Two fantasy relevant bits of news...
Howie Kendrick has been demoted to AAA. Kendrick has been dreadful all year, but I have seen some signs of life from him lately. Still, Kendrick will likely be up in 2-3 weeks tops, and hopefully have snapped out of his funk by then. He's just too good of a pure hitter to be this bad over this long of a span.
Brandon Morrow has been slated to fill in for the injured Erik Bedard tomorrow, in what is said to be a precautionary move by the M's. The plan was initially to send Morrow down to AAA to develop him into a starter, but with the Bedard news, the M's obviously adapted. He's said to be on a 60 pitch count, so don't expect much. Plus, the start is at Colorado, so I would highly suggest benching him for tomorrow if he's on your team. It'll be interesting to see how he fares. If he does well, I don't know if the M's would still send him down.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Castillo Coughs Up Game
Wow.
It's tough to even get too pumped up after having a win gift wrapped like that, but I'll take it. Luis Castillo won't survive the rest of the year in New York after that play. Epic.
Even though we deserved to lose, I saw a couple of very good signs from the Yankees in the 9th inning:
1. Derek Jeter was the Derek Jeter of old, as he went right back up the middle off of K-Rod and then stole 2nd base as Johnny Damon struck out. Jeter's hit was off a very tough pitch, but he did what he had to do to put the ball in play, and that's what good baseball is all about.
2. What a job by Mark Teixiera to score on that play from first. If he's not running hard the entire way, he ends up on third, without a doubt. Every day I watch Teixiera I just grow more and more fond of the guy. He's a tremendous baseball player and he plays the game the right way.
It's tough to even get too pumped up after having a win gift wrapped like that, but I'll take it. Luis Castillo won't survive the rest of the year in New York after that play. Epic.
Even though we deserved to lose, I saw a couple of very good signs from the Yankees in the 9th inning:
1. Derek Jeter was the Derek Jeter of old, as he went right back up the middle off of K-Rod and then stole 2nd base as Johnny Damon struck out. Jeter's hit was off a very tough pitch, but he did what he had to do to put the ball in play, and that's what good baseball is all about.
2. What a job by Mark Teixiera to score on that play from first. If he's not running hard the entire way, he ends up on third, without a doubt. Every day I watch Teixiera I just grow more and more fond of the guy. He's a tremendous baseball player and he plays the game the right way.
Final Yankees Thoughts
Now that its been a few hours and I've cooled down a bit... I want to make a few points before I pass out:
1. Anyone who says the 0-8 against the Red Sox doesn't matter is full of shit. The road to the championship in the AL runs through Boston this year, and if the Yankees can't beat the Red Sox, then all is lost. I could care less how many runs we can beat the Nationals by, and how many HR's ARod hits against the Orioles, or how many hits Robinson Cano can compile against the Toronto Blue Jays. If you can't beat Boston - nothing else matters. Thankfully, the Yankees still have 11 more meetings against the Sox. Hopefully by the time they meet again the Yankees will look significantly different, or I don't see things getting much better.
2. I think Girardi is doing the right thing giving Wang one more chance. Why? Because Phil Hughes is not ready. I keep hearing about how good he's throwing the ball, and whenever I look up he has a ERA hovering around 6.00. Plus, I watch every game, and he hasn't changed all that much since last year in terms of his stuff and mechanics. He's got a long ways to go. Now, having said that, if Wang gets lit up on Wednesday - I think Cashman needs to go out and find a SP. A damn good one, too. With Joba likely reaching his innings limit in late August, he's going to be sent to the pen, so assuming Wang continues to falter, our rotation will look like this going into September: Sabathia, Burnett, Pettitte, Hughes (?), Aceves (??). Um, yeah. Go make a deal for Cliff Lee. Give up Jackson or Montero and McCallister, or whatever it takes. Add a Cliff Lee, or a Roy Oswalt, or a Jake Peavy to this team and it's all over.
3. Putting things into perspective for a second - it's June, we're 2 games out, and just starting interleague play (where we have the best record of any team in baseball). We need to rebound from the disgraceful performance in Fenway and take 2 out of 3 from the Mets this weekend. We'll worry about Wang and the rotation next week, let's just get back to playing some half decent baseball, and maybe, just MAYBE, some of the sting from the Red Sox series will diminish.
1. Anyone who says the 0-8 against the Red Sox doesn't matter is full of shit. The road to the championship in the AL runs through Boston this year, and if the Yankees can't beat the Red Sox, then all is lost. I could care less how many runs we can beat the Nationals by, and how many HR's ARod hits against the Orioles, or how many hits Robinson Cano can compile against the Toronto Blue Jays. If you can't beat Boston - nothing else matters. Thankfully, the Yankees still have 11 more meetings against the Sox. Hopefully by the time they meet again the Yankees will look significantly different, or I don't see things getting much better.
2. I think Girardi is doing the right thing giving Wang one more chance. Why? Because Phil Hughes is not ready. I keep hearing about how good he's throwing the ball, and whenever I look up he has a ERA hovering around 6.00. Plus, I watch every game, and he hasn't changed all that much since last year in terms of his stuff and mechanics. He's got a long ways to go. Now, having said that, if Wang gets lit up on Wednesday - I think Cashman needs to go out and find a SP. A damn good one, too. With Joba likely reaching his innings limit in late August, he's going to be sent to the pen, so assuming Wang continues to falter, our rotation will look like this going into September: Sabathia, Burnett, Pettitte, Hughes (?), Aceves (??). Um, yeah. Go make a deal for Cliff Lee. Give up Jackson or Montero and McCallister, or whatever it takes. Add a Cliff Lee, or a Roy Oswalt, or a Jake Peavy to this team and it's all over.
3. Putting things into perspective for a second - it's June, we're 2 games out, and just starting interleague play (where we have the best record of any team in baseball). We need to rebound from the disgraceful performance in Fenway and take 2 out of 3 from the Mets this weekend. We'll worry about Wang and the rotation next week, let's just get back to playing some half decent baseball, and maybe, just MAYBE, some of the sting from the Red Sox series will diminish.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Pitcher Power Rankings
Starters:
*Factors taken into account: Stats thus far. Ability to maintain stats. Personal affinity for particular players.
1. Roy Halladay. 10 wins. 2.52 ERA. 1.02 WHIP. Third in the AL in K's. Enough said.
2. Johan Santana. Despite his lackluster June so far (5.54 ERA), Santana still is second in the league in K's and boasts a 2.39 ERA with a 1.13 WHIP. He usually struggles one month, and is lights out for the remainder of the season.
3. Zack Greinke. Falling off just a bit, but it would've been impossible not to. Seems like the only team that can hit him is Toronto. Still, 1.55 ERA and .97 WHIP is tough to argue with. I think he's got a fighter's chance at a less than 3.00 ERA.
4. Dan Haren. 2.33 ERA and a microscopic WHIP (0.85), he' probably be the front runner for the Cy Young if not for a measley 4 wins. He can think the woeful Diamondbacks for that one. He's known as a first half pitcher, but even if he falls off a bit, he's going to be a top notch starter for the entire year.
5. Justin Verlander. He's been on a Greinke like run over his last 8 starts, giving up only 7 runs in those starts. Leads the league in K's at 106, and has a 3.02 ERA and 1.10 WHIP to go along with those. Guy with possibly the best stuff in the majors is putting it all together.
6. Josh Johnson. Peter Gammons' pick to win the Cy Young is looking solid right now, as the hefty right hander has 2.73 ERA and 1.07 WHIP. Johnson's slider is one of the nastiest in the game, and when he's spotting his upper 90's fastball, he's nearly unhittable.
7. Yovani Gallardo. After the loss of CC Sabathia, the Brewers knew that they would need Gallardo to assume the ace role as his own this year, and he's done just that. With a 2.84 ERA and 1.08 WHIP, Gallardo looks like the real deal. He's won 6 games, good for a 17 win pace. He's been a bit lucky with BABIP, but that 1.08 WHIP won't fall too much. This guy is for real.
8. Johnny Cueto. K's are down, but as Tom Seaver said, "My job isn't to strike people out, it's to get them out; sometimes by striking them out." Only 58 K's but a 2.33 ERA and 1.05 WHIP screams dominance. K's will likely go up, as will ERA and WHIP, but he's a legit dominant starter. We'll see if he has a rough second half like his teammate Edinson Volquez did last year.
9. Edwin Jackson. Talk about breakout pitcher of the year. Edwin is sitting pretty with a 2.16 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and 62 K's in 83 innings. He's always had overpowering stuff, and he's just now putting it all together. Proves that a change of scenery can make all the difference. It won't be fun going up against the Tigers in a short playoff series with Verlander and Jackson looming.
10. Chris Carpenter. I know he's only thrown 44 innings, but he's sitting on a 1.23 ERA and 0.70 WHIP in those innings. He got hit around just a little bit in his last start, but it's clear that he still has the dominant stuff. If he can stay healthy for the rest of the season -which, in itself, would be a minor miracle, he'll continue dominance.
11. Chad Billingsley. 8 wins. 90 K's in 85 innings. 2.73 ERA, 1.26 WHIP. I probably sold him a little short. He'll be moving up this list in no time.
12. Tim Lincecum. Yeah, so this is probably the lowest you'll see Lincecum ranked on this list for the next 10 years or so. Still, kid has been amazing. 2.96 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 95 K's in 75 innings. Supposed Verducci Effect candidate has done just fine so far, and will continue to dominate, while others on this list will most likely slip.
13. Jered Weaver. Not sure how much longer Weaver can maintain these numbers, but wow. 2.31 ERA, 1.04 WHIP. 69 K's in 81 innings. Dominant. I haven't seen much of Weaver this year, but I hear he's doing a much better job of keeping the hitters guessing. We'll see just how real this version of Jered Weaver is.
14. Ted Lilly. I know, I know. But his numbers are elite. 3.00 ERA, 1.05 WHIP. 63 K's in 78 innings. Lilly has always been a viable fantasy pitcher, but this is what we call stepping it up a notch. Highly doubtful that Lilly will maintain this, especially during the summer in hitter friendly Wrigley Field.
15. Erik Bedard. Like Carpenter, stuff has never been the issue with Bedard. One of the filthiest breaking balls in the game, and he's had it on display so far this year in Seattle. 2.47 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 65 K's in 65 innings. Highly sustainable if he can stay healthy.
Back with more Power Rankings later on tonight or Saturday.
*Factors taken into account: Stats thus far. Ability to maintain stats. Personal affinity for particular players.
1. Roy Halladay. 10 wins. 2.52 ERA. 1.02 WHIP. Third in the AL in K's. Enough said.
2. Johan Santana. Despite his lackluster June so far (5.54 ERA), Santana still is second in the league in K's and boasts a 2.39 ERA with a 1.13 WHIP. He usually struggles one month, and is lights out for the remainder of the season.
3. Zack Greinke. Falling off just a bit, but it would've been impossible not to. Seems like the only team that can hit him is Toronto. Still, 1.55 ERA and .97 WHIP is tough to argue with. I think he's got a fighter's chance at a less than 3.00 ERA.
4. Dan Haren. 2.33 ERA and a microscopic WHIP (0.85), he' probably be the front runner for the Cy Young if not for a measley 4 wins. He can think the woeful Diamondbacks for that one. He's known as a first half pitcher, but even if he falls off a bit, he's going to be a top notch starter for the entire year.
5. Justin Verlander. He's been on a Greinke like run over his last 8 starts, giving up only 7 runs in those starts. Leads the league in K's at 106, and has a 3.02 ERA and 1.10 WHIP to go along with those. Guy with possibly the best stuff in the majors is putting it all together.
6. Josh Johnson. Peter Gammons' pick to win the Cy Young is looking solid right now, as the hefty right hander has 2.73 ERA and 1.07 WHIP. Johnson's slider is one of the nastiest in the game, and when he's spotting his upper 90's fastball, he's nearly unhittable.
7. Yovani Gallardo. After the loss of CC Sabathia, the Brewers knew that they would need Gallardo to assume the ace role as his own this year, and he's done just that. With a 2.84 ERA and 1.08 WHIP, Gallardo looks like the real deal. He's won 6 games, good for a 17 win pace. He's been a bit lucky with BABIP, but that 1.08 WHIP won't fall too much. This guy is for real.
8. Johnny Cueto. K's are down, but as Tom Seaver said, "My job isn't to strike people out, it's to get them out; sometimes by striking them out." Only 58 K's but a 2.33 ERA and 1.05 WHIP screams dominance. K's will likely go up, as will ERA and WHIP, but he's a legit dominant starter. We'll see if he has a rough second half like his teammate Edinson Volquez did last year.
9. Edwin Jackson. Talk about breakout pitcher of the year. Edwin is sitting pretty with a 2.16 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and 62 K's in 83 innings. He's always had overpowering stuff, and he's just now putting it all together. Proves that a change of scenery can make all the difference. It won't be fun going up against the Tigers in a short playoff series with Verlander and Jackson looming.
10. Chris Carpenter. I know he's only thrown 44 innings, but he's sitting on a 1.23 ERA and 0.70 WHIP in those innings. He got hit around just a little bit in his last start, but it's clear that he still has the dominant stuff. If he can stay healthy for the rest of the season -which, in itself, would be a minor miracle, he'll continue dominance.
11. Chad Billingsley. 8 wins. 90 K's in 85 innings. 2.73 ERA, 1.26 WHIP. I probably sold him a little short. He'll be moving up this list in no time.
12. Tim Lincecum. Yeah, so this is probably the lowest you'll see Lincecum ranked on this list for the next 10 years or so. Still, kid has been amazing. 2.96 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 95 K's in 75 innings. Supposed Verducci Effect candidate has done just fine so far, and will continue to dominate, while others on this list will most likely slip.
13. Jered Weaver. Not sure how much longer Weaver can maintain these numbers, but wow. 2.31 ERA, 1.04 WHIP. 69 K's in 81 innings. Dominant. I haven't seen much of Weaver this year, but I hear he's doing a much better job of keeping the hitters guessing. We'll see just how real this version of Jered Weaver is.
14. Ted Lilly. I know, I know. But his numbers are elite. 3.00 ERA, 1.05 WHIP. 63 K's in 78 innings. Lilly has always been a viable fantasy pitcher, but this is what we call stepping it up a notch. Highly doubtful that Lilly will maintain this, especially during the summer in hitter friendly Wrigley Field.
15. Erik Bedard. Like Carpenter, stuff has never been the issue with Bedard. One of the filthiest breaking balls in the game, and he's had it on display so far this year in Seattle. 2.47 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 65 K's in 65 innings. Highly sustainable if he can stay healthy.
Back with more Power Rankings later on tonight or Saturday.
Once Again... Yanks just don't have it
After losing their 8th straight game to the Boston Red Sox in 2009, with their ace on the hill facing off against the terrible Brad Penny, its never been more apparent that this Yankees team just doesn't have "it." At least in its current manifestation. With the amount of talent assembled on this roster, this team should never lose eight straight games, no matter who they play. It's almost inconceivable that they've managed to do as much against a Boston team that has looked relatively fallible against the rest of the league.
I've heard the excuses. "It's only June." "These games don't matter that much anyways." Well, they do matter. In fact, they're all that matter. The road to a championship runs through Boston, like it or not, and if the first 8 games are any indication, the Yankees are nowhere near a championship caliber team. The excuse makers can bury their head in the sand if they want, though, god knows Washington will give them that opportunity next week. "Dude we just swept the Nats, this team is incredible." Essentially, this Yankees team is simply baseball's version of a bully. They beat up on teams that can't come close to physically matching up with them, but when they face a team with similar talent, they fail in every possible way. It's really the most sickening type of team that a team can be.
So, where does the blame fall for this debacle? Well, let's start with the starting pitching. AJ Burnett is a mediocre pitcher with exceptional stuff. He seems to have no drive to improve, though, even going as far to say that he's not going to try and figure out what went wrong against Boston on Tuesday, he's just going to do his best on Sunday. Well, great, AJ. That's the type of committment I've come to expect out of a perennial underachiever such as yourself. No wonder you haven't managed to develop more than 2 pitches, despite being a starter in the ML's for almost a decade now. It all makes sense now. As for Chien-Mein Wang... I don't even know what to say. All I know is even if this guy doesn't give up another earned run for the rest of the season, I wouldn't trust him one bit in a playoff game. That's irrelevant, though, as he's not even good in the regular season now. He's compiled the highest ERA in the history of baseball among pitchers who have made 5+ starts. Well done, Wanger.
Despite the ineptitude of the pitching staff, the bats had a chance to carry the Yanks to at least 2 wins in Boston, and they failed miserably. Derek Jeter, CAPTAIN CLUTCH!!!1111111, was dreaful. In the biggest series of the year to date, Captain Clutch went 2-15, with no RBI's and no R's. Jeter is a lot of things, but he isn't clutch. At least not since 2006. Robinson Cano was dreadful, and his approach at the plate is laughable. His OBP is now hovering in the .320's, and its time to drop him down to 8th or 9th in the order. Personally, I'd like to deal him and see what we can get back. Any chance the Dodgers would still deal Matt Kemp for Cano? I doubt it. I won't point out every individual that shit the bed against the Sox, I'll just say that this collection of supposed "allstars" put up 0 runs against Brad Penny in 6 innings. That's laughable, and if Brad Penny dominates you, you don't deserve to win the game.
The bullpen was bad, too, but that's to be expected. It's a joke that Cashman hasn't made a move by now. Bringing Alfredo Aceves into Fenway in a one run game with runners on is just giving up. I know Aceves has been good, and he will continue to be if he's put into situations where he can succeed, but he's not an 8th inning guy. He's a long relief guy, and always will be. The fact that Girardi was in that position where he had to go to Aceves is just inexcusable. Start working the phones Cash, do some actual GM work, instead of just filling out blank checks for the biggest FA's of the year. Epstein has been running circles around you for years.
It's a very bad time to be a Yankee fan right now, but its still a long season and I suppose things can turn around if Cashman gets his head out of his ass and actually makes some good moves for once. One thing's for sure - if Steinbrenner were still around, this type of shit would not be tolerated. Steinbrenner was the epitome of a winner, and he, better than anyone, knew what the makeup of a winner looked like. Unfortunately, it seems as though he hasn't passed down this innate sense to either of his two sons, or his GM Brian Cashman.
I've heard the excuses. "It's only June." "These games don't matter that much anyways." Well, they do matter. In fact, they're all that matter. The road to a championship runs through Boston, like it or not, and if the first 8 games are any indication, the Yankees are nowhere near a championship caliber team. The excuse makers can bury their head in the sand if they want, though, god knows Washington will give them that opportunity next week. "Dude we just swept the Nats, this team is incredible." Essentially, this Yankees team is simply baseball's version of a bully. They beat up on teams that can't come close to physically matching up with them, but when they face a team with similar talent, they fail in every possible way. It's really the most sickening type of team that a team can be.
So, where does the blame fall for this debacle? Well, let's start with the starting pitching. AJ Burnett is a mediocre pitcher with exceptional stuff. He seems to have no drive to improve, though, even going as far to say that he's not going to try and figure out what went wrong against Boston on Tuesday, he's just going to do his best on Sunday. Well, great, AJ. That's the type of committment I've come to expect out of a perennial underachiever such as yourself. No wonder you haven't managed to develop more than 2 pitches, despite being a starter in the ML's for almost a decade now. It all makes sense now. As for Chien-Mein Wang... I don't even know what to say. All I know is even if this guy doesn't give up another earned run for the rest of the season, I wouldn't trust him one bit in a playoff game. That's irrelevant, though, as he's not even good in the regular season now. He's compiled the highest ERA in the history of baseball among pitchers who have made 5+ starts. Well done, Wanger.
Despite the ineptitude of the pitching staff, the bats had a chance to carry the Yanks to at least 2 wins in Boston, and they failed miserably. Derek Jeter, CAPTAIN CLUTCH!!!1111111, was dreaful. In the biggest series of the year to date, Captain Clutch went 2-15, with no RBI's and no R's. Jeter is a lot of things, but he isn't clutch. At least not since 2006. Robinson Cano was dreadful, and his approach at the plate is laughable. His OBP is now hovering in the .320's, and its time to drop him down to 8th or 9th in the order. Personally, I'd like to deal him and see what we can get back. Any chance the Dodgers would still deal Matt Kemp for Cano? I doubt it. I won't point out every individual that shit the bed against the Sox, I'll just say that this collection of supposed "allstars" put up 0 runs against Brad Penny in 6 innings. That's laughable, and if Brad Penny dominates you, you don't deserve to win the game.
The bullpen was bad, too, but that's to be expected. It's a joke that Cashman hasn't made a move by now. Bringing Alfredo Aceves into Fenway in a one run game with runners on is just giving up. I know Aceves has been good, and he will continue to be if he's put into situations where he can succeed, but he's not an 8th inning guy. He's a long relief guy, and always will be. The fact that Girardi was in that position where he had to go to Aceves is just inexcusable. Start working the phones Cash, do some actual GM work, instead of just filling out blank checks for the biggest FA's of the year. Epstein has been running circles around you for years.
It's a very bad time to be a Yankee fan right now, but its still a long season and I suppose things can turn around if Cashman gets his head out of his ass and actually makes some good moves for once. One thing's for sure - if Steinbrenner were still around, this type of shit would not be tolerated. Steinbrenner was the epitome of a winner, and he, better than anyone, knew what the makeup of a winner looked like. Unfortunately, it seems as though he hasn't passed down this innate sense to either of his two sons, or his GM Brian Cashman.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Johan... a bit overrated?
A Roy Halladay, Johan Santana is not. At least not this year. Santana has been mediocre over the past month, and he capped it off with a weak performance yesterday against the Phillies. He wasn't AJ Burnett bad, but he did give up 5 HR's, and 5 runs total in 7 innings, surrendering a 3-0 Mets lead in the process.
I wonder if Roy Halladay would've blown that lead.
I wonder if Roy Halladay would've blown that lead.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
AJ Burnett - Simply terrible
In what was probably the biggest game of the year for the Yankees up to this point, AJ Burnett humiliated himself. In 2.2 innings, Burnett surrendered 10 H/BB, and 5 runs. Sad thing is, it was much worse than that.
Worth every cent of that 85 million. Jesus.
Just another chapter in this underachiever's career.
Worth every cent of that 85 million. Jesus.
Just another chapter in this underachiever's career.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
