The Yankees need to make sure that last nights loss does not turn into an extended losing streak going into the break. That could easily happen f hey lose today because they will be facing Roy Halladay tomorrow.
YANKEES (45-33)
Jeter SS
Damon LF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Cano 2B
Swisher RF
Matsui DH
Cervelli C
Gardner CF
AJ Burnett will take on his former team again. He’s put together a couple of good starts lately, hopefully he can keep it up for today.
CC Sabathia did not have a good outing last night. He only lasted 5.2 innings and gave up 6 runs on 10 hits. Despite only 
throwing 5.2 frames Sabathia threw over 100 pitches again. Yesterday’s start worries me because he is coming off the bicep injury and is throwing a lot of pitches every time he goes out. He did throw a great game against the Mets, but that could have been a product of how bad the Mets are.
It is possible that Sabathia is tired. He was overused last year and may be showing some signs of fatigue as we head into the All-Star break. Sabathia is due to face Minnesota and then Los Angeles on the day before the All-Star break. I think the Yankees should put him on a pitch count for Minnesota and then skip his next turn to give him an extended break. The Yankees could easily beat the Twins with 90-100 pitches from Sabathia and then give Hughes or Aceves a start on the day before the break.
CC Sabathia is built to handle the extra load, but he was overused last year. The Yankees should keep that in mind because they need Sabathia to last them through October.
The Yankees will go for their second sweep in a row today and it shouldn’t be that hard to obtain with CC Sabathia on the mound.
YANKEES (45-32)
Jeter SS
Damon LF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Cano 2B
Swisher RF
Matsui DH
Cabrera CF
Cervelli C
Yankees closer Mariano Rivera has been deservedly credited with being the greatest relief pitcher of his generation.
On Tuesday night, I believe he also became the first pitcher to ever throw out the ceremonial first pitch and throw the final pitch of a game. The honor of course stemmed from the achievement of Rivera’s 500th career save.
During last night’s contest against the Seattle Mariners, however, I was reminded of yet another luxury of employing Rivera for ninth inning duties.
It is a phenomenon that cannot be utilized when following the New York Giants, New York Knicks, Michigan Wolverines, or any other of my beloved sports franchises.
Normally a man whose day is constructed around the three-to-four hours of baseball sanctuary that the Yankees provide, it is not uncommon that I will watch every single pitch or batted ball.
As Alex Rodriguez’s “Ruthian” blast held up until the end of the eighth inning, I found myself flipping channels with a normally quarantined remote control. It seemed like a good time to catch up on other entertainment I might have been neglecting on weeknights from 7-10 PM.
My mind was calm, secure, and untroubled, as “Enter Sandman” was inevitably blasting through the stadium’s many speakers.
Rivera had arrived to perform the task he’d completed 535 times before (including postseason) to that point, and the night’s victory had become as certain as the sun rising the next morning.
Distracted by the nonsensical conflicts of The Real World and a few cheap laughs courtesy of Family Guy, I had actually forgotten about my YES Network obsession.
By the time I had retrieved the remote to return from my digital excursion, the inning and game had already ended. Fifteen pitches of effortlessness, and the Yankee win streak had stretched to seven.
Dissenters annually claim that Rivera has “lost it” after a few poor performances—crying out for an immediate replacement. One such “solution” included Rivera sliding into the seventh inning role while Brian Bruney and Joba Chamberlain manned the eighth and ninth respectively.
Rivera has not “lost” much of anything, and in fact continues to gain more as years go on. He adds milestones, accolades, saves, victories, and birthday candles—all while continuing to dominate the rest of the league at age 39.
In the last season and a half, Rivera has 103.1 IP while giving up just 69 hits. His ERA over this period stands at 1.83, and his strikeout-to-walk ratio is a laughable 117:9—video games cannot produce numbers like this.
When taking into account a 97 percent save conversion percentage over this span (59-for-61), it is difficult to argue that Rivera has suddenly disappeared into the shadows of closer royalty.
Armed with just one major league pitch, and one that has decreased in velocity over the years, Rivera continues to allow channel surfing during most ninth innings.
It has been proven rather simple to embarrass professional hitters so long as your control is as pristine as Whitney Houston’s vocal tones—before being introduced to the lovely world of cocaine addiction.
Rivera admittedly does not have many years of automatic success left in his career, but all discussions of a deterioration need to be rapidly dissolved.
The Yankees already have their “closer of the future,” because as we all know, the future is now in the Bronx.
He may be nearing the end of the road, but I am not looking forward to a time when I will be consuming as many nitrates for chest pain as chips and salsa during ninth innings of Yankee games.
The Yankees will look to have an easier win this time around against the M’s. Alex Rodriguez will have half a day off at DH and Ransom will play 3B. Ramiro Pena was optioned down to make room for Eric Hinske
YANKEES (44-32)
Jeter SS
Damon LF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez DH
Posada C
Cano 2B
Swisher RF
Cabrera CF
Ransom 3B
Andy Pettitte will look to take advantage of the M’s and earn his eight win of the season.
1. Rest Will Do a Body Good
Alex Rodriguez and the Yankees brass continued to ignore Dr. Mark Philippon’s post-surgical rehabilitation guidelines through the first six weeks of his faster-than-anticipated return.
Though initially instructed to rest once a week during this time period, A-Rod instead played on a daily basis—barely permitting Joe Girardi to put him at designated hitter for a “half day of rest.”
In order to avoid the inevitable fatigue A-Rod experienced in his hip, the team will adhere to Dr. Philippon’s regimen for at least the next month.
This will allow him to continue pool rehabilitation that may in fact prevent an expected offseason procedure, according to his surgeon.
2. The Numbers Speak For Themselves
Since the first of the aforementioned “rest periods,” A-Rod is 9-for-27 (.333) with 3 HR and 13 RBI in just eight games played.
This trio of home runs included a 400-plus foot opposite field blast in Citi Field—a place where long balls are usually sent to die like former NFL stars in Oakland. Mets announcer Keith Hernandez admitted he “had never seen anyone hit a ball that far” in the ballpark.
Similar to the gradual turnaround of David Ortiz in Boston, A-Rod has put together a humble six-game hitting streak. Not coincidentally, New York has won all six of these games—again sprinting within striking distance of their biggest divisional rival.
3. Confidence, Confidence, Confidence
Any struggling hitter will tell you that self-assurance makes up half the battle in the trenches of a major league batter’s box. The confidence in knowing that the pitcher has no chance against you makes all the difference in a 3-for-5 night as opposed to a 0-for-5.
Philosophers and theorists feel that “the failure to plan is planning to fail,” and confidence allows hitters to formulate and execute a plan at the plate—as opposed to hoping and wishing for positive results.
Listening to A-Rod answer media questions following Tuesday night’s game spoke volumes about how he is currently feeling. He stated that he feels refreshed, has heightened agility, and can reach pitches he couldn’t in past weeks.
Whether or not all of these things will continue to hold true is anyone’s guess, but he believes it, and that’s all that matters.
4. Pitchers Believe That He Is
Opposing pitchers believing that A-Rod is a dangerous hitter is almost more important than him believing it about himself.
Rodriguez has collected 10 walks in the last six games alone, which helps to portray the level of respect he has regained from a handful of hard hit balls. The combination of careful pitching and better pitch recognition has given A-Rod a .620 OBP over the last six games, as well as a .514 OBP since his rest period in Miami.
A-Rod is once again receiving sliders and changeups on 2-0 counts, and is proving to be enough of a threat to alter a pitcher’s game plan. He is soon to become an automatic intentional walk in big spots, as his successes coupled with Robinson Cano’s repeated failures will force a manager’s hand.
5. Up & In: The Black Hole of a Compromised Slugger
From David Ortiz to Ken Griffey Jr. to Hideki Matsui, the first pitch to expose an injured or deteriorating slugger is the high and inside fastball.
It requires the most hand and bat speed of any pitch in baseball, and causes embarrassing swings on outside off-speed pitches for those who need to cheat to catch up inside. This results in a hitter’s hip opening far too soon, and this “bailout” makes it virtually impossible to protect the outside corner.
A-Rod was particularly affected by this as a result of preseason hip surgery—causing him to compensate inside more than the average case. Pitchers were able to toy with him for the early part of June, and it stripped him of most of his confidence.
Last night, however, A-Rod took a fastball up and in and launched it into the night sky. It was a warning sign to anyone who planned on challenging him in the weeks to come, and will help to restore the fear he once put in the minds of anyone standing on a mound.
6. Bonus: Did You Know?
Regardless of A-Rod’s stint on the disabled list and embarrassing start to June, he is still on pace for 34 HR, 110 RBI, and a nearly .400 OBP.
When putting these numbers in the context of a 162-game average, A-Rod would be able to produce 41 HR and 134 RBI. Though his batting average stands at just .233, his power numbers are rather remarkable considering the 2009 circumstances.
He may not be the A-Rod Yankee fans know and try not to love, but all they need is for him to be a legitimate threat—something he is steadily transforming back into.
Last night was a display of some poor pitching. Joba Chamberlain was inefficient, lasting only 5.1 innings while giving up 9 
hits and issuing 3 walks. He would leave the game in the sixth after giving up the 3 run lead and throwing 96 pitches, 41 of which were balls. Obviously pitching isn’t easy, but you would think that since Joba has such great stuff, Girardi and Eiland would tell him to just throw it over the plate. Maybe he should listen to Posada more instead of shaking him off. Chamberlain has been too inefficient this season, he should at least be able to go 6 full innings, and sometimes 7.
The Yankees would take the lead back on an A-bomb from Arod that was absolutely crushed. Then we all witnessed another poor pitching performance.
In the eight inning Brian Bruney loaded the bases and luckily only surrendered 2 runs. I think you have to give Bruney some time to get his grove back after being out so long, but eventually Cashman might have to explore the reliever market.
The Yankees entered the bottom of the eight tied 5-5. They rallied and won thanks to a Hit by Matsui, bunt by Swisher, and a big hit by Melky. It looks like Hideki Matsui is starting to get his swing back.
The Yankees should be able to at least win two out of three and it would be very nice to see a sweep, due to a guaranteed loss to Toronto when Roy Halladay takes the mound.
The Yankees are getting a shot at the Mariners at just the right time. They have gotten hot, winning 5 of their last 6 and will be facing an above .500 but not great Seattle team. The Yankees should be able to take advantage of them this set and start putting together a good string of series wins.
YANKEES (43-32)
Jeter SS
Damon LF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Cano 2B
Posada C
Matsui DH
Swisher RF
Cabrera CF
Joba Chamberlain will be on the mound. Seattle’s lineup isn’t that great so I’d like to see him go seven and give up less than 5 or 4 runs.
Let’s start off with the unconfirmed “leaked” list of the 104 names. I’m still skeptical about wether or not it is real, it could have easily been made up. Here it is: http://rotoinfo.com/read_article.php?articleId=318
The Yankees acquired Eric Hinske from the Pirates for two minor leaguers, Eric Fryer and Casey Erickson and cash. They were a couple of good A-ball prospects, but i like this move. The Yankees needed to replace Xavier Nady and Hinske could be a good back up outfielder. He spent the ‘07 and ‘08 seasons with Boston and Tampa, giving him some AL East experience. This leaves the Yankees with 5 outfielders not counting Matsui, now we have to see who gets the axe. It could be Ransom, Tomko or Pen. It will be interesting to see how Joe Girardi will get all of these guys playing time. Hinske can play 1B and 3B as well, the move could have been made to play some 3B for Rodriguez.
Joba Chamberlain has sparked a debate more perplexing than determining “who framed Roger Rabbit,” “what happened to Amelia Earhart,” or “how many licks it takes to get to the tootsie roll center of a tootsie pop.”
Fans, scouts, and analysts will continue to argue whether Chamberlain is best suited as a reliever or starter, with nothing short of unequaled dominance and stardom likely to quiet it.
Chamberlain has become the personification of a Rubik’s Cube—evolving into an even more confusing puzzle as you seemingly get closer to finding a solution.
In 14 starts thus far in 2009, the former phenom has struck out more than six batters just one time. He surrendered four first inning runs in that start, and the Yankees were never able to recover.
Though pitching better in the month of June, Chamberlain has been far from dominating his opponents.
He was rescued in a putrid performance against the Mets in which he walked five and threw 100 pitches in just four innings. He then followed that start by allowing 11 baserunners against the Washington Nationals—the worst team in all of MLB.
Luckily for Chamberlain, his next opponents are the Seattle Mariners.
The Mariners are performing admirably in an improved American League West, but are doing much of it with smoke and mirrors—especially on the offensive end.
Seattle currently sits at 29th in MLB in runs scored, 26th in OBP at just .315, and 25th in OPS. They also rank just 19th in home runs with 72, which would be much worse if one player (Russell Branyan) did not have virtually 30-percent of them.
Ichiro Suzuki leads all of MLB in batting average at .372—managing to lift an otherwise poor team batting average up to 13th in the league at .261.
It is time for Chamberlain to show the kind of put-away fastball and slider he utilized in 2008, as well as show better location early in the count.
He needs to deliver a steady diet of 93-95 MPH fastballs and unhittable sliders—ensuring that the Mariners are left “sleeping with the fishes.”
The Mariners are a very difficult team to strike out, and a high total in tonight’s game would go a long way in showing Chamberlain’s overpowering nature has not gone the way of the dinosaur.
Similar to the Atlanta Braves lineup that Chamberlain defeated in his last start, the Mariners have just three truly dangerous hitters.
Nate McClouth, Brian McCann, and Chipper Jones have been replaced by Jose Lopez, Branyan, and Ichiro—with the rest of the batting order leaving much to be desired.
Chamberlain cannot knock the opposing pitcher out of the game with another line drive tonight, so he might actually have to out-pitch Mariners starter Brandon Morrow.
Ironically, Morrow is another stud reliever-turned-starter prospect with an electric arm, and it will be exciting to see the two face off in Yankee Stadium.
All eyes will be on Chamberlain (what a surprise) as he toes the rubber at home—a place where he is pitching to a 0-2 record, 1.55 WHIP, and 5.18 ERA in 2009. He has also walked 21 batters in just 33 IP at Yankee Stadium.
Chamberlain—as well as Wang—will need strong showings over the next few weeks in order to continue to hold off the suddenly electrifying Phil Hughes.
The quest for reacquiring respect and fear begins tonight for Chamberlain—against a team and a lineup he should do nothing but toy with.
According to Matt Gelb of The Star-Ledger, yesterday marked Chien-Ming Wang’s first major league victory in 379 days.
It was a long and painful road to redemption for the once dominating sinker-baller, and one that many New Yorkers would prefer to forget.
A man once “guaranteed” to provide 200-plus innings per season and 15-20 victories is now nothing more than an unreliable project.
Yankee fans are more often than not holding their breath each time Wang releases a flat sinker—as opposed to using it for more encouraging activities like cheering or yelling “let’s go Wang!”
Wang currently stands at 55 wins in pinstripes—46 of which were collected over two and a half magical seasons at the top of the Yankee rotation.
At the torrid pace he was riding through an unfortunate baserunning injury in 2008, he would have been set to reach the 300-win milestone somewhere around his 42nd or 43rd birthday.
Wang’s current pace has been slightly more tortoise than hare, and would create a far different target date for creating history in the Bronx.
If he continues to achieve one win every 379 days, Wang will be penciled in to earn his 300th victory on Oct. 21, 2263.
The Taiwanese right-hander would be at the ripe old age of 284—older than the present age of the United States of America that enabled him this great opportunity.
Some may scoff at the idea of a starting pitcher throwing 260 years in the big leagues, or even surviving long enough to see the middle of the 23rd century.
With the advancements in medicine, technology, and performance-enhancing drugs, however, Wang’s road to 300 is much more probability than fantasy.
After all, Satchel Paige was able to compete at the major league level in 1965 at the age of 59—without the aid of any enhancers outside of the coffee he was served between innings.
Is it that far-fetched to believe Wang could ride the PED train all the way to 2263? Who knows what kinds of chemical concoctions will exist as we move into the 10s, 20s, and 30s.
The only obstacle seemingly in Wang’s way is the same advancements in medicine and technology that will offer him the chance at making history.
Somewhere between now and 2263, it is highly likely that the technology required to clone humans will be developed and utilized in American society.
Furthermore, when taking into account inflation and marketing opportunities in other galaxies, the Yankees payroll will be somewhere around $370 trillion.
This will make it very difficult for Wang to remain in the Yankee rotation through 2263—as New York will be able to purchase the rights to the embryos of Cy Young, Grover Cleveland Alexander, Walter Johnson, Bob Gibson, and Sandy Koufax.
Wang will be relegated to 8th inning duties, but should be able to record the one victory per season necessary to maintain his pace.
Whether or not Wang is able to achieve the milestone remains to be seen.
If the future cloned version of George Steinbrenner has anything to say about it, however, we will be able to add Wang’s name to a very illustrious list of pitching royalty.
CMW will make another attempt at earning his first win of the 2009 campaign. He is hoping to put on a good performance in front of his parents, who flew in from Taiwann to see his new baby. More importantly, he need to show Joe Girardi and Brian Cashman that he keeps improving, so he can keep his spot in the rotation. The Yankees have dominated the Mets in the last two days, in fact, Brett Gardner has out hit them 5 to 4.
YANKEES (42-32)
Jeter SS
Swisher RF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Cano 2B
Posada C
Cabrera LF
Gardner CF
Wang RHP
If CMW does get on base hopefully Derek Jeter will “accidently” ground into a double play.
If the Yankees win today, they will clinch the season series with the Mets. The Yankees will have to do it without Damon and Jeter, who both have the flu. The Yankee’s star-studded outfield for today includes Nick Swisher, Melky Cabrera, and Brett Gardner. None of that will matter if the Yankees stay hot and the Mets don’t learn how to field. The Yankees should (hopefully) be able to hit Tim Redding who has an ERA above 6.00 on the year.
YANKEES (41-32)
Gardner CF
Swisher RF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Cano 2B
Posada C
Cabrera LF
Pena SS
Burnett RHP
A weak Mets lineup is just what AJ Burnett needs afeter a great performance last time out. He should be able to throw another good game.
The Yankees have scored 28 runs in their last 23 innings. It appears the Yankee offense has re-awaken after their 13 game
slump, in which they went 4-9.
Although they have received a great deal of luck, many many hitters are starting to contribute again. The biggest improvement we saw over the last few days was Alex Rodriguez. He has 5 hits in his last 10 at-bats with 4 runs scored, 2 homers and 8 RBI. It appears as if Arod is finally getting his stroke back, and it is only a matter of time before he goes on a tear.
Brett Gardner has been great lately. He got his batting average up above .300 (.303), he has 7 hits in his last 12 at-bats. Not to mention he is one of the biggest base-path threats in the league.
The only problem I see is that the Yankees had to rely on a lot of luck, otherwise we would have saw something like 20 runners left on against the Mets last night.
The Yankees will be looking to ride their mini-hot-streak into this series with the Mets, who have numerous players on the DL. The Yankees should be able to take 2 of 3. The biggest news of the day was broken by the NY Post saying that Nady will be oyt for the remainder of the season and next year is in jeopardy as well. You have to wonder if the Yankees think they can get it done with the outfielders on their team, or if they will look to make a deal or call someone up.
YANKEES (40-32)
Gardner
Damon LF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Cano 2B
Cabrera RF
Cervelli C
Pena SS
Sabathia LHP
CC Sabathia will be on the mound. He left his last start early due to a bicep injury. I am very excited to see him hit.
The glory years have long since ridden off into the sunset, and the days of championships and dynasties are nearly a decade in the rearview mirror.
Arrogant chants of “1918” have been replaced by seated confessions (and denials) before Congress and a spending plan as loose and irresponsible as the US government.
Yankee t-shirts proudly displaying slogans such as “Got Rings?” or “Who’s Your Daddy” are now collecting dust in the back of closets across the tri-state area.
Even mindless banter between rivals has become less enjoyable without a chamber full of witty and damaging verbal bullets.
The vulnerability of MLB’s empire began with the shifting of Gene Michael into the shadows of the Yankee organization.
The deterioration commenced the day Brian Cashman was given laissez-faire authority.
In the years leading up to George Steinbrenner’s ultimate removal as figurehead of the Yankees, Cashman was being given more superiority and freedom to perform his job—without too many strong-arm demands coming from over his shoulder.
Cashman was now somewhat supplanting Steinbrenner in the throne, and all success and failure could be attributed to his name.
As the payroll began to launch skyward like an Apollo mission, the Yankees were left with disappointment after disappointment from their acquisitions.
It technically all started with the signing of an unnecessary replacement for Tino Martinez—a still productive offensive player, unequaled defender, and fan favorite.
Jason Giambi quickly became a one-dimensional slugger and such a defensive liability that he could not even make throws taught on Little League diamonds.
This signing occurred before the era of laissez-faire I am referring to, but signaled a changing of the guard in how the Yankees would do business. It became all about big names, big legacies, and even bigger contracts.
The first regrettable moves made by the General Manager involved the ever-weakening pitching staff.
Andy Pettitte, Roger Clemens, Jimmy Key, Orlando Hernandez, and David Cone were replaced by Jeff Weaver, Jaret Wright, Carl Pavano, Javier Vasquez, Randy Johnson, Kevin Brown, Esteban Loiaza, and Jose Contreras.
Ramiro Mendoza, Jeff Nelson, and Mike Stanton were replaced by Paul Quantrill, Tom Gordon, Tanyon Sturtze, Scott Proctor, Steve Karsay, Felix Heredia, Kyle Farnsworth, Sterling Hitchcock, Antonio Osuna, Chris Hammond, Armando Benitez, Felix Rodriguez, and Octavio Dotel.
There are countless other calamities being omitted in the interest of space, but for a five year span to include a name scroll longer than Wilt Chamberlain’s sexual conquests is nothing short of repulsive.
It didn’t matter in 2005 that Jaret Wright was coming off of the first season he started more than 10 games since 1999, his ERA consistently floated around 7.00, or that he had never once thrown 200 innings in his career.
It certainly didn’t matter that Jeff Weaver was 39-51 in his career with a 4.33 ERA when the Yankees acquired him from Detroit. Wouldn’t it be nice to still have Ted Lilly in the Yankee rotation?
Just when fans in the Bronx wondered how things could possibly get worse—Kei Igawa happened in 2006.
The man who boasts a 6.66 career major league ERA in 16 games, and currently decomposes at the Triple-A level while swimming through a pool of gold coins in his back yard.
Cashman, in all his sagacity, coughed up $26 million just to earn the right to sit at a negotiating table.
Another $20 million later, the Yankees were paying more per season for Igawa than Roy Oswalt, John Smoltz, Mariano Rivera, Torii Hunter, and Aramis Ramirez were being paid at the time.
To make matters worse, Cashman admitted that they projected Igawa as “a back of the rotation starter.” Excuse me for a second while I attempt to avoid choking on my own vomit.
The Yankees were then able to “strong-arm” Alex Rodriguez into a 10-year contract worth upwards of $300 plus million—running into the meat of his 40s.
(You certainly showed him who’s boss Brian.)
Cashman’s unlimited resources should allow him to be the best GM in all of baseball. Imagine the Tampa Bay Rays, Twins, Rangers, or Cardinals adding $100 million in payroll for the 2009 stretch run.
Instead, the only moves he gets right are the no-brainers. A gorilla flinging feces at a list of names on a chalkboard could have done a better job.
Not only does are his successes limited to the likes of like Mark Teixeira and Mike Mussina, but his only negotiating tactic is adding years or zeros—eventually leaving New York with a pile of overpaid former stars with diminishing skills.
To put this into perspective, Yankees SP AJ Burnett is being paid a higher annual salary than Albert Pujols—the unquestionable premiere hitter in MLB.
In order to justify this contract, he would have to pitch like Ron Guidry circa 1978—but is instead just 5-4 with a nearly 1.50 WHIP.
Cashman has been a disaster since Hall of Famers and clutch miracles were diving into his lap like kids on a mall’s version of Santa Clause.
It is time that he faces the music, and perhaps embarks on a lonely walk down “the ole dusty trail.”
The Yankees need a man with savvy, a man with baseball intelligence, and a man who can supplement smart-money signings with high-priced free agents.
They need a man who will not ignore the development of home-grown talent for the better part of a decade—only to pretend it has now become his No. 1 priority.
They need a man who will make personnel decisions based on a player’s moxie, dedication to the game, love of the bright lights and big stage, and workmanlike attitude—as opposed to clinging to statistics and star power like an old unwanted girlfriend.
That man is clearly not Cashman, and it is time for a change.
The Yankees will play another rubber game today and a series victory would be great going into the weekend match-up with the other guys from New York. The Yankees will go up against an old foe, Derek Lowe.
YANKEES (39-32)
Jeter SS
Damon LF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Posada C
Swisher RF
Gardner CF
Ransom 2B
Pettitte LHP
Andy Pettitte will be on the mound looking to put together a quality start and give the awoken Yankee offense a chance to win.
Much credit has been given to Yankees Manager Joe Girardi for his “inspiring and motivating” rant and subsequent ejection on Wednesday night.
Girardi was on a mission to not only light a fire under his team, but to also make opposing manager and “ejection extraordinaire” Bobby Cox proud of his tirade.
Being sent to the showers was as surefire as a New Jersey bar belting out lyrics to Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer” as passionately as a church choir.
The Yankee offense gave Girardi exactly the response he was looking for—an emotional and spirited effort lead by everyone’s favorite backup backstop Francisco Cervelli.
The sudden arrival of a heart transplant in the sixth inning was not the result of the manager’s temper tantrum, however, and involved a much less “rah rah” initiative.
The Yankees were in fact celebrating the departure of the man they refuse to play for.
Girardi’s absence on the dugout steps sent a jolt of energy and strength through their veins like a steroid cycle absorbed in the buttocks. The sheer avoidance of having to see his always confused face and uneasy demeanor provoked a 180 degree turnaround.
The infectious positivity and uplifting presence of Tony Pena for a mere 60 seconds was all it took to push the struggling lineup towards a much-needed victory.
Pena was even able to awaken Alex Rodriguez from a month-long coma—offering a few sentences of Zen into A-Rod’s normally plugged ears.
(I think he said something like, “Hey Alex, you bagged one of the biggest hotties in Hollywood even when she knows you have tiny steroid testicles and are a cheater. You can at least hit a fastball down the middle, right? Think about it.”)
A-Rod’s first clutch hit in a victory since the Phillies were in town was enough to remind him what two hands repeatedly making contact with each other sounded like—thankfully Atlanta was swarming with members of Yankees Universe.
Perhaps no one was happier to see Girardi go than Yankees outfielder Melky Cabrera.
Originally slated to start the game, a mysterious closed-door meeting with Nick Swisher transformed the lineup card to leave Cabrera stuck with bench duty—even after Swisher was 0-for-5 the night before and Cabrera had recorded a double.
(That last paragraph actually happened according to the YES Network, and should not be confused with the sarcastic flavor of the piece in general)
Pena inserted Cabrera into the game as a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning, and he proceeded to lace a double to the gap—later resulting in New York breaking open the game for good.
Cabrera was sending a loud and clear message to the visitor’s clubhouse as his manager watched the final innings on television.
(I think it was something along the lines of “Hey you clueless jerk, have you already forgotten how I saved your job in April and May? Do you think those game-winning RBI were easy to come by? You have seen A-Rod, Jeter, and Cano choke like George Bush on a pretzel, right? Play me before the Melk Man begins to curdle…you wouldn’t like me when I curdle.)
New York grabbed victory from the jaws of yet another defeat littered with frustration, anger, and disbelief.
What Girardi did after his tirade is the catalyst for the Yankee victory, as opposed to what he did during it. He left.
Pena was my choice for manager once Joe Torre was removed from the position following the 2007 season. Girardi was fourth on my list behind Don Mattingly, Larry Bowa, and the aforementioned Pena, and I was once again reminded as to why.
Girardi was unable to gather as much fight, respect, and trust from his team in one and a half years as manager as Pena received in four innings.
The Yankees finally put together a good win yesterday. Who knows whether or not they would have won if Joba Chamberlain didn’t knock Kenshin Kawakami out of the game with a screecher to the neck, but at least they finally got it together after Joe Girardi got tossed for arguing a clearly bad call. Francisco Cervelli started the comeback when he tied it up on his first Major League homerun. With the bases loaded, Alex Rodriguez was up. Before he walked to the box, we got a shot on the YES camera of Tony Pena trying to fire him up. I guess it worked because Arod got a couple of clutch runs on a liner into the gap.
Joba Chamberlain showed some improvement as well. He through 99 pitches and was able to spread them out over more than four innings this time (6.1). He had a decent strike-ball ratio and did not walk a single batter. More importantly, he only gave up 3 runs (2 earned) and the Yankees won because of it. I’d still like to see Chamberlain finish seven innings more often, but it looks like he is on the right track with this performance.
The bullpen was good despite one earned run. Coke got the last two outs of the seventh on three pitches, continuing his fantastic bullpen work. Brian Bruney got two outs and gave up one run. I’m not worried about the run because he still needs a couple of more innings before he could get into full form. Mariano Rivera came in to get the last four outs. He got the third out in the eight, and that’s when things started to get interesting. 
The Yankees rallied in the top of the ninth, bringing Mariano up to the plate with the bases loaded. You could have argued that maybe they should have had someone warmed up so they could pinch-hit Mariano, since they already had a four run lead and could have piled on a few more. But Mariano need some work because he hadn’t pitched in over a week. So He came up to the plate, him and the rest of the team laughing on the top step of the dugout. The Yankee fans in the house cheered as the future hall of famer walked up to the plate. He took the first pitch, and on the second one he took a beautiful swing and lined it to shallow center. It was hit too softly and was caught, but for a second i thought Rivera had the first RBI of his career. So that was a little comic relief to a must win game.
Overall you have to be happy with the way they played. However, you are kept wondering whether this is a sign of the Yankees waking up, or do they have to make a deal for someone. Brian Cashman has already said he doesn’t foresee a move, but things do come up.
Jose Veras has been dealt to Cleveland for $cash$, Cash also flew to Atlanta to try and shakeup the underachieving team. Meanwhile, he had a closed doors meeting with Nick Swisher and Joe Girardi. I doubt it would be a prelude to a trade, so only two other things come to mind. They could be talking to him about going to the bench because Nady is close to returning, or they could be talking to him about playing some CF, the position he complained about playing last year.
Jeter SS
Damon LF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Cano 2B
Swisher RF
Gardner CF
Cervelli C
Chamberlain RHP
Joba Chamberlain will be on the mound, looking to make a longer appearance than last time.
Vin R. | 
