A-Rod accidentally admits Yankees have no chance

On the heels of the Seattle Mariners defeating Andy Pettitte and Mike Mussina, the Toronto Blue Jays are now a half game in front of the New York Yankees in the Wild Card race.

(Boston leads, Minnesota is 6.5 back, Toronto is 8 back, and the Yankees are 8.5 back.)

A reporter asked A-Rod about that, and he said:

"Toronto's been playing really well. I'll tell you what; a lot of people should be happy they're not in the playoff race, because they would be the scariest team with the 1-2 punch they've got over there with Halladay and Burnett."

The reporter asked him, following that line of reasoning, that he believes that the Yankees are out. A-Rod responded as follows:

"I'm too tired to answer that. You confused me on that one."

IN OTHER NEWS:

Joe Torre's LA Dodgers SWEPT the Arizona Diamondbacks to stake a 1.5 game lead over them in the NL West; the Dodgers have won 8 in a row.

Hopefully, we SEE YOU IN OCTOBER, Joe.

Yankees 2009 Starting Rotation

What will the Yankees starting rotation look like in 2009?


Let's see if we can peer into the future and make some educated guesses.

First, let's examine the current rotation:

Mike Mussina- A free agent. Does he want to come back? Will he demand a 2-year deal (in which he would be 40 and 41 years old)? Will Moose comeback? YES.

Andy Pettitte- A free agent. He turns 37 next year, and truthfully could pitch another 3 years if he wanted to. But does he want to even come back for one more year? And would the Yanks even ask him to come back for one more year? Andy was a late signing last year, as his wife didn't decide for him in time. It's 50-50 right now, and as the winter gets deep, the chances decrease of him ever pitching again. I don't think he'll be back.

Carl Pavano- A free agent. With all the money the Yanks had invested in him, if he was a real man, he'd work for minimum wage, with incentives and bonuses if he remains healthy. But I have a feeling Carl will go where the best guarnteed money is, and that the Yanks just want to "move on" without him. I don't think he'll be back.

Darrell Rasner- A career Spring Training invitee, with some service time with the Washington Nationals, Darrell probably wouldn't mind being a long-man or emergency starter again. However, he and the Yankees know he's not good enough to be an every day starter like he is now. I think he'll be back with a different role OR get traded this winter.

Sidney Ponson- A free agent; Sid will be gone.

Next year, Chien-Ming Wang returns. A healthy Phil Hughes will probably start the season in the rotation. Will Joba Chamberlain start the season in 2009 or the bullpen, or both. Will he stay healthy? Pitch counts?

I guess you can pencil in:

Wang
Mussina
Joba (healthy?)
Hughes (healthy?)


What major free agents will be available?

C.C. Sabathia, who will be the main focus of every team in baseball. C.C. is truly an amazing pitcher. He's going to ask for over a hundred million dollars.

A.J. Burnett, who I covered in a previous post, will most likely leave the Blue Jays.

Derek Lowe, who will be 36 next year, and is a 3rd starter at best. He is good for 200 innings.

And what kind of AAA pitchers may be used by the Yanks next year? Maybe Ian Kennedy again? Kei Igawa is a sunk cost, right? Alfredo Aceves has stamina.

Will we see something like this?

C.C.
Wang
Moose
Joba
Hughes

If C.C. snubs the Yankees:
Wang
Joba
Moose
A.J. or Lowe
Hughes

If the Yanks would quit playing around with Joba and let the kid start, the best possible rotation (to me) would look like:

C.C.
Wang
Moose
Joba
Hughes

If the Yanks are too concerned about Joba and Hughes' injury proneness, A.J. or Andy Pettitte should get signed:

C.C.
Wang
Moose
Pettitte (or A.J.)
Hughes and Joba sharing time on the DL

Of course, if the Yanks truly wanted to be prepared (for example, Wang, Hughes, Joba, and Moose have injury histories) they could break the bank:

C.C.
Wang
Moose
Joba
Pettitte
And have Hughes available to step in at any time.

But these rotations sound too good (due to everyone being healthy) it's possible the rotation may look like:

AJ
Pettitte
Rasner
Kennedy
Pavano

UPDATE: John Sterling said Joba would start 2009 in the rotation. So I edited the rotations.

Los Angeles Jobs

Looking for work in California- specifically Los Angeles, Long Beach, Santa Ana and the surrounding region? BeyondLosAngeles.com specializes and targets that local job market. Why waste time browsing the national job seekers websites when you can post Los Angeles resumes and quickly search for jobs and careers right where you live?

Check out their salary calculator, too, to find out how much you're really worth.

Will Andy Pettitte Retire?

Yankees fans ask Andy Pettitte:

What have you done for me lately?


Andy Pettitte (13-11, 4.52) becomes a free agent after this season, and many fans don't want him back. Of course, Andy doesn't know if he's going to pitch one more year or not. What is certain is that Andy won't be asking for another $16 million.

As much as I like Andy and appreciate the 4 rings he earned with the Yanks, he has been downright negative, depressing, and stressed out lately. He doesn't have confidence in himself (again) or the team. But I'm sure he will come around and finish with 15 wins, just like he did last year. Heck, his last year with the Astros (2006) he was 14-13, 4.20, so what why is everyone shocked?

Andy is Andy- you get the positives and negatives with a headcase like he is. If he does come back next year, I sure hope he won't play hard to get again, and take a paycut. I'd give him $10 million for one more year. He's still good for 200 innings, and has days where he is in the "zone". He's a good #3 starter, and I would like to see him come back. He's one of my favorite pitchers, although he frustrates me at times.

I have a feeling Andy will retire, though. The team is "done" and based on Andy's body language and interviews, I doubt he wants to hang around. It all depends on what his wife Laura says, and if he wants to pitch in New Yankees Stadium.

Cool sports MMOG football soccer game

Finally, an online virtual world for wanna be football superstars. This vast PC game will allow you to live the life of an aspiring soccer player. Football Superstars allows you to interact with other football fans; you can play with or play against them. This is a role playing sports game, which starts off with you creating your online identity. You can them emerge yourself in the world, by going to bars, restaurants, shops, stadiums, and much more.

You can earn your own online currency to have access to better shops and items. Explore two huge towns that have the capacity to host millions of other football fanatics. You can participate in different leagues, competitions, and tournaments. You can create your own team and recruit friends. The graphics are awesome.

Actual gameplay is easy, and you don't need a high end PC or laptop. Have a keyboard and mouse? Then you are already set! When you play on a team, you are in full control of your own player. You can pass to your teammates and speak to them.

Thousands of people have already signed up to join the World's First Virtual Football World. Registration to the Football Superstars Academy is open and free right now.

Download is FREE.

Is Joe Girardi too smart, positive, and mentally healthy?

NY manager Joe Girardi is getting a lot of heat for a few reasons:

1) The Yankees will miss the post-season for the first time since 1993.
2) Joe Torre had a 12-year post-season streak.
3) Hitters are not performing well in the clutch.
4) Girardi's pre-and post-game responses usually contain the following:
a) A description of the game, while making excuses for his players.
b) A politician's spin on why they lost a game. Some fans say he reminds them of George Bush when he talk about the War in Iraq.
c) A refusal to bow down to the MEDIA and yell or call out any of his players.
d) An unwavering optimism that because the Yankees aren't technically eliminated that "we have a chance".
e) He has no explanations regarding why A-Rod has performed poorly in clutch situations, why Andy Pettitte has forgotten how to pitch in the dog days of August, why Robinson Cano had such a poor April and May, etc.

Guess what folks? There is no explanation, and therein lies the problem.

If Girardi knew why A-Rod is a choke machine, don't you think he'd have fixed it already?

Remember the controversy when Joe Torre demoted A-Rod in the starting lineup vs the Tigers in the post season in 2006? Torre wanted to "relax" A-Rod, and he was ridiculed for that move. A-Rod secretly felt disrespected. The irony is that the next year,A-Rod won the 2007 MVP. Is it related? Who knows?

But what I, and every Yankees fan, have noticed this year is that if the Yanks will be losing 3-0 in the 2nd, and they just ground out all day until the 8th or 9th. By then the score is probably 5-1, and by then their "rally" comes just short 5-3.

In other words, this team's offense just lies down and dies, with no consequences from management (except for Melky, who was sacrificed to wake them up- it didn't work).

Now Girardi is very well-schooled with statistics, and he has a humanist approach to his players and handling the MEDIA- if he disciplines, it's done behind closed doors...but it's only done to Robinson Cano.

Girardi is surrounded by superstars, and I think he gives Jeter, Pudge, A-Rod, Abreu, Mussina, Damon, Giambi, and all the rest free reign to work out their problems on their own. He has faith in them, he is positive, he has all the logical answers, he loves baseball, he protects his players, and he is a nice guy. He has a true perspective about the game.

Joe Torre kinda fell into that trap the last few years in New York: he knows the players want to win, know how to win, and can win. Therefore, it's up to the players to kinda motivate themselves and do the right thing. Compare that to a Lou Pinella or Billy Martin or Larry Bowa type of manager. Those type of managers believe that players only play well when they feel the heat; that players need to be "pushed", threatened, called out, and yelled at. I'm beginning to think that the chemistry of the Yankees these last few years needed something like that.

With The Boss being out of the picture, and Hank Steinbrenner being ALL TALK, the players know that Brian Cashman is a logical leader, as opposed to an emotional one. There's not a lot of passion. Torre and Girardi are both humanists (Torre more expressive, Girardi more rational). A-Rod is not a leader, and the cold war between he and Derek has hurt the chemistry. By cold war, I refer to the fact that A-Rod isn't a team captain or "Face of the Team", like he was with Texas and Seattle; with Derek, you have to watch what you say and be a "corporate" person.

Granted, injuries are the true reason why the Yanks are out of the playoff picture. BUT it seemed to me that their ON-FIELD performance has been POOR even with a great lineup. Granted, I don't expect Sidney Ponson to do anything special, but I do expect A-Rod not to ground out in 2 double plays in the most important game of the season. I expect Giambi to "pick him up" and get the clutch hit.

The Torre teams from 1996-2000 had that "clutch skill" and "never say die attitude". They defied odds. Tino, Paul E, Bernie, and friends. This 2008 team? They lose 2/3 every time they play the Blue Jays.

Girardi and his coaching staff do all the right things when it comes to preparation, and the bullpen has been completely retooled- the right way. However, when it comes to lighting the spark- it's a big fat, F.

Girardi knows that a manager is only responsible for around 3 wins a season- if that! He knows coaches shouldn't be blamed for losses or given credit for wins. He makes his players feel respected. But the team doesn't look RELAXED or HAPPY; they looked stressed out and defeated. Girardi knows that some players slump, and that they have to work through it. He knows some things CAN'T be explained, and many times you just have to say "it is what it is".

He'll be the first person to say, "We really need to execute and drive some runs" or "We should be playing better than we have" or "Our guys have a track record for winning". But there's no "and...".

The MEDIA hates it. Fans are starting to get tired of it. It's up to the Yankees front office to get Girardi the players he needs to win. People would not be focused on Girardi if the team was wining.

That being said, I just wish he's slap some of these guys to wake them UP.

Robinson Cano Answers Critics

The Internet message boards, stat freaks, Michael Kay, Jim Palmer, Gary Thorne, heck, even John Sterling have been ALL over Robinson Cano this year for 8 reasons:

1) He didn't bat his usual .330 this year.
2) He makes errors on nationally telecasted games.
3) There's an infamous youtube video of him partying with Melky Cabrera.
4) His criticism has always been that he looks "laid back" or lackadaisical.
5) He likes to swing at the first pitch.
6) Larry Bowa was his motivator, so the perception is that Cano is a baby that needs to be yelled at.
7) He got a $30 million dollar extension.
8) The Yanks will not get the 2008 Wild Card.
9) The MEDIA said that he "dodged" them by sneaking out of the clubhouse after an error.

Yes, folks, I've heard or read all of those criticisms.

There is something about Cano (only when he's struggling, of course) that brings out hatred from Bronx fans. I won't speculate what that is, but I can honestly say he's always come across as a NICE GUY who tries hard. He's funny and is in good spirits. English is his second language, so there may be some communication or culture issues the MEDIA has with him. He reminds me of a funnier version of Alfonso Soriano when he was playing base in NY.

In terms of these 9 issues being brought up to Cano, it has only been recently. He said he hasn't changed his approach at the plate, that's he always been aggressive and got tons of 1st pitch hits last year.

Here's his quote on leaving the clubhouse before the MEDIA attacked him:

"People think I just left because I didn't want to talk to the media; that wasn't it at all. I would rather talk to you when I make an error than when I'm swinging good. Why wouldn't I want to talk to you? I'm there every day."

Here's his response to his game game being changed because of his extention- something that was stated as a FACT by Michael Kay:

"People say it is because I got my contract, but I made the same kinds of mistakes in my first few years. Sometimes, I forget I even have the contract. I still see myself as a young guy, as a rookie. I don't see myself on the level of guys like Jeter, Giambi or A-Rod. I'm the guy that has to keep fighting, to get better every day."

And his reaction to making errors (something EVERY player does):

"I don't want to make errors; I want to be perfect. But things happen in the game. People say that I'm not focused, but this stuff happens in games. I'm not going to be the first guy or last guy it happens to."

So there you have it...the next time you hear someone saying Cano isn't trying hard, I think you should consider his side of the story. I don't know how educated Cano is, but he is a kid, and I think people are judging him because of that. I know that Latin American Yankees scouts actually didn't give him and his family his full signing bonus (they tricked him). So give the kid a break.

Is A.J. Burnett Overrated?

A.J. Burnett, 31, has a player option to void the remaining 2 years of his contract this off-season.
A.J. has been a little disgruntled with Blue Jays front office (even though they gave him a 5-year, $55 million deal) and since AJ will finish the season with at least 16 wins, it's likely he will opt out and become a free agent for a better deal.

This year, AJ has been getting a lot of press for being a "Yankees killer", and trade deadline rumors were swirling that that Yanks were interested in acquiring him.

The fact is that AJ has always had "excellent stuff", and is a power strikeout pitcher. Due to injuries, it seems as if his talent has never translated into the results you'd expect.

Let's go over AJ's history and accomplishments.

AJ was drafted by the NY Mets. During the famous fire sale of the Florida Marlins after their 1997 World Series victory, the Marlins salary dumped Al Leiter to the Mets for AJ.

AJ was poor in the minor leagues, although his fastball hit around 100 MPH. He was called up at age 22, and the Marlins were awful from 1999-2002, so they didn't score many runs for him.

Pitching in a pitcher's ballpark in Florida, AJ posted these stats:

YEAR, W/L, ERA, Innings Pitched (keep in mind 200IP a season is great)

1999: 4-2, 3.48, 41.1 IP (was up and down from minors)

2000: 3-7, 4.74, 82.7 IP (was up and down from minors)

2001: 11-12, 4.04, 173.1 IP (Pitched a no-hitter, but walked 9 men)

2002: 12-9, 3.30, 204.1 IP (His best year. Seemed to have realized his potential)

2003: 0-2, 4.70, 23 IP (Tommy John surgery; missed Marlins World Series win)

2004: 7-6, 3.68, 120 IP (returned in June, got hurt in September)

2005: 12-12, 3.44, 209 IP (An impending free agent, AJ, 28 years old, backstabbed his team by saying these comments: "We played scared. We managed scared. We coached scared. I'm sick of it, man. It's depressing around here. A 3-0 ballgame, I give up one run and leave guys on base, it's like they expect us to mess up. And when we do, they chew us out. There is no positive, nothing around here for anybody."

2006: 10-8, 3.98, 135.7 (first year with the Blue Jays. Began the season on the DL when scar tissue from the 2003 surgery fell off. Came off in April, pitched, hurt his shoulder, and spent 2 months on the DL.)

2007: 10-8, 3.75, 165.2 (Was on the DL twice, and missed 48 games).

2008: AJ hurt his index finger (torn nail in a car door) earlier in the season which explains his high ERA. He will finish the season with 16+ wins, and perhaps hit 200 innings for the third time in his career.

Over 10 seasons, his career record is 85-75 (or 76 depending on tonight's game) with an ERA of 3.87. During that time period, the league average ERA was 4.23, which puts his career ERA only 9% better than average. (The Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay has a career ERA 31% better than the rest of the pitchers in his era.)

Conclusions: AJ, who has always been confident about his abilities, believes he can get more than 2 years on the free agent market, and get more than $12 million dollars per year. The Blue Jays took a huge risk in before the 2006 season to sign him to a 5-year deal, and he pitched well when healthy, but does not have "ace" numbers.

His stats show that he is an above-average pitcher, but not a workhorse or #1 starter, and not someone to build a pitching staff around; he's simply injured too often, and still has control issues.

The irony is that he looks like a superman when pitching against the Yankees. The joke is that since Hank Steinbrenner follows the "if you can't beat him, join him" philosophy, if AJ becomes a Yankee next year, his stats will be worse because he won't be pitching against them!

Now, IF and only IF, AJ can stay healthy and pitch in a post-season for a team, he would probably would do well in a short series. Frankly, I was hoping the Yanks could have traded for him this July and just rented him for the rest of the 2008 season.

But it would be pretty lame if any team signs this guy to a 3 to 5 year deal this offseason.

Yet I have a feeling that some General Managers will see him as an unhittable ace because of his 16+ wins, New York MEDIA hype, and strikeout totals this year.

So, to answer this blog post's title: "Is A.J. Burnett Overrated?"

Yes, he is...sign him at your own risk, or at least have an understanding that he's not an ace and will probably spend some time on the DL. Don't break the bank on him, and have a backup plan. If AJ stays healthy, he will help you. But that's a big IF.

Yankees 2008 Season

Game 131: Red Sox drop Yankees; A-Rod booed

Told ya.

The 2008 Yankees just can't live up to the hype- especially in the first game of a series, not to mention the most crucial series in this season so far. And last night, A-Rod was the one who choked.


Of course, Andy Pettitte (13-10, 4.37) wasn't good either, as he lasted 4.2 innings, gave up 10 hits, 3 walks, 3K, and 6 runs. Sure the umpire was squeezing the strikezone on him, but Andy and Joe Girardi told the umpire so and the zone actually got bigger. Keep in mind, this Red Sox lineup does not have Manny Ramirez, and Mike Lowell, J.D. Drew, and Julio Lugo are on the DL.

Andy wilted under the pressure. Just read what he said after the game:

"I don't throw shutouts. I've always been able to give my team innings. We've always scored runs here and that's been part of it. But I've always said when a team is not scoring, I feel like I've gotta shut the other team down. It's been frustrating."

"I'm pretty honest about telling y'all when I pitch poorly. But I went back and looked at the tape and other than a couple here and there, I didn't leave many balls in the middle of the plate. It was one of those nights. I don't know how to explain it."

Even with Andy's bad start, the Yanks were hitting Tim Wakefield (8-8, 3.73) very well. The fact is the Yanks could have scored more than 6 runs off him. But A-Rod?

How does 0-5 sound? I guess we can call him DOUBLE-PLAY ROD because he grounded out to the shortstop with the bases loaded TWICE. He struck out twice- once looking, and he swung at a high ball to end the game against Papelbon, who was very happy. He also flew out- weakly. His defense at 3rd wasn't any better. From an error, to misplays, he looked like Bobby Bonilla out there.
Speaking of misplays, Jason Giambi made a mental boo-boo by holding the ball at 1B while 2 runs scored (one was extra).

The best part of the night occured when the frustrated fans booed A-Rod for MAKING a routine play and threw out the runner. That was funny.

Brian Bruney gave up 1 run in 1.1 innings, to make the score 7-3. (Johnny Damon had 2 solo HRs, and Jose Molina had a 2-out clutch RBI.) David Robertson, Edwar Ramirez, and Chris Britton each hurled a scoreless inning, but gave up hits.

Yankees vs Red Sox

There is a lot of hype for this 3-game series, because

#1 The Yankees can control their own destiny by winning this series.
#2 It's the last regular season series that Boston will play in the Bronx.
#3 The Red Sox can finish off and crush the hopes and dreams of New Yorkers.

My thoughts:

IF, and only IF, the Yankees could pull off the sweep, we can talk about being in the Wild Card hunt for real. This would be "the run" the Yankees have been TALKING about all year.

However, more than likely, all the talk and sense of urgency will not result in a sweep or even a series win. If this year is any indication of how unclutch this 2008 team is, the Yanks will surely disappoint their fans once again.

We'll have to wait and see.

Light fixtures

Are you tired of driving miles and miles looking for a good deal for quality light fixtures? Well, LightingShowPlace.com has all your indoor lighting, outdoor lighting, lamps, ceiling fans, and home decor needs.

It is easy to navigate the site online- you can shop for bathroom lighting, foyer lighting, kitchen lighting, and landscape lighting.

You can choose from all the big name brands, such as Kichler, Murray Feiss, Minka, Quoizel, and more.

Post Season: Randy Johnson vs Pedro Martinez vs. Greg Maddux vs Roger Clemens

They were the 4 elite pitchers of our era.

There are many debates about who had the best career, who had the best peak, who had the best stuff, who was the most dominant over the greatest amount of years, and who you would want to pitch the most important game for you.

The purpose of this post is not to answer those questions, but to see how they did in the playoffs.

So let's cut through the myths and MEDIA driven legends, and see the actual post season stats of these 4 aces. Let's face it folks, the post season is what separates the boys from the men. It's the most tense, clutch, and pressure situation in baseball. Is it unfair to judge a player based on 5 games? Yeah, but that's life.

Thankfully, these 4 great pitchers have appeared in many post-season games, so we have a better sample than just a handful of games.

Randy Johnson:

The Big Unit has appeared in 8 post seasons, and 11 series. He started 16 games, and made 3 relief appearance. He has 11/16 (69%) Quality Starts.

His record is 7-9, with an ERA of 3.50. His teams have won 4/11 series. He has pitched 121 innings, with 132K, 106 hits, and 32 walks. He has 3 complete games. He has one World Series ring, and was co-winner of the World Series MVP.









Pedro Martinez:



Pedro has appeared in 4 post seasons, and 8 series. He started 11 games, and made 2 relief appearance. He has 7/11 (64%) Quality Starts.
His record is 6-2, with an ERA of 3.40. His teams have won 5/8 series. He has pitched 79.1 innings, with 80K, 63 hits, and 26 walks. He has 0 complete games. He has one World Series ring, and no post-season awards.





Greg Maddux:

Mad Dog has appeared in 12 post seasons, and 21 series. He started 30 games, and made 2 relief appearances. He has 21/30 (70%) Quality Starts.
His record is 11-14, with an ERA of 3.34. His teams have won 10/21 series. He has pitched 194 innings, with 122K, 191 hits, and 50 walks. He has 2 complete games. He has one World Series ring, and no post-season awards.




Roger Clemens:

The Rocket has appeared in 12 post seasons, and 24 series. He started 34 games, and made 1 relief appearance. He has 18/34 (53%) Quality Starts.
His record is 12-8, with an ERA of 3.75. His teams have won 14/24 series. He has pitched 199 innings, with 179K, 173 hits, and 70 walks. He has 1 complete game. He has two World Series rings, and no post-season awards.











Conclusion:

All 4 pitchers have excellent post-season numbers. Clemens and Maddux each have actually pitched a season's worth of post-season games against the best teams in baseball.

• The irony is that Greg Maddux, who is not known for his post-season accolades, actually was the most consistent and had the lowest ERA. His record is 11-14 because of some some unlucky teams playing behind him.
  

• Meanwhile, Roger Clemens, regarded by himself as the greatest pitcher of all time, was only good half the time he pitched. Of course, he does has 2 rings, his teams did win most of the time.
  

• If it wasn't for the Yankees causing him so much trouble, Pedro Martinez would be regarded in the same light as Sandy Koufax in terms of post-season clutch.
  

• Speaking of the Yankees, Randy Johnson's 2 seasons with the Yanks ruined his post-season quality starts % and ERA. But guess what? It counted. And the Yanks needed him. That being said, when Randy was "on", he was generally an unstoppable (but not perfect) machine- extremely dominant with his strikeouts and innings pitched.
  

So...who's the best of the 4 aces when it comes to post season play? It's tough to say. I'd have to pass on Roger, though.

Acne treatments

With so many acne treatments out there, how do we know which ones work? Thankfully, GetAcneTreatments.com rates and reviews the top acne treatments available on the Internet. Such products include Acnexus, Bruunhause, Lipovox, Juliet's Organic, and Biodermazen.

It is a great site to find out how to remove pimples, treat skin, remove blackheads, get rid of back and body acne, and research all the acne cures.

Game 130: Cano helps Yankees SWEEP Orioles

Hero of the Day, Robby Cano

It was one of those 4 hour games in Baltimore this afternoon.

Darrell Rasner lasted 3.1 innings, thanks to errors by Derek Jeter and the usual surehanded Xavier Nady. Ras didn't have command of his pitches, either, and gave up 8 hits, 2 BB, and 2K. David Robertson was unable to stop the Orioles in the 4th inning. Rasner's final line was 5 runs (3 earned) and Robertson was 1.1 innings, 2 hits, and 1 ER.

Thankfully, the Orioles starter Daniel Cabrera was wild today: 3 walks, 8 hits, and 7 runs in 3.2 innings.

It was 2-o O's in the1st.
4-2 Yanks in the 2nd.
7-2 Yanks in 4th.
7-5 Yanks in the 4th.
7-7 in the 5th (Edwar Ramirez (4-1, 3.66) gave up a 2-run HR in 1.1 innings.)
8-7 Yanks in the 7th thanks to Robinson Cano's HR.

Cano was 4-5 (2 doubles, HR, single) with 2 RBI and 2 Runs.

Jose Veras and Damaso Marte combined for 1.2 innings (Marte had 3 K before giving way to Mariano Rivera with 2 outs in the 8th).

Mo converted his 31st save without giving up a hit.

Johnny Damon hit a HR and was great today.

Jim Palmer and Jim Hunter were crying because of the home plate umpire's "bad calls", and suggested that he Orioles send the videotape to the Commissioner's Office for review. Palmer said that the umpire "wanted to catch his flight".

The Yanks remain 5 games out of the Wild Card, with 32 games left. The problem is that Boston and Minnesota are ahead of the Yankees, since Tampa Bay and Chicago lead their divisions, they would also be in the mix.

Game 129: Carl Pavano wins! Yankees win series!

In a game that featured weird plays, odd double plays, a manager ejection, and tons of hits batmen, Carl Pavano (1-0, 5.40) won his first game in his return by getting out of jams for 5 innings, and allowing 3 runs on 7 hits, 1 BB, and 5 K.

The Yanks scored 2 runs in the 1st off Orioles ace Mark Guthrie (10-10, 3.28) thanks to A-Rod's 2-out double and a clutch Jason Giambi RBI single. However, the O's scored 3 runs off "King Carl" in the 2nd inning. Giambi's 2-run blast made the score 4-3, where it stood until Godzilla's solo shot in the 7th- a great insurance run for Matsui. Final score 5-3, Yanks, who finally won a series!!

The unsung hero of the game was Brian Bruney, who pitched 2 scoreless innings after Pavano lasted 5 (91 pitches). Jose Veras pitched the scoreless 8th, and Mariano Rivera converted Save #30 (10 pitches, no hits).

Anyway, Pavano looked shaky out there, although he got stronger as the game progressed. I wasn't really impressed with his stuff- you can only get out of jams so often- ask Sidney Ponson and Darrell Rasner about that. He could have easily lost this game if the offense didn't score early. A win is a win, but it's probably an illusion. Fans were protesting when Joba Chamberlain was on pitch count limits earlier in the season, and was a "5-inning pitcher", but now fans are praising Carl for "toughing it out". Time will tell if Carl will improve with each start. His splitter looked fine, but his other pitchers were average, if not below average for a major leaguer.

Jim Palmer and Gary Thorne Watch:

Gary Thorne said that the reason why I-Rod didn't catch Mussina Friday night was because Joe Girardi wanted him to catch Carl Pavano last night, since they worked together with the 2003 Marlins. WRONG: The reason why Pudge didn't catch Mussina was because JOSE MOLINA has been Moose's personal catcher ALL YEAR. Why must some announcers make crap up as they go on?

Jim Palmer changed his tune- although he refuses to recognize Mariano Rivera as the greatest closer of all time (probably because Jim sees Dennis Eckersley and Goose Gossage Hall of Fame events, and Jim hates the Yankees) he didn't rip Mariano in the 9th. I guess he didn't want to jinx the Orioles again, like he did Friday night when he said Mo was not as good as he was anymore.

Speaking of jinxes, I'd like to thank Gary Thorne for saying Carl Pavano had no chance against Mark Guthrie. He and Palmer were saying how this was a "pitching mismatch", and how Pavano had one of the worst contracts in the game, and has been called "American Idle". Thanks, guys!

Hideki Irabu Arrested

Former Yankees Japanese bust Hideki Irabu, 39, drank 20 mugs of alcohol in an Osaka bar. When he paid for the drinks with his credit card, the bartender said that the card has been rejected. Hideki became enraged, pulled the man's hair, threw him up against the wall, and "smashed at least nine liquor bottles", according to wire reports.

He then paid the bill with another credit card.

Irabu allegedly runs a restuarant and lives in California.

His best year in the United States was 1998, where he was 13-9, 4.06.

Hideki was released by the Expos after public intoxication (and poor pitching).

He finished his MLB career 34-35, 5.15, and made around $15.5 million dollars in 6 seasons.

In many ways, I feel sorry for him because of the way the NY MEDIA and Yankees organization hyped him up. Wheras Dice-K has gotten a Free Pass (tm) so far for the Red Sox, Hideki was too sensitive. I read about his true personality in Mel Stottlemyre's book, and Hideki was a wrong fit in the U.S. It's a shame Yankees scouts never did a psychlogical profile on him before signing him.

And the Yanks never learned their lesson- they spent $26 million just to speak to Kei Igawa, and then signed him to a $20 million deal. Even at the time, GM Brian Cashmen said he's a "#4 or #5 pitcher" to lower expectations. He was right- Igawa is a #4 starter in AAA SCRANTON!!

Hideki Irabu

Game 128: Yanks rally with HRs sink Orioles

Who would ever think Bobby Abreu going 5-5 would be a footnote?

The Yankees looked like they were going to lose the game for Mike Mussina, 4-3. The Yanks were choking against another no-name pitcher named Liz, who came into the game with an ERA over 8.

In the 5th inning, Robby Cano and Jose Molina hit back-to-back HR.

Cody Ransom, pinch hitting for Giambi, hit his 2nd HR in as many at-bats. Can Joe Girardi start this 30+ journeyman already??? Then Xavier Nady hit one, to go back-to-back. This blew the game open.

It was a solid rally by the Yanks. They now stay 6 games out of the Wild Card.

Moose wound up going 6 innings, and did not get the decision. Jose Veras pitched a scoreless 7th. Damaso Marte started the 8th, got 2 outs, and hit a batter before Mariano Rivera came in to clean up the mess.

Orioles announcers Jim Palmer and Gary Thorne commented how "Mariano Rivera is not as good as he used to" and how he is "no longer automatic". Mo promptly pitched 1.1 hitless innings for the save. Since the Yankees rallied in the 8th, Mo got the save even though the final score was 9-4, which resulted in Thorne saying, "Well that had to be the easiest save for Rivera".

Thorne and Palmer also attacked Robby Cano (Michael Kay also did in this interview) saying that "the general consensus" is that ever since Cano signed a big contract this winter, he doesn't play hard enough anymore, and that any kid would do the same thing.

One more critique of Palmer: he seems to believe Mariano only had 2 wild pitches in his career. I guess Jim Palmer hasn't discovered the Internet yet. Check my blog post about Mariano Rivera's wild pitches if you already haven't (11 in his career, plus a few in the post-season).

MLB: Yankees Draft Picks (1999)

Let's take a look at Yankees June draft picks in 1999 (Brian Cashman's 2nd year as GM). Click here for the 1998 list.

By no means is this scientific at all- I realize Steinbrenner and Co. were running the show for a while (although the scouts work for Cashman), and the draft as it setup is flawed- some players sign but change their minds or want a huge bonus, etc. (However, you'd think the Yanks' prestige and money could have convinced any kid to sign.)

That being said, let's see how how many future MLB players the Yanks missed.

In 1999, the Yanks picked David Walling. David never made it to the bigs.

The following decent players were picked by other teams AFTER David Walling:

Chris Duncan
Casey Fossum
Brian Roberts
Carl Crawford
Brandon Phillips
Ben Broussard
Bobby Hill
John Lackey
Justin Morneau
Willie Bloomquist
Josh Bard
Hank Blalock
Kevin Mench
Nate Robertson
J.J. Putz
Erik Bedard
Jason Lane
Coco Crisp
Mark Ellis
Marlon Byrd
Albert Pujols
Brandon Lyon
Jake Peavy
Lyle Overbay
Dan Giese
Adam LaRoche

MLB: Yankees Draft Picks (1998)

Let's take a look at Yankees June draft picks in 1998 (Brian Cashman's first year as GM).

By no means is this scientific at all- I realize Steinbrenner and Co. were running the show for a while (although the scouts work for Cashman), and the draft as it setup is flawed- some players sign but change their minds or want a huge bonus, etc. (However, you'd think the Yanks' prestige and money could have convinced any kid to sign.)

That being said, let's see how how many future MLB players the Yanks missed.

In 1998, the Yanks picked Andy Brown. Andy never made it to the bigs.

The following decent players were picked by other teams AFTER Andy Brown:

Aaron Rowand
Adam Dunn
Barry Zito
Mike Maroth
Jason Michaels
Javier Lopez (the relief pitcher)
Scott Proctor
Matt Holliday
Eric Byrnes
Jack Wilson
Mark Teixeira
Juan Pierre
Jay Gibbons
Nate Robertson
Eric Hinske
J.J. Putz
Ty Wigginton
Adam LaRoche
Cliff Lee
Nick Punto
Kevin Olsen
Steve Sparks
Tim Spooneybarger

Auto air conditioning compressor

Are you tired of getting ripped off by auto dealers when you need to replace your auto ac parts?
For example, I have heard stories of people overpaying for a Mitsubishi ac compressor at their dealer. Have you ever wondering if your car is not cooling well enough this summer? Too hot?

The general public has the opportunity to buy a high quality air conditioning compressor online, including an BMW or Mercedes AC compressor.

Check out DiscountACParts.com for your particular air conditioning compressor, air conditioning condenser, and air conditioning evaporator at prices well below your dealer's list price. Most have the clutch, so no need for messy installations.

It's been a HOT summer, and you need to cool off with a high quality a/c compressor.

Game 127: Halladay, Jays bats destroy Yanks

And in less than shocking news, Roy Halladay (15-9, 2.68) outpitched Sidney Ponson (7-4, 4.67). Roy went 7 innings, with his only blemish being a 3-run HR from Hideki Matsui in the 7th inning. Sir Sidney lasted 2 innings, and gave up 7 runs in 2 innings. The score was 13-0 against the 2nd best pitcher in the AL (Cliff Lee being #1) before Godzilla's HR.

David Robertson was unable to contain the massive bleeding. He was charged with 2 runs in 1.1 innings. Billy Traber mopped up: 4 runs in 2.1 innings. Edwar Ramirez struck out the only batter he faced. Chris Britton gave up 1 run in 2 innings.

Going into this series, the Yankees knew it would be tough because they had to face both A.J. Burnett and Doc Halladay. Perhaps the 1996-2000 Yankees could have pulled off an upset, with some clutch hitting and clutch pitching. But not the 2008 Yankees. This team did what was expected; they lost to both pitchers, and lost the series.

2007 Yankees vs 2008 Yankees

This time last year, Joe Torre's 2007 Yankees had 71 wins after 127 games, while Joe Girardi's 2008 Yankees have 67 wins in 127 games. That's only a difference of 4 games.

The 2007 miracle team finished with 93 wins (although based on their runs scored and runs allowed ratio, they should have won 97 games). It seems as if the 2008 will have to work extra hard to keep pace and win 89 games.

There already has been a lot of commentary about what went wrong this year. But the fact is Tampa Bay and Minnesota have surpassed expectations this year, and Boston is not going anywhere. Even last year's team may have been lost in the shuffle if everyone was healthy.

In many ways, when people made predictions- including myself- we talked about the "worse case scenario" happening- that the young pitching wouldn't hold up or injuries would catch up to some people.

Let's take a look at Brian Cashman's pre-season plan, and see how things panned out.

First, he kept the lineup and regulars exactly the same. Reason #1 was that none of these players- besides Cano and Melky- could have been traded due to their age or huge contract. Second of all, the Yankees didn't have problems scoring runs last year, although they were once again frustrating in their short-post season vs. the Cleveland Indians, which led most observers to believe that Joe Torre no longer could motivate this team, which may have been true.

Injuries to the offense

The major blow was the loss of Jorge Posada's production this year. Although A-Rod won the MVP (and rightfully so), I still thought Jorge was more valuable, or at least irreplaceable, kinda like Mo.

But the hitter's injuries didn't stop with Jorge; A-Rod was gone a few weeks, and the bench did nothing in his absence. Derek got hit on the wrist, and couldn't hit anything until fairly recently. Godzilla- the most consistent hitter this year- lost his knees and was on the DL for months. Johhny Damon was on the DL.

Then you have two enigmas: Robinson Cano and Melky Cabrera. Instead of stepping up when all of these injuries were happening, they both had their worst seasons.

The bench has been awful; Shelley Duncan turned into Kevin Maas, and was sent to Limbo. Wilson Betemit was not the productive reserve player as advertised.

Let's talk about pitching last year: Wang carried the team on his back in 2007- and he finally fell down against the Indians last October. Last year, Mussina had his worst year, Pettitte was 15-9, 4.05, Roger Clemens' comeback was somewhat lackluster, Phil Hughes was injured most of the year, and the rest of the rotation was comprised of a bunch of AAA guys.

In 2008, the rotation was supposed to be Wang, Pettitte, Hughes, Kennedy, and Moose- in that order. In the heat of August 2008, it is now Moose, Pettitte, Sidney Ponson, Darrell Rasner, and Carl Pavano.

Let that sink in for a second.

Phil Hughes was pitching with a broken rib in April, and ruined his body. Wang went down with a foot injury; season over. Ian Kennedy got messed up physically and mentally this year. Joba Chamberlain, who was great as Mariano's setup man, was starting to become an ace starter before he got injured.

The surprise is Mike Mussina, who has reinvented himself and is the staff ace. Andy Pettitte will probably finish with 15 wins like last year- a solid #2 starter.

As far as the bullpen goes, it was completely retooled, revamped, and managed very well thanks to Joe Girardi. It's very possible Torre cost the team 4 wins last year thanks to not using the bullpen correctly.

In terms of trade deadline moves, Cashman got Pudge Rodriguez. Pettitte and Moose prefer Jose Molina because of his game calling. Pudge got hurt in a collision, too, and frankly doesn't hit like he used to.

The Yanks picked up Xavier Nady, who is a 4th outfielder if you look at his career record.

Damaso Marte is a lefty, so he has work.

But no blockbuster moves, like trading for A.J. Burnett, C.C. Sabathia, or Mark Teixeira. For next year, Ian Kennedy and Melky have lost most of their trade value, and the only true avenue the Yankees can explore is free agency and to pray for players staying healthy again.

***
Q- What would last year's team would have been if Wang and Jorge were gone?
A- This year's team.

And that's the simplest answer I can give for this year's embarrassment.

Not hitting in the clutch? Yeah, I have to kinda point my finger at Girardi slightly for not relaxing his guys- they look too serious out there, like they are not having any fun. But even if he had an smiley-faced team, I can't see them running away with the division.

In conclusion, I guess what I'm trying to say is that last year's team- with all its flaws- is this year's team, minus quite a few players that were lost to the DL for a sizable chunk of the season.

And ultimately, it's not Girardi or Torre's fault, although they can't seem to motivate A-Rod to relax. This is Cashman's team. He's the one who signed Pavano, Igawa, Farnsworth, Hawkins, and Morgan Ensberg, and has put together a horrible bench year after year, and had no contingency plan if one of the regulars got injured.

Online Credit Card Payments

If you are an online merchant, I recommend checking out Merchant Focus, which offers one of the best complete online business solutions. They can set up a merchant account for you, which will allow you to accept all major credit cards, and funds will be deposited into your bank account.

If you are heavy into eBay auctions, Amazon auctions, or Overstock auctions, Merchant Focus makes things so much easier for your customers, which will help you increase sales.

Online payments are provided by their partner, authorize.net.

Game 126: Andy Pettitte, Derek Jeter beat Blue Jays

Andy Pettitte (13-9, 4.17) was vintage, and allowed only 1 run in 7 innings on 5 hits, 4 K, and 0 BB, to defeat the Blue Jays in Toronto.

Derek Jeter continued his hot hitting (3-5, now batting .298), had 2 RBI, and even hit a HR. Johnny Damon had 2 hits, a walk, and RBI, and scored 2 runs.

Godzilla Matsui got his first hit since his return.

Brian Bruney was perfect in the 8th and 9th. Final score: 5-1.

I don't really have any commentary. Good crisp game.

Johnny Damon, player's only meeting, MEDIA apologizes to Torre

THE MORNING AFTER...

And from yesterday:
Did you know that the Yankees had a players only meeting an hour before yesterday's game started? Only a couple of players spoke. And it sure didn't work- AGAIN. You can only have enough meetings before you realize you can't really win every game left on the schedule.

You can blame injuries all you want, but the Yanks needed to sweep the really poor teams this year, or at least take 2/3. Instead, they've been dropping the first game of a series after decrying the urgency and need to win Game 1. Then they wind up salvaging the last game, which gives them some "hope". Repeat cycle. And flush. That's been 2008.

You play as a team, and you lose as a team. And that includes everyone- from bench players to the front office to ownership.

As I predicted Johnny Damon took responsibility: "It's uncharacteristic of me and most outfielders in the league. I'll take this one on me" but as I also said last night, it doesn't matter. A loss is a loss. A.J. is very MORTAL to the rest of the league, yet is 3-0 against the Yanks this year. Roy Halladay is the real deal, and he's set to pitch in this series, too. That's why the Yanks had the players only meeting- to talk about the need to win this series, especially Game 1. And that's why it's doubly demoralizing when you drop Game 1- on a bad play.

As for the New York MEDIA now realizing it wasn't Joe Torre's fault last year...

...it's about time. Now Joe Torre's legacy has been vindicated in the history books and public perception. Torre relied on A-Rod and Jorge Posada to provide all the offense last year, but they choked against the Cleveland Indians in the playoffs last year. This year, the Yanks lost Jorge for most of the season, and A-Rod was not only lost for a few weeks, but he's been under too much pressure and has been choking.

Joe Girardi needs to be commended for reworking the bullpen this year, and actually keeping his team over the .500 mark, but he inherited a team with bad chemistry and no clutch. They need to be MOTIVATED. Brian Cashman and the Yankees Brain Trust decided to pass on some big name free agents and trades this year. They seem to be okay with things because the team is making a lot of money, and will sure to make more money next year.

Game 125: Damon's mistake costs Yankees

Darrell Rasner and A.J. Burnett (16-9, 4.51) had a true pitcher's duel.

Rasner held the Blue Jays scoreless until the 7th, and only allowed 3 hits. A.J. who looked like he was going to be a tough-luck loser, pitched 8 innings, striking out 13, and walked on 1.

The Yanks were winning 1-0 until Rasner started to tire and gave up a solo HR. Jose Veras (3-2, 2.84) finished the 7th and was going to have a great 8th before Johnny Damon just dropped a fly ball, allowing the Jays to move ahead 2-1.

BJ Ryan allowed a single to A-Rod to start the 9th, but A-Rod was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double. Jason Giambi struck out 4 times. Bobby Abreu provided the only Yankees offense. Godzilla didn't do well in his return, but neither did anyone else, as A.J. Burnett continues to look like CY YOUNG every time he faces the Yankees.

Final score 2-1.

There is no doubt Damon will take full responsibility for the loss. But it doesn't really matter.

The bottom line is that in CF he was charged with an error in the first inning, and made the final misplay in the 8th. At this point in his career he is a LF. As much as I like Xavier Nady, Damon should be in LF, and Brett Gardner should be in CF, or even Nady would be better in CF than Damon. Hideki Matsui is a full-time DH now.

Injuries and Transactions
Justin Christian was sent down to AAA to make room for Godzilla.
Carl Pavano or Phil Hughes will start Saturday.

The Return of Hideki Matsui Godzilla

Hideki Matsui is BACK in the Yankees lineup. He's not 100%, but he can DH.

But is it too late for the season?