SB Nation User Blog: Travis G

Start the 'Doc' rumor mill again

Travis G — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 02:33:55 -0000

Start the 'Doc' rumor mill again

"The world champion Yankees will inquire about superstar pitcher Roy Halladay, setting up a potential bidding competition that didn't exist last summer when now-deposed Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi made it clear he wanted to avoid trading Halladay within the division.

New Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos said on Tuesday that he would generally be willing to consider trades within the American League East..." (h/t BTF)

I am getting a strong vibe from Yankee officials that the intention is to non-tender Wang and,...

Travis G — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:17:20 -0000

I am getting a strong vibe from Yankee officials that the intention is to non-tender Wang and, perhaps, not even offer him a small base with incentives to return.

From the Post's Joel Sherman. (h/t MLBTR)

Why the Yankees should sign Aroldis Chapman

Travis G — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:55:43 -0000

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The Cuban flamethrower is looking to join a major league team. As long as he doesn't require a ML deal, the Yankees should go after him.

First I'll mention the cons:

His control (or lack thereof) - in 118.1 innings last season in the Cuban National League, he walked 64 batters (fifth most) and had 14 wild pitches (the most).

Age - this is a pro and a con. He's only 22 years old, so he's rather unrefined and lacks any secondary pitches more than a get-me-over slider. Even throwing the kind of heat he does, if he can't throw another pitch for strikes, he won't be effective.

However, the pros far outweigh the cons, especially considering the Yankees' situation:

(follow the jump for video)

Potential - Chapman has the upside of a Randy Johnson or CC Sabathia. He has that much talent. It's one thing to reach 95 MPH as a lefty, but 100 puts him in elite category. Even with a mediocre secondary pitch, he would be a very effective pitcher. These guys don't come around too often. It didn't work with Igawa, Contreras and Irabu, but did with El Duque and Matsui. Chapman is no Igawa, in which there were questions about his 'stuff' being good enough to retire ML hitters - that's not a problem with the Cuban southpaw.

Age - like I wrote above, this is a pro and a con. Because he is so young, he can work his way up through the farm system. You couldn't do that with Igawa or some other mid-late 20's prospect. Chapman is young enough that he can polish his game and still break into the majors in his early-mid 20's. There are certainly a lot of pros to signing John Lackey (31) or Randy Wolf (33) instead, but we'd be paying for their past, not their future.

The draft - Chapman is an international free agent, so he's obviously exempt from the ML free agent compensation system (the Yanks wouldn't give up a pick for him, unlike with Lackey or Wolf). He's also exempt from the amateur draft; because the Yankees never get a top 15 pick, they have to take players with higher risk. They can never select an 'ultra-talent' like Joe Mauer, Ken Griffey, Jr. or Stephen Strasburg. If Chapman was a college pitcher, he would go in the top 10, no question. The Yanks can get one of those 'ultra-talents' without hoping and praying he falls to the bottom of the first round.

Money - like the way Boston's front office excused their $51 million posting fee for Dice-K, if Chapman can be signed to a bonus-heavy contract (instead of a large salaried one), it would prevent his contract from affecting the payroll, and hence any luxury taxes. It would also make him more tradeable should he turn into a pumpkin.

Add in that lefties tend to fare better at Yankee Stadium and it makes his signing even more sensible.

If he turns into a left-handed A.J. Burnett, we should be very happy. But he could turn into CC Sabathia or Randy Johnson (not the one we know - the one that pitched for Seattle and Arizona: the first ballot Hall of Famer).

(Check out the pitch at 2:58. He strikes out the batter with a 100-MPH heater and it nearly rips the catcher's glove off his hand.)

Poll

Should the Yanks sign Aroldis Chapman?

Elias free agent rankings released

Travis G — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 02:28:49 -0000

Elias free agent rankings released

Before you say the Yanks need to sign player X, please check to see if you would give up a high draft pick for him. FYI, Lackey, Bay and Holliday are all Type-A's. (h/t to BTF)

The buried Ortiz jersey

Travis G — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:41:15 -0000

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Remember the construction worker who buried a David Ortiz jersey in the cement of the new Yankee Stadium? How's he feeling about now?

Since the Yankees moved into the supposedly jinxed ballpark, three things have happened: David Ortiz was exposed as a PED user, he had his worst year season since joining the Red Sox, and the Yankees won the World Series in their first year at the new digs.

There's just one thing to say to Gino Castignoli... thanks!

Cashman's moves

Travis G — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 03:06:07 -0000

More photos » by Paul J. Bereswill - AP

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Can we finally give some credit to Brian Cashman? After an eight year drought, he finally put the Yankees back on top of the baseball world.

After acquiring underachiever after underachiever, Cash built a team based on healthy and dependable stars. In years past, we'd seen the likes of Jaret Wright, Kevin Brown, Randy Johnson, Gary Sheffield, Jason Giambi, Jeff Weaver and Carl Pavano don the pinstripes, only to watch them either underperform or not perform at all. None of the aforementioned lived up to their billing, either through injury or ineffectiveness.

Carl Pavano started 26 games for the Yankees over four seasons. A.J. Burnett and CC Sabathia started 67 games this season alone. Mark Teixeira played 156 games, only sitting out a few times to 'freshen up.'

Not to denigrate George III, but his 'interference' only seemed to hurt the club. He's better when he stands back and lets his 'baseball people' run the team. The last dynasty began when he was barred from baseball. The one that is (hopefully) beginning now began when he ceded control to his sons (about 2007), who were far less 'hands on' than their dad. They in turn handed control over to Brian Cashman, a smart move considering he is the general manager.

Since the change in management, we've seen a marked improvement in the farm system: the '09 bullpen consisted almost entirely of former-Yankee farmhands: Rivera, Hughes, Joba, Coke, Robertson, Aceves. In fact, 13 of the 25 players (more than half) on the World Series roster were from the Yanks farm system.

Next year we're going to see the likely addition of several more: Frankie Cervelli looks to be the BUC, Mark Melancon and Austin Jackson may join the team around mid-season, Jesus Montero has an outside chance at playing a contributing role, as does Zach McAllister.

The money the Yankees save by using the likes of Hughes and Joba instead of Kyle Farnsworth and Tom Gordon can be used to acquire elite free agents (Tex, CC), not just good or over-the-hill ones (RJ, Sheff). Hughes and Joba were worth $17 million combined this year. They were paid about $1 million. Think about it this way: that $16 million difference basically paid for A.J. Burnett's whole season.

Instead of Big Stein forcing Cash to go after the likes of Sheffield and RJ (by all accounts, Cash wanted Beltran and/or Vlad Guerrero), he was able to sign quality in-their-prime players like CC and Tex.

Cashman was against trading for Johan Santana (at the price the Twins were asking), despite the apparent pressure put on him by other members of the front office. Future injuries and ineffectiveness were suspected, and he asked the most vital of questions: why pay twice for one player? Why give up prospects and money when, if the Yankees could be patient, a pitcher at least as good would be available for just money? (Imagine if this had happened when the Yanks were preparing for the stretch run, or if Phil Hughes and Melky Cabrera had been traded.)

I was admittedly against the Nady/Marte trade. Nady was coming off a career half-year while Cashman sold low on high-ceiling prospect Jose Tabata. To add injury to insult, both Nady and Marte missed the majority of 2009 (they combined to play only 28 games). Well, whatever happens with Tabata in the future, we'll know that that trade helped us win a World Series. Marte was essential to the playoff run, summoning the spirit of Graeme Lloyd: 4 ip, 0.00 ERA, 5 k, 0 bb, 2 h (and both hits were in one game!).

I'll talk about one more move: Nick Swisher. Any team could've had this guy, but that the Yanks got him for almost nothing (Wilson Betemit, Jeff Marquez and Jhonny Nunez, are you kidding me?), and that he was superior to not only Bobby Abreu but to every other Yankee OFer made the trade even more extraordinary.

Some skeptics will say Cashman is only a product of the highest payroll in MLB. But as we've learned first-hand this decade, spending the most money is anything but a sure way to win the World Series. Not only has Brian Cashman given the Yankees their 27th title, but has put them in a position to continue supplying the club with good, cheap talent.

PS: To the fans/readers of PA - thank you for an incredible season. The four of us fed off your incredible energy and enthusiasm. We hope to see you all throughout the off-season and 2010.

Rivera revealed that he pitched the entire Fall Classic hiding a painful rib-cage injury, leaning...

Travis G — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:14:52 -0000

Rivera revealed that he pitched the entire Fall Classic hiding a painful rib-cage injury, leaning on head trainer Gene Monahan to keep his clubhouse secret.

The Legend of Mo grows...

We knew he was hurting late in the Series, but not that it may have started back in the ALCS (specifically Game 6, when he threw 34 pitches).

Something about new ballparks

Travis G — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 03:56:15 -0000

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The first Yankee Stadium was built in 1923. The Yankees won the World Series (for the first time) over the New York Giants that year.

The first year of the 'overhauled' Yankee Stadium was 1976. The Yanks won the pennant (for the first time in 12 years), but lost the World Series to the Big Red Machine.

The first year of the new Yankee Stadium was 2009. The Yankees defeated the Philadelphia Phillies to win their 27th title (for the first time in nine years).

What are the odds?

(The '09 Yanks also became the third team to win the clinching game of the World Series in their new ballpark, joining the 1912 Red Sox and 2006 Cardinals.)

David Wells calls Joe Torre 'such a tool'

Travis G — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 03:07:17 -0000

In an article he wrote for the NY Post -

Right before Game 5 (of the 2003 World Series), I had back spasms. I threw five or six warm-up pitches and told pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre to get another pitcher ready because I wasn't going to make it. Mel was like, "No, you can do it."

I threw maybe 10 warm-up pitches total in the bullpen -- I spent most of the time lying on my back -- and said, "If you guys want me to pitch, so be it."

I went out there and my first pitch was like 78 mph. I soon came out of the game, and here is why Joe Torre is such a tool: I came out of the game and some guys were mad. I went in the training room and had no trainer, no doctor, no coach, nobody. I had to have one of the clubhouse kids put an icepack on my back. Then I had back surgery a week later.

If my back is healthy we win that World Series.

The only problem is that he was bragging before that game about how he didn't need to exercise, unlike those workout freaks Nolan Ryan, Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens.

He also goes on to say the Yankees are the team of the decade. (h/t to BTF)

"Long is the way...

Travis G — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:43:07 -0000

More photos » by Elise Amendola - AP

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And hard, that out of hell leads up to light."

That's how it felt in 2001 and 2004. The way those seasons ended were the equivalent of baseball hell. An error and bloop single in the ninth inning of game seven in 2001... and of course the (in)famous and unprecedented collapse in 2004.

Because of those tragedies, the recently ended drought (eight years to the day, in fact, since game seven in 2001) seemed about twice as long.

Even the additions of Jason Giambi, Mike Mussina, Hideki Matsui, Gary Sheffield and Alex Rodriguez weren't enough. We had the best player in baseball and couldn't get it done. He couldn't get it done.

Then it got even worse for Alex. He had a messy divorce, hooked up with a crazy woman, and got exposed as a cheater. On top of all that, he received news that he might miss the whole 2009 season with a hip injury. It was his own personal hell.

No one could have predicted at the time, but that sequence of events was probably the best thing to ever happen to him.

When his PED usage came out and hip surgery sidelined him for a month, it seemingly allowed him to become 'care-free.' An A-Rod that once seemed to care what the fans and media thought of him all of a sudden didn't. Frankly, he seemed happier and more comfortable with himself. Whether that actually made him a better ballplayer is debatable, but from my own experience, I always work better when I feel comfortable - don't you?

As far as Kate Hudson goes, she seems like a sane, down-to-earth woman. A far cry from Madonna. (Quick aside: how cool would it be to have Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn as parents-in-law?)

The hip surgery went far better than anyone could have expected. A-Rod missed one month and was still able to compile 30 homers and 100 RBI. He even stole 14 bases! In fact, the surgery went so well that the additional surgery that was to happen this off-season may not be needed at all.

So thank you Selena Roberts, thank you Kate Hudson, and thank you Dr. Marc Philippon. We now live in a world where Alex Rodriguez has won the World Series.