SB Nation - Cody Ransom

Worst New York Yankees of the Decade

Ed Valentine — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:00:17 -0000

We had some fun the other day debating the Pinstripe Alley Yankee Team of the Decade. Good points were raised on several controversial choices.

Along the way, some of you asked for the 'Worst Yankees of the Decade' team. I thought that would be fun, so I decided to take a shot at it.

Looking at the rosters over the years, though, I found it almost impossible to narrow it down to a single team. Instead, position-by-position, here are some of the most forgettable -- and regrettable -- Yankees of the past decade.

I am sure there are many other names that could or should be added to this list. But, this should get you started strolling down the wrong side of Yankee Memory Lane.

C -- Alberto Castillo, Chris Turner, Chris Widger, Todd Greene, Joe Oliver, Bobby Estelalla, Wil Nieves, Sal Fasano, Michel Hernandez,

1B -- Travis Lee (.105 in 7 games)

2B -- Tony Womack

SS -- Erick Almonte,

3B -- Wilson Betemit, Drew Henson,

INF -- Alex Arias, Felix Escalona (.000, 5 games in 2004), Mark Bellhorn (.118, 9 games, 2005), Cody Ransom, Angel Berroa, Morgan Ensberg

OF -- Kenny Lofton, Matt Lawton (.125, 21 games, 2005), Mike Vento, Justin Christian,

DH -- Jose Canseco

SP -- Kevin Brown, Tim Redding (54.00 ERA in 1 game, 2005), Carl Pavano, Kei Igawa, Jaret Wright (Carl Pavano BEFORE Pavano), Christian Parker (one 2001 start, got hurt, never pitched again), Jeff Weaver, Darrell May, Sidney Ponson (multiple times),

RP -- Alex Graman (19.80 in 3 games, 2004) & 13.50 in 2 games, 2005), Colter Bean, Bret Prinz, Sean Henn, Gabe White, Billy Traber, Anthony Claggett (33.75 ERA in 2 games).

I am ashamed to admit so many guys like this have worn the pinstripes during the course of the last decade. Yuck!

Around the Yankee Universe: Mark DeRosa, anyone?

Ed Valentine — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:15:10 -0000

Here are a few stories worthy of discussion today Around the Yankee Universe.

Infielder Mark DeRosa's glove could be good fit

Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News is suggesting that the Yankees pursue DeRosa, the veteran utility man.

If the Yankees bring back Johnny Damon, DeRosa would be a good fit because he could play left field on days when Damon serves as the designated hitter. DeRosa, who has started 212 games in the outfield, 311 at third base, 304 at second base, 139 at shortstop and 23 at first base, could also spell Alex Rodriguez at third base on his DH days, making him an ideal addition for the aging Yankees.

The Yankees have shown prior interest in DeRosa, who is well-regarded by many inside the organization. At least 10 teams are reportedly in the mix for DeRosa, who hit .250 with 23 home runs, 78 RBI and 78 runs scored in 139games with Cleveland and St. Louis last season.

My take: This is an idea that I like, particularly if HIdeki Matsui and Jerry Hairston Jr. are not part of the 2010 Yankee roster. There have been seasons when GM Brian Cashman has pretty much ignored the bench, and last season we saw how important having quality depth is. Just like Hairston was an upgrade over Cody Ransom, DeRosa would be an upgrade over Hairston.

Speaking of Matsui, IT IS HIGH, IT IS FAR, IT IS... caught. makes an impassioned, somewhat melancholy, case for why the World Series MVP can't be a Yankee next season.

It's no fun, closing the book on a great novel.

Its like watching Peter Pan, when you were a kid: You didn't want it to end. You wished you could stay in that fantasy world, flying with Tinker Bell and always outwitting Captain Hook. Everything was magical. And then... it ended... on a school night, no less.

We have no place next year for Hideki Matsui.

It's not his fault. Great player. Great Yankee. Great man. He just can't play the outfield anymore. And we just can't take a full-time DH anymore.

My take: Unfortunately, I agree with this. The Yankees have too many veteran guys who could benefit from rotating through the DH spot. If the Yankees keep Damon, Matsui, as much as I love the guy and what he has done for the Yankees, would be cluttering up the roster.

Other Stuff

Here is another vote against the Yankees signing free-agent pitcher John Lackey.
Commissioner Bud Selig is promising to tighten baseball's ridiculously stretched out playoff schedule. I say, hooray for that.

The Juggernaut Double Digest Edition: Yanks sweep Labor Day, 4-1 and 11-1

CrazyYankeeChick — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 03:59:53 -0000

Nom nom nom.

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Were the New York Yankees, in fact, laboring on this holiday twin bill? Because from where I was sitting, it looked more like they were slicing through the Rays like a hot knife in butter.

With their double-win over Tampa Bay, the Yanks looked like the juggernauts they are, increasing their lead in the AL East to 9 and all but securing their spot in history as one of the best teams the franchise has put on the field. Yeah, I said it. They are. Don't believe me? Let's review what happened at 161st street today:

GAME 1, 1:05: 4-1 W

Brett Gardner rejoins our lives again, and I don't think anyone celebrated his value more than John Sterling today, after our speedy OF made a catch that was almost cartoonish in its unbelievablility. I thought my sparks were going to start flying out my radio from Sterling's explosive reaction to this: "And I'll just say it, Suzyn. In all my years of watching the Yankees, I have never seen an outfield as good as this."

CC Sabathia's very CC like performance was troubling for me to watch. His 7IP of 10K ball would have been a phenomenal way for my fantasy team to start Week 1 of the playoffs...if I had remembered to set my roster for today. Instead, my bench line score for the day is beautifully immaterial.

Which wasn't the only way my fantasy team took a hit. With 3 Rays on my lineup, I'm avoiding checking StatTracker to see the O-fers diluting my BA. Carlos Pena's HBP in Game 1 really encapsulated the day for the Rays' offense: 2 broken fingers after getting hit with a pitch in the 1st. But to make matters worse, he swung so he didn't even get to take a base. "You don't take a 95 mph fastball on the finger and live to tell about it -- or the finger live to tell about it."

Evan Longoria might have the only production for my team actually, with his solo blast in the 2nd. Carl Crawford, my all-time favorite fantasy mainstay, went 0 for 3, with 2 strikeouts, and even got caught stealing 2nd in the 8th, on a brilliant pitchout from Jorge Posada. You're useless, Crawford.

Derek Jeter was hitless for the day, but still met another landmark by tying Yogi Berra in the 3rd place spot for most games played. Meh. I don't get any real charge out of this stat. But being the Yankee with the most hits EVER? Unassailably, indisputably awe-inspiring. And we get to be around to witness it. This team never fails to give me goosebumps.

The game broke open from the 1-1 tie on account of a 3-run 8th. If I were Tampa Bay, I'd petition to have the games they play against the Yankees end squarely in the 7th. Or at least get some kind of hired gun for the 8th innings against NY.

Elias Sports Bureau tells us that New York is 15-0 when tied after seven innings -- the longest such streak at the start of a season in major league history. That's amazing, and I can't decide whether this is on account of our bullpen, or our offense's refusal to go down without a fight. Either way.

Speaking of bullpen, concerns over Mariano RIvera's sore groin were significantly alleviated today after he followed up Phil Hughes' scoreless 8th with a perfect inning of his own, striking out 2 to end the 3-hit game and hand the W over to Hughes (who's getting himself a nice potpouri of pitching accolades. For a set-up man, he's got a pretty decent assortment of Ws and Saves.) Douglas Adams pretty much nailed it when he avered the ultimate answer to life and the universe.
12 straight bullpen wins. Franchise record. When was the last time we were proud of our bullpen? I love this team.

Was this the same defense that the Rays trotted out last year in the World Series? They were abyssmal. What is Joe Maddon putting in his coffee these days that he's let the talent on the team fester away this season to this degree? It's like watching the beginning of Mighty Ducks 2, when Coach Bombay is all resting on his laurels after last year's championship, and he doesn't take the time to address the team's needs. Bad Maddon. Baddon.

Game 2, 7:05: 11-1 W

Jeter goes hitless again. 0-8 with a walk on a day. Three hits to tie Lou Gehrig. 4 to become leader. He's soooo overrated.

24 hits in 2 games, outscored the Rays 15-2. This team used to have our number, remember? It's nice how things have changed. Which is another reason why I think we shouldn't worry about the Angels. Very little about this Yankees team is typical this year. All bets are off, we're playing with a new deck.

Speaking of Angels, the Yanks moved 6 and a half up on them for best record in the AL. This may be the first year I've really assigned any level of import to homefield advantage. While I usually subscribe to the I-guess-it-helps-but-a-good-team's-a-good-team mentality, Greatness's New Home is kind to our team. I want to see as much of that offensive brothel as possible.

Other concerns milling about the Yankee fanbase have been around AJ Burnett and his softening domination. Today he pitched a 1-run game in 6IP: 4 hits, 3 BBS, 8Ks. "Any time you get to pitch behind that big man, you know, you want to put up his numbers. You just get inspired." Once again, default to the advice from "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy."

While Andy Sonnanstine didn't exactly give the performance of his career (8 runs, 8 hits, 3 hits in 2 and two-thirds innings, which inflated his ERA to 7.23), I think he may need to put things in perspective just a little: "Definitely today was probably one of the worst days of my life."

Teixeira has three multihomer games this season, 24 overall. His swing is climbing the charts for one of the most aesthetically pleasing and effective in all of major league baseball.

Jose Molina(three hits, two walks in Game 2) reached base five times in a game for the first time in his career.

9-19 with RISP. I'll take it.

There were so many substitutions toward the end of Game 2 that I was getting flashbacks of CYO basketball. In addition to the starting 9, the Yankees gave some playing time to Ramiro Pena, Eric Hinske, SHELLEY DUNCAN, and Francisco Cervelli. Remember when Cody Ransom would have been among those names? Despite the fact Pena was the only one to actually get on base of those 4, I love the fact that those are the B-listers on this team, because it says something about how otherwordly our A-listers are.

And A-listers they are. After a brain fart of a game last night, the Yankees bounced back to take both games from the Rays. They're playing like they should be. Like they're not only focused on winning each individual game, but like they realize that a W means nothing if it doesn't support our momentum. That's what they've been doing for the last 2 months: crafting new and incisive ways to buoy their lead and nourish their adrenaline.

Keep your eyes on the prize, Yanks. Eye on the prize.

-CYC

Giants/Dodgers Series Preview

Grant — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 18:30:39 -0000

More photos » by Chris Pizzello - AP

Evil.

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Click this link. Do it. Don't mouse over like a weenie, find out where the link sends you, and then avoid it. Click the link, and let the horror wash over you. Wayne Franklin. Cody Ransom. Dustin Hermanson's sideburns. Unfortunate man-buzzard, Steve Finley. That was the last meaningful game played between the Giants and Dodgers.

That was the last meaningful game played between the Giants and Dodgers.

Well, every Giants/Dodgers game has a special kind of aura. When the Giants were on their way to 91 losses, I still did a dorky fist pump for every one of the 18 hits in the last game of the 2007 season. Why? Because suck it Dodgers. That's why. And it's hard to call a game meaningless when at least one of the teams is still in contention.

But other than those stray, Joe-Morgan-in-a-bottle hopes of schadenfreude, the Giants haven't gone into a Dodgers series with anything at stake since 2004. The mind boggles. Four years of sub-.500 nothingness. Four years of hoping Rajai Davis was the next Torii Hunter, or that Lance Niekro was the next, uh, Ron Coomer. I think I speak for everyone here when I suggest that this is the biggest series in the history of baseball.

An aside: if you haven't looked at Barry Bonds's numbers from 2004 in a while, they're good for a few laughs.

Hitter to watch:

Not one of the Dodgers, that's for sure. When they're not taking drugs or eating veal right off the bone of a living calf, the Dodgers can hit a little bit. But I'm not going to single one of them out. The Dodger roster is an amorphous blob of dark matter, and I don't care if Manny Ramirez or Blake DeWitt is up -- I fear and loathe each of them equally. My Samoan lawyer concurs.

The Giants hitter to watch: all of them. Like, score some runs, you goofballs. Randy Winn: You start on one of your silly 35-for-77 runs. Bengie Molina: You hit the ball in the air if you aren't going to get a hit. Eugenio Velez: Do not recant your pledge to give up your soul until after the series. Ryan Garko: Hit better than Scott Barnes, please. Score some runs. Score some freaking runs. Hey, Giants, score some runs. Score more runs than the other team. If you score more runs than the other team, you will win. So score some runs.

Also, I am of the opinion that the Giants should score some runs.

Pitcher to watch:

The Giants miss Clayton Kershaw -- though Bengie Molina just swung at one of Kershaw's sliders as I was typing this -- so they'll face Hiroki Kuroda, Randy Wolf, and Chad Billingsley. They all scare me in their own way. Kuroda and Wolf are finesse lefties who thrive on stupid hitting, and Chad Billingsley is a power rightie who can overmatch bad-to-average hitters. As long as the Giants keep the stupid, bad-to-average hitters out of the lineup, they'll be fine.

The pitcher to watch, though, is Jonathan Sanchez. Since coming back to the rotation, Sanchez has been pretty danged good. After the no-hitter, he's had a few struggles staying in games, but his slider is a different pitch entirely. It's absolutely nasty right now, and if he can exhibit even a modicum of control, his results should match his stuff. I'd love for him to make some Dodger hitters look silly.

Or, he could walk seven in three innings, getting pulled after the game is out of reach. Don't want to hear the Sanchez-for-Joe-Carter rumors in the offseason, Jonathan? The no-hitter was a good start, but a fantastic stretch-run finish would mean even more.

Prediction:

I have a sack full of kittens, Giants. I have the number for Felines for Foster Kids, a non-profit organization that places kittens in loving homes. I also have a way to close the sack, and I also have access to the Pacific Ocean. What happens to the sack of kittens is up to you, Giants. Do not displease me.

Wait, that's more of a threat than a prediction. My prediction is that I'll look like Keith Richards after this series is over. I can't take this.

Open Dodger Hate Thread
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Thursday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 14:16:16 -0000

More photos » by Gus Ruelas - AP

Ryan Braun, Mike Cameron and Jody Gerut celebrate the Brewers' win over the Dodgers Wednesday.

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Some things to read while working on a poem.

Will Prince Fielder be suspended today? Disciplinary action for Tuesday's incident is expected to be announced today, and I've heard anything from no suspension to ten games suggested. I guess we'll find out. Meanwhile, Ken Macha was on damage control yesterday, attempting to explain to reporters some of the misconceptions involved and make sure people were aware of the root cause.

How much of the blame for overblowing this incident belongs to Anthony Witrado? Despite admitting earlier this season to being a Dodger fan and a Manny Ramirez fan, plus the fact that he wasn't actually present to witness what happened, Witrado appeared on SportsCenter yesterday and buried both Fielder and the Brewer organization. Brewers Daily, who has had some personal interaction with Witrado in the past, is calling for his firing. It's a shame that, in an era where so many hardworking and talented journalists are losing their jobs, Witrado still has one.

Are the Brewers getting ready to swap someone out in the bullpen? Buried at the bottom of Adam McCalvy's story on Carlos Villanueva was this note:

The Brewers are expected to promote newly signed reliever Jesus Colome from Triple-A Nashville as early as Friday. Colome, released by the Nationals last month and scooped up by the Brewers, pitched two more scoreless innings on Tuesday to preserve his perfect ERA. He struck out 11 batters in seven innings over his first four appearances for Nashville.

One would have to assume R.J. Swindle will be the one to depart, again. Swindle will probably be back in September, but might not get another chance to pitch significant innings this season, or as a Brewer.

Another day, another note on the ineptitude of Jason Kendall: This time it comes from The Daily Drink, where Christian Schneider argues that Kendall is no longer a major league player. As of this writing, Kendall is 2-for his last 27 (.080/.140/.080 over that span), and his OPS has dropped to .584.

Is Ryan Braun an underrated defender? He hasn't looked great in the outfield the last few days, but Baseball Digest Daily ranks him as the fifth best NL left fielder, defensively. I think you can make a solid case that he should be playing in right, not left.

In the minors:

Over at The Hardball Times, Jeff takes a look at AAA roster composition across baseball, and finds that the Brewers have one of the youngest squads, with an average age of 26.4.
Baseball America listed Roque Mercedes as an honorable mention in their list of the top ten prospects traded at the deadline.

On Power Rankings and other stuff:

Beyond the Box Score dropped the Brewers two spots to #24 in their Power Rankings.
MLB FanHouse moved the Brewers up one spot to #19.
The Ghost of Moonlight Graham listed the Brewers among their five losers at the trade deadline.

Around baseball:

Astros: Signed reliever Roy Corcoran.
A's: Signed Brett Tomko to a minor league deal.
Cubs: Released relievers B.J. Ryan and Jason Waddell.
Mets: Jonathan Niese will undergo surgery to repair a torn hamstring tendon and miss the rest of the season.
Nationals: Placed Austin Kearns on the DL with a thumb contusion.
Red Sox: Signed Paul Byrd to a minor league deal.
Royals: Designated Ryan Freel for assignment.
Yankees: Designated infielder Cody Ransom for assignment and signed Russ Ortiz to a minor league deal.

I had a couple of Twitter-based links this morning, but Twitter appears to be down so I'll post them here and maybe they'll work later:

With the win last night, Cool Standings has the Brewers' playoff chances back up to 7.7%.
Jon Heyman is on vacation in Wisconsin this week, so if you see him...I don't know, do whatever it is you do when you see Jon Heyman.

Happy birthday today to Luis Vizcaino, who appeared in 224 games as a Brewer between 2002 and 2004 and turns 35 today.

Drink up.

Wednesday Morning Astros, etc Round Up

HighLeveragePerformer — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 11:00:12 -0000

More photos » by Gus Ruelas - AP

Wandylicious.

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First off, a tip of the cap to Wandy Rodriguez who was named NL Pitcher of the month for July. A 4-0 record with a microscopic .75 ERA.

Darin Erstad is on his way back! He's in AA now either working on some fake punt plays, or rehabbing for his return to the Astros..either one is possible.

Ex-Astro farmhand Cody Ransom isn't exactly tearing it up for the Bronx Bombers, and one Yankee fan has had enough. I dunno how someone can be so upset at someone who so little was expected of to begin with.

Hump Day got ya down? Take a look at this bit of comedy, courtesy of Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins. If that doesn't make you chuckle, then look for the Will Farrell video where the baby curses at him.

Count Hank Aaron among those people who think that releasing the names of those players who tested positive for steroids in the now infamous 2003 test will help MLB.

Among the other notable injuries to ML players, Edinson Volquez' name sticks out for fans of NL Central clubs. The righty could be lost for all of 2010 in addition to the rest of the 2009 season.

Asst. GM for the San Diego Padres, Paul DePodesta, has his own blog. Yesterday he opined about some of the youngsters that the Padres are playing.

Speaking of those guys, they apparently nixed a blockbuster of a trade that involved Adrian Gonzalez and Felix Hernandez all changing addresses.

Baseball + brains = this.

Yankees 8, White Sox 5: The Cyclical Season

jscape2000 — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 21:37:02 -0000

The Yanks avoided the sweep with the kind of win that could get them rolling in the right direction again.

Sabathia wasn't great, but he was good enough for a win.

Sabathia was backed by a cycle from the Melk Man, who scored 3 times and drove in 3 other Yankee runs. Although Melky's triple probably should have been fielded more cleanly, if not caught, he deserves the championship belt. He joins some elite company: the previous Yankee cycles belonged to Tony Fernandez, Bobby Murcer, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, and Joe Gordon.

Sabathia is as much the hero for me, because after an awful 3rd inning, he dug deep and shut down the ChiSox for the next 4 innings.

Hughes came in and struck out a pair before giving way to the Great One. Hughes didn't look great, but he looked pretty good, and he got the job done. Mo pitched his 8th multi-inning save of the season.

It was a must win because even though the Red Sox didn't look pretty today, they beat the Orioles.

On a lighter note, how about that Cody Ransom? Wasn't he a great pinch runner? He's probably the best 25th man in baseball, don't you think?

Yankees defy mathematical logic, lose 10-5 in 12-hit game

CrazyYankeeChick — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 04:24:02 -0000

More photos » by Charles Rex Arbogast - AP

Yeah, it doesn't look good, does it? 0-5, Jorge? Really?

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What exactly happened here? As I'm still in the nascent stages of a move and hence sans cable, I'm relying on the CBS 880 power couple to deliver my games. So at baseline, the chances of me getting a handle on the game are already compromised, but I don't think Stephen Hawkings and his fantasy actuary team could get a bead on how the entire Yankees order--save Melky Cabrera and Jorge Posada--could get at least one hit, and still lose to the White Sox.

Tonight's game moved like a NYC subway with a rookie conductor, jerking forward and then awkwardly plugging along. Sergio Mitre got knocked around early, and pitched like he was just phoning it in. Maybe he figured he didn't stand to be too embarassed seeing as his opposing hurler also got tagged for 5 runs. The difference is, Sergio Mitre is supposed to be our rationale for not picking up a &*(* 5th starter at the deadline, and D.J. Carrasco was just the equivalent of the P.E. teacher filling in for the history teacher out sick. Plus he sounds like he should be talking in thinly veiled euphenisms while cracking his knuckles and checking to see if the room is bugged.

To recap the offensive hemorrhage that occured at the Cell tonight would mean I'd be wrapping up this post sometime around dawn. The highlights, so to speak:

The Yankees opened up with a 3-0 lead that gave all us fans some breathing room. I was sad to discover that the Yankees' days of inexplicably squandering leads like that to teams like this were not, in fact, over.
A.J. Pierzynski went 4-5. I hope to God I started him today. (Yeah, that's right, I have 2 catchers on my fantasy roster. 2009 has got to be some record for the most useless pool of catchers ever. They're either injured or miserably slumping at any given point.)
Eric Hinske comes to bat for the first time in 7 games to sail a game-tying 2-run homer. With Shelley Duncan having been just called back up, I wonder if the two of them will have Kelly-Brenda on 90210 types of competitiveness over who's the better hit-a-homerun-every-time-you-get-up guy. Cody Ransom will look on wistfully while no one talks to him.
Both Scott Podsednik and Carlos Quentin nailed 2 hits. One of Quentin's was a homerun, one of Podsednik's was a BUNT that broke an 0-16 slump. The Yankees are to struggling players what the Pirates are to teams hungry for acquisitions. They're like soup kitchens for baseball.
David Robertson got pinned with the loss. That sucks. He strikes out 2 and gives up 1 run, leaving it at a manageable 6-5 game. Alfredo Aceves comes in determined and wearing his best "You want to see deficit? I'll SHOW you deficit" suit. To be fair, the Yanks never scored after that, which must have disappointed Sterling who didn't get to say "And now the 4-run 7th is really looming large..."
Although I predicted in my preview the game would be decided by their bullpen, I don't think it's fair to make that claim now, since neither team put anything on the mound that really resembled pitching tonight. The game was decided by 2-out hits and RISP. Chicago had 4 two-out ribbies and went 6-13 with RISP. The Yankees posted numbers a little different: 0 two-out ribbies. 2-10 with RISP. Not good. You guys had 12 hits. Do you know how hard it is to hit like that and be 2-10 with RISP? It's like Hideki Matsui not learning English. You have to almost make a concerted effort to do that.
The White Sox pulled a double steal and successfully stole home. As if this in it of itself wasn't cringe-inducing enough, imagine having to listen to Sterling narrate this as it's going down. Or, imagine a clown freebasing. And that still doesn't come close.
The Yankees just lost 2 in a row, and if you look at the bright side, maybe it says good things about this team that I can't remember the last time they did that. It's like I told my sister tonight who's turning 23 and says of her potential new guy, "Ugh, he can't come to my party. He just texted and says he's being held at a police station." While I'm crushed this young pillar of society won't be cavorting with my youngest sister tonight, I stayed positive: "Well, I think it's sweet he texted you in the middle of being interrogated!"

They'll get tomorrow's game. And the Yankees can play with their brand new Jerry Hairston Jr. toy all over the field. Everywhere except the mound anyway. Sigh. JH-II is such a parents' consolation-type gift. Like you're dying for Call of Duty for the X360. And your parents can't find it sold anywhere and refuse to mortgage the house so they can buy it on ebay, so they get you Grand Theft Auto because all the kids seem to like that. And yeah, it's a great gift, but you don't have PlayStation, so it's ultimately useless. But it's the thought that counts.

Here's to taking the next 2 and leaving the south side with a series tie.

Quiet deadline for Yanks

Travis G — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 21:10:12 -0000

More photos » by Denis Poroy - AP

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The Yankees made one trade today, acquiring utility-player Jerry Hairston for minor league catcher Chase Weems. What does this mean?

First off, it probably means the end of Cody Ransom in pinstripes. For that we should be thankful. He also has decent speed (134 SB in 12 partial seasons), so he should be a better pinch-runner than Ransom. He's also a very good all-around fielder, having a positive UZR in five out of seven positions. Hairston will take over Ransom's UIF spot and Gardner's PR/LIDR spot (for the time being). Just this season, he's spent time at second, third, shortstop, and all three outfield positions.

I like the trade because we give up relatively nothing (from a position we're overflowing from talent with) for something useful.

As for the Red Sox, they certainly made a more impactful trade, getting Victor Martinez for Justin Masterson and two minor league pitchers. What you must remember is that Martinez is essentially a replacement for David Ortiz. He can actually play 1B a little, catch a little, and DH a bit. What it will mean is less playing time for Ortiz, Lowell and Varitek. They get a great bat, but giving up Masterson could be big.
Shelley Duncan(!) was recalled to the Yankees today. A reliever will likely be demoted (Melancon? Alby?). UPDATE 5:38 p.m.: It was Alby.
In other interesting trade news, Chicago's starter tonight was traded to San Diego for Jake Peavy. So much for not being able to trade a player on the DL.

6-3 win over the A's shows why anti-fans can stop laughing at the Yanks’ pitching

CrazyYankeeChick — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 06:16:51 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

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I guess the recession affects even the richest team in baseball, since everything the Yankees have done since the ASB has been a monument to economical. If someone showed me the box scores for the last 7 games and told me they were from a Yankee homestand which included 2 of the worst teams in the league, I'd ask them if they were getting their sports info from Chris Berman.

And then if I was told that in this 7-game span, the Yankees' success was the handiwork of their pitchers who kept their opponents to an average of 2 runs a game, I'd ask if they were talking to Joe Morgan. I don't even know what I'd say if they concluded this exercise with the fact the Homerun Hedoism stigma of the stadium would be met with less than 10 long balls.

In their comeback win against the A's, the Yankees continued to demonstrate they're doing their part to cut back on excess wherever they can: after a wet delay that pushed the game til 10PM (west coast-esque start time made me forget they were home and not Oakland's Coliseum), the Yankees zipped through the game in under 3 hours, holding the A's to 3 runs over 9 hits.

CC Sabathia has gotten into the habit of pulling the Joba Rule, which now states he can't settle in until he's got at least 2 awkward/sloppy innings under his 8-foott long belt. I received the now routine "Fatso struggling" text after he allowed Nomar Garciaparra to score off Jack Cust's sac fly, followed by Bobby Crosby's RBI single. Matt Holliday doubled and scored to make it 3-0.

It wasn't a very auspicious start, and I think CC's consistent trouble with the A's may rank alongside Cody Ransom's presence as one of the most inexplicable Yankee mysteries.

Vin Mazzaro looked as though he was going to exploit the hell out of the Yankees' incurable fear of new pitchers, retiring the first 6 batters he faced, 4 on strikeouts. It wasn't until the 4th inning that Oakland passed over the conch shell to the Yanks, where a 2-run bomb from Mark Teixeira opened up the floodgates. Alex Rodriguez walked, stole a base (!), and then was brought home with Jorge Posada's RBI double. Eric Hinske's RBI single put the Yanks on top.

(PS, I'm pretty sure the only 2 types of at-bats Posada knows about are swinging strikeouts and well-timed RBI doubles, most of which occur by a blooper than dunks in just beyond the infield.)

The 5th inning was just as brutal for Vin, who probably won't be comforted tonight by his 7Ks. Eh, he's from Jersey, his hometown buddies are probably happy at least. And as painful as stuffing the bases may have been for Vin, that's how refreshing it was for the few remaining fans at the game.

Teixeira's double brought in Derek Jeter and advanced Johnny Damon to third, who had reached on an infield single. Posada brought in Damon, and then the 4th/5th inning all-you-can-eat run buffet shut down, and the Yankees' bats went into a food coma.

The score would stay that way through the end, as Phil Hughes closed out the game with hitless 8th and 9th innings. His first career save, and undoubtedly an invigorating, comforting suggestion of the Yankees' future Mo substitute. Neither Yankee pitcher let up a single walk tonight. \

The Yankees have now won 7 in a row, The score was 2-1 three of those times, 6-4 twice, and I will admit that part of me wanted to see the A's drive home another run just for the symmetry of it all.

Tomorrow Joba Chamberlain (5-2, 4.05) tries to keep his 1-game winning streak alive, when the Yankees face Brett Anderson (5-7, 4.25). Our boy can't rely on the run support from his team anymore. He'll have to rely on the defense behind him, so my advice to Joba -- if he wants to maintain his team's trend of otherwordly fielding performance--is that he needs to stop taking his sweet time between pitches and also stop getting through innings with the speed of a parade float.

Ask any New Yorker -- there are few things we hate more than slow walkers.