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

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.

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.