Back On Top of the Power Rankings
Rays, Reds, Twins and Rangers round out the top 5.
I'm not very intimidated by the Twins and Reds, especially when compared to the Rangers and Rays.
Teixeira May Miss Texas Series
Could be a big loss for the series especially because he's hit 8 homers in his last 16 games.
Edit by jscape: Everything I've read says he'll only miss time until the baby is born, which is any moment now. Certainly a loss, but nothing is certain. And it's exactly the kind of important family event that I have no problem with a player and the organization putting in front of the pennant race (especially with a couple game lead in the loss column for the division and comfortably ahead of the next wild card team).
Perception, Reality, and Curtis Granderson
by 3460kuri on Aug 10, 2010 10:28 AM EDT
295 comments
Obviously, a .240/.307/.417 batting line isn't what anybody was hoping for when the Yankees traded Austin Jackson, Phil Coke, and Ian Kennedy to bring Curtis Granderson to the Bronx last offseason, and the fact that Ajax got off to such a hot start hasn't helped the issue (although it's worth pointing out that he is hitting just .284/.329/.379 in 339 plate apperances since the calandar turned to May).
And so now the story goes something like this: because Granderson is struggling, the Yankees traded for Austin Kearns, and now there's a good chance that the Yankees will go after Carl Crawford or some other big name player this offseason and Granderson will wind up on the bench or playing for some other team before perhaps even the middle of next season.
All I can say is, thank goodness sportswriters aren't GMs.
Tampa Yankees Week in Review: Melk-man on fire
by Travis G on Aug 10, 2010 10:01 AM EDT
in Minors
11 comments
To start, Melky Mesa was named the Florida State League Offensive Player of the Week after hitting .464/.483/.786, raising his team-leading OPS to .828 -
Coming off an 0-for-6, four-strikeout fiasco, Melky Mesa broke out on Monday and didn't let up through the week. He's lifted his average 10 points (from .264 to .274) through eight August games, including four-hit outings on Tuesday and Thursday. He homered and singled Monday, driving in three. One of Tuesday's hits was a two-run double, and he doubled again and scored a run Wednesday. His big Thursday featured a three-run homer, two runs scored and a walk-off single in the 11th inning. Mesa doubled, scored a run and stole a base across his last two games of the week.
He still isn't walking much (one walk last week), but that's his game: swing often, swing hard, and hope to make contact. After an 0-4 last night, his OPS dropped to .819.
The team continued its fine season, going 4-2 against Fort Myers (Twins), St. Lucie (Mets) and Daytona (Cubs), maintaining a three-game lead in the North Division.
Mesa was the offensive star while the pitchers saw Manny Banuelos (photo) step up with the game of the week on Friday: 6 ip, 4 h, 0 r, 3 bb, 11 k, dropping his ERA to 1.89 (third best on the team). He will probably be the top ranked pitcher in the system this winter. Nothing against Brackman, Betances or Nova, but Manny is only 19 and a lefty - that goes a long way towards projection.
Around the Yankee Galaxy: Burnett back on the horse
by Travis G on Aug 10, 2010 6:00 AM EDT
in News
35 comments
A.J. Burnett is 'hopeful' that he'll be ready for tonight's start in Arlington. He tweaked his back Saturday while playing catch. It's the first time he's ever had back problems in his career (or so he says). Hopefully this doesn't become a long-term problem. That was one of the knocks against him when he signed: injury concerns (along with inconsistency) -
"It was scary," Burnett said. "Until I go out and play catch it's still in the back of my mind."
Burnett initially wanted to make his scheduled start Sunday night, but the trainers and Joe Girardi decided to push him back and start Dustin Moseley.
"It was the right call," Burnett said. "The extra day totally helped."
We'll see how much it helped at 8 p.m.
- Curtis Granderson and Joe Girardi are still hopeful that the starting centerfielder will find his groove this season -
"He made great pitches on me," Granderson said [of Lester]. "Just have to keep working at it. Tomorrow, there's another game."
The Yankees acquired Austin Kearns in large part to have a right-handed outfielder to play against lefthanders.
It doesn't help fans to know the young outfielder the Yankees traded for him, Austin Jackson, has been hitting over .300 all season and is a candidate for rookie of the year.
"I would never give up on anybody," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "I still think he is going to be a force for us."
We're all hoping for that. If he doesn't pick it up by season's end, Cashman may very well sign Carl Crawford to patrol leftfield and move Gardner to center, making Grandy either expendable or into a bench player.
Perhaps this will cheer you up after today's lackluster effort.
I hope to see this a lot in the coming years, only against the big league Red Sox.
Where's the run support? Yankees fail Hughes in 2-1 loss
by Travis G on Aug 9, 2010 5:57 PM EDT
in Game Recap
924 comments
"Oh my god!" was my reaction upon seeing Marcus Thames' double hit the very top of the right-centerfield wall and bounce back into play. An inch further and it ties the game. Wow, was that frustrating.
Anyway, the next batter (Austin Kearns) was hit by a pitch to set up a bases-loaded, no-one out situation. So what did the next three batters do? They all struck out, failing to scratch across even one run.
Curtis Granderson continued to look lost against lefties (and a righties too, for that matter), striking out against Jon Lester while Dan Bard entered and K'd Derek Jeter and Nick Swisher on high 90's heat.
The offense went 0-9 with RISP. Boston only went 1-8, but that difference was all they needed. The only run came on Mark Teixeira's 26th homer, a solo shot off Bard (whom he owns: 4-11 with three HR).
Swisher picked a bad day to stop hitting - his 0-5 in the two spot really hurt the team. Not one Yankee batter had more than one hit.
Phil Hughes had one bad inning, the second, when he let up the two runs and threw 38 pitches. After that, he didn't look long for the game but battled through six.
Play of the Game: Another POG that came from the losing team - today it was Thames' double in the seventh that put runners on second and third with no outs (+19%). A measly single ties the game there. In fact, the top two plays in terms of Win Probability were Yankee hits. That's how unlucky they were to lose. From the victorious team it was Ellsbury's single in the second that moved Bill Hall to third (-6%).
Comment of the Game: lololol, for actually looking up Berkman's, Gardner's and Pena's BA against LHP.
Game 111: A Battle Of Young Aces
by Brandon C. on Aug 9, 2010 1:30 PM EDT
in Game Threads
752 comments
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WholeCamels: What do you guys think of Fernando Martinez?
Alex Nelson: His approach is a little lacking.
dajafi: Jayson Werth catches the one in the middle of the three balls he sees.
Eric Simon: He needs to play baseball better.
WholeCamels: Good enough.
Eric Simon: And be less injured.
dajafi: Fernando Martinez is Spanish for Chris Snelling, no?
Ted Berg: I think he has gone from overrated to underrated as a prospect, but he shouldn't be in the bigs.
Alex Nelson: Disappointing. He's shown some pop in AAA this year but little patience. And he just can't stay healthy.
Ted Berg: Guy has two good weeks in AAA and they call him up.
Eric Simon: Super Alex Escobar.
WholeCamels: Bad sign for a 22 year old (health).
dajafi: Lefties hitting worse vs. Dickey?
FuquaManuel: So Charlie Manuel loads the lineup with them (lefties)!
Eric Simon: Worse managing Manuel: Charlie or Jerry?
Alex Nelson: Count the rings.
Ted Berg: Gotta be Jerry. Gotta be.
FuquaManuel: Jerry. But Charlie has his moments.
WholeCamels: Winning is great deodorant for the Manuels
Eric Simon: True of a lot of managers, Peter.
dajafi: Charlie is a lousy tactician but a good clubhouse manager. Not sure what Jerry does well.
FuquaManuel: Russ Gload batting 3rd... that about says it, huh?
Eric Simon: Jerry gives good press conferences. That's about it.
Ted Berg: Jerry Manuel pinch hit Omir Santos for Ramon Castro when Santos was in the bullpen not even watching the game and Castro already had two hits.
Ted Berg: I know that was a long time ago but its still damning.
WholeCamels: And Charlie can be loyal to fault, flipside to great clubhouse stuff.
Eric Simon: Least favorite Brave, current and historic?
Ted Berg: Chipper is the obvious call.
Alex Nelson: John Rocker. Followed by Chipper.
FuquaManuel: Chipper, Francoeur, Rocker, Smoltz.
WholeCamels: Oh man... Probably John Smoltz.
Ted Berg: Jeff Blauser. Just because.
WholeCamels: Billy Wagner
Alex Nelson: Mark Lemke.
FuquaManuel: I second Wagner.
dajafi: Larry Jones, Jr.
Eric Simon: Marcus Giles?
FuquaManuel: Melky Cabrera.
WholeCamels: Terry Forrester.
dajafi: Wagner a very close 2.
Eric Simon: Javy Lopez.
WholeCamels: I actually loved Greg Maddux.
Ted Berg: Me too.
dajafi: Thirded
Alex Nelson: Really? Always thought he was kind of a jerk.
Ted Berg: He was a hero to nerds everywhere.
dajafi: I liked Tom Glavine too.
Eric Simon: Oh. Eff Brian Jordan.
FuquaManuel: Does Bobby Cox count as a Brave?
dajafi: Sheffield was a loathesome Brave.
WholeCamels: Deion Sanders might be the worst person ever: a Cowboy AND a Brave!
Eric Simon: That's pretty bad.
Eric Simon: Who's the most popular Phillies closer of the past decade? Least popular?
FuquaManuel: 2008 Lidge, Jose Mesa.
Eric Simon: Can't take one season. All or nothing.
WholeCamels: Scary but Wagner was the best. But loathed him.
dajafi: I hate all closers. Myers was a miserable human being but the least upsetting closer, or Wagner, who also was a bad guy.
WholeCamels: Eric, it’s Tom Gordon by default.
dajafi: Lidge might not record an out.
dajafi: Gordon was likable
WholeCamels: Charlie's guy!
dajafi: Lidge is a good guy, just a bad pitcher.
FuquaManuel: Charlie has more confidence in Lidge than Lidge has in himself.
WholeCamels: Loved Gordon.
dajafi: That loss last night was galling for the involvement of Frenchy, who sucks and is a douche, and KRod, who redefines douche.
Eric Simon: Any douche conversation involving these teams begins and ends with Shane Victorino, right?
WholeCamels: Ha. Are you guys sad that Victorino is out?
FuquaManuel: Victorino wears those hideous Affliction t-shirts, which just about says it.
Ted Berg: And that white suit.
dajafi: Not a huge Victorino fan. He and Jayson Werth are special-needs ballplayers.
WholeCamels: He's eminently replaceable.
Eric Simon: Do Phillies fans dislike Werth?
dajafi: Love/hate with Werth. He's so talented, yet so dumb.
WholeCamels: Reyes is our Victorino, except he's been known to be really good.
Alex Nelson: Is Reyes really that douchey?
Eric Simon: Reyes is a diva. I can see being annoyed by that.
dajafi: Reyes used to anger me because he only hit for power vs the Phils.
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August 9 vs. Pawtucket: 3-4, HR, 2 RBI
Season (101 games): .282/.356/.483, 13 HR, 51 R, 52 RBI, 42 BB, 71 K
Defense: 84 SB allowed, 26 CS, 14 PB, 5 E
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