"A New York Treasure" --Village Voice

Number One Chief Rocka

 

Alex Rodriguez is still out, but C.C. is on the hill.

While we wait for the game to start, check out this interview with Marc Carig over at The Yankee Analysts. Nice job by Carig and Moshe Mandel.

Brett Gardner LF
Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Mark Teixiera 1B
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Jorge Posada DH
Eduardo Nunez 3B
Francisco Cervelli C

Never mind the preamble: Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Drawing by Larry Roibal]

138 comments

Show/Hide Comments 1-100
1 cult of basebaal   ~  Aug 24, 2011 7:12 pm

Wait, I'm 5 minutes late and it's already 1-0.

On yet another homerun from the freakin' Athletics?!?!?!?

Aaaaargh.

2 rbj   ~  Aug 24, 2011 7:13 pm

Jeebus, already down 1-0?

3 ms october   ~  Aug 24, 2011 7:15 pm

Yep - coco crisp nailed a ball to lf.

4 rbj   ~  Aug 24, 2011 7:19 pm

Line drive in the box score.

5 Marek   ~  Aug 24, 2011 7:26 pm

BRUTAL

6 rbj   ~  Aug 24, 2011 7:26 pm

Oh joy, lined into DP.

7 cult of basebaal   ~  Aug 24, 2011 7:35 pm

Baseball sources told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney that outfielder Jason Kubel and designated hitter Jim Thome, both Minnesota Twins players, and Chicago Cubs first baseman Carlos Pena also were claimed on waivers Wednesday.

Sources said the New York Yankees claimed Pena. Chicago has 48 hours to decide whether to trade Pena, allow him to be claimed or pull him back from waivers. It is not known at this time which teams claimed the two Twins players

Really? Carlos Pena?

8 rbj   ~  Aug 24, 2011 7:38 pm

[7] And he fits in, where, exactly? DFA Andruw?

9 cult of basebaal   ~  Aug 24, 2011 7:41 pm

[8] Other side of the plate. It's JoPo he'd be taking at bats from.

10 cult of basebaal   ~  Aug 24, 2011 7:42 pm

Well, fuck.

11 rbj   ~  Aug 24, 2011 7:48 pm

[9] So . . . Have a guy ride the pine, not even a BUC, great roster management. Pena has to be on the roster before Sept. 1 for post season eligibility. Can't see them DFAing Jorge.

12 cult of basebaal   ~  Aug 24, 2011 7:50 pm

[11] Yeah, it seems a whole lot of dicking around for a fairly marginal upgrade ...

13 rbj   ~  Aug 24, 2011 8:03 pm

Yup, Cap'n is so washed up.

14 cult of basebaal   ~  Aug 24, 2011 8:03 pm

Cap'n!

15 Kered Retej   ~  Aug 24, 2011 8:11 pm

The hits today just make last night's bunt even more painful...

16 RIYank   ~  Aug 24, 2011 8:15 pm

Now that's how CC is supposed to pitch. Glad he remembered.

17 rbj   ~  Aug 24, 2011 8:18 pm

And that's how Robbie's supposed to hit. Now cash him in.

18 OldYanksFan   ~  Aug 24, 2011 8:20 pm

Are we gonna talk about the hurricane soon? NY is predicted to get 100 mph winds.

19 rbj   ~  Aug 24, 2011 8:22 pm

Nice sac, Jorge. (that's the way I saw it.)

20 RIYank   ~  Aug 24, 2011 8:24 pm

Yes, it's obviously fair, you idiot.

21 rbj   ~  Aug 24, 2011 8:24 pm

WTF? Oy vey, fair ball.

22 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Aug 24, 2011 8:25 pm

Why didn't he run?
What's he looking all aggrieved about?

23 cult of basebaal   ~  Aug 24, 2011 8:26 pm

Well, that sucking fucked.

24 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Aug 24, 2011 8:26 pm

So is Kim on vacation or is this new Curry thing here to stay?

Anyone?

25 Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO   ~  Aug 24, 2011 8:34 pm

Mini-recap, anyone? 1-1 game in late August..yawn..

26 RIYank   ~  Aug 24, 2011 8:34 pm

Hey Frankie!

27 RIYank   ~  Aug 24, 2011 8:35 pm

[24] I just assumed she was taking a little break. We would have heard something if she was really gone, I'm sure.
[25] A's homer in the first, Yanks botch some scoring opportunities, CC looking good now.

28 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Aug 24, 2011 8:37 pm

[27] Try that again as a haiku.

29 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Aug 24, 2011 8:38 pm

Here, I'll start:

A's homer in first.

30 RIYank   ~  Aug 24, 2011 8:38 pm

[28] Oh, it's a haiku if you translate to Japanese. I was leaving that as an exercise for Mr. OK.

31 RIYank   ~  Aug 24, 2011 8:40 pm

Oh, okay, okay.

Line 2:

Yankees earn bases but stall

32 Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO   ~  Aug 24, 2011 8:40 pm

[30] I have more pressing matters to attend to..Mrs.Jazz comes froma family of musicians and artists, maybe the ONLY J people to never watch baseball..she cannot tell the difference between Derek and A-Rod..how to explain the difference? Banter commenters: Go!

33 RIYank   ~  Aug 24, 2011 8:41 pm

No, Michael, seriously? The way you make great leaps batting-average-wise is by getting a lot of hits?

I'm going to have to think this through. That could be right, but it's so revolutionary.

34 RIYank   ~  Aug 24, 2011 8:42 pm

[32] Oh, that is a nice challenge. This will take some thought.
Just to be clear: the problem is to describe the contrast in their whole personae, right? Not just their performance between the lines.

35 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Aug 24, 2011 8:45 pm

[33] Oh, god, did he say that? I missed it.

Final line:

CC looks good now.

All together:

A's homer in first.
Yankees earn bases but stall.
CC looks good now.

36 Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO   ~  Aug 24, 2011 8:45 pm

[34] Exactly. And in terms she can understand. This is someone who can probably name 3 baseball players, 2 of them being Ichiro and Matsui..so music or pop culture comparsions may work better.

37 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Aug 24, 2011 8:46 pm

Wait, what's that with the car?

38 rbj   ~  Aug 24, 2011 8:46 pm

[32] One plays dexter to the other, on the reverse, the other plays sinister to one.

Hee hee.

39 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Aug 24, 2011 8:46 pm

OHHHHHHH, HE'S OUTTTT!!

FUCKING ROBBIE, EVERY FUCKING DAY WITH THIS KID!

40 RIYank   ~  Aug 24, 2011 8:46 pm

Oh, fuck yes.
Rob can do everything.

41 cult of basebaal   ~  Aug 24, 2011 8:47 pm

ROBBIECANODONTCHAKNOW!!!

42 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Aug 24, 2011 8:47 pm

This Robbie Cano is a god among baseball players.

Jesus.

43 rbj   ~  Aug 24, 2011 8:47 pm

Very close. Couldn't argue either way

44 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Aug 24, 2011 8:47 pm

Every day.

Every day.

45 cult of basebaal   ~  Aug 24, 2011 8:48 pm

[32] I'd go with the purple lips ...

46 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Aug 24, 2011 8:48 pm

I'm glad we didn't trade him when he exasperated us those couple of seasons ago.

47 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Aug 24, 2011 8:49 pm

Nice defense, boys!

48 RIYank   ~  Aug 24, 2011 8:50 pm

[36] Right.
The problem is that there are few icons who are similar to A-Rod. Jeter would be easier. Quincy Jones. But for A-Rod you need someone great at music, but not liked and kind of douchey.

49 rbj   ~  Aug 24, 2011 8:51 pm

[46] Sad to say, I think Melky was a not good influence. Too much clubbing. Though that didn't hurt Babe, The Mick and countless others.

50 cult of basebaal   ~  Aug 24, 2011 8:54 pm

CORNFLAKE!!!

51 RIYank   ~  Aug 24, 2011 8:54 pm

Good, somebody around here can hit!

52 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Aug 24, 2011 8:54 pm

Nice hit, Swish!

53 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Aug 24, 2011 8:55 pm

[49] You know what, I think you're right about that.

54 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Aug 24, 2011 8:56 pm

[48] You mean like Miles?

55 Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO   ~  Aug 24, 2011 8:57 pm

[54] Blasphemy!!! Miles the coolest cat in history, bar none!

I was thinking it's more like that old Simpsons episode where thery show the tv debate between JFK and Nixon..that sort of summed up their repsective images..

56 RIYank   ~  Aug 24, 2011 8:57 pm

[54] I did think of Miles, but, douchey, like A-Rod? A-Rod isn't surly, mean, etc. He's just... you know.

57 Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO   ~  Aug 24, 2011 8:58 pm

Hmm..I got a "awating moderation" for the following:

Blasphemy! Miles the coolest cat in history, bar none!

I was thinking it's more like that old Simpsons episode where thery show the tv debate between JFK and Nixon..that sort of summed up their repsective images..

58 Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:00 pm

Yo, my Miles comments are awating moderation now..WTF? no cursing..

59 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:00 pm

[55] Yeah. I know. He just leapt to mind.
So what are we looking for, essentially, an ego-maniac with preternatural ability?
Like Sir Paul?

60 RIYank   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:03 pm

[59] Yes, that would make sense. If his narcissism doesn't exactly match A-Rod's in manifestation, we could let that pass.

Mr. OK, your comments are showing up, no problem. At least, we did get that one that starts 'Blasphemy...'

61 RIYank   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:04 pm

[57] But then you only get a match in image. Don't you want also the contrast in playing? Or no?

62 Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:05 pm

[60] Hmm..now they're here. See, even the SLIGHTEST negative vibe towards Miles can disrupt the space-time continuim.

63 Alex Belth   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:06 pm

Sorry, not sure why that one didn't show up.

64 Alex Belth   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:07 pm

Cahill finally pitched well against the Yanks though.

65 Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:11 pm

[61] No, because the contrast in playing is evident to anyone who looks at the stats. For Mrs. Jazz, that is meaningless anyways..I tried to tell her Jeter was Bill Clinton, does anything and people still love him round the world. A-Rod was Al Gore, perhaps even smarter than Clinton but constant foot-in-mouth problem..but not happy with this comparison either.

66 RIYank   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:13 pm

[65] Whoa, that's pretty good, Clinton and Gore!

67 Alex Belth   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:13 pm

Hilarious slow pitch by Fuentes to Jetes, 2-0.

68 RIYank   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:16 pm

ARGH.

69 Alex Belth   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:17 pm

Nuts.

70 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:17 pm

Is it that hard to get a small little single?

71 cult of basebaal   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:17 pm

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

We'd better win this fucking game.

72 RIYank   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:18 pm

[70] It is.
Baseball is hard.

73 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:19 pm

[72] And unpredictable.

74 RIYank   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:21 pm

God, I didn't realize this was the 8th until Michael said so. This game has flown by.

75 Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:22 pm

[73] Haha, I tried explaining John Sterling and "unpredictable" to a Japanese baseball fan friend..didn't take. "But Mr. OK Jazz, in Japan, baseball is a fine science. With full effort and proper strategic moves (sac bunting, etc) it is likely to see who will win.."

76 rbj   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:22 pm

[57] Perhaps the banter prefers The Bird to Miles? Not that I am any judge of this. But I'm more partial to the blues over jazz

77 RIYank   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:22 pm

Huh. In a 2-0 count! That seems wrong.

78 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:24 pm

Fuck.

79 RIYank   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:25 pm

Sigh.

80 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:25 pm

How come they could get a hit of CC but we couldn't get a it off whoever the fuck that was?

Don't answer that.

81 RIYank   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:25 pm

So no W for CC!

82 mhoward120   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:25 pm

1st and 3d no out 1 run game in the 7th. When you can't score, you don't deserve to win.

83 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:26 pm

[75] Hahahahahah!!

84 RIYank   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:27 pm

[82] I know, but I like to win even when we don't deserve it.

85 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:29 pm

Come on, D-fucking-Rob!

86 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:30 pm

Where was that pitch?

High?

87 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:31 pm

FUCK!!!

88 RIYank   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:31 pm

Oh, come on. That's not right.

Dammit.

89 Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:32 pm

ByeBye first place.
Channeling MattPat here but I find losing to the A's and the insufferable Billy Beane to be most unacceptable.

90 mhoward120   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:35 pm

Shit - missed a triple play by thaaaat much

91 RIYank   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:35 pm

Whew. Good positioning by Jetes, too.

92 Alex Belth   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:36 pm

Rally!

93 cult of basebaal   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:38 pm

[75] You gotta have wa!

94 mhoward120   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:39 pm

Fucking tex message!!!

95 RIYank   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:39 pm

There ya go!

Baseball is easy.

96 cult of basebaal   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:40 pm

About time, loaf pincher!

Yay!

=)

97 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:40 pm

Yaaaayyyy!!!!

98 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:40 pm

That was some motherhumping shot.

99 Alex Belth   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:40 pm

What a BOMB

100 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:41 pm

Good cut there, Rob.

Show/Hide Comments 101-138
101 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:41 pm

Another good cut...

102 Alex Belth   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:41 pm

Damn, Robbie just missed two in a row.

103 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:42 pm

Shit.

104 Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:42 pm

Teix Message!!
[93] You bet!

105 cult of basebaal   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:45 pm

C'mon Jorge, show what you think of Carlos Pena ...

106 Alex Belth   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:47 pm

Rather be lucky than good, Nunie.

107 Alex Belth   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:49 pm

And now, some bad luck.

108 RIYank   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:49 pm

Wow. Good shot, Eric.

109 RIYank   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:52 pm

Interesting, I would have left D-Rob in there. Not because of Mo, just because I want to be ready in case the Yanks don't score in the ninth.

110 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:52 pm

I don't like extra innings.

111 RIYank   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:55 pm

[110] Free baseball? You don't like free baseball???

112 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:56 pm

Good work, Mo.
He's gotta come back out for the tenth, right?

113 cult of basebaal   ~  Aug 24, 2011 9:59 pm

[111] Tonite, I don't. I've got to leave for dinner in about 10 minutes.

C'mon, walk-off-pie-shot time!

114 Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO   ~  Aug 24, 2011 10:00 pm

[112] "Ain't gonna be no tenth!" "Don't want one."

I may have to name the second son Fautino De Los OK Jazz, what a cool name. This is the guy Kay was raving about a few weeks ago, right?

115 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Aug 24, 2011 10:00 pm

Come on, Brettman...

116 cult of basebaal   ~  Aug 24, 2011 10:01 pm

Filthy.

117 Mattpat11   ~  Aug 24, 2011 10:02 pm

This guy does not look like a fun AB

118 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Aug 24, 2011 10:04 pm

Curtis keeps doing this.
He's really not seeing the ball well these days.

119 RIYank   ~  Aug 24, 2011 10:04 pm

Dang.
I bet he pitches the tenth, too, that sunovabitch.

120 cult of basebaal   ~  Aug 24, 2011 10:04 pm

Eek, that was an inning of nasty.

Alright folks, gotta run, so I'll leave the game in your capable hands!

Go Yanks!

121 Bama Yankee   ~  Aug 24, 2011 10:06 pm

Hey RIYank, thanks for discussing that bunt issue with me in the other thread. If you get a chance, I've posted another question about it for you over there. Thanks.

122 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Aug 24, 2011 10:12 pm

Goddamn it.

I'm so fucking pissed off now.

123 RIYank   ~  Aug 24, 2011 10:13 pm

Yeah.
That's why I would have let D-Rob pitch the ninth.

124 Mattpat11   ~  Aug 24, 2011 10:13 pm

Losing two games to Oakland is completely unacceptable.

125 Alex Belth   ~  Aug 24, 2011 10:13 pm

You have got to be fucking kidding me.

126 Marek   ~  Aug 24, 2011 10:13 pm

booooo

127 Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO   ~  Aug 24, 2011 10:14 pm

Coco Crisp..

128 Mattpat11   ~  Aug 24, 2011 10:19 pm

Nice hustle Robbie

129 RIYank   ~  Aug 24, 2011 10:20 pm

[121] Ah, well, now that this game doesn't deserve my attention...

The Win Expectancy data I was using goes back to 1957, and it uses all games, all situations. You really need as much as possible to iron out sample size glitches. It's not really relevant whether the teams in the data base used a lot of bunting, because what I was looking at was the contrast between the two situations, the one before a successful bunt and the other after. In other words, the bunt itself didn't have to be included in the data because it was just the difference between the situations I compared.

Besides the probabilities you mentioned, we'd need the prob. of Jeter getting a double, homer... other significant events. It's cumbersome. So for this reason, it's wiser to rely on the big, general Win Expectancy data, and then try to adjust for whatever is special to the situation. (Jeter's avg., bunting ability, third basemen's fielding ability, etc.)

130 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Aug 24, 2011 10:21 pm

Horseshit.

131 RIYank   ~  Aug 24, 2011 10:21 pm

Oh well.

Hey, there's Mattpat. Just in time for the loss.

132 Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO   ~  Aug 24, 2011 10:24 pm

Wretched loss. R.So had been pitching so well recently..
And Sox crushed the Rangers..sigh..

133 Bama Yankee   ~  Aug 24, 2011 10:35 pm

[129] Gotcha. Thanks for the explanation. I realize that it would be cumbersome, but I would still like to see those numbers (assuming we could get a large enough sample) before I totally dismiss the bunt in that situation.

Back to the Win Expectancy. Do you have a link to that data? I've seen some of it in the past but nothing that goes back as far as you mentioned. I would like to read more about it.

134 RIYank   ~  Aug 24, 2011 10:43 pm

[133] Just one correction: I didn't say totally dismiss the bunt! I said it's a wash. The chance of winning the game is pretty nearly equal for the two situations. So it will come down to things like, how hot is/was Jeter? How likely was he to actually reach base on the bunt? How likely was he to screw up the bunt so the runners didn't get to advance? Etc.

Sure, here's a link to a very nice gadget, the Win Expectancy Finder. It's fun to play around with.

135 Bama Yankee   ~  Aug 24, 2011 11:00 pm

[134] Thanks for the clarification. What I should have said was "before I decided to not go with the bunt in that situation". I will check that link out. I'm sure I'll have a few more questions for you after I do. ;-) Thanks for the interesting discussion. I don't post as much around these parts as I used to...I need to start dropping by more often. I miss this place...

136 Bama Yankee   ~  Aug 24, 2011 11:17 pm

Hey RIYank, if you are still around. Someone else posted over in the other thread with a good question about that Win Expectancy stat. I had been wanting to ask you the same question: Don't the Win Expectancy numbers include BOTH the bunt case and the non-bunt case? Shouldn't you look at the Win Expectancy percentage of the bunt scenario WITHOUT those cases when the team didn't bunt?

137 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Aug 24, 2011 11:22 pm

[136] It is good to see you, Bama!

138 Bama Yankee   ~  Aug 24, 2011 11:29 pm

[137] Thanks! I usually drop by daily to read the blog, but I just don't post as much as I used to. Maybe I'll start dropping by the game threads again, they seem a little more tame these days than the way I remember them back in the day... ;-)

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"This ain't football. We do this every day."
--Earl Weaver