HOW DOES HE KEEP HIS JOB?
I'm sitting here watching the game on my computer and after Cano draws an uncharacteristic walk to put men on first and second with noone out, I start screaming, "Have Phelps bunt!" Phelps is okay, but he hits the ball on the ground alot and he is slow as can be. I know he's a double play waiting to happen, and if he just bunts the guys over, you've got 2 cracks at a single that will plate 2 and one shot at a sac fly or run-scoring ground out. I mean they'd play the infield back this early. but Joe doesn't have him bunt. Joe is fucking comatose over there in the dugout. so what happens? Phelps grounds into the DP I predicted and they wind up scoring nada. With Di Salvo on the mound, they have to keep up the offensive pressure and they didn't. We'll see if Joe has just cost them another one.
Once again no hindsight here. It's what every half-way knowledgeable fan can judge for themselves in real time.
Once again no hindsight here. It's what every half-way knowledgeable fan can judge for themselves in real time.
posted by joe valente | 6:54 PM
4 Comments:
In light of all of the problems the Yankees are having, it's quite telling that you didn't even mention ARod's big home run in that last post. Which begs the question: Was ARod's home run in the 9th yesterday to break the tie the turn-around moment in the season that the Yankees are looking for? I think not. I think all it means is that the Yankees were lucky to win the game yesterday, and also that Boston is not the dominant team that everybody thinks they are.
I completely agree. What struck me about last night's game on the Yankees' side was the missed opportunities to score, in the middle innings, and the continued woes on defense. Melky made a great catch in center, but first he created the conditions for that great catch by completing misjudging the ball and getting himself turned around. Abreu's muff in right was a little league level play.
But they won because Boston is not the killer squad everyone seems to think. They have troubles of their own, many of which are traceable to Theo's recent deals. Lugo is a disaster, Crisp is not much better, Drew is giving them nothing, and Dice-K has not, as yet lived up to the hype. Plus, Papelbon's ERA is 2.11, which is fabulous for a starter, but merely ver good for a reliever. Last year, his ERa was close to zero until very late in the season. He seems more reliant on his fastball and less adept with the split than last year. The Yankees are 5-7 against this team, which is almost as good as their overall winning %. Granted they bring something extra when they play Boston, they have won 4 of the last 6, and they haven't won 4 of their last 6 against almost anyone else.
As for a turning point, I really don't see how this thing gets turned. Think about it. Mussina is really bad. Clippard is better, but he still doesn't get past the sixth. Clemens will be, one hopes, a six inning pitcher. Pettite can get you 7, but doesn't always. Wang will average about 7. My point is that's alot of bullpen work required and this bullpen is not just steressed, not just overworked, they are really, on the best of schedules, not all that good. throw in the yankees propensity for errors--Phelps cost them tonight--and the power outage left by giambi's foot, and I just don't think they are capable of playing 650 ball, which is what it will probably take to see October.
.650 ball? They'll be lucky if they can play slightly over .500 ball. A .650 winning percentage over an entire season equals a record of 105-57. Even during the World Championship years, only once did the Yankees play at that clip or better for an entire season (1998). With 108 games remaining, they would have to go 70-38 to equal that pace. No team in baseball, including the Yankees, is that good this year.
Absolutely. But look, right now they're 24-30. So 70-38 will get them to 94 wins, and they'd probably need every last one of them to sneak in. Sometimes you can win your division with 90 or less if its weak enough. But unless the entire league is really evenly matched, the wild card requires something between the best division leader, usually 99-100 wins and the worst division leader, usually 89-90 wins. In other words right around 94. I just don't see how they get there this year.
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