What Now? The Lineup

Its time to rebuild this team and start over. It stinks to do this in the last year of the new stadium but a new era must begin. Year after year the Yankees have built teams just good enough to get into the playoffs but not built for playoff success. If the Yankees do as expected and bring back Rivera and Posada, add a few relievers, and find a third baseman somewhere they will be in same spot as usual. Just barely good enough to get in but not good enough to win it. This team might not even be good enough to get in either. I think its time to blow things up and make some radical changes.

The offense loses the best third baseman in history having the best season a third baseman's ever had and most of the rest of the offense is on the wrong side of 30 and will be declining. Sorry optimistic Yankees fans, but losing A-Rod IS a crippling blow.

If I where the Yankees GM I`d pick up Abreu's option and trade him. He`s 34 and has an option for 16 million per year which is to much. Plus their are rumors about him being in the coming Mitchell Report. Pick up some of his contract and maybe you can put him in a package for something decent.

Damon also has a big contract, is aging, and had an off-year last year. He can't run as well anymore and that's a big part of his value. He`s losing things pretty fast and while he could bounce back its not worth the risk of hanging on to him for another 3 years. Same deal with Abreu. Send him and Abreu to another team and maybe you can get a solid young third or first baseman.

Though many are calling for Giambi to be traded I think that its to late. We won't get anything for him at all and his contract is almost done. A 22 million dollar contract plus another 5 million dollar buyout for Giambi is the definition of untradeable. I don't think he`ll do anything but if we get rid of him we get nothing in return and pay most of his contract anyway. If they hang onto him and have him DH then their`s a chance he`ll be the slugging but streaky Giambi we say in 2006 and 2005 and provide the Yankees with the feared home run hitter they`re missing with A-Rod. They have nothing to gain by trading him and might get something out keeping him for just one more year.

I`d listen to offers about Kyle Farnsworth but not trade be searching to dump him on somebody. He`s got great stuff and with another pitching coach and manager maybe he could be helped. We have nothing to gain from trading him and they can keep him around for one more year. If somebody wants him then fine but don't give him away to save money. He`s just around for one more year.

I`d like to trade Damon in a package for Santana I will elaborate on in my post about the starting pitching.

I`d like to trade Abreu. It won't happen but I`d still like to see it happen. Kelly Johnson of the Braves would be perfect to push Cano to third. The Braves could use a good hitter like Abreu and plus it would annoy the Mets. Abreu+Whelan+Clippard+Money for Johnson?

Right-field we should just look within for next year. See what Duncan and Garnder can do. Maybe Austin Jackson can more fast and do something in the majors.

Proposed Lineup:

1) Derek Jeter (SS)
2) Kelly Johnson (2B)
3) Hideki Matsui (LF)
4) Jorge Posada (C)
5) Robinson Cano (2B)
6) Jason Giambi (DH)
7) Melky Cabrera (CF)
8) Bret Gardner/Shelley Duncan/Austin Jackson
9) Wilson Betemit/Andy Phillips/Shelley Duncan

This offense will be a lot worse than last year's it won't lead the league and could be just about average but we're rebuilding and starting over. This offense can hold us over for the rich FA crop of 2008-2009 and give top prospects like Tabata, Montero, and Jackson another year to get ready. 2009 will be another great offensive year and Hughes and Chamberlain will have already seen the ML's for a full year.

Coming Next, the Starting Pitching

Sabbath Bloody Sabbath

Youve seen life through distorted eyes
You know you had to learn
The execution of your mind
You really had to turn
The race is run the book is read
The end begins to show
The truth is out, the lies are old
But you dont want to know
Nobody will ever let you know
When you ask the reasons why
They just tell you that youre on your own
Fill your head all full of lies
The people who have crippled you
You want to see them burn
The gates of life have closed on you
And now theres just no return
Youre wishing that the hands of doom
Could take your mind away
And you dont care if you dont see again
The light of dayNobody will ever let you know
When you ask the reasons why
They just tell you that youre on your own
Fill your head all full of lies
Where can you run to
What more can you do
No more tomorrow
Life is killing you
Dreams turn to nightmares
Heaven turns to hell
Burned out confusion
Nothing more to tell
Everything around you
Whats it coming to
God knows as your dog knows
Bog blast all of you
Sabbath bloody sabbath
Nothing more to do
Living just for dying
Dying just for you

Ozzy Osbourne describes the feeling of Yankees fans today. Personally I think this gives the Yankees the perfect chance to blow up the team and start completely over from scratch. Wait it out and see what other offers A-Rod gets and if Boras calls with a good deal take it but don't get into a bidding war. Move Cano to third and trade for a young 2B`man. Let Betemit, Phillips, and Duncan split time at first. Trade Giambi, Abreu, Damon, and Farnsworth. Don't be afraid to let Posada go but bring Rivera back for sure. Let Girardi work his magic with the young players. I`d still love to see A-Rod come back and I can sympathize with his decision but I`m sick of seeing teams just good enough to get in the playoffs but never good enough to win the whole thing.

Wow, where do I start? I have to go soon so I`ll make this quick. Boston wins the World Series which is a disaster on its own. Now they have 2 in 4 years. You know what Boston has? After 86 years they finally have a dynasty. A-Rod leaving is a disaster. I wonder who he thinks will pay him more than what the Yankees offered. The Yankees should go after him but lower their planned offer to him

Its just as I planned.....

How sweet would it be for Boston to blow the next four to the Rockies? It probably won't happen but that might shut up some Red Sox fans about the '04 ALCS .

Abreu Back

Buster Olney reports that the Yankees have picked up Bobby Abreu's one year, 16 million dollar option. I`m not sure how I feel about this. 16 million is a lot but the one years gives them flexibility to do whatever they want with him.

Interviews Complete

The Yankees have completed their interviews with Don Mattingly, Joe Girardi, and Tony Pena. The Yankees announced that the decision could come as soon as today.

I will be glad when they have made the announcement and can start working on retaining the free agents as well as negotiate with Alex Rodriguez.

Go Yankees!

Here we go again.....

Boston takes the first of the World Series games andI wouldn't be surprised to see them sweep. The Rockies had a great run but Boston's in another, better league.

Down To Three

Bobby Valentine will not be interviewed for the manager's job. That probably cuts it down to Girardi, Mattingly, and Pena. It seems like they`re slowly eliminating everyone I like.

Rowand/Santana

Saw this post on MLB Traderumors.

I don't think that's enough to get Santana and if they need more than that its probably not worth it. On the other hand signing Rowand wouldn't be a terrible idea.

Bye Bowa

According to this story Larry Bowa is going to be the Mariners third base coach next year. He`s a big loss and could be only the first loss because of Torre. Stottlemeyre is also on the Mariners staff could anyone else see Torre going to Seattle?

My Autograph Website

I have recently added a link on the right column of this page to my Autograph and Baseball cards page. I use the website to show fellow collectors of all the things that I collect. If you have time, please check it out! The link is under Paul's Autograph Page. Thanks!

Hillman SIgns

Trey Hillman has signed with the Royals. I think this is bad news. He seemed perfect for me. He wasn't a big name and could be fired, he had tremendous success in Japan, and seemed like a new school guy. So now my first two choices are gone. I think my favorite would be Bobby Valentine now but I doubt it'll be him. It sickens me to say this but I think after Valentine I`d like Mattingly.

Thanks Joe!

I am not sure that I know how I feel about Joe Torre not coming back next year. I don't think that the Yankees front office treated him like they should have, however, this does give the Yankees a chance to start fresh with all the young guys coming up now. It reminds me a lot of when Pettitte, Posada, and Rivera made there way up as Torre came along. For Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, Ian Kennedy, Shelley Duncan there first complete year in the majors will be with a new skipper.

Anyway, as Yankees fan I think we all have to thank Joe Torre for the excellent job he did over 12 seasons. He made the playoffs every year, won 6 League Championships and 4 World Championships. The two years that the Yankees lost in the World Series, the series ran 7 games in 2001 and 6 games in 2003. Every Yankees team he coached had a different story, from the dominance in 1998 to the huge comeback from 14 games back in 2007. For me, I have had all kinds of fun during the Joe Torre era. I don't know how it would have been under a different manager, but I am thankful Torre was around over those years.

I hope the next manager can step in and get us back to the place the Yankees belong, the WORLD SERIES!!!

Go Yankees!

The End of An Era

I came home today from school at 6:00 to read blog headlines saying Joe Torre was back. As I read down I saw edits saying he rejected the deal. To be honest I`m shocked. I guess he wanted the two year deal or maybe he wanted to stay at home more. He`s done a great job the past few years and he`ll be missed but its not a complete disaster. I`m unsure about who I`d like to see manage next year. I`d be surprised to see Torre manage another team but its possible. I suppose its still possible Torre will change his mind or get a better offer but I`d be shocked. Thanks Joe, you`ve done a great job. We`ll miss you.

Runs Created Average

Earlier in the year, when I first started this blog, I made a post about the stats I use to evaluate pitchers and mentioned a statistic called RCA, or Runs Created Average, I invented. I`m constantly tweaking it but I`ll try and explain its present version. First of all here's the formula:

RCA= (Average Pitcher's Runs Surrendered/9)+(Expected Runs Surrendered Above Average)/(Expected Outs Pitched/3)

Pitcher's Runs Surrendered/9 is what is commonly known as RA (Run Average). It is like ERA but counts unearned runs.

Expected Runs Surrendered Above Average (ERSAA) and Expected Outs Pitched (EOP) are statistics I invented. They are based on the GB/FB/IFFB/LD/SO/BB/HBP a pitcher has and the run value and percentage of the time they are outs of each one. The numbers these different types of events are multiplied are the run values of them (That is for ERSAA) and percentage of the time these types of event are converted into outs.

ERSAA= (SO* -.287)+(IFFB*-.243)+(GB* -.101)+(FB*0.035)+(LD*0.356)+(BB*0.315)+(HBP*0.342)

EOP= (SO*1.00)+(BB*0.00)+(HBP*0.00)+(GB*.772)+(LD*.1 88)+(FB*.812)+(IFFB*.962)

EOP is then divided by three to convert them into Innings Pitched.

Here is an example. John Smith has these statistics one year.

SO- 200

BB- 50

HBP- 5

GB- 350

FB- 120

IFFB- 10

LD- 100

Average RA- 4.80

John Smith's RCA = 4.80+(-37.92/(596.06/3) = 4.61

Why do I use this instead of other pitching statistics?

We all know the flaws of conventional statistics such as ERA, Wins, and Losses but DIPS statistics are also flawed. Studies have suggested that pitchers cannot control their HR/FB% as much as is sometimes assumed. As a result HR's are not an accurate measure of a player's ability to prevent HR's. I prefer GB% or GB's. It also includes the exact values of these different events. K/BB is a statistic I use a lot but it does not account for the fact that a player with a 200/50 SO/BB ratio in 200 IP is better than a pitcher that has a 100/25 SO/BB ratio in 200 IP. One walk does not fully offset a strikeout. Using LD% also accounts for part of a pitcher's control in keeping a low BABIP. A big inspiration for my work here was a post on a Mariners blog I stumbled upon about evaluating pitchers.

If you have any comments or questions please post them in the comments section.

Yankees Meetings: Day 2

At the end of Day 2, there is still no word on the fate of Joe Torre, however, there are reports that Ron Guidry might not return as pitching coach of the Yankees. The Yankees would likely replace him with Dave Eiland.

Go Yankees!

Yankees Meetings: Day 1

After 1 day of Yankees meetings in Tampa, Florida, there is no word on the fate of Joe Torre. George Steinbrenner and his sons along with Randy Levine and Brian Cashman, amongst others are meeting to talk about the fate of Manager Joe Torre whose contract runs out at the end of the month and free agents which include Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera.
Meetings concluded at 4:00 on Tuesday and were to resume on Wednesday.

Go Yankees!

I hope A-Rod saw that.....

I hope A-Rod saw that grtty David Ecklstein-like Dustin Pedroia try to hit the ball out of Victor Martinez's hand to help his team win. A-Rod needs to do the little things like that more. Or he could try and distract fielders while running the bases. Why can' t he be as gritty as Dustin Pedroia? Nomaas.org has a slow motion video of this classic example of trying to win.

Boston lost again but I`m sure thoise gritty underdogs will find a way to come back.

Chamberlain to Start Next Year

Converted reliever, Joba Chamberlain is going back to the starter role in 2008! After being converted to a reliever, Chamberlain came to the Bronx and dominated out of the bullpen, giving up just one earned run. After the season was over, Chamberlain asked to find out his role for next year as soon as possible and he got his wish as the Yankees will return Joba to the starter's role beginning in Spring Training.
Next year, the Yankees could have the following starters: Chien-Ming Wang, Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, Andy Pettitte (if he chooses to return), Mike Mussina, and Ian Kennedy. Humberto Sanchez is also a starter in the minors who will be returning from missing a season due to surgery. Rumor has it that the Yankees might make a deal for Johan Santana if Alex Rodriguez were to opt-out and free up some money for the Yankees to spend. I don't see a deal happening since the Yankees would have to give up a lot.

Minor League Wrap-Up: Staten Island Yankees

The Staten Island Yankees close out their season falling just short of the New York-Penn League Championship Series. The Yankees finished in 2nd place (47-28) behind Brooklyn in the McNamara League but was able to win the wildcard spot. Brooklyn would go on to beat the defending champion Yankees in the first round of the playoffs.

This year the Yankees were led at the plate by Justin Snyder who played in all but 2 regular season games. Snyder maintained a .335 batting average while driving in 40 runs. On the mound, the Yankees were led by Ryan Pope who started all 10 games in which he appeared. Pope had a 3-0 record with a 2.49 ERA. Jonathan Ortiz was a great closer for SI this summer. In 21 games, he was5-0 record with 13 saves while maintaining a 1.80 ERA.

The Yankees have a lot of good young prospects that we will be seeing rise up through the organization over the next few years. Hopefully Staten Island will continue putting out great young talent like have in the past with players such as Robinson Cano, Chien-Ming Wang, Melky Cabrera, and Shelley Duncan.

Go Yankees!

Rockies

THe Rockies won again yesterday to clinch their first WS appearance in their history. Its been an amaing run for them. They`ve been on fire and it came down to extra innings for them in an elimination game but they made it there. Congratulations to them and thanks for making my picks so far pretty good.

Yankees Worst Enemy Resigns

http://losangeles.angels.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071015&content_id=2267742&vkey=news_ana&fext=.jsp&c_id=ana

Throughout the Joe Torre era the Yankees have been tortured by the Angels. However, the GM of the Angels is stepping down. He has always built teams that match up well against the Yankees and I`m not sorry to see him go.

Mattingly isn't interested

Mattingly has said he isn't ready for the Yankees job. This makes the chances of Torre coming back a lot better. I think Mattingly is right, he isn't ready. Like I said before, he needs to try out being a minor league manager to get some experience.

The End of An Era

It looks like the Boss has delivered his last ultimatum. According to the New York Post he is handing control over to his sons. He was a critisized owner but always tried to win and give the fans what they wanted.

The Greatest Bullpen Ever!

Remember back when the Boston bullpen was being hailed as one the greatest in history because of Eric Gagne? Yeah, that didn't work out so well did it? Trot Nixon started a huge rally for Cleveland against Gagne last night and now the series has been tied up.

Go Rockies!

Well, in the only significant game played yesterday the Rockies beat Arizona in extras. I wasn't able to wacth it, these 10:00 games are annoying. It was a great game but it probably finished at like 2 AM.

Oh and by the way Boston beat Cleveland in a blowout.

Preferred Coaching Staff

The biggest topic of debate among Yankees fans lately has been what the coaching staff should look like. I already made a post on the manager situation and pitching coach but I haven't mentioned the other spots at all.

Manager- Joe Torre

I`ve already explained my opinion on this one. Torre is respected by his players more than any other manager in the game is. He is a terrible tactician and is reluctant to make changes and try new things but overall he`s a good manager. Besides, those things can be helped by having a good bench coach.

Bench Coach- Joe Kerrigan

You probably think I`m cray after reading that but hear me out. Joe has managerial experience (very little and it was pretty bad) and might be more willing to speak out and suggest things to Torre. He knows his pitchers and will help Torre's bullpen mangement. Give Mattingly the AAA manager job or something like that so he can get some experience as a manager. Then when Torre's done Mattingly can have the manager job.

Hitting Coach- Kevin Long

I see nothing wrong with him here. He reportedly helped A-Rod a ton the past year and was called "the best kep secret in baseball." Despite the offenses collapse in the playoffs they were the best for the regular season. As far as I can tell he`s done a good job and I don't know who would replace him anyway.

Pitching Coach- Ron Guidry

I`m torn on this one between Leo Mazzone and Ron Guidry. If you ask me again in a hour I could easily say Mazzone. Mazzone was awesome for the Braves but after he left Smoltz, Maddux , and Glavine didn't really suffer a big dropoff. Last year the Orioles had terrible pitching as well outside of Eric Bedard. I think Mazzone is more of a product of his players than anything else. Supposedly Mazzone is also better with a veteran staff and its possible we could have three rookies, plus Wang in the rotation. All year we`ve heard stories about Guidry helping out, especially Wang with his slider which has helped him get a few more K's. Not to mention the PR aspect of firing a legend like Guidry who is generally considered the second best Yankees pitcher ever (though I disagree with that). I think we`re better off with Guidry but i won't be to upset if they sign Mazzone.

1B Coach- Tony Pena

Remember all the stories about him helping Posada two years ago? Well that definitely paid off. In 2006 he had an improved season and the last year he was unbelievable. The 1B coach doesn't really do much but supposedly he gets to the ballpark early every day and works with the players. I don't really know what else you want from him.

3B Coach- Larry Bowa

Maybe I`m wrong here but I don't really remember to many bad baserunning moves by the Yankees the past year. Bowa`s done a pretty good job and according to the reports, he works hard with the players to. He`s done a good job.

Bullpen Coach- Dave Eiland

When he came up this season to help Hughes he definitely helped a lot. Look at his performance before and after. He knows some of the young guys on the team like Kennedy, Joba, and Hughes. Not to mention Edwar, Ohlendorf, and anybody else who could be in the bullpen next year. If something is wrong with them he`ll spot it right away and help. Just the way he helped Hughes could make all the difference.

Leo Mazzone?

Today Leo Mazzone was fired by the Orioles. I like what Guidry's done but I`d definitely be interested in signing him. I think he`d be a lot more outspoken about Torre's bullpen management. Sorry Guidry, I like what you`ve done, especially with Wang but I`d like tos ee Mazzone.

Damon Oppenheime

George King reports that the Cardinals are interested in Damon Oppenheimer for their GM job. Looking at the job he`s done with rebuilding this farm system he could be an even bigger loss than A-Rod would be.

Joe Torre Decision

Jon Heyman says it could take a while for the decision on Torre's future to be made.

A-Rod Watch

I made a post earlier in the season about A-Rod's value to the Yankees. Going back to it its actually kind of rambling and nonsensical. Basically, I believe Alex is worth 30 million dollars per year easily. He`s worth it with his performance for the next few years and as the contract closes out he will be chasing huge milestones and records. Not to mention the fact that FA expenses are constantly going up anyway. Cashman has stated that they will not pursue him if he opts out and I don't think he`s bluffing. George has also stated that he thinks they will resign A-Rod. I believe the Yankees will give him an extension for about 4 more years of about 30 million per year. They can't afford to let him go. A-Rod seems to finally be comfortable in New York and I think he`ll take this kind of deal. The only other team I`m afraid A-Rod will go to is the Giants.

New High in Visitors

This blog had 88 viewers yesterday which is obviously a new high. Its been fun watching this blog grow for the past half a year

Wang for Santana?

Peter Gammons reported on his ESPN blog about a possible trade for Santana involving Wang. I don't know about this. Santana is an incredible pitcher but we`ll have to resign him again and Wang will be cheap for a few more years. They would also still have to give up another good prospect or two. On the other hand, Santana would give us that true ace who you can completely trust. It depends on how many other prospects it would take. Wang is a vgery good #2 while Santana is the best in baseball but is the improvement worth the cost?

Who will be the 2008 Yankees Manager?

First I want to make my position on Joe Torre clear. I think he`s done a lot for the Yankees. He deserves the HoF and has just been great. The players love him and I have to wonder if Clemens or Pettitte would have returned this year without him. The biggest part of being a manager is handling the players and Joe is amazing at that. He`s the only manager I`ve ever known and I`ll be sad to see him go and to see the end of an era. Him leaving would make me nervous Posada, Rivera, and Pettitte will leave. However, he is terrible at managing a bullpen and I believe he needs a good bench coach to help him out. The total amount of Joe Torre loses this season was 7. If they had won less than half of those they might have won the division. I think they should bring him back but they definitely need to get a new bench coach. Having Tony Pena and Mattingly flip flop might be a good idea. Unfortunately, it sounds like he`s done, who else could manage?

Girardi originally sounded like a great idea to me but the more I learn about him the less I like him. A few of his young pitchers in Flordia were hurt this year. I don't think I`d want to trust Joba and Phil to him.

Mattingly sounds like a Joe Torre clone only without commanding the same respect from the players. I don't see any reason to believe he`ll be a good manager.

Bobbt Valentine I`m sorry to say i know next to nothing about. From what I`ve heard from others he might be a good option.

Larry Bowa is the kind of guy that could lose his team early on after a bad start by going crazy. I love him but he`s not the kind of guy that I thinkc an handle being the manager of the Yankees.

Tony Pena is interesting but wouldn't command the same type of respect as Joe. He ahd nothing in Kansas City to work with and in his last year there he was struck by losing the only good players he had to injury or free agency.

Tony LaRussa is the only one who has as comparable resume to Joe's but his personality doesn't seem right for New York's many newspapers and I think he might lose his team. LaRussa's bullpen managemant also annoys me and the prospect of him bring in Ron Villone to face David Ortiz in the 8th inning of a tie game scares me.

None of the options sound great and if Torre comes back I think many of the player's will come back and in all honesty that's the most important part of the team, the players. Torre's flaws in handling a bullpen can be helped by a new bench coach. Who that coach is I`m not sure. I think Torre's gone and Mattingly will be the next manager but I`m not crazy about the idea. Even if he doesn't come back next year I wouldn't be surprised to see him come back in 2009 if the new manager has a bad season.

The Blogs future

Well the Yankees season is over now and the off season is coming. During the offseason I`m obviously going to comment on their moves but I also plan on reporting on the rest of the playoffs. I might do a daily recap of the Yankees players playing in the winter leagues. I have a few other ideas I could do. I might report on the Giants. I really don't know yet

Time to Die....

As I type this Wang has been knocked out and the score is 3-0. I`m usually pretty optimistic during the games but it doesn't look great right now. Yes, they`re facing paul Byrd, yes its still early, and yes they have an excellent offense but I don't feel good about their chances right now.

4-0 now. Not looking good

Do or Die, again

Again the Yanks face elimination. Wang goes on short rest against Paul Byrd. Byrd is the kind of guy the Yankees kill but its still just one game and anything can happen. As Mike Francesca and Chris Russo stated a million times today, Joba looks very tired and if they can win without using him its a double victory. Still, winning is the msot important thing. I think A-Rod will have a big game and they`ll win but I`m not to confident in that.

Yankees Stay Alive

After losing Roger Clemens because of a hamstring injury and falling behind 3-0, Johnny Damon and the Yankees bats came alive to help the Yankees win 8-4. After Clemens left in the 3rd inning, Phil Hughes came in and shut down the Tribe for his 3.2 innings. He gave up only 2 hits and had 4 strikeouts. Joba Chamberlain came in after Hughes and pitched 2 innings and Mariano Rivera finished the game with a perfect 9th. The Yankees took the lead for good in the 5th inning behind a 3 run homerun by Johnny Damon, who was 3-4 with 4 RBIs.

Tonight the Yankees send Chien-Ming Wang to the mound to try and send the series back to Cleveland. The Indians will counter with Paul Byrd.

Go Yankees!!

More Minor League Reports coming after the Yankees season is complete.

Steinbrenner Speaks

http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkxMTMmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTcyMDQ5NzEmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2

If this is true then this is mostly good new. Maybe this will fire up the team and make all this a non-issue. Its good to hear that George still has a pulse.

This could be it.....

Today could be the last day of the Yankees season. I like our chances with Clemens-Westbrook at home but I`m not to confident with the way the offense has been playing. A first round collapse would be really bad for the Yankees. It means Torre could be gone, Cashman could be gone, A-Rod will probably leave, Posada and Rivera become more likely to leave, and they go another year without a championship. They're not done but they`re very close to it. Hopefully, the comeback starts tonight.

Worst Game

The Yankees NEEDED this game. They had it to. They had exactly what they wanted. A 1-0 lead in the 8th with Joba pitching. Of course what happens? A swarm of bugs attacks him. Call me crazy but that could not have helped his control which suddenly became Farnsworth esque that inning. I think Torre also should have put in Rivera after the 1st wild pitch. Pettitte pitched beautifully, Joba was great in the 7th and did as well as he could in the 8th, Rivera was untouchable, and only to have Vizcaino blow it in the end. The bullpen has no depth. Its Rivera and Joba and then just hope the game is over by then. The Yankees have a terrible record in extra inning games this year and its no coincedence. Vizcaino is the 3rd best guy out there and he`s not even that good. The offense was terrible. They did nothing all game. If they had won they would be going back to New York with probably two games they had the pitching advantage in but now they go back desperate and down 2-0. Clemens goes tomorrow tonight and it could be his last start ever. I think they`ll win tomorrow but I said the same thing about yesterday`s game. I hope we see Matsui sit. A-Rod's hitless streak is continung and is getting to the point where its ridiculous. If he doesn't start hitting or if the Yankees go one and out I`m afraid he`ll leave.

Awful game but not a surprise

Well Wang was terrible and I expected it to be alot closer but I`m not really surprised to see Sabthia win this one. The umpires can't really be this bad can they? That Damon HR wasn't even particularly close. I`m sure this loss is all A-Rod's fault right? On ESPN they just showed A-Rod popping out in the third and mentioned he was the tying run. The Indians have to win two more games and Pettitte's been a stopper all season and I expect him to come through against Carmona today. This game is the key to the series. If they can win games 2 and 3 than I`m confident they can split 4 and 5. Come on Pettitte, we need a win today really badly.

Irony

Is anybody else not surprised to see the score 3-1 in the top of the second? The playoffs are such a small sample size anything can happen. Of course maybe they both shut the other team out for the rest of the game but who know?

No Lefty in the bullpen

Is anybody else srurprised VIllone didn't make the roster? I`m not complaining but Villone is both a lefty and a proven veteran which means he perfectly fits the stereotype of players Torre loves that really aren't that good. I think it either shows that Torre is changing out of desperation or Cashman is stepping in and forcing Torre to change.

Round One Roster/Game One Lineup Announced

http://yankees.lohudblogs.com/2007/10/03/torre-announces-lineup-for-game-1/

Johnny Damon LF
Derek Jeter SS
Bobby Abreu RF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Jorge Posada C
Hideki Matsui DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Melky Cabrera CF
Doug Mientkiewicz 1B
Chien-Ming Wang RHP

Other position players
INF Wilson Betemit
1B Jason GiambiOF
1B Shelley Duncan
C Jose Molina
OF-3B Bronson Sardinha

Other starting pitchers
LHP Andy Pettitte
RHP Roger Clemens
RHP Mike Mussina
RHP Phil Hughes

Bullpen
RHP Mariano Rivera
RHP Joba Chamberlain
RHP Luis Vizcaino
RHP Kyle Farnsworth
RHP Ross Ohlendorf
RHP Jose Veras


I`m pretty happy with this. I would have liked to see Duncan against Sabathia but that's it.

First Round Playoff Predictions

Okay, here's my predictions for the first round. I`ll do this before each round of the playoffs whether the Yankees keep going or not

Red Sox versus Angels

I`m going to go with Boston on this one. Josh Beckett has been one of the best pitchers in baseball this year, their offense is much better than the Angels especially with Guerrerro hurting, they still have an awesome back-end of the bullpen, and they just have more pitching than the Angels. They also have home-field adavntage. The Angels are a team that fits the playoff mold perfectly but the Red Sox just fit into it better. Red Sox in 4.



Yankees versus Indian

This is the big one. I`m sorry to say I don't think the Yanks have much of a chance. Sabbathia deserves the CYA this year and they haven't seen him in years, Carmona has also been excellent and could easily defeat Pettitte, and will the long layoff hurt or help Rocket? The Yankees have the much better position players and a much better bench but studies have shown that offense int he regular season doesn't correlate with offense in the post-season. Peopl can point to Joe Borowski as being the Indians closer and them having a weak back-end of the bullpen but you forget the two other guys they have with ERA's under 2.00. The Yankees can probably match them with Rivera and Joba and probably have a slightly better bullpen but the difference isn't really that big. Postseason experience is a non-factor and so is head to head matchups in the regular season. I see the Indians winning it but they do have a shot. Wang is the kind of guy that sometimes can deliver and unbelievable performance and on certain days can math Sabbathia. If he can win game one then Pettitte-Carmona could really go either way andI like our chances up 2-0 at home with Rocket pitching possibly the last game of his career. This could go either way but the Indians are my pick to win the WS. The Yankees could easily win though. Indians in 5.

I know very little about NL teams and won't embarass myself with a prediction for them

Shelley Duncan DH?

According to Pete Abraham Torre mentioned that Shelley Duncan could DH against C.C. Sabathia instead of Hideki Matsui. Personally I like the idea. Matsui's been hurt lately and slumping and Duncan kills lefties.

Top 10 Prospect Poll

I`ve decided to end the poll here because of all the other things that are going on. Its not perfect and I forgot about a few players like Frank Cervelli and Jesus Montero who probably deserved to make the list but its okay. Anyway, here's the River Avenue Watch Top Ten Yankees Prospect List

1) Phil Hughes
2) Joba Chamberlain
3) Ian Kennedy
4) Jose Tabata
5) Dellin Bettances
6) Carmen Angelini
7) Alan Horne
8) Austin Jackson
9) Ross Ohlendorf
10) Juan Miranda

Yankees end season on high note, head to Playoffs!

The Yankees ended the regular season on Sunday with a 10-4 win over the Baltimore Orioles. The Yankees were led by Manager for a Day Jorge Posada. The Yankees had a great day at the plate. Wilson Betemit had 3 RBIs, Jason Giambi and Bobby Abreu had 2. Alex Rodriguez had an RBI of his own, giving him 156 for the season. The Yankees used several young pitchers which included Joba Chamberlain. Joba retired the only batter he faced. This was a good tune up for the Yankees who are off untill the ALDS starts on Thursday in Cleveland!

Go Yankees!

The Mets Are Kings of New York!!!!

Or not. Maybe all the Mets fans that were saying the Mets are better than the Yankees will finally shut up now that they`ve finished blowing an 8 game lead. Somehow I doubt it.