SB Nation User Blog: sem1989

Matsui Could be the Next Victim of the DL...

sem1989 — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 04:01:48 -0000

If Matsui heads to the DL, the amount of injuries suffered by the Yankees this year would almost be comical... but not quite. The Yankees need his high average and OBP, look at his stats this year:

2008 Season Stats
SPLITS	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
Season	69	251	37	81	13	0	7	34	31	30	0	0	.323	.404	.458	.862
Career	750	2806	468	834	171	10	110	496	345	393	12	6	.297	.373	.483	.856
Last 7	3	11	1	4	0	0	0	0	1	2	0	0	.364	.417	.364	.780
Projected	153	557	82	180	29	0	16	75	69	67	0	0	.323	.404	.458	.862

from: http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080626&content_id=3010709&vkey=news_nyy&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy

Ignore his unflattering RBI's and Runs because, if he is able to maintain his batting average, and continues to hit in the 5-spot, either he accumulates RBI's or the Yanks are in trouble.

"Girardi acknowledged that the team will discuss the option of placing the designated hitter on the disabled list when it returns to New York."
from: http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080626&content_id=3010709&vkey=news_nyy&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy

As fans, we can only hope that:
a.) he doesn't go on the DL
b.) he doesn't play injured, hurting his output

If he is as hurt as it looks, looks like either option is a possibility...

from: http://yankeebible.blogspot.com

The Demise of the Red Sox: How the Red Sox became the "Red Sox Nation"

sem1989 — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:53:56 -0000

After a team wins a World Series, or any major title of a sport, there is an influx of "fans", and I use this term loosely here, that wish to take part in the team's celebrations and, in fact, maybe even feel entitled to join in the festivities. Of course it goes without saying, that any ACTUAL fan of a team watches games, not just in the post season, and after years, not weeks (or in even in the worst cases days), one can finally love your team. And once you actually love your team, you are a fan.

    When you love a team, you feel bad for a player, not because he's hurting the team, but because he is personally struggling and hurting because of it. When your a fan, you actually feel... jubilant... yes jubilant when a team member accomplishes a milestone, such as Joba's first win as a starter, you feel as though your brother had done it.

    A non-fan, or juvenile an idiot fan, says things such as "Yankees Suck", "Yankees Suck" because they are too inexperienced to realize that this has virtually no effect, other than letting everyone know how much of a fool you are for not being able to think of something more creative, let alone effective. A real fan knows that arguments with other baseball fans can only be won through reason, reason gained from years of accumulating miscellaneous facts attributing to the education of an erudite, well rounded, baseball fan. Real fans are knowledgable.

    Now I get to the point of this post. Due to the Red Sox finally fulfilling their quest for a World Championship, their fan base has been overrun and diluted to the point of their fan base being weaker than any others. Not that the Yankees don't have some terrible fans. In fact, this happens to most teams that win the world series and is well documented; once a team wins, the bandwagon comes around, along with its idiot cargo. Usually these non-fans go away after a few months or years, but, the Red Sox are different. Fox Sports and ESPN have espoused the Red Sox supposed cause and are the reason for the decline into "Red Sox Nation".

       First it was Fox Sports attempting to paint the Yankees as heartless, and maybe even evil as they portrayed the team as The Empire (which actually have been compared to the Nazi regime, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_Empire_(Star_War s ) very briefly but there is more out there, just google it!) a harsh comparison to make for the Yanks. Meanwhile the oppressed Red Sox, the harmless, pristine representative of New England, tries to defeat the Yankees by winning a World Series.

    Are you kidding me, since when is the team of the goofy Yogi Berra evil? Surely this is Fox just trying to get viewers to watch but this has serious connotations and undertones that people actually pick up!

    And then when the Red Sox finally won the World Series in 2004, the "Nation" was born. Soon, inbred and degenerate fans started packing into Fenway and real fans started to notice. This fan on facebook has a group called "REAL Red Sox Fans Against the Term Red Sox Nation" http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6808585811

    He then states that "people that go to games at fenway park these days dont deserve it." ESPN, and their internal fans, running the network, have actually done something great for the Yankees, obviously against their intentions: they have ruined, at least for the moment, the Red Sox fan base and have infuriated the real fans...

    I will close with this question: How is it that a team, trying desperately for a World Series win since 1918, and when they finally get it, their core base of fans is overrun with non-fans annihilating their true fan base through sheer frustration and even rage. And all this from a World Series Win?... Maybe this is a Yankee universe after all, Hank.

From: http://yankeebible.blogspot.com

Back on Track...

sem1989 — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 10:33:08 -0000

Despite the myriad possible complaints a Yankee fan can have during the past month: an inconsistent offense, Little League quality defense, etc., poor starting pitching isn't one of them. And most recently Giese and Pettite have shown that fans shouldn't think of the Yankees' staff as over the hill (think Mussina and Pettite) or inexperienced (think Chamberlain, Rasner, Giese), but, instead as venerable and phenomenal.

    Giese's start yesterday, marred only by a Rivera like errant throw to second and the consequent unearned runs that wouldn't have occurred, shows that he has the capacity to hold down a Major League offense. The only things causing worry are his defense, although the error have been a one time deal, and the fact that the Reds don't exactly have the most fearsome offense (they are 11th in the NL in runs scored with 4.34 runs per game.

    Today Andy Pettite reminded the baseball world why he was the Yankee staff's "stopper" of last decade's dynasty as he ended a momentum killing, two game skid. He give up only four hits over six scoreless innings earning his latest win of a three start streak. After Pettite's dominant last three starts it appears as though he has finally hit mid-season form after a gruesome ten hit, ten run performance that the Yankees surprisingly stole from the Royals 12-11 thanks in part to Damon's brilliant 6-6 showing. Did I mention Pettite has a current 19 inning scoreless streak? Can you say Chien-Ming WHO?

Pettite's Last Four Games:

          Date               Opp W L       ERA SV I    Inn.      H    ER BB K

JUN 07	KC	0	4.99	6.2	10	10	2	3
JUN 12	@OAK	1	4.64	8.0	5	1	1	6
JUN 17	SD	1	4.29	7.0	5	0	1	9
JUN 22	CIN	1	4.04	6.0	4	0	2	4

From http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=120485

And after Giambi's 3-3, 2RBI, 2Run game it appears as though his golden thong may indeed be a gift from King Midas of Greek Mythology; for everything the God touches, including Giambi's thong and therefore the Giambino and his bat, turns to pure gold. The mustached slugger raised his average to a very respectable, and a bit surprising .271. A very unlikely figure after a brief, three game, 0-11 streak. And keeping with the Mythology references (much to the dismay of the readers), Giambi, along with his miracle thong, must have received Hermes', the swift-footed messenger, winged footwear. Because I'm not sure since I blinked, but, was that Giambi or Henderson stealing 2nd? O.K. I'm obviously joking but he sure did have a (Homerian) epic game today!

I'm sorry to all to read this post and I promise to never make such obscure, awkward references again. Ever. Again, I'm Sorry...

From: http://yankeebible.blogspot.com

Could Chamberlain, Offense Carry Yanks to October?

sem1989 — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 02:28:22 -0000

There were two remarkable games this month that I believe indicate something very important about this Yankee club and their potential outcome for the 2008 season. These games on paper seemed to be as different as possible except for the fact that both ended in Yankee victories and could potentially foreshadow the outcome of this year's season. One game was against the Blue Jays and starred Jason Giambi with heroics resembling that stormy 2002 miracle when he officially became a "Yankee" with a walk-off homer, just as he replicated in this game. And the other game with potentially long term implications was today's game. This one starred the phenom Joba Chamberlain and conjured images of his adrenaline-soaked call up last year and his celebratory fist pumps: the elated gyrations that demonstrated the full emotional content of the electrifying, late innings. Chamberlain had been told to hide these emotions, as to not offend his competitors and he did for a while. But he was not able to this game as raw passion and joy erupted from his 230 lbs. frame. As he celebrated, the 54,362 in attendance today serenaded him with zealous cheer.

Only a few weeks ago, in a game against the Blue Jays, the Yanks showed their grit by grinding out, in my opinion, the hardest and most deserved win of the year. The Yankees scratched out a first inning lead from a ground out and sacrifice fly from Abreu and Rodriguez respectively. This lead lasted only until the 4th when Matt Stairs lofted a game tying, 2-run home run barely clearing the wall to the left of the 314 ft. sign and a leaping Abreu. The next inning, the Jays take the lead due to a costly error from Cabrera, and by the end of the 5th they extend their lead to 7-2. A score that was nearly a death sentence due to the previously struggling Yankee lineup. However, in the bottom of the inning the home team began to chip away at the 5-run deficit from a ground out from Abreu, which also moved Damon to 3rd. Arod scored the speedster with a shallow sacrifice fly, barely snatched by the second basemen Inglett, putting the Yankees within three. After a scoreless half inning, Cano led of the Yankees half with a single up the middle only to be brought around the bases by a homer from the new target of fan hatred, the newly villanized Wilson Betemit. The score was then 7-6 Bluejays, Yanks down by one. The score remained the same until the 9th when the newly unveiled Yankee killer Matt Stairs scored his 5th RBI of the day as a ground-rule double explodes of his bat. The score is now 8-6. Things are not looking too good. Now to the bottom of the 9th where Jeter grounds out and Abreu lines out. 2 out, game over right? Next, Arod reaches first base on a single and advances to second from defensive indifference. Next batter, Bam! Hideki Matsui smokes a laser to center allowing Rodriguez to round 3rd and score. 8-7. And then Giambi approaches the plate hitting a measly .258 in place for Jose Molina. Giambi immediately goes down in the count to 0-2 and it looks like a Giambi out would end the Yankee rally. But, Giambi connects on a 84-mph fastball from the usually reliable closer, B.J. Ryan, and deposited it far back in the upper deck and simultaneously won the game for the Yanks.

Usually when a team is down by five runs they begin to think about tomorrow. But in a win like this, all teammates forget about the self and seem to remind us all that the ghosts haven't vacated the old Yankee Stadium just yet. Team unity were able to overcome the Jays and the white-hot Stairs whose 5 RBIs had constantly tested the Yankees; teasing the home team as they flirted with losing control of the game until they finally did at the final possible moment: the bottom of the 9th with 2 out. This game did a lot to indicate the future of the team through one uncommon feature of the game: Wang was terrible yet we won anyway!

I'm not saying that we can come back from a 5 run deficit every game but what I'm saying is this: due to the Yankees' offensive firepower, all the replacement starter has to do is keep us in the game. This is the stated objective of Mike Mussina who happens to be New York's most winning pitcher (with 10 wins). Mussina has pitched 81 1/3 innings this year while surrendering 35 earned runs for an ERA of 3.81. Pretty good right? There is no way how the Yankees can mirror this kind of production with a replacement from the minors or Giese or someone (Ponson? ehhhhh.... shutters. But who knows? I maybe biting my tongue in a month or two?) but they may need to. Just find somehow to get a quality start of 6 innings of 3 run ball. Hell, with our offense I'd be happy if our starter gave up 4 runs over 6 innings or even 3 runs over 5 innings. If we could do that consistently, we could win many games, but not close to all of them, with the team's 4.76 run/game average. There are 59 games left this year before Wang's return in September which means that there will be about 13 games that he would normally start. Let's say that the Yanks go 8-7 for those games, and they are aiming to win 94 games. During the rest of the team's 76 games (counting all starters except Wang until his starts in September), the team must have a winning percentage of .621 or go 46 and 28. Is that possible? Given the fact that the Yanks have seemed to find themselves over the past few weeks, considering last year's epic winning streak, and considering the winning potential of Joba Chamberlain in the starting rotation, I believe so.

Chamberlain has given his best start of the season today going 5 2/3 innings surrendering 1 run while striking out a career high 9. This is impressive regardless of the stellar strikeout total which led to an elevated pitch count and an early exit. The fans at the stadium perhaps acknowledged how much the team's future laid in the hands of a 23 year old rookie and how good it felt to be after today's start.

Do the Yankees need Wang uninjured, without missing starts to make the playoffs? No, but it would certainly help. However, as long as Wang's replacement isn't a complete bust, going 5-10, we should be able to win 94 games as long as the team avoids prolonged slumps. And with the starting rotation's highly effective Moose, Pettite who can scratch out a win when he needs to, and the fire-baller Chamberlain, there is no reason to believe so.