More Bird Problems

The much anticipated arrival of A-rod was as predicted, useless. Yes he homered on the first pitch of his first at bat and put the Yankees in the lead; but he has not done much since Friday night.

Friday night's win was all about pitching. A complete game shutout by C.C. Sabathia, finally something to justify his $23,000,000 a year salary. Friday was what the fans anticipated since the C.C. signing.

However Saturday was ugly. Hughes didn't last and when he was finally pulled in the 2nd, it was too late. The Yanks were down 8-0 and would never come back.

Sunday got interesting with the Yanks down 3-1 at the end of the first Inning. However great plates performances by Johnny Damon took the Yanks to a 5-3 victory and allowed them to escape to Toronto with a winning series in Baltimore.

This leads to the next series with the Blue Jays. The Yanks are in Toronto for 3, with shaky but adequate catching, and players who notorious play poorly on the artificial surface in Toronto, A-Rod being one of those players.

A-Rod who is now batting 0.143; despite the crowning of his godliness by the Yes Network's Michaela Kay and many other sportswriters after his home run Friday night. A-Rod, who I have watched careful this past series is not playing defenses at MLB level. He should be sent to Trenton or Scranton for more work. His presence in the lineup does not add numbers to the boards, and impairs the Yankees ability to play an effective 3rd baseman. He clearly is not aggressively fielding, and was lucky to have Derek Jeter as the shortstop. Jeter clearly was playing both his and A-Rod's postion all weekend.

Heads up A-Rod, Rogers Centre is bigger than Camden Yards, and Jeter won't be able to carry you on his back fro another series. Move it or lose it.

American League East Pitching 2009

The pitching in the American League East this year creates a disparity. On one side of the seesaw is New York, Boston and Tampa, on the other Toronto and Baltimore. While New York, Boston and Tampa will be playing for the title of AL East, Toronto and Tampa will be fighting to see which one does not finish in last place.

Baltimore Orioles:

A great disadvantage to Baltimore pitching is Camden Yards, the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Soxs. Baltimore has weak and shaky starting pitching. Starters can only give you 5-6 innings, and then it is the Orioles Bullpen.

The Orioles should consider this a rebuilding year.

The Birds have the capability to win 80 starts. Their starters can give them an average of 5-6 innings while relief can give only 2-3; the bullpen will be taxed against opposing AL East power bats from New York and Boston. The winning potential of the starters is 0.559; relief is 0.370 and that makes for a potential winning percentage of 0.496 or 80 games. The Orioles will finish in last place.

Boston Red Soxs:
To the advantage of the pitching staff is the Green Monster, Matsuzaka, Papelbon and David Ortiz. If the Red Soxs hit they can win 99 games, if they don't, 88 games, making them a potential 94 game winner and a rival to New York and Tampa.

The Red Soxs have the capability to win 99 starts. Their starters can give them an average of 6 innings and relief can give 3-4. The winning potential of the starters is 0.544; relief is 0.463 and that makes for a potential winning percentage of 0.517 or 84 games. Boston as always will threaten the Yankees thus make the AL East race interesting, especially with A-Rod on the DL for the season start.

New York Yankees:
While it is a concern what the Yankees will do without Alex Rodriquez's bat, hitting only tacks on runs; pitching is the most important aspect to winning the World Series. This year in the AL East, the Yankees have set themselves up with solid pitching, starters and bullpen. Not only that the Yankees have strong youth potential for starters.

A healthy year could bring another AL East Title.

The Yankees have the capability to win 102 starts. Their starters can give them an average of 7 innings while relief can give 3-4, they can get more rest on Mo's arm. The winning potential of the starters is 0.610; relief is 0.697 and that makes for a potential winning percentage of 0.629 or 102 wins. The Yankees can win the American League East as long as they manufacture runs.

Tampa Bay Rays:

The question remains if Tampa can maintain the momentum of their American League Division Title or are just a flash in the pan. If the Yankees and Boston are healthy, Tampa is an an unknown wild card in the AL East race. They have a solid pitching staff and with care against Boston and New York hitters, they are a potential first place team. They definitely will do better against Toronto and Baltimore than New York or Boston. A factor for the Rays is whether Tropicana Field is now a pro Tampa home or reverts back to Yankee Stadium South.

The Rays need the crowd on their side at home to succeed.

One plus the Rays have is relief pitching in the minors, a new closer. The Rays starters can give them an average of 6 innings and relief can give 3-6 if needed. The wining potential of the starters is 0.563; relief is 0.597 and that makes for a potential winning percentage of 0.574 or 93 games Tampa has potential to win the American League East as long as the can beat Boston and New York, they could be the Cinderella story again. Tampa is favored against poor offensive teams in the League.

Toronto Blue Jays:
Ice Hockey is more important than baseball in Canada. Add to that scary range of talent in starting pitching and unsteady talent in the bullpen and you see the 4th runner up in the American League East Race.

Yankees and Boston are division powers. The Yankees took A.J Burnett from the list of solid Blue Jays starters. Roy Halladay is still good, but the Yankees are set for starters, quality starters; the Jays are no.

Blue Jays fans should attend their beloved hockey games. Toronto fans will be tortured by a 4th place hockey team going nowhere and yet again an also ran baseball team. Toronto fans can continue to hate Boston with a vengeance, because the Boston Bruins are leading the NHL Northeast conference and the Red Soxs will stomp all over the Blue Jays.

The Blue Jays starters can give them an average of 5 innings and relief can give 3, they lack a solid closer. The winning potential of the starters is 0.486; relief is 0.457 and that makes for a potential winning percentage of 0.476 or 77 games. The only race Toronto will be in is for the basement of the American League East.

AL East Winner: New York (98 wins or better)

Also rans: Tampa (91 wins or better), Boston (88 wins or better), Toronto (79 wins or better), Baltimore (80 wins or better)

Pecked At, But Not Swept

Andy Pettitte gave the youngsters a class today, a class sorely needed, pitching. Behind Andy, the team played baseball, Yankee baseball; even despite two late in the game rain delays. The Yankees came away victorious, 7-1, after a lousy weekend in Baltimore.

Supposed ace of the staff Chien-Ming Wang got chased in the 5th Wednesday night, despite that, the Yankees prevailed 15-9. However Then their was Mussina, Hughes Kennedy, who combined for a 3 games losing streak. Hughes made it to the 6th, when he was sent packing on Friday. Kennedy was sent packing in the 3rd on Saturday.

Mussina who has been giving Hughes and Kennedy pointer should just defer to Andy. Watching him today was a treat. Today Andy was the Ace of the Staff.

The Yankees needed the win as they are still on the road and head to Chicago to play those other Soxs. The Chicago White Soxs are 11-7, with Wang having to deal with Jose Contreras on Tuesday. Ex-Yankee Contreras pitches well except against the Yankees.

The real threat in Chicago is Jim Thome who is close to matching White Sox team records. Mussina will toss against Javier Vasquez on Wednesday and Joe Girardi has yet to announce a starter for Thursday.

Who ever he picks he will have to be better then Cliff Floyd. The road ahead is as hard as the one the Bombers just left.