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New York Yankees: Rain and Rays Stop Yankees, Lead Down To 1.5 Games

The rain knocked A.J. Burnett out of the game and the Yankees B-squad bullpen let them down as they lost at home 7-2 to the Tampa Bay Rays to drop to just 1.5 games up in first place.

Here are some highlights:

  • Because of the rain, Burnett pitched just three innings and allowed only one run and got credit for the loss.
  • The Yankees were fortunate that the rain knocked Wade Davis out of the game after he held them hitless over 2.1 innings, but they couldn’t take advantage it though as they scored just 2 runs in 6.2 innings off the bullpen.
  • Derek Jeter and Lance Berkman lead the offense with 2 hits apiece. Berkman hit his 1st homer as a Yankee.
  • The Yankees came within one-run of the lead twice, when it was 2-1 in the fifth and then when it was 3-2 in the sixth.
  • David Robertson was unavailable last night because of back pains. MRI’s came back negative.
  • Joe Girardi loves Chad Gaudin and Gaudin cost the Yankees yet again as he allowed back-to-back home runs to Carl Crawford and Evan Longoria in the seventh. The Yankees were trailing 3-2 at that point.

This is a game where the Yankees probably could have won, but Girardi went to the B-squad relievers in order to avoid burning out the big guys he’s going to have to lean on in the playoffs. It’s hard to watch these games, but it’s hard to argue with that tactic since it appears the Yankees will easily make the playoffs.

Their magic number to clinch a playoff spot is down to three. They can clinch as early as tomorrow against the Red Sox.

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Analyzing Phil Hughes’ Changeup

This past spring the Yankees held a competition for their fifth starter spot that included pitchers Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain, among others. Hughes won the job.

He was pushed ahead of Joba even though Joba could finally pitch in 2010 without the infamous Joba Rules. The reasoning was because of the development of his changeup.

In 2009, coming out of the bullpen, Hughes was largely a three-pitch pitcher, throwing a fastball, a cutter, and a curveball. When his changeup showed improvement in spring training, they decided he had more value in the rotation than Joba did, and he took his place.

The funny thing is that once the season started, Hughes threw five changeups in his first start and didn’t throw another during the entire first month of the season. In May he never threw more than three in a game, and in June he didn’t throw more than two.

For the first three months of the season he threw just 20 changeups in total, according to PitchFX, and he pitched just fine. In 14 starts he had a 10-2 record with a 3.58 ERA.

Check out this chart I made up with information via PitchFX:

Essentially he had really hadn’t thrown his changeup much at all until the middle of August, except for one start on July 20th. In that start he allowed six runs in five innings.

Since August 31st he has thrown it a lot more, at least four times per start including 15 times last night alone. Has it really helped him out? In five appearances during that time he has gone 2-2 with a 5.40 ERA.

The changeup hasn’t really been that bad a pitch though. According to FanGraphs the pitch’s value is -0.5, which isn’t great, but it’s close to league average. It’s not even his worst pitch, as his curveball has been valued at -5.6.

My point is that Hughes’ changeup doesn’t even seem to be necessary. He was successful early without throwing it much at all and has struggled mightily while throwing it often despite the fact that it hasn’t been valued extremely poorly. In reality, it’s possible that he really only throws the pitch when he’s in trouble.

That doesn’t mean he should give up on the pitch. It does mean that people shouldn’t get so excited when he is or isn’t throwing it. If he does, however, learn the pitch to the point where it becomes a weapon, it will obviously improve his game at that point. It would probably improve his curveball as well, as batters will not have the ability to wait on that particular pitch.

That’s going to take time though, so just because he threw a season-high 15 changeups last night doesn’t mean it’s automatically become a weapon. Hughes is only 24 years old, which is still incredibly young. In fact, last night he became just the second Yankees starter to ever win 17 games by that age. He’s still a work in progress though—just something to keep in mind.

 

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Jesus Montero, Andrew Brackman, and Dellin Betances Called Up, Inactive

Via Josh Norris:

To make it all clear: Andrew Brackman and Dellin Betances are headed to NY to get a taste of life in the show, not to pitch at all; and just in from Damon Oppenheimer, Jesus Montero will be joining Betances and Brackman. However, H\he will also be inactive.

So Montero, Brackman, and Betances have been called up, but they aren’t active and can’t play. This is purely about getting the experience of being around a big league club in a playoff atmosphere. The Yankees have done this from time to time with different players over the years.

All three players have had big years in the minor leagues. Montero is probably the closest actually playing in the major leagues after spending an entire season at Triple-A, but Brackman might not be far behind. Betances will probably not get called up next season until September at the earliest. If there is a run of injuries that could change though.

Here is a look at each player’s stats:

Brackman:

Year Tm Lev W L ERA G GS IP H R ER BB SO WHIP H/9 HR/9 BB/9 SO/9 SO/BB
2009 Charleston A 2 12 5.91 29 19 106.2 106 79 70 76 103 1.706 8.9 0.7 6.4 8.7 1.36
2010 2 Teams AA-A+ 10 11 3.90 27 26 140.2 144 76 61 39 126 1.301 9.2 0.5 2.5 8.1 3.23
2010 Tampa A+ 5 4 5.10 12 12 60.0 67 38 34 9 56 1.267 10.0 0.8 1.4 8.4 6.22
2010 Trenton AA 5 7 3.01 15 14 80.2 77 38 27 30 70 1.326 8.6 0.3 3.3 7.8 2.33
2 Seasons 12 23 4.77 56 45 247.1 250 155 131 115 229 1.476 9.1 0.6 4.2 8.3 1.99
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 9/22/2010.

Betances:

Year Tm Lev W L ERA G GS IP H R ER BB SO WHIP H/9 HR/9 BB/9 SO/9 SO/BB
2006 Yankees Rk 0 1 1.16 7 7 23.1 14 5 3 7 27 0.900 5.4 0.4 2.7 10.4 3.86
2007 Staten Island A- 1 2 3.60 6 6 25.0 24 11 10 17 29 1.640 8.6 0.0 6.1 10.4 1.71
2008 2 Teams A-Rk 9 5 3.92 25 24 121.2 100 64 53 62 141 1.332 7.4 0.7 4.6 10.4 2.27
2008 Yankees Rk 0 1 8.53 3 2 6.1 13 7 6 3 6 2.526 18.5 0.0 4.3 8.5 2.00
2008 Charleston A 9 4 3.67 22 22 115.1 87 57 47 59 135 1.266 6.8 0.7 4.6 10.5 2.29
2009 Tampa A+ 2 5 5.48 11 11 44.1 48 29 27 27 44 1.692 9.7 0.4 5.5 8.9 1.63
2010 2 Teams A+-AA 8 1 2.11 17 17 85.1 53 25 20 22 108 0.879 5.6 0.4 2.3 11.4 4.91
2010 Tampa A+ 8 1 1.77 14 14 71.0 43 18 14 19 88 0.873 5.5 0.1 2.4 11.2 4.63
2010 Trenton AA 0 0 3.77 3 3 14.1 10 7 6 3 20 0.907 6.3 1.9 1.9 12.6 6.67
5 Seasons 20 14 3.39 66 65 299.2 239 134 113 135 349 1.248 7.2 0.5 4.1 10.5 2.59
Rk (2 seasons) 0 2 2.73 10 9 29.2 27 12 9 10 33 1.247 8.2 0.3 3.0 10.0 3.30
A+ (2 seasons) 10 6 3.20 25 25 115.1 91 47 41 46 132 1.188 7.1 0.2 3.6 10.3 2.87
A (1 season) 9 4 3.67 22 22 115.1 87 57 47 59 135 1.266 6.8 0.7 4.6 10.5 2.29
AA (1 season) 0 0 3.77 3 3 14.1 10 7 6 3 20 0.907 6.3 1.9 1.9 12.6 6.67
A- (1 season) 1 2 3.60 6 6 25.0 24 11 10 17 29 1.640 8.6 0.0 6.1 10.4 1.71
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 9/22/2010.

Montero:

 

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New York-Tampa Bay: Yanks Beat Rays, Increase Division Lead

The Yankees jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning on their way to an 8-3 lead over the Tampa Bay Rays as they increased their AL East lead to 2.5 games.

Here are some highlights:

  • Phil Hughes pitched well, but wasn’t overpowering as he walked five batters. His line: 6.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 6 K, 1 HR.
  • Hughes tied Scott Sanderson for the Yankee record for home runs allowed at Yankee Stadium with 20.
  • Nick Swisher opened the scoring with a first-inning homer. He went 2-for-5 during the game.
  • The Yankees had five doubles thanks to Derek Jeter, Robinson Cano, Jorge Posada, Lance Berkman, and Brett Gardner.
  • Every Yankee starter had at least one hit except Mark Teixeira, who walked once.
  • Joba Chamberlain pitched 1.2 impressive innings. In the eighth he inherited two runners, put one more on, and then got two outs to get out of a bases-loaded jam without surrendering a run.
  • Javier Vazquez pitched one inning and didn’t strike out a batter. It’s the first time he hasn’t struck out a batter in 350 appearances.

This was a big win for the Yankees. They are now 2.5 games ahead of the Rays for first place. That’s significant because with two games left in this series the Rays cannot overtake first place even if they win the rest of the games in the series. The Yankees also cannot lose this series.

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Curtis Granderson Honors Boss With Two Home Runs


Tonight was a special night at Yankee Stadium as George Steinbrenner was honored before the game with a huge monument in center field and their center fielder blasted two home runs in an 8-6 victory over the Rays.

Here are some highlights:

  • Ivan Nova was impressive through five innings, but ran into trouble in the sixth when he gave up three runs on two hits, a walk, an error, and a double play. His overall line: 5.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 0 HR.
  • Curtis Granderson provided most of the offense as he went 2-for-3 with 2 homers, 5 RBI’s, and a pair of walks.
  • Derek Jeter and Nick Swisher had 2 hits each, Francisco Cervelli had 3.
  • Boone Logan struggled during his appearance.
  • Chad Gaudin walked in a run, got a fly ball out, and a win. That’s literally all he did and he got a win, some stat.
  • David Robertson and Mariano Rivera continue their recent struggles, each allowed a run, but ultimately it didn’t matter.
  • The Yankees own Matt Garza this year. Coming into this game he had a 7.71 ERA against them in 2 starts. Tonight he gave up 5 earned runs in 5 innings.

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Jayson Werth Hires Scott Boras


Via Jim Salisbury on Twitter:

“I just spoke to Scott Boras. He is Jayson Werth‘s new representative.”

This has been rumored for awhile now, but this looks official. This will almost definitely drive the price for Werth up. It also means that there will be a ton of misinformation leaked about this via Sports Illustrated’s Jon Heyman who is practically Scott Boras’ media partner.

It also means the Yankees aren’t likely to get involved because Brian Cashman doesn’t like dealing with Boras.

He did sign Mark Teixeira, who is represented by Boras, but there was very little negotiation involved there (Boras presented the Yankees with a last minute offer and they took it). Alex Rodriguez was represented by Boras, but when he signed his last contract with the Yankees Boras was not involved.

Other than those two, the only other Yankee represented by Boras is Andrew Brackman, but his situation is a bit different and that deal went down in 2007.

All other involvement between the Yankees and Boras was done awhile ago and usually was driven by George Steinbrenner, who had a very good relationship with Boras. There is no question though that the Yankees try to avoid Boras these days, only getting involved when they really want somebody (i.e. Teixeira).

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Heyman: If Joe Girardi Leaves, Bobby Valentine is a Candidate To Replace Him

Via Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated:

Joe Girardi will probably stay with the Yankees rather than go to the home state Cubs (he’s from Peoria and went to Northwestern). But if he leaves, Bobby Valentine likely would be one candidate to replace him in the Bronx.

Like Heyman said, Girardi will probably stay with the Yankees. But these are the Yankees and nothing is truly ever set in stone. If the Yankees are embarrassed in the playoffs then the door could open for a manager change.

I don’t think this is any huge news though. It’s really just speculation and it’s natural that the Yankees would go after the big name manager because that’s what they do.

Don Mattingly is off the market having taken the Dodgers’ job. Tony Pena will be up for the job as will their Triple-A and Double-A managers, Dave Miley and Tony Franklin respectively.

None of those possibilities blow you away with their presence and as long as Valentine is available, if the Yankees are looking, he will be a possibility.

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New York Yankees Rumors: If Yu Darvish Is Posted, Yankees Likely To Get Involved

Via Hardball Talk:

FOXSports.com’s Ken Rosenthal heard from a source Saturday that right-hander Yu Darvish is likely to be “posted” this winter, meaning teams in Major League Baseball will have a crack at luring him away from the Nippon Ham Fighters.

Darvish is only 24 and widely considered one of the top pitchers in Japan.  He has won two MVP awards in his first five seasons of professional baseball and became the youngest player in Japanese baseball history to be given a contract worth more than 300 million yen (about $3.5 million US) when he re-signed with Nippon last season.

He will have no trouble topping that salary if and when he signs with a team state-side.  The Yankees, according to Rosenthal, have been watching every one of his starts and other teams are sure to step forward with bids as well.

Lots of players have come over from Japan in recent years, but aside from Hideki Matsui and Ichiro Suzuki, none have become superstars. That’s important to consider because regardless of whether Darvish does or doesn’t become a superstar, he will cost superstar-type money.

Previous big name pitchers from Japan—Daisuke Matsuzaka, Hideki Irabu, and to a lesser extent Hideo Nomo—have all flopped (Nomo did have some level of success for a short period). Of course all Yankee fans remember Kei Igawa as well. So this has left me skeptical of the latest big name pitcher to come out of Japan, but Patrick Newman of FanGraphs thinks differently.

Newman points out that Darvish has consistently put up better numbers than Dice-K ever did, he has multiple major league level pitches, has strong velocity, changes speeds well, and has youth on his side. He does raise concerns because Darvish isn’t a huge strikeout pitcher, has a lot of mileage on his young arm, and questions his makeup and ability to succeed in the United States (Darvish has been outspoken about not wanting to pitch in America).

In the end, I think the Yankees should be cautiously aggressive. They should certainly be involved in this situation and bid aggressively, but realistically. If there are other teams who could bid $50 million plus for his services, they should probably bow out.

It seems like Darvish could be better than the best pitcher who has ever come over from Japan, but adapting to pitching in the States could take some time. and the pressure of pitching in New York could prolong that. If almost two seasons are lost to an adjustment period, this contract probably wouldn’t be worth it.

Assuming their No. 1 target is still Cliff Lee, that would give the Yankees a guaranteed rotation of CC Sabathia, Cliff Lee, A.J. Burnett, and Phil Hughes. Andy Pettitte could return as well and even at his advanced age, he still seems like a much better bet than Darvish.

What are your thoughts? Should the Yankees target Darvish this offseason?

Here are Darvish’s stats for 2007-2009:

Year Age Tm W L ERA G CG SHO IP H R ER HR BB SO WHIP
2007 20 Nippon Ham 15 5 1.82 26 12 3 207.2 123 48 42 9 49 210 0.828
2008 21 Nippon Ham 16 4 1.88 25 10 2 200.2 136 44 42 11 44 208 0.897
2009 22 Nippon Ham 15 5 1.73 23 8 2 182.0 118 36 35 9 45 167 0.896
3 Seasons 46 14 1.81 74 30 7 590.1 377 128 119 29 138 585 0.872
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 9/20/2010.

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Joe Torre Makes His Triumphant Return to the Bronx Today

Via the NY Post:

Joe Torre and Don Mattingly will attend the unveiling of George Steinbrenner’s monument in Monument Park, according to multiple people with knowledge of the names who will be on hand at Yankee Stadium.

The Steinbrenner family invited people with ties to The Boss, and Torre and Mattingly responded by telling the Steinbrenners they will attend.

Having Torre and Mattingly on hand is a significant event since they are such big parts of recent Yankee history.

Torre guided the Yankees to World Series titles in 1996, 1998, 1999, and 2000, and led the Yankees to 12 straight playoff appearances. Mattingly is one of the marquee names for a franchise loaded with them, and has a plaque in Monument Park.

Speaking Friday, GM Brian Cashman attempted to explain there was no animosity between the organization and Torre.

“There are no issues with Joe Torre and the Yankees,’’ Cashman said. “The issue was his rejecting the offer. Without question he is welcome.’’

 

This news makes a big event even bigger. Since the Yankees and  Joe Torre parted ways the Yankees have pretty much ignored one of the biggest managers in their history. It was immature and it’s a huge step toward the fences being mended.

He’s sure to get a big hand, and Don Mattingly being involved will make this a pretty special night. Mattingly, who was once considered the future manager of the Yankees, was recently named the next manager of the Dodgers and proud Yankee fans will surely give him an extra huge ovation to show how proud they are with the former Yankee captain.

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Mark Teixeira: This Has Been Toughest Stretch of My Career

via the NY Daily News:

And so, as Swisher returns to the lineup, Girardi sits down [Mark Teixeira], who painted anything but a painless picture of the thumb and toe injuries he’s been playing with the past few weeks.

“I’ve been playing with a lot of pain the last two or three weeks and maybe this is going to help,” Teixeira said. “It’s been tough. This has been the toughest two or three week stretch I think I’ve had my whole career as far as dealing with pain.

“And the fact is, I haven’t been producing…It’s affecting my swing, on the bases, playing defense. I have to get healthy…If I’m on the field, I want to produce. I have to produce.”

To say Teixeira has been struggling is an understatement. Over his last 13 games, he’s hitting just .152 with a .463 OPS. He sat Saturday and didn’t start yesterday, but hopefully he’ll keep sitting until he’s 100 percent or close to it. Like Brian Cashman said earlier in the week, winning the division isn’t necessary. The most important thing is to have the team healthy and productive in October.

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