Ok, it is officially time for me to vent.  This team is making me lose my religion!  I have several areas to address.

 

1.  Patience.  I feel as though there is this "badge of honor" with the Yanks where they all try to get the SP to throw at least 4-5 pitches to them no matter the outcome.  News flash...sometimes the first pitch is a cookie and should be eaten.  Unfortunately for us, usually the only first pitches our guys swing at are low and outside and are easy outs.

2.  NYY vs bad pitchers:  Never have I seen such shitty SPs dominate a lineup like this before.  Pavano, Penny, etc....?  Are you kidding me?  These guys have 5-6 ERAs for a reason.  It is almost like we forget how to hit the bad pitchers.

3.  FIRE:  Girardi has no problem showing this when protecting his players when an ump blows a call, but what about when Nick Swisher has 2 HORRIBLE baserunning mistakes that probably cost NYY runs vs BOS?  Some may think this is wrong, but I would get in his face in the dugout for all to see.  These guys get paid millions of dollars and if they want to be a crybaby about being chewed out, then bench their ass for a game.  Or, better yet, bench them in the middle of the game.  I would have loved to see Swisher replaced after the horrible running tonight.

4.  Balls/Strikes:  Sometimes I think the home plate umps call a wide strike zone vs NYY for 2 reasons:  to get them to swing the F'ing bats and to see the wide range of "arguments."  Everything from Swishers dumbass stare, to Damon's head shaking, to Jeters turning around towards the ump, to Tex's teeth gnashing.....stop the bullshit...hit the BALL.  End of story.  Also, most of our hitters do not adjust at all.  For example, it was clear tonight that there would be a large zone, so why the called third strikes?  Swisher, Matsui, A-Rod, etc.....when you get 2 strikes and it is close with a pitcher's ump, SWING the bat.

5.  Bullpen:  Tonights debacle has now settled the Joba debate for me.  All of this "do you want Joba for 150 IP or for 60 IP" crap needs to cease.  First of all, he is not the same pitcher as a starter and no matter how good his numbers are as a starter, they do not SNIFF his bullpen numbers.  Keep Wang in rotation, and let Hughes have Joba's spot.  Move Joba to the 8th.  If we had Joba tonight, then we would be 1-7 vs BOS this year....it is as simple as that. 

6.  Defense:  Boy, I sure am glad that this team broke the record for errorless games, because their defense sucks ass right now.  How does Swisher WHIFF on that fly ball last night?  How does Damon drop an EASY popup tonight?  Some will say that these things just "happen" but I watch a lot of baseball.  7-8 games a night and I can tell you that on others teams these things do not happen.  The other make errors, sure, but not of the whiffing or dropping ball variety. 

7.  MATSUI:  I mean Hideki "I swing at every outside pitch while also simultaneously running to first so that I can lead the free world in weak grounders to 2B" Matsui.  Tonight was not as bad, but please Kevin Long....teach him how to hit a grounder to 3B occasionally....it makes the game so much more interesting for the spectator.

 

I could go on and on....but these were the first 7 I needed to get out.

 

I know that the glass half full people will say that we are only 2 games out of first and they are correct....but you are missing the point.  The point is that with this team, we should be 4-5 games up at this point.

Tonight's game sucked ass, no doubt, but here are two quotes from Kay and Al Leiter that should at least provide a smile.

Around inning 5-6, Leiter was discussing DeSalvo's changeup and how much difference in velocity there was between the changeup and his fastball.  He then said "See, that changeup was 76, that is a 24 mph difference from his 90 mph fastball."  Kay, pun intended (I think), then said "Well, those Pitchers can do the math."  Ummm, I like you Leiter, but 90-76 is not 24 my friend!

Not to be outdone, Kay launched into this incredible explanation when Rivera entered for the 9th:  "Rivera in for the Yankees, not a save situation since it is a 2-2 game, but for the home team, there never is a save situation after 8 innings."  WHAT?  You mean Mariano doesn't usually pitch in the top of the 9th (immediately following the 8th inning) at home when there is a save situation?

I know this subject has been beat to death so far this season, but I had a friend put a whole new spin on it for me this weekend.  The subject is the A-Rod opt out stuff...here is the scenario.

Facts:

1.  A-Rod is one of the best players of all time and is on pace to break the HR record and several other records.
2.  He will get more guaranteed money at age 31 than he will at age 34 which makes it increasingly likely he will opt out.
3.  The Yanks can extend him and still get him for 16 Million for the next 3 years which should be illegal when Zito just got 18 Million.

Now, we have all seen how he has started out the season - white hot and he is even fielding the ball well.  But what if, What If, WHAT IF.....he won the Series with the Yanks this year (got his ring), opted out to become a free agent in a market where the #2 FA at 3B is Lowell, the Yanks do not extend his contract and lose in a bidding war, and he goes to another team in the AL East that

1. can afford him
   
2. had him in a trade before it was nixed by MLB
3. has an opening at 3B
   
4. could provide loving fans
   
5. where he can break it off in every Yankee fan that booed him.

Even if we signed a STUD SP, if we let A-Rod walk,  he will be impossible to replace and could be a thorn in our side for years to come.  If would be a reverse Damon in that they get better and we get worse...a lot worse.

I think we need to bend Cashman's rules a little and add 3-4 more years onto his deal.  Then we still get him at a deal for 3 more years and keep him off of the FA market.  

Thoughts?

Article in the Star-Telegram:

"I know what he's going to throw, and I know where he's going to throw it," Teixeira said of Rivera, against whom he is 1 for 9 lifetime.

"And every time I swing I either hit it 80 feet foul or break my bat."

As we all know, Rivera is God.

Update [2007-2-8 15:29:52 by John Amato]:I updated the post and moved it to the front page. And I agree 100% with Teixeira. Is there anything more that really needs to be said about Mariano?

Angels | A-Rod in Anaheim?
Thu, 21 Sep 2006 00:59:44 -0700

The Los Angeles Daily News' Doug Padilla is reporting the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim may make a serious run at acquiring 3B Alex Rodriguez from the New York Yankees if Rodriguez requests a trade or the Yankees decide to shop him around. If the deal goes through, the Yankees figure to ask for no less than SP Ervin Santana, RP Scot Shields, OF Chone Figgins and a high-level prospect.