Also, losing Chamberlain, Pineda, and now Robertson hasn't helped.
It's going to be a rough year.
Rough for a lot of teams though.
Of all the preseason "picked" teams, the only one that's living up to it is the Rangers, clearly the best team in baseball. The Angels are 4 games under 500 and look terrible. The Phillies can't hit without Howard and Utley, and are in last place. The Red Sox seem to be coming out of it, but are still in last place with no Ellsbury or Crawford for another month. The Tigers were supposed to run away with the Central, but they're under 500 and Cleveland (lowest attendance in MLB so far) has a 3 game lead. All of a sudden, Lincecum can't pitch, and the Giants are under 500 and trail the Dodgers by 6 games.
Phillies can't hit with Howard either. Ruben has got to be one of the worst GMs in the league. Pat Gillick handed him a championship team on a silver platter and he's managed to squander it and failed to maintain the team or make it better. They clearly have too much pitching and no hitting, yet his genius offseason move was to overpay for Papelbon. Nice going Einstein
True, but IMHO the real problem is that they are not scoring runs. You're not going to win many games scoring 1, 3 or whatever runs.Originally Posted by ZippyTheChimp
The loss of Gardner has been tough too. As AN notes, the speed has been removed, but the loss of his hits & tough at bats and fielding are also felt.
What else?
Arod is now hitting for average: a good singles hitter -- not something of need in the middle of the lineup. Cano and Tex will get fewer good pitches to hit. At least he is still in top form at 3rd, but that just means he's one of a couple of dozen good choices at the position. He's not playing like an all star without the power bat.
No reliable No.2 has emerged behind Sabbathia. Pineda was going to fill that role when he was first signed, then the expectations were lowered, and then the shoulder blew. Kuroda has had brilliant flashes, but maybe he isn't up to the AL East, or maybe he's showing his age. Or maybe he needs more time to adjust.
I don't think offense is the trouble; it's just that we're accustomed to the Yankees far ahead of the league in runs scored.
So far this year, the Yankees are 3rd in the AL in runs scored, behind Texas and Boston. Another stat shows why two of those teams are having trouble.
In team ERA, Rangers 1st, Yankees 10th, Red Sox 13th.
Luckily, the defense has been good - Yankees are second in fewest errors. I think that's why Gardner is missed, but Nunez isn't. Right now, the Yankees don't have the pitching to absorb 28 or 29 outs. Ibanez can hit, but he's a shaky short-term solution in LF.
Although some of the YES people talk like it's a done deal, I think the jury is still out on Pettitte. He may have "looked good," but Seattle is a weak hitting team, and they smacked him around pretty good. If it doesn't work out, the Yankees are in real trouble.
That's OK with me.
No knock on the general Philly population, but their sports fans have to be among the worst in the country. If you've ever been to an Eagles or 76ers game as the opposition, you'll know what I mean. Never been to a hockey game there, but I imagine it's even worse; the team, Stupid Gorillas on Ice, is a perfect match.
A good week in May: Mets sweep Phillies, and Devils eliminate Flyers.
They scored 1 run again last night. They need to hit more to make up for their mediocre (at best) pitching. A- Rod is a key for the reasons you site in your previous post. They have the dogs to make a bigger impact at the plate; I am not sure the personel is their for them to improve there pitching though.
Last edited by eddhead; May 18th, 2012 at 02:25 PM.
CC is about the same as last year.
Ivan Nova's has given up nearly 2 more runs per game than last year.
Kuroda has become the new AJ Burnett. Tho only difference is that Kuroda either has it for the game, or he doesn't. Burnett could implode at any time.
Hughes is pitching better this year, but he still makes bad mistakes. On the Bautista HR, he got away with a hanger on the inner half. That should have been enough. But he comes back with another mistake, and there goes the lead.
Last year, the Yankees lad the league in runs scored, but team ERA was 4th best, 3.73.
If they stay with the financial plan, expect to see one or more AAA pitchers called up later in the season. Maybe that's the best thing that could happen; find out who can get it done.
Except that recently the Yankees have a pretty damning record of sabotaging pitching prospects
Pining for Mariano? --
Rivera’s Not Ready to Close the Book
Mariano Rivera has said he intends to pitch again after surgery to repair his damaged right knee. If he is unable to return, his legacy is secure. A player so efficient can sometimes be defined not only by the times he succeeded, but also by the times he failed. In that spirit, a look at some highs and lows of Rivera’s 18 years with the Yankees. Related Article »
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2...l?ref=baseball
The Detroit Tigers have a major kitchen appliance parked over at first base.
Hughes best game this year? Several years?
Man do the Yankees ever hit Verlander. Maybe he should pitch against them everyday.
Game over for Mickey Mantle’s Restaurant
Central Park South eatery closes after 24 years
By Larry Mcshane / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Published: Tuesday, June 5, 2012, 2:04 PM
Updated: Tuesday, June 5, 2012, 3:20 PM
New York Daily News
Mickey Mantle at his namesake Manhattan restaurant.
It’s strike three for the famous Mickey Mantle’s Restaurant.
The Central Park South eatery named for the famous No. 7 announced its shutdown Tuesday after 24 years of catering to Yankees fans, tourists and locals.
“It’s a very sad and difficult decision,” said current owner operator Christopher Villano, who took over in 2002. “Having ‘Mickey Mantle’ on the awning was an honor we took very seriously.”
Mantle, before going into alcohol rehab, was often spotted schmoozing and sharing a cocktail with fans inside his namesake restaurant.
He provided free autographs for customers, and his favorite dish on the menu — as befitting an Oklahoma boy — was chicken-fried steak.
The sports bar outlasted Mantle, who died of cancer shortly after receiving a liver transplant, by 17 years. The Hall of Fame centerfielder played for the Yankees from 1951-68.
Inside, the decor of sports memorabilia and art made Mantle’s one of the more popular sports bars in the city.
Villano blamed the shutdown on “increasing food prices, shifting city regulations and landlord interference.”
Former Yankees PR man Marty Appel said the restaurant helped keep the Mantle legacy alive after his death in 1995.
“It was a great gathering spot for Yankee fans before and after games, and it kept the Mantle name in mind for new generations,” said Appel, author of the best-selling book “Pinstripe Empire.”
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/...#ixzz1wwvzB8ZB
Word now is that Gardner may be out until after the break.
Bad enough that Gardner is missed in the lineup, but he bigger problem is the outfield. Yankees can get by with a Jones-Ibanez platoon (actually that frees up the DH), but Gardner was Granderson's replacement in CF, and Granderson hasn't had a day off all season.
I think we need to get a centerfielder for the rest of the season.
Ohno! Where'd you read that? I thought the radio people said only a couple of days ago that he might be back for Atlanta.
Before he got hurt I thought he might be going to an all-star game this year. Very tough.
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