1.  Graman up, Franklin gone. Don't call me a conspiracy kook but doesn't it seem like Torre loves to throw a game or two away just so he can make a point to the front office? I have no rightfielder, I'm playing Enrique Wilson. Get me...Raul Mondesi! I have no LOOGY, I'm sticking with Wayne Franklin in a one run game. Get me...well, I don't think he envisioned Alex Graman. But, you get the point. He continually has to demonstrate his inability to manage a team that is not flush with All-Stars at every position. After 9 years in the manager's seat, it's as much due to a false sense of entitlement as it is his lack of managerial chops.

2.  Have an axe to grind with Mr. Torre, JohnnyC?

BP's "Hilbert Questions" for the 21st century included finding an objective way of evaluating managers. I don't think its been done yet, but here's one guy's idea:

http://kcstarstatguy.blogspot.com/2005/04/measure-of-manager.html

(Note Torre ranks 3rd overall)

Torre has screwed up before, particularly when it comes to the 'pen - Weaver in Game 4, the ALCS last year, etc. But, to paraphrase Lincoln on Grant, the man wins. That doesn't give him a free pass when he screws up, but shoot, there isn't a manager in baseball who really uses his bullpen properly - except those few who have 4 or 5 really good relievers and so stumble into using one of their best guys against the heart of the opponent's order in close games. If ocassional bullpen mismanagement is Joe's worst flaw, color me excited.

Let's hope they at least give Graman a chance to see what he can do. Too often the Yanks just cycle through guys at the bottom of the pen, looking for a hot hand - they ought to know better.

3.  JohnnyC, do you just cut and paste this crap? I've seen you write the same thing multiple times on multiple sites.

4.  That is Torre's historic pattern, JohnnyC.

5.  I think JohnnyC might be overexaggerating a little bit, but he does have a point. Torre has shown a lot of weakness when it comes to juggling around players that are not all-stars; witness his inability to have a bullpen that is NOT John Sterling's "Troika." Either Nelson-Stanton-Rivera, or Sturze-Gordon-Rivera, or Quantrill-Gordon-Rivera... other than those three, he has not shown the ability to get ANYTHING out of spots 9-11 in the bullpen.

Granted, with the all-stars the Yankees have, chances are that >>I<< (who is not nearly as smart as Joe Torre, incidentally) could manage them to 81 wins, minimum. I would just love to see Torre & Stottlemyre develop some bullpen talent instead of ignore it.

6.  I take it back, maybe they are facing Nolan Ryan.

7.  eh, wrong, try again dumbass.

8.  Tight game through 4. Maybe we'll be happy to have a rested Gordon tonight...

9.  Like Alex foresaw, Cano is strong tonight. Make that "Maybe Gorden can get some extra rest tonight."

10.  Small is coming up big for the Yanks! (Sorry, I couldn't resist!) So far: 4 IP, 1 ER, 2 H.

11.  Who was it that said the Yankees would need five homers tonight? They may not need 'em, but they got 'em.

Great job by Small, by the way.

12.  Alex, if A-Rod hits a homerun tonight you will officialy become this site's prophet, and we will ask for a prophecy every game.

13.  Why can Gordon be used for four outs with a four run lead tonight, but not with a one run lead last night?

Giambi's SLG is now over .500.

Cano is a budding star.

14.  Rich, he had an extra days rest, naturally! How has Small looked? I missed it unfortunately. I'm happy that he pitched well, runs-wise, because I read an article about how he's flown his family out for this game. How crappy would the post-game dinner with them be if he had pulled a Redding?

Nice job of redemption by Tino to take away the save chance for Rivera.

15.  But Torre has repeatedly used Gordon with multiple run leads for five and six outs.

Small had good command, while only topping out at 90 mph, and was able to use both sides of the plate.

16.  Why did Torre use Rivera with a four run lead? Ugh. It never stops.

17.  I guess we are all still upset about yesterday, but they won today with the spot-starter and nobody expected that. It's good news. OK, he used Gordon and Rivera but they were rested from yesterday and who knows what will happen tomorrow night with RJ vs. Colon. Maybe we won't need both of them or probably just one. This was a great win.

I can't be happier for the production by Giambi, I think he has been the cornerstone for this great surge.

18.  i have said it before and will continue to whine 'til i get my way: it is an outrage that no on talked about cano when making ROY predictions at the all-star break. this kid has done everything (except for walk) that has been asked of him; and with aplomb to boot. CANO FOR ROY!!!

19.  umm... when did giambi start taking 'roids again? (thinks: no one will EVER suspect me now) : )

20.  I think Cano is on the short list for rookie of the year; who would be his competition at this point. His hitting is really something; once he developes a little more patience, I think he's going to be a real long-term gem. Anticipating the fireworks when I go out to the bar to cheer the Yanks against the local favorite Angels tomorrow. I think Colon is going to get shelled, just a hunch.

21.  murphy, thinking the exact same thing. Agreed, Cano for ROY!

22.  Nothing like reading these comments to kill my buzz over this unexpected win. I'm done coming here after games. Bye.

23.  Yeah, why should realty ever intrude into life.

24.  Hey, remember what happened last time the Yankees faced Colon. Maybe A-Rod will get that elusive solo shot he couldn't get last time off Colon. After tonight (3 Ks) he's probably eager to get back out there against his whipping boy.

25.  Man.... I really thought winning tonight would be no small task.

Break out the posts from April. I said Giambi would be the difference between going to the PS or not. Having THIS Giambi in the 6 hole makes the bottom of our lineup a whole different show.

At the beginning of the year I prdicted .290/.390/.480. Cliff said I was optimistic. I don't think he will bat .290 as he is NOT going to LF (unless he bunts more)... but his OPS may be better then .870. I believe he leads the league in OBP. I wonder if against righties, Torre might try Sheff/Giambi/ARod/Matsui to get that R/L/R/L thing going. Hopefully tonight will be the official end of 'time to DFA Giambi'.

By the by, we had Delucci (2 years?) ago. While I think he is playing over his head now, he has always been a solid player and a solid guy. I think we had him pretty cheap. Bernie was already in decline, and Matsui hadn't hit his stride yet. It's suprising the Yanks didn't think to keep him as a 4th outfielder. Even Karem Garcia looks pretty good now.

26.  Geez, with some of these comments you would never know that they won tonight, a game everyone had written off as a blow out.

What was nice about today's win is that the 3, 4 & 5 hitters were collectively 0-for-13 but they still managed to slug out a win. It's good to know that when those guys are having a tough game the rest of the lineup can come up big. And how about Posada?

I can't say I have a problem using Mo to end the game. It was the meat of their lineup. Bring in someone else and the chances of them inching back are greater, especially in that ballpark. Mo only had to throw 10 pitches so I think he'll be ok to go for the next couple of games.

Let's hope ARod can once again beat up on Colon and we won't have worry about using the big 3 (if only so we don't have to hear the whining about Torre's inept use of the bullpen for one day).

murphy, I was thinking about Cano and ROY but I didn't want to jinx it. Much like I didn't want to say that Giambi is back.

27.  The point is that the Yankees should have swept, which would kept them in first place.

Tonight the talent outed. Small came up big.

28.  Uh oh:

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/21/sports/baseball/21pins.html?

[...]

Torre said that the veteran Buddy Groom, whom Torre passed over in the eighth inning on Tuesday, would be his preferred left-hander out of the bullpen. Torre said he did not know how he would use Graman until he talked with the pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre.

"Graman fits as a long man for us right now," Cashman said. "That's how he fits. He's a left-handed starter who's been in the pen for us at Triple-A."

Asked what role Steinbrenner had played in the Franklin-Graman decision, Cashman did not answer. "Graman is here for that reason," he said without elaborating on whether the reason was Steinbrenner or the team's need for a long reliever.

[...]

"Left-handers really haven't had a lot of opportunities to be of a major impact here," Torre said. "That's the best way to say it, only because of our late guys, with Sturtze and Gordon. I thought Franklin did a good job. I really did."

[...]

Graman made his first relief appearance for Columbus on June 29, the day after the Yankees' organizational meeting in Tampa, Fla. In seven relief outings, he went 1-1 with a 1.64 E.R.A., allowing 13 hits in 11 innings, but striking out 16.

29.  Two points.
1) What is with all of the negative comment about our negativity? Is it suddenly inappropraite to demand good managing and good performance from the team we pay a lot to watch? I always carried my chronic pessimism as a badge of my fandom, and I'll be damned if I'll let anyone tell me to relax and consider this a complete team. JohnnyC, I'm with you, and poopoo do all those optimists.
2) aboveavg, chill. What makes you so high and mighty? This is hardly the place for comments like that.

Okay, one more 3) Simone, I enjoy your comments, don't go! You can't actually expect us to enjoy ourselves, could you?

30.  Two points.
1) What is with all of the negative comment about our negativity? Is it suddenly inappropraite to demand good managing and good performance from the team we pay a lot to watch? I always carried my chronic pessimism as a badge of my fandom, and I'll be damned if I'll let anyone tell me to relax and consider this a complete team. JohnnyC, I'm with you, and poopoo do all those optimists.
2) aboveavg, chill. What makes you so high and mighty? This is hardly the place for comments like that.

Okay, one more 3) Simone, I enjoy your comments, don't go! You can't actually expect us to enjoy ourselves, could you?

31.  Oops

32.  "The key to winning baseball games is pitching, fundamentals, and three run homers."

I love that Weaver quote. Certainly thought it tonight when Cano hit that 3 run shot. He's a joy to watch hit, seems to nail the ball hard several times a game.

And yes, I'm worried that if he gets more attention (i.e., all this ROY stuff), he'll start pressing and stop hitting. Such is the curse of the surprise rookie in New York ...

33.  I don't think this board is overly negative actually. We do point out the bad points when they need to be addressed, but I think people generally post with a positive mindset.

The loss in the 2-1 game is still bad, and I don't think a great win like the last one covers it up. Torre still manages to stick by Franklin even after he was sent back down. Go figure.

On a positive note, you have got to believe in Giambi again. I think his confidence is back and his rhythm is as good as it was in his Oakland days. With him back in the groove and Cano emerging as a real player, all we need to think about is our CF situation. Who gets plugged in for the rest of this year to strengthen the D and drop down a few key hits? (Jeter will hit himself out of the current mini-slump)

I predict a split in Anaheim. They have a great slugging lineup and last years MVP. If we can outslug them in one of the question mark games we can duplicate the pattern we set up in Texas. Nice to return home in 1st again.

34.  BTW....to toot my own horn, this is a line from my post on the last game's board....Post #1 in case you care.....

>

I meant to say 6 home runs, but I was sleepy. :)

35.  That doesn't appear to have come out...Try again....

"Tomorrow's pitcher is Aaron Small and we'll need to hit 5 home runs to stay in that game anyway."

36.  http://www.nj.com/sports/ledger/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/112192507666040.xml&coll=1

[...]

Franklin was 0-1 with three blown saves and a 12.27 ERA in five appearances after coming up July 1.

"I thought Franklin did a good job," Torre said. "I really did."

37.  Hmmmmm....not a conspiracy theorist, but do you think Torre slipped and revealed that he is on Theo Epstein's payroll with that comment about Franklin?

38.  I have to say - I did not think that the Yankees were going to win last night's game. I figured that, after the tough loss on Tuesday, they would be asleep during Wednesday's game. More fool I... baseball is the wierdest game. Who would have thunk it, that a 33 year old journeyman pitcher would have (mostly) held down one of the better lineups in the major leagues? Or, for that matter, that it'd happen twice in a week (between Small and Leiter - not that Leiter is in Small's class, but you get what I mean).

Giambi surely has been a pleasant surprise! While I wish that he would go to LF more (the bunt he laid down - second this year, incidentally - was a joy to behold and resulted in several telephone calls between family members), he's been doing a great job getting on base and, lately, driving the ball hard. During one of my optimistic points of the offseason, I predicted .275/25/80 for him - goals that, right now, might not be that much of a stretch!

If Giambi can give the Yankees that much production, then it's going to be an interesting September!

39.  looks like my comment was taken out of context. I was calling myself a dumbass for comparing Joaquin Benoit to Nolan Ryan after he struck out the first four batters. Seconds after I posted the Yanks went back to back.