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

AJ & ARod

There has been plenty of rumblings in the blogsphere and twitter world that the Yankees should keep Ivan Nova and Phil Hughes in the starting rotation and banish AJ Burnett to the bullpen. Flash Alert: It ain't happening!!!! There are $82 million reasons why it will not happen. I think it is safe to say that AJ Burnett is an $82 million bust. I'm tired of hearing about his awesome stuff. I'm tired of hearing how nasty he is to face. The bottom line is that he is totally unreliable when it comes to pitching in a big game. In fact, he's totally unreliable when he has a twelve run lead!!!!

This guy is a total head case. At his age, he should be able to control his emotions and think through a game. He is not capable of doing that. He's not capable of doing what CC Sabathia did on Monday night. As a result, when you look at October, Burnett is a number 4 at best. I'd probably go with Nova or Hughes before I went with Burnett. Ask me who would you rather have right now: Garcia or Burnett?? I'll take the crafty 85 mile an hour fastball Garcia and that's not saying much.

As the Godfather of sports talk radio, Mike Francesa would say, "there paying him $82 million to throw pies".
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The news that Major League Baseball wants to speak to ARod about his alleged participation in an underground poker game in Califronia has caused mixed emotions for me. One part of me is saying: why do you put yourself in this predicament??? Especially when it's been reported that ARod was warned to stay away from such games. It almost makes it seem like ARod can't help himself.

The other part of me is saying: Selig, are you kidding me??? You have nothing else to be concerned about??? This is the same guy and league that turned a blind eye to performance enhancing drugs which actually effected the game. I was reading an article this morning which said that its common knowledge that professional athletes participate in such poker games. The names mentioned in the article were not other major league ball players but I find it hard to believe that ARod is the only baseball player to drop down cash on a poker game.

Baseball's aversion to gambling has been extremely stringent. We all know about Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson. Both of them were believed to have bet on baseball games. But, Major League Baseball also prohibited Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle from any official major league baseball activities because they became spokesman for an Atlantic City casino back in the 80's. Seemed over the top to me then and I still feel the same way.

If ARod is suspended for this it is a total joke. His playing poker in an underground game has nothing to do with baseball. If Commandant Selig is concerned about such activity will he further investigate to determine whether other ball players have participated in such games??? Will he prohibit players from participating in fantasy baseball and fantasy football leagues??? How about March Madness pools??? In the mean time, what is the Commandant doing about testing for HGH???

Hughes Answers The Bell

Phil Hughes was in total control last night as the Yankees defeated the Chicago White Sox 4-0 in a rain-shortened contest. Hughes was never in trouble, allowing only 4 hits over 6 innings and maintaining his velocity on his fastball between 91-93 and even hitting 95 in the first inning. One almost has to wonder if the key to success for Hughes is being able to work through nights when he doesn't have his best stuff. On Monday, CC Sabathia did not have his best stuff but was able to go 8 innings and allow the Yanks to hang on for the victory. If Hughes is able to continue to pitch this way, the Yankees will be in much better shape.

The interesting decision to be made is what to do with Ivan Nova if he pitches well on Thursday??? It would seem to be exceedingly unfair if Nova pitches well and is then sent down to the minors. It's highly unlikely Nova would go to the bullpen. Hughes has been in the bullpen and was a key factor in the Yankees run to a World Championship in 2009. The Yankee high command will have a difficult decision to make if Nova pitches well. One thing that is not being considered: what if Colon and/or Garcia get bombed in Fenway over the weekend?? Will their status be in question??? It probably won't but I think it should.

Mark Texiera has really stepped it up since ARod has been out. Big Tex is hitting .310 since ARod has been out and the Yankees really need him to stay hot heading into Fenway. I can't tell you how important this Red Sox series is in my mind. The Red Sox lead the series 8-1 and the Yankees are still only 1 game out of first. If the Red Sox dominate once again over this weekend, you may have to be resigned to the fact that the Yanks will be the wild card entry into the playoffs. On top of the fact that I'm sick and tired of the smugness on the part of many Red Sox fans and the unbelievable love affair the sports media has with the Bosox. I only hope the Yankees have the same fire as I do for this series coming up.

Tonight AJ Burnett goes for the Yanks and hopefully he will get some run support to get a much needed win.

Trade Deadline = Zero For Yankees

The trade deadline came and went Sunday at 4pm and Brian Cashman was unable to add any pieces to the current edition of the NY Yankees. Cashman made it very clear that he is comfortable with the team that he has and that there was no one out there who was better than what the Yankees already have on the roster. Really???

The biggest prize this year was Ubaldo Jimenez and full credit to the Cleveland Indians for stepping up and making a move to go for it this year in the AL Central. Jimenez is only 27 and his contract fits in well with the Tribe's salary structure. The Indians also picked up Kosuke Fukudome from the Cubs in a move to bring another bat to their lineup. Will it be enough to overtake the Tigers?? I'm not sure but Indian GM Mark Antonetti recognized he needed to get a top pitcher and he did that and a 27 year old at that.

The Yankees will tell you that Jimenez is not an ace, he is not a #2 and he's a #3 in the AL East. They will also tell you that since the All-Star break last year, Jimenez is 10-16 with an ERA over 5. But closer examination of his stats tells a different picture than what the Yankees are selling. If we look at what Ubaldo has done since June 1st of this year, he is 6-4 with a 3.48 ERA. Those numbers are inflated as a result of his last 2 starts with the trade rumors swirling around him. Looking at last year, if you look at his starts since the All-Star break, Jimenez was 5-7 with a 3.80 ERA. Upon further review of those number, in 5 of the 7 losses Jimenez pitched 35 innings and allowed 11 earned runs for a 2.83 ERA. He also had 2 no decisions where he pitched 14 innings and allowed only 1 earned run.
Ubaldo's numbers since last year's All-Star break are inflated based upon his first 9 starts this year.

Now Cashman has said that he can win with what he has and that the Yanks would be more comfortable with Colon as their #2 as opposed to Jimenez. So let's take a look at Garcia, Colon and Nova. Cashman said yesterday that he is comfortable with Garcia and Colon and cited that they had ERA's in the low 3s pitching in the AL East. But that statement means nothing because with a payroll of over $200 million, its all about the post season and as a result we need to look at how these guys have pitched against possible playoff opponents.

Bartolo Colon has 1 start against Boston, Texas and Detroit respectively. He's pitched 18 innings and allowed 12 earned runs for an ERA of 6.00. With respect to Garcia, he has faced Boston twice, Detroit once and Texas once for a total of 20 innings and allowing 12 earned runs for an ERA of 5.40. Ivan Nova has pitched 21 2/3 innings against Boston and Texas and has allowed 13 earned runs for an ERA of 5.40. Do you have warm and fuzzy feelings about these numbers Yankee fans??? I don't.

Cashman has decided to go with what he's got. The talk now is that Montero will be coming up once the rosters expand and that Banuelos could end up in the Bronx as the Yankees left-handed relief specialist. You know what, I hope this all happens and it all works out. But for a team who's motto is that only a World Series championship equates to a successful season, they have a lot riding on a bunch of young kids: Hughes, Nova, Banuelos and Montero. And that's ok but I find it insulting for Cashman and Company to try to get me to believe that the Yankee rotation is championship material because it is not!! Would Ubaldo Jimenez have ensured a World Series?? I don't know but what I do know is that I would rather go with a 27 year old than a 35 and 38 year old down the stretch. And let's be clear, if Nunez, Montero, Banuelos, Nova and Hughes don't pan out, you can kick yourself for not having Cliff Lee and/or Ubaldo Jimenez. Remember this is about winning the World Series not making the playoffs and from where I sit the Yanks will be lucky to make the ALCS.

Reality Check Time, Yankee Fans

In today's game of baseball, going eight innings and allowing 4 runs is usually good enough to win. That's what AJ Burnett did last night but the Yankees lost 4-2 to the lowly Baltimore Orioles. Most Yankee fans, myself included, are down on AJ Burnett and rightfully so. But last night's game is on the hitters who weren't able to do anything against Jeremy Guthrie. That doesn't change the fact that Burnett is always a mystery when he takes the mound. With that being said it is apparent to many that if the playoffs started tomorrow (and the Yankees are in it) Bartolo Colon would be the number two. Yankee fans how comfortable do you feel about that??

With the trade deadline being tomorrow at 4pm, I'm not sure what the Yankees will do if anything. Typically, most teams ask for more from the Yanks than they do from other teams. Just think about the Mariners last year with the Cliff Lee dance. Because of that I can understand why Brian Cashman is holding firm against being held up by the Rockies or Dodgers or anyone else for that matter. The problem is Cashman shouldn't be in this position.

We all knew at the end of last season when it was becoming clear that Andy Pettite was not coming back that the Yankees were going to need another starting pitcher. Brian Cashman set his free agent sights on Cliff Lee and got played and once the Phillies signed Lee, he was left to take gambles by signing Colon and Freddy Garcia. Gambles that have paid off so far against the Mariners, A's, Royals, Orioles, Mets and Rockies. But what will happen in October when it could be the Rangers, Tigers, Angels or Red Sox, let alone if they made it to the Series and faced the Phillies or Giants.

The truth of the matter is that Brian Cashman set the stage for where the team is at going back to last year's trade deadline when he couldn't seal the deal on Lee because of Eduardo Nunez and compounded it by striking out in free agency to get Lee. What if Colon and Garcia failed, where would the Yankees be???

A few weeks ago I happened to be watching Mike Francesa and a caller brought up that the Rafael Soriano signing and his subsequent mediocre-at-best performance proved that Cashman was right when he came out against the signing. Francesa went on to defend Cashman further even saying that he was not so sure that Nunez was the reason why the Yankees didn't make the Lee deal. Of course, Mike has a relationship with Cashman so I am not surprised that he would be defending him. However, the fact remains that whether Soriano panned out or not has nothing to do with the starting rotation. The bullpen is not an issue except for the fact that they don't have a reliable lefty. Oh yeah, didn't Cashman acquire Felicano - he who was overworked last year by the Mets and probably won't pitch at all this year for the Yanks??

The reality is that the Yankees knew that with their offense, CC and Rivera they would have enough to compete and probably make the playoffs. The fans will get all jacked up and dream of another championship when the reality is that this team is not good enough. The trade deadline will come and go and the Yankees may make a deal but unless its some kind of blockbuster this team will not win the World Series and I don't see Cashman having the guts to make such a move. Besides, a playoff series or two will be good for business, even though they sell the crap that only a championship is a successful season.

Are You Kidding Me With Wandy Rodriguez???

My good buddy (sarcastically said) Buster Olney is reporting that the Yankees may be willing to take on a last minute salary dump and the name that he mentions is Wandy Rodriguez. Are you kidding me??? Rodriguez is 32 years old and is under contract for a $23 million a year for the next 2 years. Do you think he's worth that??? I doubt it.

It's becoming more evident to me that the Yankees will not make a deal of consequence by Sunday afternoon. There is still talk of Yankee interest in Hiroki Kuroda and I found it interesting that the Dodgers want a young pitcher who is close to pitching in the big leagues. Would the Yankees move Ivan Nova or Phil Hughes to get Kuroda?? It's also being reported that the Tigers are extremely interested in Kuroda but not as a #2 starter but as their #5. Hmmmmm.....what does that tell you?? It tells you what's lying ahead if the Yankees play in October.

And I say if because the Angels and Rangers are starting to play good baseball with the Angels only 5 1/2 games behind the Yankees for the wild card spot. Beginning August 5th, the Yankees have 9 games with the Red Sox out of their remaining 49 games. Throw in games against the Rays over that stretch and you can see that the 5 1/2 game lead could be eaten up in no time.

Wandy Rodriguez isn't the answer and unless the Brian Cashman is willing to go all out, the Yankees will have to rely on what they have and I don't believe it will be enough.
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The NFL was wild yesterday with all kinds of trades. Kevin Kolb, Reggie Bush, Ochocinco, Greg Olsen and Albert Haynesworth being moved. More to come today and it certainly is making it very interesting for fans all across the country.

Kuroda the Answer???

Throughout the day yesterday many so called baseball insiders indicated that the Yankees were the front runners to get Ubaldo Jimenez. However, the New York dailies continue to report that the Yankees are not willing to give up the Killer B's, Jesus Montero and Ivan Nova. In addition, some in the Yankee high command are suspect of Jimenez's ability to compete in the AL East.

This morning the NY Post is reporting that the Yanks are keeping a close eye on Hiroki Kuroda. Kuroda is 36 year old and the Yankees feel that he could provide a good #2 behind CC Sabathia. It's certain that they won't have to give up much to get Kuroda in that he is 36 and his current contract runs out at the end of season. So in essence he would be a rental. The question is: does Kuroda allow them to compete with the one-two punch of the Red Sox, Angels and Phillies.

In 4 seasons with the Dodgers, Kuroda is 34-42 with an ERA of 3.52. His post season record is 1-2 with a 5.27 ERA. His last post season start in 2009 against the Phillies blew his ERA up as he went 1 and 1/3 of an inning allowing 6 earned runs. So is Kuroda the answer??

To me interest in Kuroda is typical of what Cashman has been doing since he lost out on Cliff Lee. Its all bargain basement, try to catch lightning in a bottle mentality. One that is more along the lines of the Pirates or the Indians and not one of a team that only measures success by winning the World Series.

What Will Yanks Do At Deadline??

Last night, once again CC Sabathia showed why he is one of the best in baseball. Unfortunately, the Yankees are not going to be able to pitch him 3 times in a playoff series which begs the question: What will the Yankees do at the trade deadline??

There seems to be a growing consensus that the Yankees will not make a major deal. Ubaldo Jimenez is still out there but the Rockies are still looking for 3 out of the 4 top Yankee prospects and Brian Cashman is reluctant to part with any of them. That being said, outside of Jimenez, there really isn't anyone available who you would consider a top of the rotation starter.

With respect to relievers, there are a lot of names out there but once again lefty relievers available aren't necessarily game changers in my opinion. Unfortunately, we may be stuck with what the Yankees have right now. The current roster will be good enough to make the playoffs. The bigger question is how they will do once they get there.

Yanks = Wild Card??

The Yankees dropped a 4-3 decision to the Oakland A's yesterday dropping them 3 games behind the Red Sox in the AL East. Unless something changes soon, Boston will be AL East champions. So it's looking like the Yankees entry into the post season will once again be as a wild card. But can they hold on??

As we know there are 2 sides to a baseball team, offense and pitching. Offensively, the Yankees have some problems. The designated hitter is suppose to provide offense. Jorge Posada is not doing that. He needs to be replaced. The problem is that on the current roster there is no one who is going to give the team the offense they need. Mark Texiera is in a horrible slump. The grand slam on Friday notwithstanding, he is not providing the Yanks with what they need particularly with ARod out. You could live with your catcher hitting .220 if your DH and first baseman were carrying their weight.

The pitching staff is not playoff ready. The Yankees do not have a number 2 starter that can match up with the Angels, Red Sox and the Phillies. The bullpen has been ok but who do they have to get out the big lefty bats of the Red Sox. It's not Boone Logan as evidenced by Hideki Matsui's blast yesterday.

So far Cashman's response has been to claim JC Romero and Marcus Thames off waivers. These moves coupled with the bargain basement signings of Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon makes one think that the Yankees are on par with small market teams like the Royals. The difference is though that the Royals are going with youth and buildiing for the future. The Yankees are bringing in oldies to win this year. The problem is that these oldies aren't good enough to win in October.

Some are saying that Cashman is right for not trading away top end prospects for help before July 31st. Normally I would agree with that. But I have 2 problems with this now. First, these are the Yankees who measure success only by winning the World Series. This roster is not built to win the World Series. Secondly, when will we see these kids and how good are they??? How come other teams can bring up young players and have them excel while the Yankees baby them only to have them falter??

The Yankees need to do something now. They either make a trade blowing away a rival GM with a package to get a top of the line starter or they bring up some of these top prospects and hope to catch lightning in a bottle. It's time for bold action. It's time to stop playing it safe. It's time for Brian Cashman to show some guts.

Yanks Win: What Does It Mean For October??

Freddy Garcia answered the bell last night going 6 2/3 innings and allowing no runs or walks while striking out 9 as the Yankees defeated the Rays 4-0. While Garcia joined his late 30-something pitcher Bartolo Colon in bouncing back from a bad start in Toronto, what does this all mean for the Yankees chances to win the World Series. That's right I'm talking about winning the World Series not just simply making the playoffs because isn't that the organization's mission statement??

Since George Steinbrenner took over the Yankees back in the early 70's, the Yankees were never satisfied with just making the playoffs. It took roughly 3 years for the Yankees to make the World Series after Steinbrenner took ownership of the team. After being swept by the Reds in 1976, The Boss went out and brought in Reggie Jackson, Mike Torrez and Bucky Dent as he was determined to win it all. And they did in 1977 and 1978. This is where the definition of a "successful season was only when you won the World Series" became the Yankee mission statement.

With this back drop I bring you to the 2011 edition of the New York Yankees. Will this team have a successful season based on the organization's mission statement? I've followed baseball for nearly 50 years, all of them as a Yankee fan and I'm hear to tell you that the answer is NO!! While Colon and Garcia have pitched well this week in Tampa, are you comfortable with a playoff rotation that includes AJ Burnett, Colon and Garcia?? I'm not. There are recent examples of aging pitchers who didn't have it in the playoffs. Does Randy Johnson and Kevin Brown ring a bell??

With the Red Sox and Tigers looking for pitching help, the Yankees might have a difficult time matching up against a duo of Beckett/Lester or Verlander/Jimenez (the Tigers are interested). If the Angels win the AL West, can the Yanks match up with the duo of Weaver/Haren?? Where I'm sitting its Sabathia and then hold your breathe. But the Yanks are selling to their fans that the current roster can take them to a parade down the Canyon of Heroes.

Offensively, the Yankee lineup is not as lethal as one may think. While there has been an incredible amount of focus on what Derek Jeter is doing, there are bigger problems to be concerned about. With ARod out until mid to late August, the Yankee lineup is seriously shortened. While Nick Swisher and Brett Gardner have stepped up, three players have not: Mark Texiera, Jorge Posada and Russell Martin.

While Texiera has hit 25 home runs, his batting average is .242. This is unacceptable particularly since I can't remember the last time he has hit a home run. Kevin Long has worked magic in the past with Robinson Cano, ARod and Curtis Granderson. What's he doing with Texiera?? This is a guy who has consistently hit .300 and for the last 2 seasons hasn't come close to that. Your best hitter bats third. Has Texiera been the Yankees best hitter?? Hardly.

Jorge Posada as the DH is a disaster. Posada is hitting .229 with 9 HRS and 29 RBI's. Flat out terrible. The Yankees cannot afford this type of production. While I sided with Posada in his dust up with Cashman in May, I'm questioning now his commitment to the team. He has to know that he is struggling. He has to know that his production is terrible. Wouldn't it make it easier on Girardi if Posada went to him and said, "I have no problem becoming more of a bench player". Somehow I don't see that happening but in the meantime Posada is almost an automatic out.

Which brings us to Russell Martin. After a hot April, Martin is hitting .217 with 10 HRs and 38 RBIs. While his defense is very good, the Yankees cannot afford such putrid production when Texiera and Posada are also struggling. Which begs the question, why not bring up Jesus Montero?? Bringing up Montero and playing him 2 or 3 games a week would be reminiscent of when Posada was brought up in 1997 and was teamed up with Joe Girardi. Montero would have an excellent tutor in Martin, along with having Posada around.

But the Yankees don't see that as being necessary. My question is Why?? Brian Cashman continues to say that he will not trade away top Yankee prospects to acquire a quality pitcher. Montero is one of those prospects. So if you are not going to trade him and your starting catcher is hitting .217 then why won't you bring up your supposed top offensive prospect??

Which brings me back to the whole notion of the Yankees only considering a season to be a success when you win the World Series. If that is the case, then why won't you trade propsects to acquire a top line pitcher?? You can't say you want to build up the farm system and then say its only a success when you win the World Series unless you believe that the team that you have in the Bronx can win it all. I think you have to be delusional to think that the 2011 Yankees will win it all.

I'm all for building up the farm system. In fact, the Yankees success in the Joe Torre era was built around the core 4 and Bernie Williams. But at some point those kids were given an opportunity. But since Cashman has been given total control, we have yet to see the fruits of the farm system. There are generations of Yankee fans who have bought into the Yankee mission statement. They don't know what its like to see an aging team regress. They don't know what its like seeing Horace Clarke, Jerry Kenney, Steve Whitaker, and Dooley Womack in pinstripes. They don't know what its like to have only one Yankee on the All-Star team. That's why the Yankees continue to sell that they are going all out to win the World Series. But if they are going all out, then use your young prospects to bring in players to win it all now. If you are committed to the farm system then have the courage to tell the fans that we are building for the future. I can accept that living through the mid to late 60's, early 70's and the joyless decade of the 80's. But tell a 20 or 30 something Yankee fan that and they will tell you something different.