On the Yankees beat

Well, in the current state of the Yanks, and how up and down their season has been, one can not be too concerned with indiviual stats. Although, in looking at A-rod's super year, predicting final numbers is certainly worthwhile.

My guess would be 56 HRs, 159 RBI and .308 BA. Amazing and worth every future penny.

In contrast, Posada's numbers are incredible as well. For an aging catcher, one who plays 6 games a week, his numbers are irreplaceable.

We should also give credit where it is due to the following people who turned it on since July:
Abreu
Cano
Melky
Damon (up and down a bit)
Cashman- Joba, Shelly etc.

I was at the game Tuesday and A-Rod's HR to the upper-deck in left was a marvel. It just disappeared into the night sky. A little straighter and to the right and one could easily imagine it sailing right over the wall and into the new ballpark.

But Posada's game was even better. The crucial play at the plate to preserve the 1-run lead, not to mention the 2 HR, from both sides of the plate, for emphasis. Most of all, he doesn't get nearly enough credit for his role in managing one of the most turbulent pitching staffs in team history, including how many rookie MLB debuts?

A-Rod's the MVP, no doubt, but Posada should at least be in the conversation.

As for A-Rod's line: if he's back on his seemingly one-a-day (or two) diet of HRs, I don't think 60/160 is out of the question, especially if they can build more of a cushion in the wild card and relax a bit down the stretch.

No predictions but the more the merrier. Everyone is chanting MVP for Arod which is well deserved. How would we describe Jorge's year? Would you not say MVP candidate or just show me the money?

A-Rod is the player of the year. No question.

Posada is the MVP of the Yankees. No doubt.

Jim A.,

It is good if Giambi has put the steroids behind him ... hopefully he can cleanse his long term health from that ...

You can see it in the NFL with many guys losing their hair prematurely. If you know what to look for.

You could see it on the Giants teams of 1999 - 2002 or so ... just a team I followed ... Good teams and appeared to be good people. And Angie Harmon was in the stands!

I hope Giambi can do well ... and salvage the season ... for the money he's paid he will want to come through ...

It has been a strange season ... You never know what will happen and you have to play all 162 games to weigh out all the surges and ups and downs. Look at how Detroit has fallen in the last month? Or how the Yanks started? Or how the Mets hung in there? Or the NL Central?

Who do we play in the first round? As the WC we will go to the Angels place? Angels in the Outfield!

I don't fear any team if we are on a roll ... or a bagel ...

Cleveland has two or three good pitchers. Is their pen that great?

Boston is tough on the road at their place.

Same for the Angels.

Lackey is a very good pitcher ...

If Wang is ok ... if Kennedy and Hughes throw well ... if Pettitte stays on an even keel ...

And if Clemens or Moose can pull at 1978 Catfish Hunter when he had his shoulder manipulated under hypnosis and came back to throw darts again ...

We can do well in the Playoffs.

Imagine Yanks vs. Mets in the WS, or Yanks vs. Cardinals?

I would go insane.

Above my usual level of craziness!

John G.,

Sorry about the University of Arizona and the Indian coed who died ... that must have been a real nightmare! Sheesh! Consider Patrick Henry University for Home School students, maybe that's safe?

If you want to see a nice film about Tucson, watch "Can't Buy Me Love." You can find it at Blockbuster. Just ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Miguel,

Good guess on final statistics for A Rod ...

I think he will do well in the Playoffs this year!

Lost in all the A-OPT "hoopla", was the outstanding performance turned in by Hughes. For a rookie to do so well in such a big game, and knowing that the Yankee rotation is "thin" due to Clemens being shot full of cortisone, speaks volumes about this guys "makeup". If Hughes hadn't kept the Yanks "in the game", A-OPT's dingers may have been meaningless. The rookie came up huge at a very tough time.

55 HR, 157 RBI

...oh yeah, and an MVP Award!

Just took a look at the pitching matchups in KC for the weekend. If all goes according to the "Yankee Way" from watching this team this year. Lets see: The Yanks just had a BIG series and battled back to take 2 out of 3 from a playoff contending Mariner team. Now most likely the Yanks will play flat against the cellar-dwelling Royals!

Meche, Bannister and Greinke have all had great outings their last few starts.

I expect a Royal sweep this weekend. This Royal team at home is much better than a Tampa Bay team on the road at the Stadium and we all know what happened there!

10 out by Monday night!

no consistency = no chamionships

Consistent teams don't score 24 runs in a game, and then lose a week later 16-0!

No Clemens + AA pitchers = no pitching staff for the stretch run to depend on = no playoffs

A-Rod seems like a lock for MVP. The only question is: Can he play like this a month from now?

Yankee Trend: Did you REALLY just look at the pitching matchups?

First, why I like the Yankees overall in this series: 6 out of 7 vs KC so far this year. Besides, how long ago was it that the Yankees "could only beat bad teams"? Now suddenly the Yankees can only beat the good ones?

No if you did look at the pitching matchups, I think this is what you'd find: Kennedy vs. Meche on Friday
While Meche has had a good year, his team seems to find ways to lose when he pitches as evidenced by his 7-12 record.
Pettite vs. Bannister on Saturday
Better record for Bannister than Meche, but if the Yanks lose on Friday, then we all know how HUGE Pettite is after a Yankees loss, so if the Yanks lose Friday, then I guarantee they win on Saturday. They probably win anyway as Pettite rarely has back to back bad games.
Wang vs. Grenke on Sunday
Are you kidding me? The if the Yanks lose on Saturday principle applies to Wang on Sunday too. He doesn't lose the day after a Yankees loss and apparently if you're not a Blue Jay, he just doesn't lose lately,

So, if anyone will sweep this weekend, evidence says it's the Yankees. At a minimum, 2/3.

Trend (with apologies to my friends Casual and Sully):

Here's your Red Sox pattern: One championship every 86 years....I hope you're a young person and a patient one.

Hey Trend,

Why don't you take a lesson in being a good Red Sox fan from a couple of class guys like Casual and Sully!

But what can you do. This guy is probably at some college majoring in Beer 101.

Don't pick on college guys. I'm not that far removed; I only graduated college 3 years ago.

Trend,

You are wicked cool. Hey Sully don't let guy’s like this make you look bad. Let him know that not all Sox fans are idiots.

Hughes,

My youngest son is a sophmore at the University of Arizona. I'm not picking on college guys.

Besides, you made it! You graduated which is a great accomplishment!!!

I'm not sure about our Yankee hater friend though.

John G.,

You tell them big guy!

Well, I can't say Seattle is very good now, losing 11 of 12 ... but it was a big win with Washburn out there on the mound.

Bannister is a very good pitcher. His father Floyd was amazing at Arizona State and must be in their Hall of Fame ... Why Omar got rid of him I don't know ... wait, I do know!

He will be up to pitch vs. the Yankees. Greinke has great stuff but something is wrong ... he was supposed to be "Joba good."

Meche is a good pitcher ...

Who can say what will happen? We may have a let down. I think we will win at least one game at KC and the Sunshine Band.

Go Yankees! On the road to victory in 2007!

Woo Hoo!

Well, while I am admittedly from the "predictions are mostly a waste of time" school of thought...it is a little easier to get a handle on things at the point in the season, because there is far more history than season left.

To that point, given the remaining schedule of the AL east, it seems likely that the Sox will end up with 97-98 wins, while the Yanks will likely end up with 93 or 94 wins. I base this on the fact that the Sox have only 5 games left against winning teams and those are in fenway where Boston has a pretty solid record. The Sox also have 13 home games and only 10 road games left. Figure a split on the road (5 wins) and 8-5 at home...that correlates into 97 wins.

The Yanks have alot of games left on the road...15,and only 7 left at home...4 with Toronto and 3 with the O's. While the Yanks have been playing much much better ball over the second half of the season, my guess is with the remaining schedule they will do well to manage 15 wins...or a total of 93 wins, which will likely give them the WC.

Trend...

It's Sully, as big a Red Sox fan as you will ever meet...

a Red Sox fan who stayed loyal despite living in the Bay Area during the LaRussa A's period and in New York during most of the Torre years...

look me in the eye and say you think, you HONESTLY think, the Yankees will be swept by Kansas City.

Didn't think so.

Unlike most Yankee boards, this board is open to Red Sox fans coming in, giving thoughts and yes even criticism of the Yankees provided it is done with the knowledge that WE are the guests.

It's not "We Are The World" but more like "Greystoke."

Jim A,

Great post!

Roy Storing,

I knew you could do it! You posted a comment on the blog entitled "Finale vs. Seattle a big game", yesterday at 1:43 PM. You didn't use quotation marks! And it was lucid and intelligent. Great job.

Sully,

Everyone here is a "guest". It is a public blog.

LMAO....my math leaves something to be desired...I meant to say the Sox will likely be 9-5 in their remaining home games...thus giving them 97 wins.

I don't think people should be concerned about hypothetical playoff match ups.

As it was said before, the Yankees were matched perfectly with the Tigers last year and the Twins were ready to run over the A's... and the Yankees and Twins combined for one post season win.

You never know if the Angels are going to get cold or the Indians are going to get hot at the right or wrong time!

Also... if the goal is to win a World Series, you are EVENTUALLY going to have to face a good team!

Might as well embrace that and hope your team shows some sack

Casual...
I know we are all guests. But it is a Yankee forum and a Red Sox fan, even a Yankee hater like yours truly, has to have some respect.

The Yankee fans who come into Red Sox boards and say "Boston Sucks! It's 1978 all over again! One time in 86 years! Manny is a pickle smoker" etc... are not cool. And people who just come on here to taunt are the same way.

blah blah blah... let's talk baseball.

I think you guys clinched the Wild Card last night. I don't have faith in Detroit. If they can't beat Texas, KC and Oakland than they deserve to play golf in October.

I hope the Sox clinch the division and do it soon. I want home field throughout the playoffs.

I don't understand why the Sox don't use a 6 man rotation with Beckett/Wakefield/DiceK/Schilling/Lester/Bucholtz

Wouldn't that save the arms, win games and make everyone happy?

Is Igawa back on the team?

OK, I have an actual question I'm hoping someone could answer. I've seen several posts that state the O's have shut down Bedard for the year. While never, ever wishing harm or injury to someone else, I'm not too unhappy about this. However, where did anyone see that? The only info I could find says he will be re-evaluated and a decision will be made in the near future. I didn't see any info on the Orioles web site either.

Just wondering if this is fact, or just someone hoping it to be true.

HAr har Casual .....

This is Yankee Land my friend and you are a GUEST!!!

haha

how are you today?

Sully ...it's September and yes The Sox are still in 1st place actually this may be a blessing in disguise. With (hopefully) NY winning the WC that means we would play a AL Central Team and the sox playing the AL West.

Trust me we won the Division so MANY TIMES we know how this works.

So let Boston and Los Angelos of Former Mexico California of North America Angels battle it out and the winner will be so exausted by the Time the Yankees is ready for war

He has a strained oblique and they are not sure what his status is.

I for one am glad his status is "Unavailable" for the Red Sox series.

I hope he gets better by the Yankee series on the 17th

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AsjNfgQwqUqIMR0Ee3FBOrOFCLcF?slug=ap-orioles-bedard&prov=ap&type=lgns

Nespn - Keith Law assessement on Hughes

[quote]

Keith Law- Hughes less than former self

http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?name=law_keith

Phil Hughes' stat line from Wednesday night's start would appear to indicate that he's back to his pre-injury levels, but the view from behind the plate says that he's got a ways to go. He's working as a finesse pitcher, which isn't his game and for which he doesn't have the command or the feel.

Before he pulled a hamstring back in May, Hughes would typically work at 90-94 mph with an above-average curveball with a sharp downward break. Wednesday night, however, his stuff was average at best. His fastball was 88-93, mostly 89-91, and it only had some life when he threw it up in the zone. He threw two breaking balls -- a soft, slow-roller curveball in the low 70s, and a shorter slider around 80 mph that he worked to bury down in the zone or below it -- and flashed a changeup, but none of those pitches were plus, and the curveball was absolutely below-average.

Unfortunately, Hughes doesn't seem to have the feel for pitching to alter his approach to match his diminished stuff, although it would be unusual for a pitcher his age to have that. He spent much of the night aiming his fastball at the corners of the strike zone, missing more often than not, and he kept popping his curveball rather than junking it in favor of the slider, which was the better pitch on this particular night.

Why is Hughes' stuff down? One possibility is that his left leg is still causing him trouble, since both the hamstring injury that landed him on the DL and the ankle injury that kept him there were to his left leg. His landing is now very soft, and it looked like he was babying that leg rather than landing firmly and pushing off that leg as he drives through his delivery. If the leg is indeed still bothering him, it would explain both the loss of velocity and the lack of sharpness on his curveball.

Hughes did get some help from some outside sources to keep him in the game. The Yankees played good defense behind him, with Shelley Duncan showing off a plus arm in right field, nailing Raul Ibañez at second base after Ibañez singled hard off the wall. The Mariners did their part, with several guys overswinging and taking soft curveballs for strikes, then chasing them off the outside part of the plate. Ben Broussard's approach was particularly bad, but Jose Lopez -- who looked like he'd rather be anywhere else but at a ballgame, never mind participating in one -- and Yuniesky Betancourt also showed off some bad swings.

The big story of the night, however, was the umpiring. Ichiro Suzuki was robbed three times by bad calls -- two at first base (one egregious) and one at second base where it was obvious from the stands that he'd never been tagged. (That last one ruined a very impressive stolen base on a pitchout.) The strike zone was something of a mess all night -- or, one could argue, has been all season -- but it became ridiculously small in the Yankees' big seventh inning, exacerbating some bad relief pitching from Seattle's 'pen. The quality of umpiring is always fodder for complaints from baseball execs, but this year it's been embarrassing, with more umpires making arbitrary decisions or putting themselves out of position to make calls than I can remember seeing. The Yankees outplayed the Mariners, but the Mariners could easily have won the game had the umpiring not been so bad and so one-sided in its badness.

Of course, the bad umpiring only fed into John McLaren's apparently pathological need to change pitchers. The track from the Seattle bench to the mound was worn down to the upper mantle by the time the seventh inning ended, as McLaren used six pitchers to get through the frame. The fact that he used that many arms in one inning was bad enough, but the way he used them was even worse, replacing the lefty Jarrod Washburn with the lefty George Sherrill, taking Sean Green out after one batter (a walk where the fourth ball looked like a clear strike from behind the plate), and so on. In fact, what was so odd about the exchange of Washburn for Sherrill was that Washburn gave up a homer to Alex Rodriguez and was allowed to stay in the game, but after Robinson Cano reached on an error of laziness by Lopez, then McLaren made the switch.

I understand that J.J. Putz is the closer, but the Mariners' season was ending with a hissing sound and a foul stench right there on the field. Isn't that the one time you break protocol and bring your best reliever in before the game gets out of hand? Or, if we're going to continue to let the save rule dictate how we use our relievers, why not bring in the groundball-machine Green to face Wilson Betemit, conceding that you'll lose the platoon advantage but taking a shot at a double play with Jason Giambi on first? Instead, McLaren cycled through his relievers like he was completing a paint-by-numbers picture. And while you can't blame him for the bad umpiring or some poor control on the relievers' part, I don't see how you lose the most critical game of your season without getting your best reliever into the game.
[/quote]

Nespn is complaining again and whining about Seattle isn't getting calls and bad umpiring. I guess Nespn forgot Bloomquist was called safe instead He was out. That blatant call by that blind umpire when Bloomquist was called safe at 2nd when earlier in season playing in the Yankees stadium? Bloomquist was out by sixty inches, it's not even close. Nespn hates Yankees, doesn't want them to be in the playoffs.

http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:US2vpr...oomquist_SB.JPG

Sully and BB,

I am not defending "Trend" or whoever , but I will point out there are as many idiots who call themselves Yankee fans on this blog as there are idiotic Sox fans, Mets fans...what have you. It's pretty easy to discern them from the the rest of us. I dont feel that I am anymore of a guest than anyone else on here....I contribute when I feel like it, and some folks like my input, others dont...which is fine. It was this "sense of ownership" based on team loyalty that was the problem in here a few short months ago. that seems to have gone by the wayside for the most part and the conversations and debates since have been far more entertaining and intelligent.

Just my two cents worth.

Casual,

I'm sorry but I have to agree with Sully. Being a Yankee fan I feel that this is my blog, a real Yankee fans blog. When you come into this blog rooting for another team you are either a guest or an enemy. That is how I would feel if I went to another team’s blog. I am sure everybody is very territorial about their own team’s blog or web site. I would like to know all the other true Yankee fans opinions on this subject.

Just my four cents.

To each their own Dog...

Doesnt mean we cant be friendly.

To me, we are all "fans of the game first" and then fans of our respective teams...otherwise we are not truly fans, just folks who equate winning and losing in life with the wins and losses of a particular team.

In actuality we are Guest due to none of us having an Account.

By collective numbers this is a Yankee Blog meaning a blog where Yankees fans meet up and discuss Yankee talk hence the term (YANKEE BLOG)The twist is anyone can venture into the site and post along with Yankee Fans. Why else would you venture into a Yankee site Casual and Sully? to engage in friendly debate with Yankee Fans

Casual,

Very well put. I guess it is just the territorial dog coming out in me again. You are right. The most important thing is that we can discuss issues friendly and civilly no matter what team we support.

Thomas Jefferson couldn't have put it better than Bronx Bomber just did

BB,

Of course that is part of it...but anotehr part is the fact that I have "visited" alot of different baseball blogs...sox, Yanks, as well as others....naturally I gravitate to the ones where I feel there are like minded people who love the game and love to talk about the game as much as the team. This is not the only blog of that nature, but it is one of the better ones.

Of course we can all be friendly... and if this were a "Baseball" in general blog, I'd be a little more vicious.

Then again if this were a "general baseball" blog, everyone else would be saying "I'm sick of you Red Sox and Yankee fans thinking everyone cares about your stupid rivalry."

Trust me... they hate us

They "envy" us sully.

both

To me, we are all "fans of the game first" and then fans of our respective teams...otherwise we are not truly fans, just folks who equate winning and losing in life with the wins and losses of a particular team.

That is not entirley true Casual, Having a rooting intrest for your team first does not make you any less of a fan than a person who roots game first.

That is like telling my wife who may root hard for the yankees know all the players and stats surrounding them that she is less of a fan if she cannot appreciate and watch the WS even if her beloved team is not in it.

BB,

You're right....I have no right to dismiss the "casual" fan. That said, most of us in here are not casual fans, but very intense baseball fans with alot of knowledge, and in some cases experience with the game. Of that ilk, I stand by my statements.

Casual,

So does that mean if I do not watch the WS if the Yankees aren't in it then I am a casual fan?

LOL,

Dog...I'm guilty of the same charge....

Fans of other teams envy and hate us Yank/Sox fans because they couldn't even come close to the passion that we have for our teams.

There are exceptions to the rule like Cub fans and Cardinal fans, and Phillie fans, but there are no rivalries like ours.

As am I. Haha

I DO watch the WS no matter the team, but my interest is not as great, and I may not be glued to each pitch, as when the Sox are in it...

So, mea culpa....

The site was created to round up the intense Yankee Fan sprinkled in with Fans with perhaps less knowledge of the everydays of the team and a dash of debaters.

you have a selection when entering upon newsday of sites to visit.

If I visit a Boston site as a Yankee fan and come across a Sox board regardless if it's free or not. My intention is to SEE what the SOX fans are talking about meaning the assumption is THE SITE IS OCCUPIED BY MAJORITY OF REDSOX FANS and my INTENTION is to view what may be rival fan viewpoints therefor making me a guest of amoungst regular visitors or SOX fans.

If the site was created and first occupied by Yankee Haters then the tide changes

Good article on Hughes - there is defenitly something wrong here as we are not see a "phenom", we are seeing a "good young pitcher" Hopefully it is the leg and next year it will be back to normal. Wouldnt hurt him to get on the Clemens/Petitte training regiment that added 3mph to Pettites fastball in 2003/2004. Wish Clemens could be the pitching coach next year...Why not bring him back as a player/coach?

Good point John,

Cubbie fans deserve a WS title...I'd have a hard time rooting against them...

the wife and the dog have told me it is time to get off my ass and take them for a walk....bbl.

If that was the case then teams in different cities would no be created and labled.

Your home team is your first rooting intrest and if you lose intrest without your home team performing does not make you less of a fan but a loyalist with attention centered on your favorite franchise. Now if you do not have a team in your region then yes you have to be a fan of the game in order to enjoy the beauty of a game played afar

The article on hughes probally is truth but the team probally has to take the gamble due to the pitching circumstances.

It probally was the best thing to leave him in the Minors a lil longer. The team figures as long as he can give quality starts thery will build around

I must admit that I am not a baseball fan. I am a Yankees fan. Everything I know about the game has developed through years of following that interest. If I were a baseball fan, I suppose I would put it the other way: that everything I know about the Yankees has developed through years of following baseball.

I rarely watch games that do not involve the Yankees. When I do, it is to see teams that consider *themselves* rivals to the Yankees (I question whether true Yankees fans really think their team *has* rivals). The Red Sox and Mets seem to want to consider themselves in this light, and often appear to define their own feelings of success and satisfaction according to a comparison with the Yankees more than other measures. Once in a while if there is nothing else whatsoever going on in my life (thankfully seldom) and a Mets or Red Sox game is on I might check in for a while just to see if it is pure fantasy on their part or not...

Correspondingly, I read this and other such blogs only because of my interest in the Yankees, and cannot imagine frequenting a blog devoted to another team. Yankees blogs are bad enough, as someone above came close to pointing out, with plenty of obnoxious and ignorant posters of our own to flip through to find the intelligent posts. Which is why posters of other loyalties are welcome in my view -- IF they have something intelligent and/or observant to say about the Yankees. Otherwise they are a waste of bandwidth from my perspective, and like I said we produce enough of that with no outside help. IMNSHO.

I feel this is a Yankee blog and it belongs to Yankee fans but that does not mean that a fan of any other team can not come on here and discuss their team. We are definitely open to that and we try to be civil about it. We all know that the main reason we are all on this blog is because we all love the sport of baseball as a whole. Our love for the sport itself is what attracted us to our favorite team. We all really have the same desire and that is to see our team win....while they play the best sport in the world....Baseball!

Blogs are dedicated to specific causes and are intended for people who relate to that cause. It's only common sense that we don't visit blogs that hold no interest to us. It's quite rude and a serious lack of etiquette to visit a blog dedicated to a specific cause only to belittle and harass supporters of that cause. This is not a baseball blog, it's a Yankees blog, and the Red Sox & Mets fans who visit here do so because of their fear of and obsession with the Yankees. It's no coincidence they all disappear when the Yankees are kicking their butts or are about to take 1st Place. It's a sort of bandwagon harassment, since you only see or hear from them when their team is winning. Thank God that doesn't happen all that often.

I think the purpose of a blog is to state opinions, meet people and have fun.

We all pretty much get along and poke some good natured fun at each other.

We also get into some heated debates, but it's usually done in a civil matter. There are of course, some really vicious people who just can't resist tearing into other people.

Nothing that we can do about that.

Blogs shouldn't be territorial, but there should be some rules of ettiquette that we all have to abide by. Most of us do and that adds to the fun.

Marianne,

I read in the Daily News that some people are calling the squirrel "Lucky". One guy named him Scooter.

Somehow, I see a new piece of Yankee merchandise coming out of this. LOL

Jayson Stark- Rumbling toward the Bronx

[quote]
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=stark_jayson&id=3006756

Even if Roger Clemens comes back and goes 6-0 in September and October, the feeling among baseball people who know him is that this is it -- his actual final season. Really. Finally. No kidding. One friend says: "I'd be shocked if he comes back -- anywhere. The impression I get is, this time it's just been too hard, physically."

Meanwhile, what does the future hold for Clemens' buddy, Andy Pettitte? He has a player option for next year at $16 million. And given the gruesome state of this winter's free-agent starting pitching market, we hear increasing speculation that Pettitte could opt out and bungee jump to the top of that market. There's no sign he's sincerely interested in going anywhere else, including back to Houston. But given the alternatives, the Yankees would have no choice but to inhale deeply, then cough up more years, more dollars or both.

Whether Pettitte's status is in play or not, think about all the prominent names whose place in the Yankees' universe will be hanging out there this winter: Clemens, Rivera, Jorge Posada, Joe Torre, Bobby Abreu and, oh yeah, A-Rod. The Yankees also need to figure out what they're going to do about Joba Chamberlain, Mike Mussina, Johnny Damon, Jason Giambi, first base and their bullpen with or without Rivera. So no wonder one prominent baseball man says: "Yankees baseball for the next decade will be determined by the results of this offseason … and all 4 million fans are watching."

One AL executive says he's starting to feel sorry for Phil Hughes -- because he may never be able to match all the hype that was laid on him before he arrived in New York.

"I think he's going to wind up being a No. 3 starter, and that's not bad," the exec says. "But people were led to believe he'd be more than that. It's going to be really hard for him to ever live up to all his expectations."

OK, one more Yankees note: A scout who recently followed the Yankees for a week gave this unsolicited monologue on Derek Jeter: "The more you see him play, the more you notice all the little things he does during the course of a game that, for the most part, go unnoticed. Just the fact that he's on that top step of the dugout, watching every single pitch, goes a long ways for me. The guy doesn't miss a pitch. He's never up there in the clubhouse, doing whatever, and just coming out for his at-bats. You never see that[/quote]."

Hughes is #3? .

John G.,

If there's a stuffed Yankee squirrel toy, it will probably be labeled something innocuous and generic like Lucky, since the use of the Scooter name on Yankees-related merchandise would probably be surrounded with legal/copyright issues.

I'm hoping against hope that no such imitation will occur, and we'll just have the real, furry, wriggly little creature to enjoy now and to remember this strange season by later.

Adios everyone. I'll talk to you tommorow.

Blogs are definitely places where people state opinions, meet people and have fun, but common sense tells you people visit blogs that they can relate to, that hold their interest, where they share a common cause. As a Yankees fan, I have no interest in visiting a Pirates blog. I don't frequent a banjo lovers site or an Indian architecture site. The Yankees are my passion so here I am. I do understand the Red Sox & Mets fan obsession with the Yankees, though, so I can see why they come here so frequently.

Don't you think that's a pretty realistic evaluation of Hughes, actually? At least if the Hughes we've seen so far? What is it, five games if I'm remembering right -- one of them very good, three shaky, and last night a representative big-league outing but nothing great. Not a very big sample, but if forced at gunpoint to say what it adds up to at this point, would you really say better than a number three pitcher on a good team?

Well, the walk was quite pleasant....it's nice when you live in "the sticks" like I do and can walk for 3 miles and not see a vehicle or another person, through the woods and let the dog roam and swin in the streams (and swamp...ugh)...anyway..

Clearly, any obsession Mets and Sox fans have with the Yanks is a two way street...Yank fans ARE just as interested in what is happening in the Nation, or in Metsville...otherwise we wouldnt be seeing so many copy/paste of Sox/Mets Blogs...or hear about them second hand. In my experience on Sox blogs, and it is quite lengthy, there are as many Yankee fans as Sox fans that frequent them.

These anti-Yankee people make me sick. Jayson Stark(ESPN anti-Yankee flunky) says that a scout projects Phil Hughes as a number 3 starter. What about all the scouts who projected him as the best pitching prospect in the minors last year. The scout he got this from is obviously a Red Sox scout.

I doubt that...

I cant speak for Sox scouts, but I'm willing to risk it by saying that most any Sox scout, Sox management member, Sox player, or Sox fan would LOVE to have Phil Hughes in a Sox uni.

But we no longer have to see things through the eyes of scouts, whether they are last year's enthusiasts or this year's skeptics. What do you say from your own independent observation? I've watched (on TV, not in person) all the games he's pitched this year. Have you? On the actual evidence of these five games (not last year's rumors), do you place the Hughes that you have seen up to now as higher than a #3 on a good team? Evidence?

As I said before... ESPN is clearly NOT Anti-Yankee. They may have their share of Red Sox people working there, but ESPN, TBS and Fox are going to church every day lighting a candle that the Yankees get into the playoffs and go far.

That's where the ratings are.
Want to see TV executives in a mass suicide?

Then pray for a Padres/Angels World Series

Besides, Andy Pettitte has always worn the label of #3 starter....I dont know about you...but I'd take 5 of him and be pretty happy with that rotation.

Keeping in mind that many of last year's scouting rumors posited Joba Chamberlain as an out-of-condition fat boy with nothing much going for him but a fast ball.

ESPN as a business would prefer for high-visibility teams with big fan bases to play in every post-season game. That's bank-account love, which the Yankees definitely get from ESPN the corporate entity.

ESPN commentators as individuals have their own personal preferences, which show through just like yours and mine do. That's fan love, which the Yankees don't get much of from the guys at ESPN.

Remember to keep things in perspective...for example...look at who leads the AL is saves...but, he has a era about 5.00...is he the best?

Or, look at Wang...a good pitcher...and has had consistent years of over 16+ wins...but his era is would dictate that he would be a ## or even #4 stater on some other teams....his numbers are very close to Bostons Wakefield....it makes a difference when you have an offense that mashes the snot out of the ball and makes any pitcher look like a #5.

Okay, my tardy contractor has finally arrived, so I'll go for now and pick up the conversation next time I have enough down time!

Some thoughts on Mo, Clemens, Pettite, and coaching.

Mo has previously indicated he doesn't want to be a pitching coach, but would love to be a special instructor for spring training.

Clemens would never transition his life from Houston to NY with the whole family issue. Maybe in a few years, but not now, so he's not a viable option as a pitching coach. I do however think he, or he teamed with Pettite would make a GREAT strength and conditioning coach (remember, we fired that guy after Hughes' injury early in the season), specifically for pitchers. The two of them could alternate where they were and when. I do not think they would need to be with the team 7 days a week and between the two of them could affectively train the Yankees pitchers while providing some additional insight along the way.

Not that I'm saying it's feasible or even allowable, but why not sign all three to 20-year contracts. Give them $4 million - $5 million per. Under the contract, they pitch until a mutual decision is reached that it would be in their best interest to retire at which point they make the easy transition into their new role. The $4 - $5 million number can be altered moderately based on how many years pitching you think they have left (i.e. Clemens may have zero, so the $4 - $5 million could be lower).

A little zany, I know, but the thought, prior to the contract, is solid.

Recently when ESPN was showing web gems of fantastic fielding plays, they included the scene where A-Rod's sculpture fell off the canvas. In another show, they discussed some of the best pitchers on the hottest teams and showed segments from their prior game. Wang was only shown throwing the ball into the dirt and pitching wildly, something he rarely does. ESPN leaves Yankees fans with a bad taste in their mouth for reasons like these. Slights like these are not aberrations, they are common and calculated.

ESPN is absolutely anti-Yankee! "Pigpen" Kruk and all of his flunkies - Pinkslip Phillips, and Jayson "Off the Mark" Stark. They have been praying that our Yanks don't make it in, but we will break their hearts in the end. Get rid of 'em! Clemens would be a great pitching coach, but I don't think he will be a player/coach after the physical wear and tear on his 45yr old body this season. Gator and Clueless Joe have to go! It is not a coincidence that Eiland has been working with Hughes, although the excuse is that he worked with them in AAA and knows them. Gotta read some of the comments Hughes has made about Eiland (read between the lines). Gator was a great Yankee player - not coach! Clueless Joe did a great overall job - better than anyone expected, and will make the HOF. But it is time for a change!

They got more respect for the chain smoker in Detroit, the quirky guy in Boston and the guy who never got a chance with the Yankees who coaches for the Mutts. Jealous pseudo-reporters who will never have the opportunity to win a championship again. Where is the unbiased reporting we all hear about?

Eram Says:

Rooting for the Yankees is a moral failure and a character flaw.

If you go just by their GameDay photos, the Yankees have the strangest-looking collection of players I’ve ever seen. Shelly Duncan, Jason Giambi, Hideki Matsui (who looks about 50 y/o), Wilson Betemit (who looks like a chipmunk), Mariano Rivera (who Red Sox fans kiddingly call Fruitbat), Edwar Ramirez (who looks like a famine victim), Chris Britton (who must top 300 lbs by now), Joba Chamberlin (a slightly thinner version of Britton) and Brian Bruney (a slightly thinner version of Chamberlin).

The Mariners have Rick White, so I guess we win. :)

bram Says:

The Yankees are like the neighborhood bully. If you stand up to all their mystique their bullsh*t, it robs them of their biggest advantage. To beat them, you have to be willing to fight them.

Lou Piniella understood this. But what disgusts me most about this series is that the M’s don’t have the balls to stand up to them. Somebody grow a pair, aim for the head, let the benches clear and then see how bada** those Yankee sc*mbags and their toothless lumpen think they are.

The series and the season are over. Start a brawl to lay a foundation for the future.

Anon, who exactly are these people you are quoting?

This Blog would not be the same without the Red Sox fans ... I like Nudge and Sully very much! And it is nice they come there, that means this Blog has a lot to offer them.

Anyway, BB is right, I also said Hughes should get more seasoning. He's just a kid. The strike zone in MLB is very small.
It's like the ball has to be between the E and the N in the Johnny Bench signature in the catcher's mitt!

It would be nice to see PH come up with a split finger like Clemens.

He has a nice curve ball.

Who has the best curve? Wainwright? Zito? Beckett?

Who can say for sure?

I hope we don't have a let down ... but it is an up and down year ... with so many new players ... Torre has done a good job ... but the bullpen ... he wears guys out as we all know ... but they are rich anyway!

Go Yankees on to victory!

A. Where can I get a Yankee Squirrel toy?

B. Bringing in Putz or any reliever. Do they get the save, or the most important out of the game?

Good point which would revolutionize pitching.

But you would have to change strategy about when to warm up ...

It would vary so much from game to game. Like the most important at bat could be early, to knock out a great pitcher in the first few innings before he got on track.

LMAO....

Nudge...is NOT a Sox fan.

So with no game ... what's there to do tonight?

2 homers for Rick Ankiel today...

Sweeper The Squirrel! (why not "Maris", "Babe", "Reggie"?)

Rick Ankiel is a good story. I'm glad that he made it back to the bigs.

I'm going to watch the Sox/O's game when I get home from work today.

As far as next season for the Yanks? That's too far off in the future to worry about now. Suffice to say, Cashman may have to open the vault this off season in order to keep A-Rod, Pettitte, Posada and Mo. If I venture to take a guess, I would say that Posada and Mo are going to stay, but they're going to make the Yanks squirm. Pettitte Maybe 65-35 he stays. If that article is true, he can make a bundle in the FA market.
A-Rod on the other hand, is a different story.
First off, I don't believe Cashman for a New York Minute when he says that he won't get into the bidding for A-Rod. He won't go down without a fight.
I think that Anaheim will be the front runner for him and maybe Boston 2nd. Can you imagine the damage that he would do playing 81 games in Fenway Park?
BBBRRRRR!!!!!

The Yanks would need to replace his bat if he goes, so maybe we make a play for Mike Lowell. He's steady, dependable, can hit, and he's no slouch at 3B.
He's not A-Rod, but who is?

Nudge is a Mets fan from Queens.

Maybe we need numbers and a program, so everyone can keep the players straight?

A-ROD 55 Homers 161 RBI.

I don't know if any of you have seen it, but on the Yanks website there's a video analysis by Harold Reynolds on what's wrong with Moose. If any of you have time, it's worth checking out. It's about 2 1/2 minutes long.

Sully,

Ankiel is the story of the summer! Everyone in St. Louis goes insane over him.

We means so so much to this city ... to people who have struggled, and we are an immigrant city ... Bosnia, Afghanistan, Somolalia, Killing Fields ... people here have been through a lot ... and Rick is a hero now ... not to give up.

It is more than just one good month as Michael PTRS said. Would they let PTRS mow the outfield, let alone START in CF and hit .350 with HR's every game almost? Not bloody likely! Sad to see Newsday didn't cover this story. I think they have major issues with white Christians.

And now Michael PTRS, who said "Thank the Lord last night" BTW, will probably attack you ALSO for mentioning Rick Ankiel.

I am so happy for him ... so, so happy!

John G., you are a good person. I hope I will meet you and Sully one day and Nudge too.

Without a game life seems a bit empty, no?

As for Moose, he lost his fastball ... with all that junk you need 90 + at least.

Jeff Granger blew everyone away when I was at Texas A&M. Jeff broke Clemens' SWC record for K's in only three years, and was the QB of the football team. Excellent LHP. Went right to KC ... and blew people away for three innings ... million dollar bonus baby ... who made his way to the Long Island Duck.s. (Baseball, not ice hockey.)

You need both power and finesse to be a starter ... a great one ... control, hit spots, keep the hitter off balance, field, hold runners close, work fast, reach back for extra heat when you need a K (Hampton with the Mets was great at that ... 87 all game long then 92 when he needed it.)

Granger never developed that. I think in 1993 he was the first LHP in the world drafted, number 5 in the first round. What an athlete! Nice family too, his mom was a great lady they said. People were very jealous of him!

Anyway, just my two cents!

I wish you all would visit St. Louis and we could go out to eat at Brio and see Liv Tyler III with Sully! ... before I jet off to Ivory Coast or some place like that ...

Sorry ... He (Ankiel) means so much to this city!

I hate typos! AT 85 WPM I must be more careful.

I am many shame.

In Korean "Na Noon Chung Pee Hada!" That means I am many shame!

As for A Rod's final numbers, Bob and Miguel are right on ... probably ... maybe 6 more HR's and 20 more RBI's are possible?

I learned this year not to guess.

I said get Joe Kennedy and he bounced from Oakland to Arizona and now with Toronto.

I said get Catalannato and he really did well since June. (Lucky guess.)

I said get Ankiel and there is no need to even comment. Imagine the fuss they