After waiting nearly an hour to start Tuesday night’s game, then needing an eighth-inning rally to win it, the Yankees had it easy Wednesday night, winning a crisp, well-pitched game that was over before 9:30pm.
Andy Pettitte, who had just two quality starts in his first eight outings at the new Yankee Stadium, needed just 98 pitches to get through seven innings and walked just one man along the way. The Mariners managed just two runs against Pettitte, a leadoff double by Jose Lopez in the fourth that came around to score and a solo Yankee Stadium homer by Ken Griffey Jr. (number 621 on his career) into the box seats in right field.
The Yankees did all of their scoring with the longball, a solo shot to right by Johnny Damon in the third, a solo bomb by Melky Cabrera over the left-field foul pole in the fifth that held up upon review, and a two-run jack to dead center by Alex Rodriguez in the sixth that plated a leadoff single by Mark Teixeira to break the 2-2- tie.
Alfredo Aceves and Phil Coke combined for a 1-2-3 eighth, with Coke retiring lefties Ichiro Suzuki and Russell Branyan with ease, and that man again Mariano Rivera came on to get save 502 in the ninth on a trio of groundballs.
All that took just two hours and 17 minutes. Nice and easy and done. Yankees win their seventh straight, 4-2
Food for thought: Cabrera’s homer was his fourth of the season from the right side. It’s a tiny sample, but he was hitting .281/.359/.491 from his former weak side even before that bomb. It could be that a strict platoon between Cabrera and Brett Gardner is finally a viable option in center field.
OK ..... I paid $50 for the normally-$125 Batter's Eye seats, and I will state for the record that I will NOT be forking over $125 (or even $50) for them again.
There were obstructed view of flyballs to deep CF.
The lack of scoreboard information, save for that little bit on the "ring" around the grandstand level, meant we had to crane our necks around to see an out-of-town scores or other suitable info.
We were a good 450-475 feet from home plate.
However, I DID say I was gonna try and see as many games from as many different vantage points, so I could get a sense of where I might want partial season tix next year. So, now I know *1* area I won't be looking at.
Was Girardi asked why he got Hughes up even though he didn't use him?
I don't get why you'd platoon Cabrera and Gardner based on those numbers, lefty-righty.
As the saying goes, sometimes the best trades are ones that are never made:
Kepner:
Gardner's hitting right-handed pitching better, and would get the majority of the playing time. Melky's hitting left-handed pitching better and would be on the short side. What don't you get?
[1] A-Rod hit one right at you, or didn't he? Don't tell me you were in the "little girls' room" or getting food!
I tried to warn you that it was a long way from the plate, high up too.
Remember the "those seats look like the keyboard on a giant laptop" post?
Meh, live and learn...
: )
[6]
Yes, you did warn me, but for $50 I had to find out for myself :-)
My next game finds me in Main Level/Section 229 (about three sections from foul pole on 3rd base side).
@ 2
Wow, the jackals really grasp at anything, don't they? Twelve games over .500 on July 1st isn't good enough? Not even with all the injuries, no bench, and no bullpen?
Sheesh.
And for the record, I have little doubt he was warming Hughes just in case Seattle tied it up. It's called preparation.
@ 5
Good stuff. Not a bad platoon at all.
From the fact-free person who blames Cashman for the weather.
[7] Well, did you see A-Rod's shot?
We're all waiting...
: )
[5] Isn't Cabrera hitting better from the left than the right still? Maybe out of town it makes sense, but I'm not sure sitting Cabrera vs righties at the Bandbox would be the right move. I think Gardner should get significant playing time, and certainly he's better vs righties than lefties, but I don't know that a platoon based strictly on that is the most efficient use of these players. I'm hoping the team is more sophisticated than that in how they divvy up the playing time.
[10]
I saw the first 390 feet of it ... :-P
Thursday Fun Fact: Albert the Great has 30 home runs this season, and 32 strike outs. Need to watch more Cardinals games while he's still in his prime, what a joy to watch him swing the bat!
Players I drop everything to watch:
Albert Pujols
A-Rod
Mariano
Ichiro
Vlad Guerrero
King Felix
Tim Lincecum
Miguel Cairo
[12] Thank God you weren't getting food or in the "Ladies Room!"
LOL
I hope you enjoyed yourself in any event with the win! How well are they doing since Will's return, Thelarmis' attendance, as well as yours?
I believe you will like 229!
: )
[14]
They are 3-1 in games I've attended so far ...
[11] Isn’t Cabrera hitting better from the left than the right still?
Baseball-Reference is your friend. His splits from this season:
vs RHP as LH 59 G, 173 PA, 156 AB, .288, .341, .423, .764
vs LHP as RH 35 G, 67 PA, 57 AB, .281, .359, .491, .851
He is hitting significantly better at home this season.
[13] What OK Jazz, no "love" for The Captain?
Miguel Cairo instead?
heh heh
I'm too much of a homer for such a diverse list, I'm afraid.
[13] "...I thank the Good Lord for making Miguel Cairo a Yankee..."
[1] i had awesome seats in left field and left center, close to front row, for 2 games, plus 2 nights of parking at double the normal price and a pretzel - all for under $125!!! : )
oh, and one batting practice baseball! btw, that little boy was supposed to get test results yesterday. i haven't heard anything, but i've sure been thinkin' on him and his fam, hoping for the very best...
@ 9
Nah, that would make him God. And he's certainly not omniscient. Actually, what's the exact opposite of omniscient?
[17,18] You guys too sharp for me, couldn't slip that one by ya..
I love the Captain, of course, especially his trademark inside-out single to right..but wouldn't rush back in the room for a Jete at bat..
502 - Saves for Mo
502, is a police code for drunk driving.
there's a jazz tune on Wayne Shorter's Adam's Apple record on Blue Note, called "502 Blues (Drinkin' and Drivin')" and a Megadeth song on So Far, So Good...So What!, simply called "502".
funny Fat Papi picture at nomaas...
[13] i think you meant Karim Garcia, not Miguel Cairo!
Who?!
[21] "You guys too sharp for me, couldn’t slip that one by ya..."
Must be the squid jerky I love so much!
Can't get enough... I keep a bag under my pillow.
: )
[25] Nah man, it's summertime here now so it's all about the grilled eel..it keeps your body temp "cool"...
[23] hysterical! though still afraid to face Papi in a playoff game at the new YS..
[17] Oh, I forgot Tim Wakefield (or any other knuckleballer)
[11][16]
And for what it's worth, Gardner's splits this season:
vs RHP as LH 49 G,147 PA, 128, .297, .368, .438, .806
vs LHP as LH 23 G, 38 PA, 31 AB, .258,.361,.355, .716
So, a platoon might be the way to go (SSS warning and all).
[28] I must have missed the discussion but..what exactly is the problem with a platoon? Having either Gardner or Melky on the bench seems like a good idea to me for the late-innings..
One possible problem with a platoon is that they may entertain trade offers for one or both when AJack is ready and platooning players sometimes reduces their market value.
That aside, I think I would prefer to go with the hot hand.
While AJax looks like an MLB player, we know he doesn't have above average power. Short of having Mickey Mantle as the 'other one', it's hard to see having AJax, Melky and Gardy in the same OF. Unless, I guess, you want an old Cardinals' speed and defense OF.
There has been a lot written saying this winter will be as bad, if not worse, then last winter, in terms in teams NOT spending money on FAs. We should expect a number of salart dumps in July/August. While the Yanks got good talent last winter, they paid through the nose, in both dollars and contract length. It would be nice to pick up an impact OFer, and actually get a reasonable deal... especially in length of contract.
If Melky Gardner could keep up their current numbers, it wouldn't be as necessary. But would anyone be surprised if Melky finished with a .750 OPS and Brett .725?
In this economy, an older and Brittle JD may NOT be able to get a multi-year deal, and we might be able to get him for a one-year deal. He has been great, and surprised everyone here, holding up/being quality for 4 years. But I can't see him with us in 2011. 2 years would be rtoo much. Between ARod, Po and Jeter, 2011 with have some real old guys,
I think Nady has no future with us, so if we don't get a 1 year JD, our total OF is Melky, Gardy, Swish and maybe AJax. In a buyers market, I can't see that OF. I like Holliday (.800 OPS now) but he is looking more and more like a Coors field byproduct. The Sox will not let Bay get away, especially since the Yanks are the only ones who might outbid them.
So which OFer may be wearing Pinstrips next year?
And it looks like the Sun isn't coming out for at least a week. Is this weather nuts? It's almost July 4th, and I'm still looking for the first 3 decent days in a row for this summer.
I read that Global Warming does NOT mean a nice, gradual warming trend. It means very eratic weather, with more extremes, storms, tornados, hurricances and such. I'm wondering if next month will average 110 degrees, with people in the SW fighting over a glass of water.
I really like how Girardi is mixing them in right now. So I guess I agree with Rich. Girardi seems to be platooning them but on much more of a hot hand basis.
[32] That is true. global warming = more eratic weather. I suppose all this rain is better than drought. But sometimes I like summer to just be summer.
[32] I believe the preferred term is "Climate Change," that way any erratic stretch of weather, hot or cold, wet or dry, can be ascribed to it. And really, OYF, you don't want to be accused of using the wrong label!
[35] no, the preferred term is still global warming, because that's what it is
Climate Change? Global Warming?
I'm one to call a spade a spade.
How about "Shitty Fucking Weather Syndrome"?
[33] I also think Girardi has done a great job "alternating" Melky and Gardner. I don't think a straight platoon is the best idea because I don't think we really know anything definitive about either player. Opinions and outlook for both have changed pretty significantly over the past year, so it would be shortsighted to think we now have them pegged.
Also, as an admitted Melky fan (who in a preseason thread expressed confidence that Melky could hit right handers :), I'd like to see him get more playing time than the short end of a righty/lefty split.
[36]
When I lived in Australia, I read a letter to the editor of The Australian newspaper, excoriating young Australians for adopting what the author insisted was a pretentious American practice of calling the water spigot in your bathroom a "faucet". He noted that the Australian word "tap" was shorter, thus more efficient. He finished by declaring that all Australians ought to call it a tap, "because that's what it is." And you couldn't really argue with him about that.
Last night was the first time two 550 guys both homered in the same game since Mays and Aaron, May 8, 1971. (Of course, they were both 600 guys.)
Speaking of "global warming", I recently saw a History Channel documentary on ice ages that suggested global warming might stave off the next one.
[38] Even if Melky only saw 40 starts in CF, assuming both he and Brett are producing, I think Mely gets 30-40 starts in LF and 30-40 starts in RF.
The math is easy. If we have 4 OFers that are all producing well, it's about 120 starts/season for each. Even when perfectly healthy, 135 games for JD seems around the max. 120 starts for Swish is the most he's had in a while and should keep him well oiled. Maybe a few less starts from MelkyGardner, as the will be LIDR pretty often.
But again, this assumes the current numbers, Melky just at .800, Brett at .788, are the real deal. This may be optimistic, me thinks.
Gotta go. The Ark needs some work.
Oh, here's some nice news.
Po may well indeed be a full time DH in 2011.
2009 Montero: .345, 252 AB, 12 HR, .403 .571 .974
That's some pretty nice numbers for a C. And the kid ain't even 20 yet.
(Matt Wieters (23) career MiLB: .343 .438 .576 1.014 )
[41] Yup. In 7219, people will be glad for Global Warming.
[42] Problem is, Po may well be a better catcher in 2011 than Jesus. Which would mean it'd be better for Montero to be the full time DH. And I'd have no problem with that, actually.
[43] According to the piece, mini ice ages occur relatively frequently and our Earth is due for one. Of course, the same piece also suggested that Global Warming could usher in a mini ice age. Without getting too political, I don't think "global warming" and its effect on the Earth is fully known.
Besides, the world is ending in 2012 anyway, which is why baseball GMs should be backloading contracts.
[41] Time magazine had an article back in the 70's about how "global cooling" was a "harbinger of another ice age"
http://tinyurl.com/3xfoak
Maybe it's a good thing we have been driving our SUV's or we might all be living in igloos by now... ;-)
[43] You won't regret it. Besides, then you'll really be an old Yanks fan...
[45] Of course, the same piece also suggested that Global Warming could usher in a mini ice age.
Interesting. As I said in [35]....
Besides, the world is ending in 2012 anyway, which is why baseball GMs should be backloading contracts.
Now THAT's the kind of fresh, forward thinking we need in the Yanks' front office!!
; )
[45] Good point about 2012. Although, I question the Mayan's ability to predict the end of world if they couldn't even forsee their own demise. Along those same lines, I don't take much stock in weather dudes who tell me what the weather is going to be like in a few hundred years when they can't accurately tell me what the weather will be like next week... ;-)
[46] Maybe mankind wasn't so "out of it" in the 70's as we think. This was either planned all along, or as some of our more analytical brethren and midriff would say, even a blind squirrel occasionally finds a nut... >;)
I'm out of my element here (my element being weed) but I thought the Ice Age was created by a meteor striking the Earth and creating a 'dusty atmosphere' that blotted out sunlight? I wasn't aware that it was a cyclical weather phenomenon.
Girardi was a superior defensive C to Posada, but they wanted Girardi to break Po in, and get Posada experience while Girardi was there. I imagine it will be the same with Montero. But like Po, Montero's value is as a Catcher. A .850-.900 OPS DH or 1stB is very nice, but not rare. But it is in a Catcher.
And like Posada and Piazza, unless Montero is an absolute butcher behind the plate, I believe the Yanks will have him catching as long as possible.
So, could all of these Stadium HRs be the result of the staving off of an oncoming mini-age by developing global warming? And, if so, what did the Mayans have to say about this?
Continuing off topic, "Mrs. Slocombe" and Karl Malden passed away last night. I don't think the worldwide outpouring will be too great, but both entertained me greatly.
@ 38
He could always hit righthanders better (career .730 OPS). I don't know why you needed to express confidence in that. It's clearly what was true. It was the lefthanders (career .679 OPS) that made him a borderline major leaguer starter. The difference this year is that he's hitting southpaws to the tune of .283/.358/.533. In fact, he's not much improved against righthanders (.764 OPS).
Nope. Meteors killed the radio stars...
@ 51
Bite your tongue sir! Posada has never been the butcher that Piazza was. Never. And Posada has worked hard to get better with age.
Montero is looking more and more like Piazza. They're running at will on him in the minors. But I agree that his bat very valuable behind the plate. The best course may be to bring him up and having him work with Pena every day while slowly increasing his workload behind the plate.
[54]
Well-played Chyll ... well-played.
[56] I figured that's why they called it MTV, right? >;)
[55] It's too bad he's only at AA this year. If he were at AAA, he would be the RH thumper off the bench that they are (I hope) looking for, but it would be irresponsible to call him up now, both in terms of development and 40-man-roster-wise.
Whatever the case, they are going to give him every chance to fail at C before moving him out from the behind the dish.
[16] Ha, no, I was asking rhetorically, figuring it was so.
[30] [33] this is what I'm saying, why go lefty/righty when Girardi has gotten a lot out of them using whatever method he's using? And like I say, Cabrera's strength is still from the left side so it would be wise to still get him regular ABs vs righty pitchers, esp. at YS.
[38] Uh this one too. Me too. ; )
Re: 2012, well I have trouble believing the doomsday predictions from anyone that can't count higher than 2012. Seems like a lot of modern cosmology involves numbers bigger than that. But then again, what do I know, I'm just a string theorist ;).
[49] While that's true in general, the was one omnipotent weather forcaster who was rare ly wrong:
Tonight's weather.....
Dark!
Remaining mostly dark, but turning to widely scattered light in the morning.
Now that's genius!
Of all the scientific shows I've seen, the most alarming thing I believe facing us is when or if the Oceanic Current Conveyor Belt stops. The supervolcano at Yellowstone erupting is a very close second.
Those of you living in pernts north of Washington D.C. had better have a reliable supply of Gore-Tex for either event...
I know I do.
: )