lessons and start pitching very well shortly

I really think that starting tonight in Tampa, under the dome, we will see a much more explosive Yankee offense, and some much better pitching to go along with it.

In terms of panic, 2 things to keep in mind -

1. Detroit. I picked the Tigers to win 101 games this year. When I did this I was well aware that their pitching was a big question mark, but figured they would have a team ERA somewhere around 5. Assuming 950 runs scored (5.86 per game), I thought they'd steamroll lesser teams but make a fairly early exit in the playoffs. Seeing as how they'd have to go 99-51 to win 101, I'm gonna be pretty far off in my prediction. This is a team, like the Yanks, with far too much talent, however, to continue playing this badly. Remember, 2-10 is a lot worse than 6-7!

2. A ho-hum start is nothing new for our Bombers. Since 2002 our record after 13 games has been -

2002 8-5
2003 11-2
2004 6-7
2005 5-8
2006 6-7
2007 7-6
2008 6-7

In only 2 of the past 7 yeas have the Yanks been over .500 after 13 games, and we have obviously made the playoffs each year. A game and a half out of first on April 14th is not a problem.

The 2 pitchers we count on the most have been very good - Wang has been unreal, and Andy was great in his last start. Moose has pitched far better than we could have expected, and once he settles in and the weather warms, The Messiah will again live up to his nickname.

Offensive Slumber Continues

The one thing we knew coming into this season was this team was going to score a lot of runs. After 12 games that is pretty much all that hasn't happened. The bullpen has been good outside of Hawkins and Farnsworth but we knew that, Wang has looked great, Moose has a pulse, and we have manufactured runs in tight spots. However, the bats are still asleep. The main culprits have been Damon, Giambi and Cano. Last year a lot was made of all the Yankee lefties not hitting to start the season and except for Abreu the same has happened this year. Maybe these guys are just not that good. I believe that Cano will bounce back but really Giambi and Damon are two guys that look done. I am sure Damon will have a hot streak and get his numbers near respectability and Giambi will hit some HRs but really these two guys need to be far away from crutial spots in the lineup. When Jeter Returns I want a lineup like this;
Melky
Jeter
Abreu
ARod
Matsui
Posada
Cano
Duncan
Damon
I am not crazy about Matsui directly behind ARod because he runs so hot and cold but right now Cano doesn't look ready for it. Let Giambi play against soft throwing righties and keep Damon away from the top of the lineup. He is no longer a good hitter and combine that with the fact that he can no longer field and you have a player who is no longer any good , the end.

General Joe Second Guess #1

I don't care what Moose said when Girardi went out to the mound...you GOTTA walk Manny in that spot!

He's one of the greatest right handed hitters of all time, you have first base open with 2 out, and you let him hit a double up the gap?

Hopefully this is a learning experience for Joe G. and he won't make the mistake of asking Moose again.

Evolution of an Ace

Wang has had some serious struggles versus the Red Sox in the past - for some reason they have an approach that works against him and he knows it. Those games combined with the way he performed in the postseason left about as many question marks as is possible for a back to back 19 game winner. The question was how would Wang respond? Would he evolve and adjust or would he continue to be a one pitch pitcher? Wang went in the offseason focused on expanding his game and he spent most of spring training fine tuning his secondary pitches and figuring out how to work them into his repertoire.

Last night we got a first hand look at the results of all his work. Wang threw a lot of four seam fastballs which resulted in a lot of flyballs. Also, he featured some sliders and changes. He can get away with a four seamer because of his outstanding velocity. Most sinkerballers can't maintain his type of velocity and this is what separates him from your typical sinker baller. According to the pitch data he has actually increased the percentage of fastballs this year from 76.4% last year to 82.1% this year. The difference is the type of fastballs. We are seeing his traditional turbo sinker and the good hard four seamer. He has also learned how to run it over the inside corner to lefties (the strikeout pitch to Ortiz was a thing of beauty). Simply put he has expanded his repertoire and can get people out more ways then he used to. That is a sign of a great player and a good sign that he might be able to maintain a very high level for years to come.

Yanks - Sox

As the first Yankee Red Sox war is upon us, it's time to compare the teams.

1B - Youkilis vs Giambi -Both are likely to put up OBP over .400, but Giambi should do it with power. If he could stay healthy the edge would go to the Yanks; Edge Sox

2B - Cano vs Pedroia - Despite the rantings of certain on-air personalities about how much of a 'winner' and 'gamer' Pedroia is, Cano is in the upper echelon of second baseman behind only Chase Utley. Edge Yanks

3B - Lowell vs A-Rod - Lowell had a career year last year which he is unlikely to repeat. A-Rod had a monster year last year which he has a chance to repeat. It's really no contest. Edge Yanks

SS - Lugo vs Jeter - Even hurt Jeets takes this one easily. Edge Yanks

C - Varitek vs Posada - Varitek's last 2 years: 2006 - .238 12 HR 55 RBI, 2007 - .255 17 HR 68 RBI. Jorge's past 2 years: 2006 - .277 19 HR 71 RBI, 2007 - .338 20 HR 90 RBI. Duh - Edge Yanks

LF - Manny vs Damon - Manny is in his walk year and has a lot to prove after a somewhat (by his standards, anyway) lackluster 2007. Damon has vowed to prove he's still one of the top players in the game, but Manny is one. Edge Sox

CF - Ellsbury vs Cabrera - At this point in their careers, Melky is more of a known quantity than is Ellsbury...keep in mind, however, that Melky is a FULL YEAR YOUNGER. Melky is hitting .320 with a .400 OBP. Ellsbury is on the interstate at .176 with a .300 OBP. For now - Edge Yanks

RF - Drew vs Abreu - It being his walk year, Bobby A is on the precipice of a monster season. JD Drew is...well, disinterested. Drew was miserable last year and I don't see anything to suggest that will change. Edge Yanks

Game 1 Starter - Buchholz vs Wang - CMW has been lights out so far this year sporting a 2-0 record and 1.38 ERA, while Clay "Lap-Top" Buchholz gave up 4 runs in 6 innings in his only start thus far. Given that this is The Cat Burgler's first taste of Yankee/Sox rivalry, and that CMW rocks - Edge Yanks

Game 2 Starters - Beckett vs Mussina - Moose looked great in his last start, and Beckett has been slowed by a bad back since late in spring training. Every person in Bristol has anointed Beckett the MLB standard against which every 'Ace' should be measured; I don't buy it. Until 'Joshy Blister' can do it in back-to-back seasons I consider him very much like his ex Marlin teammate AJ Burnett - tons of potential, but still a question mark. Edge Sox

Game 3 Starters - Maszuzaka vs TM - Dice-K has been worth every penny of the $7 trillion Theo (The Boy Wonder) spent on him last year. 3 starts, 18ip, 22Ks, 1.47 era. His problem, though is that he is going up against The Messiah. Phil's last start was one to forget about, but as he proved in the postseason, he shines under pressure. While many would disagree, Edge Even

Closers - Papplepuss vs Mariano - First, calling Papplepuss better than Mariano right now is like saying Joba is better than Goose Gossage...it may become true (doubtful), but we're a long way from knowing for sure. A-Rod has got to be in Papplepusses head a little, and no one gets in Mo's head. Edge Yanks

Set-Up - Okajima/Delcarmen/Lopez/Corey vs Joba/Ohley/Farns/Hawkins - While none of us are happy having Farns on our list, the fact is that Joba makes our 'pen so good that it is hard for anyone to match up. Add to it that Ohley's been throwing 94 mph bowling balls and - Edge Yanks

The Yanks take 6 of 8 positions and the bullpen, and the starting pitching is a wash (eh... maybe slightly toward the Sox' favor). If only to make a statement I hope we go up their and kick their tails.

The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

The Good

Wang looks awesome. In winning half of the Yankee's games so far The Wang has shown no ill affects from his post season meltdown against Cleveland. A heavy sinker, good velocity and has even shown a better than usual k/9 ratio of 5.54.

Matsui is off to a nice start hitting .357 with 2HR and 6 RBI.

Bobby A - .379BA, .438 OBP

Bruney - 3 games no ER and NO WALKS! Maybe there IS something to this 'in-shape' stuff!

The Beast - 1 hit and 4 Ks in 4 IP, future staff Ace, but current bullpen dominator!

Mo - 3 games, 3 saves 1 hit and 4Ks...just Mo being Mo!

A-Rod - Before the dreaded 'Golden Sombrero' yesterday, Alex was at .320 with a .930 OPS; not blistering, but definitely contributing

Melky - His .294 average is overshadowed by his .400 OBP.

Molina - Seems to hit the ball hard every time up.

Ohley - A 3.86 ERA is ok, but he sustained a bunch of that 'taking one for the team' in yesterday's 3 inning stint in the loss

Moose - 2 starts, a 3.09 ERA; I'll take it

Farnsworth - 2.70 ERA, 3.1 IP, 5 Ks

Traber - 2.1IP, 4 Ks 0ER. Looks unhittable vs lefties so far

The Bad

Cano - .188, 1 RBI 0 walks
Damon - .200 avg, .294 OBP, 0 SB
Hawkins - 7er in 14ip

The Ugly

Betemit - 2 for 13 with 7 Ks, he looks lost at the plate right now
Giambi - 1 for 14...ouch!
Jeter and Posada - Each are out with injuries that we have no idea how long will take to heal.

No Grade

Hughes - 1 good start, 1 bad...I have a feeling that the weather has something to do with his poor outing yesterday vs KC, but we can expect more of the same (inconsistency) at least in the early going from the majors' youngest starting pitcher

Kennedy - It was a bad one, but I'm not gonna grade a kid on 1 start

Overall the pitching has been fair and the offense terrible. Sounds like 4-4 to me.

A-Rod to Short Would be a Mistake

With DJ out for a while with a strained quad, some people are clamoring to get A-Rod moved to short until Jeet comes back. Dumb move.

At 4-4 due to an anemic offense, the Yanks are not exactly tearing the cover off the ball. The last thing we need is A-Rod worried about trying to make the temporary transition back to shortstop. We have seen what can happen when a player is too worried about his position in the field and the effect it can have on their offensive performance, and taking anything away from A-Rod's O would add to an already big problem.

In addition to the offensive issue, moving A-Rod back to short might significantly hurt the Yankee defense as well. By his own admission A-Rod has not even taken a grounder in practice at SS for 5 years. While he was one of the best in the league 5 years ago, and while he probably wouldn't have an issue moving back there, it is, again, not a chance worth taking.

Call up defensive whiz Alberto Gonzalez and allow him to hit at the bottom of the order until DJ returns.

Game 7 Notes

An excellent start for Moose last night giving up 1 run and 2 hits through 6 innings. He did a very good job of keeping Rays hitters off-balance by varying the speed and break on his curve and using his change more than in his last start.

Even though the offense scored 6 runs last night, there is a developing trend worth worrying about. The Yanks saw an average of just 3.25 pitches per at bat last night allowing Hammel to throw just 88 pitches through 6 innings. The typical patient approach at the plate has been mysteriously absent so far this year. Definitely something to keep an eye on.

Robbie Cano took a 1 for 4, but hit the ball much better than the box score indicates. Based on his at bats lately I expect he will break out very soon.

Matsui is hot to start the season. Could this be the year he puts it all together from start to finish? Stay tuned...

Jeets' quad should only keep him out of a few games according to Gen. Joe. If it is going to be more than that I hope the Yanks disable him so it can fully heal before he gets on the field again. I think it's important to get any nagging injuries totally out of the way so that they do not linger throughout the season. Also, Wilson Betemit looks lost at the plate right now, so I would consider bringing Gonzalez up to play SS while DJ is out.

The Messiah vs KC's Bannister tonight...should be a good game.