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I know this, Nick Swisher has a OPS of over .900.  He sees a lot of pitches and he can hit balls over the wall.  Oh yes, he is also a switch-hitter.  He's should be the #2 hitter in the current lineup, no questions asked.

Yes, I am a Brett Gardner fan and yes, Gardner has done a lot this year.  But, Gardner is not going to hit for power.  Ideally, he is going to put up a line of .300/.380/.400 with 50-60 steals.  That's nothing to sneeze at and the Yankees should be thrilled if he does that.  That still doesn't make him the #2 hitter.  

It's always struck me as funny that managers have never embraced the truth about lineups- essentially, the lineup is just a way of handing out playing time.  For every spot you move down the lineup, that hitter has about 20 less plate appearances over the course of a season.  So, Jeter hitting first would have approximately 60 more plate appearances than A-Rod hitting fourth over the course of a year.  The difference between the #2 spot and the #8 spot is 120 plate appearances.

So, it makes a lot of sense to give the "extra" 120 plate appearances to Swisher over Gardner, after all Swisher might park one.  And yes, tonight he did exactly that.  Using last year's numbers, Swisher would probably hit five more dingers than Gardner would out of the #2 spot.

*****

Very nice to see another good appearance from Robertson.  I still say he is going to be the "7th inning" guy and maybe even the 8th inning guy when Joba isn't available.  If Gaudin can come in and provide innings, I hope the Yankees consider letting Aceves try out for 7th inning guy.  I bet he would be great at it. 

*****

Russo looked pretty good again.  I hope the Yankees give him an infield start tomorrow.  If his glove can handle that, he should definitely stick when Granderson comes back Friday.  

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 10:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

According to Mark Feinsand, the Yankees have agreed to a minor league deal with Chad Gaudin and he will be activated after the Twins and Yankees complete the suspended game today. 

I'm all for trying Gaudin again.  Yes, his Oakland numbers were hideous, but while looking at that 8+ ERA, consider the fact that his walks were down, his strikeouts were up and his BABIP was .431.   His problems stemmed from giving up a lot more flyballs.  Is that something that will change in New York?  To me, it's worth finding out for a low price.

Now the big question with Gaudin's addition is who get sent away?  The Yankees could send a hitter down (please no!) but even if they did, they still need to create a 40-man spot for Gaudin.  I don't think they are ready to put Aceves on the 60-day DL, that would seem to be an overreaction to news that he needs further tests.  Shane Lindsay hasn't pitched for the Yankees yet, not sure why.  Obviously, they could kill two birds with one stone if they gave up on Chan Ho Park, but that seems unlikely.  They could also do the same with Randy Winn and that's my guess.  100% speculation, but I think the move will be Winn DFA'ed and Gaudin activated.  Then when Granderson is ready Logan gets sent to the minors and the team goes back to 12 pitchers. 

UPDATE (6:47) Is this a hint?  Girardi announced on the pre/post game show that Russo is in the lineup tonight with Thames as DH.  Hmmmm

UPDATE (7:05) I was wrong about Winn.  They DFA'ed Lindsey (that was fast) and demoted Logan (two days early on that part.  So, still 12 pitchers which is good.  Now we can wait and see what happens Friday, but I think the chances of Winn sticking are near 100%  It makes no sense to keep him today and cut him Friday because it costs you a player (Lindsey)  So, perhaps Russo in left is about seeing if he can hit enough to keep him over Pena?

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 01:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Don't look now but the Red Sox find themselves 1.5 games out of the wild card.  Having won 7 of their last 8, the Red Sox have snuck up in the standings.

First off, I think we can put to bed the notion that David Ortiz is done.  He got out of the gate poorly, again, but has turned things around to the tune of a .878 OPS with most of his damaging coming in May.  Ortiz is .359/.408/.781/1.190 in since May 1.  He might not keep that up, but he is probably more like the player we saw from June 1st on in 2009.  He'll never hit 50 HRs again (lob your steroid jokes here), but he is good for decent production.

Kevin Youkilis is the main offensive force for the Red Sox and Adrian Beltre, even though I cannot stand watching him hit, has been productive.  Beltre's at bats are just so opposite of what I've come to appreciate about Red Sox hitters.  No patience, no selectivity, but if he can maintain his .327 average, then his obp and slg will probably be just fine and I can more than cope.

The next reason, and probably the biggest reason, is pitching.  The staff has posted a 1.90 ERA over the same period with a WHIP of 1.03.  Since my 2nd to last post, a mere 8 days ago, the staff has cut its ERA by half a run.

Things have been going well especially with the return of Jacoby Ellsbury and Mike Cameron.

Speaking of Ellsbury, he might not be out of the woods injury-wise just yet.  He reported some soreness and was a scratch from last night's game.

Observations from Tuesday night:  Adrian Beltre has seemingly found his way with the glove making 2 great diving, ranging plays to his left.  Manny Delcarmen has found his fastball posting 95 mph heat in the 7th inning.  Daniel Bard has one of the easiest, effortless deliveries I've seen.  There is a buzz when he comes into the game what with his ability to light up the radar.

Last observation, it is amazing how quickly things can change.  I was really worried about this team just a week ago and while I can't say with any certainty they have figure things out, their play has improved enough to at least allow me to think they could make the playoffs.  There's a reason people say "it's a long season."

Posted by Andy (Red Sox) at 09:52 AM | Permalink

The Yankees have put Kevin Russo in left tonight with a RHP on the mound.  I'm just spitballing here, but that makes me think they are considering releasing Winn when Granderson comes back. 

Winn hasn't done much hitting this year, but the hitting he has done has been strictly from the left side of the plate.  (0-11 against LHP)  Winn is also a switch-switch hitter with Russo being a righty, so Girardi is ignoring the book with this move. 

I like it and I also like the move of putting Teixeira at DH tonight.  The Yankees have to find a way to get his bat going again. Overall, Teixeira's May numbers look good (.836 OPS) but that was all done early in May.  Over the last two weeks he has put up a .626 OPS and over the last week he was 3-for-21 with one of those hits that baltimore chop against the Mets in the 9th Sunday.  It's time for his to get going and it's time for the Yankees, losers of 9-of-15 to get going again too.  Boston has revived as expected and Tampa looks awfully good.  The schedule gets very favorable after this series, but it would certainly be nice to get two of the next three as well. 

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 05:46 PM | Permalink

Curtis Granderson played with Scranton yesterday which puts him on track to rejoin the Yankees sometime later this week.  Probably at home on Friday, but he could possibly come back in the Minnesota series. The question is, once Granderson is ready, what's the roster move the Yankees are going to make?

The obvious move is to demote Russo.  He can be returned to Scranton and the Yankees can recall hm when another injury inevitably occurs.  But, this is also the wrong move because Russo is quickly showing he has a place in the bigs with his bat.  That walk he drew last night in the 8th inning was a very impressive at bat.  Add in his positional flexibility, and Russo could be a very valuable piece on a team with older players who need some rest. 

The Yankees might agree with that and send Ramiro Pena down when Granderson comes back.  Pena is a whiz with the glove, but his bat is woeful.  It probably will never turn into much, but some time in the minors playing everyday could help him become a better hitter.  The problem with this scenario is that we don't know how good Russo is with the glove in the infield.

That brings me to the move the Yankees should make when Granderson comes back, releasing Randy Winn.  Winn was brought in to hit lefty pitching and provide solid defense and speed off the bench.  The defense has been pretty good, but the hitting hasn't happened.  Winn hit .262/.318/.352 last season and that coupled with his line of .213/.300/.295 this season makes me wonder if he is simply finished as a player.  

If the Yankees kept Russo, they could use him as a righty platoon partner with either Gardner or Granderson (more on that in a moment) and use Thames as a platoon partner with Miranda.  That would keep Thames' bat in the lineup against LHP, which is good and also keep Thames' glove out of the field, which is really good.  

As for the platoon in the outfield, the Yankees need to seriously consider sitting Granderson instead of Gardner against LHP.  Gardner's OPS of .698 against LHP is not terrible, especially when you compare it with Granderson's .413 OPS against LHP.   The Yankees won't do it, but sitting Granderson against lefties instead of Gardner looks like the smart move at this point.

But that's an argument for another day.  For now it's simply a matter of keeping Russo on the roster when Granderson returns.  

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 12:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I have trouble listening to Yankees games.  On YES, I am not a fan of Michael Kay's shtick and I find him a shameless homer.  (I may be in the minority at objecting to that, but I have always felt announcers should just tell it like it is)  On the radio you have John Sterling who needs some new eyeglasses because he seems to think every flyball is headed for the moon. 

So, I will admit I got a good laugh out of the ten minutes that they spent on the air tonight extolling Javier Vazquez's bunt in the 7th.  It seemed pretty clear to me on the first view that Javy had wrapped most of his right hand around the barrel of the bat.  It seemed even clearer that I was correct when Vazquez went into the dugout, met with the trainers and left with them holding his index finger.  But, the guys on YES kept talking about what a great bunt it was and how the finger problem had to be a blister on a humid night.   (I guess it is humid, but it is also only about 70 degrees, not exactly mid-July weather tonight)  I hope the Yankees' coaches are reminding all the pitchers "fingers in back" tonight.

Either way, the good news is that Javy dodged a bullet.  His x-rays were negative and the Yankees have the advantage of a day off on on Monday.  If they want, they can give Javy eight days off if needed to get ready for his next start.  Let's hope it doesn't come to that because he looks like he is remembering how he pitched in the past and starting to remind people about his FIRST half in 2004.

What has to concern you is Mariano.  I wonder if it is simply a matter of not enough work, but something seems to be missing. One clue might be his groundball to flyball ratio, which is currently at 0.62.  Rivera is at about a 1 for his career and hasn't given up more flyballs than grounders in a season since 2002.  More discouraging is the fact that hitters had a .167 BABIP against him entering tonight.  Add it all up and statistically he is giving up more flies and getting lucky on the ones he does.  That is not a formula that will garner a lot of success in the long run.

And finally a very nice job by Kevin Russo.  Russo has shown an ability to draw a walk in the minors and his seems versatile enough with the glove that he can play all over the diamond.  Jerry Hairston got a World Series ring last year, despite a career OPS below .700 because he can play all over the place.  Russo looks like he has more pop than that and the Yankees have him under their control for the next five-plus years.  That could be a valuable weapon off the bench. 

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 11:08 PM | Permalink

I know, the Yankees lost 4-of-7 on their recent homestand and looked pretty bad against Tampa.  But, I would argue that the 3-4 record on the homestand was ok considering that they played the three best teams (besides the Yankees) in the AL and they played most of the games without four of the original players in the starting lineup this season. 

But enough about excuses because now the Yankees have a period where execution is the name of the game.  Over their next 19 games they will play the Mets, Twins, Cleveland, Baltimore, Toronto and Houston.  Apart from Minnesota, what team in that group do you consider a challenge for the Yankees?  (Yes, I know Toronto is off to a great start, but do you really expect it to last?)   The point is, even with a depleted lineup, the Yankees should be able to run off some wins over the next three weeks.  12-7 over these 19 games is certainly attainable.

******
Interesting move by the Yankees yesterday recalling Kevin Russo instead of Golson or a different outfielder.  I hope it means the Yankees will let Russo fill in around the infield when they want to rest a Jeter or A-Rod and reduce Pena to defensive replacement only.  What I am unsure of is how much defensively Russo can contribute in the outfield.  But, with Swisher back, Winn should be the predominant choice in left and Thames can go back to a DH role. 

*******

Lost in the hoopla of the last few games has been some positive signs from David Robertson.  Robertson is looking more like his 2009 self and that is a HUGE development for the Yankees.  I assume Joba will straighten out, but if he doesn't the Yankees have a real problem on their hands.  A 2009 version of Robertson would greatly reduce that problem.  

Where it certainly looks like they are having a problem is with Chan Ho Park.  Eight innings pitched and five home runs allowed is a reason for concern.  Thankfully, he hasn't walked anyone or his ERA would be enormous, but his strikeout rate is also way down.  He is getting lucky on balls hit (only a .250 average against him) and his fastball velocity is actually a tick higher than last year.  Put it all together and Park may not last the remainder of May with this team.

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 02:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Jack Curry is reporting that Chad Moeller is on his way to New York with Nick Johnson being shifted to the 60-day DL.  That means Johnson will not be eligible to return until July 8th. 

No word on any other move, but I will update this post as more information becomes available.

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 02:23 PM | Permalink

By now you've probably heard the news about Posada and the hairline fracture in his foot.  He is headed to the DL.  (Just a side note, how come nobody thought to x-ray or test this foot before yesterday?)  That means the Yankees have to recall a catcher from AAA and that means there is a chance we could see Jesus Montero in the big leagues.

There are two reasons I believe we could see Montero.  The first is, no matter what they do, the Yankees are going to have to add a catcher to the 40-man roster to get a catcher to the Bronx.  So, they might just want to add Montero now, since he obviously will be on the 40-man in the near future. 

The second reason is, Montero would have a chance to get some serious playing time right now.  Obviously, he would backup Cervelli and catch, but you may have noticed the Yankees are running out of bodies on the bench.  Montero could step in as a DH on most nights and with the Yankees scheduled to face two LHP's this weekend, albeit without the DH, they might want another righty power bat available.  

However, there are very good reasons that he won't be promoted.  First, he is hitting all of .230 right now in AAA with a sub-.400 slugging.  Additionally, he was benched last weekend for not running out a ground ball.  Throw in the fact that Miranda can DH and Thames is not expected to miss significant time and I would bet we will see Chad Moeller make his return to New York tonight.

One thing's for sure, the Yankees have two moves they are going to make today.  I imagine the first one is Posada to the DL for Golson and the second is Melancon back to the minors for a catcher.  Hopefully, the last two night's have cured the Yankees of their desire to carry 13 pitchers.  

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 09:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Corey and Mitchell commented on it and I am still fuming over it, how on Earth can the Yankees send down an outfielder last night knowing that Swisher and Posada were hurt?  I get the need to protect the pitching staff from burnout, but there are many creative things the Yankees could have done last night. 

For instance, why not let Andy Pettitte pitch an inning of relief since it was probably his day to throw anyway?  Plus, they had Vazquez available and if he pitched and couldn't start Friday, they would have been able to go with Mitre again.  It's not optimal, but it would have allowed them to have more than one guy available off the bench.

And the amazing thing is, they are making the same mistake tonight.  They are going to keep 13 pitchers on the team with Posada and Swisher banged up.  That means the Yankees have to start Thames in right, the only other choice would be Ramiro Pena!  

I really don't know what else Marcus Thames has to do to convince the Yankees his glove is for emergency purposes only. I like the guy, he is fun to watch with the bat, but I close my eyes when the ball is hit his way.  I'm also not sure why they have him in right instead of left.  Randy Winn had five assists last season, Marcus Thames has 9 (yes 9!) in his entire career.  That, plus what I have seen with my eyes tells me that Winn has the better arm, so shouldn't he be in right?  I remember watching a Mets game in the mid-80's that went 20 something innings and they ended up with a pitcher in the outfield and they shuttled him between right and left depending on whether a righty or a lefty was up.  Maybe the Yankees can look into that with Thames and Winn?

Insanity is sometimes defined as doing the same thing over and over again but expecting a different result.  The Yankees got burned carrying 13 pitchers last night, tonight they are going to try it again.  Perhaps they are just crazy?

UPDATE 9:20pm- Something tells me that they are going to get an outfielder added to the roster now.  I'm no doctor, but that looked like Marcus Thames rolled his ankle at the very least. LoHud is reporting Thames sprained the ankle.  Now appearing in right is Ramiro Pena.  Yikes, this is getting really bad.

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 05:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Josh Beckett was placed on the DL today with back issues.  I really hope that's the reason he has stunk so far in 2010 and that he can get himself health for his sake and the team's sake.

Taking his place is Joe Nelson who had a cup of coffee with Boston in 2004.  He can strike you out and he can also walk you.

Given Nelson's promotion, I have to assume Tim Wakefield will step into the rotation.

Speaking of Wakefield, as is normal with scuffling teams, there have been snippy moments in the past few days starting with Wakefield voicing his unhappiness with his role on the team. 

Daisuke Matsuzaka and Victor Martinez vaguely criticized one another after Monday's game.  It was clear they weren't on the same page all night long and the results back that up.

And Mike Lowell made comments suggesting he and the team would be better of if the Red Sox just released him.  Disappointing comments from Lowell and Wakefield as they are always referred to as a perfect gentlemen.  Obviously they want to play, who doesn't, but these are "me first" statements, not team first statements.

What will cure general grumpiness?  How 'bout a 10-game winning streak.

The positive to take out of things with this team is that they hopefully cannot pitch any worse than they have and hopefully their defense improves with the return of Jacoby Ellsbury and Mike Cameron.  If the staff can put it together and if the offense keeps going the way it's going, their might be life yet on this team.  Lots of "hopes" and "ifs" but what else do I have to work with?

Posted by Andy (Red Sox) at 04:50 PM | Permalink

The Yankees hadn't made a move in five days, so they were certainly due.  But today's move does surprise me a bit, they have demoted Golson and promoted Melancon.

Now, don't take my surprise as dismay.  I want Melancon in the big league pen, but I wonder why they made this move at the expense of a bat with Posada's foot aching.  Furthermore, demoting Golson leaves them a bit short in the outfield, though I suppose they think Pena could play center in a pinch.  

I imagine this is only a temporary move to 13 pitches because Sergio Mitre is currently unavailable after Sunday's start. But, at some point this week, Mitre will be ready to be the long guy again and that means the Yankees can demote a pitcher.

Back after the game.

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 07:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Dr. Galea, who is known to have treated A-Rod, was indicted today.  Among the interesting details is a list of 23 athletes who received treatment, when they received it and what they received. 

Before you label A-Rod as "Athlete B", it's important to note that he wasn't in New York on at least one of the dates where treatment was given.  In fact, looking at the Yankees and Mets schedules, the best guess for the identity of "Athlete B" would be an injured player who wasn't traveling with his team or someone who was in their offseason.  (If I had to bet, I would bet on an injured New York baseball player based on a description of some of the treatments.)

"Athlete E" could be a Red Sox because they were in town those two dates, but it could also be an offseason athlete.

Athletes M, P, L and Q are probably not baseball players because they all received treatment in Cleveland on August 27th and the Indians were in the middle of a road trip. 

What does it all mean?  Another round of names leaking out and blank stares from players when confronted with the evidence.  What will be interesting to see is since this seems to include players outside MLB will other sports finally receive the scrutiny that baseball has?

*****

It's pouring here at the blog's southern HQ, about 9 miles from 161st Street.  I would guess they won't play, but the best source for info is the YankeesWeather feed on Twitter.

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 05:16 PM | Permalink

Over the last decade, the New York Yankees, on a few occasions, started a season flat and fell out of contention early on.  But they always righted the ship and made a 2nd half surge and ended up in the thick of it.

I'm sure hoping the Red Sox can do the same thing.  They are bad right now and every possible thing that can go wrong, is going wrong.  They are 19-20 and look totally dysfunctional.  They do have moments of good play, but then things come crashing back down.  Last night's game was a perfect parallel to how their season has gone.

For a starting rotation that was mentioned in the same breath as other great rotations, the Red Sox starters have posted a 4.99 ERA with a 1.442 WHIP.  Sure their starting catcher has a .623 OPS (a catcher known for his bat, not his defense), but it isn't the Red Sox offense that is the problem.

What happened to improved run-prevention?  We were all worried about scoring runs but so far that worry was misdirected as the Red Sox have scored 203 runs which puts them in 3rd place in MLB, behind the Yankees  - 219 and the Phillies - 212.  The Red Sox have allowed 212 runs which puts them 4th worst in baseball.

The defense has been suspect as evidenced by the play of Jeremy Hermida and Darnell MacDonald last night.  Both players combined to turned 3 outs into 3 extra-base hits.  MacDonald was there in time but booted it while Hermida might have looked to make a good effort, which he did, but he took the worst routes to the baseball.  Had he taken the best routes, or even mediocre routes, those would have been outs.

No matter, the inability to shut down other teams offenses is the problem right now.  I suppose if the offense can keep things up and the pitchers can learn to pitch, this team might be capable of a surge, but it doesn't look good.  I'm left scratching my head.

Posted by Andy (Red Sox) at 12:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Paul Quantrill would have loved playing for Joe Girardi.  Ditto that for Scott Proctor and all the other relievers who blew out their arms in the Joe Torre years.  Girardi was not going to use Robertson and Joba tonight and it almost cost him the game.

Don't view that as a critique of Girardi, I actually admire him for seeing the big picture in this case.  If you want to criticize Girardi tonight, you should knock him for sticking with Hughes for too long and sticking with Park for too long.  The Hughes decision is understandable, he was trying to get his starter a win.  His Park decision was also understandable, he was trying to preserve his bullpen and it didn't work.  In the long run, both decisions are justifiable.  We can debate how big a psychological impact a loss tonight would have been, but Girardi rolled the dice and came up with a huge win.

I posted earlier tonight about why skipping Vazquez made sense.  Look at the bullpen situation tonight.  When Javy came in, he represented the last line of defense before Mariano.  The Yankees needed a long man tonight and it worked out better than they could have hoped.  Also, Vazquez has to feel more confident based on what he did tonight.  

We may have a game tomorrow, we may not based on the forecast.  Either way, expect a post sometime tomorrow afternoon.  

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 11:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Well that didn't take long!  Nick Johnson is having wrist surgery which will keep him from "baseball activities" for 4-6 weeks.  That means he probably won't be back until July 1st at the earliest. But, I think the Yankees have to be realistic here.  The fact that he had the cortisone shot only a couple of days ago and his injury history make me believe he won't be back anytime soon, if at all.  So the question goes back to, can Juan Miranda hold up the lefty half of a DH platoon?  

Neither Baseball Prospectus not Fangraphs projects Miranda to do much of anything.  (Both project him to have a sub .400 slugging which isn't going to get it done).Thames has destroyed lefty pitching this year (1.135 OPS) but struggled against RHP (.611 OPS) so you don't want him playing full time (or wearing a glove, but that's a different issue.)  Jon Weber could be a thought and he has been hitting very well in May, but I don't know if the Yankees are going to go in that direction.

A more unique way to handle the DH spot would be to call Robby Hammock up from Scranton and use Posada as the DH.  Hammock isn't going to hit, but he can play the corners in the infield and outfield plus catch (3 games behind the plate for Scranton so far this year).  With Hammock on the bench, you could safely DH Posada and let Cervelli catch most of the time.  That would improve the defense and keep Posada fresher.  Unless a good trade or solid free agent drops in their lap, I think it is the best way for the Yankees to go right now. 

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 05:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Look at the ERA's of the Yankees starters: 3.71, 3.38, 1.79, 1.38, 8.10.  Now tell me which one of these guys should currently be labeled "5th starter".

So why are the papers today filled with hysterical columns about the Yankees decision to move Vazquez's next start to Friday?  With the rain last week, they needed to put Mitre back into the rotation for a turn which gave them flexibility to move their starters around.  When you have four starters with ERA's below 4 and one with an ERA above 8, logic dictates you maximize the starts for the former and limit the starts for the latter.

The other reason for moving Vazquez to Friday is a practical one; the Yankees need to keep a starter rested to protect the bullpen.   With Mitre pitching yesterday and Ivan Nova about to be sent to Scranton, the Yankees will be without a long reliever this week.  If a starter has to be lifted early, the Yankees need someone to be able to step in a pitch multiple innings  That guy is Vazquez, but assuming the Yankees get through this week without a blowup, Vazquez will pitch Friday and the Yankees will have Mitre back in his long relief role.

In reality, it doesn't matter at all who is called the #1 starter and who is called the #5 starter right now.  That only matters come October.  

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 10:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

The news today is that Nick Johnson will have a cortisone shot and then will wait 7-10 days to see how he responds.  If the isn't getting better, he will need surgery which will put him out 4-6 weeks after that. So, by that math Johnson will decide on surgery around the 25th of May and if he had surgery he would be back somewhere between June 22nd and July 6th.  Does anyone believe that in light of Johnson's injury history?  Plus, this is not the first time Johnson has hurt this wrist, the last time costing him a full season.  

For now, the Yankees need to get Juan Miranda a lot of AB's against RHP to see if he can produce.  Thames is a nice player, but he really should be simply a RH bat against LHP at DH and nothing more.  There's value there, but you need other parts to make that work and the Yankees are short in that area right now.

I'm wondering if Randy Winn is simply done.  A .575 OPS following a season where he put up a .671 makes me think this is it for him.  I wouldn't expect a move right now, but unless Winn shows some life before Granderson returns, I think he gets the axe.  

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 10:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Top of the 4th here in the Bronx and Nick Swisher has been pulled from the game.  Swisher looked like he hurt his bicep again in the bottom of the second when he dropped the bat after striking out.  He played in the field in the top of the third, but was shown shaking his arm and didn't have to make a play.

Chad Huffman is currently the only other outfielder on the 40-man.  Huffman popped 20 HR's in AAA last year and is off to a .274/.337/.453 start at Scranton.  

UPDATE (11pm) Kim Jones reported on the YES postgame that Nick Swisher had a MRI which revealed a "slight strain" in his bicep.  He is listed as day-to-day

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 08:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I'm just kidding, but it does sound like they have found someone who can replicate many of the characteristics of the immortal LaLoosh in Shane Lindsay. 

Lindsay, who the Yankees added to the 40-man roster today instead of a lefty outfielder has pitched 13 innings at AAA this year.  In those 13 innings he has struck out 19 hitters and walked 17 while hitting two batters and uncorking 4 wild pitches.  Can we get Robert Wuhl to be the Yankees pitching coach now?

Lindsay has had control problems his entire career, walking 6.1 hitters per nine innings while striking out 12.5.  He has only given up 6 homers in 270 career innings which probably means he can get a lot of groundballs.  Add it all up and the Yankees are taking a flier that they can teach Lindsay how to get the ball over the plate.  It's a worthy gamble, but let's hope it also doesn't come at the expense of additional help in the outfield for 2010.  Sadly, Susan Sarandon is a Mets fan, so she probably won't help Lindsay, but maybe he can learn to breathe through his eyelids.  

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 06:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Let's face it, the Yankees' lineup is a bit short right now.  Without Johnson and Granderson, the Yankees are a  short on lefty power.  Yes, Juan Miranda could provide some pop, but a better fit might be Hank Blalock. 

Blalock is in the minors with Tampa right now and he is tearing the cover off the ball (.362/.419/.524 at AAA).  He is a lefty who has always punished RHP (almost a .500 slugging % for his career) and he belted 25 HR's in the bigs last year.  His agent is Scott Boras and Boras has said he will opt out of his Tampa contract unless he gets promoted this week.  

He wouldn't cost much and he can play third and first, which offers more positional flexibility than Miranda.  Plus unlike Miranda, he has hit in the majors and at 29, he shouldn't be washed up.  If I were Brian Cashman, I would keep a close eye on what happens with him.  If he opts out, the Yankees should get Mr. Boras on the phone and see if they can strike a deal.  

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 08:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

The Yankees are making their 7th roster move in 11 days today with the callup of Juan Miranda and the demotion of Kevin Russo. Miranda will probably be part of a weird rotation with the Yankees using Winn in left against RHP with Miranda DH'ing and Thames DH or in left against LHP. 

It's really a shame that Jon Weber got off to such a bad start because I bet the Yankees would have recalled him if he didn't currently have a a .551 OPS in Scranton.  As a lefty and an outfielder, he would be a better fit for this team than Miranda since Miranda only plays first, but you can't justify bringing him up right now. 

One player that should not be brought up now under any circumstances is Jesus Montero.  Besides the fact that he isn't hitting right now, the Yankees need to keep him in the minors and let him catch as much as possible.  It's still a mystery if he will be able to catch in the bigs and the Yankees need to solve that question this year.  If he can, the Yankees will have a wealth of talent behind the plate in 2011.  If he can't they need to figure out if he can play the outfield because 1B is occupied for the next seven years.

The reports out of Detroit are that the tarp is off the field, but major rain is on the way.  Considering the fact that the Yankees need another starter for Sunday right now and this game could get rained out what about letting Nova make his debut and holding back Sabathia for tomorrow?  Or Girardi could do the backwards thing again. Point is, don't let Sabathia start pitching if you think the game is going to be called or delayed. 

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 11:50 AM | Permalink

Apparently the Yankees have signed Tim Redding. (Again)

Is Darrell May next?

Or Shawn Chacon?

(pick any 2005 re-tread and insert their name here)

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 08:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Ramiro Pena is a good kid and a great glove, but his bat is not so good. He also left a small village on base in Game 1. 

So why is he in the lineup for Game 2?   Russo is still on the roster, so why not give him a shot at short? 

Ah well, on the plus side Vazquez delivered the start the Yankees needed.  It's a shame they wasted it, but it is definitely something to build on.  Now they need to get back to winning again.  

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 04:31 PM | Permalink

In a mild surprise, the Yankees have recalled Greg Golson from Scranton and DL'ed Aceves.  Golson's elevation gives the Yankees five outfielders and some depth.  I would imagine they might get creative with the lineups today.  A-Rod is DH'ing the first game and I could see the Yankees resting or DH'ing either Teixeira or Jeter or both in the night game.  Assuming it's Teixeira, then I would assume you see Swisher at first in the nightcap and Golson or Winn in right.

Apart from the lineup shuffles, Game 1 is all about Javier Vazquez.  Vazquez's struggles during the first month of the season weren't as big a deal because they coincided with the Yankees playing good and injury-free baseball.  Now that the bumps and bruises are cropping up, the Yankees need Vazquez to step up.  The question it, can he?

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 12:35 PM | Permalink

Tonight's game is rained out with a day/night doubleheader scheduled for tomorrow.

In the short term, it's a good thing because the Yankees heard that Alfredo Aceves is going to the DL with a bulging disk and the Yankees were already short in the bullpen today.  Now, they will have a chance to rest the bullpen today and decide about their DL move over night. 

In the long term, this creates two problems.  The two games tomorrow will tax the bullpen.  The second problem is that with no breaks in the schedule until May 24th, the Yankees will have to pitch Sergio Mitre as a starter again.   Tomorrow they will throw Hughes and Vazquez with Sabathia, AJ and Pettitte scheduled to follow.  Now, they will need to get Mitre back in there.  I wonder if Girardi will take advantage of the rain and move Pettitte back to Sunday with Mitre starting on Saturday?

There were conflicting reports that Juan Miranda had been called up today, but most media outlets are reporting that no roster moves were made.  I think Miranda will definitely be called up for tomorrow, but the question is will the Yankees just bring him up for Aceves or demote Russo and go back to the thin bench?  I hope they opt to bring up Miranda to replace Aceves and go with "only" 12 pitchers.  With Nova stretched out and every other reliever rested, they should be able to cover two games.  They could always fly an extra reliever to Detroit and have him on standby if the pen gets roughed up in the first game. 

We will learn more in the morning.

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 06:54 PM | Permalink

Ivan Nova is headed up to New York to back up the bullpen. 

It's kind of a curious decision because Nova would have made his regular start today and he has pitched very well in Scranton this year with a 2.43ERA in 37 innings.  Since he is already stretched out, wouldn't it have made more sense to just let him start and keep Mitre in his role?  

There's a pretty solid chance we see Nova pitch in the next two days which would be fun.  He's 23 and should be one of the top in-house candidates to join the rotation next year. 

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 03:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Not a pretty night at all, but a great job by Romulo Sanchez cleaning things up and letting the rest of the bullpen have a night off.  I imagine his "reward" will be a trip back to the minors as another arm is called up, but all Joe Girardi said is that the Yankees are going to talk about it.  It really makes sense to either call up another arm or another bat because I don't think Sanchez will be of much use until Wednesday at best. 

It's too bad they couldn't finish things off, but all things considered it was another good weekend.  They won their second series this year in Fenway and now they won't head back to Boston until October 1st. 

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 11:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Yankees need a lot of innings tonight from Burnett.  They need him to protect a bullpen that is going to probably get a lot of use Monday and Tuesday.

We are probably going to see a ton of roster juggling by the Yankees over the next couple of days.  I would imagine Kevin Russo will get sent down and Juan Miranda promoted to provide more of a DH-type bat tomorrow.  With Mitre on the mound tomorrow and limited to 60-75 pitches, I would expect you will see Romulo Sanchez pitch a bunch of relief innings on Monday and get optioned down afterwards for another arm.  The Yankees will then cross their fingers and hope Javier Vazquez can pitch more than 5-2/3 innings (his season high) on Tuesday.  And as long as Aceves is on the shelf, expect the Yankees to carry 13 pitchers.  

It's going to be a messy few days, but it will be a lot neater if AJ can give them some length tonight.  

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 11:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

You really can't say enough about the job Francisco Cervelli is doing right now.  He is a very good defensive catcher who is also putting up some amazing offensive numbers in a small sample size.  Here is my favorite stat from today's game.  The last Yankees catcher to have 5 RBI's against the Sox at Fenway was Yogi Berra in 1957. (h/t Joel Sherman) 

You would have to expect that John Henry won't have any tweets about Mark Teixeira anytime again.  It's May and Teixiera obviously knows it because he is hitting the stuffing out of the ball.  Ditto that for Jeter, Swisher and Gardner and while he hasn't hit for a ton of power, A-Rod had a very encouraging day.  2-2, three walks and a stolen base that tells you his legs must feel pretty good. 

The dark cloud is of course David Robertson and Alfredo Aceves' back.  Robertson just seems lost and I really think the Yankees should send him down for a bit and see if he can figure it out in Scranton.  He just can't seem to get big leaguers out right now.  It's also not a good sign that Aceves' back has locked up again after doing so towards the end of camp.   I don't know what the prognosis is going to be, but the Yankees really need him for Monday with Mitre only able to go 75 pitches max and probably less.  One move they could make is to flip-flop Mitre and Vazquez again to get Aceves another day of rest. 

We'll learn more tomorrow before things get started at 8:05pm.  

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 10:38 PM | Permalink

I asked and apparently I received.  Kevin Russo is up and active with the team.  Nick Johnson is going on the DL.  I don't know if you saw the postgame last night, but he looked pretty worried when he talked about it.  No point in speculating further, but Juan Miranda might get a callup when he heals from being HBP in Scranton.

The problem of course is that if the move is indeed Johnson to the DL for Russo, that still leaves 13 pitchers on the roster.  And, since Posada is again out of the lineup.  That leaves a bench of Posada with his cranky calf, Cano with his cranky knee (though Girardi said he could play if he feels ok in BP) and Russo. The papers today were full of stories about Joe Girardi looking at Javier Vazquez and asking him if he used to play infield during last night's game.  So, why didn't the Yankees take advantage of Johnson's injury to recall Golson and turn Sanchez into Russo? Hughes gave them seven innings last night and while Robertson and Logan each worked an inning, they only threw 24 and 11 pitches respectively.  Do you really need that extra reliever under those circumstances?

UPDATE (2PM): Sweeny Murti is reporting that Cano will DH today and that Johnson received a cortisone shot in his wrist and Brian Cashman said he would be out "several" weeks.

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 01:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Kevin Russo has played 2B/3B/SS and CF this season at Scranton and before tonight he was hitting .304/.388/.422.  The Yankees need to get him up to the bigs before Saturday's game.  

I've griped and yelled and screamed about this over and over again, but carrying 13 pitchers is just way too risky in the AL.  It leaves you with only three guys on the bench and the Yankees came way too close to running out of position players tonight.  After Johnson and Cano left, Jeter got drilled.  If he hadn't been able to continue the Yankees would have been forced to put Posada behind the plate, Cervelli at 3B and A-Rod at SS.  Hopefully tonight scares the Yankees into avoiding 13 pitchers at all costs in the future.  It is absolutely criminal in my mind that the Yankees demoted Golson before tonight's game.  With Mariano available and yesterday's offday, they had six relievers available why in the world did they need another pitcher?  Girardi kept referring to his "card being a little short today", the solution to that is don't carry 13 pitchers!!

Since I started this post, Joe Girardi has basically said the Yankees are gong to make a DL move tomorrow and it will probably be an infielder.  That practically guarantees Russo is going to be on his way.  Nick Johnson sounds like he might be in big trouble.  Boston has wonderful hospitals, but the Yankees have decided to send him back to New York for tests.  This was the risk with Johnson, great OBP, but very, very brittle.  If he is gone for significant time then the Yankees should be thankful they have Thames on the bench.

As for Cano, he sounds like he isn't going to play tomorrow (more evidence of an IF on the way) but the long term concern is good.  The Yankees can survive losing Johnson, losing Cano would have been very tough to overcome.

Interesting reaction from CC Sabathia during Beckett's meltdown in the sixth.  I got the impression that Sabathia felt Beckett was using the Yankees for target practice.  I'm not sure I agree with that assessment, but it will be interesting to watch if Sabathia sends a message tomorrow afternoon.  I wouldn't be surprised at all.

Lost in all of this and unfairly so is an awesome start from Phil Hughes.  He is truly blossoming into the pitcher the Yankees hoped he would become.  He has four pitches and he controls all four.  Throw in his ability to dial it up into the mid 90's and the Yankees might have thier best first round pick since 1992 when they took Derek Jeter.

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 11:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Posted by Andy (Red Sox) at 11:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I have heard a lot of chatter as Round 2 of the Yankees-Red Sox gets started that both teams better get used to the reality that only one of them is going to make the playoffs.  The reason for this line of thinking is of course the incredibly fast start of Tampa Bay.  And the statistic most used as evidence for that is this one- the Rays are only the second team since 1961 (1984 Tigers) to have a +83 run differential over the first 28 games.

That run differential is very impressive, but like most things it is useless unless you put it in context.  I like Baseball Prospectuses' adjusted standings which adjust for the strength of your opposition (look at column 3)  In that world the Rays +83 run differential shrinks to +41.  The Yankees +55 shrinks to +40 and Boston's 0 rises to +13.  I should probably note that Toronto would be +18, but I am not expecting them to last this season.

It doesn't mean that the pundits are wrong, Tampa has a very good shot of making the playoffs.  Yankees' fans certainly remember 2008, but it also means things are not quite as lopsided as they may appear.  What it emphasizes again to me, is how important every win is going to be this year.  It is going to be a dogfight in the AL East.

******

No Posada in the lineup tonight apparently, which isn't a shock to me.  With tomorrow's afternoon start you had to think Posada wasn't going to catch both games.  In that case, why not give him another day of rest?  

What is interesting, is Mark Feinsand is reporting that the Yankees will skip Pettitte for one start and use Mitre in Detroit on Monday.   Not sure why they would put him in Monday when Pettitte's turn is coming up Tuesday and why they chose Mitre over Aceves, but I am sure we will find out.  I would suspect that another pitcher will be summoned to the bigs to help out the bullpen at the expense of Golson.  We shall see.

Back after the game with some thoughts and take a look at Twitter (http://twitter.com/YankeesRedSox) during the game for some thoughts.   We have six followers and I bet we can get that to 7 by the end of the month!

UPDATE 5:05: And LoHud is reporting that Romulo Sanchez is in the locker room in Boston with Greg Golson "nowhere to be found".  I don't know why the Yankees would not have waited until tomorrow for this move because the bullpen should be pretty fresh with six rested arms and we already know the lineup is down Posada.  I wonder if Mariano isn't available tonight?

UPDATE 5:40: Rivera is available tonight.  So that means the guy with the 6+ERA in Scranton and 14 walks in 25 innings is in the bullpen.  Meanwhile the bench has three guys on it with the manager trying to keep one of them, Posada, out of the game. I hope everyone in the lineup stays healthy!

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 04:44 PM | Permalink

Tonight represents one of the most exciting sports nights Boston has seen in quite some time.  The Boston Celtics are playing game 3 of their playoff series, the Boston Bruins are playing game 4 of their playoff series and the Red Sox host the New York Yankees.

I don't have picture in picture technology so I am going to be forced into much channel changing.  My left thumb should be pretty well worn out by the time the night is over.

Because this isn't CelticsCavaliers.com nor is it BruinsFlyers.com, I'll stick with some YankeesRedSox.com commentary.

The Red Sox are a game over .500 and trail first-place Tampa by 6.5 games and second-place NY by 5 games.  The bad news is that that is really not how you want to start a season.  The good news is that there are 133 games left.

Red Sox starting pitching has turned a corner led by Jon Lester.  And the new additions, Adrian Beltre and Marco Scutaro have bit reasonably well too.  Beltre hasn't been the defensive whiz we expected however and it just seems wrong to have him in the line-up, what with his free swinging ways.

When Jacoby Ellsbury and Mike Cameron return, this team will be more complete offensively.  Darnell McDonald and Bill Hall has been a capable fill-ins, but they'd be better suited for the bench.

If Mike Cameron cannot find his swing here, then a platoon with Jeremy Hermida (split aren't so hot in 2010, but have been in his career) might be in order.

Victor Martinez has really gotten off to a lousy start in 2010, not great timing for a player whose value is in his bat and who is in his walk year.  If he cannot hit, he certainly can't fall back on his defense, so time to kick it in gear Victor.

Then we arrive at David Ortiz.  He has 4 more home runs than he did at this time last year, but has been otherwise terrible.  On my April 14th post, I suggested Terry Francona give him until May 1.  If no results, platoon him with Lowell.  And that seems to be exactly what he has done.  If by June 1, Ortiz doesn't have healthy splits against righties, well then it might be time to send him packing.

Like all Red Sox vs. Yankees match-ups, this one is important.  A sweep by the Red Sox means they are right back in the wild-card hunt, while a sweep by New York means things just got much harder.  I'll be watching tonight, but I'll be watching 2 other games too.

Posted by Andy (Red Sox) at 04:36 PM | Permalink

Well the MRI is back and it shows something- namely mild inflammation of the left elbow.  As the story says, he will be treated conservatively and evaluated day-to-day. Anytime the problem with a pitcher has something to do with his throwing arm you have to worry.  Add in the fact that the pitcher in question is almost 38 and worry may be too weak of a word choice.  

The problem for the Yankees, besides the potential to lose Pettitte, is that they don't have any flexibility right now schedule-wise.  After tomorrow's offday, they will have 17-straight games.  Andy is going to get an extra day off between now and his next scheduled start on Tuesday, but after that there are no breaks.  Sergio Mitre threw 29 pitches today and 46 on Saturday, but how far could he really be expected to go if needed to start- 60 or so?  Aceves is in a similar boat, having thrown a season high of 34 pitches on April 14th.

If the Yankees look to the minors, they have a rotation long on potential and short on experience.  Other than Dustin Mosley and Kei Igawa, there is nobody who has started at the big league level.  Ivan Nova is 23 and pitching very well- 2.43 ERA in 37 IP.  Maybe he would get the call, but for now we all need to hope that Andy's elbow feels better quickly.

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 06:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

So let me get this straight, Joba Chamberlain was unavailable today because he pitched the last two days?  He couldn't even warm up because he threw a total of 31 pitches over the last two nights?  And because of that the Yankees came very, very close to blowing a 6-1 lead today

I get not using Rivera, he has a physical problem and the Yankees are trying to avoid having him make it worse, but Joba was supposed to be free from rules this year.  Yet, Joe refused to use him because it would mean having to pitch him three-straight days.  That is a protection we have heard Girardi talk about before, but he doesn't use it when it comes to Mariano Rivera.  Last year Rivera pitched on three-consecutive days twice in the regular season and in 2008 he did it four times, including appearing in four-consecutive games.  Who needs more protection, the fully broken in 24-year old or the (at the time) 38-year old pitcher?

I know Girardi will defend it by saying this is all about the long term, but that ignores a number of counterpoints.  First, tomorrow is an offday, no matter what Joba wasn't going to pitch.  Next, while you can say it is only one ballgame, what is the psychological affect to your team when you blow a 6-1 lead?  And finally, with Tampa streaking and Boston getting it's act together every game truly does count.

Again, I am not advocating using Rivera today.  I'm not eve saying Joba should have started the ninth. But once trouble struck in the ninth Joba needed to start warming up.  That when it became his game. 

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 04:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

As expected the Yankees have promoted Greg Golson from AAA.  And I am curious to see Golson play with my own eyes.  The Yankees got Golson this winter and while I still don't think he will ever hit enough to play everyday, I have stumbled on two pieces of information about him which make him an interesting player.  First, his arm is described as "laser-like" and was rated as an 80 on the scouting scale when he was drafted and second he runs a 3.8 to first out of the box.  For a righty, that is amazingly quick.

I'm not shocked by either figure, after all he was the 21st pick in the 2004 draft (Two ahead of Phil Hughes, do you think the Phillies might like a redo on that one?)  If he can run and play defense as advertised then he could be a very valuable asset in September when the rosters expand and in October when the pitchers contract.  With Granderson out for probably a month, we should definitely get a look at him in the coming weeks. 

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 05:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

As someone who is rapidly approaching the end of his 30's, I can truly appreciate the aches and pains the Yankees' older generation is going through.  Mentally, I may still be in my teens, but my body seems more than happy to disabuse me of that notion at every turn.  Tonight it was Jorge Posada leaving the game and Mariano Rivera unavailable for it that hit the Yankees.  A-Rod apparently was lifted for a pinchrunner Saturday because he felt something in his leg. 

That's why it is so important that the Yankees got younger this offseason and why they must continue to do so year after year.  While the hot starts by Matsui and Damon may make you wonder why the Yankees let them go; considering their ages it's likely they might suffer some of the aches and pains the older Yankees are feeling now.  It's just nature's way of kicking us older folks in the butt. 

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 10:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

Just heard on the radio that the Yankees will skip Javy Vazquez's turn in the rotation and move his next start to Monday in Detroit.  I guess skip is the wrong word, because they are really just moving him back a couple of days. It makes sense, but I don't think they can just have Vazquez throw a couple of bullpens and then send him out there.  They need to think about putting him in a game for an inning of relief tomorrow or Wednesday. 

I'm still not sure if Vazquez's problems are mental or physical.  The fact that he has lost a couple of mph off of his fastball make me think something physically is wrong with him, but he also seems afraid to throw strikes which would be mental.  If I were running the Yankees I would order a MRI on his arm just to make sure, but also try and build up his confidence.  That's why I would try and pitch him for an inning of relief against the Orioles.  If the Yankees can find a spot in a game that is a blowout, send him out there with the pressure off and see if you can get his confidence going again. 

I still think Javy will turn things around, but time is growing short for him to do so.  

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 06:10 PM | Permalink

If you want to pinpoint the date when the Yankees changed the way they did business, May 2nd, 2005 is the day to pick.  That was the day that the Yankees decided to promote Robinson Cano from the minors and hand him the secondbase job.  It marked a change in organizational philosophy.  No longer would the Yankees automatically go with the veteran over the rookie, youth would be served.  Cano made his debut on May 3rd and has become a force in the lineup. 

It took a few years to get the plan implemented because apart from Cano and Wang, the Yankees' farm system was somewhat barren.  But, Brian Cashman took full control of all baseball operations in October 2005, healing the Tampa-Yankee split and the results have been pretty good since then.  No, they haven't won a title every year, but they are building an organization that can compete every year and that is all you can ask for. 

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 06:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Well the big news is that Curtis Granderson is headed to the DL.  Injuries are never good things, but there are two things that lessen the sting of this one.  First, it's only May, that's about as "good" a time to get hurt as any.  Second, Granderson isn't doing much at all with the bat right now so he will be missed less than he would have if he were on a tear.

It will be interesting to see how the Yankees play this injury.  Obviously, Gardner is going to be the everyday CF now, but who is going to left?  LoHud is reporting that Mark Melancon is coming up (finally!) but that is probably just to provide some depth for a bullpen that was used a lot today.  I assume that after the Yankees feel comfortable with their bullpen, they will demote Melancon or maybe Logan (please, please, please) and activate either Golson or Huffman.  Huffman isn't hitting in Scranton (.204) and Golson isn't walking (.296 OBP) but I think Golson will get the call because he can play center and he can run well.  Colin Curtis is smoking the ball down at Scranton (.339/.435/.449) but he isn't on the 40-man roster.

I would guess that Thames gets the lion's share of time in left because Randy Winn just isn't hitting.  Granted, he hasn't had much of a chance to hit this year, but when you combine his 1-for-13 with 5 K's so far with his line of .262./.318/.353 from last year, you have to wonder if he has much left in the tank.  The Yankees won't give up on him yet, but Winn better start hitting soon if he wants to last the season.  

***********

That's one problem for the Yankees, the second is Javier Vazquez who stunk it up again today.  I don't see how they can send him out to the mound next Friday at Fenway the way he is pitching.   Since Thursday is an off day, why not skip Vazquez's turn in the rotation this time and then let him pitch again on May 12th against the Tigers in Detroit.  Detroit will be a much easier atmosphere to deal with and I really think the Yankees have to pull out the kid gloves with Javy.  The guy looks like he has no confidence and the Yankees have to find a way to get him back on track.

********

One final note on today's game.  Why on earth did Joe Girardi pinch-run for A-Rod in the ninth with Ramiro Pena?  A-Rod may not be blazing fast, but he has good speed and stole 14 bases last year. Pena has never stolen in double digits and I don't see how he upgraded the Yankees' chances of scoring.  Plus, if they had tied the game, the Yankees would have been without one of their better hitters in extra innings.  It was an odd call by the manager and reminded me of that playoff game last fall when he did the same thing with Freddy Gonzalez pinchrunning for A-Rod.  I can understand why he chose to bring Johnson into today's game, even at the cost of the DH spot, but not this move at all.

Anyway, back tomorrow with a look back in Yankees' history.  

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 07:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)