What's the Bigger Issue Posada or Pitching?

In the world of Michael Kay, the Yankees are in trouble because Jorge Posada is on the disabled list for the yet undiagnosed cause of his arm trouble. According to Kay if Posada is out for an extended time, specifically if he needs surgery, the Yankees are doomed. Obviously Kay has not been paying attention to games he calls. The Yankees are already in trouble.

Never mind Posada, and yes, Kay is correct, Posada's bat is a loss at time when offense is the key to shaky starting pitching. The real issue is pitching. Posada's bat lost or temporarily set aside for a while won't matter if the kids can't pitch through 7.

Sunday, April 27, 2008, a memorable news flash......Three Complete Games in MLB. What drugs must the managers have been on? Or are they just rebels?

• Scott Shields (26 yrs.old) threw for 9.0 innings against Josh Beckett and the Boston Red Soxs. Shield's line score included: 2 hits, no runs, 1 walk and 7 strikeouts. Shields is now 3-1 with a 2.54 ERA.
• The Texas Rangers' Vicente Padilla , 31 years old, also tossed 9.0, with 7 hits, no runs, 2 walks and 2 strikeouts against the Minnesota Twins. Padilla's ERA is now 3.79
• And finally in the National League, Paul Maholm (26 yrs old) of the Pittsburgh Pirates also tossed 9.0 , his line score was 2 hits, 1 run (earned), 4 walks, 2 strikeouts earned him an ERA of 3.26.

In the world of baseball, this is sacrilegious. In the world of NYY pitching it is unheard of and considered heresy. Could you imagine if the Yankees had let Chien-Ming Wang finish yesterday? Could he have?

Well we may never know because the Yankees would rather tax the bullpen then get 8 or 9 from a solid starter. Of Wang, Pettitte and Mussina, only Wang could go 9.0, but until he gets a No-No or the elusive perfect game, no one in the NY Yankees will allow him to go 9.0.

Babe Ruth will have to rise from his grave before the Yankees allow a pitcher to finish; unless special circumstances prevail. Gone are the good old days.

Close Only Counts in Horseshoes

With the first month of baseball nearly gone, it is clear that certain teams are floundering in both leagues: the Texas Rangers, the Cincinnati Reds, The Washington Nationals and the San Diego Padres. The rest of baseball in the American and National League, despite some front runners could to be said to be close.

My concerns of course are in the dismal state of NY Yankee pitching. Pitching despite a loaded bullpen has been a disappointment so far this year. Wang, Joba, Pettitte and Mariano are the only ones able to claim they are major league pitchers. The rest, including veteran Mike Mussina, and the kids, Kennedy and Hughes have been a solid disappointment.

Kennedy did it again today, got off to a good start, walked too many, and gave the Indians an early lead. Kid Kennedy did manage to get it together and into the 6th without any more damage. Only to have Ross Ohlendorf load Indians on the bases in the bottom of the 9th with Victor Martinez coming to bat with only one out. WHAT IDIOT MADE THE HAFNER IBB DECISION?

Compared to Ohlendorf, Hawkins and Kennedy didn't look bad. And Hawkins, Kennedy, Hughes and Traber represent the shakiest of our pitchers. The range of balls to strikes is 1 to 1.5. I'm sorry that has to improve. Wang, Pettitte, Mo, Joba and the now gone till September Brian Bruney had an average ratio of 2.36. Mo has a 1 to 8 ratio, Joba's is 1 to 3.7. The rest of the staff, save Pettite and Wang throw one ball for every strike. This has to change.

I have decided to fix blame with Joe Girardi for picking Dave Eiland, a mediocre pitcher at best to tutor a youthful staff. The Yankees can ill afford to have Eiland be the mentor for a staff once rated at high potential. Its time to change horses before April ends. Get rid of Dick! At this point I would even say get Dave Cone out of the booth and let him coach the staff. Cone at least has a defendable pedigree, Eiland does not.

I'd even suggest paying Clemens $22 million to come and coach the pitching. It's not like these guys don't have the talent, the current regime just has not found a way to harness it. Say what you want about Roger, the Mitchell Report and his hired gun attitude; Clemens is the real deal, always has been and always will be. When Torre needed a coach for a talented young staff he turned to Mel Stottlemyre; another man with an impeccable pedigree. Eiland is a mutt, lets send him to the minors.

If Crown Prince Hal erupts in a day or too, I could see why. But pitching has to change, and I would start with the pitching coach. It's time for a change.

Weekly MLB Team Rankings

The NY Yankees slipped from 3rd to 4th in this week's rankings of the 30 MLB teams released by the FOX Sports group. Worse yet the Boston Red Soxs stand in 1st.

For those that care, NY Mets fans, the Mets were ranked 5th, up from 7th. At the bottom of the pack dropping from 29th to 30th is the Washington Nationals.

For the complete list:
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/powerRankings?MSNHPHCP&GT1=39002

A Chip Off of George's Block

In what may become a continuing comparison of Hank Steinbrenner to his Dad, George, we have the latest element; demanding a say in the starting lineup.

Many have blogged about George's mouth today, oops did I say George, I meant Hank. It's beginning to be hard to tell them apart, well Hank doesn't wear turtlenecks in summer like Dad George; well so far.

Hank like George thinks that being an owner gives him a say in the starting rotation. This despite the $$$$$ the Yankees spend on expert baseball advice. Frankly I feel that there are many on this forum more qualified then Hank or George to rate the placement of key players in the daily lineup.

Here are some facts:

• Mo is not gone yet and right now pitching well.
  
• The starting rotation can barely get into the 7th inning.
  
• Mo pitching 2 innings a game won't help his arm in October.
  
• Mo will retire one day and there is no one I have seen so far who can be as great as Mo as closer, except Joba.

The real solution is for the Yankkes to have pitchers who can pitch 8 or 9 innings. Oh did I say that? I forgot its a sacrilegious thought to demand pitchers be able to toss complete games. Shame on me. :) :)

Lets fix the problem, the problem is is two fold, Kennedy and Hughes. Get them to be solid and give you 7-8 innings and we can think about where Joba belongs. But I'm sorry, in the sorry state of NYY starting pitching, Joba must be the bridge to Mo. Unless you want to see the team lose in the late innings.

An alternative is to let Joba start and get Moose to bridge. I'd rather use Joba as the bridge.

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.

The Curse of the Papal Mass

As Yankee Stadium is set to host another Papal,Mass, I have resigned myself to kiss the season goodbye. While God might be a Yankee fan, the Papal Mass brings a hex to all who play where his holiness has prayed.

Don't believe me go back and look as the records for all Papal Masses and see what happened to the teams whose stadiums hosted them. All but one, the San Francisco Giants never saw the playoffs.

When Pope Paul VI held a Papal Mass at Yankee Stadium in 1965, the first; it tossed the Yankees into the middle of the pack. The Yankees had finished first in the AL in 1964 but lost the World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals 4 games to 3. In 1965 they finished 6th behind: [Minnesota Twins (102-60), Chicago White Sox (95-67) , Baltimore Orioles (94-68), Detroit Tigers (89-73), Cleveland Indians (87-75), NY Yankees (77-85)].

In 1979, Pope John Paul II celebrated masses at both Yankee Stadium and Shea Stadium.

• The Mets finished in the cellar, and the Yankees tanked and finished 4th, never making the playoffs.

In 1987, Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass September 16 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles and September 18 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco.

• The Dodgers finished 4th in the NL West and the Giants, the favorite to win the World Series went down 4-3 to the Cardinals who went on to lose 4 games to 3 in the Fall Classic.

In 1993 Pope John Paul II held a youth rally at Mile High Stadium where the fledgling Rockies played. The Rockies finished 6th with a 67-95 record. The Denver Broncos finished 3rd and never made the playoffs.

• In 1995, Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore. The Orioles have done miserably until late last year.

So the New York Mets should thank their lucky stars Pope Benedict XVI passed them by. They have enough issues, they don't need a Papal Mass to add to them. As for the Yankees and Nationals, better get those rabbit feet going now. Both are having problems, for the Yankees it's a typical April, but if things don't improve, maybe George can blame it on the Vatican.

Will The Yankees Retire Anyone This Year?

The truth be told, New York Yankee fans expect that the organization will retire Paul O'Neill's number. They finally nudged him to play in Old Timer's Day last years; and it wouldn't be fitting to retire his number in the new stadium. So the question remains is that the real reason why Hawkins gave up the shirt?

Rumors have been flying since Paulie retired that any season now, the Yankees would honor the warrior.

There are two retired Yankees who dwell deep in the hearts of fans, Paul O'Neill and Bernie Williams. O'Neill is on good terms with the Yankees, Williams I have no clue. No one has seen him since he was ousted before he wanted to go.

Both players have made stadium and Yankee history. Williams stands in the top 10 in many Yankee records. So that brings me back to this question, are we retiring any numbers this year? To do justice to one, without the other would be un-Yankee like; and Williams like O'Neill deserves to have his number retired in the House That Ruth Built.

No Bill Evans, The Pope Is Not a Yankee Fan

Most Yankee fans feel that the almighty, God, Jehovah or Mother Earth ( whatever you feel is the all powerful entity) smiles favorable on the New York Yankees. I teasingly say that to all my friends who follow the NY Mets; given how well the Yankees have done and the mediocrity the NY Mets have had to endure. Sometimes it doesn't seem fair and unbalanced. Yesterday morning on Eyewitness News, weatherman Bills Evans stated both the Pope and NY's Edward Cardinal Egan were NY Yankee fans. Well he is probably about 40% correct.

If the current Pope is anything it is probably a soccer fan. He's German, very European in his manner, and probably his papal mass at Yankee Stadium this week will be the closest he ever comes to a baseball game; especially with the boys on the road. His Eminence, the Cardinal however is a lifetime Chicago Cubs fan. The Cardinal has asserted to the NY Press that he appreciates the Yankees, and unless the NY Mets play his Cubs at Shea, he would rather take in the Yankee game. I sneakily suspect His Eminence has the MLB baseball package.

But even with that high connection to the higher power, Edward Cardinal Egan, the Chicago Cubs have still failed to lift the Curse of the Billy Goat; hence my belief that God is Yankee Fan could actually have some credence.

And in speaking of curses or attempts at them; I was shocked but not surprised yesterday to see the daughter of Gino the Jerk interviewed on the news and state "Screw New York" in reference to questions about her Father's, and apparently her allegiance to Red Sox nation. That's more then being a tough girl from the Bronx, it's almost a challenge to every nutcase to go after her. It seems the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Miss Manners can you please help her.

In continuing this case, the Steinbrenner family is now trying to press criminal charges against Gino. I draw my line in the sand there. The Steinbrenners are wrong, and if the Bronx DA does indict Gino, while I would have to contribute to his defense fun. As a baseball fan, I can appreciate what he did for his team. Is it criminal? No. Stupid? Yes. And frankly I don't believe in curses, and I am pretty sure that laws about hexing and cursing are probably off the books in the NY State and NYC criminal codes. And the last I looked stupidity wasn't a crime (although at times I think it should be.)

As to the Yankees, I can't wait for April to be over and warmer breezes to fill the ballparks. The cold weather is playing havoc with the Yankee bats, injuries have not helped, and a very young pitching staff has struggled. All of this amounts to April growing pains.

As to baseball, the American League East looks to be the strongest division. I saw this in the Spring with the many club changes, and if you look at the standings, despite being in 4th place right now, the Yankees are close. The other AL divisions have separation of the leaders from the slugs, and in the National league, there is at least one dog in each division cellar.

Red Sox Gino and the David Ortiz Jersey

For those who missed it, and there do seem to be many, some Boston fan Bronx boy construction worker buried a David Ortiz Red Soxs Jersey in the foundation of the new stadium last year. I remember hearing this last year, maybe no believed it and it died.

The man, Gino Castignoli approached the NY Post with his story Friday. On Saturday two construction workers seemed to remember jerky Gino and had a clue where the shirt was. Jack hammers came out and this morning the shirt after being located on Saturday, was ceremoniously lifted from the stadium concrete. I haven't seen or heard of it's final disposition, but I will be interested in tonight's local news.

Pictures from yesterday's dig out can be found in today's NY Post. http://www.nypost.com/

In reality the only jinx appears to have been on Red Soxs slugger David Ortiz. Ortiz has been battling knee problems since last year. Coincidentally they coincide with the approximate time the shirt was buried in the rubble. It would be comically funny if the hex had backfired and it had been on Big Papi all this time. We will know for sure if he makes tonight lineup and starts putting them up on the edge of the Green Monster again. I hope not, it's even steven and I am hoping for a Yankee win.

In this silly shirt retrieval you have to wonder if the guys who jack hammered the shirt out got paid or did it for the team. With what construction guys get, that could have been a few thousand. Also will this delay the new digs in any way? There is a now a 4 x 3 x 3 hole that has to be refilled.

Personally I would erect a plaque on the site when the new stadium opens so all fans for posterity can remember one Bronx boy, Gino "The Jerk" Castignoli ; who thought he put one over on the Yankees.

No one cares about rodents and roaches, but bury one Red Sox's shirt and all stops are pulled out to get it out. I will remember that when I see the first squirrel of 2009 sunning himself on the foul pole or the Yankee dugout. Rodents can stay but Red Soxs are true vermin. Sorry Boston fans, but that seems to be how the Steinbrenner boys feel.

To read more:

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/8030788/NY-Yankees-unearth-buried-Red-Sox-jersey-from-new-stadium?CMP=OTC-K9B140813162&ATT=49

Who Is the 5th Starter?

Clearly with two series behind them there remains one big question? Who will become the # 5 starter. The plan out of Tampa was to have have Ian Kennedy fill that role, for now. However after getting tagged up in Friday's 13-4 Rays slaughter of the Yankees, you have to wonder if he will get another shot. The plan as as right now is to give the kid a shot, while everyone in the Yankees and the American League re-evaluates the Tampa Bay Rays. Also there must be a re-evaluation of LaTroy Hawkins going on. Hawkins clearly pitched one season too many in the Colorado air. He forgot what the American League can do to a baseball, and his ERA now pays for it.

Hawkins would not be my choice for long relief as his ERA was climbing until the Colorado year. As pitchers age, their ERA typically looks like an inverted bell curve. A little high in their rookie debut year and then leveling off a little lower, climbing as the arm begins to wane and their speed goes down until they compensate. Hawkins probably should be sent to the minors or Tampa to work on his control because clearly in his 3 appearances he has had little of it.
The Yankees are now on the road, playing tonight in Kansas City against the Royals. Home Opener is tonight, and I am keeping my fingers crossed. While it is bad form to beat the home team at he home opener, the Yankees need wins as being in first place is the only road to October this year. And just in case you haven't paid attention, The Red Sox open at Fenway today for the first time as well.

The Yankees need a big "W" from Hughes this afternoon (Game time is 3:10 EST) as Boston's Daisuke Matsuzaka will most likely prevail over Detroit's Kenny Rogers. I don't mind not being in 1st place in the AL East as long as Boston stays behind the Yankees. Brian Bannister the Royal's starter is solid, and going for win # 2 this afternoon. I am hoping the Yankee bats heat up, because it will be needed to beat Bannister.

With a more solid American League this year, I am heading no bets for where the Yankees will be on April 30th. However without a solid # 5 starter and more control in the pitching of LaTroy Hawkins; we could end on on the bottom agins, liek last year.

What is it with April and pitching?