Bully Ball

From the score of last night's game, it certainly looks like the Yankees pitching, and Johnson in particular, posed a challenge the Yankee bats, though potent, could not overcome. That's what the boys at ESPN, like John Kruk, would say. But the familiar pattern of the game indicates that there is something still more disturbing than undependable pitching at work. The Yanks jump out with some runs early and then when the other team strikes back, they go into an offensive shell, lose their aggreessiveness, and ultimately lose the game. Oh yeah and they also hit into a doub le play at a key juncture to kill a rally--last night Arod was the offending party. The only player on the team who kept any pressure on the Jays after the first inning was Jeter, who kept hitting and walking throught the game. I have written in the past that the Yankees have not won any one run or even close games and that might be seen as an effect of thier supposedly weak pitching. But all in all the pitching has been okay and what is really telling is that the Yankees haven't won any close high scoring games either, no 9-8 or 7-6 thrillers. The Red Sox, having won three 2-1 game turn around on patriot's day and win a game 7-6 with a come from behind walk-off homer in the ninth. Last night they lost a 1-0 lead in the seventh and down 2-1 stormed back to take the lead 4-2. When the Rays caught up 4-4 in the eighth, the Sox put up three more to win. Low or high scoring, with arms or bats, the Sox are fighting to win games.

The Yankees on the other hand seem to be playing bully ball; they'll try to beat you up right away, but if a team shows any fight, gets the game close, the Yankees have been backing down. They don't grind to victories when grinding is calle for, and the Sox have been doing nothing else. There is no sabremetric calculus for the difference I'm describing. It's the difference between winners and losers. Right now, with the exception of Derek Jeter and perhaps Johnny Damon, the Yankees are a bunch of losers.

Note: Stinnett threw out two runners trying to steal last night; the only two who attempted. It's not too latre to get value, overvalue, for Jorge. Sheffield dropped a fly ball in right last night while Williams went hitless. Let's get Sheff in the DH slot and Crosby in rightfield.