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.