With Joel Piñeiro going for the Angels this afternoon and Javy Vazquez taking the hill for the Yankees on Sunday, last night’s loss was a tough one for the Yankees to take, but while Kendry Morales’s two-run homer off Joba Chamberlain might have been the decisive blow, the more memorable one came in the third inning when Mark Teixeira, after being hit in the triceps by a pitch, rounded third and absolutely flattened Angels backup catcher Bobby Wilson, who was making his first major league start.
After the game, both managers (both former catchers) said they thought the play was clean, and despite a few more bits of accidental contact and hit batsmen later in the game, there was no jawing between the teams, no real sense of anger or conflict. Despite all of that, I thought it was a dirty play on Teixeira’s part, not only because Wilson had set up behind home, giving Teixeira a clear path to the plate, but because of Teixeira’s behavior in the immediate after math of the collision.
After leveling Wilson, Teixeira stood up and went back to touch home, clearly indicating that his initial target had been the catcher, not the plate. As he then spun back around to head toward the Yankee dugout, his eye caught Wilson sprawled out in the dirt, clearly in pain, but not only didn’t he ask Wilson if he was okay, he didn’t acknowledge him at all and showed no concern after returning to the dugout despite the fact that Wilson had to be helped off the field and carried down the dugout stairs. After the game, Teixeira spoke kindly of Wilson and said he intended to call him to make sure he was okay (Wilson was taken to a local hospital for a CT scan and was diagnosed with a concussion), but in the heat of the moment, I don’t believe Teixeira had any regard for the well being of his opponent.
Was it because of the hit-by-pitch? Because of the virulent booing he’d gotten from his former home fans at Angel Stadium? Was it boiled-over frustration because of his slow start? Probably not, though all likely helped bring out the red-ass in the Yankee first baseman.
We’ve seen that before. Last year, in a game against the Twins, Tex almost got into it with Carlos Gomez because the Twins’ center fielder was crossing first inside the bag and Teixeira was afraid of a potential collision. We’ve also seen him level catchers before. The first thing I thought of when I saw Tex flatten Wilson last night was the play in that wild triple-comeback game against the Rangers in May 2006 in which Jorge Posada was knocked back into the homeplate umpire on a collision at the plate but held on to the ball for the out. The baserunner on that play? Mark Teixiera. From Alex’s recap:
By the end of the next inning, the Yanks would have a one-run lead. But before the home team came to bat, Jorge Posada was involved in what will go down as one of the unforgettable plays of his career, let alone the 2006 Yankee season. With two men out, Hank Blalock laced a double down the left field line. The ball hugged the corner and Melky Cabrera fielded it nervously–he looks unfamiliar and uncomfortable out in left. Mark Teixeira, who had a great night with the stick and seems to have gotten his groove back, raced around second and now charged towards home. Cabrera finally got the ball to Jeter who fired to Posada. The ball skipped home in time, Posada fielded it and then was crunched by Teixeira, who lowered his shoulder and let him have it. It was as hard a collision as I can ever remember Posada being involved with. The blow knocked Posada backwards and into the leg of the home plate umpire. But he hung onto the ball and the place went nuts.
Best I can tell, Mark Teixeira didn’t play football in college (though he’s a big football fan, both college and NFL), but given his ability to lay a hit on an opponent, he should have.
So, Tex put a little extra heat in this series. We’ll see if anything comes of it. For now, the Yankees need to win two unfavorable pitching matchups to avoid their first series loss of the year. (I told you it wouldn’t be easy.)
This afternoon, Andy Pettitte takes on Joel Piñeiro on FOX. Both starters have been outstanding in their first three starts, Pettitte going 2-0 with a 1.35 ERA, Piñeiro going 2-1 with a 1.77, his one loss coming in a quality start in which he got just one run of support from the Angels’ offense. Piñeiro dominated the Yankees for seven innings in the Bronx last week, striking out seven against no walks while allowing just one run on five hits, the key hit being an RBI triple by Nick Swisher. The night before that, Pettitte held the Halos scoreless for six frames, striking out six.
The Posada hit didn't bother me back then, and I absolutely think Teixeira was in the right with Gomez. Gomez has one skill, he should, at the very least, be expected to do that properly.
Last night's play was far more uncomfortable than either one of those, for the reasons you listed
the unfavorable matchup of joel pineiro and his 99 career era+ vs pettitte and his career 116? maybe pettitte is old, and maybe pineiro is coming off his best season since 2002 (pitching in probably the worst division in baseball for the one team in that division that has any offense), but i don't know how you can possibly call this an unfavorable pitching matchup. maybe piniero pitches as well as he did last week, but i very much doubt it.
i saw the replay online - tex's action was unnecessary and reaction not that cool.
there is a really illuminating piece on team chemistry on the fox pregame.
they even have a documentary style narrator to accompany the piece.
Interesting stat from Yahoo! Fantasy:
As I mentioned elsewhere, I think this is a problem for Teixeira. Or for my rooting for him: He's a little chippy. A little pissy-whiny. It doesn't happen too often but it's pretty unattractive when it does.
I don't think yesterday's loss was tough because of the next two day's matchups. It was tough because the Yankees played poorly.
Interesting tidbit...the loss snapped a stretch of 17 straight wins when the Yankees were tied in the 7th inning or later. That is a major league record.
[3] [5] I agree that the play was questionable, but thats because I think all home plate collisions are. If you accept them as part of the game, however, I don't think what Tex did was bad at all. As for his reaction, I definitely have no problem with that. As Girardi said, this isn't a family reunion softball game. Unless he knew the extent of Wilson's injury, simply walking away was fine.
My uneducated opinion is that strike throwng machines give the Yanees the the most trouble.
Run, Brett, Run.
Does Jeter have a first inning hit this year?
[8] Two, I think.
Andy will need to be on his game because the Yankee offense seems like it is in going into a slump.
Why is Peña getting a start on the same day that Posada sits?
I saw worse last night at the Mudhens game -- The hens were already reduced to having the pitche, Rudy Lugo,r bat due to various injuries, and the second hitter of the game hit it right off his head, just above the right ear. He's in the hospital, labeled serious condition.
Not much you can do about it, can't really have pitchers wearing helmets.
Nice quick inning...good for Andy, and it also means less Joe Buck talking!
[10] Sunday house money lineup! Oh, wait, it isn't Sunday.
[11] Well you could, but it would look insanely stupid.
[12] still not fast enough to limit buck.
Good Lord, I miss Tim McCarver
i guess joe and karros didn't see the alds last year to see how fundamental the twins were then.
Nice one, Nick.
Swish!
a hit and run with cano actually worked out!!!
nice ab from swish
I want to bring Joel Pineiro back to earth.
boo
Yay! Cano and Swish.
[0] As for last night's Tex play, I didn't think the play was dirty at all. I don't get why, even though he and Wilson have no animosity against each other, Tex should go back and tend to Wilson, or even apologize to Wilson. That's all part of the game.
Nice play
Nice play, Jetes.
the jeterian jumpthrow!
buck seems extra stupid today.
Ditto
Hey, Kid. Nice grab.
Pena!
nice grab pena
"Jeter's on for the first time today"
Like he was 0-6 previously.
That's 20 laps for, Brett.
[31] yeah i caught that too.
the strike zone seems pretty wide
Fun little game. When do you guys think Jeter hits 3000? Is 13 months toooptimistic?
1,000,000 push ups. Damnit.
wow, nice play
[34] I think you may have christened a new Banter term.
[37] Toooptimistic? :)
[34] probably not. he is at 2720, averages 208/year - if he gets about 210 again this year he just needs 20 next season so, maybe right around this time next year he gets it.
good for napoli being a dipshit
You got greedy, Napoli
Eat shit, Scioscia.
Okay. All worked out
Terrible play! Not just running, but running slow into 2nd. Could have been on 3rd EASILY!
Umps seem to be in poor position to make calls more often than not.
[39] If he's @ 2720, gets 210 this year = 2930. So he'd need 70 next year -- 35/month, end of May, start of June.
lot of line drives here andy.
[46] sorry, typo he is at 2770 after today's hit
Abreu broke that long ohfer to.o
[47] He's not fooling anyone. : (
Throw him out.
That looked a foot inside to the naked eye
[48] Ah, then you are correct.
Kwityerbitchin Torii.
Later all, off to see the Mudhens, though a thunderstorm is supposed to be headed this way.
[52] Wide strike zone today for sure...maybe it's best that NJ is on the bench for this one. Now, let's hope Gardy gets the message.
Please don't try to bunt, Swish.
I am not tooptimistic about the Swisher-sac-bunt play working out.
So, who would smply walk Grandy to get to Murderer's Row at the bottom of the lineup?
uhoh - now swish has shown he can bunt and the yanks now need pena and brains to get a big hit
[57] And as I write...
The legend of Pena will soon grow.
Ya know, at real speed could Tex really tell that Wilson had part of the plate open or that he didn't have the ball? Tex did go back to touch home, but he did touch it when he first came in. He prolly wanted to make sure. The press and all are making something out of nothing. Sciosia said it was a clean baseball play, let's move on. If Tex was hitting...would we have noted anything about it?
I ask again, why is Peña getting a start on the same day that Posada is sitting?
That was probably not a swing, but in any case that was a baaaad AB.
Gazoo Brains!!
[61] Teix said he was intentionally trying to dislodge the ball. In my book, that is never (or should never be considered) a "clean" baseball play, regardless of what the managers tells the press.
Multo bene!
When you can bat a guy like Cervelli ninth, that is one powerful lineup!!
Ahhh, I see Cervelli has been working on base-running with Po. It's nice to see the veterans mentoring the young guys.
great sequence - but cervelli has learned some of po's baserunning tricks
[65] As the rules are written, it has never been a "clean" baseball play. Since before Ty Cobb the block and collision at home plate has been the norm. If following the rules as written is the issue, take it up with the MBL, not Texeira
How do I train my TV to block that Dusty commercial? Cack.
[70] Ooops, mean MLB (not MBL).
[70] Actually, Rob Neyer wrote an article on this several years ago---it did not become the norm until much later than Cobb. But I take your general point.
I hope everyone is coming around to the Cervelli Reality. He is it, by god.
[74] Don't tell Romine or Montero. : )
There's your message Asshole.
Gardy! + Abreu = 3B
very nice hit from gritner
Hey everyone. At work (again) and listening mildly on mlb gameday audio. Gardy! (that just happened on this broadcast -- so slow)
Who wants a belt high fastball?
damnit completely fooled him there
way to go cano.
would have been hard to let a lead-off triple go for naught.
This is the Joel Pineiro I remember.
Delish, swish! Shhh, are the Yankees quietly putting this game out of reach?
how's Pettitte looking today?
"That's the way the Angels have played under Mike Scioscia"
Stupid?
I may take shit for this, but I really look forward to Gritner's ABs. I love watching him run!
[85] Vintage. High WHIP, hard hit balls, no runs, lean and mean when he needs to be.
[85] been hit a bit hard, several balls hit right at fielders and scattered the other hits, so doing his usual routine of not letting the damage build on him - given up no walks, 5 well timed strike outs.
so not as sharp as last time, but quite effective.
[87] i can't say just yet that i love his abs - but i love his hits and his work on the base paths.
And in the AL Central:
Melky Cabrera - .135 .250 .154 .404
But he does have 8 BBs.
[87] His ABs are much, much better this year. He's not playing Take-Take Brett Gardner. I hope he keeps it up.
[90] What about his tuckus?
[88][89] thanks, guys. I was just looking at his in-game line. can't complain about 5 solid innings south of 70 pitches. Can't wait to see the highlights.
Let's hope we don't see anymore Dead Ball Joba.
Why was there a shot of Mark Teixeira making a funny face in the game montage?
Gritner's current line: .333 .434 .400
I still say that was a ball
Okay. Just keep it here.
[98] not a problem - that's andy's specialty
Tuckus!
I's just getting caught up on today's BB posts (the perils of shiftwork), and I'd just like to say:
DIANE! What an awesome post game wrap! So great.
Anyway, back to the game.
good to see tex getting some hits
Just waking up..any fireworks this game? Someone hit Tex? Scioscia eat Brett Gardner?
[103] Hell hath frozen over. Brett the Jet with 3 hits (2 line drives and 1 triple) and is currently at: .348 .444 .413
Andy at 96 pitches after 7.0 innings... bring on the 8th!
[96] I'm way tooptimistic, but I predicted that Gritner would keep up his good start all season and I'm sticking too it.
[105] The eighth is inevitable. The only question is...who is the Eighth Inning Guy???
[104] Nice, thanks. Read through the game thread, so much more enlightening than FOX, obviously!
Morning Fun Fact: On the greatest team of all time (1998 Yankees), Hideki Irabu had 2 complete games...reading this made me happy for some reason.
[107] gotta send Andy out for the 8th, IMO. Who's up? Napoli, Wood, Aybar. Yeah... Andy is Dandy.
[106] you were one of the more bullish banterers on brett - if he keeps anything like this up color me extremely impressed and pleased - his speed is undeniable so when he has productive abs he is a real weapon.
[108] And one shutout. The fat toad was actually more or less effective that season...that's how freaky good that team was.
these "emails" to the fox booth just give buck more opportunity to blather on inanely.
[110] He won't hit .348, but I think he will hit closer to .300 than .270. And if so, he's going to be a real plus. IF.
[111] Wells only gave out 29 walks the whole season! Always loved watching him pitch..
[112] I heard Joe Buck had a short-lived chat show on HBO(?)..what were they thinking??!
Real Time with Joe Buck?
[109] girardi heard you.
This game is just slogging along, isn't it?
Almost time to head out to work, let's hope the BlueJays can take down those Tampa upstarts later!
[118] work? on a Someday?
Andy for President.
114 pitches...oh well, no CG today. It might be Boone Logan time.
andy is a golden god!
[116] I spoke w him on the ol' dugout phone. He said yes, Pettitte for the 8th and then Marte for the 9th. oh Joe...
[121] marte is warming up
[121] Setting up a save opportunity for Mo?
In 77 PAs, Austin Jackson: .300 .364 .414 .778
Joe Buck's fake laugh is terrifying
[119] We at ACME Investigations never sleep until the job is done, and done well! Or as I like to think of it, we "play the game the right way". :)
[124][125] Garbage time for somebody. The only remaining question is when (if) Girardi panics and brings in Mo.
I love me some Robbie.
Lucky > Good.
Lucky + Good = Even better.
i would say gritner is the biggest pleasant surprise to start the season - with andy and robbie next
After a 4 hit day, Cano's line: .359 .403 .641 1.043
Check out Pettitte so far in 2010 over 4 games:
28.0 IP, 21 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 9 BB, 22 K, 1.29 ERA, 1.07 WHIP
Not too shabby for the start of his 16th season -- what a workhorse!
[129] NOT UNLESS A MAN GETS ON BASE!
[132] For me, it's Gritner and Hughes. But I've always been a Phan of the Phranchise.
Boy, if Dusty made that catch it would have been AMAZING.
How does Robbie get that?!?
[136] yeah i could include hughes in there too.
[137] of course, how many miniature ponies do you know that can make a running catch?
Whorey Hunter
back on the winning track - just need to beat up kazmir tomorrow and have javy take another step forward. poof - that is it.
[142] poof > poop
Yo, Banterers.
I came in late to the game, DVRed it. Wow, what a huge advantage the DVR gives you in a Joe Buck game. It's indescribably sweet to >> past his drone.
Rob and Andy day. Awesome. Also Gritner. Also Frankie Brains. Yay, everybody!
Feeling toooptimistic.
Bravo, Andrew Eugene.
Bravo.