tonytalkssports My Take on Sports, particularly the Yankees, Maple Leafs and Browns

There’s No Doubt: Hughes Belongs In The Rotation

Yesterday I finally was able to get a TV hooked up outside so I could enjoy a summer night while watching sports, particularly Yankee Baseball. It couldn't have been a better night!!! Comfortable evening, a cold drink, a nice cigar and a pitching gem from Phil Hughes. Hughes was in total command last night, going into the 8th inning and allowing only 2 hits. It was the Phil Hughes that made him an All-Star last year. It's Phil Hughes who deserves to be in the rotation and be on the mound during the month of October.

It's becoming clearer to me that the Yankees October chances will hinge on CC Sabathia, Phil Hughes and Ivan Nova. Bartolo Colon has hit the wall. He could help the Yanks by being put in the bullpen and being available for long relief if necessary, particularly since we know that AJ Burnett will pitch in a playoff series. Freddy Garcia, while doing a good job for the Yanks this season, is not the type of pitcher who can be successful in October. He's a number 5 starter and in the playoffs you don't need a number 5.

If the Yanks go with Nova and Hughes in October, regardless of whether they win or lose, it will be a success. The degree of success will be based on their performance. But for the future, playoff experience will be invaluable. In the end, it's not about this season. It's about setting up for another era of Yankee dominance. With Hughes and Nova, the Yankees will have the building blocks to establish another strong core as we await the coming of the kids in Scranton and Trenton.

Mo & CC Least Of Yanks Worries

Over the past weekend, the New York dailies and Yankee fans have been wringing their hands over the latest pitching performances by Mariano Rivera and CC Sabathia. Take a chill pill, please!! With respect to Mariano, for the last several years we have seen Rivera go through a couple of rough outings and then he bounces back to his old dominating self again. If every time a closer went out their in the 9th inning and it was automatic why even play the inning?? As Yankee fans we have been spoiled by the most effective closer in modern time. But to expect him to be perfect every time is totally ridiculous. Yesterday I was watching the Pirates-Brewers game and the Pirates brought their All-Star closer Joel Hanrahan in to get a 4 out save. The Pittsburgh broadcast team was very confident. But Ryan Braun tied the game off Hanrahan and the Brewers went on to the win the game in extra innings. Now, am I comparing Hanrahan with the great Rivera?? No, but I'm sure today Pirate fans aren't questioning whether this is it for their closer.

Sabathia has had two rough outings, the latest being Friday night when he gave up 5 solo home runs to the Tampa Bay Rays. The sky was definitely falling now. But interestingly enough, two other aces got pounded Saturday, Jered Weaver and Josh Beckett. Should Angel and Red Sox fans be ready to jump off the bandwagon??? Hardly. While I am concerned about CC's stats against the Red Sox, the 5 solo home runs was one game. I do believe that Girardi made a mistake by giving Sabathia an extra day's rest. Pitchers like a steady routine and CC hinted that the extra day did throw off his schedule.

The Yankees have other concerns besides Rivera and Sabathia. As a fan, I'm more worried about AJ Burnett and management's undying loyalty to him, the DH spot in the lineup, who will be the number two starter in the playoffs and can they beat the Red Sox.

Do You Think We’re Stupid, Cashman!!!

I am not a Michael Kay fan. To me he is a self-promoting, over-hyping annoyance on the Yankee broadcast. But last night I give him some credit. During Kim Jones' early game update, she reported on Brian Cashman's presser where he defended AJ Burnett basically saying that if he wasn't making $82.5 million nobody would be screaming for him to be moved from the rotation. While first qualifying that he respects and likes Brian Cashman, Kay stated that this isn't about the money, this is about the fact that Burnett couldn't get a win after being staked with a 13-1 lead against Chicago and that he is 0 for August since AJ's been a Yankee.

Cashman's vehement defense of his so-called number 2 starter is another example of his arrogance. If The Boss was still around, the little elf who repeled down a building in Connecticut would be under fire right now. Does Brian Cashman think we are all stupid????

Cashman told the reporters that if it wasn't for the money, Burnett would be sought after by a number of teams. Really??? Like who and what would the Yanks get in return??? Some used baseballs and a beat-up ball cap??? He also lectured that Burnett just came off a good start against a playoff contending Angels team only allowing 4 runs over six innings against the Halos. By my math, that equates to a 6.00 ERA. Is that going to get in done in a playoff series in October??? Hardly.

The GM told reporters that they needed to "peel the onion back" and they would see that all this talk about moving Burnett into the bullpen is bull@#%* (his words). So I did look to peel the onion back. What I looked at was how Burnett has done against Detroit, Boston and Los Angeles. Here are the numbers: 23 2/3 innings pitched, 22 hits allowed, 16 earned runs, 9 walks and 20 strikeouts with a 1-3 record. The lone win was on April 2 vs Detroit (10-6). The three losses: May 5th vs Detroit (6-3), June 8th vs Boston (11-6) and August 9th vs LAA (6-4) Burnett's ERA over these 4 games is a whopping 6.10. In the playoffs, a 6.10 ERA typically means a loss and that's when it matters most.

No matter what Cashman says, AJ Burnett can not be trusted down the stretch or in October. Simply put: he's another in a long list of pitching head cases who has taken Yankee money but can't deal with the pressure that comes with being a Yankee. In fact, if you look at Burnett's career the most wins and strikeouts that he had was in his last year as a Blue Jay when he was 18-10 and 231 strikeouts. By the way, that was his walk year. The year where he suckered Cashman, hook , line and sinker.

As I have stated numerous times on this blog, Cashman has lucked out big time. His bargain basement signings of Colon and Garcia has masked the fact that his infatuation with Cliff Lee last year allowed other pitching improvements to go away (Dan Haren). In case anyone didn't notice, Ubaldo Jimenez pitched well against division leading Detroit. In the meantime, Yankee fans are being sold a bill of goods that they have enough to succeed in October. Cashman also made it clear yesterday that he won't be active at all prior to August 31st in bringing in anybody who is clears waivers. Arrogantly, he said that what you see is what you get. Well, what I see is no World Series this year.

Couldn’t Happen To A “Grander” Guy!!

Where would the Yankees be without Curtis Granderson?? He has been one of the few Yankees who has consistently contributed offensively. His two-run homer yesterday tied the game for the Yanks and put him as the league leader in runs scored and RBI's. Not bad for a guy who some criticized Brian Cashman for getting in exchange for Austin Jackson. For me, it was one of the better moves that Cashman has made and I felt that way when the deal was made over a year ago.

Granderson started off very slowly last year forcing Manager Joe Girardi to bat him as low as 8th. But mid-way through the 2010 season, Granderson went to work with hitting coach Kevin Long and he turned his 2010 season around finishing the year with 24 home runs and 67 RBI's. Hard work and dedication has paid off going into this year as Grandy is hitting .275 with 32 home runs, 93 RBI's, 103 runs scored and 22 stolen bases. It couldn't happen to a "grander" guy.

Curtis Granderson is what a professional athlete should be: a role model. This is a guy who goes out of his way to be involved in the community. He works with a number of charities and takes time especially for kids. You will not find a better ambassador for major league baseball. One thing has always stuck in my mind about Granderson going back to the 2006 playoffs. Granderson was playing for the Tigers and it was Game 2 at Yankee Stadium. Mike Mussina was warming up and Granderson was leading off for the Tigers and in the on deck circle. Two kids were sitting nearby and obviously were calling out to Granderson. Granderson took the time to go over and chat with the kids and gave them both a couple of baseballs. I thought this guy is special and as I learned more about him my initial impression was proven true.

With ARod coming back next week, it will be interesting to see how Joe Girardi constructs his lineup. In my mind, I can't see how Girardi can lower Granderson in the lineup. The Grandyman needs to stay in the 3 hole. I would move Teixiera to the 6 spot. While the focus has been on the starting rotation, how the lineup looks will be just as interesting. In the mean time, its great to see a "grand guy" having a "grand" season. Despite what Leo Durocher said, its nice to see a nice guy finsihing first. Keep it going Grandyman!!!!

Decision Time For Girardi, Yanks

Ivan Nova established last night that he belongs in the Yankee starting rotation as he pitched solidly into the 7th inning leading the Yankees to a 9-3 win over the Angels. Before the game, Manager Joe Girardi announced that Nova will be in the starting rotation and that it was coming down to AJ Burnett and Phil Hughes to round out the pitching rotation with the loser heading to the bullpen. From where I sit, it might take a perfect game by Phil Hughes to keep him in the starting rotation. Hughes has been in the bullpen before and has performed well as you may remember 2009. Burnett has not pitched out of the bullpen and once again there are $62 million reasons why he won't be moved from the rotation.

If Hughes pitches well Saturday, he should remain in the starting five. But somehow I don't think that will happen. It's unfortunate that size of contract will dictate who does what as opposed to performance. I just don't see Girardi and the Yankees having the guts to do the right thing.

Yanks Cough One Up – Back To 2nd

With a 2-1 lead heading into the 9th, Mariano Rivera is usually money in the bank. Well last night there was no money, not even any change as the Red Sox tied it off Rivera and won it in the 10th off Phil Hughes as the Red Sox moved into 1st place with a 3-2 win over the Yankees. Freddy Garcia went 5 innings allowing only one run and gave the Yankees an opportunity to win.

It's pointless to go over what happened last night. The bottom line is that the Yankees lost 2 out of 3 and now have a season record of 2-10 against Boston. As it looks they will make the playoffs. The question will be whether they make it as a wild card or AL East Champions and if that makes you happy great!!! I guess it would make me happy if the team was mainly comprised of 20-somethings but we know that is not the case. So unless they make the World Series, the season is a failure for me.
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Check out Tuesday's Thoughts tomorrow as I'll begin to touch on the NFL and some comments on sports radio.

Red Sox Dominate In 10-4 Win

There was a time, not that long ago, when the Yankees had the swagger and treated their Blood Rivals like the raggedy socks that depict Boston's logo. However, the swagger belongs to the Sox as they dominated the Yankees yesterday bombing CC Sabathia and going on to win 10-4. The win brings the Bosox tied with New York for first place in the AL East.

Sabathia gave up 7 runs in 6 innings and was terrible as the Red Sox used the Green Monster like a racquetball court. Despite the bad performance, the Yankees had an opportunity to get back in the game with runners on 2nd and 3rd and no outs with the heart of the lineup ready to hit. Granderson and Teixiera struck out and Robinson Cano grounded out and the Yankees were done like dinner.

Robinson Cano has looked awful this series and the Yankees need him badly. Mark Teixiera hit a solo home run that meant nothing and he needs to start hitting in the clutch. And when will Brian Cashman get his head out of his ass and bring up Jesus Montero to DH?? I am sick and tired of seeing Jorge Posada continue to flail away helplessly at the plate.

Tonight its Josh Beckett against Freddy Garcia and I don't have a warm and fuzzy feeling about that. But, I would have thought the Yanks had the edge yesterday with CC going against John Lackey. So much for that. The problem though is that the Yankee big hitters have to be big in order to win tonight.

A number of years ago, prior to 2004, there was an article in the NY Times that compared the two franchises. One of the points in the article was that even the team logos depicted the status of the franchises: the Yankees with a silk top hat atop a bat, very regal looking and the Red Sox with 2 raggedy old socks. The question is: now who's wearing the top hat???

Disgusting

Yanks Draw 1st Blood

In a game filled with plenty of stories, the Yankees came from behind and sent a message to their blood rivals with a 3-2 win at Fenway Park. If you watched the game you know that the turning point of the game was the 3 pitch bases loaded strike out of Adrian Gonzalez by Boone Logan. How many Yankee fans were holding their breath when Logan walked in from the bullpen??? I know I was. Over the first 9 games against these 2 teams, Gonzalez would have definitely drove in some runs but it was not the case last night. While its only one game, it was a big win for the Yankees particularly coming against Boston's young lefty ace, Jon Lester. As we think about October, here are the positives and negatives from last night's game.

Positives

Bullpen: Last night the Yankee bullpen was incredible. Joe Girardi couldn't be happier with the performances of Boone Logan, Cory Wade, Rafael Soriano, David Robertson and Mariano Rivera. Wade may turn out to be one of the better finds that Brian Cashman has come up with this year. The former high draft pick of the LA Dodgers has been a very steady reliever for the Yankees as evidenced by his performance on Wednesday against the White Sox and last night against Boston. At 28 years old, Wade could be an effective part of the Yankee bullpen for years to come. Rafael Soriano certainly looked like the Soriano of last year as he mowed down the Bosox in the 7th in splendid fashion.

Granderson & Swisher: Where would the Yankees be this season without these two guys? Granderson has been doing it all year long and last night his key single off lefty Lester drove in the Yankees first run. Do you remember last year when there was so much angst over his inability to hit against left handed pitchers?? He's hitting .277 with 11 home runs and 33 RBI's this year against lefties. Nick Swisher struggled the first two months of the season. He hit .225 in April and .200 in May with 3 homers and 19 RBI's There was plenty of talk that the Yankees needed to get an outfielder. But since June 1st, Swisher has been on a roll. He hit .326 in June, .323 in July and has had 11 home runs and 43 RBI's, with a big RBI last night which put the Yankees ahead after Robinson Cano hit into a double play.

Negatives

Bartolo Colon: As I have been saying since the passing of the trade deadline, this weekend we will get a reading on Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia against a top AL contender. Well, last night Colon did not pitch bad allowing only 2 runs however he only lasted 4 2/3 innings and left with the bases loaded. If not for Boone Logan, he would have uglier numbers this morning. Colon has already pitched 113 2/3 innings this year. He hasn't pitched that many innings since 2005. Your number 2 has to give you length, otherwise you burn up your bullpen. Girardi was able to cobble together a victory last night but its an incredible amount of pressure to put on your bullpen. In my mind, I'm not so sure Colon is your guy in Game 2 of a divisional series.

Mark Teixeira: Your number 3 hitter needs to be a force. The old adage is that your number 3 hitter is your best hitter. Big Tex has been far from that especially against the Red Sox. While he is second in the AL in homers and RBI's, his batting average is not good for a number 3 hitter and against the Red Sox this year he is hitting .111 with 0 home runs and 3 RBI's. Teixeira was 0 for 3 last night and the Yankees are going to need him to come up with some big hits if they are to win the AL East. I wonder if Big Tex has fallen in love with homer friendly Yankee Stadium and that has contributed in his batting average falling last year and this year. Of his 31 home runs this year, 20 have come at Yankee Stadium.

Jorge Posada: Posada continues to kill the Yankees at the DH spot. He looked lost last night going 0-3. I just don't see how the Yankees can win the AL pennant with a DH hitting .234.

This afternoon its CC Sabathia against John Lackey. This is a big game for CC as he has not pitched well against Boston. In fact 3 of his 5 losses are at the hands of the Red Sox. The Yankees should be able to get to Lackey so CC needs to slam the door. This is a big game as a Yankee win will ensure that they would leave Fenway in first place regardless of what happens Sunday night.

Nova Stakes His Claim & Look Into October Begins Tonight

Ivan Nova has given the Yankee high command a lot to think about with an outstanding pitching performance last night as he went 7 2/3 innings and struck out 10 as the Yanks swept the White Sox with a 7-2 win. Nova has pitched outstanding as he was on a four game winning streak before he was sent down to Scranton. It would be tremendously unfair to send this kid back down again as he has pitched well since the call up and deserves to be up with the big club. What kind of message does this send to the rest of the farm system when you see Nova perform the way he has only to be moved back down to AAA?

The Yankees would be wise to let the next few days play out before making any kind of decision. Beginning tonight, the Blood Rivalry begins at Fenway Park with both teams tied for first place. Bartolo Colon will face Jon Lester tonight and as I pointed out earlier this week, Colon has not done well against the American League heavyweights. Lester has dominated the Yankees this year so it will be up to Colon to keep things under control until the Yanks can scratch out some runs.

On Sunday night, its Josh Beckett against Freddy Garcia on ESPN. Will Garcia be able to match Beckett on the big stage?? The answer to that question along with how Colon performs should be weighed when making a decision about Nova. The final piece that needs to be considered is on Tuesday when Phil Hughes faces the Angels back at Yankee Stadium. Will he be able to build off of his good start against the White Sox or will he take a step backwards??

I don't believe that either Colon, Garcia and Hughes should have a guaranteed spot in the starting rotation. Unfortunately, AJ Burnett should not have a guaranteed spot either but there are $62 million reasons why he does. The easiest decision would be to put Hughes in the bullpen since he has performed well there in the past. However, he is a guy who the Yankees penned as a top of the rotation starter. Colon, with his fast ball, could be a bullpen candidate but I'm not sure. In the end, Ivan Nova belongs and the Yankees will have to figure out how to keep him up in the Bronx.
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The Yankees are 1-8 against the Red Sox and are still tied for first place in the AL East. There is a big difference in being the division champ as opposed to being a wild card entrant into the postseason. The Yankees have never advanced to the World Series as a wild card team.

The Red Sox have their own pitching problems however they have two of their aces going this weekend against the two 30-something wonders that Brian Cashman signed early this year. We will find out whether Colon and Garcia will be able to handle the playoff-like atmosphere that they will face in Boston. The Yankees need to reassert themselves. They need to send a message to the Red Sox that they are able to stand toe-to-toe with them. As I have stated many times, if the season record was 5-4 Boston, the Yanks would be 3 games up.

Tonight will have an October feel to it and we will begin to learn if the bargain basement acquisitions of Brian Cashman will be able to rise to the occasion. We will also begin to learn if this team is built to win in October or if they are built just to make the playoffs. There is a big difference. Stay tuned.