AJ Burnett and Why You Shouldn't Give Up on Him

I am a big AJ Burnett fan. When we signed him I was pretty excited cause I saw what he was capable of in Toronto. In his first season he had a typical AJ Burnett season, or at least consistent with his last 5 or so years. Here is AJ Burnett's statline from the 2009 season:

13-9, 4.04 ERA, 207 IP, 1.40 WHIP, 195 SO, 97 BB

Now compare that to his 2010 campaign:

10-15, 5.26 ERA, 186.2 IP, 1.51 WHIP, 145 SO, 78 BB

His stats have spiked up in the wrong places and subsequently spiked down in the wrong areas as well. If you want a frame of reference, the Yankees have been in existence for over 100 years and AJ Burnett's 5.26 ERA is the worst ever recorded for a starting pitcher with at least 180 innings pitched. Despite these seemingly gloom and doom numbers, I have an optimistic view for AJ Burnett's 2011 season for several reasons.

1. No one repeats their worst season.

Clearly this is AJ Burnett's worst season in his career, while still being healthy. In his career Burnett has not been spectacular but he has always been a consistent player with slightly above average numbers. Although his numbers are only slightly above average, Burnett is capable of matching zeros with any pitcher in baseball. With his ability and a supporting cast behind him, count on Burnett having a bounce-back year. Which brings me to my next point.

2. Larry Rothschild

Dave Eiland, after what most considered a successful campaign, will no longer be the Yankees pitching coach. His replacement will be 15 year coaching veteran Larry Rothschild. In his career, Rothschild has won 2 World Series rings as both a bullpen coach and a pitching coach. Rothschild, before coming to the Yankees, was the pitching coach for the Chicago Cubs. It was clear Burnett needed someone new as Eiland, who was regarded as the pin holding the grenade that was Burnett last season together, could not manage to right Burnett. Having coached for almost 26 years now, Rothschild has encountered his fair share of "project" pitchers. From Rob Dibble to Carlos Zambrano, the new Yankees pitching coach will not be daunted by the prospect of fixing Burnett. Rothschild has the credentials to produce a successful season out of everyone on the pitching staff, including Burnett.

3. Burnett's Attitude

I am of the belief that AJ Burnett has a very firm grip on reality. When I watch Burnett's press conferences or post-game interviews I am not watching a man who is lying to himself or the media. He always knows when he performed well and when he did not. Much like Pedro Martinez, now infamously, Burnett takes full responsibility for when he fails. He knows he made the mistakes. Additionally Burnett falls under the caption of a gamer. He loves to win and loves to come up big when people need him to.

4. Game 4 of the 2010 ALCS

AJ Burnett as we all remember lost this game. However this game holds some bright spots that Yankee fans should remember. It should be noted that Burnett had not pitched in an actual game in 17 days. For a frame of refernce that is around 4 starts that Burnett "missed". After that long of a layoff any pitcher would have a certain amount of rust to shake off. Factor in the poor showings Burnett had experienced earlier in the season and you are left with very low expectations. Despite these odds stacked against him, Burnett did pitch a good game. He had his typical blow-up inning in the third in which he walked a batter, threw a wild pitch and hit a batter. He gave up 2 runs that inning and all things considered he minimized the damage. The big blow in the game came later in the 6th inning. In this inning Burnett gave up a quick single and then got the next 2 batters out. Up came David Murphy and Girardi elected to walk Murphy in order to set up the double-play. Burnett subsequently missed his spot and gave up a 3 run homerun to Bengie Molina. He quickly got the last out but the damage had been done as the 1-run lead had turned into a 2-run deficit. There is a small debate whether or not Burnett should have pitched to Murphy and also if Joba Chamberlain should have pitched to Molina. Regardless, aside from that pitch to Molina AJ Burnett was on his game. He pitched a very solid game and even when he left the Yankees were still within striking distance. It was not his fault that the Yankees could not score more than 3 runs that game. Everyone in the world expected Burnett to get rocked and he didn't. He came through and gave the Yankees a solid performance when they desperately needed one.

5. Game 2 of the 2009 World Series

In my eyes this game is why AJ Burnett deserves a chance this coming season. Let me bring you back to the time. Cliff Lee had absolutely dominated the Yankees throwing a 1 run complete game. Moreover the Phillies lineup looked unstoppable the way they pounded on both Sabathia and a bullpen that had been solid down the stretch. With homefield advantage lost the Yankees risked going down 2-0 with 3 games to be played in Philadelphia against the reigning World Series champions. To compound matters further, Pedro Martinez, the Yankees old nemesis, returned to the Bronx and pitched like the Martinez of old allowing 3 runs in 6 innings and striking out 8. However AJ Burnett matched Martinez pitch for pitch and eventually ended up out-dueling him. Burnett's line that night was 7 IP, 1 run and 9 strikeouts. Providing the Yankees everything they needed, AJ Burnett came up huge on the biggest stage of them all and was downright unhittable all night. If not for Burnett's performance the Yankees might not have won that game and consqeuntly could have been swept out of the World Series. AJ Burnett's performance that night swung the momentum back in favor of the Yankees and ultimately lead to the Yankees winning the World Series.

Burnett can be great or he can be awful. Hopefully I have swayed you to believe that Burnett will bounce back and have another fine season in 2011.

Back after Hiatus

Well there was a considerable dropoff in my posting on this blog. For anyone that actually reads this, I apologize. I'm back and I have some thoughts about where the Yankees are heading. In the future expect to hear about AJ Burnett, Cliff Lee, The Boston Red Sox and Jesus.

Yankees Visit Obama

One of the responsibilities of being President of the United States is that you meet with every championship team during your presidency. So far President Obama has meet with the Lakers, Saints, Alabama Crimson Tide, Pittsburgh Penguins, and others. Today the Yankees meet with President Obama.

This will be the third President for Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, and Mariano Rivera.

Pictures coming.

Unwritten Rules

My last post I mentioned unwritten rules in baseball. I thought it might be a good time to delve into them a bit and explain somewhat.

Unwritten rules are somewhat unique to both Hockey and Baseball. In hockey certain things are just known throughout the sport. For example everyone knows about the fighting in hockey. What they do not know is that fights almost always happen for a reason. Every so often you will see two players start fighting immediately after the puck is dropped. What they are doing is settling a score. Once they get their penalties for the fight everything is over. They have no hard feelings and they do not take it personally. Both men understand that the fight was business and their business is complete. Another unwritten rule is that you do not shoot the puck in an empty net after the whistle is blown.

Baseball has unwritten rules as well. The one that is most well known is the rule that pitchers do not throw at a batters head. These rules are something that I love about baseball, and hockey for that matter. It is a general kinship amongst every player that has ever played the game. Everyone knows these rules and for the most part abides by them. Some of the rules are just a respect for the game and what it can do to you. For example everyone that has played baseball knows what it feels like to be hit with a baseball. So they can only imagine what it would feel like to be hit in the head with a pitch. So in that sense this rule is about respecting the danger of the game. Some rules are just tradition. The quintessential example of this is the no-hitter rule. When a pitcher is pitching a no-hitter the players on the bench will often times leave the pitcher alone, sometimes even avoiding the pitcher so as to not "jinx" the no-hitter.

There is a label for people who break these rules and that is: Bush-league. Bush league has come into the lexicon as a phrase for something that isn't quite right. The origin of this term refers to someone who is unprofessional or simply not in the big leagues. Bush league is a moniker that a player doesn't want to have bestowed upon them. This could mean that players wouldn't want to play with this guy or don't want them on their team. It carries an extremely negative connotation and can be hard to overcome. No one is safe from being bush league. Umpires, managers, and even broadcasters can be labelled as bush. It all stems from breaking these unwritten rules.

These rules are what makes baseball, and hockey, so great. That and history, but that's another story.

A-Rod ... le sigh

During today's game A-Rod annoyed Oakland Athletics' pitcher Dallas Braden. The incident occurred on a foul ball off the bat of Robinson Cano. During the play A-Rod went from first to third and ran back across the field to get to first base. When returning to first, A-Rod ran across the mound. This is what ticked off Dallas Braden. After the game A-Rod didn't understand what got Braden angry and said something he shouldn't have said:

“He just told me to get off his mound,” Rodriguez said. “I was a little surprised. I’d never quite heard that. Especially from a guy that has a handful of wins in his career.”

This is what Braden had to say about the incident:

“I don’t care if I’m Cy Young or the 25th man on the roster, if I’ve got the ball in my hand and I’m on that mound, that’s my mound,”

I disagree with A-Rod for taking a shot at this guy because he's not a household name. It screams "Do you know who I am?" and I hate people like that. Derek Jeter does not do that and neither does Mariano Rivera. Just because you have a ton of homeruns does not give you that right.

Now normally I would defend Alex Rodriguez just on principle. However this is the second time Rodriguez has broken an unwritten rule. The first time being when he was running around third and shouted at the thirdbaseman Howie Clark. Since Clark thought he was being called off, he backed away from the ball and let it drop in allowing Rodriguez to score. Back to the matter at hand.

Unwritten rules are something not to be tampered with. It is hard to explain why they are important be they certainly are. I hope he wakes up because he needs to start obeying the rules. No one is above the unwritten rules. Not A-Rod not anybody.

Triple Play

Today the Yankees turned a triple play. It was scored 5-4-3.

Kurt Suzuki hit a ball toward third, A-Rod ranged to his right, stepped on third, threw to Cano at second who threw it to Teixeira at first.

Huuuuuuuuuuuuughes

Last night Phil Hughes pitched 7 no-hit innings. He ended the night with 7 1/3 innings 10 strikeouts, 1 run, 1 hit, and 2 walks. Not bad for a 5th starter

Clearly Phil Hughes has been on fire. He's 2-0 with a 2.19 ERA this season. He's starting to settle into being a starter and that is great news. Last year he made his comeback in the bullpen and I believe he gained an enormous amount of confidence from his experience in the pen. Something the bullpen forces pitchers to do is throw strikes and use your fastball efficiently. That is exactly the gameplan Phil Hughes had last night. He relied heavily on his fastball and made the A's prove they could hit the fastball before showing them any of his other pitches. What that does is "hide" his other pitches to keep them guessing later on. So a batter will have to keep that curveball in the back of his mind, but still need to protect against the fastball. Now when a batter has that much going through his mind it's extremely difficult to focus and subsequently get a hit.

Another good sign from Phil Hughes was that he attacked the strike zone. He threw 101 pitches and 70 of those pitches were strikes. If he can continue to throw strikes and record outs, he will be a force to be reckoned with. The reason Roy Halladay is so effective is because he throws strikes and makes batters swing the bat.

Lastly Phil Hughes has great stuff. Watching him last night was a real treat. He had a sharp fastball and his curveball fell off the table (if you don't understand that what happens when a ball falls of the table?) I'm really happy that Phil Hughes is coming along. I would expect him to have a really good season.

No-hitter

Sometimes baseball is like that person you wanna hook up with. You flirt around for a while but don't quite get the green light, even though you know it's in your future.

Well I have the same feeling about the Yankees. They have been flirting with a no-hitter for a long time now. I predict that a Yankee starter will throw a no-hitter at some point in the next two seasons. I have a really good feeling about this and I will be there doing whatever I can to help.

Fingers Crossed

Chan Ho Park was warming in the bullpen and felt something in his right hamstring. He will be reevaluated tomorrow and the team doctor will determine if Park needs a MRI.

It would be a hit to lose Park this early in the season. Hopefully nothing is wrong but it is something to be monitored.

Just Saying

Marcus Thames and Randy Winn both got starts today. Which means that 7 of the 9 starters were minorities. Derek Jeter, Robinson Cano (who is named for Jackie Robinson), Jorge Posada, Alex Rodriguez, Curtis Granderson, Randy Winn and Marcus Thames are all minorities.

Not sure if Girardi did this intentionally, but as I've said before nothing in baseball is merely coincidence.

David Robertson

A lot was made of David Robertson giving up a grand slam in the 9th inning on opening day. Even more was made of his attitude in the clubhouse the next day. Reports said that he was calm relaxed and was not beating himself up about giving up the grand slam to Abreu. This is all good and nice but it doesn't really mean much until he gets out there and pitches.

Well he was just taken out of the game and he looked like the David Robertson who pitched so well in the postseason. He came on in the 6th with runners on 1st and 2nd and nobody out. He escaped the inning with only 1 run scored on an RBI groundout. He came back in the 7th got 2 outs and was replaced with Damaso Marte. Robertson was not rattled by coming in with runners on nor was he uncomfortable starting an inning. This is a good sign.

Let's keep in mind that until he blows a lead or loses a game for the Yankees we can not truly test his guts. Yes it's a starting point but he has not blown a lead nor has he cost the Yankees a ballgame. It will happen eventually and we will revisit this subject when it happens. For now, we will enjoy his performance and be happy.

Jackie Robinson Day

Jackie Robinson was easily THE most influential person in the history of baseball. Until Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in MLB on April 15th 1947 at Ebbets Field for the Brooklyn Dodgers, black players were relegated to a whole other league: the Negro Leagues. Without Jackie Robinson, baseball may have been robbed of seeing Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Satchel Paige (even though he debuted at the end of his career), Bob Gibson, or Willie McCovey.

Jackie Robinson also served in the segregated army in Fort Riley, Kansas.

Every player will be wearing #42 in honor of Jackie Robinson today and the number is retired throughout baseball to further honor his legacy.

Thank You Jackie Robinson for putting your life on the line to play this great game.

But you were out.

4/15/10 Game Preview

Today's game sees the season debut for both Phil Hughes and, former Tampa Bay Ray, Scott Kazmir. I am interested to see how Phil Hughes pitches back in the rotation. I am not expecting him to shut down the Angels, but I am expecting him to throw a quality start which is 6 innings and at 3 runs or less. It's at least comforting to know that the Yankees are on the right track when it comes to their two young pitchers.

Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira are both looking for their first homerun of the season.

Again we are going to have to watch Curtis Granderson today because Scott Kazmir is lefty. Eventually I think Granderson will start to figure things out against lefties because Kevin Long knows what he's doing.

Scott Kazmir always pitches well against the Yankees and I'm expecting today to be no exception. Hopefully the Yankees can run up his pitch count and get into the bullpen early so they can attack a bullpen without a closer right now.

Today is Jackie Robinson Day, so everyone will be wearing #42.

The Fake Ring

This is the ring that Hideki Matsui and Nick Swisher received yesterday.

Something I was unaware of

If you don't know who this is, he is Gene Monahan. He has been the Yankees trainer for over 48 years. Lots of Yankees have been under his care, from Thurman Munson to Willie Randolph to Bobby Murcer, to Don Mattingly to all of the current Yankees. He has been a staple in the Yankee organization and for the first time in 48 years he missed spring training. It has come to my attention that Gene Monahan is suffering from cancer. I knew something was up from the beginning of the spring training but I did not know all the details. Seeing him today on Opening Day was something special because of the emotions taking place on that field today. It was clear that just being at the stadium meant the world to him. Add on the standing ovation all the players in the dugout gave him and the cheers the crowd showered him with and you have a very emotional trainer. Even in this picture you can tell he is overcome with emotion.

Get Well Soon Geno, we're pulling for you

Further Proof Matsui Will Always Be a Yankee

This will be the last time I show a player not in a Yankee uniform showing off their championship ring. Unless Joe Mauer wins a World Series but that is another post.

The picture above is of Hideki Matsui with his World Series Championship ring. However it is the second ring he received today. The first ring was a fake. It was a practical joke orchestrated by Derek Jeter. To me this is further proof that Hideki Matsui will forever be a Yankee.

This prank speaks volumes about how much Hideki Matsui was loved because even on a different team they still love him.

Opening Day Roll Call

World Series Championship Rings

These are beautiful.

Told You

This is the reception Matsui got after receiving his World Series Championship ring. Matsui thought he was just going to walk off the field but he was swarmed before he reached the dugout and was embraced by his teammates. It was a great moment and one that shows just how great that team was last year.

Matsui's Return

Hideki Matsui was quoted as saying " They might boo me, they might applaud me." He was talking about the Yankee fans and his return to the stadium in an Angels uniform. New York fans are some of the smartest fans around, and we certainly remember this:

Basic Predictions

Okay here it goes

AL East: Yankees (duh)

AL Central: Tigers (gonna bounce back big time)

AL West: Mariners (Angels lost too much)

AL Wild Card: Boston

NL East: Phillies

NL Central: Cardinals

NL West: Dodgers

NL Wild Card: Giants

I know I didn't exactly take any "chances", but this is how I think it's gonna play out.

ALCS: Yankees vs. Boston (7)

NLCS: Phillies vs. Giants (6)

Again it would appear I haven't ventured too far out of the norm.

World Series: Yankees vs. Phillies (6)

Rematch I know but these two teams should be the two best in the league again.

World Series Champion: Yankees

Happy Birthday Teixeira

I'm a little late, but it's Mark Teixeira's 30th birthday today. Happy Birthday dude, for your birthday I'm gonna figure out a better home run call than "You're on the Mark, Teixeira" or "Mark sends a tex message to left".

Tropicana Field Rules

Okay in the sixth inning with 2 outs AJ Burnett got Evan Longoria to pop up to what seemed like an easy out. Jorge Posada went into foul ground to track the ball, then Mark Teixeira charged in toward the plate, then Robinson Cano started toward second base, then Derek Jeter charged toward Robinson Cano, then the ball dropped in between Robinson Cano and Derek Jeter in between first and second base. The ball was popped straight up and hit a speaker that is suspended from the roof of the dome.

These are the ground rules for Tropicana Field:

• A batted ball that hits the catwalk, lights or suspended objects in foul territory will automatically be ruled a dead ball and it shall be called a strike.

• A batted ball that hits a catwalk, lights or suspended objects in fair territory shall be judged fair of foul in relation to the striking point on the ground or where it is touched by the fielder. If the ball hits the catwalk, lights or suspended objects in fair territory and lands in the field in fair territory or is touched by a fielder in fair territory, it shall be judged a fair ball. If the ball strikes the catwalk, lights or suspended objects in fair territory and is caught by a fielder in fair or foul territory, then the batter is out and the base runners run at their own risk.

• A batted ball that hits the catwalk, lights or suspended objects and remains on or in the catwalk, lights or suspended objects in foul territory is a foul ball and it shall be called a strike.

• A batted ball that hits the catwalk, lights or suspended objects and remains on or in the catwalk, lights or suspended objects in fair territory is a fair ball and it shall be called a double.

• A batted ball that hits either of the lower two catwalks, lights or suspended objects in fair territory is a home run.

  
  

  So when Joe Girardi went out to argue the call I imagine the conversation went like this:

  

  Joe Girardi: What was that? It hit the speaker behind the plate.

  
  

  Umpire: No, if you hit it high enough now it's a hit.

Interesting Call

Today it came out that despite CC Sabathia potentially pitching a no-hitter Kelly Shoppach would have been CC Sabathia's last batter. Girardi cited CC's pitch count of 111 as the justification of this move. Believing that a championship is ultimately more important than individual achievements, Girardi was willing to make the move. With the history of people who have blown out their arms (Mark Prior and Kerry Wood come to mind) Girardi wanted to preserve his workhorse for when he is actually needed down the road.

I can't say I disagree. While I was hoping for CC to throw a no-no it makes a lot more sense for the long term to preserve CC and save him for the postseason. Personal gain is absolutely not more important than championships. Sure it's easy for me to say that sitting at home yelling at my tv but it's the truth. Personally I don't think this story needed to come out. Girardi could have just let it be because as it turned out, this situation never arose. Nevertheless I think Girardi has the right mindset to repeat and am glad to see he has everything in perspective.

It's Coming

I love opening day, something about that first game at the stadium gets me going.

Burnett

AJ Burnett is one of my favorite pitchers around. Today he went 7 innings giving up 6 hits and 2 runs. He did walk 3 batters but the truly surprising stat is that he only struck out 1 batter. The guy is a strikeout pitcher and it's surprising to see him strike out only 1 person in such a great performance. Hopefully this is indicative of someone who is maturing as a pitcher. I'm hoping that he realizes that he doesn't have to strike every batter out and that he has a damn good defense behind him. By not trying to strike out batters and pitching to contact, Burnett conserves pitches and can last longer into ball games. I'm hoping this is a sign of things to come.

What is it about Tampa?

CC Sabathia literally just gave up his first hit in the game today. He went 7 2/3 with 5 strikeouts and 2 walks. This marks the second year in a row that a no-hitter was taken deep into an opening series with the Rays. It's obviously just coincidence but I tend to believe that nothing in baseball is coincidence. It's a great performance by Sabathia and a good sign of things to come.

"Pathetic and Embarrasing" - Joe West

"They're the two clubs that don't try to pick up the pace. They're two of the best teams in baseball. Why are they playing the slowest? It's pathetic and embarrassing. They take too long to play. The commissioner of baseball says he wants the pace picked up. We try. And [Tuesday night's game] still almost went four hours . . . This is embarrassing, a disgrace to baseball."

This is a quote from MLB Umpire Joe West. He is a reputable umpire and has been calling games since 1976. He has worked 4 World Series and 11 different post seasons. Clearly this is a man who understands baseball.

I don't quite understand where Joe West is coming from making these statements. I admit that Yankee-Red Sox games are marathons at best. However this is not because the pitchers are constantly stepping off the rubber or the batters are constantly calling time. No. The reason these games take so long is because these teams are very very good. Two factors primarily contribute to these games taking so long: hitters and broadcasting. Neither factor can really be changed and both are something Joe West is going to have to live with.

Yankee-Red Sox games are high profile games and huge draw to whichever network lands the games. Usually these games will end up on either ESPN or Fox who both have huge commercial breaks between innings. With at least 17 commercial breaks in a game this adds almost an hour to the game (3 minute commerials). Now factor in pitching changes and your looking at almost over an hour just on commercial breaks. Clearly this is not the fault of either team. In fact this is highly unavoidable. Throughout MLB last year the average game took 2 hours and 54 minutes to play start to finish. The average for Yankees-Red Sox was 3 hours and 38 minutes. With that in mind let's just round the average Yankee-Red Sox game up to 4 hours. Take away the hour of commercials and your at the league average. Now let's talk about the hitters. Both teams are loaded with patient hitters who will work the count and wait for "their pitch". Last year the Yankees alone saw 25, 049 pitches. The second closest team saw 24,980 pitches. It should come as no surprise that the second team on the list is the Boston Red Sox. That means that these two teams spent more time at the plate than any other teams in Major League Baseball thus leading to.... you guessed in longer games.

I said it in the beginning and to call these games "Pathetic and Embarrasing" is simply absurd. Are football games "Pathetic and embarrassing" because they take 3 hours and go to commercial after every kickoff. There are some broadcasts that will go to commercial after a touchdown and then go to a commercial after the ensuing kickoff. Is that "pathetic and embarrasing"? I stil don't understand where Joe West is coming from when he makes these comments. The style of play these two teams practice is not something to be changed nor is the broadcasting policies. Is it possible that Joe West is just getting older and doesn't want to call these games? I wouldn't rule that out, but it doesn't excuse him for making these comments. Now if MLB is putting pressure on the umpires to speed the game up then I can understand West's frustration with the games. However I believe that these two clubs will have continue to have marathon games because of the intensity and style of play both teams have.

Babe Ruth Award

Alex Rodriguez received this award the other day and it brought him to tears.

What is that award you ask. It is the Babe Ruth Award otherwise known as the postseason MVP. The announcement that Arod won this award produced two different emotions in me; empathy and redemption. For years I have defended Arod. Many people close to me have, for lack of a better term, shit on Arod and without fail I would come to his defense and attempt to redeem him in their eyes. Just because I defended the man does not mean I have any personal attachment to him. He plays for the Yankees and therefore I feel it is my duty as a Yankee fan to support him regardless of performance or lack there of. So come this postseason I had heard every possible slight against Arod imaginable. It was great for him and me, although something tells me it was better for him, to have him produce so greatly in the postseason. Finally people will stop talking about how he has never hit in the postseason and will continue to drag the team down. In fact this year without Arod I contest that the Yankees would not have won the World Series. Therefore I feel redeemed that Arod finally came through and proved that maybe hate and booing isn't the way to go. Arod was brought to tears when they presented him with the award. Clearly it hit him. What do I mean by "it"? The World Series victory, the silencing of critics, his validation as a great player, being embraced by the fans, and just that his past is finally behind him. And that is what I empathize with.

Roy Halladay News

Okay so I lied. It's yet another post on RHP Roy Halladay

So according to www.mlbtraderumors.com the Yankees offered C Jesus Montero for Roy Halladay straight up. I wish I would have known this months ago. This is truly a revealing look into how serious the Yankees were about acquiring Roy Halladay. Anyone worth their weight knew that the Blue Jays were looking for more than just a catcher of the future, especially from the Yankees. When it came to the Yankees, the Blue Jays seemed to really want the farm... almost literally. Now I know that Cashman was not pursuing Halladay seriously at all. He was clearly appeasing the Steinbrenner boys and making an offer and if he could pull the trigger great, if not that is fine as well. Offering a minor league catcher for arguably the best pitcher in the majors today implies that Cashman either wanted to steal Halladay or never felt he was in the running.

I am at ease with this whole situation now.

Abscence

So normally I post regularly on this little venting machine I call a blog. However I have taken a small sabbatical from posting because I got a little discouraged by the general lack of knowledge about this little blog. Sometimes I question myself for reasons I don't quite understand. Which leads to a certain state of uncertainty. What it comes down to is that this is what I would love to do with my life. My life's goal is to become a sports writer and without some sort of genuine practice I will never achieve that goal. So I am back and willing to appease the public... be it only 1 fan at this point.

Sergio Mitre

Sergio Mitre is coming back to the Yankees. He avoided arbitration and has signed for $850K. From what I have heard he can make a run at the 5th starter or could just be used as trade bait.

This is hard to see because I was not overly impressed with what I saw from Mitre during the season. When I look back I realize that Mitre is young and coming off Tommy John surgery. Although when I look back I also see someone who served a 50 game suspension for PEDs (Performance Enhancing Drugs). I know he was decent with the Yankees and could be someone who draws interest from another team. As a sinkerballer he plays well with the New Yankee Stadium. However He has always had a high E.R.A. and that is bad news out of the pen or as trade bait. This guy is questionable and I'm not a huge fan of this signing considering that players like Doug Davis (lefty who eats up innings) still available.

Randy Johnson

Today we saw the end of an era. The Big Unit retired today after 22 seasons in the Major Leagues. It was clear that Johnson was hanging around to get his 300th win and he finally accomplished that feat this season. I for one am glad for Johnson. He will be the first Diamondback in the Hall of Fame and should be the first number they retire. He deserves it and could be the last 300 game winner for 10 or so years.

John Kruk might attest that Randy Johnson was the scariest pitcher of this era. Johnson threw a pitch over the head of John Kruk in the all-star game just to intimidate him. The Big Unit is a sure-fire Hall of Famer and is five short years away from that phone call. Johnson had a brief stint in the Bronx and only further enhanced his scary persona when he attacked the news crews that bombarded him upon his arrival in New York:

Eric Hinske

I'm gonna be honest. I didn't even know that Eric Hinske was a free agent. Apparently he was because he just signed with the Braves. The Yankees acquired Hinske from the Pirates, they're Major League affiliate, mid-season and he was pretty good. The role Hinske played on the Yankees was that guy who we should be using more but for some reason Girardi wasn't. At the time A-Rod was needing time off for his hip and Hinske was not being used for some reason. Jerry Hairston Jr., who is also a free agent, was filling in for A-Rod when he got days off. However I liked Hinske but I'm not terribly sad he's gone. Unfortunately for Hinske he has won 2 World Series but it was a moment in the World Series he didn't win that he will be most remembered for:

Jason Bay

As of today, the Mets have signed Jason Bay to a 4 year deal for $66 MM deal. Now this is not really Yankee news, but it affects the Yankees so it is worth mentioning.

First let my start by saying that I am not one of those Yankee fans who hates on the Mets just because they are in New York. That has never made sense to me. Nor do I feel that the Yankees should ever do anything in response to a Mets signing or trade. The reason Jason Bay signing with the Mets is note worthy to Yankee fans is because this:

looks a whole lot better than this:

Jason Bay being of the Red Sox roster brings me immense joy. Usually it takes some time for me to start hating a Red Sox player. With Jason Bay, only playing a season and a half with the Red Sox, not much time passed at all before I began to hate this guy. He was a thorn in our side and that is evident when the Yankees went to Fenway and he hit a walkoff homer against Mariano early in the '09 season. Bay played well and was a perfect fit in Fenway Park. The pressure of a big market, like Boston, didn't get to him and that made him an even bigger threat. When the stakes where their highest Bay thrived and produced. Now that Bay is back in the National League I don't have to worry about him beating us. So I say good riddance.

Ps. Good signing for the Mets, solid player and will be better than Angel Pagan.

Brett Gardner

Admittedly I have been a bit hard on Brett Gardner lately. I apologize.

Actually I really like Brett Gardner. As a Yankee fan it is easy to forget that young players actually develop. Gardner is young and still learning to play as a big leaguer. I like a lot of what he brings to the table and I'm glad Cashman is making the decisions and not me. I always knew Melky wasn't really a life-long Yankee like Derek Jeter or Mariano Rivera. Brett Gardner has a ton of upside if he can learn to hit. His speed is remarkable which he can make him a huge threat on the basepads. His speed carries over into the field and he can cover a lot of ground out in center or left whichever the Yankees decide is best for him. I believe it will be left field because Granderson's arm may be a bit better than Gardner's. One last thing about Gardner that should be noted is that he is a throwback player. He gets dirty and he plays the game hard and I love that about him.

My only hangup on Brett Gardner is that his flaws are aspects of his game he desperately needs to improve upon. In particular I am talking about baserunning and hitting. First his baserunning has been subpar to put it lightly. He gets picked off a lot and makes a lot of baserunning mistakes. Hopefully this is in large part due to him feeling out the competition. Which pitchers have good moves, which fielders have good arms, or which catchers have arms he can run on. I can only hope he is just trying to gain his bearings in the big leagues and it will all start to click because right now he is relegated to a pinch-runner/defensive sub type player. Next is his hitting. Last year Kevin Long, the hitting coach, told Gardner to become more aggressive particularly on the first pitch. I remembered hearing this and not seeing it acted out. Gardner tends to look for that perfect pitch and often times the big league hitters don't give you a perfect pitch. Maybe Gardner should pick Jeter's brain about how it is to hit early in the lineup or work with Kevin Long extensively but Gardner's hitting problems are something that needs to be fixed. After all what good is a base stealing threat if they are not on the bases.