Today’s news is powered by . . . “You’re a Good Man, Carl Pavano AJ Burnett Charlie Brown”
- Joe Posnanski offers up the top 100 players you’d want if you had to win THIS year. A-Rod still finds himself in the top ten:
6. Alex Rodriguez, 3B, Yankees
Disastrous first half splattered with injuries, rumors and a low batting average … and the guy STILL has a 145 OPS+, good for seventh in the AL.
- John Perrotto details a slightly-worried Joe Girardi:
The Yankees called up right-hander Sergio Mitre from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to start Tuesday night, and he beat the Orioles despite allowing four runs in 5 2/3 innings. However, Girardi worries what might happen if the Yankees lose another starter, particularly since right-handers Phil Hughes and Alfredo Aceves have been converted to relievers this season to strengthen a shaky bullpen. “If we have another injury, where do we go?” Girardi said.
- Christina Kahrl has some rotation concerns:
The problem is that the rotation in general hasn’t done very well. Consider Support-Neutral performances of the rotation (expected winning pct. assuming league-average run support): only CC Sabathia‘s delivering anything like what you’d expect or pay his price for, providing a .560 Support-Neutral Winning Percentage and a dozen quality starts (through six innnings) in 20. A.J. Burnett‘s .527 SNWP is good enough to rate second on this team, but it might also understate his value down the stretch, since he’s given the club 13 quality starts in 19, including in eight of his last nine. But then things get less happy; Andy Pettitte (.476) is pitching in a way that suggests his next elaborate off-season mulling of retirement won’t involve anyone waiting on his doorstep, while Joba Chamberlain‘s upside might obscure that his work this season (.474) is the stuff fourth starters are made off.
- Are you ready for some (more) football?:
Two days after officially announcing plans to hold a college football game between Army and Notre Dame in 2010, the Yankees and the United States Military Academy on Wednesday morning announced the continuation of that series in future years.
Army will play at Yankee Stadium against Rutgers on Nov. 12, 2011, against Air Force on Nov. 3, 2012, and against Boston College on Nov. 8, 2014. . . .
“This is not just a stadium for baseball,” Yankees COO Lonn Trost said. “It’s a stadium for college and university football.”
- Donnie Baseball’s son is in a bit of trouble:
The son of former New York Yankees star first baseman Don Mattingly was arraigned Wednesday on misdemeanor charges of shoving his mother and spitting in her face after she allegedly sent him an insulting text message.
The case against Taylor Mattingly, 24, was deferred so he can apply for a pretrial diversion program, said Angela Watson, director of the program for the Vanderburgh County prosecutor’s office. Mattingly expressed an interest in the program during his court appearance, where he was not represented by an attorney, she said. He is scheduled to appear in court again Sept. 10.
Mattingly acknowledged confronting his mother, Kim Mattingly, on Tuesday afternoon in her Evansville home after she had sent him a text message insulting him, his girlfriend and his father, Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Deputy Nathan Espenlaub said Wednesday.
The deputy wrote in an affidavit that Mattingly acknowledged pushing his mother down and spitting on her. Mattingly, who surrendered to police Tuesday evening, also acknowledged smashing a patio table, flipping over a second table and damaging a patio door and a window.
- On this date in 1922, the Yankees start planning for the Series when they pick up 3B Joe Dugan and one-time Cleveland World Series hero Elmer Smith from Boston, giving up OF Elmer Miller, SS Chick Fewster, SS John Mitchell, and, later, P Lefty O’Doul. The contending Browns and other western clubs howl in protest and this deal will lead to a rule barring nonwaiver trades after June 15th.
- On this date in 1978, at the Chicago airport, Billy Martin, reacting to reporters’ questions about Reggie Jackson and George Steinbrenner, replies, “The two deserve each other. One’s a born liar; the other’s convicted.” The remarks will cost Billy his job. The next day, Martin will resign under pressure, giving way to Bob Lemon.
[0]
*hits forehead with palm of hand*
Hmmm...then why must the dugouts be filled in, and the BP fences modified, for the field to fit? Surely this is not an optimal design.
[0] “It’s a stadium for college and university football.”
University football? That's a phrase that's sweeping the nation... ;-)
Does this guy even watch the sport?
[2] Does he watch any sport? I'm not convinced he's a lover of baseball...
[1] i am not in the cashman is horrible, girradi must be fired today camps.
but, that the yanks have burned through their supposed pitching depth to the point that if another injury occurs, the possibility that someone on the totem pole lower than mitre might be involved is not so good. hughes or aceves needs to be utilized in a manner they can become a starter quickly.
[2] yeah that is weird phrase. perhaps more proof of trost's bs.
Keeping talking about Lon that way and he'll have to throw down. You ever seen the guns on that dude?
[4] Well, they have used two starters from that pitching depth (as you noted) to replace the apparently irreplaceable Brian Bruney. The question Girardi should be asking, of course, is "if there is another injury, what will we do about the EIGHTH INNING???????"
[5] Yeah, we better watch out he might have been a former "college and university" wrestler...or possibly even a "professional and guy-who-gets-paid" wrestler....
[7]
Why do I think of Montgomery Burns when I read Lonn's quote? :-)
http://www.hulu.com/watch/23020
“If we have another injury, where do we go?” Girardi said.
Well, you can move one of Aceves or Hughes back to the rotation, or trade for a starter, or trade for a bullpen arm, or promote/use the guys you already have. I thought it was pretty obvious.
[9]
Or . . . there's always Nick Swisher!
“If we have another injury, where do we go?” Girardi said.
I don't know why Girardi frets, there's always Kei Igawa.
[6] et al - A couple of days ago, Will Carroll suggested, at BP, that the Yanks' recent usage of Hughes was more indicative of him being "stretched" to start, than of an one-inning reliever. Not sure if that still holds true or not after last night's appearance, though.
[8] Excellent. /finger tips pressed together
I can just picture Trost saying Burns's classic "A shiny new donkey to whoever brings me the head of Colonel Montoya" line. I could also picture him and Levine lavishing an award on an inanimate carbon rod. This makes me laugh but also frightens me.
I think Univeristy Football sounds quaint. It's like listening to Borat.
All the more reason to start stretching Hughes out now, at least giving him two IP at a time.
Trost may not be a real University Football fan, but if these games bring some revenue into the Yankee coffers it's another example of him doing a job well done.
[15] Perhaps if Trost and his ilk were to totally and singularly apply their skills towards finding solutions to broader social issues; something that were more appreciable to the the casual observer like feeding the hungry, adoption, housing and/or employment, especially during a recession, they might be hailed in the manner you think they should be. How about pointing those capitalist guns at something that is not only intellectually and emotionally challenging, but also has substance and would be well appreciated? But I know, they're not in it for the glory... nobody needs to pat them on the back and say "job well done" when a family of four that's evicted from their home is able to find another one, thanks to Trost and Company... >;)
I was waiting for William's inevitable defense of Trost comment!
In any case, I really don't understand how they can sit there and scratch their heads and wonder what to do about the starting depth, and at the same time insist that Hughes isn't stretched out enough and imply that he'll stay in the BP for the rest of the year. I mean, its not only shortsighted for next year, but if they end up throwing a bunch of bums up there to start or, perhaps worse, trade away something useful for another Cory Lidle type (RIP), when they could simply stretch Hughes out and have him go back to starting, then they might actually be hurting the team THIS YEAR too...Sigh.
[6] except that would make us a weaker baseball team. It is much easier to replace a 5 ERA in the rotation than a sub 2 ERA in the late innings.
Perhaps if Trost and his ilk were to totally and singularly apply their skills towards finding solutions to broader social issues
There's no money in poor people :D
[16] Who said anything about hailing Trost as a great humanitarian? Why is that the basis for judging how he is doing his job? Unless you hold everyone else to that incredibly high standard, I don’t think that’s fair at all. Lon Trost’s job is to manage the team’s operations and he does a pretty good job at doing it.
[17] I don’t see where I defended a comment (or why it would need to be defended), but if it is in fact inevitable, that would be because most of the criticism directed toward him is very unfair.
LOL @ Charlie Brown!
Here is another trip down memory lane for you, but with a newer version.
Diane, how about this for the Yankees winning their games in the second half so far?
Just substitute the word "Win-ning" for "Music," and every time you hear "pop," think of another Yankee hit.
You could use it for your News of the Day with the title "Winning Non Stop" if you would like!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqeC8WdS9U8&feature=related
: )
Mark Buehrle is doing something interesting against the Rays this afternoon, through 7 innings.
[18] Like I said, Brian Bruney has apparently been damn near irreplaceable. Luckily the Yankees have figured out that the 8th inning is the mostest importantest inning in the whole game.
[22]
Buehrle is doing something VERY interesting against the Rays, now through 8 innings.
[22] [24] Prescience!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)