I was really sort of looking forward to vegging out on the couch in front of Phil Hughes today. What a bummer. But cold and rainy in Washington, DC as well.

[1] Seconded. Though it hasn't rained in at least an hour in Brooklyn, so WTF

Surprised they didn't just try and start the game at 7 pm or something. Sure, the Angels had to fly back to the West Coast after the game, but didn't they Yankees have to do something like that, flying somewhere after a long game, getting in at 4 am or so?

The Sox bite the dust, 5-3.

Food for thought on a rainy day:
1) If JD will go for a one-year deal (i'm guessing $7m-$12m range depending on the market), do we consider re-signing him?
2) How does JD rate as a DEFENSIVE LFer?
3) Between 2010 and 2011, does Jorge play 160 games as a DH?
4) Might Wang be trade bait for a quality OFer/DH/SS?
5) Jeter will need to wear Pinstripes in 2011 in order to get 3,000 hits. We he still be able to man SS then?

Surprised they didn’t just try and start the game at 7 pm or something.

I wish they would do that, logistics be damned...

[4] Thanks for that!

1) Matsui's gone, and probably Nady too, so I say yes. I like Damon on the team.
2) I'm thinking not very well, but not terrible either.
3) Good question!
4) Maybe, but we might still need him. don't count your chickens, etc
5) Sure, but how effectively, who knows?

[5]

1) His defense sucks, and he's hurt yet again. No way.
2) Not bad last season, ridiculously bad this season: -20.4 UZR/150.
3) Filling the gap between Posada's defensive decline and Romine/Montero's ascendancy will probably require obtaining a stopgap that can hit, unless Cervelli's offense improves. Trading Navarro still haunts them.
4) Yes.
5) No, although his defense has been decent this season, playing SS at 37 is a terrible idea.

Ugh. I hate rainouts. Looks like rain tomorrow, too.

Pete Abe reports Bruney will be longer than 15 days on the DL.

Dan Giese has a 3.55 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP for Oakland. Just sayin'.

Just read that myself at Pete Abe (about Bruney). Dammit, that's bad. Well, somebody in the pen has to step up, that's all there is to it. Did you see the bit at River Avenue Blues about how the relievers feel like they have no 'defined role' so they aren't psychologically ready when they're called to duty? Maybe true. In that case, they have to learn to be ready.

[5]

1) I think you consider bringing him back on a one-year deal, but the numbers you cited seam high. I think Damon's chances of returning revolve around Cabrera's development and whether the Yankees think AJ is ready. If someone like Bay or Holliday can be had on a reasonable deal, you probably let Damon walk if Cabrera and AJ are in the plans. Otherwise, you may either need Damon to be the LF, or to be a 4th OF/DH-type. In other words, I think there are a lot of moving pieces at play with Damon's potential return. I just hope Gardner is no longer in the picture by that time.

2) Damon's UZR/150 in LF has been good to great in 2007 and 2008. Range isn't the problem though. Damon's arm has grown weaker and weaker each season that I know think it is nearing an untenable liability.

3) Again, it depends on the other options, but I do see Jorge gradually playing more games at DH, but would expect him to catch at least 160-180 games over the next two seasons.

4) He might, but if Pettitte retires after this season and Wang rebounds, I don't see why you would have him pitch 2010 on a one-year deal and deal with his long-term status after that season.

5) By 2011, I think Jeter will be ready to accept a different role, but only if another bonafide All Star SS is on the scene. Otherwise, I wouldn't be surprised to see him man SS even longer than many expect today. I don't see the Yankees letting him go elsewhere unless his bat completely drops off.

I think the biggest problem with the bullpen is Girardi has been pushing the starters to the limit, which has usually resulted in him going to the bullpen in a very precarious situation. I think he needs to manage that better and have a quicker hook unless he knows the starter can work through the inning.

If you look at the recent bullpen implosions, they all occurred because the starter ran up his pitch count and couldn't hand off a fresh inning to the reliever. In the Friday game, for example, I have no doubt Melancon would have effectively pitched a clean 7th inning, but bringing a rookie into a bases loaded jam is another animal altogether.

I'm supposed to be going to my first game tomorrow. Not optimistic.

[12] You think the bullpen would be doing better if they were getting more innings? I think the opposite. Sabathia going long innings, along with Pettitte, is what's going to save the bullpen, in the long run. Someone who looks really bad now is going to turn it around; and Coke and Melancon and Bruney (barring further setback) will be reasonably good contributors. And they won't have to be burnt out by September.

Yeah, it's fun to dream, anyway.

[14] I didn't say that. I think the bullpen would be doing better, or seem to be doing better, if the starters could get out their own late inning jams. I know it's a difficult thing to do, but Girardi needs to figure out when he can trust his starters to give him one more, and when he needs to allow his relievers to start with a clean inning.

[15] Part of the reason the starters can't get out of their own late inning jams is the poor defense. Earlier in the season, Ransom was the primary culprit. Right now, Damon is the weak link defensively. While it's true that he was very good in 2007, the trend is in the wrong direction, and the rate of decline since 2007 has been alarming. That's why I'm not optimistic that he is going to get any better.

The shoulder injury that he refuses to get MRI's may be affecting him offensively as well. Last seven days:

.185 .267 .333 .600

He should probably be replaced any time they have a lead from the 7th inning on.

I wish they had an OFer that could supplant him if this precipitous decline continues.

No more Damon. No more aging stars.

I thought Girardi sounded immature yesterday. He's a jerk. but then again, so is A-Rod.

Baseball books, especially tell all ones, are part of the game. The crappy ones like the one Ford Frick wrote for Babe Ruth may be classics, but they bored me to tears. I loved Koufax, Reggie, and anything written by Peter Golenbock. I won't read the book because she doesn't give up her sources. If he tipped pitches, she should disclose the name of the player who told her. If not, keep it in your pants, Selena, because that is the kind of stuff that affects the game in a way that is far worse than betting on baseball or taking roids.

And what is Teixiera batting. He's hurt or something.

[17] I was glad to see Girardi back his player and think his comments were dead on and perfectly acceptable...the only jerk in this matter is Selena Roberts.

[17] Also, if Arod is a jerk, then so is the Mick. I don't think either are/were.