I thought they weren't going to pull it out. I thought Bruce Chen would choke, and come up small like he usually does.
But he was beautiful tonight, giving the Mets a chance to win, unlike he usually does. John Franco and Armando Benitez did a frustrating job in relief, giving up the goahead run. I wouldn't be surprised if Chen never plays for another team after he leaves the Mets. Franco and Benitez too.
I feared a team batting Tsuyoshi Shinjo fifth against a hard thrower like Jason Marquis, born and bred in Manhasset, NY, would fare poorly. But Shinjo has a long and great career in the states ahead of him, no need to worry.
Fonzie has been slumping after he came back from injury, only hitting .247 with that bad back. Nevertheless, he won't be on the decline. I'd be shocked if he ever leaves the elite of the major leagues.
I was a little upset about the way the rest of the team hit against Marquis too, especially with Matt Lawton appearing to be worth nothing compared to Rick Reed's consistency. He's definitely never taken any substances to enhance his performance.
It was tough seeing Bernard Gilkey in another team's uniform, trying to beat us. And it bugs me to hear these foolish stories about Larry Jones moving to left to accommodate former MVP Ken Caminiti. I don't want to spread any rumors, but doesn't it look like Caminiti might be on steroids? I dunno, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was true.
And man, Julio Franco's getting old. I'm thinking he'll definitely call it a career after this year.
Javy Lopez did a nice job for Atlanta, going three-for-four. So did Chipper and Brian Jordan.
But it was all for naught. Why, do you ask? Because of Mike Piazza. He's the greatest player in the history of this franchise, saving us from the bring on a night where we needed it most. I'll give up if he ever plays for another team or if the Mets ever do wrong by him. Even if he's in a wheelchair, this man belongs behind the plate in Flushing.
On a night when we all shed a tear for the great metropolis, making an attempt to return to glory after the terrorists destroyed our buildings, Mike Piazza cried with us, but with one swing of his Mizuno bat, a pitch from native New Yorker Steve Karsay went over the centerfield fence. And things were okay again.
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What? Rain delay? Sometimes it's hard not to get caught up in the drama of it all.
And on that dark Friday night in September 2001, there was no shortage of drama.
Starting Lines: Sidney Ponson: 6.2 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 5 SO, 1 HR Joel Pineiro: 6 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO, 1 HR
Good News: Andy Phillips is good. Solo homer and that 2B down the line to get the 9th going. Would have had another extra base hit if not for Beltre's great play at third. Nick Green is a man on fire. Ignoirng the fact that he's still hitting .157, a 3-3 game is never not good news. Keep it rolling. Aaron Guiel continues to produce. 1 AB, 1 RBI off of one of the best closers in baseball. Phillips at second and Damon at 1st. Good stuff. Also, priceless when a bad pickoff throw almost sails over the clearly undersized Damon and the whole team has a laugh. Johnny Damon having a good time. I liked it when he caught the helmet that Melky threw into the air and slammed it down. He's a good guy I guess. Melky, of course. That ball was a screamer. Oh, if you didn't know, he hit a GWHR in the 11th. Larry Bowa's enthusiasm. Sidnew Ponson having a good 1st game after a rough start. Another hard fought win keeps us in stride with the Jon Lester's.
Bad News: Richie Sexson. The fact that we were essentally shut down by Joel Pineiro. Adam Jones, although it's always nice to see a kid get his 1st major league hit. One of the most absurd rain delays I've ever seen. I mean has anyone ever seen a rain delay in the bottom of the ninth, 2 outs, 3-1, tie ball game and one of the team's most dangerous batters up. Perplexing. A tainted win due to the bad call at 1st on Po-Po's grounder.
Final Thought: This is it, this is the run we're gonna go on and we're not gonna look back. Five in a row and no signs of slowing down. Let's do it boys.
Other News: Did anyone see Reggie Abercrombie's ridiculous bunt single/inside the park home run? One of the strangest things I've seen in a while.
Buck O'neill played today in some sort of professional game. It was really kind of uplifting, apart from the swing he took. You hope the guy's having a good time out there.
The Braves are HOT HOT HOT. Yes, my WC pick is on a roll. I swear to God if they make the playoffs I am having a party and nobody else is invited. Pummeled the Cards who threw crazy man Jason Marquis at them. How can an 11 win guy have those 2 awfulllll starts against the White Sox and Braves. Makes no sense. Oh and my NL MVP pick? You know, just a little 5-5 with 2 HR and 6 RBI's. Nothing too much.
Francisco Liriano is a freak. The much hyped young phenom duel was plenty one sided. Kaz is good, but he's not Liriano good. Forget ROY, what about CYA?
Word has it Abreu and the Phils are asking too much. If we were to trade for him, they'd likely ask for Hughes and the only way Abreu is gonna waive his no-trade is if we agree to pick up his little SIXTEEN MILLION dollar option. Not happening. Soriano maybe going to Detroit and Maddux is a possibility in LA, says local silly man Jayson Stark.
White Sox continue to beat up on the Tiggers. They will fade. Mark my words.
Beltran hit a GS in this 2nd consecutive game. Neat.
Jon Lester is good. Whoopdedoo. Dancing in the streets. He went 8 and only gave up 1 hit. Impressive to say the least. He's 5-0 now.
That's all for now. Cya people on the morrow. Dyslexia.
Well, it's official. Crosstown Rivals is broadening its horizons. Yes, it is true, we will now be following all 4 major sports here in this fine blogging establishment. Give 4-6 days for delivery. However, since basketball and hockey so deliciously coincide, I will be taking over as resident basketball blogger (Knicks) and Schuyla will be bringing his stuff to hockey (Rangers). As for football, well although I do like the Jets, the Gints are my team. The Jets will be left to my partner in crime. As of late, I've been bogged down by a series of computer issues (I'm starting to think I have bad computer karma), but I've fought through every imaginable problem this damn thing has to offer and I will continue my midsummer grades. Today, it gets a little uglier as we head to the personal achilles heel of the Yanks, pitching.
Lets dive right in.
Randy Johnson: Well, there's not all that much to say about a guy who, although he is supposedly our ace, sports a 5 and change ERA. His record of 10-7 is acceptable, but the fact that we're getting a pitcher that throws 91 and hits the corners instead of a fireball intimidator who hit 98 at times and blew it by batters is a little dissapointing. He's not the same guy he was in Arizona, and when you consider that his lifetime ERA is a tad over 3, it makes this season even more hard to understand. Did RJ wake up one morning, aged? It's hard to say, but his erratic play earns him a C.
Mike Mussina: For those of you that don't know, Mike Mussina is my hero. Yes he has never won 20 games, but I still believed at the beginning of the year that he was more valuable than Pedro. And I think I've been validated. He has 11 wins up to this point, and his ERA is at a respectable 3.30. But it's not just this that makes him our best starter. It's just how alarmingly often he gets quality starts. 6 IP, 2 ER, 7 IP, 3 ER, these are lines that you see all the time from Moose, and frankly, with this kind of offense, it's hard to lose those games. I still maintain that he should have been an All-Star, but I'll settle for just a superb season, I suppose. An A/A-.
Jaret Wright: I have issues with Jaret Wright. They start with the fact that he has a very difficult time getting past the 6th inning, and due to this, Farnsworth almost always ends up in the game. I understand that he's been a whole lot more useful than Pavano, and I suppose he's a servicable 3 starter, but the question remains, why did we acquire Wright?, a man with a 5+ ERA for his career. In any event, I'm not a huge fan of his work, but his relatively decent ERA f 4.29 and his ability to fill a spot in the rotation earns him a C+/C.
Chien-Ming Wang: Wang is good. I love this kid. Every once in a while he'll dazzle us with brilliance and it just makes me wonder what he'll be like in a few years. The amount of groundball outs he gets is absurd, and I personally believe his sinker is top 15 pitches in all of baseball. In him, I believe we have the best 4 starter in baseball, and I wouldn't be surprised if he went on a tear and got awfully close to 20 wins. Besides Mussina, he has been our best asset, and for this, he gets an A-/B+.
Shawn Chacon: Doy. What happened? He was our secret weapon, capable of going 7 and allowing only 2 or 3 ER. I don't understand how he could go from so bad in Colorado, to so good here, to so bad again. It's one of the biggest mysteries of our pitching staff, and with the acquisition of Ponson, who starts tonight against the M's, he's out of a starting job. If Ponson can be stable, that might be it for Chacon in the Bronx. I doubt we'll try him in the bullpen seriously, in which case he'll either be DFA'ed, waived, or traded. We'll see. However, his 6.7 ERA is a joke, and not a very funny one. Goddamn Alaskans. D-.
Sidney Ponson: It'll be interesting to se how he does tonight in his 1st game with us, but with no evidence to back up my grade, he gets the ever sought after N/A.
Sturtze/Dotel/Pavano: Yes I'm packaging these injured pitchers into one category. And I'm giving them a goddamn F for being so goddamn injured. Useless bastards. Actually I kinda like Dotel, but Sturtze would have gotten an F either way. In fact, I'm giving Tanyon a B+ for not entirely ruining our season. Whatever. Scott Proctor: Um, well he's Scott Proctor. Honestly, Icouldn't think of a more mediocre player. He doesnt do anything to stand out, but doesn't invite boobirds either. He's respectable, that's all that can really be said. What an average guy. Average can be good though sometimes. And for being so average, Proctor gets a B-/C+.
Mike Myers: I like Mike Myers. The Austin Powers movies were especially good. Haha, I must be the 1st person to make that joke. My wit is unmatched. But seriously. I really do like Myers. First of all, he's a reliable arm in the pen, who's not going to overpower anybody, but can get some outs. he's stability, and stability in the bullpen is one thing who's stock is rising this season. I think he's our 2nd best reliever, and come postseason, he could be very valuable. B+.
Kyle Farnsworth: There were questions when he came to New York. He was a hothead with a wild arm and they didn't know whether or not Farnsworth could hold up under the constant pressure. He has done nothing to shut his critics up. Although at times he has been very good, he seems to unravel when it matters most. Take Saturday for example. He came in, retired Dye and Konerko in a ver impressive inning. Then Torre shows his confidence in him by letting him come out for the 8th. Disaster. In the end, Mo had to come in and clean up. He's not terrible but he's npt very good either. C/C-.
Ron Villone: I really like Ron Villone. He's a lefty weapon and he gets outs. Once again, nothing dazzling, but day in and day out he's very reliable. He strikes out a very impressive 1 an inning and is just generally very useful to Torre. Whether or not he's used as much as he should is up for debate, but he can count me as a fan. A-/B+.
Mariano Rivera: Ol' Reliable is having another good year, on pace for a 42 or 43 save season. He's not as lethal as he once was, often digging holes for himself, but he's masterful at getting out of these jams and when he's on, he's as untouchable as ever. His sub 2 ERA will attest to that. But hey, he's just Mo being Mo. A.
In other news: A-Rod is getting his toe x-rayed. It was injured after he fouled a ball of his foot in the midst of that disaster of a game. Shouldn't be more than a bruise.
Ponson makes his first start tonight. He'll be going up against Joel Piniero. Should be fun.
Rumor has it that the Mets are holding Jeff Keppinger out of the AAA lineup because the 26-year old utilityman is part of a trade with his former organization (Pittsburgh Pirates).
I don't really know much more than that, but the boys at MLB Trade Rumors inspired me. Read the full report here.
Nevertheless, if something goes down, Crosstown Rivals will be the third or fourth blog to bring it to you.
EDIT: Amazin' Avenue has the story about a possible Keppinger-for Ruben Gotay swap. Gotay's a fringe prospect who regressed last season after a strong showing in a cup of coffee in 2005. There's not a ton to talk about here.
A few other quick hits:
I always tell Dyslexia that Atlanta's Wilson Betemit is the best player in the big leagues and is bound to be a big star.
Tonight: He went 4 for 6, hitting a homer (8) and a double (14), driving in five runs while scoring three. He's now hitting .298 on the season. Sure, it was against Jeff Weaver, but still. He's the best player.
Alex Rodriguez just cost me an entire week in fantasy. 3 errors in one damn game? Come on!
Doug Mientkiewicz is still a prick. I'm almost embarrassed to be able to spell his last name.
And all bickering aside, we're glad to see that Peter Gammons is out of the hospital. Unfortunately, most victims of ruptured aneurysms either die or fail to regain much of their previous mental function. We wish him best of luck with his rehab.
I thought about that statement before I said it. Because even though they stink, the moundmen of Flushing have the best ERA in the National League. Think about it. How bad must the pitching throughout baseball be if a team that gave a bunch of automatic loss starts to Victor Zambrano, Jeremi Gonzalez, Alay Soler and (most of all) Jose Lima has the best ERA in the major leagues? Huh? They're third in the league in strikeouts with a staff that has been led by Steve Trachsel for the past two months. Huh?
They've allowed the fourth fewest hits in the league (with last night's Cubs allowing the fewest) on a staff where their ace has been battling an injury and their next best starter has seen his ERA climb nearly a full run in his last ten starts. Huh?
It's sort of like that Winston Churchill quotation. "Democracy is the worst form of government, except all the others that have been tried." The Mets' pitching staff is the worst in all of baseball, except all the other ones.
So does anyone really care if they make a deal? In a market where Livan Hernandez costs you Lastings Milledge and Barry Zito costs you Milledge, Heilman, Bannister, Wright, Reyes, Pedro, Beltran and Delgado, does it really make sense for the Mets to make a deal?
I'm thinking no. Pelf/Maine/The Amazing Disappearing Brian Bannister is probably a better way to go.
Even if we'd be able to bring back the man they call Kristin, otherwise known as Mr. Anna. He'd probably cost us Milledge, too.
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Last night, the Mets did their best Spinal Tap imitation, and went to eleven. If you haven't seen This is Spinal Tap, you should probably view the below clip and then stop reading this blog and go rent the movie.
Anyway, you probably all know that the inning was the best in franchise history, two grand slams by left-handed hitters that went to left-centerfield and finally an epiphany about how the Cubs of Saturday were an aberration.
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I figured all hope was lost for this Mets team, with the "Don't look now, we concede nothing" Braves fast charging. They've moved to 43-49, winning their last 5, while on an 8-2 roll in the past ten.
Forecasting the Braves, it seemed like this year would finally be their downfall. No fluke performances from relievers and starters coming out of nowhere, à la Jaret Wright in 2004 and Jorge Sosa in 2005. Even though I did at first fear the wrath of the funky-armed Brave duo of Peter Moylan and Ken Ray.
And fearing the Braves' relievers seems like it was a good idea. The guys who helped them from nowhere last year (Sosa, Chris Reitsma, Blaine Boyer, Macay McBride and Kyle Farnsworth) are stinking up their respective joints, but now they've a new breed. This new squad includes McBride, Moylan, Ray, Chad Paronto (right), Kevin Barry, Oscar Villareal and ex-Rick Peterson project Tyler Yates, who made a cameo appearance in a blog posting from earlier this year.
Egads. If that doesn't inspire postseason confidence in a team, I don't know what would.
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Yours truly will kick back at two Mets games this weekend, attending Friday's incomparable Merengue Night festivities (minus the concert, of course) as well as Sunday's Mets-Astros game.
I should have far more comprehensive wrapups for those games and maybe some pictures too.
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In the spirit of the Fonz, who joints the radical offshoot of the Mets based in Norfolk, let's all say "Eyyyy!"
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One final note. I was watching NESN (New England Sports Network, aka the Red Sox/Bruins channel for those of you not in the Northeast) and they were showing a rerun of a Devil Rays-Red Sox game from early 2002.
I get a huge kick out of watching these, just on account of looking at how bad both teams were.
The lineups: TAMPA BAY 1. Brent Abernathy 2B 2. Jason Tyner LF 3. Randy Winn CF 4. Steve Cox 1B 5. Ben Grieve RF 6. Greg Vaughn DH 7. Toby Hall C 8. Chris Gomez SS 9. Felix Escalona 3B SP Joe Kennedy BOSTON 1. Rickey Henderson LF Carlos Baerga PH/2B 2. Johnny Damon CF 3. Nomar Garciaparra SS 4. Manny Ramirez RF/LF 5. Tony Clark 1B Shea Hillenbrand PH/3B 6. Jose Offerman DH 7. Jason Varitek C 8. Lou Merloni 3B Trot Nixon PH/RF 9. Rey Sanchez 2B Brian Daubach PH/1B SP Derek Lowe
The game featured relief appearances by Casey Fossum, Rich Garces and Ugueth Urbina for the Red Sox. Devil Rays manager Hal MacRae attempted to use Victor Zambrano for a six-out save. Isn't that a joke in itself?
So let's see. The Red Sox's starting lineup actually contains a bit of talent, as everyone but Rickey played in the major leagues last year. And even the pinch-hitters all played big league games last year. Daubach and Awfulman got terribly lucky though as they benefited from a tumultuous situation at first base for the Mets. Sanchez/Awfulman/Daubach/Rickey haven't played games this year. Somehow Merloni's actually played for the Indians. Derek Lowe's going strong for the Dodgers, while the other relievers have not fared so well. Fossum's pitching for Tampa, while Garces is long gone from baseball and Kim was released by the Rockies earlier this year. Urbina, well, he's sitting in a Venezuelan jail cell (right) accused of trying to machete and ignite his employees.
Now let's look at those good ol' Devil Rays.
Abernathy? Baseball? 'Fraid not. Played in about twenty games for Minnesota last year after failing to show in the big leagues in 2004. Currently on a minor league deal with Milwaukee. Tyner, the former Mets prospect with a swing that couldn't bruise a pear? Just called up by the Twins after Torii Hunter hurt his foot. Randy Winn? Going strong for San Fran, actually. Remember when he was the only Devil Ray All-Star and was essentially traded to Seattle for Lou Piniella after the Mets refused to give up Aaron Heilman for Sweet Lou? And they hired Art Howe? I do. Steve Cox. That wasn't even a question. 2002 marked his last year in the Major Leagues. Ben Grieve? The former second overall draft pick got into about 40 games with the Cubs over the last two seasons. He went to the other side of town on a minor league deal with the White Sox. Greg Vaughn? Let's laugh. Heartily. He looked like he was on more steroids than anyone ever when he hit a whopping 50 homers for San Diego in 1998. He parlayed that into a 4-year, $34 million contract with the expansion Devil Rays, committing grand larceny in the process. He was released later in 2002 after hitting .163 in 69 games. He attempted a comeback with Colorado in '03, hitting an improved .189 in 23 games. That was the last we've heard from him. And, no, he's not related to Mo even though it totally seems like they should be. Toby Hall? Still in the big leagues, though dealt to LA with Mark Hendrickson for Jae Seo and Dioner Navarro earlier this year. Chris Gomez? Playing as a utilityman for Baltimore the past two seasons. Recently activated from the DL after breaking his hand earlier in the season. Felix Escalona? Somehow he played in ten games for the Yankees last year. He hit .286, including some walk-off hit that I vaguely remember. I'll ask Dyslexia about that.
Joe Kennedy's out for a while with shoulder trouble. He was traded from Colorado to Oakland last year. Victor Zambrano, you ask? He'll be fine. He's probably done with organized baseball for a long while. He was traded to the Mets for some kid with Kaz in his name. Matsui, I think.
Foreward: At the beginning of this fine baseball year, Schuyla' and I made a few predictions regarding the fate of the divisions and various trophies. As we all know, these predictions don't always go the way we plan, and the All-Star Break seems as good a time as any to rethink our theories. Now to be clear, for the most part we'll be sticking to our guns, but there are a few glaring errors (mostly on my part), that need to be addressed. --Dyslexia
NL East: Dyslexia picked Atlanta Braves, now picks New York Mets Schuyla picked New York Mets, will stay.
NL Central: Both picked St. Louis Cardinals. Both will stay.
NL West: Dyslexia picked San Francisco Giants, will stay. Schuyla picked Los Angeles Dodgers, will stay.
NL Wild Card: Dyslexia picked New York Mets, now picks Atlanta Braves. Schuyla picked Milwaukee Brewers, now picks Cincinnati Reds.
AL East: Dyslexia picked New York Yankees, will stay. Schuyla picked New York Yankees, now picks Boston Red Sox.
AL Central: Dyslexia picked Cleveland Indians, now picks Chicago White Sox. Schuyla picked Chicago White Sox, will stay.
AL West: Dyslexia picked Oakland Athletics, will stay. Schuyla picked Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, will stay.
AL Wild Card: Dyslexia picked Boston Red Sox, will stay. Schuyla picked Toronto Blue Jays, now picks Detroit Tigers.
NL MVP: Dyslexia picked Andruw Jones, will stay. Schuyla picked Albert Pujols, will stay.
AL MVP: Dyslexia picked David Ortiz, will stay. Schuyla picked Vlad Guerrero, now picks David Ortiz.
NL Cy Young: Both picked Pedro Martinez. Dyslexia picks Brandon Webb; Schuyla picks Tom Glavine.
AL Cy Young: Dyslexia picked Johan Santana, will stay. Schuyla picked Roy Halladay, will stay.
NL Rookie of the Year: Dyslexia picked Prince Fielder, will stay. Schuyla picked Ryan Zimmerman, will stay.
AL Rookie of the Year: Dyslexia picked Ian Kinsler, now picks Francisco Liriano. Schuyla picked Joel Zumaya, now picks Francisco Liriano.
NL Manager of the Year: Dyslexia picked Bobby Cox, now picks Willie Randolph. Schuyla picked Ned Yost, now picks Willie Randolph.
AL Manager of the Year: Dyslexia picked Eric Wedge, now picks Ozzie Guillen. Schuyla picked John Gibbons, now picks Jim Leyland.
NLDS: Dyslexia had Atlanta over New York in one series; St. Louis over San Fran in the other. He now has New York over Atlanta and St. Louis over San Fran. Schuyla had St. Louis over Milwaukee and New York over the Dodgers. He now has New York over Cincinnati and Los Angeles over St. Louis.
NLCS: Dyslexia had Atlanta over St. Louis. He now has the Mets over St. Louis. Schuyla had New York over St. Louis; he now has the Mets over the Dodgers.
ALDS: Dyslexia had Boston over Cleveland and New York over Oakland. He now has Boston over the White Sox and New York over Oakland. Schuyla had Chicago over Toronto and New York over Anaheim. He now has Chicago over Anaheim and Detroit over Boston.
ALCS: Dyslexia had New York over Boston and stays with that prediction. Schuyla had Chicago over New York, he now has Chicago over Detroit.
WS: Dyslexia had Atlanta over the Yankees. He now has a rematch of the 2000 Subway Series with the same result. Schuyla had New York over Chicago. He stays.
Afterword: In writing these rewrites, it seems like everyone has a tendency to stick to their guns unless they're obviously wrong. And my co-blogger, though I respect him somewhat, is an overzealous Yankees fan and Met hater. I applaud him for his candor above, though he has apparently not looked at the standings. The Tigers will need a collapse of epic proportions to miss the playoffs and the Yankees certainly have some catching up to do. And while I think he passed the latest round of Dick Pound-approved Crosstown Rivals drug testing, he picked the 40-49 Braves who are 13.5 games out to make the playoffs. For now, his predictions are far more ambitious than mine. And in this case, ambitious means "more likely to be wrong." Just kidding, Dyslexia. --Schuyla
Well, the Yanks hope to get back into gear today, at home against the seemingly unbeatable Contreras. The Streak is up to 17 at this point, but in two of his last three starts, he's been less than stellar, left the game in position to be the LP, and had the monstrous White Sock offense bail him out. Against him will be the Big Eunuch, as my Met loving compadre likes to call him, who has been inexplicably moved back up to the top of the rotation. His numbers (10-7, 5.13) are almost laughable coming from an ace, as long as your name isn't Livan. The Mets started off well today with a solid win against the lowly Cubs, not very impressive, but, a win nevertheless. I face a very tough decision tonight as I will be forced to choose between the late innings of NYY CHI or the 2nd episode of USA's new show Psych. It's gonna be a photo finish, let's hope the game is decided early.
It's about time for the 2nd half, so here, I've letter graded each Yankee player and coach, as well as Steinbrenner and Cash. Should be fun.
This 1st segment will include only position players. Tomorrow will be pitchers, followed the next by staff.
Let's dive right in.
Johnny Damon: I'll be the 1st to admit that I was a naysayer coming into the Johnny Damon regime, but he's managd to shut me up pretty splendidly. He's been around .300 for most of the year, now at .291, with very impressive .367 OBP, 15 points up from his career average. He leads the team in runs scored, just a good leadoff man should, and although it seems like he's been sitting out a good deal, he in fact as only not appeared in 5 Yankee games. In the field he's been adequate, throwing slightly better than Mary, and I believe he's nailed a few unsuspecting vagabonds at the plate. Impressive 1st year campaign, and an A-/B+.
Derek Jeter: Jeter has been splendid, he ranks 2nd in the AL in batting average, above everyone's lovetoy Ichiro. .345 is nothing to shake your finger at. His power has been down but his hits have been coming, 112 in 81 games. Combine this with the fact that he is making a legitimate run at an 100 RBI season, and we could be looking at Jete's best offensive season in a long time. Unfortunately, I don't know was his FRAA is whatever the hell Schuyla insists on referring to, but I do know that he's been good in the field. He is also being agressive, already with 18 SB, and he's only been caught twice, a very impressive stat. His OPS is an obscene 1.068 against lefties, .888 over all. What does all this info mean? An A/A+.
Jason Giambi: Jason Giambi has also been making his case for MVP of the Yanks, as although his average has now dipped to an unimpressive .260, his power stats are still off the charts. He trails only Ortiz and Thome for HR's in the AL, and is 5th in the AL in RBI's. His slugging percentage is very good at .611, which is good for 4th in the AL. With numbers like these, you have to admire the guy, as of two years ago, he was counted for dead. And of course, we couldn't write a review of Jason Giambi without mentioning his almost ridiculous eye and ability for drawing walks. OBP of .415 is amazing, and he is 3rd in the AL in walks drawn behind Kronk and Manny. All these top 5 appearances can only mean one thing. A 2nd consecutive A. Alex Rodriguez: Of course, everything they say about A-Rod isn't true. He's a great player who cannot live up to impossible standards, it's not his fault. But this doesn't detract from the fact that he's having an off year. While on pace for .280/35 HR/120 RBI's doesn't sound too shabby, it's not up to the pace that he's created for himself. His slugging % is down at a .505, and although he does well to get on base, he's just not the gamechanger we expected we were getting the fateful day years ago. Overall, he's useful and plays a mean 3rd, but in the end, he earns a B. (Plus, as much as it's been blown out of proportion, he can't perform under pressure most of the time, it's just a fact.)
Gary Sheffield: Sheff was off to a fairly impressive start until that pesky wrist got him 30 days into the season. 19 ribbies in 30 games is pretty good, and a .309 BA is also above average, but I'm gonna have to put the GP minimum at 45, about half of the games we played. Therefore, Sheff earns a N/A.
Hideki Matsui: Hideki wasn't playing great before the injury, and he certainly wasn't living up to that little contract we gave him, but he too only played in 32 games, and he too gets a N/A.
Jorge Posada: There's no denying that Jorge is heading downhill, but there's also no denying he's still kicking. That homer he hit to beat the Braves was as good a sign as any that Posada's still got a lot of life in him. He's a good offensive catcher who's got a subpar arm. But he's still one of the best, (in my opinion) at getting the strikes that his pitchers need. Whatever Unit has got against him, I wouldn't be surprised if a switch back to Jorge from Stinnett would result in better outings. I look at his .279/11 HR/46 RBI, and his suprising .389 OBP, good for 13th in the AL, and I give him a B-/C+
Andy Phillips/Miguel Cairo/Bubba Crosby: Yes, they've all played in more than 45 games and yes I'm rolling these 3 role (I slay myself) players into 1. Phillips has obviously been the best of the trio, putting up some impressive numbers and being a relatively effective first base. Crosby and Cairo are a stalemate because although Cairo has been significantly more useful offensively, Crosby simply shined defensively before his untimely injury that led to the failed Terence Long experiment. They all have their purpose and they all fit their part, but none of the three have really made a case that they're a force to be reckoned with. However, they're bench players, and are held to lower standards, so they earn a C+.
Melky Cabrera: Melky has been everything to need him to be: average. Frankly, he's stepped in brilliantly in this team's time of crisis and without him, I personally believe the East would be a romp by now. Now of course he hasn't been a good player, only adequate enough to fill in, but he does play an excellent left field, almost up to par with Matsui, and his catch to rob Manny was incredible. I think about how he has performed when thrown into the fire (literally, his 1st series was against the Sawx), and his decent .358 OBP, and I give him a B.
Bernie Williams: I seem to be the only one left who loves Bernie. I loved him before the season started when everyone was making cracks about his eyes and his weak dribblers back to the pitchers. He has been good. He hasn't been great, he hasn't even been good enough to be a regular starter, I agree, but when we ask him to play, he plays, all out. I'll never forget the day he went 5-5. His fielding has been decent, he hasn't embarassed himself, but he hasn't been good either. A .282 average is nice, and his 17 2B are right up there with the leaders of the team. However, I can't allow my sentimentality to interfere with my objectivity (say that 5 times fast), and therefore Bernie gets a B-.
That's all for now, as the game is minutes from starting. A lot of high grades here today on the offensive side, but look for things to get decidedly uglier tomorrow as we move into pitching. See ya then, Dyslexia.
So the Astros and D-Rays made a deal yesterday. The Houston squad was acquiring a player who, for those of you not versed in the Tampa Bay lore, is the greatest player in the history of their franchise. Aubrey Huff is no Hall of Fame legend, like Wade Boggs, who toiled briefly as a Ray. He's no Fred McGriff, whose 493 career homers put him at least in the general vicinity of Cooperstown. But make no mistake. Huff was the lone good Ray, hitting 20+ HR in the last four seasons with RBI totals above ninety in the last three. He hit .288 while flying all over the diamond, playing any position Larry Rothschild, Hal MacRae, Lou Piniella or Joe Maddon would let him play. Not to mention he did this all in pitiful seasons where staff aces included Victor Zambrano and Jeremi Gonzalez. (Nightmare alert.) He's now going to Houston to supplant underachiever Mike "I'm Very Similar to My Teammate Jason Lane" Lamb at third base. And that's the gun, boys. So begins the offseason of trade talk. Today Reds GM Wayne Krivsky (right) and Nationals GM Jim Bowden had a little powwow. And Krivsky was icing down his head with cold steaks after the hurting Bowden put on him. Why was this a bad deal already? Well, let's think of some reasons. Krivsky just made Royce Clayton his starting shortstop. The guy he traded away, Felipe Lopez, was not a good defensive shortstop at all, but he hit the daylights out of the ball last year. An .838 OPS from an SS is pretty good. Krivsky then shipped away talented outfielder Austin Kearns, who was supposed to be caught in some massive logjam last year, relieved earlier in the offseason, though, by the trade of first baseman Sean Casey. Maybe this was to open up right field for Ryan Freel or prospect Chris Denorfia. I don't think that was the goal though. The Reds got Gary Majewski... who aside from one outlier last year has been a pretty mediocre reliever with a perilously low strikeout rate for a set-up man.
The Mets, though, are ominously quiet. Why's that? I've got an answer. Because Livan Hernandez, notably of the most abused arm in baseball and of a 5.94 ERA this season, will cost you Lastings Milledge. And I think that will make Minaya stand pat with the starting pitching, if only because of the potential help that could come from youngsters like Pelfrey, Maine and Bannister, all of whom have pitched well at various levels this year. But mostly because of the fact that Jose Lima is sitting in AAA, ready to strike at will, whenever the Mets need to end a winning streak or lose a couple games. Jose Lima is the Barbra Streisand of baseball, where he just keeps going on farewell tours because people will pay a bunch of money to see him (although maybe they wouldn't if they had more advance notice he'd be pitching).
The grand prediction of the day: the Mets stand pat again. They can't really improve in the field by any acquisitions and I will vomit if I see the last name Kennedy on the jersey of a Mets second baseman.
Thankfully, though, now that he's signed with the Yankees, nobody has to see the name Ponson on the back of an XXXXXXXXL jersey. Pinstripes are supposedly slimming though.
I'll be back tomorrow with the return of baseball, but I'll be ranting on steroids rather than previewing Mets-Cubs.
Buster Olney is a genius. I just remembered that I was supposed to write a review of The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty, but I completely spaced. I don't have it in me right now, and there are more pressing issues, but do yourself a favor; if you are a Yankee fan and you haven't read this book, go and buy it right now. It's that good. The way that Olney works is amazing. First off, it's cleverly arranged so that each chapter covers a key figure in the championship run, household names like Tino or O'neill, or more forgetten players like Irabu and Broscius. The end of the chapter then details one half of an inning of game 7 of the 2001 series against the D'backs, or in other words, the last night. Olney's details into the inner workings of the Yankee organization are incredible, and you wonder suspicuously how he even got his hands on this type of info. From Gene Michaels to Cash to The Boss himself, after reading Olney's work, you kinda feel like you actually know these people, what makes them tick. Of course it's heartwrenching at the end, but you'll enjoy the read so much it doesn't even matter. The relationships, behind the scene feuds and personalities of the players are exposed in a way that we're unlikely to ever see again. To be a little more concise, you have to read this book. Oh. Well I suppose I did write a review, short as it may of been. Well at least it didn't include the words riveting, or, a masterpiece.
Also, it appears I've gotten sloppy. It seems that during my baseball hiatus, in addition to picking up this kid Kris Wilson who I have seen, we also got Aaron Guiel off waivers from the Royals. In fact, he got into the game in that romp we had against the Injuns last week. A hit, a walk, three runs scored, very productive. Apparently, he'll be splitting time in right field with Bernie, with Guiel playing against righty starters and Bernie playing against lefties. I don't know if this our permanent solution, but I'm assuming it's the best we can do for now. Guiel is a quality back up and should be pretty servicable. No complaints here. However, in regards to my last article on trade rumors, I wouldn't say this totally negates the prospect of a Sanders deal, although it does hurt it. As long as Guiel doesn't completely crash and burn, he's our new RF for the forseeable future, until Sheff comes back. See ya later folks.
Sorry to offend those out there that do not share my religious beliefs, but it happens to be the truth. Our season is resting delicately on the overweight and oft drunk belly of Sidney Ponson. Moose and Wang (Wong) have been stellar, but our back end, RJ and Chacon, have been hammered, although both have shown slight improvement. Sidney, who was rendered irrelevant when the Cards picked up former Yankee disgrace Jeff Weaver, will round out our rotation. So far his numbers aren't too much to look at. 4-4 with a 5.24 ERA in 14 starts with St. Louie. However, like it or not, he is the only savior we got for now. If he can put his troubles behind him and win seven games this half, it would go a lonnnng way to cementing our place in October. All he needs to be is a replacement bolt until Pavano gets back on his feet. If this doesn't happen, I suppose Sidney's in it for the long haul. I personally think it's a good fit. Ponson seems to have moved past his disturbed past, littered with DWI's and weight problems, and as evidenced by Strawberries and Cream, a winning environment helps put the issues at rest. Plus, as Cash says, "He's still got a great arm." [ESPN]
In other news, July is here, which can only mean one thing. Trade rumors. One thing we know for sure, is that Hughes is not on the block, unless something spectacular comes along. Thank god for that. The issue with this trade season is that every team seems to be in the thick of the playoff race. I believe the recyled fact is that 19 or 20 teams are within 6 games of a playoff spot, and frankly, if you're not good enough to be in it this year, you probably don't have very much big-league ready talent, which is what the Yanks need. Right now, a replacement for crazy man Kyle Farnsworth would be helpful, as well as a cheap corner outfielder who can play until both of ours heal. We don't need an Abreu, and it's unlikely that the Phils are ready to part with him, considering they're only about 5 out of a WC spot. The 2nd half for us will mean a lot of injured impact players will be returning, among them Sheffield, Matsui, Pavano, Dotel, and the less seriously hurt Damon and Cano. Dotel will help to solve our inability to get to Mo, and Pavano will hopefully add another sturdy arm to the rotation. But these things do not erase all the question marks hanging over our head. Apart from Mo and Villone, who has been surprisingly helpful, our bullpen is questionable. Farnsworth has been erratic, T.J. Beam and Matt Smith are both unproven, Scott Proctor is just plain not very good, and although Mike Myers has been pretty effective up to now, the jury is still out on his worth. The fact is that we're not getting deep into October with this bullpen. We need another arm. A quick fix possibilty for the outfield is Reggie Sanders, who is on a team going nowhere with KC. He would add a little spark to the lineup and be an invaluable bench player when and if the postseason comes to the Bronx. The 5 names that seem to floating around in terms of what Cash is willing to give up are here, [MLB.com] at the bottom of the page. Cabrera, Proctor, and Chacon are among them, as well as Wright and Phillips. Bigups, folks, I'll be back later today with more trade talk. In addition to this look for Crosstown's revised picks/predictions somewhere in the near future, now that the break has rolled around.
