Results tagged ‘ Joe Girardi ’
Yankees lose pitcher, argument, and game
The Yankees lost to the Marlins on Sunday, 6-5, and more importantly, lost starter CC Sabathia when he left the game in the 2nd inning with tightness in his left biceps.He didn’t seem to think it was anything serious, saying that he’d felt tightness between starts before.
Joe Girardi filed an official protest with the commissioners office on Monday over a Marlins a double switch substitution mix-up in the 8th inning. We’ll see what, if anything, comes from that protest.
Alex Rodriguez had reserved approximately 100 tickets for family and friends in his return to his hometown, but he didn’t give them much to see, going 1-4 with two strikeouts. He did hit a 2-run single in the 3rd inning, but he also struck out to lead off the 9th inning.
I’m betting that the Yankees will be thrilled to see the end of interleague play for this season.
EDIT: I forgot to include the standings last night…must’ve been too sleepy! LOL
Current AL East Standings:
W L Pct GB
Boston Red Sox 42 27 .609 –
New York Yankees 38 31 .551 4.0
Toronto Blue Jays 38 38 .535 5.0
Tampa Bay Rays 37 34 .521 6.0
Baltimore Orioles 32 37 .464 10.0
Nice recovery
I’m not sure what’s worse…being 0-8 vs. the Red Sox or losing 2 out of 3 games to the worst team in baseball. The series against the Nationals was pretty bad, but the Yankees recovered from it quite nicely, defeating the Marlins, 5-1. Playing in front of a crowd that was mostly Yankees fans who had traveled to Miami, Andy Pettitte pitched extremely well, giving up just 1 run (a home run to Cody Ross) on 3 hits, with 1 strikeout in 7 innings. Brian Bruney and Brett Tomko combined for 2 hitless, scoreless innings. Derek Jeter, Angel Berroa (playing for for the slumping Alex Rodriguez), Nick Swisher, and even Andy Pettitte hit doubles for the Yankees. There’s nothing like an American League pitcher getting a hit (a double, no less) to bump up the fun factor of interleague play! And Pettitte’s double resulted in an RBI, so he helped his own cause. It’s a good thing that the Yankees were able to score those 5 runs and limit the Marlins to just 1 run, because they left 24 runners on base.
Although the Yankees had not performed will in their last two interleaugue series against young, unfamiliar pitchers, they redeemed themselves against Sean West, who lasted just 4 innings while giving up all 5 of the Yankees runs on 10 hits. Like Pettitte, he had 7 strikeouts.
Good decision by Joe Girardi to bench Alex Rodriguez. Let’s hope he comes back stronger, with a renewed ability to actually get some hits.
Good job, Yankees!
Current AL East Standings:
W L Pct GB
Boston Red Sox 40 27 .597 –
New York Yankees 38 29 .567 2.0
Toronto Blue Jays 37 32 .536 4.0
Tampa Bay Rays 35 34 .507 6.0
Baltimore Orioles 30 37 .448 10.0
Yankees rout Rangers
Outstanding performances from Phil Hughes (3 hits, no runs, 1 walk, and 6 strikeouts over 8 innings) and Alex Rodriguez (5-5, with 4 RBI and 2 runs scored) highlighted the Yankees 11-1 win over the Rangers. A-Rod was booed before each at bat, though the boos obviously didn’t bother him…perhaps they actually motivated him to perform so well. His performance raised his batting average from .189 to .259.
As for Hughes, he pitched a gem. I can’t figure out why Joe Girardi didn’t let him finish the game, since he was obviously pitching so well. I realize that managers tend to limit their young pitchers to about 100 pitches, and Hughes had thrown 101 when he was replaced by Alfredo Aceves for the 9th inning. But he was dealing, and his team was up by 11 runs. It’s not as if the Yankees were ahead by just a run or two, and a possibly tiring Hughes would have given up the lead.
An 11-1 rout is a great way to start a road trip, especially after the nail-biters in the last two games. And this win, combined with the Blue Jays loss to the Orioles, has moved the Yankees past the Blue Jays into second place in the AL East.
More A-Rod drama, continued….
In an article on the Yankees mlb.com site, Bryan Hoch wrote an article about the report in today’s New York Times about Major League Baseball investigating Alex Rodriguez with regard to his steroids use. The Times story claims that MLB investigators are “checking into the
accuracy of Alex Rodriguez’s statements about when he used
performance-enhancing drugs.” These investigators have contacted A-Rod’s “associates” to find out whether or not he used banned substances before or after the 2001-03 time period he admitted to in February. According to Hoch, Joe Girardi, Brian Cashman, and Derek Jeter are unaware of any investigation and have not been contacted by any investigators regarding steroids use by Rodriguez.
Also per Hoch’s article, Joe Girardi is quite upset about the soon-to-be released book about A-Rod by Selena Roberts. He says he doesn’t understand why anyone would write a book like that. C’mon, Joe, you can’t be that naïve. You know it’s all about the money…books like this sell like crazy, which will make lots of money for Ms. Roberts and will make her a pseudo-celebrity. That doesn’t make it right, of course…but that’s just the way it is.
I find this whole situation utterly ridiculous. While I personally was disappointed and disgusted to find out in February that A-Rod had, in fact, used steroids, I find it equally disgusting that the only name leaked from that list of 103 players was Alex Rodriguez. If MLB is, in fact, investigating A-Rod about his steroids use, then those investigators should also investigate each of the other 102 players on that so-called “anonymous” list of players who failed drug tests. It’s time to stop persecuting ONLY Alex Rodriguez, simply because he’s Alex Rodriguez.
I wonder…would there be all of this hype and publicity — in fact, would Roberts have even written this book — if A-Rod was still playing in Texas, or if he had ended up with the Red Sox rather than the Yankees? Did all of this mess happen just because he is a Yankee?
Catching up with the Yankees
Swisher pitches: There was nothing to smile about in the Yankees embarrassing loss to the Rays on Monday. Nick Swisher, however, did his best to help his team get through the loss. Attempting to save the bullpen, Joe Girardi needed a relief pitcher and went looking for one when the Yankees found themselves down by 10 runs after 3 innings. As it turns out, Swisher used to be a pitcher…in high school. Desperate situations call for desperate measures, so Swisher ended up pitching for the Yankees in the 8th inning.
Apparently, while many of the Yankees were amused by Swisher being used as a relief pitcher, Jorge Posada — who replaced Swisher at first base — was not. Considering how fiesty and intense Posada is, I’m not surprised that he wasn’t amused by the situation. Derek Jeter, however, had a better attitude about the whole thing. According to what I’ve read online in several blogs, Jeter was amused simply because it was Swisher, and Swisher’s not going to shut up about it.
Peter Abraham was amused too. He thought is was funny when Swisher “shook Jose Molina off, even through there were no signs.” Ditto for Swisher rolling the ball into the dugout for a souvenir after striking out Gabe Kapler. (You have to wonder how Kapler will ever live that down!)
I love Nick Swisher. I seriously love this guy! I think his sense of humor is exactly what the Yankees need. His bat is pretty nice to have too.
Burnett’s gem: A.J. Burnett followed Wang’s disaster with a near no-hitter on Tuesday. CC Sabathia got more headlines (and more money) when he signed with the Yankees, but Burnett is the one who has really earned his money so far for the Yankees. I hope he keeps it up!
Teixeira is back: Mark Teixeira returned to the lineup on Tuesday. He still isn’t hitting his weight (hell, after tonight, he’s almost hitting my weight), but at least the Yankees can count on his glove once again.
Nady injures elbow: Xavier Nady has been placed on the DL for additional tests on his surgically repaired and now injured right elbow. There were some rumors that he was headed for more Tommy John surgery, which would end his season, but, according to an article on yahoo.com, it looks like doctors want to run more tests to see if rest and rehab will be enough to take care of the problem.
The not-so-grand Grand Opening: the Yankees got the snot beat out of them tonight by the Indians, which is unfortunate considering that tonight was the Yankees home opener in the new Yankee Stadium. Not a good way to get things started. This is the second blow-out suffered by the Yankees in less than a week…I understand that late in the game, Yankee fans were chanting “We want Swisher,” since he pitched a scoreless inning in the blow-out vs. Tampa Bay. But from what I’ve read here at MLBlogs, the reviews of the new Yankee Stadium are overwhelmingly positive. And that’s really more important than this one loss.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
The Good:
After A.J. Burnett stopped the bleeding and prevented the Orioles from sweeping the Yankees, Andy Pettitte turned in a vintage performance on Friday to continue his career dominance over the Royals (he’s 13-3 in 16 career decisions against Kansas City). The Yankees beat the Royals, 4-1. Robinson Cano was 2-3 with another walk.
After making a small adjustment in his mechanics, CC Sabathia regained his usual form and helped the Yankees defeat the Royals on Saturday, 6-1. He pitched into the 8th inning, allowing 6 hits but no runs, and striking out 6. That performance dropped his ERA from over 12 to under 5. Nick Swisher, making a start at first base, had 2 hits in 3 at bats with 3 RBI and 2 walks, and he scored 3 runs. Swisher’s two hits were a triple and a home run. He’s certainly making a case for being in the Yankees’ everyday lineup. The Yankees are definitely back on track!
Alex Rodriguez will continue his rehabilitation from right hip surgery by heading to the Yankees spring training complex in Florida on Monday. Joe Girardi described his progress as “encouraging.”
The Bad:
The Yankees $180 million dollar man, Mark Teixeira, is suffering from tendonitis in his left wrist and has missed two games. His status is listed as day-to-day.
The Yankees were unable to complete the sweep of the Royals today, losing 6-4. Joba Chamberlain got a no-decision in his first start of the season, giving up 3 runs on 5 hits over 6 innings, with 6 strikeouts. The Yankees were leading in the 8th inning, scored 3 runs to take the lead. The Yankees were unable to respond in the 9th inning and lost the game. Oh well, you can’t win them all.
The Ugly:
Despite tying the score in the 9th inning, the Nationals lost to the Braves, 6-5 in 10 innings, on Friday night. That game was delayed just over two hours due to rain. The Nationals record after this game — 0-4.
Despite taking a 3-0 lead in the top of the 3rd inning, the Nationals lost to the Braves on Saturday, 5-3. The Nationals record after this game — 0-5.
Despite tying the game at the top of the 5th inning, the Nationals lost to the Braves today, 8-5. The Nationals current record — 0-6. After the Indians finally won their first game of the season today, the Nationals find themselves in a familiar position, with the worst record in baseball.
The Nationals finally play their home opener tomorrow against the Phillies. The reception from the home fans to their winless Nats should be very interesting, to say the least.
On a personal note…after reminding my boss and several co-workers on Friday that I will not be in the office tomorrow because I’ll be attending the Nats’ opening day game, I told them to check the news on Tuesday night if (a) the Nats lose tomorrow and (b) I don’t show up for work on Tuesday. If they see a report about an unidentified body found floating in the Anacostia River, that body may be mine…because I may just throw myself off the Douglass Bridge if the Nationals end up 0-7 after tomorrow’s game. So if you guys don’t hear from me again here in this blog, you’ll know what happened to me.
Oh, by the way, my cold is much better today. The chicken soup and Cold-Eeze are doing the jobs!
Let’s Play Catch (up)
Jeez…I’m trying to get my new blog off the ground here, and it’s been a week since I posted anything in it. That’s not exactly a good way to build readership!
OK, to catch up on stuff from the past week……….
YANKEES STUFF:
1) A-Rod had hip surgery and will miss 6-9 weeks, per this Bryan Hoch/mlb.com article.
I’m not fond of A-Rod, but I’m glad his surgery went well. I hope he has a quick and complete recovery. I know that Brian Cashman claims the Yankees probably won’t be trading for a third baseman, so Cody Ransom will supposedly play 3rd until A-Rod returns. But Cashman’s been known to pull a rabbit out of a hat before, so we’ll see.
2) After not pitching well in his first two spring training starts, Joba Chamberlain finally pitched well in start #3. Apparently, he had some issues with his mechanics that he worked on with pitching coach Dave Eiland, and the extra work seemed to pay off. That’s definitely good news. I still believe that Joba should remain in the pen and not be a starter, but hey, I guess the Yankees know what they’re doing by making him a starter. I hope they do, anyway.
3) It was a less-than-stellar effort from CC Sabathia in his second spring training start, who didn’t last through the second inning. Giving up five runs in the inning will do that to you. Better he should get such games out of his system in spring training rather than during the regular season.
“I can’t worry about it,” Sabathia said. “Last year, I had a spring where I pitched great and then started the first half
terrible. So hopefully, if I have a so-so spring, then I’ll start the first half on fire.”
4) And then there’s this:
03/10/09 4:48 PM ET
Moose pays Yankees a visit
Recently retired righty has no regrets over calling it a career
By Bryan Hoch / MLB.comTAMPA, Fla. — Mike Mussina made the familiar drive to George M. Steinbrenner Field, and the security guards waved him right into Derek Jeter’s parking space. 270 wins do a lot to open the gates.
The recently retired right-hander was a special guest visitor at Yankees camp on Tuesday, escaping the Pennsylvania cold for a vacation and some fun in the sun. He has no regrets about his decision to walk away from the game.
“I’m doing nothing,” Mussina said, grinning. “And when I walked through the weight room, I knew why I’m doing nothing. I feel good being retired.”
As he would later reveal, Mussina knew last spring that 2008 would be his final season. There was no point during the offseason that he thought about changing his mind, he said, and even when pitchers and catchers began reporting to Spring Training camps, Mussina found himself content.
“It just seemed like a longer winter,” he said. “It didn’t seem any different. When the weather gets better, it’ll be different. I’ll see them playing on TV more often, and it’ll be different. But I’m good.”
Standing in the hallway outside manager Joe Girardi’s office, Mussina appeared relaxed, wearing an ESPN cap, a Ford Mustang T-shirt, shorts and sandals. Girardi embraced Mussina and asked if he wanted to change into uniform for the day.
“No, I’m not getting dressed, and I’m not throwing out the first pitch,” Mussina said.
“Why not?” Girardi replied. “Bernie [Williams] did it.”
Mussina’s former corner locker is now occupied by CC Sabathia, and Mussina greeted his replacement, calling him “Mr. Sabathia” and telling him to keep the space.
Unfortunately, the physical presence Mussina constructed in the Yankees’ clubhouse last spring — a false window overlooking a poster of a lake, complete with a shelf upon which he placed knick-knacks — is no more, replaced by a large blue “NY” logo.
“I think that was a 20-win window,” Mussina said. “Maybe the Steiner Sports guys took it.”
Mussina asked reporters about the progress of the new Yankee Stadium and the demolition of the old park, which he helped close. He said that he would probably be seen in the Bronx at some point this year.
“We’ll probably try to get to some [games] in the summer — one or two, maybe,” he said. “If I get invited to the Old-Timers Game, maybe I’ll pitch in that. Maybe I’ll wait a year.”
A sweaty Andy Pettitte embraced Mussina, who asked, “Where have you been, working out on Field 4?”
Rookie Phil Coke stopped by to shake Mussina’s hand, and Mussina thanked him for the outs he recorded in relief for Mussina’s 19th and 20th victories. Coke got one out against the Blue Jays on Sept. 23 and three against the Red Sox on Sept. 28.
“I remember these things. I’ve got to live in those moments for a while,” Mussina said.
His comments about the weight room and the Steiner Sports guys are vintage Moose! LOL I hope he’s enjoying his vacation with his family.
As of today, the Yankees spring training record is 5-7. Ugh…good thing it’s just spring training.
NATIONALS STUFF:
1) Looks like I’ll have to deal with lots of extra security at the Nats home opener.
Obama to throw Nats’ first pitch
Saturday, March 7, 2009 — Washington TImesFORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. | The Washington Nationals should draw a healthy crowd to their home opener with the World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies in town. But just in case that’s not enough, the Nationals have an even bigger guest lined up.
Provided his schedule doesn’t change because of world events, President Obama is planning to throw the first pitch at the team’s home opener April 13, according to a club source who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the team has not yet announced Obama’s appearance.
The Nationals invited Obama to throw the first pitch earlier this spring, and team president Stan Kasten said Obama has a standing invitation to throw out the first pitch as long as there is a baseball team in Washington….
Pretty cool! I’m sure this won’t change his status as a White Sox fan, but it’s pretty cool nonetheless. (He attended a Washington Wizards game vs. the Chicago Bulls at the Verizon Center in DC a few weeks ago and rooted for his Bulls. The Wizards actually won that game…the President was not pleased. LOL)
2) More soreness in Shawn Hill’s right forearm! GAAH!! Is this guy going to be another John Patterson…lots of potential but unable to stay healthy?! Apparently, there was some inflammation in the forearm, but not structural damage, and anti-inflammatory medication has supposedly helped.
Hill admitted he is tired of answering questions about his forearm and right elbow. He has had persistent problems with both dating back to the 2004 season.
OK, Shawn, I understand that you get tired of answering questions about your arm, but fans and the media get tired of your many issues with arm pain! You’re supposed to be one of the anchors of the Nats’ starting rotation…it would be nice if you could stay healthy.
The Nats dumped John Patterson last year because he couldn’t stay healthy. Maybe it’s time to consider doing the same with Shawn Hill.
3) From a nice article about Ronnie Belliard:
On Friday, for example, Belliard was working out at Space Coast Stadium when he noticed that teammate Anderson Hernandez wasn’t turning the double play the right way. Belliard gave some tips and started working out again.
The scene was telling because Belliard and Anderson are battling to be the Nationals’ starting second baseman. Entering Monday’s action, Hernandez has the inside track to get the job because of his hot hitting late last season and special glove at the position.
“Look at that guy,” special instructor Jose Cardenal said about Belliard. “He is secure. He is not worried about his job. He is willing to help out.”
When asked about helping players, Belliard said, “If a player has any questions that I know I can answer, I will help them.”
Very cool. Most players are all about themselves…it’s nice to see that team players really do still exist.
That article also says Belliard (a) cut off his cornrows and (b) lost about 10 pounds. The cornrows were cool…I’ll miss them.
I hope the weight loss helps to increase his range.
4) Jordan Zimmermann continues to shine, while Ross Detwiler struggles. In his first three spring training starts, Zimmermann has pitched 8 1/3 innings without giving up a run, and has struck out 10 and walked 2. He’s definitely living up to all expectations of him so far. On the other hand, Detwiler gave up 5 runs and walked 7 batters in just 6 innings, and he was optioned to Double-A Harrisburg on Tuesday. Nine other players were sent to the minors as well: Bobby Brownlie, Justin Jones, Preston Larrison, J.D. Martin, Javier Herrera, Chris Marrero, Matt Whitney, Destin Hood, and Mike O’Connor.
5) One of the nice perks of being a Nationals season ticket holder this season is that we get a complimentary subscription to MLB.com Gameday Audio. I know the yearly Gameday subscription fee isn’t much (maybe $15 or thereabouts?), but it’s nice to get something for free. And considering how dreadful the Nationals were last season, this is the least the team can do to thank those of us who chose to renew our season tickets.
6) Speaking of season tickets, mine are on the way! I got an email yesterday (which I didn’t see until this morning) that my season ticket booklet has been shipped via UPS. In fact, the first attempt at delivery will probably be today. Looks like I’ll have to take some time off work tomorrow to sit home and wait for them to be redelivered, since a signature is required for delivery. Baseball really feels like it’s just around the corner when I have my tickets in hand!
As of right now (before today’s game), the Nationals spring training record is 6-5. That’s better than the record of some of last year’s best teams, including the World Series champion Phillies! Of course, many of those teams are missing several top players because they’re participating in the WBC, but I’m not going to let that rain on my spring training parade!
“Strange” day for Jeter
The following appeared in Tuesday’s Daily News:
TAMPA – He wore a red cap that looked strange perched on his famous head and he dressed in an unfamiliar room though he’s been working at Steinbrenner Field since it opened.
When it was time to come in at the end of an inning, Derek Jeter several times nearly jogged toward the wrong dugout – the Yankee dugout.
Jeter was out of place Tuesday though he was playing the position he’s played all his life. He was on another team, facing the one he is the face of for the first time in his career. On loan to Team USA for the World Baseball Classic, Jeter viewed Tuesday’s exhibition as nothing more than another intrasquad tilt, but buried somewhere in a day that was mostly fun is the looming question of what will happen with Jeter when his contract expires after the 2010 season.
He’s a franchise icon who’ll be 35 in June who has some milestones on his baseball horizon. Some fans probably can’t envision Jeter wearing anything other than pinstripes but that idea is something team brass will have to grapple with probably sooner than they would like….
It really must have felt strange for Derek to have to go to the visitors’ clubhouse and dugout at Steinbrenner Field. It will be even more strange for him to go to the visitors’ clubhouse and dugout at Yankee Stadium if the Yankees don’t re-sign him at the end of his contract. I absolutely cannot imagine the Yankees not re-signing him. I realize that he’ll be 36 when that contract expires, and there’s no way to know how his skills (offensive and defensive) may decline as he reaches his late 30′s. But the PR nightmare of letting him slip away to another team may be enough motivation for the Yankees to keep Derek in pinstripes. Then again, it may depend on the Yankees on the field success (or failure) in 2010…if the offense and defense need an upgrade, the front office might want to go in another direction.
Any opinions on how this will play out? Will the Yankees re-sign Derek Jeter and keep him at shortstop? Will the re-sign him and move him to another position? Or will the unthinkable happen…will Derek Jeter be playing for a team other than the Yankees in 2011? Or…will he just retire as a New York Yankee after 2010?
Oh, another excerpt from the above article…I thought this was funny:
Before the game, Jeter appeared at least twice in the Yankee clubhouse. At one point, Girardi joked, “Out!” Jeter was simply getting his weight workout in before the game.
Heh heh heh. :D
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