State of the Yankees 4/29/08

Morning Yankee fans. Be sure to give Steveo's post below mine a read when you get a chance, that sure was a great day in Yankee history. So...the Yankees have been about average so far this season. And honestly, that's not too bad given the cold weather, the question marks in our rotation and bullpen, the injuries, and the insane April schedule. Coming out of that rough road stretch, the Yanks are sitting at 14-13, which puts them only a game out of first place.

So how is the Yankee lineup doing? Damon has turned it on, which is a great sign. Many thought he was done already, and he's kicking it on much earlier than he did last year to prove them wrong. Good for Damon, we really need our lead-off guy to get things clicking. He's raised his average up to .275, and leads the team in stolen bases (4), doubles (9), runs scored (18), and walks (16).

Jeter has cooled off a bit since his hot stint after his quad injury. In his last 7 games he's hitting only .226, but is still at .279 for the season. I'm not worried...Jeter is one of the most consistent guys in that lineup. I'm sure he'll be somewhere over .300 in time.

Abreu has also cooled off, hitting .214 in the last 7 games, but is still at .280 for the season. Abreu is also leading the team in hits (28) and RBIs (16). Overall he's off to a pretty good start, and that is key to A-Rod's success as well. Abreu is known for being a second half player, so if he can maintain .280 for the first half, I'll take that to his .263 average for the first half of 2007.

A-Rod has really slowed down...only hitting .154 in his last 7 games, but still at .286 for the season. He certainly has not even come close to last April's performance (not many people ever will). Lets hope he can pull out of his little slump. In last night's game A-Rod re-aggravated his quad strain again, and will likely sit out a few more games. How is it we can never start a season without a million injuries?

Oh Giambi...I am quite fed up with him. He's making far too much money to be hitting .167 on the season, especially when you factor in his lack of defense. In his defense, he has hit .300 over the last week, but he's still got a long way to go. He is also tied with Melky for the team lead in homers with 5.

Matsui has been the only truly consistent player so far this season, and he leads the team in batting average with .317, and has hit .294 over the last week. I think he is benefiting from being able to DH more often. Keep it up Matsui, we're really counting on you while we're waiting for the rest of the offense to click. He's also leading the team in on base percentage (.423).

Unfortunately, the Yankees got hit hard when we found out Posada would be heading to the DL for the first time in his career. It is unfortunate because Posada is, along with Jeter, one of the leaders of this team. Not to mention he's been hot this season, picking up where he left off in 2007. He's hitting a healthy .302 on the season, and .412 in his last 5 games with 5 RBIs in that stretch. We're still not sure how long he will be out for, but lets hope his shoulder problem isn't too serious. Good thing we have the best back up catcher ever in Jose Molina.

Ahh and now on of my favorite young players: Melky Cabrera. A lot of Yankee fans out there refuse to put much faith in Melky and wanted him traded. Well the Melk Man has responded by hitting .289 so far in 2008 (.308 in his last 7 games), and is showing some impressive power as he is tied with Giambi for the team lead in home runs at 5. Not to mention he's still only 23 years old, he switch hits, and has been playing some great defense out in center field. He's even been showing some good plate discipline with 10 walks so far.

Cano is still struggling mightily. He's hitting a meager .153 on the season so far. However, his fielding has still been excellent, and I think we all know this kid has enough talent to pull out of his funk soon. I stumbled across this article at another blog, and it is an interesting read. The guy is basically arguing that Cano's slow start is a product of the Yankees' schedule, cold weather, and bad luck. Check it out here.

Jose Molina, Morgan Ensberg, and Alberto Gonzalez have all done their jobs. Good thing Cashman got those guys for us...it turns out they've been pretty necessary components to this team. Here's an idea....get rid of Betemit. Ensberg is a better third basement than Betemit is, and Gonzalez is a better middle infielder than Betemit. We have Duncan, Giambi, an Ensberg who can play first, so what is Betemit's role again? I say we see if he can trade him away for a decent middle reliever who can eat innings and provide some security since we're not getting much depth out of about 60% of our rotation.

Thats it for now...next time I do this I'll take a closer look at pitchers. Take care everyone...go Yankees!

ALCS Game 7 2003: The Day the Bambino Returned Again

Hey Yankee fans. I had to write an Art/Sports paper for my expository writing class. Of course, I wrote about the Yankees. One of the best days of my life was being at the famous Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS. I sat in the left-center bleachers with my pops, my brother, and my uncle. Here's the paper:

ALCS Game 7 2003: The Day the Bambino Returned Again

In the history of sports, no two teams have been as bitter rivals as the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. New York and Boston have easily the most hardcore fans there are in sports, the kind of fans that live and die with their team. As the playoffs started in October of 2003, it was made obvious that the Yankees and Red Sox were destined to face off in what would shape up to be one of the best playoff series in baseball history. Both teams were unbelievably dominant baseball clubs that year, and the matchup was being predicted months in advance. We weren’t able to get our hands on tickets the day they went on sale, but were lucky enough to snag four seats to the “if necessary” Game Seven at Yankee Stadium. The day before that game, the Yankees and Sox had played a day game in the Bronx, which I watched with my brother. It was a close game, and interestingly enough, my brother rooted for the Yankees to lose so we could all go to the final game. I didn’t understand his logic immediately, so I game him a really hard time at first, and my mother had to step in to explain his logic. The Yankees lost the game; and the stage was set: we were going to Game Seven.

I went to the game with my father, my brother, and my uncle. We all met at my grandmother’s house in Queens, and took the subway into the stadium from Woodside, Queens, the last stop on the Long Island Railroad before Penn Station. My aunt and grandmother offered my brother and me dinner, but we had our hearts set on eating a bunch of hot dogs when we got to the stadium. Soon after we arrived, my father and uncle came. Before my dad and uncle came, my two cousins, who are also huge Yankee fans, gave my brother and me a Yankees troll to take to the game for good luck. They had brought it to the 2001 World Series games, which were massive comebacks, and have used it for luck ever since. After we all talked a bit, we left for the station. I couldn’t have been more excited. In 2001, I went to the first playoff game against the Oakland A’s, and sat in the bleachers with my father and my two close cousins. That game felt so electric because it my first playoff game, but it couldn’t possibly touch the electricity in the air of an October playoff matchup between the two toughest teams in the Major Leagues.

Arriving at Yankee Stadium by train never gets old. When arriving at the Yankee Stadium stop on the subway, you see a modern marvel of architecture. All the greats have played there, from Babe Ruth to Ted Williams to Cal Ripken Jr. Outside you see the white façade, the many flags representing the other clubs, and the gigantic lights. Inside you see fifty six thousand blue seats, the bright green grass of the outfield, and the light brown dirt of the infield. There is, however something else when you are in the stadium. You see faces filled with smiles and excitement. This is a place where families have bonded since 1923. Friends have come to enjoy America’s pastime and bond with one another. Here you see true baseball fans. That night, we didn’t see any ordinary game of baseball. It was the baseball of legend: Yankees/Red Sox baseball.

For Game Seven, we had very similar bleacher (hard metal benches painted Yankee blue) seats to our seats for the A’s game from 2001. These seats are located out in left field behind Monument Park. They are over four hundred feet from home plate in left-center field. Monument Park has been a staple of Yankees Stadium for thirty-two years, since the renovated stadium opened up in 1976. The mini-museum showcases plaques of all the Yankees greats, including Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, and many others. The Babe Ruth statue is one of the largest, and we got to see Roger Clemens (The Yankees’ starter for the game) come into the bullpen to rub the Babe’s forehead, which is his pre-game ritual.

The pitching matchup of the game was one of the best you could ask for: Roger Clemens versus Pedro Martinez, two of the best pitchers of the last twenty years. Unfortunately for us, the Sox jumped out to an early lead. Clemens was taken out of the game during the fourth inning, after giving up three runs. Mike Mussina, another Yankee starter, came in for relief of Clemens. He pitched through the sixth inning, not giving up any runs. After six innings, the Red Sox were winning 4-1. It wasn’t looking good for awhile, but for some unexplainable reason, I felt an air of confidence, that although it was getting late in the game, the Yankees would ultimately win. Jason Giambi, the Yankees’ first baseman, kept the Yanks in the game by hitting two solo home runs to right field, one in the fifth inning, and one in the sixth. Slowly but surely, the Yankees wore down Martinez, a pitcher who usually got knocked out of games early due to his one-hundred pitch limit, usually taking him through the sixth or seventh innings. The eighth inning was when the monumental Yankee comeback started. Pedro Martinez was still in, and gave up a double to Derek Jeter (The Yankees captain) with one out. The Jeter double was followed up by a Bernie Williams single to centerfield, which scored Jeter, making the score 5-3 Red Sox. During the increasing offensive onslaught by the Yankees, my brother and father shook the troll my cousins gave to us before each important at-bat, laughing at its positive effect. Next, Hideki Matsui doubled to right field, bringing catcher Jorge Posada to the plate with one out, and base runners on first and second. Posada doubled to center field, scoring both Williams and Matsui. That single at bat was the point of no return. There was absolutely no way the Yankees would lose the game after coming back against one of the best pitchers in baseball and tying the game.

The game stayed stagnant for a while, as the game went into extra innings. Pitchers came in, and were called back out by either Managers Joe Torre (Yankees) or Grady Little (Red Sox). Mariano Rivera, the Yankees’ closer, and the best reliever in baseball history, came in during the ninth inning. This indicated to me that Joe Torre was going for the proverbial throat of the Red Sox. Teams don’t usually put the closer in when the game is tied, but circumstances being what they were, it was the obvious and right choice. Batters came up to the plate, and batters left. Rivera was dominant. To this day I have never seen a more dominant pitching performance. The scary parts of the game at that point were when the Sox’s great hitters: Johnny Damon, Nomar Garciaparra, Manny Ramirez, and David Ortiz came to the plate. Rivera ended up pitching three scoreless innings, into the eleventh inning. That was when Red Sox starting pitcher and knuckleballer Tim Wakefield came in the game to face Yankees’ third baseman Aaron Boone. A knuckleball is a pitch that isn’t thrown very fast, but breaks in such unpredictable vectors that it can really baffle hitters. This matchup would become legendary in a matter of minutes.

Wakefield’s first pitch could have stopped time. The first pitch to Boone was thrown, causing Boone to swing at a trajectory that I’d seen millions of times in my life. He swung upwards at a diagonal angle that if timed right could knock a baseball out of the park. Boone connected, and what a shot it was. I’m sure the hearts of many people around the country felt like mine did. It felt as though my heart stopped, but in reality it was probably beating uncontrollably. As Yankees radio broadcaster John Sterling undoubtedly said, “It’s a shot deep to left! It is high! It is far! It is-gone! Game over! American League Championship Series over! The Yankees are going to the World Series! Yankees win! The Yankees win!” After Boone’s home run went over the left field wall, madness ensued in Yankee Stadium. I was jumping up and down on the bleacher bench, yelling, “We’re in the World Series! Oh my god, we’re in the World Series! Dad, we’re in the World Series!” We were all giving high fives to people we never met, it was such insanity. I lost my voice that night, and my hands were perpetually red from clapping much harder than any human being should ever clap. On the subway ride back to Woodside, people would approach us because of the Yankees hats and shirts we were wearing, saying what an incredible game it was.

The game was on a Thursday night, so the next day at school I got to brag to all my friends and schoolmates that I was at the best playoff game of all time. This game, to this day, is one of my favorite memories. I have been a Yankee fan as long as I can remember, and being there, witnessing a game on the caliber of those my father has seen, increased my love for the Yankees. The way the fans came together was something you had to witness firsthand to appreciate. I haven’t been able to go to a playoff game since, but hopefully this year will be different. Part of Yankees tradition is the way they win crucial games like this. This was one of those moments, and the spirit of the Bambino returned again.

State of the Yankees 4/17/08

Good morning Yankee fans. I apologize for the lack of updates...its that time of year, finals are right around the corner and for a few weeks life's pace quickens at an alarming rate. Instead of profiling individual games, as that proves to be rather tedious and time consuming, once a week or so I'll release my own State of the Yankees report. I promise to keep this a regular addition, so keep checking back!

The most notable performance over the last week has been the offense as a whole. Finally, the Yankees are beginning to look like the Yankees. I was getting worried that I might have to wait as long as we all had to last season. But, the combination of Jeter's return and normal baseball weather in Tampa seems to have sparked the powerhouse that is the Yankee lineup.

Most of the Yankee lineup has really caught fire...Cabrera, Jeter, Abreu, A-Rod, Matsui, Posada, and even Chad Moeller have stepped up their game. Giambi and Cano continue to struggle, but it is only a matter of time until they turn it around...at least in Cano's case. I don't have a lot of confidence in Giambi.

The bullpen has seem some struggles, but I believe that it is in better shape than meets the eye. Despite a rough start, Hawkins has quietly put together a nice string of appearances, pitching 7 innings, with 4 hits, 0 runs, 2 walks and 5 strikeouts in his last 5 games. 5 innings of that 7 has come against the meat of the Boston lineup as well. Its nice to have a veteran in our bullpen besides Mo who DOESN'T give up a home run every time he pitches. I am also encouraged by performances by Ohlendorf, Bruney, and Traber. Bruney seems to be hitting his locations much better....attributed to Dave Eiland/Joe Girardi? I think so. Traber is showing his potential as a lefty specialist. Last night he came in to face Ortiz in a close game, and got him to pop up to the catcher in foul territory. Looks like we found the new and improved Mike Myers.

The rotation seems to be where we are struggling the most currently, although it is not awful. Wang was utterly dominant in his first 3 starts, but was knocked around last night. I'm willing to give Wang a pass on last night's game because he was facing the same lineup in two consecutive starts and I believe Boston would have hit whoever we threw out there last night. Even after that, Wang is 3-0 with a 3.81 ERA. Hughes and Kennedy have been struggling, and I'm willing to chalk that up to youth and an adjustment period. But still, we're not going to get far in October (if at all) unless we can get some solid performances from those two. Mussina has been okay, but he has been better than last year, and thats all we can really ask for. Right now Moose is sitting with 4.15 ERA, and if he can pitch like that all year, I think we'll all be really happy. We'll see how tonights game goes...its Moose vs. Beckett again. Pettite has been solid, and has taken the team lead in ERA after Wang's rough outing last night...he's now 2-1 with a 3.38 ERA. Keep it up Andy.

All in all, it has been a frustrating start to the season. It seems we've reached a turning point, with the bullpen pitching rather well. We should get Joba back soon, as his father Harlan is reportedly in significantly better condition. On that note, I want to say that my thoughts are with Joba, Harlan, and the rest of the Chamberlain family. Here's to a speedy recovery Harlan!

Anyway, the Yankees seem to be turning their somewhat slow start around, and their now 9-7, tying them for first place in the AL East. Lets go Yanks!

Blue Jays @ Yankees 4/3/08

Another great baseball game tonight. I'll keep this post short and sweet due to my hangover. Yes, I do love baseball enough to blog about it at 9:07 am the morning after playing beer pong all night.

I didn't get to watch the game past the fourth inning, but I think I can make an accurate post after taking a look at the box score and watching the game recap, as well as a couple of the top plays. So here are my highlights:

Phil Hughes didn't look like the youngest pitcher in baseball out there last night. He looked great. He hardly ran into trouble, and when he did, he kept his composure well. If we can get six inning, two run ball out of him on a regular basis, everyone will forget all about Johan Santana as the Yanks cruise past the Red Sox to win the East.

Bobby Abreu is on fire right now. He hit well in spring training, and I'm glad to see him carry it over into the regular season.

The bullpen in general is looking great so far. Chamberlain and Rivera have been solid in both of their outings so far, and last night we got to see Traber and Bruney combine to pitch a scoreless seventh inning. How many 3-game series did the Yanks win last season by only scoring 8 runs? Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see the Yanks break out the bats more, but it is certainly encouraging to see our pitching hold tight leads late in the game on a seemingly consistent basis.

Player of the game: Bobby Abreu. This was a tough call, but I give the nod to Abreu since he seems to have contributed the most to the win. The runner up is Hughes by a narrow margin.

Enjoy the rest of the day, I'm going to go catch up on some sleep!

Off and Running

Well folks, we are off and running with the 2008 season now! I apologize I didn't get a chance to live-blog the game, my Constitutional Law paper due tomorrow had other ideas...at least I got to watch the game. Here are my impressions and thoughts from the game:

Wang looked great. His sinker was sinking, inducing a ton of ground outs and even broke four bats. He may have given up 6 hits in 7 innings, but most of those hits were ground balls that were just lucky enough to find holes. All in all, Wang pitched like the ace he is, and he starts off 2008 with a nice 1-0 record and a 2.57 ERA.

Joba looked like he was struggling with his command a little bit in the 8th inning, and it also looked like he hadn't yet stretched his arm out to the point were he can throw 98-100 mph consistently. He was hitting around 93-96 last night, and despite his lack of command, he was able to get the job done and struck out 2 while keeping the lead intact. He's only going to get better as the season goes on. My only concern: if it takes him this long to get solid command of his fastball and slider, his two best pitches, how long will it take him to get a solid command of his curveball and changeup after he transitions back to the rotation?

Rivera looked quite sharp last night as well. His cutter looked great, and if he continues to pitch like last night's performance, we're in for a good season. He looked like vintage Rivera out there....he's my favorite pitcher of all time for a reason.

Abreu looked good at the plate last night. He was working the count, and collected two hits. Looks like Girardi's running regiment during Spring Training is paying off...Abreu scored from first on a double from A-Rod in the first inning, and Damon legged out a triple.

A-Rod picked right where he left off last season. He went 2-3 with a walk, a double, a single, and RBI and a run scored.

Giambi actually looked great in the field, believe it or not. He made a nice pick at first, scooping up a low throw from Jeter. He even made a leaping catch at first which probably saved two runs. Hell, Giambi was even heads up on the base paths; he stopped halfway to second on a groundball so the second basemen couldn't tag him. Because of that, the Aaron Hill (the Jays second basemen) didn't have time to throw to second and get the double play, and Giambi made it safely to second base after Hill was forced made the play at first. If he can stay healthy, he's going to be a huge asset to this team. So far his defense has actually helped us so far.

And the best for last. What a game Melky had last night! I've been a huge fan of Melky ever since 2006, and the thought of losing him is a major reason why I was against a potential Santana trade. His hitting is still developing, but man can this kid play center field. The Melk Man had two (almost 3) tough catches in center last night, robbing the Jays of extra base hits both times. And, to top off his night, Melky hit a homer that just barely made it over the wall in right. That homer ended up being the game winning hit.

From now on, I'm going to name the Pinstripe Perspectives Player of the Game (PPPotG) "award" to a player after each game. At least, I'll try to do it every game. For last night's game, the nod goes to Melky Cabrera. His stellar defense and his solo-shot in the 6th inning combined are the main reason we won last night. Runner up for the PPPotG is Chien-Ming Wang for his solid performance.


Overall, it was a great game last night. It was close all the way, and it really was an excellent way to start off a new season, and a proper way to close out the final opening day of Yankee Stadium.

Ah, Opening Day!

Its that time of the year again baseball fans! Opening day! A time where baseball fans are baseball fans, and everyone puts aside petty team preferences for a day and celebrates the return of our favorite sport for another season. I am looking forward to wearing my Robbie Cano jersey while I watch all the games with a nice cold beer and a few good friends.

So for today, I am going to live blog the game, or at least most of it. I'll try to do an update after each inning. To kill the remaining two hours until the first pitch of the 2008 season, try these two articles I came across this morning. Interesting read to gear up for the new season:

http://mvn.com/mlb-yankees/2008/03/30/the-bronx-block-2008-season-predictions/
http://mvn.com/milb-yankees/2008/03/30/prediction-time/

Oh, and a happy birthday to Chien-Ming Wang! He turns 28 today. Come on Yanks, lets give him a "W" for his birthday present!

UPDATE 1:33 PM - The game is still in rain delay, so I'm stuck watching the Tigers and the Royals battle it out until the rain lets up in New York. I don't know how much longer I can wait!

UPDATE 2:31 PM - Just got word the game is postponed. Guess we'll try this again tomorrow.

From the House that Ruth Built to the House that George Built

Hey Yankee fans, what’s goin’ on? First off I’d like to thank my buddy Justin for inviting me to contribute to his blog. Much like you all, I can’t wait until we bring home #27, and show the world where the Yankees belong.

I’ve been a Yankee fan for as long as I can remember, being that it’s a family tradition. For my first post, I’m going to talk about the New Yankee Stadium. The new “state of the art” stadium has been a point of debate among the Yankees community for years. Some people love the prospect of a brand new facility, where others are traditionalists who see the end of the current stadium as sacrilege. I find myself in agreement with the later. "This new stadium will present new comforts, new features and be state-of-the-art in every way," Yankees president Randy Levine said. "It will be the most spectacular fan-friendly stadium ever built." As a hardcore Yankee fan, I find it hilarious that members of the Yankees’ front office like Levine claim that the new stadium is “fan-friendly.” In my opinion, there are two crucial points that contradict Levine’s statement. For one, the new stadium will hold 51,000. This is a problem for me, because the new stadium will hold 6,000 less people than the current stadium. Second, the new stadium will house 42 more luxury boxes. Now, does that sound like the front office is building the stadium for fans? If they were doing it for the fans, they would build more seats! It’s hard enough as it is to get single game tickets, and it’ll be much worse next year. If you ask me, the fact that there will be 42 more luxury boxes is reason enough that the new stadium is being built primarily for financial reasons. There are some other amenities in addition to the luxury boxes, including a museum, a sports bar, a steakhouse, and a martini bar. It’s definitely necessary to have a museum considering the rich history of the organization. Overall I can’t say I’m sold on the idea of a new stadium. I’ve heard the argument that the current stadium needs a renovation, and personally I don’t buy it. In my opinion, the new stadium is a pure money making scheme. Steinbrenner’s been trying to get a new stadium built since the 80’s, and he finally succeeded. Big Stein’s going to make even more money off the Yankee fan base because of the decrease in supply, and obvious increase in demand of seats. Yankee Stadium was opened in 1923, and saw a ridiculous amount of baseball history. It’s housed a team that has won 26 World Series Championships, and even more pennants. There have been countless Hall of Fame players that have played on the hallowed grounds of Yankee Stadium, and it will be a very sad day when the Yankees play their last game in this historic ballpark. The Yankees organization is moving from the House that Ruth Built, to the House that George Built, and not for good reasons. Thoughts?

-Here are some pics of the new stadium















-Taken by my brother on his school trip.















-A closer shot













-The "great hall" (www.ballparksofbaseball.com)

A New Member, Spring Training Winding Up

Good Evening Yankee fans,

My apologies for infrequent updating...college has been keeping me rather busy. First things first: We (and be "we", I mean "I") here at Pinstripe Perspectives are adding a new blogger! I decided to offer my friend Steve to join me in blogging about the Yankees. Steve, like me, is a Yankee fan here at UVM. Look for his first post to come soon, something about the new Yankee Stadium I believe.

Anyway, Spring Training is winding up, and the season is right around the corner. From the looks of things, the Yankee brass has not exactly followed my wishes for the 25-man roster, but it is pretty similar. Patterson is still in camp, and I still believe he should make the team. Yes, I know he hasn't played above AA yet, but he pitched ANOTHER scoreless inning and a third this afternoon, maintaining his 0.00 spring ERA. I also don't think Karstens, Rasner, or Igawa should make the squad. Why does one of them need to be a "long man"? Ohlendorf used to be a starter, let him pitch 2-3 innings at a time. We don't need him in the back end of the bullpen anyway with Chamberlain now officially starting in the bullpen.

The Yanks have dropped the last couple of spring games, but I'm not worried. Robbie Cano (who is one of my favorite players by the way) is really in a groove right now, and I hope he can carry that into the season. Giambi has also continued to help well. If he can stay healthy, we are in for a good run this season, at least offensively. I believe that Giambi's health is a key component to our offense. If he's healthy, he can play the field and allow us to have Giambi, Damon, and Matsui in the lineup at the same time. Don't get me wrong, I like Duncan, but the former group is far more deadly.

Although the Yanks have yet to start, Boston has gotten their season under way, squaring off against the A's over in Japan. They split the 2-game series, one game apiece.

That's about it for me...expect my posts to get a bit more frequent when the season gets rolling, as I'll have more to write about. Here's to hoping for Becket's injury to be worthy of the DL and a speedy recovery for Pettite!

25 Men

Ahh, spring is in mid-swing! I'm sure all you Yankee fans out there are well aware of the questions that the Yankee brass need to answer by opening day. As March 31 approaches, some of those questions are beginning to see the outline of an answer.

First base...this is perhaps the toughest question. Giambi, Duncan, and Ensberg are all having great springs. So who gets cut? So far this spring, Giambi is hitting .353 (6-17) with 1 HR and 5 RBIs. Duncan is hitting an even .400 (8-20) with 2 HR and 9 RBIs. Ensberg is hitting .333 (6-18) with no homers and 2 RBIs.

Betemit looks like he may be in danger of not only not getting the starting first base job, but getting cut from the roster entirely. He's hitting a measley .174 (4-23) with 2 HR and 4 RBIs. The only thing going in Betemit's favor, is that he has continued to show that he has some pop in his bat to offer from the bench. Being a switch hitter that can play any infield position helps his cause as well. Unfortunately for Betemit, he's not the only guy with versatility in camp. Chris Woodward looks like he may steal the utility job from Betemit. Woodward has been very impressive in camp this far, hitting .474 (9-19), with no homers and 2 RBIs. Even Jason Lane is hitting well (.304), and he gets bonus points for being able to play first and a corner outfield position.

So what do I think should happen? I would put Betemit in AAA, and give the utility job to Woodward. Betemit's pop is nice, but with power hitters like Matsui, A-Rod, Giambi, Duncan, and the slightly less power guys like Abreu, Cano, and Posada, this lineup has all the home run pop it needs. What we do need, is a guy that can get on base with some speed so the guys with power can drive them in. Woodward has had 9 hits in 9 games, and has some speed. He can play every infield position (except first base, I'm not entirely sure there). Baseball is a game of streaks. You gotta go with who's hot, and right now, I'll take the red-hot Woodward over the slumping Betemit.

So what about first base? As much as I want Ensberg to succeed, he's gotta start the season in AAA, while the Yanks platoon Giambi and Duncan at first. Ensberg is better than both of them with the glove, but Giambi and Duncan are tearing it up, and the compliment each other nicely since they each hit from different sides of the plate. Giambi starts against righties, Duncan starts against lefties. Unfortunately, I don't see where Ensberg fits into that picture. Its nice to know we have an established veteran ready for call up in the case of an injury though.

I also think Jason Lane gets cut. His versitality is nice, but if we want another outfielder on the roster, I'd give the job to Brett Gardner. He's hitting a healthy .313 (5-16) this spring, with a .389 OBP. Gardner's style of play is just what Girardi is looking for, and just what we need on this team. He could be a 5th outfielder, and the best option for center field is Melky gets injured or needs a day off. Gardner is blindingly fast, and would be perfect for a pinch runner, a pinch hitter for a bunt situation, and a back up center fielder (or left fielder for that matter).

Assuming the Yanks carry 12 picthers, the 13 remaing position players should look like this:
Catcher: Posada, Molina
First Base/DH: Giambi, Duncan
Second Base: Cano
Short Stop: Jeter
Third Base: Rodriguez
Utility: Woodward
Right Field: Abreu/Duncan
Center Field: Cabrera, Gardner
Left Field/DH: Damon, Matsui

So what of the 12 picthers? Well most of them are already a lock. It looks like the rotation will be Wang, Pettite, Hughes, Mussina, Kennedy.

That gives us Farnsworth, Hawkins, Chamberlain, and Rivera in the bullpen, leaving us with 3 open spots. From the looks of what is going on so far this spring, it looks like Karstens will get one spot, as the long man/spot starter. Billy Traber has been lights out, stiking out 5 in 3.2 innings without giving up a run (and he's a lefty), so I give him the second spot. The final third spot in the pen is the toughest to give out.

Scott Patterson has made a strong case, pitching 4.1 innings, striking out 4, giving out 1 hit, no walks, and no runs. Britton and Ohlendorf also look strong, but the numbers don't quite match up to what Patterson has put up. If it were my decision, I would give it to Patterson. However, at the first sign of trouble, it is nice to know that we have a ton of option to turn to.

The Yankees have a better team then they did last year. The bullpen has been (and still is) a major area of concern, but a bullpen of Karstens, Patterson, Traber, Farnsworth, Hawkins, Chamberlain, and Rivera isn't too shabby. If Karstens and Patterson can continue to put up the kind of numers they've been puttin up recently, we shouldn't have too much trouble. From what I've seen of Karstens, it looks as if he's made some adjustments since last year, but I'm still not sold on him. Patterson was very solid last year in the minors, and solid in the winter leagues as well. I also feel pretty confident with Traber. He hasn't been stellar in most of his career, but he has alsways shown his ability to get lefties out, and that is what we need him for.

And we went from having a weak bench, to a pretty strong one. A bench of Woodward, Duncan/Giambi, Gardner, Damon/Matsui, and Molina looks pretty good to me. All cylanders are clicking with our lineup so far, and if our pitching can hold up, the American league should be worried. We finished 2 games behind the Red Sox last year, and it took our lineup months to get going. All the reports out of Florida indicate the Bombers are going to come out of the gate hot; call me biased, but I am pegging the Yankees as the favorite in the AL East.

UPDATE 3:12 PM 3/13/08: I feel like I need to point out a couple of things as I'm watching the Yanks take on the Pirates, Karstens is having a very rocky outing, hurting his chances of making the roster given the small sample size. Brett Gardner is making my argument for him getting the last position player spot stronger by ripping a double in the 7th inning. Perhaps I would give the Karstens spot to Ohlendorf, and then call up either Karstens or Rasner later in the season for a spot start to keep the innings low on the Big Three.

Young Gun Profiles: Ian Kennedy

Welcome to the final installment of the Young Gun profiles, as we take a deeper look into Ian Kennedy. Kennedy seems to be the the topic of some disagreement among baseball writers and Yankee fans. Some see his ceiling as high as Mike Mussina, while others seem him as more of a #3/#4 picther, a sort of Joe Blanton kind of guy. I'm in the Mussina camp, and perhaps this profile will be able to convince some of you out there of Kennedy's potential.

First off, his numbers.
2007 with A+ Tampa: 63 IP, 72 K's, 1.29 ERA
2007 with AA Trenton: 48.2 IP, 57 K's, 2.59 ERA
2007 with AAA Scranton/WB: 34.2 IP, 34 K's, 2.08 ERA
2007 with MLB Yankees: 19 IP, 15 K's, 1.89 ERA
Kennedy was a combined 12-3 with a 1.91 ERA, a 163:50 K/BB ratio and held hitters to a .182 batting average across the three minor league levels.
All of this culminated in Kennedy being named the Minor League Pitcher of the Year but MiLB.com for 2007.

Lets take a look at his stuff. What makes him so successful, when he lacks the ability to overpower a hitter? The answer is simple: control, command, and smarts.

Fastball: Kennedy has a 4-seamer and a 2-seamer. The 4-seamer sits around 89-92 mph, while the 2-seamer clocks in around 87-90, but with great movement. I'm going to have to say this a lot during this profile, but Kennedy has stellar command with his fastballs. He throws them less often than most pitchers do, but only because he uses the fastballs to set hitters up for his secondary stuff. His fastball are fairly average, but his secondary stuff is so good, it really doesn't matter.

Changeup: Kennedy has a plus changeup. Its one of his primary strikeout weapons, and he is able to use it to constantly keep hitters off-balance. The change sits around 80 mph, and has a good amount of sink on it as it tails off when it gets to the plate.

Slider: Kennedy has an above-average slider, and is one of the rare pitchers out there that can get a called strike with the slider, as opposed to hoping the hitter chases it out of the zone. His control is great, and the few times he does miss with the slider, he misses in the dirt out of the zone. He never leaves it hanging up in the zone. Kennedy's slider sits in the mid-80's, and mainly uses it to throw to righties, since the break of a slider is tougher for a righty to hit compared to other breaking pitches. This is another primary strikeout weapon.

Curveball: Kennedy also sports an above-average curveball, with pinpoint accuracy. He uses the curve against lefties, for the same reason that he uses his slider for righties. Yet another one of his primary strikeout weapons.

Ian Kenndy is more than a pitcher; he's an artist. He plans out his pitch sequence like a chess game, and sets hitters up to get consistent outs. He has a reputation of handling pressure very well, always a plus for New York, and he has been one of the most dominant pitchers in organized baseball for 3 of his last 4 years of pitching.

As usual, here's EJ Fagan on Kennedy (and this time the report is brand new, not a year old like the others. Kennedy is still considered a prospect by many sports writers): "I’m Kennedy’s biggest fan on the internet. I’m still disgusting by the persistent statements dooming him to “#3 starter” status at peak. Besides that fact that I don’t think that anyone who makes that accusation can define in precise terms what they mean by #3 starter, I think people are ridiculously underrating his ceiling."

Fagan on a comparison: "Worst case scenario, he’s a solid above-average innings eater. Best case scenario: he’s the heir to Mike Mussina."

My personal prediction is that Ian Kennedy will blossom into a #2 caliber pitcher. The great thing about that is with Hughes and Chamberlain projected to be ace caliber pitchers. What does that mean for our rotation 2-3 years down the line? That means we're looking at Hughes, Chamberlain, Wang, Kennedy, and the #5 spot is open. You could probably switch Kennedy and Wang, since that might be hard to predict. If the big three continue along their current path, we will have the most dominant rotation in recent memory. It feels blasphemous to peg Wang in the #3/#4 hole given that he has won more games than any other major league pitcher over the last two years, but that just shows the type of talent we have on the cusp of a major breakout. If I was the other 29 teams in baseball, I would be very concerned.

Young Gun Profiles: Joba Chamberlain

Good afternoon Yankee fans! Baseball is finally upon us, as I'm writing this while watching the Yankees battle the Phillies in their second spring training game. Anyway, back on subject. My next installment of the Young Gun Profiles is Joba Chamberlain, who quickly became a fan favorite after his exciting debut in the bullpen in 2007. According to Joe Girardi's interview during the game today with Michael Kay, whether or not Joba starts or relieves has yet to be determined. Regardless of when he pitches, he will be a huge asset to this team this year.

We all know his numbers, but here they are just for fun:
2007 with A+ Tampa: 40 IP, 51 K's, 2.03 ERA
2007 with AA Trenton: 40.1 IP, 66 K's, 3.35 ERA
2007 with AAA Scranton/WB: 8 IP, 18 K's, 0.00 ERA
2007 with the MLB Yankees: 24 IP, 34 K's, 0.38 ERA
Over the course of the 2007 season, Joba had a combined K/BB ratio of 169:33. Wow.

On to Chamberlain's arsenal:

Fastball: Chamberlain is a big guy with a big fastball. He sits around 96-100 MPH, and locates the pitch like a veteran. His fastball is one of his major strengths due to the movement on the pitch. The life on the ball combined with the speed and Chamberlain's ability to locate make for a deadly fastball that he gets a lot of outs with.

Slider: This is Chamberlain's main strikeout pitch. He's got a plus slider that he throws so fast, most hitters are fooled into thinking its a fastball, only to watch the ball dive into the dirt, well underneath their swinging bats. The slider is easily his best secondary pitch. He's got great command with it, rarely leaving it hanging up in the zone. Not much else to say here, you've all seen how he uses the slider. It is indeed a nasty, nasty pitch.

Changeup: This is the pitch that we've seen the least of. Coming out of the pen last year, Joba relied on mainly his fastball/slider combo, so we haven't seen much of his changeup. Its probably his worst pitch, although its not a bad pitch comparatively. His change is considered average, but he's been working on it a lot in the minors. The main problem I have with Joba coming out of the pen again is that the development of the change will be further stunted. According to the Yanks, its coming along fairly well. When Joba does use it, he uses it early in the count to try to get ahead of the hitter.

Curveball: This is another pitch we haven't seen too often. The first time Joba threw his curve, was against Boston, right after he gave up his first earned run. He struck out the next hitter with the curve, and the batter looked fairly caught off guard to see a true off-speed pitch. Joba's got an above average curveball. He's got good control with it, and can get a decent amount of strikeouts with it.

Chamberlain overall has plus control, but not plus command. He can't pinpoint the ball like someone like Kennedy or Mussina can, but he is able to keep is walk totals down regardless. He can get away with his lack of plus command due do the velocity on his pitches. On a good note, Joba has made improvements in this area over the last year.

The true challenge for Chamberlain will be to seamlessly transition between relieving and starting, if indeed he does spend some time in the bullpen in 2008. However, I believe that Joba has a good enough head on his shoulders to handle the move. Another challenge will be to keep his weight down. However, I don't view this as too much of a problem. Is it just me, or does it look like Joba has shed a few pounds in the off season? He looks like he's in better shape to me, and if I'm right, then his weight won't be a concern.

Like I did with Hughes' profile, I'll quote EJ Fagan on some interesting lines to help everyone get a better feel for Chamberlain.

Fagan on Joba's ceiling: "Chamberlain is a bona fide potential #1 starter. He has the control, power, and secondary stuff to do it all. He has been reported to be an unceasing competitor who wears his emotions on his sleeves. He certainly has the ability to strike out 200 while posting an ERA over 3.50, which makes him an ace in my book. He'll probably pitch his fair share of innings and even have a shot at a Cy Young down the line."

Fagan on comparing Joba to another player: "C.C. Sabathia. Sabathia is a little bit taller and wider, but they have the same basic pitching style. They both have a strong fastball which sits at 94-95, and both throw a slider/curve/changeup setup. Sabathia's achilles heel prior to his successful 2006 season involved a lot of maturity issues, which Chamberlain (who is already a father) does not seem to have. The college polish is certainly there."

Joba will be a special player if he stays on his current track. He's a truly exciting player to watch, and the energy boost he provides the team on and off the mound is invaluable. He will play a big role in 2008, and I look forward to watching his progress closely.

Young Gun Profiles: Phil Hughes

Hello Yankee fans! I'm going to start a new mini series on my blog here to profile and discuss each member of "The Big 3". Quick side note: we are almost a mere week away from the first spring training game, and I cannot express how excited I am to watch some baseball again!

Lets start with Phil Hughes. I was inspired to do this after reading this article on Yankees.com. Phil Hughes has been widely considered one of the best (if not THE best) pitching prospects in all of baseball. However, his debut season doesn't seem to stand out as much when Yankee fans are so taken with Hughes' teammate Joba Chamberlain's debut. Hughes started off strong in his rookie season, but was quickly derailed with a hamstring injury. After his return from the DL, Hughes struggled with the slight loss of velocity on his pitches. This is shown in his first month back in August, putting up a 1-2 record in 32.1 innings with an ugly 6.40 ERA.

However, Hughes learned something in August that will put him miles ahead of every other pitcher his age. He learned how to adapt. He learned how to get big league hitters out without his best stuff. Hughes learned how to get up on that mound without his A game and still get the job done. As evidenced by his ugly August, this took a fair amount of trial and error, but he gained a valuable lesson that some pitchers never learn, and one that most pitchers don't learn until they have far more experience. Hughes, however, was forced to learn right out of the gate.

And boy did he learn something. In September, Hughes was brilliant. He posted a 3-0 record in 5 starts, pitching 29.2 innings and an impressive 2.73 ERA. Hughes continued into the post season, collecting the Yankees' only win in the ALDS, pitching 3.2 innings of relief for an injured Roger Clemens and collected 4 strikeouts in lights-out ball.

What does this mean for 2008? Judging by what I've heard coming out of the Yanks' camp so far, Hughes has his velocity back. If Hughes learned to get hitters out with only his B-game, I cannot wait to see what he can do with his A-game back. I predict a successful 2008 for Phil Hughes.

Now, on to a more detailed look at Hughes' arsenal. He throws a hard fastball that sits around 93-95, and he commands it very very well. Hughes can even reach back and hit 96-97 if the situation demands it. I've heard comparisons to Curt Schilling in terms of the quality of his fastball.

Next, Hughes' best pitch: the curveball. A few years ago, Hughes didn't even know how to throw a curveball. Nardi Contreras worked with Hughes to learn a curveball, and not only did he learn how to throw it, but he developed what is generally considered the best curveball in the minor leagues. This is his strikeout weapon, and he has stellar command with it. I just recently found out that his curveball is in fact a knuckle-curve with a solid 1-7 break. His fastball is great, but his knuckle-curve is easily what makes Hughes so good.

Hughes also has a good changeup. Its not as developed as his other pitches are, but the Yanks have been working with him as they did with his curveball. He isn't as comfortable with the change as he is with his other pitches, but it has progressed significantly and I expect it to become another pitch Hughes can use to consistently keep hitters off balance.

Hughes' old bread-and-butter pitch used to be his slider, before he developed his deadly curveball. He rarely throws the slider in games anymore, but the only reason I'm writing about this one too is because I could definitely see him dust it off and use it in a tight spot. The hitters won't see it coming because it is most likely not in his scouting report. That is just my opinion, I could be wrong and we'll never see him throw a slider, but if I were Dave Eiland, I would encourage Phil to throw it every now and then in a bullpen session to keep it sharp just in case.

Not to beleaguer the point, but I am going to throw a few quotes out there from an old prospect profile of Hughes when he was in AA Trenton writen by EJ Fagan, a very talented blogger who covers the Yankees' minor league system over at Pending Pinstripes. Fagan wrote this a year ago. I wish I could have found a more recent one, but Hughes isn't really considered a prospect anymore, thus no more prospect profiles. And I don't feel like paying money to get access to one of those websites that publishes scouting reports. I'm poor.

Fagan on Hughes' ceiling: "None. None at all. Hughes has the ability to be a once in a lifetime pitcher. He has the ability to be the best pitcher in the major leagues. There is nothing stopping him. There is nothing more than I can say. He won't put up Pedro Martinez 1999-2000 numbers, but besides that you can compare him to any rookie phenom that has come up and dominated in recent years. Jorge Posada said that Hughes has a better arm than anyone on the Yankees - including guys like Mariano Rivera and Randy Johnson."

Fagan on comparing Hughes to another pitcher: "A healthy Mark Prior. I used the same comparison for Betances, but I need to draw a distinction. If Betances overcomes the traditional obstacles associated with any minor league pitcher drafted out of High School, he can top out at Mark Prior's level and style. Phil Hughes has indeed overcomed those obstacles and has found himself at the brink of the major leagues with Mark Prior-like performance levels and almost the exact same pitching style. They both had 95 mph fastballs. They both located their fastballs with Mussina-like precision. They both had filthy curveballs. They both throw a similar changeup. Prior posted a 2.43 ERA in 211 innings in 2003 at age 22. Hughes is capable of the same. Hopefully he will not be cursed with the same injuries (which the Yankees have done their best to prevent)."

Fagan on comparing Hughes to our other top pitching prospects: "Tyler Clippard has his control. Ian Kennedy has his brain. Joba Chamberlain has his power. Christian Garcia has his curveball. Jeff Marquez has his changeup. Phil Hughes has it all. I have never seen a pitcher without a weakness in the minor leagues before I saw Phil Hughes. Usually power pitchers have a lack of control, or control pitchers lack power, or power pitchers with control lack secondary pitches, or they have injury issues, or they are 25 before they figure everything out, or they are inconsistent. Hughes has no weakness. All of his numbers would be phenominal if he was 24 years old, but Hughes put up these K/BBs, K/9s, BB/9s and ERAs as a 19/20 year old in AA. We're looking at something special folks, and he could be the ace of a new dynasty."

Needless to say, I'm very high on Phil Hughes. This kid is going to be something special. I'll try to profile Chamberlain and Kennedy as soon as I get a chance...until then, hang in there until baseball starts up!

The Longest Ten Days Ever

That's the count now Yankee fans. Ten days until the first spring training game...can't come soon enough! Things seem to be going rather well in the Yankee camp so far, with Giambi and Damon reporting in to camp weighing less and in better shape. I've also heard good things regarding the energy Girardi is bringing to camp so far.

Let's take a quick look at our division and our league. I must say, I am feeling very optimistic. I feel like the Yankees have a brighter future ahead of them then the Red Sox do with the sheer number of amazing talent we have coming up the pipeline. Besides, they don't scare me, we even won the season series in 2007. The Orioles have gotten weaker with the Tejada and Bedard trades. Now we'll never see Yankee-killer Miguel Tejada, and we'll have to face Bedard a few less time this season. The Blue Jays appear to be roughly the same team as 2007, but I don't think that scares a whole lot of people. Most of their good players are either getting old or are very injury prone. The Rays (as a side note, I miss the "Devil" part from their name) are certainly a better team than last year, but even still they will most likely be lucky to crack .500.

Of course Santana has gone to the NL, meaning we will be facing him less often as well. Even Dan Haren has gone to the NL, subtracting yet another ace from the AL. With our solid offense intact, we seem to be facing a somewhat weaker division than last season. There are a few causes for concern however. The Tigers have received a boost with the Miguel Cabrera trade, and the Angels signed Torii Hunter. If you ask me, overall, I would say that the AL in general has gotten slightly weaker. If I'm right, this means that our stacked (and intact) lineup from last season should be able to keep our pitching afloat. The Yankees were the best team in the majors during the second half of the season, and probably would have been the best had it not been for an injury-plagued slow start to the season. All we can do now is sit up north and hope everything continues to go well down in Tampa. The ideal scenario is that Girardi is able to find the diamonds in the rough regarding solid bullpen options, the big three continue to pull their weight, Wang and Pettite are able to start the season in a good groove, then the lineup stays healthy.

If all cylinders click, the Yankees will be the team to beat in the AL. I know that is a huge statement, given that the Red Sox are the defending champions, but I believe it is true. Granted, a lot has to go right in the next couple of months for that to happen, but I think most people will agree with me that it is certainly possible. I'll try to keep updating as often as I can here, but remember that I do have to fit blog posts somewhere in between school work, classes themselves, parties, political work, parties, a social life, and parties. Yes, I am aware I said "parties" three times. Isn't college great? I wish all Yankee fans a speedy ten days as we anxiously await the start of some real baseball action!

Joba the...Starter, or Reliever?

Good morning Yankee fans!

I apologize for infrequent posts...between classes, political work, fraternity obligations (Rush week is a busy time), and taking days off to go snowboarding, I haven't had much time for blogging. But as I don't have class for another eight hours, and the snow is coming down too hard for my car to make it to the mountain, I have finally found an opportunity!

As you all most likely know, Spring Training officially starts tomorrow with pitchers and catchers reporting. Without a doubt, this will be the most exciting Spring Training I've ever had the opportunity to witness. The bullpen competition will be an interesting for sure, with lots of wild cards, and even the rotation is not set in stone.

So where does Joba Chamberlain fit in? All winter we've heard from Brian Cashman and Dave Eiland that Joba will begin the season as a starter, albeit with inning restrictions. However, a recent report that has surfaced on both Yankees.com and ESPN that declares Joba will start the year in the bullpen in the majors, go down to the minors in June to start a few games and stretch out his arm, then rejoin the major league club in the rotation. I'm not sure on what would happen to the 5-man rotation at that point, but barring injury or a member of the rotation struggling mightily, I would imagine that this would push the rotation to a 6-man rotation. That would make sense to me, because it would help an aging Mussina, as well as serve to limit the innings of Kennedy and Hughes.

In general, I think this is a good plan. It strengthens our bullpen until June, and by that time, we should have a ton more bullpen options to choose from with all of our Tommy John recoveries coming back around that time (Cox, Sanchez, Melancon, etc.). The only thing that worries me, is that Joba will not have started a game for a full calender year. I am afraid of Papelbon-ing Joba. With a full arsenal like he has, I believe Joba is more valuable in the long run as a starter. One last concern is that this plan is assuming everyone (including Mussina) can stay healthy. This plan will fall apart real quick if this season starts off like last season did. However, if this plan works out the way the Yankees brass is hoping, then it would appear to be the smart move. Hopefully by June our bullpen will be solidified enough that Joba departing for the rotation wouldn't hurt us.

The bottom line is that this is a gamble. I personally think its a good gamble, but only time shall tell. Lets hear some feedback while we anxiously await Spring Training. Is this a good idea, a bad idea? Do you have a better idea? With the cult following that Joba has quickly amassed, it will be interesting to see the fan's reactions about the bullpen/rotation debate.

The Other Hot Corner

Among bullpen issues, another hot topic with Yankee fans is the situation at first base. With the release of Andy Phillips, and his eventual signing with the Reds, it appears that the Yanks plan to move forward with a platoon of Wilson Betemit, Jason Giambi, and Shelley Duncan. We've all heard the debate regarding who gets the job in what situations countless times, so I'm going to focus on something else: What do we do in 2009?

Clearly what we have at first base is not a long term solution, I think we can all agree there. The quick answer for most fans is "Mark Teixeira!" While I agree that signing Tex would be an excellent move, especially given all the bad contracts that come off our books at the end of the 2008 season, banking on signing Tex is a dangerous line of thinking. Resting all first base hopes on what will prove to be a very competitive war for his services is hardly considered smart baseball.

So what, exactly, are our options? I recently read an article on another Yankee blog addressing this very question. Its an interesting read, and I encourage you all to check it out here.

Ryan Garko is certainly an interesting option. We could use a right handed hitter, as we have plenty of lefties, and Garko has pretty decent power. He's young (27), and in two years of service, Garko has hit .292 and .289, respectively. In 50 games in 2006, Garko his 7 homers, which is on pace for 22-23 homers in a full season. In 2007, Garko hit 21 bombs in 138 games. His splits are pretty good too, hitting .310 against lefties, and .281 against righties.

Garko isn't the best fielder in the world, but he is better than Giambi, and maybe Duncan (although his fielding at first is still kind of a question mark). I don't believe the asking price will be too high either. Maybe 2-3 mid level guys, and his contract is dirty cheap, making under $400,000 last year.

If our platoon isn't working out at by the end of July for whatever reason (slumps, injuries, etc.), it sure wouldn't hurt to see what the Indians want for him. And if not, I believe Cashman should definitely make a few phone calls regarding Garko next off season. Bottom line is that we don't have much in our farm system for first base. Juan Miranda may get a shot, but he's defense is pretty abysmal from what I've heard, and he has a pretty good shot of not panning out. There are possibilities of Jeter or Posada moving to first in a couple years, but nobody knows how that will work out either. In the meantime, Ryan Garko has proven to be effective at the major league level, and he wouldn't clean out of farm system or take over our payroll.

Feel free to disagree with me, I look forward to hearing some other takes on the future of first base.

Bullpen Profile: Rare Optimism

Good afternoon Yankee fans,

I found some more down time tonight, despite the first week of college classes starting up again for my fourth semester. A very interesting area for Yankee fans to speculate about is the bullpen. For quite some time, it has easily been one of the biggest weaknesses on this team (if not the biggest). I agree that this is still the case, however I have an optimistic hunch that has taken hold of me over the last few weeks. We have a huge laundry list of pitching prospects, and, arguably one of the best farm system in the majors when it comes to pitching depth and talent.

I'm going to take some time to profile our bullpen prospects that we might see in 2008, excluding the Sandman, Farnsworth, and Hawkins, who are known commodities. Here are all of the pitchers I think have a shot at making an appearance on either the opening day roster, or a mid-late season call up, and their respective evaluations from myself, in no special order:

1. Ross Ohlendorf - Good shot at making the opening day roster. His fastball sits in the mid 90s, and has a heavy sinker ball that is ideal for placing him in the middle of an inning with runners on if we desperately need a double play. That alone gives him an edge, given that most of our other arms are fastball/slider guys. Since being converted to a reliever, Ross has been able to let that fastball go a little more, and can regularly touch 96-98 mph.

He has struggles with control in the past year, but he seems to be finding it again, returning to the stellar control he showed in 2006. He put up good numbers during his short stint in the majors (2.84 ERA, 6.1 IP, 9 Ks), and has put up similarly good numbers in the winter league (3.52 ERA, 7.1 IP, 3 Ks). Outlook: He will be a real solid reliever for us if he can develop one of the breaking pitches and get his strikeout rate up. I think he could be a decent middle reliever for us this season.

2. Jonathan Albaladejo - He throws 93, with a good, breaking curve ball and a slider that’s a little harder. He’s shown good control and good presence on the mound as a reliever. He came to the nationals as a minor league free agent from the Pirates system.

He seems like a strong relief prospect, but with weight problems. An excellent acquisition, if you as me. He's young, he throws hard, and he's put up stellar numbers just about where ever he goes. He was my pick in that poll on the right by the way.

3. J.B. Cox - He might take a little longer, coming back from T.J. surgery, but man does this kid have promise. In 2006, he threw 77 innings of relief for AA Trenton, with a 1.75 ERA. He's got plus control on his fastball, which sits around 91-92, and has good sink. He's got a plus slider, which he also has great control of and uses as a strikeout weapon. Cox also has an average change up, not a plus pitch, but if he throws it in on occasion, it seems to do the job of keeping the hitter guessing. He has been compared to Jon Wetteland, or Scott Shields. Cox could be a decent closer, but would be better suited as a set up man, which sure works for us with Mo on for 3 more years. I have high hopes for this kid, and I expect him to be a mid-season call up. He’s a candidate to be 2008’s Joba.

4. Alan Horne – Horne was a little further down on the depth charts until his real break out season last year. In AA Trenton, he went 12-4 with a 3.11 ERA and 165 Ks in 153.1 innings. He throws hard, but has struggled with command since T.J. surgery in 2004. However, he has shown a great deal of progression since then, working his way up to probably our best pitching prospect outside of the big 3. Look for him to get the call up for a spot start if there’s an injury, and a bullpen call up. Horne is most likely the first pitcher to get the call up barring a slow start to his AAA season. He’s got a great sinking fastball, a sharp, biting 12-6 curveball, and an above average slider. He’s got great stuff.

5. Jeff Marquez – The infamous Jeff Marquez, among the guys rumored in that Santana trade. Most people didn’t want to make the trade because of Hughes, and while I agree there, I also didn’t want to make the trade because of Marquez. He also sports a sinking fastball that he gets a lot of groundballs from. While this pitch is good, his real plus pitch is his changeup, a pitch that is regarded as the best changeup in the Yankees’ system (yes, better than Edwar Ramirez’s changeup). He can throw his fastball around 92-93, and his changeup (from the exact same arm slot) at around 76 mph. That’s pretty impressive. He also has a plus curveball around the same velocity as his changeup. Marquez is not a strikeout pitcher, he’s a Wang-style pitcher. But, like Ohlendorf, that sinker would be a very interesting option coming out of the pen with runners on and a desperate need for a double play.

6. Daniel McCutchen – This guy is my sleeper pick for a bullpen call up mid-season if he doesn’t make the opening day roster (he did get a non-roster invite to spring training). McCutchen is starting to get a little older (25), but he has put up stellar numbers where ever he goes. He’s got a fastball that sits around 92, without any great movement. Unlike most of the pitchers the Yanks have, his fastball isn’t even close to his best pitch. He sports an excellent curveball and splitter. Each of his 3 main pitches are at different speeds, and McCutchen has a reputation of mixing them very well to keep hitters off balance. In his first year of professional ball, 2006, he put up a 1.13 ERA with 11 Ks in 8 Staten Island innings, and a 2.14 ERA with 18Ks in 21 Charleston innings. In 2007, he put up an impressive 2.50 ERA in 101 innings in Tampa, and 2.41 ERA in 41 Trenton innings. I’m looking forward to seeing this guy pitch.

7. Mark Melancon – I had trouble finding info on him due to his limited professional career so far. Melancon is reported to have been one of the top college closers during his tenure, and is projected to be a talent major league closer. He’s coming back from T.J. surgery as well, so don’t expect him too soon. He’s got great stuff, and is regarded as already pretty polished, so he may not need a great deal of time in the minors. If he can bounce back from the surgery quickly, I could see him as a late season call up. I’m excited about this kid, he is on the short list for Rivera’s replacement.

8. Scott Patterson – I don’t know much about him in terms of “stuff”, but I’d say he’s got a good shot in our pen. He’s 28, so he’s getting kind of old, but he put up a stunning 1.09 ERA with 91 Ks in 74.1 innings in AA Trenton, following up with giving up only 1 earned run in 5.2 innings in the winter league with 7 Ks. 28 might be a little old for a prospect, but you can’t ignore those numbers.

9. Heath Phillips – He’s never really put up great numbers, and has little MLB experience, but he’s a lefty. And as deep as our pitching is, lefties are what we lack. I can definitely see him doing a better job than Sean Henn out of the pen. He has a 3.68 ERA in 7.1 MLB innings.

10. Dave Robertson – He’s my other sleeper pick for the pen. He’s got a fastball around 92-93 mph with some good, late movement on it. He’s also got a plus power slider and an above average cutter. He struggled with control in college, but has shown a vast improvement in the minors, making it one of his assets. Robertson has classic power relief stuff, and his another promising player to compete for Mariano’s job in a few years. In 2007, he split his time between A Charleston, A+ Tampa, and AA Trenton, with ERAs of 0.77 (67 Ks in 47 IP), 1.08 (37 Ks in 33.1 P), and 2.25 (9 Ks in 4 IP). Very promising numbers to say the least. His strikeout ratios are great. He’ll probably start the year in AA, since he only got 4 innings there last season, I can see him getting a call to AAA shortly after the start of the season, and a mid-season call up for us if we need them help.

11. Humberto Sanchez – Big guy with a heavy fastball that is consistently in the mid-90s. He is regarded as having some of the best pure stuff in the minors (the entire minors, not just the Yankees’ system), only one notch below coveted blue chippers such as Phil Hughes. His fastball is a pretty consistent bat-breaker, and Sanchez also throws an above average curveball and an average changeup. Much like Joba Chamberlain, the Yankees are working to develop his changeup into a plus pitch. Sanchez is yet another guy coming off T.J. surgery, and will resume throwing in the next couple months. When he returns, he will most likely get some time in at AA to rehab, then the call to AAA will shortly follow. Sanchez is another strong candidate to be the 2008 Joba as a mid-late-season call up. If he stays healthy and returns to form, he will be a solid part of the late-inning game, as well as being able to provide a spot start if needed.

12. Billy Traber – We signed him to a minor league time at the same time as Heath Phillips, with the same purpose in mind: to try to find a lefty out of the pen. In my opinion, Traber is a more promising option than Phillips, although Traber is 3 years older (28). In AAA last season, Traber had an impressive 2.90 ERA in 40.1 innings, although he only put up 29 Ks. His numbers didn’t fair so well after a call up to his major league club, the Nationals. In 39.2 innings there, he had a 4.76 ERA with 26 Ks. The reason why I like Traber, is his splits. During his MLB stint, he held lefties to a .176 batting average. That’s a very encouraging statistic, and if he can duplicate that in spring training, expect him to make the opening day roster as our new lefty specialist.

13. Kevin Whelan – Yet another reliever with promise. In 2006 A+ ball, he had a 2.67 ERA in 54 innings, with 69 Ks. In 2007 A+ ball, he had a 1.93 ERA in 28 innings, with 28 Ks. After a call up to AA, he continued on pace, putting up a 2.98 ERA in 54.1 innings with 68 Ks. I expect Whelan to start the season with AAA, and he is a strong candidate for a call up at the first sign of trouble early in the season. Whelan used to be a catcher, but was converted to a pitcher due to his inability to hit and because he throws hard. His fastball sits in the 92-95 range. He has a great splitter, which is his main strikeout weapon. The only knock on Whelan, is he has struggled with his command. However, given how late he converted to pitching, this can be expected. With a little more experience, Whelan could blossom into a top-notch set up man, of even a closer.

14. Steven White – White had a solid 2007 campaign, putting up a 3.34 ERA in 91.2 innings in AAA. However, he struggled a bit in the winter league, which might set him back a bit in terms of MLB debuts. White has a two-seam and a four-seam fastball that he can pump in at 95-97 mph, but loses his control when he throws that hard. He usually dials down to 93-94 mph, which allows him to throw a lot of innings since he is not throwing as hard has he can. He has an above average curveball, and a plus change up. White’s greatest problem is his head. He tends to get nervous when he gets into a jam and overthrows the ball, losing his command. This generally happens when he is called up to a higher level of ball and tries to hard. In short, he takes longer to adjust to different levels of play then most do. He’s got the stuff to be a major league starter, but his lack of confidence in jams worries me for a bullpen call up. Despite that, if he puts up good numbers in AAA, I’m sure the Yanks would give a guy that can dial it up to 97 a chance out of the pen.

15. Eric Wordekemper – Wordekemper has never mad it past A+ ball, but given that he’s 24 years old already, and the meteoric rise of Hughes, Chamberlain, and Kennedy, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him open the year in AA and could be a late season call up. I mean, if you look at the kid’s numbers, he’s got the skills to move that quickly. In 2007, he spend the entire season in Tampa, pitching 47 innings, and posting a dazzling 0.57 ERA with 34 Ks. He continued to shine in the winter league, posting a 2.89 ERA in 9.1 innings with 8 Ks. I can’t seem to find much on his arsenal, but I do know that he is very versatile, having been used as a starter, a middle reliever, and as a closer in his minor league career, putting up excellent numbers throughout all it.

16. Chase Wright – I’m not too excited about Wright, but I’m putting him here because the fact that he’s left handed means he’s got a shot. Wright throws his fastball around 89-91 mph, and has a plus sinking changeup. Other than that, he lacks a good enough third pitch to succeed at the major league level, and his BAA vs. lefties is .250. That’s not awful, but I don’t think its good enough to make it as a lefty specialist. Who knows, maybe Wright can develop a breaking pitch to help him fool hitters. But despite the promise he has, he continues to struggle with command, and walks too many batters.

17. Edwar Ramirez – We all know this guy. I’m encouraged by the flashes of talent we saw during his MLB stint. He was a little inconsistent, and was misused by Torre a little as well. Ramirez’s big strength is that plus changeup he’s got. However, he has a weak fastball, and a lack of another go-to pitch. If Ramirez can develop another above average pitch, he can be a helpful addition to the pen.

18. Chris Britton – I like him more than most people do. In 2007 at AAA, he had an impressive 2.51 ERA, and 58 Ks in 57.1 innings. In his MLB stint, he posted a 3.55 ERA in 12.1 innings, 5 Ks. Cool fact: Britton (although he’s a righty) held lefties to a .118 batting average. If he can keep his weight under control, expect him to help out as a middle reliever.

19. Brian Bruney – The only way the Bruney can help, is if he returns to 2006 form. Last season, he showed a lot of inconsistency. He needs to work on his weight and his control. If he can do that, I’d say he’s got as much of a shot as Britton does. But, I’m not as big a fan of Bruney.

20. Kei Igawa - This is an update...I originally left Igawa off the list. Haha, just goes to show you what kind of impact he had last year. Basically it boils down to this: If Igawa was right handed, he wouldn't have a shot in hell. But lefties always get more chances than righties do. Igawa has about as much of a shot as Chase Wright does, maybe a little more. The guy was a strikeout machine in Japan, I've got to believe he's adjust at least a little bit. If he can keep the ball low in the zone, hopefully he can at least be effective against left handed hitters.

21. Jose Veras - Late update, sorry about that guys. I'm in Kansas City for the weekend for official fraternity business, so I've been quite busy and I forgot Veras on the list. Veras is probably one of the less promising bullpen arms, although he does have the potential to be a solid middle reliever for us if he can keep his control in check. He throws relatively hard, but as I just stated, he often struggles with command, leaving pitching up in the zone. However, it seems that Veras has been making some adjustments, as he was virtually un-hittable during his time in the winter leagues. I'd say he has a great shot of making the opening day roster if he can carry that momentum with him into spring training and if he can keep his command. He's another fastball/slider guy, so he's sure going to have his competition.

Forgive me if I left anyone out, but I think I touched on just about everyone. I suppose we could always be surprised by some guys still in low A ball, you never know. My conclusion: I think with this many bullpen options, and so few spots, the competition will really drive this kids to pitch their best to get the job. And if someone falls, we can give another kid a shot. We have so much talent, that I have to believe that at least a few of these kids will shine for us, whether it be spring training or July. By the end of 2008, I predict that the bullpen will end up being a strength for us.

So I have decided to take the virtual bullet here. I remain cautiously optimistic about our bullpen. The pen may struggle in the first month or two of the season, but I have faith in Girardi and Eiland to sift throw these pitchers and find the gems. There are many who will disagree with me, but I stand by that line of thinking. Only time will tell who is right.

Huston Street

Pending a physical, it appears that the A's will deal Mark Kotsay to the Braves for Joey Devine. Some writers in the baseball world think this might be a precursor for Billy Beane (the A's GM) to deal the heralded young reliever, Huston Street. Fun fact: Street beat out our own Robinson Cano for the 2005 rookie of the year award.

Street, for sure, is the real deal. If Beane is thinking about continuing to rebuild, he might indeed consider dealing Street. Although, Street is still very young, and some think that keeping Street to close out tight games would go a long way to building confidence in the younger, newer A's.

Myself, I feel like Beane might not shop Street. Street younger than Swisher and Haren, and Street does have an injury history. I could see him being shopped at the trade deadline if he stays healthy and further raises his value. Even if Street is shopped, he would still command a fairly steep price. Probably 1 high level prospect, and 1-2 mid-level prospects. I have a lot of faith in our farm system, and with Cox, Sanchez, and Melancon coming up, Rivera signed for 3 more years, I feel like we're pretty set in that department, although we still do need guys for the bridge to Mo.

What do you guys think? Does Beane listen to offers for Street? If so, what does it take to get him? And of course, is it worth the price?

First Post: Baseball Fever

Hello everyone,

This is my official first post! I started this blog up due to a combination of boredom, and love for the New York Yankees.

A bit about myself: I'm 19 years old, born and raised in New Jersey, and I'm a sophomore at the University of Vermont. I've been a die-hard Yankee fan since I was old enough to know what baseball was. The purpose of this blog will be to discuss what is currently going on with the Yanks, and the future of the club, as well as discussion on minor league developments.

Keep it friendly!

So to kick things off, here's what has been going on recently with the Bombers...

Santana trade talks are slowing to a halt, much to my happiness. I'm a huge fan of the youth movement, and I would like to keep both Hughes and Melky in pinstripes.

There was a brief spike of speculation of a trade with the Pirates; Melky for Marte. Again, I would like to keep Melky, but at least this rumor is a step in the right direction - focusing on a legitimate weakness of this club, the bullpen.

The plan was if we lose Melky, to possibly replace him with Mike Cameron - someone I view as an old washed up roid-head who strikes out too much. The Cameron/Marte/Melky rumors disappeared yesterday with the reported signing of Cameron to the Brewers for a 1 year deal and a club option for 2009. Good news for me. I think we have enough aging outfielders.

Going forward, there doesn't appear to be much on the Yanks radar, and we are looking to open up the season with what we've got. There are a lot of question marks, but I'm hoping for the best.

I'll keep updating with new posts as stuff happens, so stay tuned!

-Justin