He's Back...

Well, ladies and gents, that day on your calendars finally has come. The day where you can stare down Mrs. and Mr. Anna Benson when they return to Shea for the first time since being traded.

At this point last year, despite missing most of April with a strained muscle, Benson was a godsend. He was 5-2 with a sub-4 ERA, while Glavine was awful, Trachsel was hurt, Ishii was awful and Zambrano was in the midst of one of the oddest hot streaks ever.

But then things went downhill, as the knock on Benson has been his problems with sustaining good health. Last year, after missing the first month with an injury, Benson just seemed to run out of gas after he was stretched out to 125 pitches against the Dodgers in July, a game I was fortunate enough to attend for the purpose of heckling Jeff Kent. After that game, his starts were a mixed bag of good and bad, the best coming in an 8.1 inning stint against the Padres and the worst his 1.2 inning performance against Esteban Loaiza and the Nats, a game which I attended and will remember as Mike Jacobs' first AB. And first three-run homer.

So, this offseason, little miss Anna did some bad things. First she rails on Delgado as un-American, while noting that her negotiations to pose for Playboy are as American as apple pie. Clearly, this was going to create some tension in the clubhouse. Anna's tendency for being over the top and inflammatory didn't add to her credibility.

So what's a better idea than having a christmas party for kids? Paul Lo Duca and Willie both were there with smiles on their faces. And then Anna and Kris showed up.

Two thoughts:

Can Santas get any skinnier than Kris Benson?

And did Anna really have to wear that dress?

While the answer to both questions was no, the Mets opted to try and find a taker for their Tom Glavine lookalike. Interested teams included the Diamondbacks, who, shopping Javier Vazquez, opted for a package of El Duque and outfield prospect Chris Young from the White Sox, the Royals and the Orioles. The Royals' supposed package included flamethrowing lefty Jeremy Affeldt, but the Mets pushed them to include righty closer Mike MacDougal. The Royals backed down and Baltimore came into the forefront.

They were offering Jorge Julio and a prospect who wasn't Nick Markakis, Chris Ray or Hayden Penn, so Mets fans had a similar reaction to the Mike Cameron-Xavier Nady trade. That's all? Julio was a nutcase with filthy stuff but control problems and the prospect, John Maine, was a 24 year-old whose stuff failed to dominate at the big-league level while he struggled last year. Was Minaya planning to pull the trigger on another deal after weakening his starting corps by subtracting Benson and Jae Seo?

Not really. He signed Jose Lima and Victori Gonzalez. And promoted Brian Bannister.

So the outraged Bensons return to Flushing today to pitch with a purpose.

Up until this year, Benson's only former team was the Pirates. He was unsuccessful in facing them, going 1-1 with a 5.54 ERA against them in two starts, while trying to show up his former manager, Lloyd McClendon, and his staff, who Benson blames for the injury problems.

Against the Mets, though, Benson has been relatively succesful, with a career ERA of 3.47 and a 2-3 record in 7 starts. Let's see if the first family of pitching can do anything against the Mets, who are looking to rebound after a crushing loss last night.

On the topic of Aaron Heilman, he stinks. He flat-out stinks. That's because his pitches are flattening out. I could have hit that changeup he threw to Melvin Mora last night. Right down the middle, nice hang time. Heilman needs to work with the jacket. And, honestly, without Zambrano or Julio around, can't the jacket spare a minute of his ever-valuable time? Fix him so Randolph has a bullpen.

And until he's fixed, Bradford and Feliciano should be pitching the seventh.

Any questions before we start another streak? Good.


CrispAds Blog Ads

What to do about X. Nady?

Well, at least there's something to worry about. The Mets are 40-23, after taking advantage of Philly blunders en route to their sixth straight win and a 7.5 game lead in the NL East with eleven to spare against the Braves. They even have a 15 game headstart on the Marlins, despite the Fish Club's recent hot streak.

And yet there are problems. There's the issue of what to do with Aaron Heilman.
Glavine has been rocked his last two starts. And Soler and Hernandez are touch and go at this point.

The best part about controlling first place, though, is the issue of good problems. Last year the Mets had a big starting pitching surplus that allowed them to get rid of Kaz Ishii, stick Aaron Heilman in the pen, stick Zambrano in the pen and leave top prospect Yusmeiro Petit at AA. While they have not experienced such flexibility with the rotation, as Trachsel sucks and the revolving doors at SP #4 and #5 have yet to be permanently filled, Omar has gotten close to fixing that, all while Jose Lima and Victori Gonzalez have been displaced and Brian Bannister and Victor Zambrano have all the time they want on 60-day DLs. Top prospect "Bats in the" Pelfrey, sizzling after a shaky AA beginning, is not going to be called on out of necessity.

Another surplus is in the outfield. The Mets have five outfielders capable of being everyday players and that's excluding the capable Jose Valentin and Chris Woodward. One is a guaranteed mainstay in Carlos Beltran. If healthy, Cliff Floyd won't be riding pine except the occasional day game after night game or against a tough lefty. So that leaves three players to fill the right field spot. The problem presented is Xavier Nady's prognosis. He should be ready to return to the team in a week, leaving the Mets no longer with a surplus, but with a glut, of outfielders.

Endy Chavez: .300/.341/.425 in 120 AB.

I like Chavez a lot. He's unquestionably a great defensive outfielder who brings a ton of speed to the table. He's versatile at the plate and in the field, as he can hit extra-base hits or lay down a bunt for the base hit. He can play all three outfield positions. He's a left-handed hitter who is susceptible to the strikeout.

Xavier Nady: .267/.331/.484 in 161 AB.

Nady presents an interesting conundrum. He was rushed to the hospital, with an urgent need for an appendectomy, provoking the promotion of Firstings Milledge. X had been providing good power throughout the year, though his production slowed in the last two weeks before being placed on the DL. While a veritable long ball threat, X strikes out a lot and is a weak defensive player. The right-handed hitter was acquired in the offseason for Mike Cameron.

Lastings Milledge: .255/.308/.532 in 47 AB.

Lastings is the toughest to break down. He's more athletic than both Nady and Chavez, but is obviously less experienced. The right-handed hitter has whiffed 12 times in the 47 AB, slightly more than one-fourth of the time. While that will hopefully come down with experience, Lastings needs exactly that. He's not as solid in the field as Chavez and presents greater speed than Nady but he's nearly dropped quite a few balls along the way. He plays both corner outfield spots and could be used as an emergency player in centerfield.

I think the decision here is tougher than it looks. The easy choice would be to give Nady his job back, demote Milledge and stick Chavez back on the bench. And one of those things will come true. Endy Chavez should be on the bench once Floyd returns to the lineup. If Floyd missed a more significant chunk of time, Chavez would probably return to the bench and Milledge would take his spot.

The Mets should trade Xavier Nady. Interested teams could include the Cardinals and Yankees, both of whom are in need of a corner outfielder. Nady could also man first base when Jason Giambi plays DH or until Albert Pujols returns from the DL.

The Lastings Milledge era has begun. It makes no sense for him to go back down to AAA nor does it make sense to have Floyd, Nady or Milledge on the bench in favor of another. Cliff Floyd's stock is at zero, despite a recent hot streak. Let him play and see how things go and take the draft picks in free agency instead of moving him at the deadline.

The only problem is that moving Nady would create a void in one of the corner outfield spots in '07 without anyone to fill it. Carlos Gomez, currently in AA, could be pushed up to the big leagues to fill the spot, though chances are he'd be overmatched.

Don't forget, though, potential free agents in LF include Carlos Lee, Alfonso Soriano, Jose Guillen, Moises Alou, and, dare I say it, Barry Bonds.

Trading Nady is about winning now, and I'd do it. But if I could trade Floyd and get something meaningful in return? That would be ten times better.

Tonight:
Myers vs. Hernandez. SNY/ESPN. 7:05. Let's make it an 8.5 game lead.

CrispAds Blog Ads

Phinishing them off?

First just a quick note--
You may see a changed layout here at Crosstown Rivals. This is not all that has changed, as we will also be adopting new formats in series previews and game recaps here. The series previews will be abbreviated in favor of longer game recaps and general interest articles. This is the first such preview.

Mets:After romping in the desert and shutting up the Hollywood élites, the Mets will now face the Phillies to conclude their road trip. The Mets have the best record in the NL, and the second best in baseball behind Jim Leyland's Tigers. They've nice leads against the rest of the division, including the all-important ten game lead against the Braves. A sweep here, or even two out of three, though, would certainly help the Mets in securing division victory.

Philly pitching is currently plagued by a dearth of capable guys, especially men to set up Tom Gordon. Veteran ace Jon Lieber went down with an injury this year after a sour start and phenom Cole Hamels (1-1, 3.68 ERA) returned only recently from the DL. Changeup artist Ryan Madson (6-3, 5.71 ERA), he of the seven-inning relief stint against the Mets, was forced into the rotation to replace pounded prospect Gavin Floyd (4-3, 7.29 ERA). Callup Eude Brito (0-2, 10.38 ERA), who was recently promoted, was shelled in two outings and sent back down to AAA. So for now, they're going with a four-man rotation featuring ace Brett Myers (4-2, 3.44 ERA), who always seems to pitch well against the Mets, Hamels, ex-Met Cory Lidle (4-5, 4.63 ERA) and Madson. The bullpen has been led by Billy Wagner's replacement, Tom Gordon, who has a 2-2 record with a 1.61 ERA and 18 saves. Arthur Rhodes (3.63 ERA in 25 games) and Ryan Franklin (1-4, 4.71 ERA in 28 games) comprise a double-barreled setup corps. The rest of the bullpen has been pretty good, with lefty specialist Rheal Cormier's 1.25 ERA, versatile righty Geoff Geary's 4-0 record and 2.86 ERA and long man Aaron Fultz's 3.41 ERA. The bullpen also features the inexperienced Clay Condrey and Brian Sanches.

Philly hitting is a mix of both good and bad. Thumping first baseman Ryan Howard came out of his early season power slump and is now near the top of the NL with 22 HR and 54 RBI. He's also hitting .294. Although second baseman Chase Utley has seen his average drop more than twenty points in the last ten days, he's still producing well, hitting .303 with 12 HR and 40 RBI. He always seems to pose problems to the Mets. Jimmy Rollins, whose season began with so much promise on the wings of a hitting streak, has been a drag on the Phillies offense, where he is posting a measly .253/.308/.389 line, despite his recent hot streak. David Bell has also been something of a disappointment, posting a .259 average with a small 4 HR and 24 RBI despite being in a great hitter's park. Starting catcher Mike Lieberthal is on the DL, requiring Sal Fasano to play everyday. He's only batting .253. The outfield, typically a strong one, has been a beneficiary of Pat Burrell's production (16 HR, 47 RBI) despite a .259 average. Aaron Rowand, of the great catch in centerfield, has been pretty good, hitting .290, though he was admirably spelled by Shane Victorino's .327 BA and sheer speed. Bobby Abreu has been his usual on-base machine self in rightfield, posting a .455 OBP while batting .288. He's been a disappointment power-wise, though, hitting only 7 HR at this point in the season. He's driven in 46 runs. Outfield super-sub David Dellucci, acquired earlier in the season from the Rangers, has not produced that much, hitting only .254.

Starters:
Game 1: Tuesday, 7:05
Tom Glavine, LHP (9-2, 3.06 ERA) @ Ryan Madson, RHP (6-3, 5.71 ERA)
Edge: Glavine

Game 2: Wednesday, 7:05 (National TV: ESPN)
Orlando Hernandez, RHP (4-5, 5.48 ERA) @ Brett Myers, RHP (4-2, 3.44 ERA)
Edge: Myers

Game 3: Thursday, 1:05
Steve Trachsel, RHP (3-4, 4.70 ERA) @ Cory Lidle, RHP (4-5, 4.68 ERA)
Edge: Push

Players to Watch for:
PHI: Chase Utley. I can't pick Burrell any more to massacre the Mets because it's starting to lack originality. He has a .289 career BA against the Mets, though, with 7 HR. That's his greatest total against any team.

NYM: Carlos Beltran. Let's keep that crazy train rolling, B-Man!

Player of the Series: Carlos Beltran

Picks: Two of three from the Mets, despite another shaky outing from Trachsel, who pitches like Trash, not like Trach.


CrispAds Blog Ads

What a trip!

This time the Mets really did it. They went out west and took two of three from LA, despite Pedro and Glavine putting together shoddy efforts. They swept four from the D-Backs, who actually were a first place team. They're 6-1 on the trip.

And the Mets have a chance to put a hurting on the Phillies. If they sweep the Phillies at the Bank, the lead in the division becomes 9.5 games... in mid-June! The Mets already have ten game leads against perennial nemesis Atlanta and last year's upstart Nationals. The Marlins are even further smoked.

I'll give credit to Willie and Omar for putting this team together for winning. It can pitch, it can hit and most importantly it can win. But the Mets' dominance over the NL has been overshadowed by a much darker tale.

Jason Grimsley is a rat and people hate him for it. In an attempt to save his own skin, Grimsley sold out some of the steroid users he knew. But instead of the names coming out quickly, like those in the BALCO scandal, and users just coming clean like Jim Leyritz, Grimsley's affadavit had hidden names. Special Agent Jeff Novitzky's black pen caused more controversy in baseball this week than Barry Bonds and Jason Giambi put together. Because the speculation kills.

On Thursday, the excellent blog Deadspin released a story naming names from the affadavit. The story cited an anonymous source who named Albert Pujols' personal trainer Chris Mihlfield as one of the redacted names. I always thought Big Al was a juicer, and at first I thought this was vindication. Finally, there's evidence. And what a coincidence as Albert Pujols went down with a freak injury, nothing more than a strained muscle, a few days before the storm came. He went on the DL immediately and vanished. Was he faking it because he didn't want to take the heat?

But as Mihlfield denied his presence in the affadavit after allegedly receiving confirmation from Grimsley and Grimsley's lawyer, I wondered if Pujols got a fair shot. Here was this player who drew so much steroid suspicion in an era where baseball can't test for HGH and conducts private testing and arbitration for performance enhancing drugs. This time, though, the problem of speculation took over. There's no evidence saying any of this is true.

Albert Pujols is not necessarily a steroid user and he is not necessarily clean. Jason Grimsley, to my knowledge, has suggested exactly that in his affadavit by silence. The Grim One and Pujols only shared a trainer.

So, for now, forget the speculation. Let's play ball with the greatest club in the NL and one of the best Mets teams in recent memory to this point.

Posting Schedule:

Tomorrow: Some excitement for a trip to Philly, Game 1 Wrap-up

Wednesday: What to do about X. Nady, Game 2 Wrap-up

Thursday: Whatever happened to Heath Bell?, Game 3 Wrap-up

Friday: Preview for a showdown with Baltimore, Game 1 Wrap-up

Saturday: Tribute to the returning Kris Benson, Game 2 Wrap-up

Sunday: The wondrous Melvin Mora, Game 3 Wrap-up

Ambitious? Yes... but you'll join me anyway, won't you?

--schuyla.

New Feature

From now on, this will be what Yankee previews and recaps will look like. Picked it up from Yankees Chick, seems like a good idea.

Next Game:
Tues, June 13th:
CLE @ NY, 7:05 PM
Starting Pitchers:
NYY: Wang (6-2, 4.52)
CLE: Byrd (5-4, 5.15)

Last Game:
NYY vs. OAK
Oakland 6-Yankees 5
Good News:
Bob Cano went 3 for 4 with 1 RBI. His average is currently at .323, second on the team behind Jete.
Posada got his groove on with a 2 run shot in the 5th of off Zito
Frank Thomas didn’t play. (whew)
Bad News:
Dan Johnson toyed with us, going two for three with 2 RBI. Oh, and those two, both homers, one the go ahead.
Eric Chavez, two for two, two B’s.
That heinous inside the park HR for Swisher.
Why we lost:
I’ll give you a hint. It starts with Kyle and ends with Farnsworth. Why, Joe, why? I try to back you up, but then you leave Kyle Farnsworth in for 6 batters. WHY?
Shawn Chacon didn’t do his part either, in a downright ugly start. As much as I hate to say it, his ERA is up to 5.23.
Andy Phillips and Miguel Cairo. I don’t have any real evidence, but why does it seem like they keep coming up in important situation. They’re outs, plain and simple. Oh, here’s some evidence. Andy left 4 on base,
Bernie Williams batted 5th. I love the guy, but WHAT?
Final Thoughts:
Well, we’ve lost four straight. I knew this series would be bad but I wasn’t thinking sweep. Compound this with David “Everyone thinks I’m so clutch” Ortiz’s walkoff shot, and we’re 1.5 back of the Sawx heading to Cleveland. Time to stop the bleeding guys, go out there and have a good series. Nobody wants to see this homestand get ugly.

CrispAds Blog Ads

Trade Rumors (Part 1)

Over the past few months (since Godzilla’s booboo), trade rumors, as they do every year, are swirling around the Bronx. Up until now, I had decided to abstain from succumbing to the ideas, but now, I figure, if you can’t beat the rumors, join ‘em. Here is a list of possibilities (that include the Yanks), how I feel about them, and how likely I believe it is that they’re gonna go down.
YANKEE TRADE RUMORS (PART 1)

Barry Zito:
As much as the addition of yet another pitcher born to fail in the Bronx would amuse me, this one is not happening. The A’s wouldn’t want to get rid of him unless they’re sure they won’t win their division, and as I have already expressed, I believe they are a lock out West. Furthermore, are Cash and Boss ready to accept the media backlash of trading away someone like Hughes? Do they even want to trade Hughes? And most importantly, is Hughes even enough to satisfy the deal? I don’t think Zito’s going anywhere, but if he does, don’t look for him wearing pinstripes.
Grades:
Do I like it? C- Will it happen? D

Bobby Abreu:
I love Bobby. I really do. The way I see it, we add someone with a great power/speed number, don’t pick up the option on Sheff, and we’re set. Sure, Abreu is due more than Sheff in ’07, but he’s also more valuable. That is, if he isn’t on the roids. In addition to this, that Victorino kid would need to keep playing well, and I don’t see any long term success in this future. The only question is what do the Phils want for him? The universal problem for the Phillies is pitching, so it seems to be Hughes or maybe if they’re desperate someone like Steven White w/ another lower level prospect thrown in. In addition to this, I don’t think Abreu has got the starpower that Steinbrenner wants.
Grades:
Do I like it? B+ Will it happen? C-

Alfonso Soriano:
No no no no no no. Please. Listen, I loved this kid as much as the guy, but what we can least afford right now is another problem child. Although it is in our nature to sell the team’s soul for 45 HR’s, I don’t know if George wants him back. It would be a kick for him to end up with A-Rod and Soriano, considering the trade. Kinda like an ego-trip or something. As much as I want to believe that Sori would shut up and play in NY, it’s too much of a risk. Plus, you’ve seen the guy swing at every pitch within a mile; do you really think Donnie Baseball can fix that? Also, we’re forgetting the most important part. We don’t have to give anything up to get him. He’s an FA at the end of this season; we can just scoop him up then. I honestly don’t think we’re stupid enough to make a trade when we can have a go at the guy in like 100 games. If we trade for him now (does he have a no trade clause?) we might have to give up something for an unhappy player. If we wait, we give him an offer and if he doesn’t want to play for us, he refuses us.
Grades:
Do I like it? D Will it happen? D-


Reggie Sanders:
Ah, Reggie. A nice piece of the puzzle that can help us win a ring. He’s not gonna bitch and moan, he’s not worth THAT much (about 5 mil), and we can drop him in two years. What’s the problem? We’d have to give up a whole less to get him; I mean we’re dealing with the Royals after all. They’d probably ask for Duncan or if they’re feeling bold Tabata, we’d say no way in hell, they’ll be intimidated and just be like, oh, we’ll take Matt DeSalvo in that case. They don’t want Reggie there. They’ve got this Costa fellow. All Sanders is doing is eating up cap space during a worthless season. Give him to us, get a couple bad prospects, everyone goes home happy, right? So he’s having a down year. He’ll pick it back up with a few bats around him. They better not ask for too much though, because we better not give any real talent away.
Grades:
Do I like it? A- Will it happen? B


Coming in part 2!
Carlos Lee, Jose Guillen, and Craig Wilson stop by, as well as Adam Dunn and Shannon Stewart in lieu of their higher regarded trade bait teammates! Sounds like good fun. Will Pedro Feliz make a guest appearance? Who knows?

DyslexiA

CrispAds Blog Ads

Top Ten Yankees Returns!

All you Crosstown faithful out there (you do exist, I presume) should surely remember my short lived series on the top 10 Yankees since 1918. My #10 was DiMaggio, which led to a little criticism that he was not higher, with one lifelong Yankee hater saying that Daig was everything a ballplayer should be and more. Well, that decision will draw far less controversy than the one I am about to make. If I don’t write another entry after this, it is because I have been bludgeoned to death by an angry mob of old-school Yankee fans.

The #9 greatest Yankee since 1918:

Derek Jeter: Shortstop: 1995-present

First, the numbers please.

1996: .314/.370/.430 w/ 10 HR, 78 RBI, 14 SB (157 G)
1997: .291/.370/.405 w/ 10 HR, 70 RBI, 23 SB (159 G)
1998: .324/.384/.481 w/ 19 HR, 84 RBI, 30 SB (149 G)
1999: .349/.438/.552 w/ 24 HR, 102 RBI, 19 SB (158 G)
2000: .339/.416/.481 w/ 15 HR, 73 RBI, 22 SB (148 G)
2001: .311/.377/.480 w/ 21 HR, 74 RBI, 27 SB (150 G)
2002: .297/.373/.421 w/ 18 HR, 75 RBI, 32 SB (157 G)
2003: .324/.393/.450 w/ 10 HR, 52 RBI, 11 SB (119 G-damn you Sean Burroughs!)
2004: .292/.352/.471 w/ 23 HR, 78 RBI, 23 SB (154 G)
2005: .309/.389/.450 w/ 19 HR, 70 RBI, 14 SB (159 G)

Add that all together and what do you get?
A lifetime average of .314, an OBP of .386, and 1936 H (he got to 2000 earlier this year). Perhaps not exactly HOF or Yankee great numbers when taken out of context. After all, he only averages about 20/80 per 162. I could go all ESPN Classic and say 5 reasons you can’t blame Derek Jeter for not putting up HOF numbers. No? Alright no. I’ll just state my case for why he’s the 9th greatest Yankee since 1918.
First, it’s important to understand that this list isn’t based solely on statistics. We all can at least agree that one’s greatness cannot be measured only by his stats. In basketball, they’re called intangibles. Clyde’ll tell you that Kurt Thomas had a lot of those. In baseball, as in every other sport, these behind the scene ‘stats’ are extremely important, and it is in these intangibles that Jeter’s greatness lies.
First, we look at DJ’s defense. He’s only won 2 GG, one in ’04 and one last year. But that doesn’t tell the entire story. Schuyla’ can attest to the fact that Maddux’s 63 Gold Gloves weren’t all merited. Before Jeter, there was Ozzie. During Jeter, unfortunately, was a man by the name of Omar Vizquel. Don’t get me wrong, Omah was great defensively, but right around that ’96-’01 range, people just decided that giving it to him was easier than having to make a real choice. I loved his remarkable DP’s, but he certainly did not deserve the 9 straight that he got. On top of this, Jeter patented the away from the base across the body in the air throw that 11 year olds across the nation constantly mimic in their backyard. Compound this with his amazing ability to field way out of his range (more on this later), and the fact that he only makes about 15 errors a year (great for a shortstop. In contrast, Ozzie made about 16/17 a year.), and you have one of the best defensive shortstops of this quarter century, along with Vizquel, Smith, and possibly Larkin.
Next, we find Jeter the captain. Jeter the veteran. Jeter the postseason hero. The Jeter who always seemed to play beyond his years. First things first. He has the most hits in postseason history. Granted, longer series played a factor, but that is still no small feat. Jeter is the foundation of arguably one of the greatest dynasties in baseball history. Old players left and new came, but Jeter was a constant. He doesn’t freeze up on the biggest stage either. Two time World Series MVP will attest to that. On top of all this, he is the ideal leader. He is razor straight, no scuffles, just positive words with even more positive results. He was the center of what is called the best team of all time (’98), and no matter how much he’s supposed to age, he keeps putting up consistently great numbers. Many counted him out after a few sub par years, but here he is this year, hitting for great average, on pace for 90 ribbies. He is their face, their soft spoken Capitan, and most importantly, he ALWAYS hustles. Most of all, he’s as clutch as anyone out there. Will anyone ever forget how he absolutely controlled that series against Oakland in ’01? Not only the Jeremy Giambi play, but in game 5, that ridiculous diving catch that all but sealed the series. Here’s a link to DJ’s ‘top ten clutch plays of all time’.
You gotta love Mr. November.
And finally, it’s his…greatness. The Aura, as I like to call it, that he emanates. He goes out there every day, and he expects to win. To most, never knowing what it’s like to lose could be a weakness, but to Jeter, it’s something that keeps him going. He does not want to learn what it’s like to lose. And he is the driving force behind this team. I am absolutely convinced that without Derek Jeter the 2006 Yankees are not a playoff team. He is one of the only ones left (him, Bernie, and Georgie) that still has the mentality that the dynasty carried with it. And without that mentality, that swagger, this team is exactly what everyone hopes it will be. A dislocated bunch of overpaid superstars. If being the glue holding a dynasty together isn’t great, I don’t know what is. And that’s why Derek Jeter is the 9th greatest Yankee since 1918. (Oh, and also being the ROY and a six time all star doesn’t hurt either.)

Next up on the list, #8.
Whitey Ford: Pitcher: 1950-1967

See ya then, folks.
DyslexiA

CrispAds Blog Ads

Blunder, Be Gone!

I was happy when it happened.

Even though we didn't get Tejada despite his history with Art Howe, we got the next best thing.

That winter day, I was excited. I watched the press conference. I watched him place a 1986 championship ring on and I listened as he would say his first and last English words: I love New York.

But it was all downhill from there. Kazuo was supposed to be a great shortstop. A power hitter, a stolen base threat and a slick fielder. Fan favorite Bobby Valentine, pioneer of Japanese baseball, told us he would surely be great.

Look at these numbers:
1996: .283/.307/.357/1 HR/29 RBI/50 SB/22 2B/5 3B (130 G)
1997: .309/.362/.431/7 HR/63 RBI/62 SB/23 2B/13 3B (135 G)
1998: .311/.370/.442/9 HR/58 RBI/43 SB/38 2B/5 3B (135 G)
1999: .330/.389/.482/15 HR/67 RBI/32 SB/29 2B/4 3B (135 G)
2000: .322/.372/.560/23 HR/90 RBI/26 SB/40 2B/11 3B (135 G)
2001: .308/.365/.496/24 HR/76 RBI/26 SB/28 2B/2 3B (140 G)
2002: .332/.389/.617/36 HR/87 RBI/33 SB/46 2B/6 3B (140 G)
2003: .305/.365/.549/33 HR/84 RBI/13 SB/36 2B/4 3B (140 G)

Pretty good for a player blossoming into his own, with power growing with age. Doubles machine with good power and above average SB. Now look at these numbers.

2004: .272/.331/.396/7 HR/44 RBI/14 SB/32 2B/2 3B (114 G)
2005: .255/.300/.352/3 HR/24 RBI/6 SB/9 2B/4 3B (87 G)
2006: .200/.235/.269/1 HR/7 RBI/2 SB/6 2B/0 3B (38 G)

They appear to have been put up by a different player. Vanished are the great HR and 2B numbers. Some of that comes with facing tougher American pitching. Japanese pitchers typically don't throw as hard, save for Daisuke Matsuzaka.

But Jason Grimsley made me think this week. Kaz's 2004, despite a terrible defensive effort at short, was not much of a difference from his previous numbers. Sure, it would have been a down year, and he was woeful slugging, but he would have hit about 12-15 HR and 40 2B if he didn't miss most of August and September. In 2005, MLB attached penalties to positive steroid tests. Power started to disappear. Justin Morneau hit more homers than Sammy Sosa. And Kaz Matsui's promising career at the plate also went away.

I didn't want to think it, at first, with Kaz's smiling face and undying work ethic. He never said one sour word about the fans who made it their goal to break his spirit. But like how accused juicer Miguel Tejada is a thoroughly natural 5' 9", 220 lb., weighing about 50 pounds more than his second baseman, Brian Roberts, of the same height, Kaz Matsui's numbers made no sense. I never saw him play in Japan and have only seen snippets of video, but his stats made little or no sense watching him steroid-free the last two years. I can't remember him getting more than ten balls over the past two years to the warning track on the fly.

One more important thing: There was no steroid testing in Japanese baseball when Matsui starred for the Seibu Lions. I liked Matsui and valued him as a player who was about helping the team. I know he was also not emotionally healthy in New York, as the pressurized environment clearly did not sit well with him. He performed admirably coming off the DL last September and won a job. He played well supplanting Anderson Hernandez at 2B at the start of this season. Things, as has been the pattern since arriving in America, went downhill for Kaz after that. This year he played much better defensively than ever before, outdoing Valentin and Woodward at second base, while trailing only faint memories of Anderson Hernandez's magic in the field and circus catches.

He failed at the plate soon after that. Although he smacked a key double against the Braves in the Victor Zambrano Remarkable Exit Game to gain a temporary reprieve, he fell from that point. And after Jose Valentin found his stroke, Kaz was officially supplanted at second base. Willie had to be careful to say that Valentin was not "the second baseman" if only because that would make Kaz Matsui's value zero minus whatever was left on his contract. If he could only play second, and Valentin was the second baseman, Kaz would be confined to pinch-hitting. And he's a career .185 pinch-hitter who clearly needs to see pitchers a bit before facing them.

Second base has been cursed for the Mets since Robbie Alomar replaced Edgardo Alfonzo, who coincidentally was also a likely steroid user. Alomar fell apart in New York, watching his average plummet and finally calling it a career during the middle of a 2005 Devil Rays spring training game. Alfonzo's career has also vanished too, as he has posted a .111 average on the season with the Angels and Blue Jays. He's driven in 4 runs in 28 games.

Kaz and most of what's left on his contract for journeyman utilityman Eli Marrero isn't exactly a fair deal in the upside category. He's a .244 career hitter with a mere 64 HR to his name. He's played for the Cardinals, Braves, Orioles, Royals and Rockies, the last four teams coming in the last four years. Marrero is versatile, though, having played left field and right field this year as well as catcher and first base. Marrero's niches are already filled nicely on the team by Endy Chavez, Lastings Milledge, Julio Franco and Ramon Castro, but the Mets made this trade for one reason. He's not Kaz Matsui. He won't inspire booing unless he fails, and even in that case it will certainly not contain the tenacity and ferocity that Kaz's did.

This blog wishes the former Met best of luck in Colorado Springs (AAA) while he tunes up as an everyday player at shortstop and second base. In all honesty, it's a situation which will benefit both parties. Matsui can get some everyday time in the thin air and the Rockies can take a free gamble on an athletic player who can spell starting shortstop Clint Barmes, who is presently batting .212. All in all, the Kaz Matsui experiment was a gamble that didn't pay off. But everyone involved deserves a little bit of credit for trying. Best of luck to JoVal as well.

I'm Back!

Yankees DL List:
O. Dotel 15-day DL
T. Sturtze 60-day DL
D. Rasner 15-day DL
H. Matsui 15-day DL
B. Crosby 15-day DL
G. Sheffield 15-day DL
S. Chacon 15-day DL
C. Pavano 15-day DL
Goodness gracious me. That is horrendous. Add Derek and Johnny, and Mariano (not on the DL, but 'hurt'), anf you've got a list longer than Santa's. I mean, we called up Kevin Thompson for Chrissakes. I get everyone's love interest with him, but he's not ready yet. Oh, I almost forgot. Nick Green!

Whew, that Sawx game was ugly. (Except for Bernie's shot. Hooray.) Congrats, Schill, you’re the winningest pitcher in the AL. God that makes me sick. Now we get ready for the historically slow starting A’s, who sit three and a half back of the Rangers. The A’s were my pick to win the West, and I still feel that if they can make it to the all star break at .500, they’re a lock. They’re playing in an AL West without a quality team. The Rangers will fade as they always do, bogged down by a consistent lack of pitching. The Mariners are still developing out there, and are no way close to ready to make any sort of run. And the Angels… well, they’re not as bad as everyone makes them out to be, but they are still far too old with a bunch of underachievers. That being said, Oakland isn’t exactly money either, but they are the best of the bunch. They have a lot of young, quality pitching, a talented infield, and a force in the Big Hurt. We’ll lose tonight with The Unit on the hill, as even with those two good starts against Detroit and Baltimore, he still a subpar pitcher. I like Danny Haren, he’s got some good pitches. Look for Moose to beat Loaiza behind some strong run support and yet ANOTHER quality start. And finally, I see Yankee punching bag Barry Zito getting the monkey off his back, beating off the DL Chacon in a highly contested game.
A’s Take Two Out of Three, and we’ll head to Cleveland a half game back of the Sawx.

Well, it’s all going downhill after this Grimsley affair. It has been revealed that Yank favorite Jim Leyritz (I know I loved him), was a cheater. Honestly, I hope we set a precedent by NOT forgiving but accepting it. If every user that comes forth is met with instantaneous hatred, we’re gonna see a whole lot less truth than if we understand that these men made some bad choices. Leyritz was a scrapper, a fighter, and a cheater. He deserves whatever criticism he receives, but don’t turn your back on him. We’re going to be seeing many more stories identical to his. If anything, he should be praised for being a pioneer. Hopefully, he will be the first of many to come forth.

“Oh, it’s not a serious injury!” and, “Sheff just doesn’t care about the game.” “No possibility of a break.” Well, not quite. A torn ligament. Wait a second before you criticize the guy, he may not have always been the greatest or forthright teammate and player, but at least give him a chance. He’s not all bad, and he was sitting out for a reason. Now, he’s out until September, and we’ll have to make due with a right fielder by committee. I don’t really think we’ll miss him.

Oh, right. I almost forgot to mention it. Johnny Drennen. Ah… how sweet it is. Keep that ball, kid, you just hit a dinger off the most hated pitcher in baseball. Let’s hope this is the first of many for the Rocket. (Oh, and by the way, I’m not bitter; I honestly did not want him in the Bronx. He’s a little punk, or a big punk, I suppose. I hope the Stros get burned for giving him a job.)

DyslexiA

Hello... Didnt See You Come In

I love rainy days. Apparently, the same does not apply for Yankee Stadium, so we’ll have to settle for a 3 game sweep. I find it amazing how even with all the publicity the Mets have been receiving, we still have a better record. And that’s in a division that doesn’t include two league punching bags like the Fins and Nats. Could there be a change in the cards? A day where Unit Signs with Yankees is relegated to 2nd tier while Pedro Signs with Mets takes the limelight? That would certainly be interesting. A world in which the Mets were the most important baseball team in New York. It could be just around the corner…

This Jason Grimsley thing has absolutely BLOWN ME OUT OF THE WATER. I mean WHO! (WHO I ask you?) would ever have suspected that a drug that these PROFESSIONALS would be using a performance enhancing drug that the MLB doesn’t test for? I guess my foresight isn’t what it used it be. The funniest part is probably the reaction of all those users out there. Cant you imagine them all scurrying around, wondering ‘who’s gonna be the one to bust us? Al? Miggy? Sammy? BAM! One dose of a 38 year old sub-par Diamondback pitcher and it all goes to hell. Classic. More on this in the coming days.

TOP TEN MOST LIKELY TO BE ON HGH:

• Steve Kline



• Darren Oliver



• Jason Kendall

...seriously now...

• Julio Franco! (I’m crazy)



• Miguel Tejada
• 
  
  
• David Ortiz (why is his name not mentioned more frequently?)



• Albert Pujols (sorry all you “he’s good for the game” people)



• Sammy Sosa (yeah he’s in the past but he’s gotta be mentioned)



• Jim Thome



• Jason Giambi



• Some struggling middle reliever



• Every self-respecting power hitter in the AL not on the Yankees.

I am personally proud of the fact that Miguel Cairo, Andy Phillips, oft injured Bubba and Melky have all at one point been an integral part of our team. I mean it’s unbelievable. The worst part is, I don’t know when it happened, but at one point ONE too many people noticed that we’re gritting out ballgames and now everyone hates us for it. I know it’s chic to hate the Yankees, but we’re doing a lot of good things out there. It’s outstanding actually that we continue to win ball games with a make shift outfield. These players are going out there, many of them injured, and playing their ass off, proving that Sheff and Idiot are expendable and that, as much as we love Godzilla, he’s replaceable. And yet, the same way that our wins come from our mentality, so does the hatred. People are addicting to hating them. It’s a little frightening, and frankly, pathetic. There’s this whole idea that because George spends so much, the media is always picking on Goliath. Well what happens when Goliath isn’t Goliath anymore? Assuming DJ and Idiot don’t play, we’re looking at non-injured former starters in a declining Jorge, developing Robby, recovering Giambi and underachieving (in theory)/despised A-Rod. Give it up.



Oh and speaking of DJ, how are all those people who were calling him underrated doing now? It was one of the biggest travesties I’ve ever seen, and Jeter his doing his part every day to dispel the notion. In my humble opinion, he is the best shortstop in the league when you evaluate every facet of the game. Miguel Tejada is nice, but can he play the defense DJ can? Oh and what about that constantly overrated QUALITY YOUNGSTER Michael Young? I don’t understand everyone’s infatuation with the fellow. The two are practically the same age, contrary to popular belief, and Jeter is better in every significant statistical category. He’s got an OPS of .930. He’s hitting .344, good for 4th in the AL. (Oh and by the way, what is the whole Joe Mauer business? Is he actually good? I thought that was just a tale people told their children to help them sleep at night.)

Have a little crow, all you major leaguers who called him overrated. He’s the perfect face for the most recognizable team in sports, a good guy, a great player. And, as Schuyla would tell you, he’s from a quality interracial couple. What’s the problem?



Kudos to Schuyla on that ridiculously extensive draft coverage. In all honesty, I’m not much of a draftaholic, or even a prospectaholic. If it’s not happening in the bigs, then I probably don’t care. My only insights are the fact that we were right to emphasize pitching, as that is what we’ll be lacking in in about 5 years, I like this Trojan fellow, Kennedy, and Joba is arguably the strangest name I have ever encountered. Joba? Jesus that’s weird.



Alright that’s all for now. Check out Yanks Sawx tomorrow on the Deuce.

Peace + Bigups

Dyslexia

CrispAds Blog Ads