Chocolate Thunder vs Texas Heat. Yanks and Sox at Fenway Park on Sunday Night Baseball.
Let’s Go Yank-ees!
[Photo Credit: Harvey Frommer.com]
Sunday
December 22, 2024
Since 2002
Me Rubber, You Glue…
276 comments
"This ain't football. We do this every day."
--Earl Weaver
--Earl Weaver
Listened to the Mud Hens game today, Dontrelle was pitching for Louisville. He walked the first batter, but then didn't walk another for 6 innings. only gave up 3 hits vs. 5 Ks. No runs. I'd like to see him make it back to the majors.
Jebbie sez Yanks need a win tonight!
Btw I'm wondering what kind of ramifications the sox rays series might have if one of them gets broomed.
[2] Well, it's so early in the season and it's a marathon not a...
Devastating.
YANKEES
Brett Gardner LF
Derek Jeter SS
Mark Teixeira 1B
Robinson Cano 2B
Curtis Granderson CF
Nick Swisher RF
Jorge Posada DH
Eric Chavez 3B
Russell Martin C
Alex was scratched from the lineup because of sickness.
[4] The flu, I just heard (accompanied by the brilliant remarks we've all come to expect: what, he's making $25M and he can't take four AB...?).
[4] Yeah, I wish my doctor prescribed me $25 million a year. Pure genius.
[6] for [4], but it still makes sense...
[6] Boooo! Not on my game tonight, too many distractions. Good luck tonight everyone!
Uh oh, better warm up the relief Chyll. Our starting Chyll might be a little off...
I dont think I can last four hours of Bobby V
[10] It's Bobby V doing color? Was wondering who that was..not Sutcliffian-level bad though..
Grinch looks like he spent some time at Hulka-burger in the offseason..two Ks there though, he's still got good stuff..
Weaver struck out 15 Jays today. Wowsers.
Go get 'em, Big Fella!
[10] I'm just glad he's not the Yankees manager.
The Dusty fellatio is killing me..time for the Japanese announcers.
I had forgotten how ugly Youklis looks.
[15] Lucky you. Most of us have nightmares.
Just missed it Robbie.
[1] Me, too. He seems like a really nice guy.
I saw him pitching in Grapefruit League spring training last month, and he was kind of all over the place. Looked really good in one game (and hit a triple!) Was absolutely terrible in the next game, giving up hits, walks, wild pitches, and throwing the ball into the stands trying to hold the runner on. I'm not sure what to make of him, but his velocity's still good. Maybe it's all mental.
Not sure if he'll get a chance to pitch for the Reds this year. The Reds have a wealth of starting pitchers, but no real ace.
Yeah, get the box off the screen. Pretty fucking please.
Hey, did anyone catch last half inning that "We Built This City" by Starship was playing on the Fenway PA? I didn't imagine that, right?
This could be going better
[21] Ponson, Ponson, Ponson!!!
Sorry Bobby V. That will not ignite the crowd. : (
Chavez looks a bit like Mattingly imo.
Evening Ladies and Germs.
Bah, Beckett looks good tonite.
Bobby V on Eric Chavez: "It must be nice to be the Yankees. All-Star out of the lineup, All-Star in the lineup"
Ahhh...Chavez was just about out of baseball. The Yankees signed him to a minor league deal.
If Martin catches 150 games, how will Cervelli catch 90?
How cute, Boston is a six time Whirled Serious champions.
Hmm.
OMG, a ML second baseman turned a double play!
Any reason (aside from the obvious HE'S DEREK JETER) Nunez can't play against some FB RH pitchers? Derek is over matched and Nunez can't be expected to do anything if he hardly plays. 40 games for Nunez, 120 for Derek. That's reasonable, isn't it?
[28] Say this for ESPN, they sure do their research. From Chad Jennings today.
[32] Well yes, especially since Derek Jeter is obviously the worst player on the team...or at least so I gather from your posts about him.
[33] That still seems high
Nice play by Pedroia, but why didn't the runners advance on the ball that rolled pretty far from Varitek? That may have cost them (predetermined outcome advisory).
5'7 my ass
[27] Yeah...I heard that as well.
Christ! PastadivingStatue...
That was one of the most amazing double plays I have ever seen. Hopefully they can show it a few more times. In even slower motion. CC is not good thus far.
[34] Check out Jeters numbers for his last 400 PAs against power RHPs and get back to me. You don't think Nunez can beat that? And yes, Jeter may now be our worse hitting starter.
I'll take it!
Shut up Valentine, he made NO effort to get to the bag.
He was about 8 feet out of the line, Bobby
I'll be...they actually made that call. CC gets a little help from the umps.
Bobby Valentine: The rule says this, but I don't agree with the rule, so the umpire is wrong for calling it.
[41]
Nuñez' numbers:
MiL: .274/.318/.369/.687
2010 overall: .280/.321/.360/.681
2010 v. RHP: .292/.370/.292/.662
Jeter 2010 v. Power pitchers: .289/.369/.369/.738
I'll take my chances with Jeter.
Yes, Jeter may be the worst hitting starter--which seems to please you in some strange way---but he is still better than his replacement.
I'd like to see them call that everytime. It's dangerous enough around the bag as it is. Make that call... keep players in the baselines.
I mean, I think the balk rule is absurd. But I'm not going to call out an umpire for calling a balk.
[47] That said, Jeter was smoked in the AB.
[48] Yep!
[50] Painful to watch
there we go...BB for Teix
beep beep beep.....Score truck backing up...
[47] Those numbers include LH pitchers.
Against RHP only, 2010: .246 .316 .317 .633
Now, I don't know the splits on (RHP) FB/other, but these's no question he has lost bat speed.
So if Nunez has similar numbers against RHP, and he is a year more mature, while Jeter is a year older, why not.
Jeter's got 3 MORE years on his contract.
You think resting him against his hardest pitchers will hurt him?
Do you think Nunez might be better with semi-regular play, as opposed to sitting 90% of the time?
2 hits and 4 shutout innings from Douche-face, Bollocks! Hold the fort, CC.
[55] I think Jeter should be rested more, for sure. But I am not convinced he should as a policy sit against opposing team's best power pitchers, because I am not convinced that Nuñez will, over the course of the course of the season, be able to do any better. Year older or not, Nuñez' MiL numbers suggest profound suckitude...better than the horrific Peña, but that's not saying much. If anything, it makes as much sense to rest Jeter against mediocre RHs (against whom Nuñez stands a better chance), or rest him when it makes more sense defensively (though the Yankees don't really have a groundball pitcher now).
Lastly, Beckett is blowing away most everyone tonight not named Chavez. That Jeter looks overmatched so far on this night with Beckett pitching this well is not particularly telling.
Going to the game on Thursday. Is that Hughes?
[58] Nova
STOP WALKING SCUTARO
[hushed tones] here comes the greatest signing evah....Carl Crawford....what a fabulously great player.
how do you walk scutaro?
[59] Garcia's not pitching this week?
Yeoman CC tonight. They'll get to the Grinch soon.
[62] I thought he was not scheduled to start until about 12 games in, but maybe I misremember?
[55] If in 1952 you bought $10K worth of shares in IBM, would you have sold after 3 weeks of it staying steady or it losing some money?
I don't really get what your issue is with sitting Jeter after the first full week of baseball games.
[62] C.C's on line to start Friday, so nope. (at least according to what Jennings posted today at LoHud)
[64] I thought when he got rained out they said he'd pitch the next week.
[66] Ok. Saw Nova last time too. Fun game.
Replay of Matsui's tater at Minnesota today.. I miss him.
Gentlemen, gentlemen, we all have our yearly Yankees-related meme that we beat to death like a poor little pony heading to a glue factory, OYF has just settled on his a little earlier than the rest of us ...
[62] Looking at the schedule: the rainout let them skip Garcia, plus they have an off day on Monday. That means they can go through starters 2-4 and then start CC again on Friday and turn the rotation over again. With the subsequent off days, they can stick with a four man rotation almost to the end of the month.
[69] Agreed.
[70] Very good observation. I was all set to complain Sergio Mitre but they went and traded him. So now, without my own meme yet, I'm the one who's Unlucky™!!
I'm going to the game in Toronto a week from Tuesday. Haven't been to a Yanks game in a couple years. Looking forward to it. Mabye I'll see Silva's debut. ; )
Wilson Betemit 4-4 today, leading the Royals to a division title??
Go Go CC!
I've wanted to go to Skydome for 15 years
Ouch.
I wasn't watching the pitch, but hearing the sound the ball made off his hand, I thought that was a foul ball off the bat.
Mitre's pitching pretty well for his new club.
And IPK pitched a gem yesterday.
[74] They showed Sergio! sitting in the Brewers bullpen today tossing seeds (actual seeds.) Long strange trip.
[75] Release Nuñez, trade for Betemit, then bench Jeter?
He swung anyway
[78] So his luck really has changed!
[80] I won't be responsible for my actions.
[76] It's a nice facility. And the Jays have cheerleaders leading the 7th inning stretch. Could do without the mascots, tho'
[79] It all comes full circle. Erick Almonte homered the other day for the Brewers.
[84] I want to stay in that hotel where you can watch the game from the windows!
[80] Fuck, Marry, Kill?
[86] IIRC the cameras one time caught a couple doing it up against the window.
[88] LOL. I definitely don't want to do that!
[88] Inevitable! Would be one of the main reasons to get the room, no?
CC is a warrior! Am back on ESPN now, nice to hear something not about Beckett.
He missed the glove by two feet
The glass floor of the CN tower is far riskier.
Please hold 'em, Big Fella!
[88] IIRC, that happened in 89 or 90, shortly after the Skydome opened. Also, FWIW, Exhibition Stadium has been razed, and in its place is BMO field, a soccer stadium.
This is one of the reasons I love CC. Even when he doesn't really have anything, he can still be nails.
Hey, Team. Been listening to Sterling and Suzyn and then I come home, turn on the teevee and see a strike zone graphic on ESPN? Wtf?
CC's doing a great job of keeping us in the game; I love that Becket can be lights out and CC can by damned shaky and yet it's still just 1-0.
[94] The bullpen better be nails for at least 3 innings. One more from CC I guess.
"Tilt" on his pitches?
Has anyone heard of "tilt" before?
What's wrong with "movement?"
A linedrive bunt
[97] Movement can be side to side.
I don't like listening to Bobby V.
Jeez, can Jeter just not get the ball out the infield?
[101] Sure looks like that so far.
Just... painful... to... watch...
Or maybe they can just put Colon in for the rest of the game and pull a few starters, since one run looks to be more than enough for Beckett tonight.
[100] After listening to Wald-ling, Valentine ought to sound like Vin Scully to your ears ...
Ugh, I hate losing to Beckett.
Wow. I hate this shit, we were suppose to destroy Beckett.
[103] So true. Teix looked totally overmatched in that AB.
listening to espn radio w/ jon sciambi & chris singleton is more than fine. game on mute on the tube, here and there.
got a coupla packs of topps today. got a cano (already had 2 different ones), an a-rod card (youngest to 600 homers/checklist) and the best surprise: a Thurman Munson card!!!
apparently, there's a regular 2011 topps card of him. how cool! i already had every Thurman topps card ever. i had NO clue there'd be another one this season. now, i continue to have 'em all... Thurman was my very first idol, so this is really really cool for me. : )
meanwhile, what the fuck is up w/ fuckett. asshole...
I LOATHE Beckett.
Agreed. Release_______, trade for _______, then bench Jeter.
[105] Heehee.
Boone Fucking Logan.
Oh Christ, not Logan.
Uh oh, NOgan is warming in the pen ...
Logan?? So they're just writing this game off then I guess.
I love listening to Hershiser pretend like Gonzalez's contract hasn't been signed yet
You're fucking killing me, Scutaro!
[116]
leftyleftyleftyleftyleftylefty
[111] AA_P
Fuck, that scared me! I had visions of the ball going into left field.
I'll trust CC over anyone in the pen not named Mo.
Why wold JoeyJoeJoe pull CC last week but leave him in here when's he struggling?
[123] see [122]
Let's hope Joba brings it ...
It comes down to Ugly.
Blow this fuck away, Joba...
Going to the pen early. Blah!
I thought that Joba was the Seventh Inning Guy?
Big Ugly runs like me
Pfew!!
Way to stay with it, Chavez!
Nice recovery by Chavez.
Eric The Great!!!
Yay, defense.
[129] well, let's hope he is. i can see GI Joe going to Bogan for Fat Liar...
I'd like Boston to have a game like CC's last start. I little bullpen implosion after Beckett's departure.
Phew!
Have faith, Banterers. Would be real nice to see Chavez hit a 2 run homer off of Paps for the winner.
[136] But will he depart at this rate?
Robbie has such quick hands.
Tater is-a-comin off of Bard or Paps, I can feel it.
What the FUCK is ESPN doing?
They've got all these new gimmicks!
It's making me dizzy.
And cranky.
bollocks.
[138] Nor after the hideousness. Oi!
[141] i read a lot of their website for general news. they changed the player profile pages. it looks more 'modern', but it's harder to read and missing some basic info. i can't stand it...
great. leadoff walk. my favorite... : /
There has not been one 1-2-3 inning this whole game for Boston.
wow. tampon has scored 20 runs in 9 games...
No, "the numbers" do NOT seem "extremely hollow."
Give me a fucking break.
Is there serious talk of leaving Clemens out of the HOF?
Manny has no chance?
Really?
McGuire is in a different category because the 1990s was the "wild, wild west?"
Joba thinks walks are food.
[150] Olney is a fuckin idiot
goddammit, jobber. throw fucking strikes!!!
Come on Joba.
Nooooo, not Logan!!!!
[152] You know, people have bought cock and bull stories like Pettitte and Ortiz, so you know people will believe what they want.
Oh God. He's ready.
Manny also decked his travel secretary. Now one incident shouldn't be a blocker (depending on the incident) but character is a criterion. And Ty Cobb is lucky he grew up in a racist era.
fuck you, vagitek.
time for scutaro to cooperate and ground into an easy inning ending double play.
Attack this fucker, Joba!
Goddamn it.
Fucking fuck.
Good ol' Joba ...
Being beat by Scutaro and Varitek is kind of galling.
and....time to get some work done...
Oh no.
Girardi a bit slow with the hook.
Fuck. Now the Sox are ahead of Tampa Bay.
Good work, Joba. Fuck you, Scutaro. 2 fucking walks and now 2 hits form the Modamn 9 hitter. Ugh.
marco fucking scutaro. damn you, joba.
no dp setup anymore...
i guess bobby v is happy now, since boston needed a run here "in the worst way." i mean, what the fuck?! : /
[166] I'd wait as long as possible to being Logan in too.
[163] not to mention fuckett...
[169] Exactly.
Wait a minute.
Boone Logan is going to pitch to Pedroia?
Why?
IBB?
Oh, sweet, a Freddy Garcia sighting ...
Why is our worst pitcher pitching to their best hitter with two RISP in the sevent?
Yeah, this isn't going to end well.
Don't worry NOgan, they're just saying BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOne.
[174] leftyleftylefty
This will not end well.
Better to be lucky than good ...
Two innings to get 4 runs?
We can do this!
Could have been so much worse. Now, do we have any chance of scoring thrice with six outs?
We shoulda kept Kennedy and traded Joba.
Also, I hate to bring this up, but at what point in the season/career is it ok to pinch it for Derek?
hit
[182] We should have hired Dr. Frahnkensteen to transfer Ian's brain to Joba's body ...
Good, that curve was high....
SWING THE FUCKING BAT
this is painful.
Does Posada even exist today?
This is demoralizing.
I really hate to see Beckett succeed
fucking pathetic.
[183] Pinch...hit...for Jeter?
o_O
It's not like he's valuable for his defense or anything...
[185] IPK's brain is debatable.
Okay, I've calmed down. These games happen.
I will give credit to Girardi for not bringing in Logan for Sabathia in the 6th. Sort of.
[183] He should be released immediately. Ask OYF. However, more to the point tonight--the entire lineup has two hits and two other balls out of the IF. Pinch hit for whomever...it doesn't really matter.
[194] Not when compared to Joba's ...
Errr. This is weird. Garcia?
[195] Yep, shame it was a CC start though.
...
Is that is fastball?
awesome. i love when our pen gives up a leadoff walk...
[197] I'm just saying, hypothetically...if the game is on the line in the ninth and Chavez or Jones is on the bench where maybe a sac fly can tie it up...
At what point can we even entertain that possibility, is my question? (At what point does Joe, in other words.)
Walks will haunt. :-(
oh good. : /
Sweet...Garcia is creating his own garbage time!
Ooo that was crushed
Say goodnite, Gracie ...
I mean, is that the sort of thing we'll have to rely on Cashman to intervene on?
Where's the fat shit who couldn't hit from LAST April? Rats!
I really don't think putting Garcia in this game at this point is a wise move. Not much good can come of it .... I mean, little upside, a lot of downside
[209] I don't think Cashman is going to intervene. The only thing he can do is take Jeter off the roster, and he's not gonna do that. (Remember how he had to take Bernie away from Torre?)
[197] And just to be clear, I wasn't referring to tonight. Beckett is clearly lights-out, I don't hold the hitters accountable for that.
Regarding Jeter, if Cashman has to intervene, I would hope that it would be a little longer after a couple of weeks into the season.
[212] And as it turns out, the Josh Phelps era did not go well.
Is he throwing changeups?
*than* after a couple of weeks...
[214] Thank you.
Even if we don't win the game, I'd sure like to see Private Pyle get slapped around a bit here ...
[214] Sure, but you see the problem, right? You have a bench now where it's an eminently plausible scenario if Jeter continues to not be able to hit the ball in the air.
How many games have to be put in jeopardy because of Jeter's pride?
[220] because of Jeter’s pride
?
[221] What?
I have to say, its a sad state of affairs when I'm one of the calm, upbeat, optimistic ones here.
[220] Going back to your hypothetical scenario at [203], I highly doubt very many games will hang in the balance because of batter X's ability to hit a sac fly. That's a pretty trivial consideration.
[220] Pride has nothing to do with it. Jeter has been at this for a while, I think he has earned the benefit of the doubt.
Je-ter, Je-ter ...
What we gonna do?
What we gonna do when you turn to glue?
[224] So the question of pinch-hitting for Jeter is illegitimate?
Wouldn't that make the question of ever pinch-hitting for anyone illegitimate?
[222] I don't get the moral condemnation here. Jeter's "pride"? What do you mean here?
Crawford's off to a shittastic start. No one's pouring dirt on him, yet.
We haven't even hit game 10, yet. Jeter's not going anywhere.
[197] MP is correct. Tonight, the Yankees sucked as much as Jeter, so Derek gets a pass.
[225] Ok, sure, call it what you like, but don't you see how it might actually get in the way of winning games?
I really can't get too bent out of shape, or bent out of shape at all, about Jeter's performance as of April 10. I mean really?
oh, derek...
Ah, yes, "Yankees Suck" ... stay classy Boston!
[232] Ditto
[227] No, the question is not illegitimate. But framing it in terms of "what if we really need a sac fly" is silly.
Remember a few years back, when A-Rod couldn't hit a sac fly? Michael Kay was quoting that stat about A-Rod being the worst in the league at getting a runner in from third with less than two outs.
I think Jeter will be okay, at least when it comes to hitting sac flies.
[230] Again, I wasn't referring to tonight and I'm not trying to run Derek out of town.
I'm just being honest: in a big situation with Chavez (and maybe Jones) on the bench, who would you rather see?
Is it really such an outlandish question?
Wow. That was a foot outside and low.
Now I find myself agreeing with Mattpat [235] and Hawk [232]. Apocalypse imminent?
Ah well, tough to gripe too much about that game with the way Beckett pitched.
Just sucks there's a day off tomorrow.
[232] How is posing a hypothetical question "getting bent out of shape?" And he had a whole bad YEAR, it's not just a bad two weeks.
Jesus, of course I want him to improve as much as anyone, I'm just saying, what if he doesn't or only does to a negligible degree?
I'm NOT calling for the man's head.
I don't deny Beckett's dominance but the ump seemed to favor the Sox all night. Sabathia couldn't buy a strike on the outside corner but Beckett routinely got it .... It could just be Beckett was that much sharper but on TV is seemed a little unbalanced.
God I hat Beckett. I loved it last year when the Yanks knocked him around. Looking forward to the next instance of that.
[241] Yeah, I'd rather they get back out there.
[232] And what you say begs the question, my question, which was, "at what point..."
June?
August?
Next season?
It wasn't a rhetorical question, I'm really curious, at what point do things start to change regarding his status?
[231] I'd wager panicking would "get in the way of winning games." It's a couple weeks into April. Let's see a little bit more before we decide to bury the shortstop?
[228] It wasn't condemnation. The pride of athletes is often cited as a factor by managers in their treatment/deployment.
Given Derek's status, I can only presume that Girardi would be more hesitant to "demote" him than he might otherwise be with a player of lesser stature.
[238] in a big situation with Chavez (and maybe Jones)
Interesting that you would put Chavez over Jones, given that Chavez has "hit" .610, .262 and 628 OPS over the last three highly abbreviated, injury riddled seasons.
Ask me in a month or two when we have some more evidence to go on.
[247] Then the problem is not with Jeter's "pride" but with his status...and with Girardi's own lack of executive will.
[236] How the fuck is that silly?
Jesus, are you just trying to break my balls?
You know what my point is, or don't you?
[242] If he has the same year he had last year, I still won't get bent out of shape.
I don't think they'll be pinch-hitting for him for the foreseeable future. As such, the thought does sound a little like the sky is falling. I wouldn't start wondering about stuff like that till at least a month from now. There's just not enough of a pattern to suggest such steps would have to be taken.
[245] It changes when you have a better option.
[246] I'm not burying the shortstop!!!!
For fuck's sake, it's a hypothetical question based upon a very plausible (inevitable, in fact) trajectory in the course of a player's career!!!
Why is everyone responding as if I'm demanding the man be benched indefinitely?
Hey on the bright side an admirable performance by Sabathia. I know we all know this, but he is worth his weight in gold. Yes, his weight.
Gentlemen, please, you can't fight in here, it's the War Room!
[252] Again, that begs the question: if Chavez shows himself to be a consistent threat off the bench...
[253] I think it's because you posited the idea at a time where it seemed to stem from not only the short sample size of the season this far, but maybe even from this game, in which no-one on the Yankees looked good at all.
If it wasn't in the middle of the game and you said in some mid-day, mid-week thread, "Hey I wonder ..." it probably wouldn't have set off the same alarms, (so to speak).
[249] Status and pride are very, very hard to disentangle, but whatever.
I'm tired of petulant quibbles.
Goodnight.
[236] It's silly because it is a trivial situation. It's liek saying "at what point, if the game hangs on the line and you really want a ground ball to the right side of the IF..."
Who the hell plans tactics, personnel moves, etc. around "really needing a sac fly", or wondering how many games will be lost because a sac fly by a specific play in a specific situation will make the difference? It's silly.
Look, if we want to talk about PH for Jeter, then let's have a real discussion about it. You PH for bad offensive players with better offensive players...not with the player noted for his ability to deliver the decisive sac fly.
[257] Sure, fair enough, it might have *seemed* like it was ill-inspired by a dominant Beckett performance but it wasn't, it was inspired by the fact that he had a poor season last year, seems at this point to be picking up where he left off and the presence of a potential legitimate bat off the bench, the kind of bat that really could make an impact not just by spelling Alex but bas a looming threat, the way, say, Strawberry was.
But forget it, I don't need this stress on top of the loss, I'm happy to shelve the discussion for another day.
You guys just tell me when it's ok to talk about without being silly.
[259] Ffs, "sac fly" was just short hand for "scoring a run."
Whatever, I'm done.
[259] It would not surprise me if Girardi had that info in his binder.
[260] I think it's a question better asked in June, still. It's hard to really gauge where a player is at at this stage. April is just not the time to size up the season ... Ask AJ Burnett circa 2010.
[261] Well, you asked "when", and I said above "ask me in a month or two." I would want to give the man at least a couple of months to see if he is hitting at least as well as last season (and it gives time to see if Chavez and Jones still have anything left in tank or aren't made of glass...we'll see for all three).
In a month or two if Jeter looks like Jeter 2010, I still probably don't PH for him. If he looks worse, then yeah, I'd pull him in tactical situations.
[262] Another excellent observation!
Just to close, mp, you write:
"Look, if we want to talk about PH for Jeter, then let’s have a real discussion about it. You PH for bad offensive players with better offensive players…not with the player noted for his ability to deliver the decisive sac fly."
I do want to have a "real discussion" about it.
Do you have anything of substance to offer to such a discussion?
When would YOU pinch hit for Jeter?
How can I frame the question to get something productive out of you? Tell me how and I'll do it.
[264] Why couldn't you just say that at first?
[264] Why was your first response a smart-assed quip invoking OYF?
Why couldn't you either try to cooperate with *me* or keep your peace?
If and when Jeter is ever pinch hit for Beckett will still be a raging fucking douche.
AJ Burnett of April 2010 is on the phone, he proudly accepts the Cy Young award.
I'm joking around! A little levity after watching The Grinch Whole Stole My Happiness (tonight).
[269] The End.
[266-268] As Hawk mentioned above, the tone and timing of your questioned struck a nerve...and obviously not just with me. It seemed like you were (over)reacting to the game tonight and/or following along with OYF, who has piling on Jeter with each AB this year. Sorry for the misunderstanding.
As for cooperating with you, I'm not sure what mean. You posed a question and I answered it (albeit misunderstanding your intent). I responded to subsequent "clarifications" that seemed only to further cloud the issue (e.g., invoking Jeter's pride)--again, obviously I misunderstood what you were getting at.
Just got back from RUSH at MSG ... I guess I didn't miss much ... I hear Beckett pitched like 2008, and Jeter swung like he was age 2008.
Is that it in a nutshell?
[273] you lucky dog! a student of mine was there tonight! he's originally from NY, has a brother there still and is an airplane pilot, so it was somewhat easy for him to make the concert. i hope to see them when they play here, but i'm sooo crazy busy i'm not sure i will...
of course, there'll be at least 2 dvd's of this tour. i believe they're playing in cleveland next week and are recording that for release...
hope you had a *fantastic* time, diane!!!
[272] Thank you, mp. I realize tone is very hard to read over a screen. I'll try to clarify:
I wrote: "Also, I hate to bring this up, but at what point in the season/career is it ok to pinch it for Derek?"
I said "I hate to bring this up" because it's painful for me to pose the question because I love Derek as much as anyone and it's sad to me that we've reached (or are soon to) this (inevitable) question.
I realize my question seemed petulant, a response to a night where Beckett was simply dominant and it might have looked like I was picking on Jeter but really I was thinking about Chavez and what he might bring to the team.
By "cooperating" with me, I mean trying to understand the essence of the question I was posing rather than seizing on what was probably just a clumsy attempt to offer a concrete example ("needing a sacrifice fly") of a scenario in which, if things remain as they are now (IF--IF!!!), I would be frustrated if Girardi stuck with Jeter the way Torre stuck with his guys. (E.g., insisting on using Justice in 2002 over Shane Spencer in the PS.)
And in general, I find it uncooperative to dismiss someone's thought or question as "silly" without making any effort to reformulate in a productive way. It's condescending. You might have said, "While calling on a pinch hitter to hit a sacrifice fly might be a little unrealistic, it's certainly true that there are times in which it makes sense to pinch hit one batter for another, as to that, in the case of Jeter, my opinion is..."
Or whatever.
Maybe just please try not to be so dismissive when I'm trying to strike up a serious discussion.
But whatever, I'm tired and want to go to sleep. I, too am sorry for the misunderstandings. I'll try to be clearer both in tone and in framing my hypothetical questions in future, seriously.
Goodnight, mp.
[272] Ok, sorry, one last thing! :)
The context of the sac fly was the bit about Derek having very little success getting hits in the air, having all or nearly all of his hits come on grounders, so I was imagining some kind of ninth inning, down by a run, runner on third kind of thing with a hard throwing closer.
Anyway, you couldn't have known what was in my head, of course. I'll try to be more forthcoming in future.