Tough loss, your SS fill-in, tough times for Joba?
Another tough outing for Phil Hughes last night. That's two in a row. He now has a 9.00 ERA after three games. He gave up three earned runs on six hits and four walks in three innings in Kansas City. He allowed seven runs, six earned, in two innings plus four batters last night, as he allowed six hits and walked three.
The Yankees had plenty of opportunities to score more runs, though, and could have still won the game.
According to the New York Daily News this morning, Joba Chamberlain left the team after last night's game because his father, Harlan, had collapsed at his home in Lincoln, Neb. The Daily News story said that Harlan was listed in critical condition at St. Elizabeth Regional Medical Center. Joba reportedly learned the news after the game.
Harlan rides in a motorized scooter due to suffering from polio as a child. He has had other health problems in recent years, including a burst appendix, but traveled to New York for the first time last year to watch Joba pitch. He was at Yankee Stadium for the opener, as well as in K.C. last week. He's as friendly as could be, and he and Joba are really close. I really hope he has a speedy recovery, if this news is true.
Also, wanted to pass on Alberto Gonzalez's thoughts on playing in this Yankees-Red Sox series. He started all three games, as Derek Jeter sat with a strained left quad. Jeter could be back in action any day, and everyone will be happy to see that. But Gonzalez, a rookie from Venezuela, has made a positive impression.
Gonzalez is 5-of-13 so far with a pair of doubles and an RBI. He also has played sparkling defense.
Gonzalez, who was called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to fill in for the injured Jeter, said he has been thrilled to participate in the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry. Growing up in Venezuela, he said people always tuned in to those games. Even though he was an Indians fan (for Omar Vizquel, the All-Star Indians shortstop from Venezuela), Gonzalez thought it would be great to get to be part of the Yankees-Red Sox mix.
Once Gonzalez signed with the Diamondbacks, he said: “I never thought playing in this rivalry would be a possibility."
Gonzalez's eyes glowed as he was talking about how excited he was to play at Fenway. He said his family had called him late Friday night after watching the game to tell him how proud they were of him. Jeter will likely be back in the lineup in a day or two. In the meantime, though, Gonzalez impressed people on the Yankees, including Jeter himself.
Anthony Rieber will be filling in for me the next two days in Tampa, and I'll pick up the team in New York for the Boston games.
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Comments (18)
REPOST: new thread came up while I was typing, submitting, copying, refreshing, re-submitting, etc.
I have accepted that Hughes will be a drag on the team as often as he is an asset, at least until he develops two things:
a) some control over his fastball, and
b) a reliable, MLB-ready third pitch.
I am resigned to this. The 'disappointment' phase is over.
At present it's one good game to two awful ones, and an ERA of 9.0. My hopes are rational: now let's try for a ratio of one good game to one not-so-good game.
As for Farnsworth, no disappointment there -- he's living up to every expectation we could reasonably have had of him. He's been around the block a few times and shown us what he has, and this is what he has. Our bad if he's still on the team -- not his.
Girardi has not looked comfortable as NYY manager, and I was surprised that it took this long for a columnist to write about that. He's made several very debatable decisions, but that's no surprise. He's very, very young as a manager and deserves at least as much leeway as a rookie pitcher. But I thought he'd be more confident and happy in the role. Much of the time he looks absolutely hunted out there. I'm looking around and wondering who he has to turn to on his coaching staff to help him stay on an even keel in the tough times -- like JT had Zimmer at first. Where is JG's Zimmer? He's going to need one.
In the long run, this team will be fine.
We're only 13 games into the season and people are talking about whether they'll recover or not?
Gimme a break. The team most likely not to recover this season is the Detroit Tigers. They have worse pitching problems than the Yanks do.
Hughes will take his lumps. Kennedy will take his lumps. They will both be fine.
The Yanks will weather the storm. Tread water for another couple of weeks and they will be in good shape.
I look at the first two months of last season and their situation was a whole lot worse than it is now.
The team hasn't even started hitting yet, but that will come soon enough.
Viper -
I tend to agree. Like I said, I'm holding the panic button in a safe place - I will return it around the end of May if need be.
There were positives to take out of this weekend series:
1. The pitching of CM Wang
2. The continued development of Gonzalez (though I don't know where he fits with this team long term)
3. Girardi got his "welcome to NY" moment out of the way early - by facing the media after having Moose pitch to Manny
Good point just made on WFAN by two Met fans - This year the Yankee fan won't see the finished product for Hughes or Kennedy, what you look for are flashes.
Hughes is on a short lease a few more starts like the last 2 and he'll be back at Scranton.The Yanks will give him the benefit of the doubt in his next 5-6 starts .You like to see strike 1 strike 2 occasionally.On the other side of the field Dice-K does not inspire confidence.
Damon is a concern, I can't seem to recall the last time he scolded the ball or came up clutch.
Molina headed for the DL? Man.
That should read "scalded"
I'm not sure where Viper and Chip's comments about 'panic', 'stepping back from the edge', exaggerated worries about whether the team can recover, etc., are coming from?
I'm a pretty faithful reader and the posts on this blog (aside from a well-known crazy or two) have sometimes expressed a negative reaction to specifics, but have been devoid of panic regarding the team.
Are you guys making a pre-emptive strike against the possibility of over-reaction here, or do you really see panic among us?
I did a quick review of the most recent threads and didn't find it.
Anyway that whole 'I'm in charge of the panic button' schtick is a bit condescending.
Diane,
I read a lot of boards - not just this one. And there are a lot of Yankee fans in full panic mode. It's ridiculous.
My reference about whether this team will "recover" was a response from Ant's comment. Then again, whatever he says doesn't count anyways so you're right - it doesn't reflect the opinions of anyone else in this forum.
Condescending? Not hardly. Just common sense.
The Yanks are committed to the youth movement and they are going to stick with them for awhile.
Viper,
I've seen some craziness on other blogs as well -- Pete Abe's followers huddling together and shrieking in a 500+ thread, for example -- but hadn't seen the regulars here going overboard. Expressing some natural displeasure with specific individuals/plays/decisions has been about it. Thankfully.
ruse,
Actually I loved your phrase 'scolding the ball'.
Several of our hitters have been seen scolding the bat, as well ... ;-)
Diane
Thank you thank you very much.(Think Elvis)
Hold up ....
I applaud Viper and CHip for trying to keep the calm , but lets face reality here for a minute these kids were overhyped, not saying they are not good but that from the media to the Front office they were over hyped and the same offensive problems exist what is going to be Damon's excuse this year??? Fan are very much allowed to react to what ever they feel like reacting to that is why they are FAN's there is no fan better than the other on here.
Chip said it best he will hold back on the panic button until may .
Me it is hard for me to honestly have a opinion now due to the fact I now know alot of these players so my judgement is cloudy , as much convo I have with Giambi it makes it hard to see how he is sucking right now.
as for Gonzales. wanna know where to play him????
Try 2nd base , this Cano slump crap every year is destroying the team , we CANNOT have a repeat of last year where we ahve to win a Mil games just to get in the Wild card we need to straighten out now
Bomber,
Tempting notion right now while AG is looking good and Cano is wallowing in a hitting slump while still showing no signs of wanting to learn an intelligent approach to the plate.
But is it too small a sample to know enough about AG at this point?
Bomber
Good to have you back on here bro. Keep on post'in.
Why do folks always single Cano out to be the culprit ? AROD,GIAMBI,DAMON,POSADA,JETER aren't exactly earning their keep.
Cano drove in 97 runs and batted .306 last season ,he helped carry the team from June on last season.
Thank you Rick,
Diane the jury is still out on Cano what he has one two season under his belt if this is his pattern to stink in the begining of the season then give me some one who is stabel through out the season.
so lets compare this ....
Player 1 bats.
320 20 60 but most of his production comes midseason while his early season #'s is awful meaning his risp 3"s are low and walks is low and steals is low.
player 2 bats..
280 7 40 rbi's
this is through out the season and while his RBI's is low he has a decent on base % due to walks etc. and scores alot of runs this player is steller at defense and hits in the clutch
which player would you choose.
Ruse...
we all know the team is an old team so yes those players are suspect especially damon. the way he is playing they could have given gardner a chance and had traded away Johnny - real talk.
as for Robbie right now at this pace MELKYS (i cannot beleive i typing this ) value is increasing higher than robbies, thsi is not because of overall it is because one is doing lil things as well and is prooving to be reliable. stinking for two months is not good, remember thsi team cannot afford to repeat last season.
Last season ? the Yanks won 94 games and made the playoffs for the 13th consecutive yr. It's no fault of Cano that Yankee pitching failed once again in the playoffs.Man !
come on please think and you logic last season was special but do you for one second think this team can pull of the crappy first half and still make it to the playoffs every da** season, the bottom line some parts are freaking tradeable and if you can get DECENT established pitching for some of these parts then do the thing. there is no reason that a player like cano cannot freaking ahve better at bats if he had 97 rbi's that mean he could do 100 plus if he freaking use his head more
Some of you drama queens really shouldn't follow baseball if you can't stomach a few early-season inconsistencies. Umm... Hello? News Flash: The Yanks are slow starters. They have been for the last 15 seasons.
Get a grip.