Stating The Obvious?

The Yankees and Red Sox each have 38 games left to this season. The Tampa Bay Rays have 39 games left to play.

If the Rays go 20-19 in their remaining games, playing just one game over .500 for the rest of the season, then the Yankees would have to go 30-8 in their remaining games to pass Tampa in the standings.

So, basically, once the Yankees lose 8 more games this season, barring a collapse by the Rays, New York will have ensured themselves of not finishing in first place this season.

What about the Wildcard? Can the Yankees catch the Red Sox?

If Boston goes 19-19 in their remaining games, playing just .500 for the rest of the season, then the Yankees would have to go 25-13 in their remaining games to pass the Sox in the Wildcard standings.

So, if Boston plays .500 from here out, New York would need to play .658 to pass them in the standings. (That’s just about needing to win every 2 out of the 3, for the Yanks.)

I do not believe there’s a chance for the Yankees to catch the Rays now - all things considered. And, based on the numbers, it’s going to be extremely hard to catch the Red Sox. Maybe Hank was right to waive the white flag?

The Abraham Plan

Did you see Peter Abraham’s suggested plan for the Yankees in terms of moving forward towards next season? Click here to read it. The highlights:

The Yankees should insist that Cashman hire a New York-based assistant GM with hands-on experience, a next-generation Stick Michael. The Yankees need somebody who wouldn’t be afraid to tell the GM that signing the likes of Kei Igawa is a bad idea. The Yankees need a bad cop in the room.

MAKE THE KIDS EARN IT. The Yankees gave Kennedy a $2.25 million signing bonus, had him throw only 146 innings in the minors before promoting him to the majors last season then handed him a job before spring training.

Phil Hughes had a 7.71 ERA in spring training and started the third game of the season. This isn’t Camp Pinstripe; it’s a major-league team. Nothing should be given away.

TWEAK THE COACHING STAFF. Girardi became manager with only two years of experience as a coach or manager. The Yankees did not equip him with the proper staff.

Girardi’s five coaches came into this season with a total of 10 years of experience on the major-league level as coaches or managers. The bulk of that experience — six seasons — comes from first-base coach Tony Pena.

Peter also suggested that the Yankees should let Giambi and Abreu walk after this season, they should bring back Mussina and Pettitte, and, they should convert Johnny Damon to first base in 2009.

All good points, if you ask me. What do you think? If you were in charge of the Yankees, what would you do in terms of a plan for next year?

Carl Pavano To Start For Yanks On Saturday?

Hey, it’s possible.

If true, that would be 501 days between Yankees starts for big Carl…as he last pitched for New York on April 9, 2007.

For the record, in his four years as a member of the New York Yankees, Pavano has made nineteen starts and faced 488 batters - recording 111.3 IP and an ERA of 4.77.

Surprising, only seven pitchers have made more starts for the Yankees during this time than Pavano: Mike Mussina, Chien-Ming Wang, Randy Johnson, Andy Pettitte, Jaret Wright, Darrell Rasner, and Shawn Chacon. (Phil Hughes has tied Pavano here with 19 starts as well.)

Since 2005, there have been 30 different pitchers to start games for the Yankees: Mike Mussina, Chien-Ming Wang, Randy Johnson, Andy Pettitte, Jaret Wright, Darrell Rasner, Shawn Chacon, Carl Pavano, Phil Hughes, Roger Clemens, Kei Igawa, Kevin Brown, Ian Kennedy, Aaron Small, Joba Chamberlain, Sidney Ponson, Al Leiter, Jeff Karstens, Cory Lidle, Tyler Clippard, Matt DeSalvo, Sean Henn, Chase Wright, Dan Giese, Darrell May, Tim Redding, Tanyon Sturtze, Brian Bruney, Kris Wilson, and Scott Proctor.

August 17th vs. The Royals

So, this is how the other teams (and their fans) must feel when they get to face Ian Kennedy or Kei Igawa. Cool.

When was the last time that the Yankees scored 10 runs at the start of a game before their opponent’s starter was able to retire four New York batters in the contest? Well, according to my quick research…it has never happened since 1956 - and do not have access to data before that time.

So, what you saw in this game was something special.

In fact, before today, since 1956, there have been only 3 starting pitchers to allow the Yankees scored 8 runs in a game before retiring 4 batters in their start: Ryan Drese in 2002, Mark Langston in 1995 and Fergie Jenkins in 1980. Rare stuff, indeed.

Meanwhile, it was not all puppy dogs and cupcakes in Yankeeland today. Phil Hughes got beat-up down in Triple-A this evening. And, this was against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs - who, with an average of 3.83 runs scored per game coming into this contest, are the worst offensive team in the International League.

I’ll have to defer to the various members of the Phil Hughes Apologists Association to provide the litany of excuses for young Mr. Hughes’ poor effort today.

Sherman: Could This Be Jeter’s Last Deal In N.Y.?

Via Joel Sherman -

Which brings us to Derek Jeter, the Yankees and the union we once assumed was unbreakable. But if Favre started for the Jets last night, we must consider what not long ago would have been unthinkable. Jeter looks in decline. The Yanks look as if they want to get younger and - when possible - less expensive. And suddenly that expiring contract after the 2010 season becomes the elephant in the room of the Yankees’ future.

Because Jeter is no more associated with the Yankees than Favre was with the Packers. If that marriage can end in such a nasty divorce, don’t we at least have to consider that it can happen with Jeter and the Yanks - at least this version of the Yanks?

The involved parties, as you would expect, treated the subject like plutonium. Jeter told The Post’s George King that he did not follow the Favre situation “very closely” and that he hasn’t thought about his next contract. Sure he hasn’t. Jeter’s long-time agent, Casey Close, refused to discuss the matter, saying, “It is far too premature to answer that.”

Yankees GM Brian Cashman said, “Who is to predict how things take place? We have problems in the present to deal with. Trying to anticipate the future is a waste of time and energy right now.”

I know…anything is possible…the Yankees once traded Bobby Murcer…and he was the home-grown face of the franchise at that time…

But, as great as Murcer was at the time of that trade, with all due respect to Bobby, he did not have the resume that Derek Jeter has put together in the Bronx.

It’s going to be an interesting situation in Yankeeland when Jeter’s contract is up.

My gut feeling? The Yankees will use Jeter’s desire to be in New York and his diminishing skills/value at contract time as leverage to move him off short and to get his annual salary down to the range of $15 million a season. And, they’ll work out some sort of an agreement.

All things considered, Jeter will not have much of a hammer in his corner for this round. But, if the Yankees pull a Packers/Favre move on this one, unless Derek’s game is completely gone, they will get killed by the media and fans. So, somehow, this thing will work out where Jeter stays in New York.

August 16th vs. The Royals

I totally missed this one. We spent the day in Manahawkin - attending a birthday party for two sisters who are friends of my kids. (I did see Doc Cramer Blvd as we were on Route 72…heading to the party, for what it’s worth. So, in a way, I did squeeze in a little baseball related stuff today…I suppose.)

From seeing the game recaps, it doesn’t look like this was a stellar day for the Yankees: 13 men LOB and 13 of 54 Yankees PA ended in whiffs. And, according to some reports, the fans booed the Yankees, especially A-Rod, at times. (I cannot say this happened, for fact, since I didn’t see it. But, I did see it written in a few spots this evening.) Also, the Yankees second run of the day - one of the three that they only managed to score this afternoon - was a gift, of sorts, coming on a wild pitch.

In any event, it’s a win…and the Yankees can use it. The fans can use it as well. I know that I’ll sleep better tonight knowing that there’s not another Yankees loss to lament…

Sidney Ponson…some story, huh? If you would have told me last March that two of the most stable and productive members of the Yankees starting rotation this season would be Mike Mussina…and Sidney Ponson…well, I would have recommeded that you find yourself a 12-step program or something.

You just can’t tell with baseball, can you? Then again, while Mussina and Ponson have been solid in the games they’ve started for the Yankees, the fact that they stand out so much really doesn’t say much about the rest of the Yankees rotation this season, does it?

The Last 40 Games

In their last 40 games, the New York Yankees have gone 20-20.

During this time, New York has scored 198 runs and has allowed 182 runs.

Is that dull and insipid baseball, or what?

The Great Disaster Draft Of ‘08

The Yankees had the 28th, 44th and 75th overall selections in the draft this year.

What happens? With the 28th pick, they take a kid, Gerrit Cole who will not sign. With the 44th pick, they take a kid that many feel was an “over-draft” - Jeremy Bleich. And, with the 75th pick they take a kid, Scott Bittle, with a bad shoulder.

As a result, in the end, the Yankees only sign one of their first three picks in the 2008 draft - and it was the one who was an “over-draft” - Jeremy Bleich.

Basically, the Yankees threw away two of the first 75 picks in this draft because of bad decisions on who to pick. They didn’t do their homework in terms of sign-ability and health.

Sure, they get some extra picks next draft as a result of the “no signs.” But, they also miss the chance to have some premium talent mature in their system over the next year.

Great job here by “Ca$h-money!,” huh?

Bleich Signs

Via Baseball America -

The Yankees signed Bleich Friday night, though terms of the deal have not been reported. A supplemental first-rounder, Bleich reportedly did not exceed MLB’s bonus recommendation for his No. 44 slot, believed to be $863,000.

Bleich missed about half the season for the Cardinal with elbow tendinitis, but pitched well in the postseason to help lead Stanford back to the College World Series, including throwing six shutout innings to beat Cal State Fullerton in a super-regional. The Louisiana native, if healthy, would instantly become the best lefthanded pitching prospect in the Yankees system.

Wilkins De la Rosa says “Hey, what about me?”

August 15th vs. The Royals

Close, but, no cigar.

I have always been a firm believer in the principle that tough times don’t last, but, tough people do.

It’s really too bad that this Yankees team is so short on tough people.

Melky & Sexson Out, Gardner & Ransom In

Via Joel Sherman -

In a move designed to boost the Yankees’ sagging offense, the team today will demote Melky Cabrera to the minors, waive Richie Sexson, and promote Brett Gardner and Cody Ransom from Triple-A, The Post has learned.

Not sure I see the need to send Melky down to bring up Gardner.

If Gardner is going to be a bench player/defensive sub/pinch runner, why not use Melky in that role? Then again, maybe the Yankees are trying to send a message to Cabrera by sending him down?

The Ransom for Sexson move makes sense - when you consider that Derek Jeter is banged up. You need a back-up infielder who can catch the ball, unlike Wilson Betemit, more than you need a RH-batting 1B/DH type…now that Nady is here and Matsu may be returning.

Back to Cabrera, it will be interesting to see if this move has any impact, good or bad, on Robinson Cano now - since they’re so tight.

Babe Talk From Mick’s Tonight

Gotham Sports Radio live show from Mickey Mantle’s should be interesting this evening. It’s all about Babe Ruth. First, Linda Ruth Tosetti, the Babe’s granddaughter, will be there to discuss Ruth’s legacy and her quest to retire his “3″ throughtout all of baseball. And, historian Bill Jenkinson, the author of “The Year That Babe Ruth Hit 104 Home Runs,” will also join the show to discuss Babe’s career - including some misconceptions and falsehoods that have been perpetuated about the Bambino. For more on how to listen to the program, click here.

Mad Dog Russo Leaving WFAN

It will be interesting to see how this move plays out for Russo…

It could turn out like a Shelley Long/David Caruso bad decision…

…or, it could turn out as well as Curb Your Enthusiasm did for Larry David.

What do you think?

August 2008 Survey Question #5

Please consider taking the following poll:

For more on the term’s of Cano’s contract, click here.

Thanks in advance. And, please feel free to add comments on your opinion in the comments section below.

April 16, 2009 - First Day For New Digs?

Via the Daily News -

Mark calendars for the grand openings: The Yankees and Mets will inaugurate their new stadiums just two days apart next spring.

The Mets will play their first game at Citi Field on Tuesday, April 14, against the San Diego Padres, according to Major League Baseball’s draft preliminary schedule for 2009. The new Yankee Stadium will open on April 16 with a game against the Cleveland Indians.

Details of next year’s openers were disclosed to The Associated Press on Thursday by baseball officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because neither the teams nor the commissioner’s office have made any announcements.

The Yankees may have one or two exhibition games at their new $1.3 billion ballpark before the official opener. The Mets also may schedule exhibition games at $800 million Citi Field but have not made any decisions yet.

Maybe I’m being a baby about this, but, I truly hope that the Yankees don’t have any exhibition games in the new place before the Opener. Yes, I know other teams have done it. But, to me, it just takes away from the “first game” experience. The people who go to the game on Opening Day 2009 should be the people who get to see the inside of the Stadium, during a game, for the first time. But, then again, that’s just me.

Bill Madden Lets Loose On Cashman

Bill Madden, via the Daily News:

Son of Boss Hank Steinbrenner has sounded the “wait till next year” rallying cry, and it sure looks as if the Yankees are heeding it. What is curious, however - and, not to mention, very un-Boss-like - is that Hank is blaming injuries for this seemingly lost season while apparently exonerating everyone involved.

In truth, we should have realized right from the get-go that this Yankee team wasn’t constituted for making a 14th straight trip to the postseason. Not when the general manager, Brian Cashman, decided the starting rotation would include one rookie and one semi-rookie in Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes. Or that the bullpen would have to get the job done without the benefit of a lefthander. Or that the bench was going to be satisfactory with retreads such as Morgan Ensberg and the jack of all trades, master of none, Wilson Betemit.

No, there were a whole lot of critical player evaluations made here that were wrong, and for that, the general manager must be held accountable.

It’s a refreshing notion, building a team around your own homegrown pitching, but at the same time it’s fraught with potential disaster. Young pitchers get hurt. Young pitchers usually need two to three years of experience before they start coming into their own. And, as any baseball savant going all the way back to Branch Rickey will tell you, to get just one top-of-the-rotation starter, you need to develop at least seven or eight young pitchers. In the Yankees’ case, those odds are even greater, as they have not drafted and developed a legitimate top-of-the-rotation starter since Andy Pettitte.

So Cashman has to assume the lion’s share of the blame here. He put this team together, staking his reputation on the young pitchers who all either flopped or got hurt, or in Hughes’ case, both.

George Steinbrenner undoubtedly would see things in an entirely different way. After the lesson of 1978, when the Yankees were still nine games behind the Red Sox on Aug. 13, he would never give up on a season. Rather, he would be hammering away at the people accountable for this $200 million failure. In his absence, I suppose somebody else is just going to have to do it for him.

For what it’s worth, Madden also rips Joe Girardi in this column.

Remember the days when Madden was the direct pipeline to “unnamed, high-ranking, Yankee sources“? By the nature of this feature, I’m guessing that pipeline has now dried up…and it’s open season on the Yankees brass.

Cole To College Instead Of Yanks?

Via Tyler Kepner (with a hat tip to WasWatching.com reader “Don”) -

When the Yankees drafted pitcher Gerrit Cole in the first round of the June draft, they believed that Cole would sign with them and forego a college scholarship. It turns out that Cole has changed his mind and will go to U.C.L.A. instead.

According to a person involved in the negotiations, the Yankees have learned that Cole intends to go to college, no matter what they offer. The person was granted anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly before Friday’s deadline for teams to sign drafted players.

Cole is represented by the agent Scott Boras, who is known for asking for lucrative bonuses. But the Yankees have reached deals with first-round Boras clients the last two seasons, and the person said the failure to sign Cole had nothing to do with him.

Instead, Cole and his father had a change of heart and decided to go to college rather than negotiate with the Yankees.

Well, for the record, I would have picked Conor Gillaspie, Shooter Hunt or maybe Brett DeVall instead of Gerrit Cole.

According to Brian Cashman, “[The Yankees] drafted [Cole] for a reason. We didn’t draft [him] not to sign [him].”

So, what do you say Yankees fans? If Cole goes to college, based on Cashman’s comment, was this a bad first-round pick by the Yankees this season?

The Batting With RISP Excuse

[Regarding the Yankees poor record this season, to date] When it is suggested that no one could have foreseen all the injuries and no victories from touted rookie pitchers Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy, [Yankees G.M. Brian] Cashman said, “That has nothing to do with it. It’s our … offense. We can’t hit with runners in scoring position.” [source]

We can’t hit with runners in scoring position.

I am sooooo tired of hearing this excuse from the Yankees and some of their fans.

Yes, statistically speaking, the Yankees, as a team, have done a poor job with respect to batting with runners in scoring position (RISP). To date their BA/OBA/SLG line with RISP is .259/.347/.381 (in 1,309 PA). That OPS mark of .729 for New York, with RISP, is 11th worst in the league.

But, there’s a problem with the batting with RISP stat…as it does not tell you anything about the score of the game during those Plate Appearances when the runners were in scoring position.

It treats the PA with RISP when the score is 16-0 (either way) the same as the PA with RISP when it’s the bottom of the 9th, no outs, with a runner on third, and when you’re down by a run. And, that’s stupid.

For me, I’d rather look at how a team is batting, period, when it’s a close game - say when the score is within 2 runs (either way). And, in this “Within 2 Runs” situation snapshot, this season, to date, the Yankees BA/OBA/SLG line is .270/.343/.419 (in 3,142 PA).

Now, some may see that “Within 2 Runs” OPS for New York of .761 and offer that it’s very close to the OPS mark of .729 for New York with RISP. However, there is a difference here.

That OPS mark of .761 for New York when the score is “Within 2 Runs” is 5th best mark in the league. So, when it comes to batting when the game is close, the Yankees are one of the better teams in the league, to date, this season.

Perhaps a better reason why the Yankees have done so poorly this season is their pitching.

During the first half of the season, the Yankees starting pitchers had an ERA of 4.51 (in 525.3 IP). This mark was 9th worst in the league during the first half - and just a few points from being 11th worst.

And, during the second half of this season, to date, the Yankees bullpen has an ERA of 5.83 (in 78.6 IP). That ERA is the worst mark - out of all 14 teams - in the league during the second half of the season.

If the Yankees, or their fans, what a reason/excuse for the team’s poor record this season, to date, it was the terrible pitching of Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy, and Darrell Rasner during the first three months of the season; and, it’s been the terrible pitching of Edwar Ramirez and Damaso Marte this month.

Maybe that’s not 100% of it - in terms of where to lay the blame. But, it’s a huge part of it - and more important than how the Yankees have been batting with runners in scoring position.

Maybe Brian Cashman doesn’t want to ‘fess up to that? After all, Hughes, Kennedy, Rasner, Ramirez and Marte are all part of his pitching plan for this season. So, it’s much easier to point to a stat like batting with RISP - which looks bad…but, which tells you nothing, in reality, because it’s not reflecting when those Plate Appearances occurred.

But, to me, when it comes to the Yankees “story” this season, it’s the same as it’s been for the last four years before this one - it’s all about the pitching…and Cashman’s bad plan in terms on who to count on…for the Yankees staff.

Damon: Yanks Not Dead Yet

Via Bob Nightengale:

The Yankees, losers for the 12th time in the last 18 games Wednesday, find themselves nine games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East, and six behind the Boston Red Sox in the wild-card race.

“What makes this tough, and different than years’ past,” Yankees outfielder Johnny Damon says, “is that we’re chasing so many teams. Tampa Bay looks like they could win our division, and for the wild card, you’ve got the Red Sox, Twins, White Sox, Texas, and even the Tigers.

“We’ve got to get within four games by the end of the month if we’re going to do this.”

There are 12 games left this month. Barring any help from the other teams, the Yankees are going to need to win 9 or 10 of those 12 games to get within 4 games of the Wildcard by the end of this month.

Johnny, that’s a tall order my friend. Extremely uphill.

And, don’t forget that 6 of those 12 games are against the Toronto Blue Jays - who are now just 2 games behind the Yankees in the standings. Don’t you think that the Jays want to win as many of those as possible and put the Yankees in 4th place?

Shoot, at this point, you have to worry about the Orioles too. The Yankees are only 5 games ahead of them in the loss column. Yes, today, the Yankees are closer to last place in the A.L. East than they are to first place.

Yikes, how bad would that be…if the Yankees were in last place come September 1st?

The Yankees Answer?

Well, the Yankees could use some pitching, hitting and baserunning…

maybe they should sign this prospect before someone else does?

Yanks 2008 Dive Vs. Mets Collapse Of 2007

In their last 18 games, the Yankees have gone 6-12.

During this time, the Yankees bats have posted an OPS of .806 (which is not terrible). But, their pitchers have authored an ERA of 6.32 (which is really bad).

Remember “The Great Mets Collapse Of 2007“? That bad boy was right up there with the 1951 Dodgers, 1964 Phillies, and 1978 Red Sox.

Well, the Mets went 5-12 in those 17 games (during 2007) where they blew it.

During that time, the Mets bats posted an OPS of .791 (which is not terrible). But, their pitchers authored an ERA of 5.96 (which is really bad).

These W-L, OPS and ERA numbers all look pretty close, no?

Granted, the Mets were in 1st place, and up by seven games, when they went into the tank. And, the Yankees were in 3rd place, and three games out of first, when they hit the skids.

Still, if you want an idea of how bad the Yankees have played in their last 18 games, put it this way: It’s just about the same way that the Mets closed out their season last year. And, that’s ugly.

Cano & Cabrera Now Infectious In A Bad Way?

Charlie DeBiase of the Staten Island Advance’s Yankees Watch takes an interesting look at Robinson Cano and Melky Cabrera. Click here to read it.

Boy, what a difference a year makes for these two, huh? Remember when they used to be credited with providing an infectious energy to the team? What happened? Dunno. Maybe their mothers left town or something?

What’s The Problem With Derek Jeter’s Bat?

On December 3, 2007, I brought Derek Jeter’s batting decline, with respect to his power at the plate, to attention via an examination of the number of “lucky” homeruns that he hit in 2007 and then looking at his legit homers compared to his Plate Appearances.

At that time, some commented that this was a “…a useless stat. Utterly 100 percent useless.”

Later, on June 10, 2008, I once again looked at Jeter’s declining power numbers - this time looking at his production from 2008 (at that point in time).

Now, thanks to the new website StatCorner.com [HT: BBTF], we can look at even more stats with respect to what’s going on with Derek Jeter and his bat this season. Here’s the first data set for discussion:

Year	wOBA	P/PA	GB% 	FB%	LD%
2002	.319	3.68	50.5%	20.8%	22.7%
2003	.333	3.66	50.1%	19.5%	21.9%
2004	.334	3.50	44.6%	29.6%	18.3%
2005	.355	3.81	57.5%	19.2%	18.5%
2006	.369	3.58	60.7%	17.1%	21.1%
2007	.391	3.72	55.7%	20.1%	21.6%
2008	.345	3.75	57.1%	22.1%	17.1%

As per the guys at StatCorner.com:

wOBA or weighted on base average is a statistic developed by and used with the permission of Tom Tango. He gives a detailed rundown of it here. In a nutshell, wOBA uses linear weights on certain batting events to come up with a metric that is more statistically sound than OPS and is scaled onto an OBP scale. According to Tango “An average hitter is around 0.340 or so, a great hitter is 0.400 or higher, and a poor hitter would be under 0.300.”

And, P/PA is pitches per Plate Appearance, GB% is a the percentage of batted balls that are grounders, FB% is fly balls and LD% is line-drives.

As you can see, this season Jeter is pretty consistent in terms of his P/PA as compared to recent seasons. And, his wOBA, while just average is not out of line with what we’ve seen from Jeter from 2002 through 2005. If anything, 2006 and 2007 are the odd seasons for Derek here - not 2008.

Further, Jeter’s GB%/FB%/LD% spread over the last four seasons - including this one - seems to be, on the whole, somewhat consistent.

Here’s our next data set for Jeter:

Year	Sw%	Mis%	Ct%
2002	48.2%	19.8%	80.2%
2003	48.0%	17.8%	82.2%
2004	50.4%	17.5%	82.5%
2005	45.5%	17.3%	82.7%
2006	47.0%	16.7%	83.3%
2007	47.0%	13.3%	86.7%
2008	47.9%	14.4%	85.6%

Sw% is how often Jeter swings at pitches - and Mis% is how often he misses when swinging and Ct% is how often he makes contact.

Here, once again, we see a consistent spread. In the last four season, Jeter’s not swinging more often - nor is he missing or making contact more or less than usual.

Strange, huh? Jeter’s seeing the same number of pitches, dealing with them the same way, producing the same types of batted balls, etc. - yet, clearly, his power numers are down.

Actually, when you look at Derek Jeter’s “power” in terms of HR% and SLG% minus Batting Average, there’s an interesting curve in his career. His numbers over the last three or four years, now, are closer to what his numbers where during his first two seasons in the big leagues.

It’s like 1996-1997 and 2006-2008 are here and 1998-2005 are there.

This could just be the natural growth and decline phases of a major league hitter. But, then, why are Jeter’s wOBA numbers somewhat consistent over the last seven years?

So, maybe it’s something else? After all, Jeter’s “power” has seemed to go away around the same time as when MLB came up with a PED policy that included suspensions.

Yeah, I know, that’s outrageous, factually deprived, baseless, etc. - all those things that people like to say when you suggest that PEDs could be at play and you really don’t have a smoking gun.

Forget that I even mentioned it…

Let’s just say that Derek Jeter is doing what he always does, at least recently, while in the batter’s box, but the percentage of balls that Jeter has hit in the air (meaning line drives, flyballs, etc.) that go for a homerun has now gone down for the last three years in a row - because that’s fact.

To me, this comes down to a lack strength - albeit due to age or something else. And, that’s the problem with Derek Jeter’s bat these days…he’s just not as physically strong as he used to be and therefore cannot get the ball over the wall.

Sure, you could say that it’s an injury situation this year. Jeter did have that hand problem back during the end of May - and perhaps it’s nagging? But, then again, that doesn’t explain the lack of power in 2006 and 2007.

In any event, bottom-line, unless Jeter gets that muscle (which he’s been missing for three years now) back, somehow, what you see now is what you should expect going forward: a .290+ batting average, some walks, and no pop.

Catching Up With Terry Whitfield

Via InsideBayArea.com -

Terry Whitfield fits into the baseball-rich tradition of San Mateo County much like he used to fit nicely into the San Francisco Giants lineup during the late 1970s. The 55-year-old looks trim enough to grab a glove and play a little outfield.

Or at least pick up a bat and not embarrass anyone. His lifetime average in 730 major league games was a respectable .281.

Hitting continues as his trademark quality, along with a championship smile. After finishing a 10-year career, plus an additional three years in Japan, Whitfield embraced youth baseball on such a level that his influence continues today.

He opened batting cages in Burlingame, coached at Burlingame High, developed a pitching machine for kids, and worked with several prominent athletes to improve their offensive potential.

“I worked with so many kids I don’t remember them all unless they come back and thank me,” Whitfield said during a recent reunion of San Francisco outfielders at AT&T Park. “But that’s the most rewarding thing for me, to have them come back like that and talk about how their baseball was helped.”

The “Terry Toss” can be found at AT&T Park in San Francisco and the Oakland Coliseum. Whitfield said the youngest child he saw use the machine was 21/2 years old; the oldest was 78.

Whitfield, originally signed by the New York Yankees in 1971 as their first-round draft pick, came to the Giants in 1977 as part of a trade that sent Marty Perez to New York. It’s there, he says, that he polished his unique batting style.

Terry Whitfield is 55-years old? Dell Alston is 56-years old? So is Kerry Dineen?

What in the name of Thaddeaus Inglehart Wilborn is going on here? How did these guys get to be so old when I’m still a spring chicken?

August 13th @ The Twins

Yeah, I know…the Yankees got the tying run to the plate with two-outs in the 9th inning during this one. But, that’s not a win. At least, it shouldn’t be considered a win. Once again, it seemed as if the Yankees were doing this today:

I truly expected more fire from a Joe Girardi led team this season. But, it’s not happening.

So, if I’m doing my math right, the Yankees are now 6-0 against the Seattle Mariners this season and 58-57 against everyone else - and there are just 41 games left to go. Great.

Well, at the least, New York will not lose tomorrow - that’s for sure. They don’t have a game scheduled. But, that’s not a win either…

Boorstein: Why Yanks Will Miss Playoffs

Tom Boorstein of SNY.tv offers five reasons why the Yankees will miss the post-season this year. Click here to read them.

Giambi Proves Me Wrong

Jason Giambi got his 68th RBI of the season in the first inning of today’s game. And, he already has 23 homers this year.

I better get crackin’ on that sign!

Heyman: Yanks To Offer Cashman Extension

Via Jon Heyman -

Never mind the Yankees’ current standing in third place, or their recent struggles. Both Steinbrenner brothers are now said by people familiar with their thinking to be on board with Brian Cashman as their general manager, for now and long into the future. Even if the Yankees fail to play into October for the first full season since 1993, club insiders say the Steinbrenners plan to offer Cashman a contract extension after this season.

Cashman didn’t want to discuss his own situation when reached by phone Tuesday night. But he should have plenty of clues to know he’s wanted back, according to other club officials.

Quieter Steinbrenner brother Hal, who appears to be growing into a real force behind the scenes, is said to have remained a consistent supporter of Cashman’s.

Cashman, who declined to discuss a possible extension when Yankees ownership approached him about one last winter, still doesn’t want to talk about it. “My situation is the last thing that should be in anyone’s thoughts,” Cashman said by phone. “We have about 45 games left, and we’re trying to figure out what the hell’s wrong and how to get it right.”

But Cashman pointed out that he shouldn’t have the luxury of negotiating a new contract before it is up if longtime stars like Mariano Rivera and Posada and even iconic manager Joe Torre didn’t have offers to be extended until after the final season in their original contracts.

“It wouldn’t be appropriate to have dialogue now. We didn’t do it for any of them. I should be no different,” said Cashman, whose contract expires Oct. 31. “We’ve got a very short time to figure this out. I’m not thinking about anything until November 1.”

It’s clear what consumes Cashman now. When it is suggested that no one could have foreseen all the injuries and no victories from touted rookie pitchers Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy, Cashman said, “That has nothing to do with it. It’s our … offense. We can’t hit with runners in scoring position.”

But make no mistake, Cashman isn’t looking elsewhere for blame. “I’m responsible,” he said. “My hands are full.” The Steinbrenners, though, aren’t blaming him.

Great. Cashman’s 21st century Yankees will live on…

…the Yankees will look continue to look marvelous in terms of their win totals and revenue…but play like chumps, instead of champs, when it counts.

Should Yanks Shut Joba Down For The Season?

Frank Isola and Chris Carlin, yesterday on SNY’s Loud Mouths, discuss the question. Here’s the video:

I have to agree…if it’s true that this season is done, as per Hank, then why risk Chamberlain this year? He should only come back if there’s something to play for…in terms of making it to the post-season.

“B” Is For Bandwagon…And Beijing?

Hey, I finally found a Bosox pink-hatter more annoying than Rachael Ray:

Hat tip to the Boston Herald.

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