Kuzul

Baseball is the most flip-flop sport there is on the planet. One day it can be a jerk. The following day it can be a team’s best friend.

But dealing with a cruel jerk over a long period of time can begin to show on the field in bewildered and frustrated faces.

Applied to the New York Yankees, devout followers of this proud franchise have to be a bit perplexed in light of the team’s recent struggles.  

Perhaps the Yanks are simply enduring a rough patch during the grueling marathon that is a major league season. Perhaps injuries are plotting to swallow this usually ironclad team. Or perhaps age is finally catching up with the veterans.

Whatever the cause, it is rare to see Joe Girardi and his thoroughbreds look like they did in Friday’s 6-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles.

The Yankees’ body language was striking from the get-go, beginning with Girardi after a terrible strike call on shortstop Derek Jeter. Girardi simply shook his head at the umpire, who seemed to struggle finding his strike zone early on.

The Yankees were doing their best to stay positive, as if the Bronx Bombers were still flying high. But beneath this team’s usual cool, calm demeanor they appeared about ready to boil over in frustration.

This frustration seems to be felt by New York’s fans, as well.

The crowd of 46,000-plus at Yankees Stadium tried like mad to find something to cheer about. Only a late home run by Curtis Granderson gave fans something to celebrate.

Give O’s rookie Miguel Gonzalez credit. Fans mostly jeered this night. They jeered after a near error by Robinson Cano on a relatively routine ground ball. They jeered again when Nick Swisher earned a golden sombrero. Cano earned more crowd angst later in the game when he popped up with a chance to rally.

Normally crisp force plays between the keystone combo of Jeter and Cano boosted body temperature of Yankees’ fans.

Even Hiroki Kuroda had a look on his face like “Where the hell’s my run support?”

Safe to say, it was not a good night for the pinstripes by any measure.

With the loss to the Orioles, the Yankees fall to 75-57 on the season. On the surface, this record by no means looks like an implosion.

This is especially true when one considers the Yank’s .264 team BAA is the ninth best in baseball.

And for all of the talk about pitching woes, New York’s 3.78 team ERA is 11th best in the league.

Not to mention, only two teams in the league boast a better fielding percentage than the Yankees’ .987 mark.

A closer look at the Yankees sees a team that has lost seven of its past 10 games, and is now just two games up on the pack in a competitive AL East.

Reasons for these struggles range from countless injuries, to lack of chemistry to poor hitting when it matters most.

All these are valid reasons for the team’s struggles.

But another reason could be that across-the-board parity between AL clubs is so tight, the Yankees are no longer able to simply run away with the crown like in years past.

Yet despite having just 75 wins at the end of August, it is just that: the end of August.

To say the pinstripes are imploding would be a mistake.

For the Yankees have proven time and time again throughout its proud history that they can fight  back with a vengeance.

This season will be no exception.

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In 2011, the New York Mets acquired 21-year-old pitching prospect Zack Wheeler from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for Carlos Beltran.

Since being selected in the 2009 MLB draft, Wheeler has been considered one of the best pitching prospects in all of Major League Baseball.

In the Mets’ farm system, Wheeler has been promoted from Class-A (2011) to Double-A (May 2012) to Triple-A (current). Three promotions in a little over a year shows how great of a pitcher he is.

While he struggled during his third Triple-A outing, Wheeler was great in his first two starts. During that time, he posted a 2.53 ERA while striking out 11 in close to 11 innings.

Currently, the Mets are very thin at the starting pitching position. Dillon Gee and Mike Pelfrey are both out for the season, while Johan Santana will be having an MRI on his back, which may shut him down for the rest of the season if Terry Collins decides to do so.

With injuries to the pitching staff, the season coming to an end and no playoff berth in sight, the Mets should consider giving Zack Wheeler a shot in the majors.

Not only will the promotion to the majors help him gain valuable experience, it will also give the fans something to buzz about in September, much like they have done with recent call-up Matt Harvey.

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Although Jon Lester did not emerge as the winning pitcher in the Boston Red Sox‘s 8-6 victory over the Yankees Saturday night, he did reach a milestone that serves as a reminder to just how good he’s been in the past—and could be again.

Lester’s final strikeout of the game, a whiff of dangerous Robinson Cano in the bottom of the sixth inning, gave the struggling hurler 1,000 strikeouts in his career. Just six Red Sox pitchers have reached this mark, and Lester is only the second left-hander after Bruce Hurst. Another 44 and he’ll be No. 1 among all Boston lefties.

It’s easy to forget just how impressive Lester’s career numbers were before last September’s meltdown, which has extended through all of this season, but here are a few samples:

Lester needed just 1,084 innings to reach 1,000 strikeouts. His average of nearly a strikeout an inning is second in team history to Pedro Martinez, and ahead of Roger Clemens.

Lester’s .691 career winning percentage entering this year was the second-best in club annals (behind Pedro) among pitchers with 100 or more decisions.

Lester’s postseason ERA as a starter is 2.35 over six games, including the clinching win of the 2007 World Series. Hurst (at 2.29) is the only pitcher in the post-1920 era who has done better among Red Sox starters with 30-plus playoff innings. 

Yes, none of this eliminates the problems Lester has struggled with this season, and in fact one can argue these numbers only make what’s happening now more frustrating. Even this game, in which the Red Sox scored three times in the sixth to stake Lester to a 6-1 lead, then watched him promptly give back all three runs in the bottom of the frame, was not close to what Big Jon has done in the past.

It was, however, a whole lot better than the four-inning, 11-run debacle Lester had against Toronto, and although the Yanks did get three homers off the lefty, they only had one other hit (and two walks) against him over six innings. He also had six strikeouts.

It wasn’t very pretty, and it wasn’t even enough for Lester’s sixth win of the season thanks to some shoddy relief work from Vicente Padilla. But it was a victory, and right now that’s what is most important to the Red Sox and their erstwhile ace. 

Saul Wisnia lives less than seven miles from Fenway Park and works 300 yards from Yawkey Way. His latest book, Fenway Park: The Centennial, is available at http://amzn.to/qWjQRS, and his Fenway Reflections can be found at http://saulwisnia.blogspot.com. He can be reached at saulwizz@gmail.com and @saulwizz.

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Entering play on Saturday, July 21st, the New York Yankees have the best record in baseball, surging of late, winning nine of their previous 13 games. The Bronx Bombers lead Major League Baseball in home runs, are eighth in team batting average and first in OPS (on base + slugging percentage).

However, the Yankees are second to last in the American League while batting with runners in scoring position (RISP). Huh?

Of all the major sports, baseball is the simplest to quantify and to project team and individual performance. It’s a sport that is eminently easy to follow statistically, given its large sample sizes and isolated moments of game action.

Baseball’s statistical projections and prognostications are mostly based on past performance and studying trends. In certain respects, this differs very little from the methods behind predicting stock market successes or failures.

These trends project whether a player or team will perform at certain levels given their age, health and the aforementioned past performance. Most teams now employ personnel that help them to gain a statistical advantage that they hope translates to success on the field.

Just like a Wall Street brokerage firm, any general manager or front office person in Major League Baseball can tell you that having all of the best statistical information and algorithms at your disposal does not always guarantee future success.

How else can one explain the Yankees strong overall offensive performance and simultaneous ineptitude while hitting with men on second and/or third base? Manager Joe Girardi is at a loss. Following their victory in Atlanta last month, the Yankees skipper said “Let’s not (talk about it) and let’s see if it changes,” he said. “Let’s try a different way, and let’s see if it changes.”

Something may need to change sooner rather than later; otherwise, the Yankees could be looking at another disappointing October. Given the increasingly competitive battle within their division this season, the Yankees no longer have any “gimme” games.

The Baltimore Orioles, Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays have significantly stepped up their hitting this season and each team has batters that can rake on a nightly basis. While none of these three teams match the offensive prowess of the Bombers, two of the three (Toronto and Tampa Bay) are ahead while hitting with RISP. But does it matter?

The two teams which represented their leagues in the Fall Classic last season were the two best hitting teams with RISP during the 2011 regular season. Yet, if you go back to the 2010 season, you find that the San Francisco Giants finished last in the National League in batting average with RISP. In case you forgot, those same Giants won the World Series.

In 2009, when the Yankees won their 27th World Series title, they finished eighth in the majors batting with RISP. The NL champions, Philadelphia, were 23rd. In 2008, the Rays and Phillies won the AL and NL pennants. Tampa finished last in the AL while hitting with RISP and Philly were right smack in the middle of all major league teams in the same category.

The Yankees have enjoyed tremendous success in the regular season during their incredible, sustained run of dominance since the start of the 1994 season. The Yanks have reached the postseason every year but one since the 1995 season, winning five World Series titles and capturing seven American League pennants.

In the Yankees’ past two postseasons, the lack of big hits in big spots have ruined the Bombers’ chances of reaching the World Series. There’s no question that these hitting woes are under greater scrutiny given the magnitude of October baseball.

Baseball players, especially those in New York, understand that all too well. Though the answer that no one seems to have is how to improve in that area—in those moments.

It may give fans no comfort, there simply does not appear to be a consistently proven correlation, over the course of a season, between a superior batting average with men in scoring position and winning championships.

Though it sure couldn’t hurt for the Yankees to improve in that category.

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With all the hustle bustle and hard daily grind that comes with being a New York Yankees fan, it can at times be tough to stop and appreciate just how consistent this team has been the past decade.

Per MLB.com stats, Yankees teams from 2002-2011 combined to boast a .650 regular season winning percent (975-524). The Yankees also won the AL East seven times, and earned a spot in the postseason every season minus 2008.

And after losing in dramatic fashion to the Florida Marlins in the 2003 World Series, Derek Jeter and Co. bounced back to win a 27th championship in 2009.

Offensively, the Yankees batted .275 as a team during this time, averaging 233 homers a season.  And while pitching has been an issue (4.23 ERA) the past decade, the Yankees earned a terrific fielding percentage (.984).

That said, how does the 2012 version of the Yankees stack up against other teams from the past decade?

If the below MLB.com statistics (through 93 games) are any indication—this club stacks up very well.

Looking at the above info, the 2012 Yankees look consistent to last season’s team that finished 97-65, before losing to the Detroit Tigers in the ALDS. This year’s Yankees are also similar to the 2002 team that went on to win 103 games (but lost to the Anaheim Angels in the ADLS).

Of course, Yankees fans hope the ’12 team follows in the brilliant footsteps of the ’09 team that won the World Series. Looking at the numbers, the ’12 team looks like it is on its way to potentially achieving this end.

This alone is very impressive—especially when one considers how many injuries the Yankees endured earlier this season.

Is this year’s Yankees team similar to the ’09 team, or does it remind you of another Yankees team from the past? Curious to hear your thoughts.

Appreciate Your Readership. Please follow me on Twitter. 

Other New York Yankees Articles You May Also Enjoy:

Mantle versus Trout: Early Career Statistical Comparison
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No Place Safe from New York Yankees Loyal Fan Base
5 Yankees Rookie Cards to Buy Before they Skyrocket
How Hudson River Swallowed Mantle’s Rookie Cards 
5 Hot Yanks Prospects in Dominican Summer League
Tracking Progress of 5 Yankees Draft Picks from 2011

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Imagine you’re at work, and your boss walks up to you and says, “You look like you could use a day off. In fact, take two days off. Relax. Watch a couple of ballgames.”

Sounds great to most of us. Sounds like the voice of doom to a Major League baseball player, especially one who’s the starter at his position.

New York Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy has heard that voice, and it likely spells doom for his starting role.

Perhaps the most telling indication that Murphy’s job is on the line came in the Mets’ sweep of the Baltimore Orioles a couple of weeks back. The O’s are having their best season in dog years, and the Mets wanted their front line players in the lineup.

It speaks volumes that manager Terry Collins sat Murphy for two of those three games.

It wasn’t a matter of pitching matchups. Murphy and Jordany Valdespin, who spelled Murphy at second, both bat lefty. It was a matter of hitting: Valdespin has been and Murphy hasn’t.

His batting woes are a bit of a mystery. Every player has slumps, but Murphy has been in free fall. Murphy’s bat has sparked the Mets many times in the past, and in fact, he was a dynamo at the start of this season.

Six weeks ago, he was hitting in the neighborhood of .335. So far in June, he’s batting .187, and his overall average has dipped to .269.

By contrast, Valdespin batted .300 over 10 games this month, before he was sent to Triple-A Buffalo.

Don’t let that demotion fool you. Valdespin wasn’t sent down because of poor performance. It’s true that he had a slow start, but his production has been rising steadily.

Valdespin is in Buffalo because the Mets needed to make room for shortstop Ruben Tejada, who’s back in the lineup after missing seven weeks with a strained right quadriceps.

With Ronny Cedeño also back from injury, the Mets have an abundance of middle infielders (Justin Turner and Omar Quintanilla are also on the roster).

Manager Terry Collins wants Valdespin to get regular at-bats, and that’s more likely to happen in Buffalo than Queens.

The crowd up the middle doesn’t bode well for Murphy. Collins has too many alternatives available to cut Murphy any slack for much longer.

There are several other reasons to bench Murphy for a while.

He’s played a full schedule of games, he’s got as many if not more plate appearances than anyone on the team, but he hasn’t gone yard yet this season. That’s a stark contrast to previous seasons, when Murphy was always good for a dozen or so homers.

Murphy’s fielding has gone south right along with his batting average. He’s got nine errors so far this season. The most he’s ever had in an entire season is 10.

Add all that together and it would seem that Murphy is bench-bound, if not bound for another team.The Mets were in desperate need of bullpen help even before closer Frank Francisco went on the DL this week.

Murphy could be an attractive player for a team looking to plug an infield hole. While the emergence of Valdespin has made him seem like a grizzled old veteran by comparison, he’s only 27. 

Even with his protracted slump, he’s still a proven hitter. His mental lapses in the field may be more of a reaction to his troubles at the plate than a deterioration of his fielding skills.

Perhaps most important, the middle infield is the only place where the Mets are fat. If GM Sandy Alderson traded any of the other starting position players, it would just create another hole to fill in the lineup.

With Murphy’s track record, it’s reasonable to assume there are some hitting coaches out there who would love to help Murph climb out of his bottomless batting pit.

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The Rocket launched another unbelievable shutout Monday, leaving federal prosecutors holding their bats in disbelief at the end of a costly, drawn-out perjury trial.

A day after the verdict, the consensus is that Clemens’ acquittal doesn’t mean he’s innocent, but rather that the jury was unconvinced of his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

That is certainly one possibility.

The other is that the jury went O.J. on prosecutors and ignored the evidence at hand. 

This is a case, if not an air-tight case, where jury nullification may have played a role for some jurors.

When Clemens walked out of a a federal courthouse acquitted on all six charges that he lied to Congress about his alleged use of performance enhancing drugs, I can’t help but feel that yet another jury told the federal government that it’s time to stop wasting time and taxpayer money policing a child’s sport played by man-children.

While the evidence against Clemens might not have been Simpsonesque, this jury, I believe, sent a message to prosecutors, to Congress, to anyone who would listen.

That message? We have bigger fish to fry, more important problems to solve.

It’s the same message that a Bay Area jury sent last April when it deadlocked on all but one count of lying to the government brought against Barry Bonds, MLB‘s career and single-season home run leader.

The Clemens jury may not have believed Brian McNamee, and they may not have believed the countless prosecution witnesses.

But maybe they also did not believe that they lost 10 weeks of their lives over a guy who is famous for throwing a a 5-oz. ball of string wrapped in cowhide for a living.

While our country continues to wage two wars, while unemployment continues to grow unchecked and while big banks and bigger investment firms continue to lie and cheat, the public’s interest in whether or not middle-aged pro athletes cheat—if there ever was interest—has waned beyond recognition.

Let this be a lesson for Congress, a clarion call to adopt a bipartisan approach the next time they think about meddling in such irrelevant minutia — just say fugghetaboutit.

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Coming off of a three-game sweep of baseball’s sweetheart team in Washington, the Yankees have vaulted to the top of nearly every version of MLB‘s power rankings. 

New York’s first 10-game winning streak since 2009 (the year they won No. 27) has put the Yankees back atop the competitive AL East by two-and-a-half games and has seemingly made them the favorites to represent the American League in the World Series. 

But not so fast, Yankee Universe. Your team isn’t flawless. 

Yes, the Yankees are undoubtedly the hottest team in the game at the moment. They lead all of baseball in home runs and fielding percentage. They rank in the top 10 in both runs scored and team ERA, and they have one of the strongest bullpens in the bigs despite an injury to the best closer the game has ever seen.

But I’m still not convinced. I am not yet certain that New York’s aging roster can hold off hungry divisional opponents in Tampa Bay, Toronto, Baltimore and even Boston. I haven’t seen enough to tell me that, if they make it, the Yankees can beat the likes of Texas, Los Angeles or Detroit in a five- or seven-game playoff series. 

Because nothing is decided in June.

But if the current date doesn’t convince you that it is too early to judge playoff contenders, then maybe some facts will. 

Here are a few factors that separate the New York Yankees from greatness.

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One St. Louis Cardinal is rapidly making his way toward a rather exclusive club this season. Carlos Beltran is within hitting distance, no pun intended, of the 300-300-2000 club.

This status is reserved for players who have hit 300 home runs, stolen 300 bases and amassed 2,000 hits over their career. Lots of talk has floated about Beltran hitting 300-300, but the 2,000 hasn’t gotten much attention.

As of Tuesday, June 12, 2012, Beltran has 320 home runs, 299 stolen bases and 1,977 hits. Barring a major injury, he will make the club in 2012 without breaking a sweat.

Following are the few players who have made the club, including a few near-misses.

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While the baseball card industry has seen its share of ups and downs since the days of overproduction, the same has been kind to the New York Yankees.

For a big-market team with a rich history and tradition of victory, cardboard boasting ballplayers donned in pinstripes can fetch a pretty penny.   

In this slideshow, I will highlight seven rookie cards of active Yankees players that fans and collectors should invest in now before prices skyrocket.

As a caveat, please understand this list is not all-encompassing, for each ballplayer has several rookie cards. The cards revealed in this show are popular rookie cards that will not obliterate a blue-collar worker’s pocketbook.

Source of baseball card values (in mint condition): Beckett Baseball Card Magazine (June 2012 edition).

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