New York Yankees

[Lcsulla]

Be a lot of happy hitters when he does hang it up. Lot of happy teams ordering less bats as well.

Lot of unhappy bat manufacturers, starters in pinstripes, and fans though. :lol

Monument park is going to look strange when he does as well, two #8's and two #42's.

[scrock25]

He should have won the CY in '05, I think it was, when fuckin' Fats took it down.

[Rebecca De Mornay]

He has absolutely nothing left to prove to anyone is baseball. This is the only reason I could see him walking away after a good season. He's got 5 rings, the all time saves record, an ALCS and WS MVP, plenty of other random awards and the virtually universal respect of everyone in baseball. No one will be within 100 saves of his records for at least a decade or more and his postseason numbers are untouchable. The only thing he hasn't done is won a CY or MVP - both near impossible for an AL closer these days. I think he can keep going too but at this point only he can make that decision. I wouldn't blame him either way - though losing him would be impossible to replace.

Pretty sad (and making me feel old) pattern developing:

2010: Pettitte
2011: Posada
2012: Rivera?

Jesus, was 1998 really 14 years ago? :BANG

It is sad, I would imagine Jeter won't be following too far behind these guys either.

[Lcsulla]

He should have won it in '05, I think it was, when fuckin' Fats took it down.

Yeah, porky unfortunately had a career year in 2005. I think he deserved it too but I am not surprised he didn't get it. Starters have a built in advantage for the Cy Young just as position players have one over a DH. For a closer or DH to win an MVP or Cy their numbers would have to be out of this world good and the competition would have to be limited I think.

[scrock25]

Hahaha... banner for "sexy Arab girls" at the top of the page for me :lol

[Lcsulla]

It is sad, I would imagine Jeter won't be following too far behind these guys either.

Isn't he under contract until he hits social security? Or was the the Ford contract?

[Lcsulla]

Hahaha... banner for "sexy Arab girls" at the top of the page for me :lol

:lol

What exactly do you do in your internet snooping? That banner is triggered by a browsing history.. :)

[Rebecca De Mornay]

Isn't he under contract until he hits social security? Or was the the Ford contract?

I'm pretty sure it was just a 3 year deal

[scrock25]

Think there may have been a 4th year option too, if that IS the case I can't remember if it's player or club. I think player.

[scrock25]

Yep, just looked it up... 4th year player option for $8M, $3M buyout if he declines.

[Rebecca De Mornay]

:lol

What exactly do you do in your internet snooping? That banner is triggered by a browsing history.. :)

Answer this question Scrock. Don't act so interested in Jeter's contract.

[scrock25]

iOS Fap my friends.... best mobile porn site!!!!

[smudge1]

Answer this question Scrock. Don't act so interested in Jeter's contract.:lol:lol:lol

[Rebecca De Mornay]

:lol:lol

http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/rod_menu_all_his_own_lWnT3QHPZbhSLsRvFA5M0N?CMP=OT C-rss&FEEDNAME=

What a twat

[YouNeverKnow25]

Yankees signed David Aaaaaaaaaardsma. Thought he'd join the Pirates.

[hbktonyb]

Arod is the best. I'm gonna start bringing my own meals everywhere.

[Rebecca De Mornay]

Arod is the best. I'm gonna start bringing my own meals everywhere.

Make sure you don't forget your hamburger helper gloves either.

[crashintome202]

anyone going to the home opening series? going the 14th (saturday).. cant wait

[Rebecca De Mornay]

anyone going to the home opening series? going the 14th (saturday).. cant wait

I'm going to see them in Boston the weekend after July 4th and in DC in June when they play the Nationals. I don't have a trip to NY planned yet.

[Rebecca De Mornay]

Any additional Soler news? Still just Phillies and Yanks in a bidding war?

[thestand]

Martin's contract may be restructured to a 3-year deal, basically just to help out with the Yankees' goal to be under the $189m luxury tax threshold in 2014. If they do that for just that one season, they get massive financial rewards. So it's definitely worth it to try and do.

[Lcsulla]

Yankees signed David Aaaaaaaaaardsma. Thought he'd join the Pirates.

Aardvark signing means - Yankees, Best Team!!!!!!!!!!!! :D

[Rebecca De Mornay]

It's awesome being the best!!@

[Lcsulla]

It's awesome being the best!!@

He will replace Joba - who I think we ought to DFA at this point since we didn't trade him when we could have gotten more than a freezer bag full of balls in return.

[YouNeverKnow25]

He will replace Joba - who I think we ought to DFA at this point since we didn't trade him when we could have gotten more than a freezer bag full of balls in return.

I mean his salary is 1.68 mil. That is a bag of balls. There's no loss in keeping him just to see what he's got. I agree that looking back they probably should have traded him when his value was at its peak, but no way should they DFA him.

[Rebecca De Mornay]

I haven't completely given up on Joba yet. I don't expect anything out of him but he still has good stuff and he's making next to nothing.

[Lcsulla]

He's gonna suck, like usual. No confidence in him unless we are up or down 10+ runs. Not worth keeping around.

[Rebecca De Mornay]

Isn't he coming off surgery?

[Lcsulla]

Isn't he coming off surgery?

Yup, but barring a miracle he will be just as sucky as usual when he comes back and my confidence in his ability to stay off the DL is absolutely 0.

[Rebecca De Mornay]

There is literally no risk in keeping him though to see what he might have.

edit: I have no confidence him either but it would be brutal if he got picked up by another team and ended up being a star. That's the worst case out of all the scenarios and they can prevent that pretty easily until they know for sure he is done.

[thestand]

Yes, because pitchers who pitch injured and then have Tommy John surgery have such a huge track record of continuing to suck. :lol

He pitched 28 innings of 2.83ERA and 1.047WHIP ball last year. And that's while injured. It's too small of a sample size to actually count his ERA+ (which was 158), but he was more than fine last year. Anyone who thinks he shouldn't be here either has some random personal grudge or simply didn't watch the games.

[thestand]

What I'm most excited for this year is to see just how crazy good Cano can be, now that he's leading off that Cano/Rodriguez/Tex line. He was a borderline MVP when he had Swisher and Posada behind him in years past, let's see what he can do now.

[thestand]

I can't stop laughing at the fact that one of the photogs during photo day did an Instagram shoot. The Yankees as trendy hipsters is a pretty funny thought.

http://news.daylife.com/photo/01xZ0lT0I17LU?__site=daylife&q=yankees

[Rebecca De Mornay]

What I'm most excited for this year is to see just how crazy good Cano can be, now that he's leading off that Cano/Rodriguez/Tex line. He was a borderline MVP when he had Swisher and Posada behind him in years past, let's see what he can do now.

I'm interested to see how long Girardi will let A-Rod sit in the clean-up spot.

[milo420dmb]

I'm interested to see how long Girardi will let A-Rod sit in the clean-up spot.

good question - who would hit clean up if it wasn't Arod?

While his HR numbers were down, Arod still proved he could knock in RBI's

[Ascf33]

Granderson seems the obvious choice to me. Gets Gardner back to leadoff. Or Swisher up to second again. Both get on base. But there is no way you could hit Tex 6th. Dude would riot.

[Ascf33]

Gardner
Jeter
Cano
Granderson
Rodriguez
Teixera
Swisher
Ibanez
Martin

or

Jeter
Swisher
Cano
Granderson
Rodriguez
Teixera
Swisher
Ibanez
Martin

[dduncan6er]

Is there any explanation as to why Tex went from a .300 hitter to a .250 hitter so quickly? I mean he hasn't had a ton of injuries and he's really not that old.

[Ascf33]

Is there any explanation as to why Tex went from a .300 hitter to a .250 hitter so quickly? I mean he hasn't had a ton of injuries and he's really not that old.

Two reasons, IMO.

1- The lineup. If you had all of that around you, the NEED to hit .300 is less diminished. Plus HR and RBI are almost "easier" when you have Cano behind you.

2- The stadium. If you have the ability to hit HRs and you had little league dimensions for a right field. You'd try to hit a home run every single time.

[pathetic]

Two reasons, IMO.

1- The lineup. If you had all of that around you, the NEED to hit .300 is less diminished. Plus HR and RBI are almost "easier" when you have Cano behind you.

2- The stadium. If you have the ability to hit HRs and you had little league dimensions for a right field. You'd try to hit a home run every single time.

pretty much agree with this.

he dropped off big time in BA, but his production is conisitent

[hbktonyb]

ARod ain't moving from the cleanup spot, so just stop that discussion.

[Rebecca De Mornay]

ARod ain't moving from the cleanup spot, so just stop that discussion.

Disagree - if he is going to a .260/20/80 guy you need to move him down

[Lcsulla]

Disagree - if he is going to a .260/20/80 guy you need to move him down

Lets cut him some slack - he had a down year last year but every year before that he mad a line closer to what we expect. With any luck he can bounce right back! We can revisit this discussion if his presence in the cleanup slot becomes a liability.

[thestand]

I'm a big believer in the treatment A-Rod got this offseason. If it works as well as it did for Kobe, we could see him in 150 games with a 45+ HR year a possibility. But I wouldn't frame the debate as "is Alex a good cleanup hitter", it's more "is there a better 3-4-5 than Cano/Alex/Tex? For me, I don't think there is. Being able to have L-R-S in the middle of your lineup is huge. Especially if all stay healthy, that can be one of the more productive 3-4-5 in the game.

[Lcsulla]

Agreed, I was only saying if he pulls a Sloba and flops we will have to move him down - just not to number 8 like that overrated past manager (who amazingly enough lost ALL his magic when Zim left!) did. He should hit no lower than 7 IMO.

[mja271]

Gotta win this division

[thestand]

Friendly reminder, today and tomorrow's games are both televised. Here's today's starting lineup:

Brett Gardner LF
Curtis Granderson CF
Nick Swisher RF
Raul Ibanez DH
Eric Chavez 1B
Russell Martin C
Eduardo Nunez SS
Bill Hall 2B
Jayson Nix 3B

RHP Ivan Nova

• Today’s available pitchers: Ivan Nova, David Phelps, Manny Banuelos, Dellin Betances, Cesar Cabral, Michael O’Connor, Chase Whitley, D.J. Mitchell, Juan Cedeno and Clay Rapada. Only the first six are actually expected to pitch.

• Today’s second string: C Gary Sanchez, 1B Jorge Vazquez, 2B Corban Joseph, SS Ramiro Pena, 3B Brandon Laird, LF Chris Dickerson, CF Dewayne Wise, RF Cole Garner, DH Justin Maxwell

Jimmy Rollins SS
Shane Victorino CF
Hunter Pence RF
Jim Thome DH
Ty Wigginton 3B
John Mayberry Jr. 1B
Domonic Brown LF
Erik Kratz C
Michael Martinez 2B

LHP Cole Hamels

[thestand]

Today's the infielders. A-Rod/Jeter/Cano/Tex starting, with Andruw being the only other regular starting. Sweaty starting. Game is on YES if you have it, MLB Network for everyone else. MLBN has the YES broadcast, so everyone gets a little Michael Kay.

[scrock25]

Everybody knows it, but when Alex can pop it out to right field you know his swing is on.

[thestand]

Wind helped, but it was a pretty swing.

EDIT: I'm also without cable right now, so my shitty stream is about 3 minutes behind the actual game. :lol I keep accidentally checking twitter and have had everything ruined so far.

[Bron Yr Aur]

Is there any explanation as to why Tex went from a .300 hitter to a .250 hitter so quickly? I mean he hasn't had a ton of injuries and he's really not that old.

His batting average on balls he has put in play has tanked in the last two seasons. I don't watch the Yanks so I'm not sure what has caused this? My guess would be a few more infield pop ups has contributed slightly to this....

[thestand]

His batting average on balls he has put in play has tanked in the last two seasons. I don't watch the Yanks so I'm not sure what has caused this? My guess would be a few more infield pop ups has contributed slightly to this....

Yep, he made the decision to go all or nothing from the left side. If you take a ~.300 hitter and make him into a guy that tries to pull everything over the fence, your BABIP is going to nose dive.

[thestand]

So Alex wants the season to start tomorrow.

[thestand]

Zoilo Almonte might be shooting up the prospect charts. Has impressed the entire coaching staff both in the field and at the plate. And, ridiculously small sample size be damned, he's 4-4 this spring. He's not yet even played a full season at double-a, so he's a long long way off, but he's really done well in his first camp so far. Should start in AA, with a AAA callup possible if the Yankees need to call up Dickerson for anything.

[YouNeverKnow25]

Dave Robertson with the dreaded mid-foot sprain.

[scrock25]

Christ, so it begins... link?

[YouNeverKnow25]

https://twitter.com/#!/ESPNNYYankees/status/177760483502329857

[scrock25]

Got anything else besides Twitter? Blocked here at work.

[dduncan6er]

Yankees are fucked. Enjoy the play-in game!

[YouNeverKnow25]

wallace matthews‏@ESPNNYYankees

dave robertson suffered mid-foot sprain at home last night, getting MRI now, prognosis unknown

[scrock25]

:lol :lol :lol

[scrock25]

At home?? What the fuck was he doing???? Christ, that's the most frustrating thing ever, when it doesn't happen when they're doing (their) "job" related activities.

[YouNeverKnow25]

He was buttering himself up for a shave and some must have dripped.

[hbktonyb]

He was buttering himself up for a shave and some must have dripped.

:lol :lol

[Rebecca De Mornay]

Reminds me of Phil Hughes breaking ribs from coughing too hard

[hbktonyb]

Didn't Pavano once have a bruise on his ass and that's why he couldn't pitch? :lol

[pathetic]

wallace matthews‏@ESPNNYYankees

dave robertson suffered mid-foot sprain at home last night, getting MRI now, prognosis unknown

Prognosis Negative!!!!!

He was buttering himself up for a shave and some must have dripped.

:lol :lol :thumbsup

[DavefaninNZ]

I remember Tom Glavine burned himself ironing his shirt while wearing it.

[hbktonyb]

Rochelle, Rochelle?

[pathetic]

I remember Tom Glavine burned himself ironing his shirt while wearing it.

Sleepwalking gave us a serious candidate for baseball's most interesting injury, courtesy of outfielder Glenallen Hill.


In 1990, the Blue Jays rookie couldn't play a game against the Seattle Mariners because he injured himself while trying to escape a nightmare about spiders. It didn't help that Hill suffered from arachnophobia -- fear of the eight-legged creatures.


In an effort to get away from the imaginary creatures, Hill climbed the stairs in his apartment and scraped his knees and elbows on the carpet. "When I woke up I was on a couch and my wife, Mika, was screaming, 'Honey, wake up,'" Hill, held up by crutches, told reporters at the stadium the next day. In order to corroborate his alibi, Hill offered reporters the chance to come to his apartment to see the blood stains on the carpet.





There's definitely an air of mystery surrounding David Wells' injury.
Indeed, the home is an extremely dangerous place for a baseball player.



:lol http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=rovell/040524

[YouNeverKnow25]

I remember Tom Glavine burned himself ironing his shirt while wearing it.

That was John Smoltz, but still funny.

[DavefaninNZ]

That was John Smoltz, but still funny.

Ah, ok. I knew it was one of the braves' pitchers.

[Rebecca De Mornay]

Apparently David Price left his start yesterday with a neck spasms after toweling off "too vigorously" in-between innings :lol

[scrock25]

MVPEllsbury!!!

[scrock25]

These kids realize its ST, right? Why bark at the ump as you're walking away... it doesn't mean anything :lol

[Rebecca De Mornay]

It means a lot to them probably

[scrock25]

Fact remains that ST games are exhibitions to hone your skills, not forums to make sure the ump knows you think that fastball was off the plate.

[Rebecca De Mornay]

Some guys are trying to make the team though. I don't know who it was but you said kids so I figured it was a young guy.

[scrock25]

Could have been Lavarnway, I don't know. I just don't think it's the right forum, just my opinion. Get your AB's, put your work in during practice... do your thing, just don't think there's any reason to argue balls and strikes during ST.

I completely understand what you're saying too, it doesnt change my stance.

[Rebecca De Mornay]

Well then you're just a stubborn son of a bitch and god damnit I don't like you but i respect you

[scrock25]

:thumbsup

Hurry up and get here so I can have a Plate, Goddamn it!!

[Rebecca De Mornay]

Im working on it brah

[thestand]

Spring training for the umps, too. Get some yelling in now, or else they may rupture their diaphragm because of lack of practice come regular season.

[Rebecca De Mornay]

Rough game tonight, this team is fucked

[Lcsulla]

Groundshaking article in the daily news today. I was stunned. They actually claim the YES announcers are biased Yankee fans. God damned haters!!!

[hbktonyb]

Andy Pettitte!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[milo420dmb]

Andy Pettitte!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

wow, no fuckin kiddin.. just saw it on ESPN

[scrock25]

What happened????

[milo420dmb]

he will be a huge addition once he gets himself into pitching form...

[Ascf33]

season back on

[scrock25]

http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_/id/7696338/2012-spring-training-andy-pettitte-returning-new-york-yankees-agrees-minor-league-deal-sources-say

[milo420dmb]

What happened????

he signed a 1yr 2.5m minor league deal with the Yanks for this season

[s0628711]

Wreaks of desperation. Why sign him when they supposedly have seven starters??

[scrock25]

Yup, I just saw/posted the article from ESPN.

[YankeesDMB41]

hello?!?!!?

[milo420dmb]

Wreaks of desperation. Why sign him when they supposedly have seven starters??

?? desperation - i don't agree with that at all.

[scrock25]

Wreaks of desperation. Why sign him when they supposedly have seven starters??

Desperation on whose part??

You can never have enough pitching.

[scrock25]

?? desperation - i don't agree with that at all.

Exactly.

What are they desperate for anyways??

[s0628711]

That Hughes/nova/Pineda haven't impressed thus far in the spring??

[milo420dmb]

I was thinking they may after Dontrelle Willis now that he was released from the Phillies.. guess not anymore

[scrock25]

That Hughes/nova/Pineda haven't impressed thus far in the spring??

:rolleyes

I reiterate, you can never have enough starting pitching. For 2.5M, why not.

[milo420dmb]

That Hughes/nova/Pineda haven't impressed thus far in the spring??

Nova has been much better as of late..

plus, there has been talk that Pineda may start the year in AAA anyway... before this even happened.

I don't see how anyone can think this is not a good idea/choice to sign him.

[YankeesDMB41]

this is HUGE news

[scrock25]

Agreed, but haters gonna hate. Cashman's just hedging his bets.... there's no reason not to at 2.5M.

[dduncan6er]

You guys better hope he's been juicing up in preparation for his comeback.

[scrock25]

Nova has been much better as of late..

plus, there has been talk that Pineda may start the year in AAA anyway... before this even happened.

I don't see how anyone can think this is not a good idea/choice to sign him.

I can back this up, I read it somewhere as well... probably MLB.com app a couple weeks ago.

[dduncan6er]

Hold on Pineda might start in AAA? He was lights out for most of the year last year, has he been that bad in the spring?

[scrock25]

No no... and I can't remember why, but I think it was to simply work on mechanics, etc...

[s0628711]

Hold on Pineda might start in AAA? He was lights out for most of the year last year, has he been that bad in the spring?

If this isn't a cause for cOncern about the state of the rotation, then I don't know what would be.

[cruscott35]

Hold on Pineda might start in AAA? He was lights out for most of the year last year, has he been that bad in the spring?

I don't know what they are saying, but his velocity has been way down and he was on the Verducci Effect list.

[dduncan6er]

Probably just can't handle the pressure of pitching in NY. He'll probably turn out to be a complete bust now.

[scrock25]

Yah, he's been between 88-92 so far this Spring, when he was up at 95-96 last year... and yes, definitely on the Verducci Effect list as well.... so they need to be careful.

[cruscott35]

I can promise though that they didn't/wouldn't make that trade with the expectation that he's start the season in AAA.

[Lcsulla]

An-dy Pett-itte!!!!!!!!!!! :D

[thestand]

Wow, some heavy trolling in here. :lol

Pineda's velocity isn't down tremendously, compared to past years. He's been sitting 90-92, hitting 93-95. But he's been heavily working on his secondary pitches, so that will clearly effect his overall velocity. He threw changeups less than 10% of the time last year, and he's been throwing it about 20% in ST, just to work on it. Plus, everyone compares his spring velocity to last year, but remember, he played winter ball in 2010-2011. So this is his longest offseason in awhile.

If there's a starter hierarchy right now, I'm assuming it's:

CC
Kuroda
Pineda
Hughes
Nova
Pettitte
Garcia

Garcia hasn't looked great, even before the hand injury, which who knows how long that'll effect him. This could very well be a strict replacement for Garcia, if the Yankees think he's going to suffer from the injury for awhile. But like I said, even before the injury, he wasn't looking fantastic. And Nova has had more shakey innings than good ones. Hughes has had a good spring, and is ahead of both Nova and Garcia, IMO. But as has been said, there's never enough starters. Someone who says signing a 7th starter is "desperation" probably isn't too familiar with the game. The Yankees used 9 starters last year, with 6 of them getting over 10 starts. And they very nearly made that 10 starters, as Adam Warren was ready to be called up for a start, but they decided Nova was healthy enough to come back from an injury. The fact of the matter is, 6 starters is rarely enough. Why would you not want a deeper staff?

[Lcsulla]

I think Pettitte will move up the rotational chart pretty quick to be honest. He knows how to pitch and grind it out. He has done it all and proven that time and time again. I expect him to be 3 or 4 by midseason.!!

[milo420dmb]

If this isn't a cause for cOncern about the state of the rotation, then I don't know what would be.

I still don't see your reasoning...

Pineda is a 22 yr old kid who is trying to pitch in NY.. might be best for him to get his feet wet in AAA and then get brought up when he is 'ready'.. i mean Pineda is overwhelmed just taking to the media.. yankees have the arms to start him in AAA this year if they need to

[cruscott35]

Yup, I'm trolling by mentioning that his velocity is down (which is a fact) and that his inning jump from last season should be cause for concern.

Not acknowledging those 2 facts makes you dumb.

[Lcsulla]

Yup, I'm trolling by mentioning that his velocity is down (which is a fact) and that his inning jump from last season should be cause for concern.

Not acknowledging those 2 facts makes you dumb.

I agree, I am concerned as well based on the number comparison with last year.

[dduncan6er]

I still don't see your reasoning...

Pineda is a 22 yr old kid who is trying to pitch in NY.. might be best for him to get his feet wet in AAA and then get brought up when he is 'ready'.. i mean Pineda is overwhelmed just taking to the media.. yankees have the arms to start him in AAA this year if they need to

So he didn't get his feet wet by pitching in the majors last year? Like it or not Pineda starting in AAA is not good for the yankees.

[DavefaninNZ]

Wow, some heavy trolling in here. :lol

Pineda's velocity isn't down tremendously, compared to past years. A)He's been sitting 90-92, hitting 93-95. B) But he's been heavily working on his secondary pitches, so that will clearly effect his overall velocity. He threw changeups less than 10% of the time last year, and he's been throwing it about 20% in ST, just to work on it. Plus, everyone compares his spring velocity to last year, but remember, he played winter ball in 2010-2011. So this is his longest offseason in awhile.

If there's a starter hierarchy right now, I'm assuming it's:

CC
Kuroda
Pineda
Hughes
Nova
Pettitte
Garcia

Garcia hasn't looked great, even before the hand injury, which who knows how long that'll effect him. This could very well be a strict replacement for Garcia, if the Yankees think he's going to suffer from the injury for awhile. But like I said, even before the injury, he wasn't looking fantastic. And Nova has had more shakey innings than good ones. Hughes has had a good spring, and is ahead of both Nova and Garcia, IMO. But as has been said, there's never enough starters. Someone who says signing a 7th starter is "desperation" probably isn't too familiar with the game. The Yankees used 9 starters last year, with 6 of them getting over 10 starts. And they very nearly made that 10 starters, as Adam Warren was ready to be called up for a start, but they decided Nova was healthy enough to come back from an injury. The fact of the matter is, 6 starters is rarely enough. Why would you not want a deeper staff?

Can you cite the A bold? Everything I've read has said that his fastball is topping 91-92 and sitting 89-90, compared to last year when he was sitting 95-96 with the mariners.

As for bold B, scouts can tell the difference between a fastball and a breaking ball, and they're reporting his fastball is down, so to claim that its more secondary pitches being thrown as the reason for the velo being down isn't valid here IMO.

[Lcsulla]

How nice would it be to see #46 walk up the the mound, cover his face to see the signals and give that stare on a cold October night! In a series clincher (any playoff series) I want him on that mound. he just gets it done in clinching games!!!!!! :)

[milo420dmb]

So he didn't get his feet wet by pitching in the majors last year? Like it or not Pineda starting in AAA is not good for the yankees.

yes, b/c pitching in Seattle is the same as pitching in NY for the Yankees.. you know what I meant

I still don't see why Pineda HAS to be in the rotation.. if there are others who pitched better then so be it.. survival of the fittest

[cruscott35]

Odd that it's a minor league deal.

[dduncan6er]

Pitching is Seattle gives you a hell of a lot more experience handling the media and gets your "feet wet" much more than pitching in AAA Trenton.

[spoot388]

Can you cite the A bold? Everything I've read has said that his fastball is topping 91-92 and sitting 89-90, compared to last year when he was sitting 95-96 with the mariners.

As for bold B, scouts can tell the difference between a fastball and a breaking ball, and they're reporting his fastball is down, so to claim that its more secondary pitches being thrown as the reason for the velo being down isn't valid here IMO.


its not about people being fooled by what he's throwing. he's been working on his change up a lot this spring, and while its thrown similarly to a fastball, its still going to be a little different. when you focus on one pitch like that as much as he's been doing, what you do for the other pitch(es), like the fastball, is going to suffer a bit because you're not working on making that sharp. his arm is used to throwing junk right now because those are the pitches he's been focused on and working on, so when he rears back to throw some heat, his arm isn't completely ready to do that. he needs to build that up too, he just hasn't worked on it.

[Lcsulla]

Odd that it's a minor league deal.

Makes sense, he hasn't pitched since Oct of 2010 - he may need some fine tuning. That said, I have no doubt he will be on the opening day roster!!!!

[dduncan6er]

And its a cause for concern if a guy you just gave up your #1 prospect for can't outpitch the likes of Garcia and Pettite after he has a year of major league experience under his belt.

[cruscott35]

100% absolute BS. His velocity is down because he's going through a dead arm period. Just like Jacob Turner in Tiger's camp.

Holy shit some Yankee fans are just blind homers. Acknowledging that his velocity is down doesn't make you less of a fan, guys.

[cruscott35]

Makes sense, he hasn't pitched since Oct of 2010 - he may need some fine tuning. That said, I have no doubt he will be on the opening day roster!!!!

I don't have any doubts either. Pettitte scares me more than anyone in your rotation not named CC.

[DavefaninNZ]

its not about people being fooled by what he's throwing. he's been working on his change up a lot this spring, and while its thrown similarly to a fastball, its still going to be a little different. when you focus on one pitch like that as much as he's been doing, what you do for the other pitch(es), like the fastball, is going to suffer a bit because you're not working on making that sharp. his arm is used to throwing junk right now because those are the pitches he's been focused on and working on, so when he rears back to throw some heat, his arm isn't completely ready to do that. he needs to build that up too, he just hasn't worked on it.

Ok, that's a fair explanation. But is it enough to explain a 5 mph drop though? I honestly don't know. I can imagine 2 or 3, but 5 is pretty significant.

Edit: To add to that though, the scouts, from what I've read, have been legitimately concerned by this. If your explanation is the case, then there shouldn't be cause for concern, no?

[cruscott35]

Ok, that's a fair explanation. But is it enough to explain a 5 mph drop though? I honestly don't know.

No, it's not, it's BS.

Dude has been playing baseball his whole life.

[Lcsulla]

I don't have any doubts either. Pettitte scares me more than anyone in your rotation not named CC.

In all honesty, in a do or die game I want Andy on the mound over anyone. He has proven the ability to rise to the occasion so many times I have lost count - in 2000. :lol

[Lcsulla]

No, it's not, it's BS.

Dude has been playing baseball his whole life.

It is not BS, merely a theory that has been batted around. Not sure if I agree considering the motion is the same. Place me in the concerned camp.

[milo420dmb]

Pitching is Seattle gives you a hell of a lot more experience handling the media and gets your "feet wet" much more than pitching in AAA Trenton.

uhh no it doesn't/hasn't.. you obviously have not read the reports coming out of Yankee camp (and why would you, you're a Sox fan, no?)

Pineda doesn't feel comfotabible talking to NY media because A) there are always about 10 of them around him and B) he doesn't speak that great of English.

whatever, I really don't care.. if his is in the rotation then great, if he isn't then that means he got beat out by a pitcher who performed better.

I have no issues with starting him in AAA.. does it raise a bit of concern bc you sent of Montero for someone who might start in the minors? sure, but he is still young.. not like he is in the height of his prime.

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/yankees/post/_/id/29100/pineda-to-minors-maybe

[dduncan6er]

If the guy is capable to pitching in the rotation the yankees arent just going to send him to AAA to shelter him. Especially if he has a year of major league experience already. How is he going to learn to handle the media better in AAA besides just working on his English? He faced more reporters in Seattle than he will in AAA.

[spoot388]

And its a cause for concern if a guy you just gave up your #1 prospect for can't outpitch the likes of Garcia and Pettite after he has a year of major league experience under his belt.


the kid is like 23 years old and has all of like 5 months of MLB experience. give him a break. he still has A LOT to learn and work on. they didn't get him just for 2012, they got him to have a solid starter in 2014+. he'll be able to work on a lot more in the minors than in NY, so if he goes to AAA for a little while, so be it.



100% absolute BS. His velocity is down because he's going through a dead arm period. Just like Jacob Turner in Tiger's camp.

Holy shit some Yankee fans are just blind homers. Acknowledging that his velocity is down doesn't make you less of a fan, guys.

right, i forgot, you have the answers to EVERYTHING. the fact is if you don't work on a pitch, its not going to be as good as when you do work on it. he's not working on his fastball because he needs to develop other pitches. so of course his fastball isn't going to be as great as it could be. NOBODY just steps on the mound after 5 months off and throws 95 the first time out.

also, nobody ever said his velocity wasn't down. i gave a very valid reason for why it is down that you refuse to believe because it doesn't fall in line with your warped sense of reality. if anybody is blind, its you, and you've proven that time and time again in more than one thread.

[milo420dmb]

If the guy is capable to pitching in the rotation the yankees arent just going to send him to AAA to shelter him. Especially if he has a year of major league experience already. How is he going to learn to handle the media better in AAA besides just working on his English? He faced more reporters in Seattle than he will in AAA.

of course they aren't and i never once said that or even inclined that.. lol

all I am saying is that I am ok with him not starting the year in the majors, if that is what happens.

Personally, as a Yankee fan, I think this is a great situation to be in. means there is some quality competition in camp..

[mja271]

I'm definitely worried about Pineda.

[s0628711]

yes, b/c pitching in Seattle is the same as pitching in NY for the Yankees.. you know what I meant

I still don't see why Pineda HAS to be in the rotation.. if there are others who pitched better then so be it.. survival of the fittest

Not trolling at all here. But who trades their best prospect in ten years for a kid to hang out in the minors? It's not like he was only up for a month last year.

[s0628711]

I think the yanks still have a one and a bunch of 3/4 starters.

[hbktonyb]

Jack Curry ‏ @JackCurryYES

The Yankees can and will take their time in letting Pettitte get ready. They have depth. But, once he is ready, he becomes rotation fixture

[Lcsulla]

Not trolling at all here. But who trades their best prospect in ten years for a kid to hang out in the minors? It's not like he was only up for a month last year.

A team that projects him as a DH - his catching is bad and I cannot imagine him filling the 1b slot. Romine can fill in a bit this year behind the plate - he just is bad as a hitter and hopefully Gary Sanchez will be ready for 2014 - he is sound defensively and offensively. He is a hitter and an unproven one. I will trade hat for a potential top of the rotation guy any day of the week.

[hbktonyb]

Jack Curry ‏ @JackCurryYES

Cashman said dialogue with Pettitte began in Dec. Cashman made him a $10-12 million offer then. Pettitte wanted to workout for 6 wks first.

[milo420dmb]

A team that projects him as a DH - his catching is bad and I cannot imagine him filling the 1b slot. Romine can fill in a bit this year behind the plate - he just is bad as a hitter and hopefully Gary Sanchez will be ready for 2014 - he is sound defensively and offensively. He is a hitter and an unproven one. I will trade hat for a potential top of the rotation guy any day of the week.

thank you.. I was going to post something similar but you covered it for me

[hbktonyb]

Cashman said Pettitte would have to go through a whole spring training, so it sounds like he wouldn't be with the team until May.

[thestand]

Can you cite the A bold? Everything I've read has said that his fastball is topping 91-92 and sitting 89-90, compared to last year when he was sitting 95-96 with the mariners.

As for bold B, scouts can tell the difference between a fastball and a breaking ball, and they're reporting his fastball is down, so to claim that its more secondary pitches being thrown as the reason for the velo being down isn't valid here IMO.

Ok, that's a fair explanation. But is it enough to explain a 5 mph drop though? I honestly don't know. I can imagine 2 or 3, but 5 is pretty significant.

Edit: To add to that though, the scouts, from what I've read, have been legitimately concerned by this. If your explanation is the case, then there shouldn't be cause for concern, no?

Sorry, started playing a game. His second start of spring he was back up to 93. http://riveraveblues.com/2012/03/pineda-up-to-93-mph-65208/

And to B, as spoot said, if you're going from 75% fastball 20% slider and a show-me change, and you go to throwing changes every 5 pitches to get used to it, including a brand new grip (he went from a more of a palm to basically a circle change), it effects your overall delivery. Remember, we're still in a part of spring training where pitchers are going out there with a certain goal, they aren't trying to play a regulation baseball game. Pineda and his catcher is going out there with the intention of trying as many changes and two-seamers as possible, as both need work. All of the starters are doing that. CC looked like Garcia the other day, throwing so much secondary stuff. We're not into the part of spring where they start treating the games like games.

And, as I mentioned, this is his longest offseason of his professional life. No winter ball, and he got his work load lightened at the end of Seattle's season. We're talking about 3 appearances since September.

[s0628711]

A team that projects him as a DH - his catching is bad and I cannot imagine him filling the 1b slot. Romine can fill in a bit this year behind the plate - he just is bad as a hitter and hopefully Gary Sanchez will be ready for 2014 - he is sound defensively and offensively. He is a hitter and an unproven one. I will trade hat for a potential top of the rotation guy any day of the week.

I'm not dealing with what you do with Montero if you keep him, just analyzing for what the deal was regardless of positional ability. Montero could have been traded multiple times but they held out for THIS deal. I can't believe they'd projected him in aaa by AApril.

[thestand]

No one is seriously projecting Pineda at AAA, can't stress that enough. Girardi said that the only people that are guaranteed spots are CC and Kuroda, and people ran with the idea that it could mean Pineda or Nova could end up in AAA. And, honestly, Nova looks more like a AAA candidate than Pineda so far. Hell, if it's truly an open camp, Phelps Warren, and even Betances may be right there with Nova so far.

But guess what? It's not an open competition. Girardi said that so people don't get lazy. Girardi was pissed at Hughes because Hughes basically took last spring training off, coming in overweight and out of shape, because he knew he had a spot. But the rotation will open up as CC/Kuroda/Nova/Pineda/Hughes, with the last 3 in any order, and everything will be all right.

[thestand]

Pettitte threw a bullpen this morning for Cashman and some staff, and they said he looks like what they were used to seeing.

[milo420dmb]

No one is seriously projecting Pineda at AAA, can't stress that enough. Girardi said that the only people that are guaranteed spots are CC and Kuroda, and people ran with the idea that it could mean Pineda or Nova could end up in AAA. And, honestly, Nova looks more like a AAA candidate than Pineda so far. Hell, if it's truly an open camp, Phelps Warren, and even Betances may be right there with Nova so far.

But guess what? It's not an open competition. Girardi said that so people don't get lazy. Girardi was pissed at Hughes because Hughes basically took last spring training off, coming in overweight and out of shape, because he knew he had a spot. But the rotation will open up as CC/Kuroda/Nova/Pineda/Hughes, with the last 3 in any order, and everything will be all right.

I don't think anyone is nessacarily projecting him at AAA - but from the reports, it seems Girardi and Co. wouldn't be opposed to it if that is how it ends up shaking out..

[thestand]

CC gave up 3 runs in 4 innings to the Nats? I wonder if Staten Island has an opening in their rotation. Work on mechanics, he'll be ready by June.

[Lcsulla]

Pettitte threw a bullpen this morning for Cashman and some staff, and they said he looks like what they were used to seeing.

Thanks - and SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! :D

[thestand]

I don't think anyone is nessacarily projecting him at AAA - but from the reports, it seems Girardi and Co. wouldn't be opposed to it if that is how it ends up shaking out..

Again, having watched every spring training game that's been televised (including one Kuroda start that I could only get streaming in Japanese for some reason), Joe just wanted to emphasize that no one that doesn't have a $10m/year+ contract has a guaranteed spot. But Pineda has had a better spring than Nova, and he had a much, much better 2011 than Nova. So if we're willing to apply the "open competition" to Pineda, we should to Nova as well.

But, in all reality, both will be in the rotation.

[thestand]

Sorry, that bullpen was Tuesday. Not sure why I said this morning. :lol

@JoelSherman1 Cashman told YES Pettitte bullpen session Tuesday he looked "what we are used to seeing." #Yankees. Watched by Girardi, Rothschild, Stick

[spoot388]

I'm not dealing with what you do with Montero if you keep him, just analyzing for what the deal was regardless of positional ability. Montero could have been traded multiple times but they held out for THIS deal. I can't believe they'd projected him in aaa by AApril.

the yankees also got pineda as a FUTURE staple for the rotation, not necessarily for this year. they needed somebody young who could develop and turn into a #2 or even another #1 starter in a few years. he was only a #2 last year because it was seattle. if taking this year to develop means 2014-2020 we have a solid #1 or #2 starter who can get 18 wins a season, they're going to take that.

[s0628711]

It's just a change from everything the Yankees are: win now. Which is why I think they signed pettite. They probably have questions about the staff as constituted.

[milo420dmb]

regardless of who ends up being in the rotation... I am very excited to see andy Pettite back. Really looking forward to the start of the season

[milo420dmb]

It's just a change from everything the Yankees are: win now. Which is why I think they signed pettite. They probably have questions about the staff as constituted.

agreed..

[scrock25]

regardless of who ends up being in the rotation... I am very excited to see andy Pettite back. Really looking forward to the start of the season

:thumbsup

[scrock25]

It's just a change from everything the Yankees are: win now. Which is why I think they signed pettite. They probably have questions about the staff as constituted.

I think you stand alone in this opinion. I really don't think there are any unstated underlying issues.

[Bron Yr Aur]

Seems like if Pettitte can just be an average pitcher (or even give you 18-20 2010 quality starts), the Yanks' will have one of the deepest rotations in the league. They have a ton of good options now.

[scrock25]

Just waiting for the haters to come in and troll over Pettitte/Garcia's ages, the questionable abilities of Hughes/Pineda, and Nova's inevitable slide from his rookie year.

[scrock25]

Oh, and add Kuroda coming over from the NL, and CC being fat.

[smudge1]

Seems like if Pettitte can just be an average pitcher (or even give you 18-20 2010 quality starts), the Yanks' will have one of the deepest rotations in the league. They have a ton of good options now.one of the best. Tampa Bay Rays...best!!@!!

[s0628711]

I'm not saying all of those arguments are legit scrocks, but some are. Hughes has not been the same pitcher since 09. And Pineda's velocity isn't there. I'm not trying to be a dick and stir the pot, these are some legitimate concerns though. I was a Yankee fan for 23 years. This will be the first year I am not rooting for them. So it's not like I've lived for pissing onthe yanks parade for years.

[scrock25]

Regardless, the Pettitte signing only helps them... and I really don't look at it any other way than simply stock piling for what ifs (because it is a very long season). I have no idea why anybody's first thought after seeing the news would be uh oh, or desperation.

[rickyh24]

CC is fat.

[scrock25]

You're right, he is... you can't really argue that :lol

[DavefaninNZ]

I'm not saying all of those arguments are legit scrocks, but some are. Hughes has not been the same pitcher since 09. And Pineda's velocity isn't there. I'm not trying to be a dick and stir the pot, these are some legitimate concerns though. I was a Yankee fan for 23 years. This will be the first year I am not rooting for them. So it's not like I've lived for pissing onthe yanks parade for years.

:confused Why?

[s0628711]

:confused Why?

Eh, a multitude of reasons. The new ballpark is dead, the overspending, the expectation of winning a WS every year which takes the fun out of it, Hank/Hal, etc...

Baseball is far and away my favorite sport, but the MLB in general pisses me off. I'm just gonna root for the mets because I can afford to go to their games and can still watch them every night. (insert the lulz here).

[cruscott35]

the kid is like 23 years old and has all of like 5 months of MLB experience. give him a break. he still has A LOT to learn and work on. they didn't get him just for 2012, they got him to have a solid starter in 2014+. he'll be able to work on a lot more in the minors than in NY, so if he goes to AAA for a little while, so be it.





right, i forgot, you have the answers to EVERYTHING. the fact is if you don't work on a pitch, its not going to be as good as when you do work on it. he's not working on his fastball because he needs to develop other pitches. so of course his fastball isn't going to be as great as it could be. NOBODY just steps on the mound after 5 months off and throws 95 the first time out.

also, nobody ever said his velocity wasn't down. i gave a very valid reason for why it is down that you refuse to believe because it doesn't fall in line with your warped sense of reality. if anybody is blind, its you, and you've proven that time and time again in more than one thread.

Hey hoss, we're nearly a month into spring training, his velocity is still down. It isn't down noticeably because he is working on his change up more, its down noticeably because he has a case of dead arm from a significant jump in innings on a young, developing arm. Obvious to everyone but a few in this thread.

[s0628711]

Hey hoss, we're nearly a month into spring training, his velocity is still down. It isn't down noticeably because he is working on his change up more, its down noticeably because he has a case of dead arm from a significant jump in innings on a young, developing arm. Obvious to everyone but a few in this thread.

Didnt help that he showed up out of shape.

[scrock25]

Eh, a multitude of reasons. The new ballpark is dead, the overspending, the expectation of winning a WS every year which takes the fun out of it, Hank/Hal, etc...

Baseball is far and away my favorite sport, but the MLB in general pisses me off. I'm just gonna root for the mets because I can afford to go to their games and can still watch them every night. (insert the lulz here).

Yah, I don't get it... the bolded is one of the reasons I fucking love being a Yankee fan.

[rickyh24]

Being a Met fan is going to be an awesome experience.

[s0628711]

Yah, I don't get it... the bolded is one of the reasons I fucking love being a Yankee fan.

It's not that hey will contend every year. It's that there is no magic in their runs. In 09, thy were expected to win it and it felt like a sigh of relief when they did instead of exuberant joy/


Ricky, I know I've doomed myself but I love baseball too much not to watch.

[scrock25]

It's not that hey will contend every year. It's that there is no magic in their runs. In 09, thy were expected to win it and it felt like a sigh of relief when they did instead of exuberant joy/


Ricky, I know I've doomed myself but I love baseball too much not to watch.

Eh, different strokes for different folks.

[s0628711]

Eh, different strokes for different folks.

Right on! I've played my whole life, I know the game. I love talking/watching baseball and will even enjoy watching the yanks for the fact that a game is on in front of me. But my love with them just got sucked away over the years from a lot of different contributing factors.

[scrock25]

Couldn't ever imagine that... they're my absolute favorite team in the only sport I really care about, or ever will. If every other league folded I'd be fine, so long as MLB was still around. Huge fan of the game, thank God I grew up with a Yankee fan for a father.

[spoot388]

It's not that hey will contend every year. It's that there is no magic in their runs. In 09, thy were expected to win it and it felt like a sigh of relief when they did instead of exuberant joy/


Ricky, I know I've doomed myself but I love baseball too much not to watch.


thats how i feel too. there's no fun in knowing in april that unless something incredibly unfortunate happens that they should at least make the wild card. its boring to have those expectations. i still like watching the games and keeping up with the team, but i've lost the caring about the team and hoping they'll do good because they're going to anyway.

crossing sports, but i love penn state football, and while they're expected to have a good team every year, they're not expected to be great every year. so the years like 2005 and 2008 when they made legit runs to be in the national title game, it was so much more gratifying because they finally put it all together for a season. even last year when they were supposed to be a middle of the road team in the Big Ten, they went into the final week of the season with a chance to make it to the conference championship game. that is so much more exciting than knowing that you're supposed to be there every year and it just being a matter of when you get a playoff spot than if you get one.

[mja271]

I actually felt 09 was special. Yea with those additions you should be right there, but that team had a lot of great comebacks and walk offs an had much more chemistry than a lot of our other clubs recently

[scrock25]

Yep, 17 walk offs in the regular season plus the infusion of guys like Swisher and Burnett... That year was tons of fun.

[s0628711]

It had its moments. I was at game 2 of the DS and CS and they were awesome games. But it didn't feel the same as the dynasty. It didn't feel as cummulative an effort or something. Or maybe I grew up. I was a kid when they were tearing the late 90s up.

Spoot, I hear you with penn state. I'm also a packer fan since I was young and they have grown on me more and more every season. They're probably the most opposite of the yankees as there are in sports and them winning super bowl 45 felt a hundred times better than yanks in 09.

[junior94]

What totally cracks me up about this whole Pettitte thing, from what I heard Cashman was feeling so desperate before he pulled off that Pineda trade in the winter, he was apparently willing to offer him like $12M I think to come back just for the one year.

[thestand]

What totally cracks me up about this whole Pettitte thing, from what I heard Cashman was feeling so desperate before he pulled off that Pineda trade in the winter, he was apparently willing to offer him like $12M I think to come back just for the one year.

Desperate isn't even remotely the right word. Andy Pettitte retired voluntarily, to spend time with his family. He left a lot of money on the table in 2011. He would have been highly paid last year, as he was coming off of a 132 ERA+ in 129 innings year in 2010. So Cashman had about $10m to spend on a pitcher, and the best options for him were 38 year old RHP Huroki Kuroda, or 39 year old LHP Andy Pettitte. Pettitte is almost certainly still worth 8 figures this year. The two years before he retired, he had fully morphed from a power guy to a controlled LHP, which is something he could keep doing 3 years from now.

So yeah, desperate isn't close to the right word. Remember, when he offered Pettitte that contract, Cashman was offering it to him because if Andy didn't take it, Cashman was going to go ahead and make the Kuroda deal. So he was deciding behind a LHP who put up a 132 ERA+ in his last full season, or a RHP who put up a 121 ERA+ in his last full season. Not exactly a desperation situation. :lol

And Pineda was going to happen either way. That's been said. Cash was just deciding between Kuroda/Pineda or Pettitte/Pineda. The idea of Pettitte taking a contract way below his value wasn't initially an option, but now it is.

[rickyh24]

Pettitte is going to dominate in the minors.

[thestand]

Remember, Pettitte's last contract was 1 year, $11,750,000. And that was given to him assuming he would be around league average, as he was in 08/09. But he had a resurgent 2010. Offering him $10m this past December would've still been getting him at a discount. Getting him for $2.5m is just absurd. I think people just forget how voluntary his retirement was. There was absolutely no statistical reason for him to retire. He had that one injury in 2010, which is why he only threw 129 regular season innings instead of 180+. But when he was healthy, it was his best season since 2005, and best with the Yankees since 2002. But he said he wanted more time with his family, and, for once, he actually acted on that idea.

[junior94]

Yea and maybe it's not exactly the best commentary on his wife, if he already wants to return so badly after one year... ? :rolleyes:p

[thestand]

Nova with a four run first inning to the Orioles today. I've sort of had this gut feeling that his regression may be sizable this year. I don't dislike the guy, but he's a pretty straightforward guy, and when you're not going for deception, you better have control. If he's missing spots, he's easy to hit. My best outcome for the rotation is, come May, it's:

CC
Kuroda
Pineda
Pettitte
Hughes

Nova in AAA, and Garcia on another team.

I feel bad that either Nova or Hughes may end up in the pen or AAA, but I'd rather have them starting in the Yankee organization, than I would them getting traded to solve the log jam.

[thestand]

Also, Nova threw G. Molina under the bus when explaining the inning. Said that Molina wasn't moving the location around enough, and that's why Nova ended up throwing a hanging curve and a slider with no bite for two HRs. That'll probably go over well with Girardi. :lol

[thestand]

For you heteros, here's your new clubhouse reporter, replacing the departing Kim Jones: Meredith Marakovitz (https://twimg0-a.akamaihd.net/profile_images/417199866/mm-1.jpg). She was an anchor at SNY, and was the sideline reporter for the Sixers.

[Ascf33]

I bet she'll get a signed baseball or two from the captain.

[rickyh24]

She also works for Comcast sportsnet Boston. Bitch gets around.

[Rebecca De Mornay]

I bet she'll get a signed baseball or two from the captain.

:lol:lol

Good riddance Kim Jones. Her Susan Wayldman (or however she spells it) pretty much say the dumbest shit I have ever heard. Neither look good enough to make up for it either.

[mr. testaverde]

In 09, thy were expected to win it and it felt like a sigh of relief when they did instead of exuberant joy/

you shoulda been in the bar i was in the night they won it. in downtown boston. i found a group called 'boston area yankee fans' on meetup.com and we took over that bar. at least 150 of us or so.

i assure you there were no sighs of relief :lol

[thestand]

Clay Rapada looks to be an extremely impressive pickup. Has gone from a possible last guy in the bullpen to, based on this spring, a very strong arm out of the pen. Had another 1/2/3 inning today, with 2 Ks. Hughes looked good, going 5 innings with 3 hits, but one of them was a 2 run HR. 1BB, 3K.

[Lcsulla]

It is so refreshing to put on the TV and be able to watch a Yankee game - even a spring training one. I never understand people who lose interest in a team they love or loved simply because they have been successful. I love the game and I love the Yankees, I cannot imagine that ever changing - I am a third generation Yankee fan in my family going back to the Ruth/Gehrig dynasty. I watched the team through all those miserable Mattingly years, all the great years from 1994-2001 and since and I enjoyed every game I watched. I feel the same way today even if it is only spring training. Baseball is back, warmer weather is coming, and the Yankees are on TV again. Happy days!

[scrock25]

Thanks for typing all that up for me.

[Ascf33]

Thanks for typing all that up for me.

:lol :lol

[Rebecca De Mornay]

It's so true though. Nothing like firing up the grill and listening to the game on the radio.

[cruscott35]

Gammons tweeted that scouts are most concerned about Pineda grunting and struggling to get to 91mph. No dead arm though, he's probably just throwing too many change ups.

[thestand]

Which is strange, as he was sitting at 94.

[thestand]

I seriously don't understand why someone who is a fan of the favorite to win it all this year is spending time trolling a random young pitcher. We've heard your point. You're a child drawing on the walls with crayons at this point. You may be right, he may have a shitty year. But do you know how you don't garner any support? Repeating yourself ad nauseum.

[hbktonyb]

Fuckin Joba...dislocated his ankle playing with his son. "Significant" injury, had surgery yesterday...

[pathetic]

Fuckin Joba...dislocated his ankle playing with his son. "Significant" injury, had surgery yesterday...
:lol oh man...he can't catch a break

[Trippin4136]

Fuckin Joba...dislocated his ankle playing with his son. "Significant" injury, had surgery yesterday...

It was nice knowin' ya Joba.

We'll always have 2007.

[hbktonyb]

Cashman said he "cant put a time frame" on Jobas return. Said its too early for that. Keeps saying it is a significant injury.

[hbktonyb]

When Cashman was asked if Jobas injury was career threatening, he said, "I'd'like to say no. My heart and my gut tell me no."

[Lcsulla]

Oh no, you mean we might have to replace Joba as a mop up guy with some other worthless prick that has a pulse? I'd rather a lefty.

[pathetic]

which ankle is it? if surgery was needed he def did something to the ligaments

[Rebecca De Mornay]

Joba had a good run in 2012

[YouNeverKnow25]

Well, there's always the family business:

http://articles.nydailynews.com/2009-05-04/news/17922683_1_undercover-cop-meth-felony

[pathetic]

Well, there's always the family business:

http://articles.nydailynews.com/2009-05-04/news/17922683_1_undercover-cop-meth-felony

yup, i remember posting this in here 2 years ago and then somone countered with the article about pedroia's brother being a sex offender or something like that lol

[YouNeverKnow25]

Probably was me. Those pedroias (well, at least that pedroia) can't get enough of the kidz.

[Trippin4136]

Remember when Joba repeatedly drilled and/or threat Youkilis' head?

::memmmmmorrrrieesss::

[Trippin4136]

threw at*


autocorrect'd

[pathetic]

yeah, it was uncalled for

[davelk10]

Damn, open dislocation. I would assume a fracture with that as well.

See you next year.

[Ascf33]

dude's life is fucked.

[scrock25]

Dudes career is over, it's really unfortunate.

Probably the most epic mishandling of a pitcher ever. They shouldn't have brought him up until he was ready to make a contribution to the team as a starter and there was room or a reason. He was fucked from day one coming up and being put in the pen.

[pathetic]

Joba Rules!

[scrock25]

Yep, so unreal, and so dumb.

[pathetic]

a lot of baseball "experts" were criticizing the handling of Joba from the start. it didnt seem right.

[scrock25]

It's not even in hindsight... I've been saying it from day one. Isn't it obvious??

[cruscott35]

I seriously don't understand why someone who is a fan of the favorite to win it all this year is spending time trolling a random young pitcher. We've heard your point. You're a child drawing on the walls with crayons at this point. You may be right, he may have a shitty year. But do you know how you don't garner any support? Repeating yourself ad nauseum.

Because I'm a fan of more than the Tigers, I'm a fan of baseball.

Also, when fans of a team blindly throw their heads in the sand about something so fucking obvious, it's annoying.

Repeating facts isn't trolling.

[pathetic]

It's not even in hindsight... I've been saying it from day one. Isn't it obvious??

it was a joke the way they handled him

[rickyh24]

Poor Chubster.

[scrock25]

it was a joke the way they handled him

I'd go so far as to say it was unreal.

[thebestauntie]

What? No Joba this year? I'm crushed! :(

[scrock25]

WTFAU?!?l?

[hbktonyb]

Dudes career is over, it's really unfortunate.

Probably the most epic mishandling of a pitcher ever. They shouldn't have brought him up until he was ready to make a contribution to the team as a starter and there was room or a reason. He was fucked from day one coming up and being put in the pen.

:thumbsup

Hughes a close 2nd,.

[scrock25]

Completely agree with you.

Keep them where they were pitching in AAA when you bring them up, adhere to the Verducci Effect... can't go wrong.

The back and forth is no fucking good.

[Bron Yr Aur]

I seriously don't understand why someone who is a fan of the favorite to win it all this year is spending time trolling a random young pitcher. We've heard your point. You're a child drawing on the walls with crayons at this point. You may be right, he may have a shitty year. But do you know how you don't garner any support? Repeating yourself ad nauseum.

The only thing that would worry me is that he doesn't seem to be able to run it up to 95-97 like he did last year. At this point it's pretty difficult to tell whether he's just not going full out, but for a mostly 2-pitch guy who needs that fastball, just a couple of ticks off it could really be problematic.

If it's a real loss of velocity, then they should probably let him work things out in the minors rather than throw him into the fire at Yankee Stadium where he might try to over-exert himself trying to get that extra pace, and then get lit up or risk long-term injury.

[thestand]

Sweeney Murti says that doctors have told Joba and the team that the injury is not career threatening, and he could be back on a mound by July. Crazy. It also turns out that the "life-threatening amount of blood" report yesterday was fake. It looks like someone heard "open dislocation", googled the image, and assumed that he last a lot of blood. It was a stupid decision, but in the end, I'd rather a guy get an injury simply from playing with his kid than I would a guy get in injury from a bar fight or something.

Also, the Yankees have already tried to trade Garcia, to the Marlins, but they didn't want him right now. So that's the Yankee mindset right now, and it's really what I want. I'm fearing a regression, and I'd rather him be off the team before it happens, and his value is ruined. He may have a great season, but he's just going to clog up the system, right now. I'm more confident in CC/Kuroda/Pena/Pettitte/Nova/Phelps/Warren/Mitchell. And even if Garcia ends up having a better year than some of those guys, I'd rather the Yankees use the minor leaguers, just to know what they've got.

[rickyh24]

Chubster got hurt on a trampoline?? :lol

[scrock25]

Yah, he was playing with his kid. Why is that funny?

[cruscott35]

Yah, he was playing with his kid. Why is that funny?

It's not, at all. People making fun of it are losers.

[cruscott35]

Which is strange, as he was sitting at 94.

Also funny that you're trusting the TV radar guns more than the scouts.

[scrock25]

It's not, at all. People making fun of it are losers.

No shit.

[Rebecca De Mornay]

Yah, he was playing with his kid. Why is that funny?

It's not, at all. People making fun of it are losers.

No shit.

Look at who posted it

/surprised

[scrock25]

Yah, I think that's what Cruscott was getting at.

[thestand]

Also funny that you're trusting the TV radar guns more than the scouts.

You're so, so bad at trolling. But, to confirm, those were scout guns. That's the number every single beat writer used after his most recent start. A report that, hey, your guy Buster Olney even reported! http://gyazo.com/886de4a585c27d8284b348643eed2bbb.png?1332695648

So, just so we're clear: you continue to use old reports to troll a 23 year old on a team you have no interest in. Awesome use of time. To say he topped out at 91 in his last start is, in every way, a lie. It may be because you continue to be uninformed, but it's still a falsity.

[thestand]

But the whole velocity thing is completely tramped up by the New York media, which is what has got cruscott's dick hard for the right hand of a 23 year old. Not many people seem to be talking about the other fastball RHP dealt last year, Ubaldo Jimenez, who can't even consistently get out of the 80s so far this spring. But he's in Cleveland, and people only care about baseball in March in NY, apparently. But if he had been traded to NYY, there would probably be calls for him to start in Short Season Staten Island with an 88-91 MPH fastball.

[cruscott35]

You're so, so bad at trolling. But, to confirm, those were scout guns. That's the number every single beat writer used after his most recent start. A report that, hey, your guy Buster Olney even reported! http://gyazo.com/886de4a585c27d8284b348643eed2bbb.png?1332695648

So, just so we're clear: you continue to use old reports to troll a 23 year old on a team you have no interest in. Awesome use of time. To say he topped out at 91 in his last start is, in every way, a lie. It may be because you continue to be uninformed, but it's still a falsity.

Holy shit are you dumb. Where I come from, 'topping out' isn't 'sitting at'. Secondly, I never said shit about his last start. In addition to the national media reporting about this repeatedly, his name appearing on a pretty famous case study report on how to protect young pitchers, this was the tweet which caused me to bring it up again...

Peter Gammons ‏ @pgammo
Scout on Pineda:"what worries me is the grunting and effort he expends to throw 91"

It was news before that tweet, and it'll be news after this tweet. I would've dropped it if some in here would've reacted rationally and said "Yeah, it worries me too." But some of you have to try and make up exotic excuses like "he's working on his change" as if every other pitcher isn't working on other pitches in spring training too.

Don't worry, every time he has a shitty start I'll be in here to remind you how ridiculous your spring training statements were.

And nobody cares about Ubaldo because there was concerns about his arm before the deal, and he plays for a non factor.

[Lcsulla]

What? No Joba this year? I'm crushed! :(

Don't get your hopes up just yet. Apparently the surgery went better than anyone could have expected, hearing he might be pitching by July and eventually make the Yanks. I was all happy he was cooked and thinking he'd go back to the family crack business with his crackhead mother.

Isn't there a way to void his contract over this? Something like we did with Boone?

[Rebecca De Mornay]

Why is the season starting an entire week later this year. Are they going back to the old playoff schedule that spills into November?

[hbktonyb]

Nope, there are less off days between playoff games. WS will end no later than the end of Oct.

[Rebecca De Mornay]

That's dumb. They should just start the season this weeekend like they did last year.

[scrock25]

Chubster got hurt on a trampoline?? :lol

I'd still like to know why Dale thinks this is humorous.

[recentlyJTR41]

This is an awesome picture:


http://i1109.photobucket.com/albums/h434/Pheeshon/DonnieBaseballandMe.jpg


Yes, that's Don Mattingly