Today’s news is powered by “Instant Rimshot“. Now you know where to go when you need a rimshot. Here’s what is going on in Yankeeland:
- Will Carroll weighs in on Xavier Nady’s prognosis:
Several pitchers have come back from a redo of Tommy John surgery. The replaced ligament breaks, much in the same way, and for much the same reason, as it did in the first place. As far as I can tell, no position player has needed a redo, largely because few players put the same kind of repetitive stress on their arms that a pitcher does. Nady looks to be the first, a unique spot I’m sure he didn’t want to be in. He’s headed for at least one more opinion before surgery, but multiple sources report that he’s telling teammates that’s where he’s headed. He’ll be done for 2009, but there’s a small chance he could play late in the season, and no reason to think he won’t be 100 percent by 2010.
- PeteAbe has further updates on the health of Nady and Mark Teixeira.
- MLB.com offers a photo gallery from yesterday’s home opener.
- The Times has their own photo slideshow from the opener.
- Boss George was touched by the fans’ response to the mention of his name:
When George Steinbrenner was introduced before the first game at the new Yankee Stadium, he received a nice ovation. Steinbrenner, who was sitting in the owner’s box with his wife Joan, cried in response.
[My take: For all his bluster and heavy-handedness, could you imagine where the Yankees franchise might have ended up had he not taken over in the early ’70s? A $1.5 billion dollar stadium? Its own broadcast network?]
- Here’s your (partial) list of new Stadium “firsts”.
- Jim Caple of ESPN gives us a video tour of the Stadium.
- Jayson Stark’s “Useless Info” blog column has a quirky list of Yankee non-pitchers taking to the mound:
Swing and a swish: Nick Swisher headed for the old pitcher’s mound in Tampa Bay on Monday wearing a Yankees uniform — and actually struck out Gabe Kapler. . . .
Wade Boggs: Aug. 19, 1997: K’d Todd Greene.
Rick Cerone: July 19, 1987: Fanned an AL pitcher, Bobby Witt, who was actually pinch hitting in a 20-3 game.
Rocky Colavito: Aug. 25, 1968: Punched out Dick Tracewski — in the sixth inning, in a game in which Colavito wound up as the winning pitcher.
Gene Michael: Aug. 26, 1968: In the second game of back-to-back doubleheaders, Michael wound up pitching the last three innings, facing 16 hitters and whiffing three of them . .
- Marc Normandin examines the impact of the new outfield fence heights on offense:
Whereas the previous ballpark had varying fence heights, ranging from 10 feet down to seven, with plenty of divergence in between, the new Yankee Stadium has a uniform height of eight feet. According to Greg Rybarczyk of Hit Tracker, adding a foot of height to a fence is equivalent to adding 0.84 feet of distance. This means that in some places you can tack on (or subtract) anywhere from 2.5 to 0.8 feet to the actual distance of the fences, if you’re looking to compare their new digs to the old ones.
For example, halfway between the right-field line and dead center in the new stadium is 350 feet from home plate, whereas in the old park it was 359. In addition, the fence is now eight feet high instead of 9.4 feet, meaning the difference in distance is closer to being 11 feet shorter. There’s a significant stretch of real estate in right and right center where this kind of difference could mean a lot for some hitters that are used to flying out to the warning track.
According to the Hit Charts at MLB.com, Johnny Damon flew out to deep right a handful of times, and though it’s hard to tell just by looking, in the right conditions a few more of those could have been home runs in the new stadium. Nick Swisher hit 19 home runs last season at US Cellular, with 10 of those heading to right field (and 18 of his 24 coming as a left-handed batter). The fences are closer to home in many spots along the right-field line than they were for Swisher in Chicago; it’s possible we could see a few more homers from him, assuming he picks up playing time.
- Alex Rodriguez took batting practice for the first time since his surgery.
- On this date in 1820, Alexander Cartwright, considered by many the ‘father’ of the national pastime, is born in New York City. This pioneer banker, who is given credit for establishing three strikes for an out and three outs for each half inning, will be elected into the Hall of Fame in 1938 after a review of his journals reveals his many contributions in developing and promoting the sport of baseball.
- On this date in 1869, the first professional baseball game ever played sees the Cincinnati Reds defeat the rival Cincinnati Amateurs, 24 – 15.
[My take: Wait a minute . . . a professional game, played by a team named the “Amateurs”?]
- On this date in 1912, at the Polo Grounds in New York, the Giants and Yankees play an charity game to raise money for the survivors of the Titanic, which sunk on April 14. The Giants belt the Yankees, now clad in their new pinstriped uniforms, 11 – 2.
[My take: I hear the big play of the game was the failure to catch a sinking line drive. Instant rimshot! (I can’t find an “Instant Groan”)]
- On this date in 1929, Babe Ruth marries actress and model Claire Merritt Hodgson. The ceremony is held at five o’ clock in the morning on Opening Day to avoid crowds. Playing the next day, at Yankee Stadium, Ruth hits a home run against Red Ruffing of the Boston Red Sox and tips his cap in the direction of Claire, who is seated in the stands. The Yankees win, 7 – 3.
- On this date in 1953, Mickey Mantle cleared the bleachers at Griffith Stadium with a 565-foot home run off Chuck Stobbs. The shot came in the fifth inning of a 7 – 3 Yankees victory over the Washington Senators. It is believed to be the longest home run in Griffith Stadium history.
- On this date in 1956, Mantle does it again at Griffith Stadium, hitting a pair of tape measure home runs against Camilo Pascual at Griffith Stadium. Both long balls are estimated at over 500 feet. New York and the Washington Senators combine for six home runs in a 10 – 4 Opening Day victory for the Yankees.
I’m off til Monday . . . enjoy the weekend.
In my opinion, George M. Steinbrenner III is one of the greatest Yankees of all time. When he finally passes, they should immediately start chiseling away at the monument.
I haven't come across instant groan yet, either, but there's always Sad Trombone: http://www.sadtrombone.com/
I think Steinbrenner's net contribution has been unequivocally positive, but the foundation for the most recent championship run was laid during his suspension, in large part as a result of keeping the cornerstone young players that George had historically been too impatient to allow sufficient time to develop. But for those four additional championships, his legacy might be somewhat diminished, although he does deserve credit for providing the financial largess that enabled the franchise to keep that core group and to supplement it with high salaried talent through trades and free agency.
On a personal level, I wish him only the best in this period of senescence, and i"m glad that he has lived to see the fruits of his seminal sports efforts.
I hope he gets to see at least one more championship.
Everyone needs to check out the photo on today's Wake Up Deadspin post:
http://deadspin.com/5216238/the-dislike-for-carl-pavano-was-closed+captioned-for-the-hearing-impaired
Hilarious!
Per WFAN, Robertson was sent down, Miranda was called up. Matsui has fluid build up on the knee and can only PH.
As for Robertson, he's better than Veras or Marte or Alby or Edwar.
The marginal roster construction of this team continues to be suspect even after Torre has gone, which means that Cash has more responsibility for it than I might have hoped.
[5] Well Matsui lasted all of two weeks huh? Why Miranda? He's a 1B/DH, must be a 40 man move. Not sure I agree with sending Robertson down, Veras better show something soon methinks.
Today's lineup includes this bottom 3:
Cabrera
Ransom
Gardner
That is what we in physics call a black hole supercluster.
I think technically it only becomes a supercluster when Molina bats sixth.
[8] That's a supermassive black hole ;)
[7] Lol. in baseball terms thats a 1-2-3 inning or rally killer. eek.
Tommy, I've heard whispers that adding Molina could be a rare instance of negative run expectation, something that Sabermetricians have theorized but has never yet been observed even in the laboratory or MiLB. The analogy would be to quantum fluctuation temperatures that dip briefly below absolute zero. So in theory, the Yankees could actually lose runs while batting.
Sabermetrics is a strange and wondrous science.
[11] Actually, there was once a brief observation of this effect, which is now called the "Womack Effect" after its discoverer.
[11] "Sabermetrics is a strange and wondrous science."
And to think all this time I thought it was mathematics!
Who knew?
;)
[11], [13]
In that case, next time I trot out a sabermetric measure, I want you to all start singing "She Blinded me with Science" :-)
[12] At least Womack wasn't a slug on the basepaths (see Giambi, Molina, Posada, Matsui, and anyone else that can't score on a single to an outfielder from 2B!
Hell, even Munson and Mattingly could score from 2B on such a hit! Paul O'Neill, too... heh heh
Boy, I sure hate station to station players! I would tend to believe that such "runners," who can be timed to first with a moon phase chart, always yields such "negative run expectation."
I also have "absolutely zero" problems whatsoever calling YS2.0 "The House that George Built!"
;)
[14] LOL @ your Thomas Dolby (Alton Brown) reference!
Perhaps that also explains the dilema that occurs from time to time at the food spread... "One of our submarines is missing..."
;)
I don't think I will ever look upon George fondly. Yes, the fact that he has been willing to spend a ton of money on the team has been a positive, I suppose, and under his ownership they have won 5 championships, but on the other hand. as already mentioned, the foundation was set while he was suspended, and basically every time he took an active role in baseball, he screwed everything up. He's shown in the past to be a less than ethical character, he's largely responsible for the new stadium (to me a negative). I have no love for the man, but appreciate his willingness to spend.
How about Alvaro Espinoza? He pitched 2/3 of an inning for the Yanks against the Chi Sox, retiring Tim Raines and Kevin Ventura on August 6, 1991. Team finished 71-91 under Stump. Pat Kelly split the 3B duties with well remembered subs Torey Luvullo, Jim Leyritz, Mike Blowers, Mike Humphries, and Alvaro.
As for Steinbrenner, never will I clap for him. Leaving aside a personal gripe, I remember what he did to Dave Winfield, amongst many other things. Name other owners who were suspended? I remember the pardon. I remember the hirings and firings. Billy Martin. Roger Clemmens. He ruined peoples lives. I am happy that Yogi threw out the first ball. Do we forget the years he was personna non grata? How about trading Reggie. More bad years than good.
And, I forgot to mention Les Keiter. I listened those broadcasts. Bad week for the voices of the game.