Brewers designated Bill Hall for assignment. If he could be easily had, I wonder if he's worth a flyerNever mind, I just looked up his stats, and he's been putridly awful. Even his platoon splits are horrible.

A win today would be nice.

some of the road map is coming out at lohud

petey's sub's writing is a bit unclear and petey getting second hand info from the sub is also tough to read, but anyway botoom line is joba will be in the rotation come playoff time.
(oh and sergio and chad are interchangeable throughout the weekend - there is so much that could be said about this)

Rockwell's The Three Umpires...

Classic!

With a tough lefty on the mound, it seems like a very odd day to sit Tex' right bat in favor of Hinske.

[2] It will be easy to limit to Joba's innings in the playoffs, because if CC/AJ/Pettitte stay healthy, and the Yanks breeze through the ALDS, Joba might not pitch until Game 4 of the ALCS.

In other words, I expect him to be the "4th starter" in a postseason rotation.

[4] You might think so, but there's actually some very good logic behind it.

[6] Caveat - Mike A's lineup had Tex in it, but still, the reason to play Hinske is there.

I'd also posit that Damon + Posada are possibly > Tex + Molina (the differences between Mike A's proposed lineup and the actual lineup).

Every game has featured two outs followed by a Lind single.

C'mon AJ, strikes!

Did one single scare AJ out of the zone?

So two quick outs means you have to start screwing up?

25 pitches...not good.

Much better.

[6] Interesting...I give Girardi alot of credit for being aware of those numbers.

Jeter got hit. Watching on Gameday. Is he alright?

[1] With Hairston & Peña on the roster, Hall would also be redundant.

[15] On the foot... will be sore... stayed in the game.

Hopefully they will get a big lead so Pena can spell him later...

[14] We knock Girardi some - sometimes a lot - but he really does seem to be a smart guy. I'm not sure if he's, say, relying on data from BP or FanGraphs to make his decisions - but you could imagine him doing it, or looking at the Yanks' equivalent in-house stuff. That's progress.

We'll never know for sure, or maybe not for a long time at least, but I wonder very much if Jeter's improved defense is a result of better positioning due to the Yanks utilizing some in-house defensive metric? You'd figure with YS2.0 having all the stuff it has, an advanced monitoring/data collection system may well be among them.

The Yankees have really failed to capitalize in these 1st innings.

Why doesn't Posada bat lefty?

Woohoo Jorge!

Heh heh...

Posada is slooow, but I'll take it.

[20] i wonder if any of the switch hitters will bat lh - that would let us know the stats are really being looked at and followed (by the players)

Gamecast said A-Rod grounded into a fielder's choice, but then how is he on second?

[24] yeah and no outs from his ab - sounds like an infield single

[24] Error, which gamecast didn't pick up.

Boy, runners on second and third with no outs, bases loaded with one out, and we come away with one run. Feels like this happens to us a lot, but I don't know, maybe it's selective memory or something,

[26] Sorry, not an error -- the CNNSI feed called it a "failed fielder's choice." I don't exactly know what that is.

If Michael Kay knows the scouting report and your catcher doesn't, you have a problem.

Anyone else just think that, 20 years ago, George would be screaming now about how could the Yanks have ever let Ruiz go? (He played for Trenton in 2005 or 2006, IIRC.)

AJ better motivate himself for this game.

[29] He'd then offer up the entire farm to get him for "the stretch run" (while being 12 games behind the division)

yeah...really miss the old days

Jeter hurts his foot and looks like an old man in the field...hmmm?

[1]

.... and former AllStar SS J.J. Hardy has been demoted to Triple A

All three of these games have followed the same early script. Perhaps there is something to the let down theory?

AJ has to be up around 50 pitches already.

44

[25] [26] [27] Thank you! I can't get Gameday to load, so I'm stuck with Gamecast.

[31] Is it wrong that when I picture such a scene in my head, I see the Seinfeld Steinbrenner and hear Larry David's voice?

[33] Holy Moses!

In the offseason, I remember advocating that the Yanks look into getting Hardy to be Jeter's replacement when Hardy becomes a free agent. Let's forget all about that, shall we?

Rut, roh, Jeter out?

why is jeter out?!?! oh, pete abe says "right foot". i say...FUCK!!! : /

Woohoo Johnny!

[39-40] Probably a precautionary measure.

[42] We hope.

Girardi did want to give Jeter a day off.

Jeter was clearly hobbled...I really hope it isn't serious. Even if just a contusion, I wouldn't mind seeing Jeter get 2 or 3 days off.

[44] Especially if Pena makes plays like that.

Hell of a catch, Pip.

Gameday Audio is a godsend when you don't want to have to endure Sterling and Waldman.

(just sayin')

Woohoo Robbie!

Kaboom goes Cano. : D

He hit that to the Point of Cano Return

(copping a Sterling) :-)

From Peter's site:
"UPDATE, 2:18 p.m.: *** JETER UPDATE *** Jeter was diagnosed with a right foot contusion. He will undergo X-rays here at the Stadium."

I.e., a bruise. Hope it's not too bad.

[51] If it forces him to sit for a couple of days, that's not a bad thing.

[52]

I wonder if Pena has some "Tonya Harding"-like minions with a crowbar waiting outside the x-ray room. :-P

i'm really slow this afternoon. well, not as slow as normal, but...

when i saw R Ruiz hit a solo job before, my eyes saw: R Cano. so, i was gonna post that robbie would do that this game, but i'm all over the computer right now, catching up on many things, so i didn't "nostralarmis" it. apparently, i should have... : )

Hinske looks like the guard in The Shawshank Redemtion.

Just woke up.. So Jeter was hit by the first pitch of the game, but stayed in through his 2nd AB?

[53] I can picture him bringing Jeter's Ford Edge with the "cool panoramic vista roof" to valet parking from the Player's Lot, as rookies do, and then he can just run over the Captain's bruised foot...

Can't you just see him doing the Jerry Lewis start, stop, repeat thing?

I can...

: )

[6] thanks for linking that article, shaun - twas a good read!

[57] You're welcome!

AJ has certainly settled down since the first.

[58] I spoke too soon?

Anyone watching on TV - is the builpen up, and if so, who?

Ugh...bottom of the lineup and AJ can't close the deal. Of course, it might help if Posada could actually catch.

god fucking dammit, AJ. and quit with the wild pitches. jeez!!!

That was a sick AB to Inglett.

[59] Robertson

[59] Yes you did...

I am.

Yes, Robertson is up warming.

: )

Looks like he'll walk the tightrope here...

wait a minute, is it 3-2 or tie game??? it said 3-3, now 3-2, man on 3rd. i'm more confused than normal... : ~

if it IS 3-2...PLEASE keep it there!!! : )

Fuck. I'm going back to watching cartoons. grrrrr...

Posada is an awful catcher...if I was Burnett I would insist that Molina catch me.

[63] [64] Thanks!

Dammit. Good strikeout pitch, but he was patient and it got away from Po. Dammit.

[66] wild pitch or passed ball, one. AJ just walked Scutaro, Boy, AJ and Jorge NOT on the same page. I can't bear to watch anymore.

Posada didn't even catch the last pitch...it went right past Posada. Jorge Posada has gone from a solid catcher to one of the worst defensive catchers in all of baseball. It has to impact how Burnett pitches with men in scoring position, especially third base.

Posada was crossed up again on that last pitch that went 6-4. WTF!!!!!

[66] I had the same question, but neither of us need be confused now . . . sheesh.

Comfort for us - the Blue Jays have had 12 base runners, but scored only 3 runs.

[72] [73] Someone tell those two to get their issues worked out already, dammit.

How many DHs (or former position players who SHOULD not be in the field) will this team have next season?

[75]

I wanna see a dugout fight with JoPo and AJ ...

[75] Girardi has to make Molina Burnett's personal catcher. Posada simply can not catch him.

Rare bad AB from Cano lately. Looked like he was trying to go deep again.

I'd been meaning to ask this; wtf is a jersey koosey? Is it a cheap imitation baseball jersey, a cheesey toy from Bergen County or an experimental director from Poland?

[68] Posada really had a negative impact on Burnett in his last start vs. Boston. : /

AJ's got an in-game WHIP of 2. 7 k's though. he's hittable and unhittable at the same time. only 2 walks, but 2 wild pitches (even if they were jorgie's fault and it sounds like they very well may have been). AJ is like Jeckyll/Hyde at the same time. weird cat...

[80] It's a slang term of endearment for Michael Kay's "special lady friends," derived from New Jersey Floozy.

I think David Cone came up with that one...

: )

[78] BS. You think Posada is going to ride the bench in the playoffs just so Molina can catch CC and AJ? Hell no. Posada catches them both, which means he stays catching AJ. That's why they need to figure it out.

[80] I think one of the weekend threads covered this, or maybe it was Monday night?

[81] Just because he doesn't do it all the time, doesn't mean you ignore the issue. Burnett's "wild pitches" have gone through the roof with Posada behind the plate and the problem seems to be growing worse and worse. Molina needs to play anyway, so it makes sense for both to keep them apart.

Posada and Burnett didn't really work out 2 starts ago vs. Tampa either. Not.

OK, Robertson is coming in, right?

jeter's x-rays were negative! : )

Dang, this is what happens when work gets in the way of Yankee afternoon games.

[76] I don't know, but I think the Yankees are trying to set a record.

[84] This isn't the playoffs. Besides, who said anything about CC? Sabathia should be easy to catch. Burnett is the one that requires a top defensive catcher because how much his ball moves. There really is nothing to figure out. Posada's catching skills have just declined so much.

[88] Good news!

Josh Thompson, filling in for Pete Abe today, posted:

"His tenure with the Yankees has been so vastly underrated. I think the blogger who said he/she hoped to re-sign Damon to a one-year deal for $5-6 million is vastly underestimating his value. He is just shy of a 35-HR, 100-RBI, 40-2B, 120-run pace."

Underrated? Yes. Underestimating? No way in hell.

With some luck, someone will sign Damon quickly and the Yanks will be able to "offer arbitration" and net the draft picks easily.

Using Robertson here is a residual effect of having Mitre in the rotation and Hughes becoming the invisible man.

[90] No kidding. But you'd rather have AJ and Posada off the same page, take them apart, and then when they get paired up again, the games mean a hell of a lot more?

[80] i asked this question friday during the marathon game- it took awhile for me to undertsand. apparently a "koozie" is one of thos foam like things that keep your drink cold. a "jersey koozie" is a koozie made to look like a yankee jersey/

pj gave the alternate definition

so the bp needs to stand strong and the yanks need another run i take it.

[93] It's kind of late in the game. I am more worried about making the playoffs than getting Po/AJ on the same page for them.

[93] Besides, I don't think it's a comfort thing. I think it's a case of Po either being too old or having diminished skills.

[83],[84] A friggin' beer holder??? Yeah I really need to skip the rent this month so I can get me wunna those. It better have Boomer on there, too... {8P

Here's another example. Posada's decline is shocking in how stark it has been.

cc doesn't work with po - molina is basically his personal catcher

Now Robertson threw a wild pitch?

Is Posada OK? WTF is going on?!

[99] That's a waste...CC is so smooth and in control that there is no reason to have Molina catch him.

Po needs a koozie on his mitt right now...

[101] I'd be all in favor of letting Molina catch AJ regularly, as long as Posada then catches CC regularly.

And maybe Posada plays more DH next year with Matsui gone.

Posada's caught a bulk of Burnett's starts. Bad day aside, I see no reason for that to change.

i never figured cc for one of those prissy pitcher types (rj, maddux), but if petey is to be believed cc does not like throwing to po - the game logs bear out the pattern, though who knows about the sentiment

Runs, please?

[102] My very first year of teaching about 10 years ago in a pretty poor school, one of my 2nd graders gave me a green koozie that said "party like an animal" on it for Christmas.. I think it sits somewhere still in one of my kitchen cabinets..

Yay Ramiro!

[103] molina will prolly be gone next year too, so it'll prolly be frankie brains who catches him. would be my guess, anyhow...

Lot of bad baseball in this series.

[105] Does it necessarily have to be prissiness? I think Posada may be a "special case" ... He's got a style all his own, or something.

it's not like these pitches haven't been difficult. the only one that posada definitely shouldn't have had trouble with was the one that hit the ump. and his passed ball problem is definitely not new. he's averaged over 10/year. he's an aging catcher who was never good on tough pitches.

did he tag pena there?

i didn't know Ace played guitar. he played acoustic at the late nite carnival for the XP kids. cool. he was also seemingly the nicest guy on the field the 2 days i saw the Yanks here in Atlanta. seems like a genuinely good guy who was having a blast playing baseball. i like that! : )

[108] NO yay ramiro. : /

[111] yeah could be. i'd prefer the pitchers just deal with it, but they have an up close perspective on the situation.

yuck to gameday saying pickoff - three outs

[113] I think Burnett plays guitar too

God Bless. That hurts like a fuckin' bitch.

who's injured now?

That looked like a strike from here

[118] Posada took a foul ball square on the meat hand. He's still in there, though.

For what are they are saving Hughes?

[116] oh, that's cool!

[115] Happy 90th Birthday to Grandma October!!! : )

[117] i hope Jorgie's alright. Jeter too...

F.U. Girardi.

[107] (ahem) I just can't imagine which animal would be caucusing at national conventions ten years ago...

unless it was a Green party (cough)... >;)

[121] flying the plane to Seattle?

Girardi and Eiland just looked up from the Joba Map, and realized they haven't used Hughes yet.

When I said Huges would be ready to face the Jay. I said it would be Wells Not Scutaro. : (

Youk & Porcello each got a 5 game suspension for their waltz last night.

[120] thanks just fair - and nice koozie story

[122] thanks thelarmis

i take it hughes in for 1 batter

So ... Hughes is a third-out-of-the-eighth-inning specialist now, I guess. Joe Girardi is annoying. I almost hope this blows up in his face (but the Yankees still win).

uh-oh...Sir Pontoon is now officially a free agent. shhh, don't tell Mattpat!!!

[128] youk got off easy or porcello too tough - the suspensions should not be equivalent.
keith law called ugly out on his ridiculous behavior.

[130] Never underestimate the power of the Dark Side...

Chavez should lose some weight, he looks ridiculous.

[126] hilarious!

[128] oh, good. that means Puke misses 5 games and Porcello misses...1.

Well, that worked out. Hughes gave up a hit so I can again say Joe Girardi is a douche, but no harm done.

[129] I've got so many koozie stories your head would spin. If this wasn't a family site........: D And with that I gots to run. Go Yankees!!

[136] he probably just wanted to face more than 1 batter

[126] were they in china or cuba?

[132] he also thinks Tazawa can be a solid #3 pitcher in their staff. i sure hope he's wrong on that!

whew, glad we got outta that! now, i hope GI Joe sends Phil out for the 9th and doesn't use Hughes for ONE stinkin' out and use Mo since it's a tie game in the 9th at home...

then again, let's just score a "truckload" worth of runs right now and make it a "mute" point!!! : )

I don't understand why Porcello should be suspended at all. He tried to stay away from Youkilis. Is it for throwing at him? At any rate, it shouldn't be the same length of suspension.

If it's tied in the 9th and Mo comes in after Hughes faced only two batters, Girardi should be fired immediately.

[132] It's only one start for Porcello. And as he's a rookie, I wonder if he's bumping up against his innings limit so being pushed back a day might not be so bad.

I'm sure they'll both appeal and the suspensions will be reduced.

I don't understand the whole process. Doesn't Selig make the suspensions in the first place, and then he reduces them as well?

[136] ...so I can again say Joe Girardi is a douche...

Why do I have the distinct feeling someone's gonna log in with that screen name someday? (I'll say it right now, it ain't gonna be me!)

[141] He should be fired immediately just for making you think and write that.

[141] I think it was a waste to use him at all. I'd like to see a pitcher get trusted enough to pitch an entire inning, so Hughes doesn't have to keep getting 1 out in these situations.

[142] Bob Watson hands out the suspensions, iirc. Bud probably reduces them, I think.

Maybe Posada can make up for being such a klutz behind the plate.

The Yankee bats have been in a slumber for most of this series. Losing two of three to theJays at home would be pretty sloppy and probably aptly called a letdown.

Come on, men!

If Posada is going to have a game as brutal as this one, he could at least let Girardi know so he can start Molina.

[150] Yes and hopefully then Joe Girardi will quit.

My mind is blown right now. What is Hughes doing in? This is unnatural!

[151] I think I alluded to that either early in this thread or late in the last one >;)

Damn Good Mr. Jam!

AJ just likes dolling out pie. Thing is, he's got so much movement on it, sometimes the pie doesn't hit the player square in the face.

OK Girardi, if this goes to the 10th, Hughes comes back out, ya hear?

[156] if Hughes comes out for the 10th:

a.) i'll be shocked
b.) we won't see him again until something like Labor Day

no, I think it's gonna be Gaudin. Girardi has a plane to catch.

ah, yes. Gaudin it is.

I don't mind guys wearing beards as a form of expression, but Brandon League's facial hair looks like he's saying, "snxx, huh, what?"

I gots a bad feeling about this. BUT - I'm an optimist. Set em down, Chad.

[157] Bah with this Gaudin fellow. Hughes could throw another inning.

Let us hope the offense comes to life soon.

mo's not available?

[156] i don't think he heard you!

[158] mine isn't a form of expression. i couldn't even grow facial hair til i turned 30! : )

[161] For the bottom of the lineup? I say no.

Hey Gauguin got an out! A masterpiece!

gaudin's gameday photo is some kind of scary

[162] I wish he'd listen to me. I like Gaudin, I think he'll do a fine job - but I really wish Hughes was throwing 2 inning stints at a time.

[163] for any part of the lineup. you gotta keep them from scoring. plus, gaudin isn't gonna just pitch one inning, he can go long. he should be the last resort.

[165] Holy shite! It's like he's got a big orange television hanging off his chin. Whoa.

That was the longest single in the world... thanks be to Johnny.

Chad Gaudin Plenty?

Speaking of Chad Gaudin, good lord.

[169] boo diane berman

[170] I, for one, welcome our new Gaudin overlord and his girlfriend to the Yanks.

Apparently he and Swisher were roomies when both played for Oakland. The things you learn when you follow links.

[170] holy fucking hell!!! i HATE chad gaudin. lucky fucking bastard. thank god he didn't give up a run there. i think i'd shoot myself...

My nickname for Gaudin is "Balls."

I think he just went through two dozen of them in his Yankee debut...

: )

puke is serving his suspension immediately. i hope it ill affects the shit sox and they lose every game (from here unto eternity)...

[170] Must've been the goatee that hooked her

Here we go Teix!

[176]

Chicks dig the long scruff?

[176] so now she's gonna dump him in favor of, uhh, Ryan Franklin?

that 3-0 pitch was a ball even for a 3-0 pitch

Ok, so who plays short, Hairston?

[179] gimme a few months - i can outdo 'em both! : )

[180] Gameday agrees with you

[176] Sheeet, that goatee could hook a kraken!

[176]

To paraphrase Crocodile Dundee ... "You call that a goatee .... THIS is a goatee"
http://hairstyletwist.com/blog/2008/06/15/scott-ian-with-long-red-goatee/

[185] scott ian rosenfeld!!! anthrax are amazing and he's a big Yankees fan!

5 years ago, when i first grew a goatee, mine was like that, maybe a big longer even. but natrually bright orange. it's still bright orange, but MUCH more close cropped and well kempt! : )

Carlos Pena just hit his 30th of the year, and is batting .214.
Here are the lowest season BAs for 30+ HR hitters, since 1961:
http://www.bb-ref.com/play-index/shareit/8xNS

this guy sure throws a lot of pitches. i'll take the 2 scoreless innings, however. and a clone of his girlfriend... : )

hopping in the shower. hoping to come out to a Yankee victory!

[189] How can you leave the TV at a time like this!?!

were either of those pitches actually strikes?

total bullshit

Damn, none of those pitches looked like strikes to Matsui

[189]

TOWEL! (just a friendly reminder)

Aw crap...

Hit him on the (decidedly un)funny bone.

maybe now pinch hit molina for arod?

ah that was a joke but i messed up by saying pinch hit instead of run

no worries :)

hungry Robbie?