SB Nation - Damaso Marte

World Series Batting Order Optimizer: Philadelpha Phillies

devil_fingers — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:44:19 -0000

More photos » by Kathy Willens - AP

Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Chase Utley, right, arrives at Penn Station with his wife, Jen. He's leading off up the escalator, so I don't see why he can't lead off at a baseball game as part of the World series. Note the relatively modest use of product in his hair. Maybe playing the Yankees in New York brings it out of him.

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Game One of the 2009 World Series ended with the Phillies (mainly Cliff Le) dominating the Yankees in a complete game. The batting order for the Yankees didn't quite match what I recommended for them yesterday, but we hardly expected that, did we? The Phillies have some very good hitters, although not quite as good overall as the Yankees. There is a definiitely dividing line between the really good hitters (Utley, Howard, Werth) and the others. (But it's worth keeping in mind, well-known-on-line-"sabermetric"-analyst-who-shall-go-nameless, that most of the less skilled Philadelphia hitters justify their playing because of their excellent defense. Also, stop using VORP.) The heavily-left-leaning nature of the core of the Phillies offense also poses a challenge. But hey, there's the easy way, and then there's the cowboy way... And it's nice not to have a lousy lineup to optimize. So here we go, it's late and I want to get this done before the World Series ends.

I'll leave out the usual incredibly long methodological preface that is on the other posts (again, see yesterday's post if you want to read it all). And definitely make sure you look it over before you complain about something. Keep in mind that these projections aren't mine, they're the 2010 Bill James projections. Yes, they're a bit goofy (particularly for the Phillies), but they're the only completely set I have at the moment. They get the job done well enough. Before we get started adjusting for platoons and everything, here are the unadjusted Phillies projections. I've calculated the wOBA myself, and the baserunning (EqHAR from BP) and double-play rate projections are also crude homemade projections.

Player	Pos		wOBA	AVG	OBP	SLG	ISO	EqHAR	SBr	GDPr
Carlos Ruiz	C	R	.332	.260	.344	.408	.148	0.2	-0.4	-1.8
Ryan Howard	1B	L	.399	.278	.372	.575	.297	-1.5	0.1	1.3
Chase Utley	2B	L	.380	.290	.384	.513	.223	1.6	1.4	2.0
Jimmy Rollins	SS	S	.332	.271	.328	.438	.167	0.9	2.2	-0.1
Pedro Feliz	3B	R	.304	.253	.296	.400	.147	-1.0	0.0	-0.6
Raul Ibanez	DH	L	.349	.270	.340	.467	.197	0.1	-0.3	0.5
Shane Victorino	CF	S	.333	.283	.343	.418	.135	0.8	0.8	1.4
Jason Werth	RF	R	.371	.269	.369	.490	.221	0.3	1.2	1.9
Ben Francisco	LF	R	.337	.269	.339	.438	.169	1.1	0.3	-0.8

And away we go...

Optimized Phillies batting order vs. RHP w/DH
Player	Pos		wOBA	AVG	OBP	SLG	ISO	EqHAR	SBr	GDPr
Chase Utley	2B	L	.390	.290	.393	.513	.223	1.6	1.4	2.0
Shane Victorino	CF	S	.333	.283	.343	.418	.135	0.8	0.8	1.4
Raul Ibanez	DH	L	.358	.270	.348	.467	.197	0.1	-0.3	0.5
Jason Werth	RF	R	.365	.269	.362	.490	.221	0.3	1.2	1.9
Ryan Howard	1B	L	.410	.278	.381	.575	.297	-1.5	0.1	1.3
Jimmy Rollins	SS	S	.332	.271	.328	.438	.167	0.9	2.2	-0.1
Ben Francisco	LF	R	.332	.269	.333	.438	.169	1.1	0.3	-0.8
Carlos Ruiz	C	R	.327	.260	.338	.408	.148	0.2	-0.4	-1.8
Pedro Feliz	3B	R	.299	.253	.291	.400	.147	-1.0	0.0	-0.6

[NB: The italicized columns are adjusted/regressed appropriatelly for league-average platoon splits.]

Comments: I'm sure you've noticed a crazy thing in there. But I stand by hitting Francisco in front of Ruiz. Of, what, it's not that? Utley hitting first seems crazy? Well, this whole thing is crazy. You want the best guys hitting #1, #2, and #4. However, as with other teams, all the Phillies best hitters vs. RHP are lefties, and you want to avoid stacking them so that the opposition can't leveraeg a lefty-reliever against them, as the Yankees did with Damaso Marte vs. Utley and Howard last night (obviously, it didn't decide the game). Also note that Chase Utley is good at everything. Maybe it will take a 2 HR performance against the Yankees in the World Serie for people to notice what a badass this guy has been and continues to be. He plays second base. He's one of the best (and possibly the best) defenders at that position in the majors, even after his offseason hip surgery. He's a great hitter. He's got a total greaseball hairdo. You knew all that. Did you also know that he stole 23 bases in the 2009 regular season without getting caught? Oh, he's also one of the best baserunners in the league overall, #2 in EqBRR between powerless speedsters like Michael Bourn and Rajai Davis this past season. Oh, and of all the players I ran the numbers on this past season, he is the best at avoiding the double play. Not bad for a guy who, to listen to some commentators, is a pretty good "sidekick" for Ryan Howard. Dude is so underrated he's raised some interesting questions. I'd say he's about as underrated as Carlos Beltran, except that Beltran gets more play (being in New York and one of Joe Posnanski's favorites doesn't hurt) and Utley has been the better player the last 4-5 season. Someone asked me last night on Twitter what it would take for Utley to finally win the NL MVP. I guess we'll see when Albert Pujols signs with the Royals in a couple of seasons... Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah. If I didn't worry so much about handedness, I'd probably hit Werth #1, then Utley-Ibanez-Howard or something. But I do worry about it. Hitting Chutley first minimizes his GDP skills and power, but since we ended up putting Victorino second because of handedness issues and Ibanez isn't as powerful as Werth and Howard, it does take advantage of Utley's skill on the bases. Werth has enough power to do well at cleanup and enough OBP to tackle the #4 spots frequent leadoff opportunities. Since neither he nor Ibanez are as good on the bases as Utley and VIctorino, having Howard behind them makes sense. Again, Howard #5 seems low, but #5 should be better than #3, and I needed to separate the lefties. Rollins offense has obviously declined, but he's not horrible, and #6 is a good spot for a guy who can steal bases in front of the weak hitters behind him who have trouble moving him over themselves.

Optimized Phillies batting order vs. RHP, no DH
Player	Pos		wOBA	AVG	OBP	SLG	ISO	EqHAR	SBr	GDPr
Chase Utley	2B	L	.390	.290	.393	.513	.223	1.6	1.4	2.0
Shane Victorino	CF	S	.333	.283	.343	.418	.135	0.8	0.8	1.4
Raul Ibanez	LF	L	.358	.270	.348	.467	.197	0.1	-0.3	0.5
Jason Werth	RF	R	.365	.269	.362	.490	.221	0.3	1.2	1.9
Ryan Howard	1B	L	.410	.278	.381	.575	.297	-1.5	0.1	1.3
Jimmy Rollins	SS	S	.332	.271	.328	.438	.167	0.9	2.2	-0.1
Carlos Ruiz	C	R	.327	.260	.338	.408	.148	0.2	-0.4	-1.8
Pitcher
Pedro Feliz	3B	R	.299	.253	.291	.400	.147	-1.0	0.0	-0.6

[NB: The italicized columns are adjusted/regressed appropriatelly for league-average platoon splits.]

Comments: Not much to add here. Remember that I could go either way on the pitcher thing... even a good-hitting pitcher is still usually worse than Pedro Feliz vs. RHP, although it's closer than you'd like. Basically I just took out Fransisco and put in the pitcher and moved Ruiz (not a bad hitter for a catcher) up. But let's talk about Rollins: He's not as good as he was (or he wasn't as good as we thought, depending on where you estimate his true talent in 2005-8 relative to now), but certain analysts have said that Rollins isn't the star he's made out to be. I don't know how you measure "starness," and I'll admit that I find JRoll's cockiness enjoyable. Still, just not being as good as Derek Jeter doesn't mean a player isn't good (and not that Jeter's the best SS in baseball, he's just an interesting comparison given the WS matchup). Moreover, how far is Rollins from Jeter, really? Sure, this season Jeter's about 5 wins better. But check it: FanGraphs has Jeter at about 26 WAR 2005-2009. Rollins is at a bit over 23 in the same period. That's pretty close to equal. Yes, it's true to say that Rollins is miscast as a leadoff hitter, but that doesn't mean he isn't (or hasn't been) an outstanding player, or even a star. It's weird how short- (and/or "narrow-") sighted people can be. Oh,. and one more thing on Utley power being "wasted" at leadoff: despite hitting #3, both his home runs last night were solo shots. Against a demonstration that batting order doesn't give as much control as we'd think, and why sometimes it's just better to give a good hitter (potentially) extra opportunities by moving him up than hoping he'll come up with runners on. And again OBP issues aside, putting guys like Rollins and Victorino in front of power hitters like Utley, Howard, and Werth neutralizes their speed, since they don't need to steal to get into position for these guys very often, and the power dimension of the good hitters also means that their advancement skills aren't leveraged properly, either -- Ryan Howard doesn't hit many singles that need a guy to book it from first to third.

Optimized Phillies batting order vs. LHP w/DH
Player	Pos		wOBA	AVG	OBP	SLG	ISO	EqHAR	SBr	GDPr
Jason Werth	RF	R	.389	.269	.389	.490	.221	0.3	1.2	1.9
Chase Utley	2B	L	.360	.290	.366	.513	.223	1.6	1.4	2.0
Ben Francisco	LF	R	.353	.269	.357	.438	.169	1.1	0.3	-0.8
Ryan Howard	1B	L	.378	.278	.354	.575	.297	-1.5	0.1	1.3
Carlos Ruiz	C	R	.348	.260	.362	.408	.148	0.3	0.7	-1.8
Shane Victorino	CF	S	.333	.283	.343	.418	.135	0.8	0.8	1.4
Jimmy Rollins	SS	S	.332	.271	.328	.438	.167	0.9	2.2	-0.1
Raul Ibanez	DH	L	.331	.270	.324	.467	.197	0.1	-0.3	0.5
Pedro Feliz	3B	R	.319	.253	.312	.400	.147	-1.0	0.0	-0.6

[NB: The italicized columns are adjusted/regressed appropriatelly for league-average platoon splits.]

Comments: This seems a bit backward to me, too. Howard hitting cleanup vs. LHP but not RHP? Again, it's a function of a) getting the best hitters on top and alternating R/L guys, and b) a true estimate of platoon splits, as covered recently regarding Howard by MGL and more generally in my Book-inspired Platoon Splits Project (which I need to come back to after the season when I have the time to see how I did). Werth is projected to be the best hitter vs. LHP, so hitting him cleanup might have made sense, but then that mean putting Howard #2 or #1 in front of a relatively low-power RHH like Ben Francisco or Carlos Ruiz, and if there's one thing Howard doesn't do well, it's run the bases. I went back and forth on Utley vs. Werth in the #1 and #2 spots, but finally settled on Werth leading off because this puts Utley (the superior basestealer and baserunner) closer to the less powerful hitters like Francisco and Ruiz (and without estimating them specifically, Utley's platoon splits at a glance are pretty small). When all else fails, give the best hitters the most PAs. Ibanez projects as terrible vs. LHP according to these methods, but having Victorino and Rollins #6 and #7 (they could go in either order, really) gives good basestealers in front of him and the bad-even-with-the-platoon advantage Feliz, which, as I've noted many times, is a better use of their stealing abililty than putting them in front of Utley and Howard.

Optimized Phillies batting order vs. LHP, no DH
Player	Pos		wOBA	AVG	OBP	SLG	ISO	EqHAR	SBr	GDPr
Jason Werth	RF	R	.389	.269	.389	.490	.221	0.3	1.2	1.9
Chase Utley	2B	L	.360	.290	.366	.513	.223	1.6	1.4	2.0
Shane Victorino	CF	S	.333	.283	.343	.418	.135	0.8	0.8	1.4
Ryan Howard	1B	L	.378	.278	.354	.575	.297	-1.5	0.1	1.3
Carlos Ruiz	C	R	.348	.260	.362	.408	.148	0.3	0.7	-1.8
Jimmy Rollins	SS	S	.332	.271	.328	.438	.167	0.9	2.2	-0.1
Raul Ibanez	LF	L	.331	.270	.324	.467	.197	0.1	-0.3	0.5
Pitcher
Pedro Feliz	3B	R	.319	.253	.312	.400	.147	-1.0	0.0	-0.6

[NB: The italicized columns are adjusted/regressed appropriatelly for league-average platoon splits.]

Comments: Yes, I do think (at least according to the James projections), that without the DH the Phillies shold be platooning Francisco and Ibanez, and that's without even taking defense and baserunning into account. But we aren't here to dispute who should be in the lineup, just how it should be ordered.This is prety much the same, except that without Francisco, I ended having to put Victorino in the #3 spot. I picked him over Ruize because a) the #5 hitter should be better than #3, and b) Ruiz has a problem with GDPs, and Victorino is good at avoiding them. Morever, Werth and (especially) Utley's skill on the bases can help Victorino out despite his lack of power, and Howard's skills are diminished vs. LHP, so Victorino's basestealing isn't as wasted. Rollins could arguably switch with Ruiz here, if you wanted to leverage his basestealing a bit more, but I like it the way it is.

So there it is. I know this I've made some controversial suggestions as far as batting order goes. Maybe I'm too dogmatic about splitting up lefties, but that's what I've gone with. It's fun to see the different ways of thinking about it, at least I hope it is for you guys. These things are a lot of work, but a lot of fun, so I hope people get a bit of entertainment out of it and aren't just irritated.

I can't wait to see Manuel lead off Utley tonight!

Finally! Our World Series wait is nearly over

Ed Valentine — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:06:36 -0000

Ah, life is as it should be in Yankee Universe. The World Series begins tonight, and it returns home to the Bronx as our New York Yankees take on the Philadelphia Phillies.

I know you won't be able to concentrate at work today, anyway. You will be fussin' and frettin' and worrying about making sure you will be home for the first pitch. So, relax and tour the Inter-Google with us as we look for interesting stuff to read while we pass the time while waiting for CC Sabathia to take to the mound.

You could have blown me off my seat with a feather when I read this story from 'Bugs & Cranks' Tuesday praising Derek Jeter. In case you don't know, I used to write about the Yankees for 'B&C,' and one of the reasons I left is the absolue, venomous, unbridled hatred of the Yankees displayed on a daily basis by most of the writers there. So, the appreciation for the Yankee Captain -- from that site -- stunned me.
Thomas Boswell says it's the Yankees with something to prove

Boswell is the long-time baseball columnist for The Washington Post, and he wrote today about the role reversal between the two cities.

When the World Series starts Wednesday, the proud, confident defending world champion Philadelphia Phillies will face the New York Yankees, baseball's biggest chokers for the last eight years. What happened? Did these two cities, after a century, decide to swap identities? Live long enough, you really will see everything.

Go to Philadelphia this month and you'll see stories about how the Phillies have reversed the town's ancient inferiority complex about its pro sports teams. You are no longer a sucker if you dare to believe in a Philly team's chance for a positively ridiculous comeback win. It's now the Phillies' trademark, especially in the playoffs. Ask the Rockies and Dodgers. Both are still numb.

Go to New York this month and you are met by the opposite mood. Before Game 6 of the ALCS against the Angels, a Page 1 tabloid headline on the Yankees blared, "We Ain't Chokin'."

The Yankees are happy that George Steinbrenner will be around Yankee Stadium for the Series.
Of course we want some pie during the Series. The New York Times discusses the history behind the newest Yankee tradition.
Instant replay? One writer says Major League Baseball should institute full replay right now -- before the first pitch is thrown tonight.
Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel was CC Sabathia's first big-league manager. Chad Jennings has a great piece with Manuel telling his Sabathia story.
FOX's Ken Rosenthal says the Yankee pitching will be the deciding factor.

The best starter in this series is Yankees left-hander Sabathia. The best closer is Yankees righty Mariano Rivera. True, the Yankees' righty setup men, Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes, struggled in the ALCS, and lefties Phil Coke and Damaso Marte seem an inadequate counter to the Phillies' big left-handed sluggers in Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez. But Manuel is making up the Phillies' bullpen as he goes along — righty Joe Blanton and lefty J.A. Happ again are expected to start the series as relievers, and righty Brett Myers could re-emerge as the Phillies' 12th pitcher.

Rivera vs. Brad Lidge? To understand the different levels of confidence the two closers evoke in their respective managers, just consider the way they are being used. Rivera has pitched eight times in nine postseason games, allowing one run in 10 2/3 innings. Lidge has yet to allow a run, but he has appeared in only five of nine games and worked only four innings.

Oh, I can concoct various "Phillies win" scenarios — A.J. Burnett cracking, Hughes and Chamberlain staggering, Lee getting hot and Utley, Howard and Co. getting on a roll. Who knows what might happen?

No one expected the Dodgers to beat the Cardinals or the Angels to wilt three times at Yankee Stadium. Still, much as I love the Phillies' toughness, I can't see how they will out-pitch the Yankees.
Jon Heyman analyzes the key matchups, then whimps out and doesn't make a prediction.

That should be enough to keep you busy for a while. Let's just hope it doesn't rain tonight.

What's the word I'm looking for...oh yeah, STOMACH PUNCH. Yanks lose 7-6.

CrazyYankeeChick — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 04:12:56 -0000

I guess it makes sense...

7-6.

#65 gets the win.

#65 gets the loss.

In game 5.

Thanks to a 4 run 1st.

From #34.

And a 3-hit game.

From #41.

And a final out from #33.

On the 22nd.

See ya in the Bronx, kids.

Do the gory details need to be relived?

I can't decide whether I'm relieved or aggravated that I didn't decide to take tomorrow off.

Is this what the Twins felt like?? Good God. I have a newfound respect for every team that's suffered a Yankee comeback/walkoff.

This isn't exactly our wheelhouse. The Yankees make a comeback, they're making a comeback to win the game. They don't mess around. (With a few exceptions, some of which are still fresh in my mind.)

I headed up to my standard game-watching haunt, with the Yankees already in a 4-0 hole in the 1st.

When I arrived at the bar, the score hadn't changed. My sister met me outside.

"It was like the police coming to a high school party where someone drank themself unconscious."
"What the HELL are you talking about?"

"When you said you were on your way here. I told everyone, 'she's coming, she's gonna be here in minutes.' And they just got ashen. So it was like, what's worse: the fact someone's in critical condition, like the Yankees? Or the fact the scary/aggressive/OCD/unpredictable time-bomb of a cop is on his way. And you don't know if he's in a good mood and is just gonna be like, 'eh, kids'll be kids. I'll give 'em a warning or something. OR, if you're gonna get the psycho-crazed lit fuse of a cop."

And if I needed it further spelled out for me, she added: "People think you're nuts."

"Yeah, no, I got it. Thanks."

(I'm just gonna copy and paste that direct quote next time my mom asks me why I'm single.)

And that's how my night went. Unfortunately for all game-viewers within striking distance of me, they weren't just getting "Bad AJ," but they were also getting "Bad CYC."

To be fair, A.J. Burnett didn't let up much else after those 4 runs in the first. He got his requisite One Bad Inning out of the way in the first. So, don't put this all on AJ. The Yankees rallied from this deficit, as the Yankees are wont to do.

Girardi's managerial decisions will be the spotlighted subplot of this loss. And for once, I'm not jumping on this congo line of Joe-Hate.

Should he have pulled AJ earlier? Maybe. But how could he have known that? AJ had thrown 89 pitches at the time. He had been dealing for 5 innings. Girardi has him start the bottom of the 7th, and all of a sudden we got the Grady Little comparisons pouring out like a dirty-stayout's vomit on prom night.

(Maybe I wouldn't have opted for Damaso Marte as his replacement, per se. But that's beside the point.)

Phil Hughes comes in after Marte, and can anyone question this move? Phil Hughes was our gas-man. He spent the season striking out the side. How could Joe have known this decision was going to be our hamatia?

We're throwing Joe under the bus for games 3 and 5, but I think Thing 1 and Thing 2 have knocked off the damned-if-you-do-damned-if-you-don't stigma that's been clinging to A-Rod like a piece of heavily charged cellpohane, and transferred it directly to Girardi.

In game 3, he yanked David Robertson with 2 outs and no one on in favor of Alfredo Aceves, and I don't think even the biggest Girardi apologist can justify this move. And I suspect the rampant backlash he received after that game may have engendered the decision to push AJ for another couple of batters before pulling him.

I certainly haven't been the guy's biggest advocate this year, but at this point, I'm ready to say, We're the farthest we've been since 2003. We're considered the team to beat, the best in the league. You don't do that in spite of your manager.

No, I think this game was just lost, pure and simple. The line scores for each club are nearly identical across the boards, among pitchers and batters. There were missed opportunities to score, shaky outings from the starters, blown holds by the pen, and--of course--the sprinkling of unassailably shoddy officiating.

Tim Donaghy must feel like Jose Canseco right now.

The Yankees managed to come back from 4-0 and take a 6-4 lead, but the Angels matched our 6-run 7th, with their own 3-run bottom half. Nick Swisher, with bases loaded and 2 outs, popped up to end the game, and he is now the only person on the Yankees who hasn't made a meaningful contribution in the postseason. All he had to do was get on base, and the game's tied. Talk about a stomach punch.

Speaking of things that make me sick, John Lackey, prior to all this, had an outburst that I think may give me nightmares in weeks to come. When The Most Brilliant Manager Ever in the History of Life trotted to the mound for a little chat with his starter, Lackey has a veritable shit fit and clearly barks, "This one's mine."

And 6 hours later, I'm still trying to shake the image of his psychotic expression out from my mind.

Back to the Bronx on Saturday, which gives the sports world almost 2 days to get in some solid practice hours for the "How Many References to 2004 Can We Shoehorn Into the ALCS Coverage?" Tournament.

I'm not worried. They're the Yankees. They'll make it.

Walkoff Bomb, Extra Innings, Clutch Hitting, Dramatic Comeback: Yankees do it the Yankee way in 4-3 win

CrazyYankeeChick — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 02:44:45 -0000

More photos » by Julie Jacobson - AP

Teixeira's ~~walk-off~~ skip-off long ball gives Yanks a 4-3 victory and a 2-0 ALDS lead

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I cannot believe what the hell just happened.

My hands are still shaking.

My heart may or may not be fighting the good fight against certain cardiac arrest.

I feel my head could pop off my body, either from light-headedness or excitement or sensory overload (because, ya know. That's the normal consequence...)

The Yankees just beat the Twins in 11 innings, off the bat of Mark Teixeira--his first walkoff in pinstripes, the Yankees' 11th postseason walkoff.

You know how this recap started? At 9:08pm I sat down at my desk and wrote the following:

I had forgotten what this feels like. I hated watching other teams play in the postseason last year. I was so jealous. And now I remember how miserable it is. It's only one loss, but I feel like I lost a limb. I can’t go out, I can’t eat, I can’t sleep. I just want to curl up in a ball until Sunday comes.

Now? Well, the prospect of recapping the last 5 hours of my life is a little more palatable right now:

A.J. Burnett’s postseason debut was a stellar coming-out party, as he dealt his standard array of filthy sliders and slurves and gas and whatever other permutation of pitches he could come up with to get the outs. And of course treated up to his standard array of wildness, which we’ve now come to accept as part of "Good AJ Dealing" Deal.

Over 6 innings of 3-hit ball, he blanked 6, and let up 1 run when on Brendan Harris’s triple drove in Delmon Young.

Down 1-0 in the 6th with only their third baserunner of the game on 2nd, Alex Rodriguez delivers his 2nd clutch hit in as many games. My buddy texts me: "I don't think I can handle a clutch ARod tonight." Apparently, I wasn't the only one ill-prepared in terms of proper head-to-neck adhesion.

At this point in the game, you're looking at it like it's your basic nailbiter pitcher's duel, and the fact that it's a postseason match makes it that much more impressively exciting. Amazing. Little did any of us know that in a few hours, the tied score in the 7th would be the least compelling timeframe.

For all the talk about CC Sabathia, ARod, and Burnett being galactic liabilities in the clutch, none of us, and I mean NO ONE, considered for even a second that our stumbles would arise with Phil Hughes on the mound. It's like when I took my road test and practiced parallel parking for the weeks prior. I dominated that part, and then ended up failing on account of going 50 in a school zone, not wearing my seatbelt, going the wrong way in a one-way street, and running a stop sign.

In 0.2 innings of "work," Hughes walked 1, and let up 2 runs on 2 hits, with all occuring on 2 outs. The golden child who redefined the value of the 8th-inning-setup all season long...put the Yankees in a 3-1 hole heading into the bottom of the 8th.

Our other relievers were effective to varying degrees, Phil Coke and Joba Chamberlain pitched to 4 batters between them, ceding zero runs. So when the game is handed over to Hughes then quickly snatched back to give to Mariano Rivera, you know Joba's thinking, "Yep, been there, done that..."

You gotta hand it to the Twins, they manufactured the hell outta baserunners, and off a very formidable pen. Nick Punto and Denard Span hit singles in the 8th to drive in Carlos Gomez and Brendan Harris. Joe Mauer, Michael Cuddyer excelled offensively as expected, and with the team's12 hits on the day, they definitely out-basehitted the Yanks. But for my money, I'd rather be able to manufacture wins, than hits.

Minny also had 12Ks (to the Yanks' 4), which was ultimately their undoing, having left 17 runners and if scoring opportunties were currency, then the Twinks were squandering them away like it was the 15th of the month.

So between Minnesota and New York fans, basically no one is a fan of the Yankees' penchant for getting into jams just so they can work themselves out of it. I mean, I'm just as happy as the next guy to see the bottom of the inning roll around, but I may or may not have spent an abnormal amount of the game getting physically sick from nerves. Forget W.B. Mason, the more fitting corporate sponsor is PeptoBismol.

Then there was the 9th inning, and nothing I could write could ever possibly do justice to what ARod accomplished. He already had the only RBI of the game, and after Tex singled to reach first, ARod launched a bomb off supercloser Joe Nathan into the Yankee bullpen. It didn't just tie the game, it sent a message and it infuriated his critics...because there's no denying his postseason performance.

The only people more aggravated than Twink fans right now are anti-ARod activists who have been spending the last hour in an emergency summit meeting, where they've locked themselves in a conference room to brainstorm ways to dilute ARod's performance in the the clutch. Hope they stocked up on Starbucks.

So now we got a whole new ballgame. Tied at 3 and heading into extras, and I can't speak for other Yank fans, but when the Yanks come back at home, I never expect them to lose. I'm always a little surprised to some extent when they can't close it out. And the fact that the Twins weren't rolling over and dying in these late innings of play, was making me increasingly panicky. "Oh my God. They could take the lead. Right now. Jesus."

I get nervous with pickoff attempts, so when Damaso Marte put 2 runners on in the top of the 11th with no outs, I lost about 17 years of my life. Once again, newly rehabilitated David Robertson gets the call to pull his team out of a mess of a situation. Every time you think you've seen the most unbelievable element of the game, the Yankees reset the bar at another ridiculous plateau. No runs scored with the bases loaded and zero outs.

I didn't even have time to process this absurdity before Tex goes yard in front of over 50,000 in attendance at the Bronx. And sweet Christ, that ball left in a hurry. Sterling didn't even have time to build any suspense. It was, "Line drive down the left field line...and IT IS GONE!!!"

The Twins are now overfeated against the Yanks, having lost the 9 straight to them--their 4th of the walkoff persuasion. My Mets-fan friend with an evidenced death wish spent the better part of the game either gloating at Yanks' setbacks, or vehemently affirming that the game is fixed and the Yanks were only where they were because of the umps.

Hey, if you can't score 1 run with bases loaded and no outs, you got bigger fish to fry than questionable officiating. On Wednesday, when CC clearly whiffed Orlando Cabrera, but he was charged with a walk, and 2 runs scored when the inning shouldn't have even been going on. Blame the umps as much as you want, but it all evens out in the end.

On Sunday, the Yanks and Andy Pettitte (14-8, 4.16) will face their old friend Carl Pavano (14-12, 5.10), who has won nearly twice as many starts in 1 year with the Indians/Twins as he did in 3 years with the Yankees. It'd be nice to thank him for his years of service with a sweep.

Congratulations, Yankees, on reminding the world who they're up against. And thank you, ghosts, for springing for postseason tickets. In the words of Frank, "If you can make it here, you'll make it anywhere. It's up to you, New York, Newww Yorkkkk."

-CYC

Yanks remind critics who the real team to beat is, batter Boston 9-5 in series opener

CrazyYankeeChick — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 05:08:47 -0000

More photos » by Paul J. Bereswill - AP

ARod regards Alex Gonzalez quizzically, after swiping his 3rd base of the night: "Are you actually really trying to sell this tag?"

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For the last few days, all I've been hearing about is how afraid we should all be. How very afraid. Our pitching is billed, as usual, as questionable. The Red Sox are billed, as usual, as the indestructible wild card.

Talk is cheap. This year's Yankees aren't cutting corners to sneak wins in. They're where they are not because of any one player, but because they adapt their game based on the challenges they face. Our team demonstrated that tonight when they left Boston reeling with an unrelenting attack that barely gave their division rivals a chance to come up for air.

It took me about 4 innings to realize what was going on with the pitching performances. Joba Chamberlain and his unprecedented unpredictability were zipping through innings with such economic deftness that I was starting to think he either had a date waiting for him, or just really needed to use the bathroom. Conversely, Jon Lester was uncharacteristically awkward, uncomfortable, and stilted. I think it's pretty obvious what happened here...

Other game notes:

Michael Kay waited a whole 3 innings before he broke out the "perfect game" jinx. My Red Sox buddy noted this and texted me: "I almost feel bad for Yankee fans. Girardi should just pull him now."

Though I wasn't listening to the 880 broadcast, I can only imagine the rampant application of "You know, you just can't figure baseball" observations from Sterling, once Lester was literally knocked out of the game from a screaming liner off the bat of Melky Cabrera, into the knee cap of RSN's noble ace. But it was the reaction of posters on the game thread that really struck me: immediate, unqualified concern for Lester spilled out in droves. Indeed, we truly have the best fans in baseball.

Pitching lines for the night:

Joba--6 IP, 5H, 3R, 5K, 1BB

Lester--2.1 IP, 8H, 5R, 3K, 3BB

If I hadn't seen the game and read that in the next day's paper, I'd honestly think the writer accidentally flipped the names.

Bullpen lines for the night:

Yanks--2.3 IP, 3H, 2R, 3K, 2BB

Sox--5.2 IP, 6H, 4R, 5K, 6BB

You gotta give our pen credit; they've been the subject of an unfaltering dismissal of their legitimacy for what seems like forever. And like ARod's non-clutch reputation, this preconceived notion becomes less and less substantiated with every game.

Jonathan Albaladejo (still can't spell that right in one try) gave the Sox their only respite of the night, giving up 2 runs in about 45 seconds of work. Alfredo Aceves, Damaso Marte, Phil Hughes, and Phil Coke were all remarkably effective out of the pen. I guess old habits die hard. Even with Joba going 6, everyone under the kitchen sink was brought in to fill in the remaining innings. I'm not complaining--I think Girardi handled it perfectly. (Did I just actually say that?)

Boston's bullpen is like a freaking clown car at a circus. I really thought I had seen all of em during the 15-inning marathon last month. But tonight, some guy named Hunter Jones relieves Lester, then Michael Bowden after that. My sister texts me, "Who ARE these pitchers? Did they Jorge Bogey? That sounds like a name dad would make up. Like 'Yeah Frank Staboonch is coming in next.'" (Jorge Bogey=Michael Bowden)

Stat of the night: Yankee batters saw 213 PITCHES. This is one of my proudest moments of the season. Lester threw 78 pitches in less than 3 innings. Joba threw 86 in 6 innings. Unbelievable.

2nd best stat of the night: 7 STOLEN BASES. In 7 tries, off Jason Varitek. The most SBs in a game since they stole 8 in 1996. (At what point is "stolen base" no longer an automatic cue to cut to Dave Roberts reels?) They never stopped running, and the Sox were constantly left scrambling on defense.

The Sox offense was spotty, at best. Their only highlights were a solo shot from Victor Martinez (to "break up" Joba's perfecto, just like Kay wanted) and a 2-run bomb from David Ortiz (who's the king of meaningless homeruns now, RSN?)

No element of their game was underplayed. The pitching was tremendous, the running game was extraordinary, defense tight as always, and offense was overwhelming. 14 hits, only 1 of which was a long ball (the record-breaking 127th ding of the year was off the bat of Alex Rodriguez, who went 3-for-3 with 4 RBIs). The Yankees manufactured runs all. game. It was like they never stopped to look at the score, just put their heads down, hit, got on base, and kept going. The Sox never knew what hit 'em.

No one who watched that game can say that this meant nothing. I've been seeing them play all season, and this showing even took me by surprise. They chased one of the best pitchers in the league, they asphyxiated one of the best line-ups in the league. They exploited the Sox's weaknesses, and maybe tomorrow, people will be less quick to lionize Boston, and more inclined to recognize how strikingly stalwart the 2009 Yankees really are.

-CYC

Downs Blows Lead in 8th, Jays Lose

jessef — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 03:32:03 -0000

More photos » by Kathy Willens - AP

I know Hideki Matsui's just doing his job, but why does he have to do it so well against the Jays? This was his sixth homerun and he hit .373 / .439 / .745 against us this season. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

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Yankees 5 Blue Jays 4

Well, the Yankees took an early lead off Brian Tallet when they scored two runs in the first inning, off an RBI double by Mark Teixeira and an RBI single by Hideki Matsui. Vernon Wells doubled to lead off the second, but the Jays were unable to cash him. In the bottom of the second, Tallet took a grounder off his foot. He stayed with the ball, got the out at first and got a strikeout to end the inning. In the top of the third, the Jays came back to tie it up, thanks to a solo homerun from Jose Bautista and successive singles from Travis Snider and Marco Scutaro (an infield single off Yankees starter Chad Gaudin) and an Adam Lind RBI groundout. Shawn Camp came on to relieve Tallet due to injury concerns related to the grounder he took off the foot in the third and pitched three scoreless (indeed excellent) innings.

The Jays plated a run in the sixth off a Vernon Wells single, Lyle Overbay double and Rod Barajas RBI groundout, but were unable to add to the lead thanks to an intentional walk to Jose Bautista (I'm not making that up), which led to a Moonraker strikeout against Damaso Marte. Casey Janssen pitched an excellent sixth inning and the Jays added another run in the top of the seventh when Scoot doubled and Lind got him in with a sacrifice fly. Tek came back out for the seventh and ran into a bit of trouble when he gave up a single and Edwin Encarnacion made an error (albeit on a pretty tough play). However, Jeremy Accardo came in and got a quick strikeout, walked Derek Jeter and then induced a fly ball to left to escape the inning with the two-run lead still in tact. Tom requested that I do the recap and that's when things -- naturally -- fell apart. Cito went to Scott Downs for the eighth and before being removed with -- I think -- elbow tightness, he yielded a single to Alex Rodriguez and a game-tying dinger to Hideki Matsui. Jason Frasor closed out the eighth, but the Jays were unable to capitalize on a Moonraker bunt single in the top of the ninth and the score was tied at four going into the bottom of the ninth. Leading off the inning, Brett Gardner singled off Frasor on a full count and predictably stole second base. Derek Jeter grounded out to put Gardner on third and he scored when Francisco Cervelli (playing only because of Jorge Posada's suspension) drove him home with the game-winning single.

Jays of the Day: Camp (.185), Accardo (.159) and Overbay (.159). Honorable mentions to Scoot and Vernon, who had a single and double each, as well as Tek, who would have fared better, were it not for E5's error.

Towers goes to Tallet (-.110), though he may have fared better if he'd been able to stay in.

Batistas go to Snakeface (-.380) and Frasor (-.306).

Hinskes go to Lind (-.161, in spite of the two RBI) and E5 (-.138, plus the error) and Rod Barajas comes close (-.095).

Well, at least we don't have to watch anymore Yankees walk-off wins this year.

Swish Splash! Nick's second ding of the game gets the 3-2 W, pie

CrazyYankeeChick — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 03:10:26 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

A face mask of pie. "Have the fans stopped screaming, Clarice?" Not likely.

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The stats for Yankee pitchers are fascinating. If you look at the pitchers with the worst WHIP on the Yankees, they're also the pitchers with the greatest run support. In fact, Joba Chamberlain and Sergio Mitre have the 9th and 16th highest RS for all AL pitchers. What I surmise from this is that the Yankees are like Benny the Jet to their Scotty Smalls pitchers. "Just stick your glove up in the air. I'll take care of it."

Tonight Chad Gaudin didn't get voluminous run support, but he got what he needed. He's not CC, AJ, and Andy. But you don't need to be with this team, because they pick you up.

In his previous 3 games, the Yankees scored 29 runs. Tonight only 3. Gaudin went 6 IP, let up 6 hits, struck out 6, and walked 2 in his 1-run outing. His one mistake came off the bat of the dangerous Evan Longoria.

The second mistake? Came from a highly less likely source.

Phil Hughes gave up a homerun. Read that sentence again. Jason Bartlett took our hurler who probably thinks the game's a bust if he doesn't strike out the side in each opportunity. And to be honest, I think I'm glad this happened. I'd rather his mortality be revealed now than in the playoffs. Shake it off, Hughes.

Other game notes:

Nick Swisher gets pied. He should get two, though. One for each side of the plate he hit from. I said last week that one particular bomb of his reminded me of Teixeira's swing. And tonight? Looked like Kevin Long is having Swish use Tex Tapes for tutorials. His demeanor is such that when he plays a game like this, he reminds me less of a professional athlete and more of a guy who just hit the last cup in beirut.

Alex Rodriguez. Clutch. I'm not even going to waste my breath sputtering about how any other description of him right now is more preposterous than cup stacking tournaments.

Derek Jeter is slumping! 3Ks?? When's the next day game? I dare say he has ARod Syndrome. That many camera flashes popping? My bet is he ties AND breaks the record this weekend. Two bright day games against a team who apparently is giving out hits like they're free cups of jams at Costco.

Jeter has struck out four times in a game twice. Curt Schilling fanned him four times in 1997 with Philadelphia. I'm gonna go ahead and put the over-under at 17 hours before Schilling decides to use this tibdit as his latest excuse to throw in his ~~2 cents~~ bank vault of quarters.

I guess Maddon remembered Carl Crawford's not a bad guy to have in the lineup. I was wondering if this had escaped him yesterday when he sat him for game 2. Since I''m on the better end of a 3-2 W, I feel ok about asserting my love for this guy, who went 3-for-4 today. And also got picked off. By Gaudin. Which possibly may be what Tampa Bay looks back on when they cite their "Signs We Knew Our Season Was All Over But the Cowbells. Which We Wish Would Stop."

Why did Girardi decide to move Swisher up to the 5 spot today? It seemed like an arbitrary move at the time. But now considering the heart of our offensive productive came squarely from our 3-4-5 spots, the evidence is really starting to mount that our idiot savant of a manager has bigger plans in mind for this team. Lead away, Skip.

Damaso Marte, Brian Bruney, Phil Coke, and Mariano Rivera worked the innings around Hughes. Besides for the uncharacteristic Hughes mistake, our bullpen was nearly flawless. Almost perfect. 1 walk from Coke. And pfft. They play like they feed off each other's elevated game.

The Rays pitching is generally nothing to sneeze at. ~~Joba Lite~~ David Price was fantastic in 6 innings, striking out 6 and only giving up 3 hits. Chad Gaudin is not as good as him. The Yankees bullpen may not be as overpowering as others. But this team is winning because of how the cogs in their machine function so seamlessly in tandem.

Tomorrow the Yanks go for the sweep. Strike first, strike hard, show no mercy. I'm still mad at the Devil Rays for the years they spent as our irritating thorn in our side.

There's no mercy in this Stadium. Sweep the ~~leg~~ Rays, boys.

-CYC

Hughes a playoff starter? Fuhgeddaboudit!

Ed Valentine — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 14:58:12 -0000

by Carlos Osorio - AP

Phil Hughes

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ESPN's Rob Neyer yesterday floated the idea that the New York Yankees should spend the rest of the season stretching out Phil Hughes to start in the playoffs. NY Baseball Digest's Mike Silva actually agreed with Neyer.

Are you kidding me? Where is this nonsense coming from? And why now?

Neyer's argument basically comes to stating that Hughes and Joba Chamberlain should switch roles, since Chamberlain has been mostly awful in his last six starts.

He's (Chamberlain) won just one of them and lost three. He's struck out 20 hitters and walked 17. His ERA has jumped from 3.58 to 4.41. He's looked nothing like a pitcher you might trust in a big game. And he's pitched 137 innings, which doesn't seem like a lot but is 36 more than he's ever pitched before. If he's struggling now because he's tired, what's going to happen in October after another 25 or 30 innings?

Which is where Hughes comes in. Chamberlain is the Yankees' No. 4 starter. Sergio Mitre is the Yankees' No. 5 starter. Which means the Yankees, as things stand now, have only three reliable starters. And again, you need four of them when the leaves are turning in New England.

I know, I know ... Phil Hughes has been so good in the bullpen: 1.11 ERA with an overpowering strikeout-to-walk ratio. Make him a starter again and he's not going to post numbers anything like those. But to help the Yankees, he doesn't have to be anywhere near that good; he just has to be measurably better than Chamberlain and Mitre. Particularly if -- and I know this is highly speculative -- Chamberlain regains his dominant stuff upon returning to a relief role.

Silva joins the Hughes-Chamberlain switcheroo chorus with this argument.

Normally I wouldn’t be for this type of change in September. I believe in a strong bullpen and the Yankees have virtually locked down six outs of every game. The problem is no team is good enough to play fast and loose with a Game 4 in every series. That’s exactly what you would be doing starting any of your current options. Joba Chamberlain is not going to get the job done. The kid isn’t mentally or physically up to the challenge. Anyone who is holding out hope has a better chance of running into the Easter Bunny or Santa Claus these days. Scariest thought the rest of 2009 for a Yankees fan: Down 2-1, on the road, and Joba Chamberlain pitching. Enough said.

Great idea by Neyer.

Great idea by Neyer? I don't think so. I would say terrible idea that makes no sense.

I know Chamberlain has been awful for a while now, but to bluntly say "Joba Chamberlain is not going to get the job done" is silly. Says who? How do we know that for sure? Is Silva Carnac the Magnificent with a crystal ball that allows him to see into the future? How do we know Chamberlain will be a terrible playoff starter? Or, that Hughes would be a lights-out one? Or, that there is even time to stretch Hughes out if the Yankees wanted to?

Here is what we know about Chamberlain. He is a good young starting pitcher who was performing well until the Yankees -- concerned for his workload -- starting messing with his rhythm. Additional time between starts, which had to contribute to some inconsistency. Now, shortened spring-training like starts in which Chamberlain knows he won't be able to get a win.

Can you blame the guy for not being sharp? Or, sub-consciously not being as locked in for a start in which he knows he can only lose? We know Chamberlain thrives on emotion, and when the 'W' carrot isn't there it would be hard for anyone not to feel a little letdown.

The Yankees are protecting Chamberlain now precisely so that he can start playoff -- and hopefully World Series -- games in October. They have plenty of time to get him back on a normal routine and get him right for the playoffs.

Here is what we know about Hughes. As Neyer indicated, and Yankee fans know, he has been absolutely dominant in relief. Largely because of Hughes' presence in the bullpen, teams know they have to beat the Yankees in the first six innings. Otherwise, it's pretty much ballgame over.

Take him out of the 'pen right now, who knows? Chamberlain might do the job, he might not. Brian Bruney, Phil Coke, Damaso Marte, David Robertson might to the job, they might not. The Yankees very well might be flushing the biggest playoff advantage they have right down the toilet.

Besides, we also have no idea if Hughes could actually be counted on to be an effective playoff starter. Remember, he had a 5.45 ERA before the Yankees moved him to the bullpen. And last season he was 0-4, 6.62.

I fully support Hughes being in the rotation next season, and hopefully becoming a long-time fixture for the Yankees. Doing it now, though, would be nothing short of foolish.

This was the reason I didn't like the Marte/Nady deal

Travis G — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:00:13 -0000

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It wasn't because I thought Damaso Marte and Xavier Nady wouldn't help the team (which they largely haven't), or that Jeff Karstens, Ross Ohlendorf or Dan McCutchen would turn into anything special. It was all about Jose Tabata.

He was among our top prospects and even among the top in baseball. In the midst of last year, he was playing poorly, no question about it. He wasn't hitting much (.248/.320/.310), was dogging it in the outfield, had some injuries, and even went AWOL one time. But everyone knew he had the talent and approach to be a great hitter, and the Yankees sold low on him.

The rest of that year, Tabata hit .348/.402/.562 with Double-A Altoona. And this year, between Double and Triple-A, the 20-year-old hit .307/.372/.422. The power that scouts expected would come seems to finally be appearing.

This wasn't like trading a 23-year-old with promise; Tabata was a teenager with immense promise who was already in Double-A, which in and of itself is impressive. Pittsburgh has even been playing him a bit in centerfield, which will increase his value. The Yankees were playing him exclusively in rightfield.

Tabata will play in the Arizona Fall League, where teams' top prospects often go. Don't be surprised if he gets promoted to Pittsburgh early next year.

Then if you really want to suffer, think about how much time Marte and Nady have missed. In more than a full season since the trade, they've played in a combined 102 games. Nady will be a free agent after the season while Marte was signed to a three-year, $12 million deal. Would anyone not rather have Tabata (and the three other pitchers)?

Who ARE These Guys? - Cubs vs. Pirates Preview, Friday 8/14, 1:20 CT

Al — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 16:00:11 -0000

More photos » by Charles Rex Arbogast - AP

Write your own caption.

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A little over a year ago -- on July 24, 2008, just before last year's trading deadline -- the Pittsburgh Pirates began a trading spree that I think is nearly unprecedented in recent baseball history.

Today, August 14, 2009, as the Pirates come to Wrigley Field for a three-game series, know how many players are left from the 25-man roster on 7/24/2008?

Three. Ryan Doumit, Paul Maholm and Zach Duke. (Four, if you count Matt Capps, who was on the DL on 7/24/2008). All the rest are gone. Some of the players they have acquired or promoted are decent players; Andrew McCutchen is a real talent. Lastings Milledge has some talent, if he could ever actually put a full season together. Some of the pitchers have good arms. But basically, it's a Triple-A visiting team coming to Wrigley Field this weekend. The Cubs took two of three in two series earlier this year from the Pirates, one at Wrigley and one at PNC; this time, they both need to sweep, and should sweep. Aramis Ramirez returns today; that should help.

Courtesy of John Lewis' research on a SABR mailing list to which I subscribe, here's where the departed Pirates went:

LF Jason Bay              traded to Red Sox 2008
CF Nate McLouth           traded to Braves 2009
RF Xavier Nady            traded to Yankees 2008
OF Jason Michaels         free agency 2008
1B Adam LaRoche           traded to Red Sox 2009
2B Freddy Sanchez         traded to Giants 2009
3B Jose Bautista          traded to Blue Jays 2008
SS Jack Wilson            traded to Mariners 2009
1B-3B Doug Mientkiewicz   free agency 2008
2B-SS Luis Rivas          free agency 2008
INF Chris Gomez           free agency 2008
C  Raul Chavez            free agency 2008
P John Van Benschoten     free agency 2008
P Franquelis Osoria       free agency 2008
P Damaso Marte            traded to Yankees 2008
P John Grabow             traded to Cubs 2009
P Sean Burnett            traded to Nationals 2009
P Ian Snell               traded to Mariners 2009
P T.J. Beam               on waivers to Blue Jays 2009
P Denny Bautista          to AAA Indianapolis
P Yoslan Herrera          to AA Altoona
P Tyler Yates             on disabled list

Lewis also notes that:

The Pirates' record was 48-54 (.471) on July 24, 2008. Since then, it is 64-103 (.383).

Today's Starting Pitchers


Randy Wells Cubs	vs.	Charlie Morton Pirates

8-5	W-L	2-5
3.01	ERA	3.81
68	SO	33
25	BB	18
9	HR	4
vs. Pit	--	vs. Cubs

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Randy Wells	8-5	17	17	0	0	0	0	107.2	102	39	36	9	25	68	3.01	1.18

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Charlie Morton	2-5	10	10	0	0	0	0	49.2	53	21	21	4	18	33	3.81	1.43

Charlie Morton will be making his second career start against the Cubs. He started a game for the Braves against the Cubs a year and a day ago on August 13, 2008. He didn't make it out of the third inning. The big blow off him was a home run by Jim Edmonds -- remember him? Geovany Soto hit a two-run double off Morton.

Randy Wells started and defeated the Pirates on July 1 in Pittsburgh, but the Pirates have remade their team since then. Three of the starting eight that day aren't on the Pirates any more.

The Cubs are on WGN today -- that's the only TV; there is no Pirates telecast. For other games today see the MLB.com Mediacenter.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

SB Nation game preview

Please visit our SB Nation Pirates site Bucs Dugout.

Overflow comment threads will post today at 2:15 pm, 3:15 pm and 4 pm CDT.

Discuss amongst yourselves.