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New York Yankees – The Bombers in October / November. Part 3 of 4

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The Yankees’ bats badly needed to recover if they were to continue the winning streak they had begun against the Twins. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim looked far more formidable opponents not least their outfield which had been partially imported from the New York Yankees where Bobby Abreu and Juan Rivera would no doubt make their presence felt. As it worked out, the batting lineup did just that against LA before hitting a partial lull against the Phillies in the Fall Classic.

New York Yankees – Batting – Month – October (AL Championship Series)
Name G AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR BB SO SH SF SB BA SLG OBP
Gardner, Brett 6 3 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 .667 .667 .667
Hairston Jr., Jerry 2 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 .500 .500 .500
Rodriguez, Alex 6 21 6 9 6 2 0 3 8 3 0 1 1 .429 .952 .567
Cabrera, Melky 6 23 3 9 4 2 0 0 3 6 2 0 0 .391 .478 .462
Molina, Jose 2 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 .333 .333 .333
Damon, Johnny 6 30 4 9 5 1 0 2 1 2 0 0 0 .300 .533 .323
Cano, Robinson 6 23 4 6 4 1 2 0 4 3 0 0 0 .261 .478 .414
Jeter, Derek 6 27 5 7 2 0 0 2 6 5 0 0 0 .259 .481 .394
Matsui, Hideki 6 21 1 5 3 1 0 0 5 4 0 0 0 .238 .286 .385
Teixeira, Mark 6 27 2 6 4 1 0 0 3 8 0 1 0 .222 .259 .290
Posada, Jorge 6 20 3 4 1 1 0 1 5 5 0 0 1 .200 .400 .360
Swisher, Nick 6 20 2 3 0 0 0 0 3 7 1 0 0 .150 .150 .292
Cervelli, Francisco 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000
Guzman, Freddy 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000
222 33 62 29 9 2 8 38 47 4 2 2 .279 .446 .389

New York Yankees – Batting (World Series)
Name G AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR BB SO SB BA SLG OBP
Matsui, Hideki 6 13 3 8 8 1 0 3 1 3 0 .615 1.385 .643
Jeter, Derek 6 27 5 11 1 3 0 0 1 6 0 .407 .519 .429
Damon, Johnny 6 22 6 8 4 2 0 0 3 3 3 .364 .455 .440
Pettitte, Andy 2 3 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .333 .333 .333
Posada, Jorge 6 19 1 5 5 1 0 0 2 7 0 .263 .316 .318
Rodriguez, Alex 6 20 5 5 6 3 0 1 3 8 1 .250 .550 .423
Hairston Jr., Jerry 3 6 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .167 .167 .167
Cabrera, Melky 4 13 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 .154 .154 .154
Teixeira, Mark 6 22 5 3 3 1 0 1 2 8 0 .136 .318 .296
Cano, Robinson 6 22 0 3 1 0 0 0 0 5 0 .136 .136 .130
Swisher, Nick 5 15 3 2 1 1 0 1 4 4 0 .133 .400 .316
Gardner, Brett 5 10 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 .000 .000 .000
Molina, Jose 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 .000 .000 .333
Burnett, AJ 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .000 .000 .000
Sabathia, CC 2 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 .000 .000 .000
Hinske, Eric 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 – – 1.000
198 32 49 30 12 0 6 18 56 4 .247 .399 .326

Positives

Hideki Matsui. Whilst it was a trifle generous to make Matsui World Series MVP – perhaps Jeter with twice as many at-bats and a strong performance in the field might have been a more logical choice – there is no question that after a quiet Division series and Championship series, his bat suddenly came to life. He contributed 4 extra base hits including three home runs. I still think this might have been a good point for him to retire and go out on a high but we will see what next season brings.

Derek Jeter. An indifferent series against the Angels gave way to a strong performance against the Phillies which made Jeter the most likely Yankee in the considerations for the AL MVP. After Matsui and A-Rod, he was even third in slugging during the World Series bringing a grand culmination to a truly impressive season.

Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod was outstanding in the ALCS and added a home run in a quieter World Series. He has silenced his critics who looked askance at his post-season stats prior to this year. He is still open to criticism in a whole host of other areas but one apparent flaw is dealt with.

Johnny Damon. After a quiet series against the Twins, Damon came up with the goods throughout the rest of the way. Two home runs against the Angels and then a .440 OBP against the Phillies were amongst the highlights here and are strong reasons whilst the Yankees are still unable to shake the notion that they might pay the money and bring him back for 2010.

Melky Cabrera. Cabrera had a great series against the Angels. Injuring himself during the series against the Phillies means that we will never know if he could have continued this in the World Series and what difference that might have made to his future with the Yankees. His .462 OBP and 9 hits against the Angels ought to have been argument enough to keep him as a desired member of the staff for next year.

Negatives

Mark Teixeira. Teixeira didn’t bounce back after a poor series agains the Twins – in fact, if anything his struggles became worse. .222 and .136 with 1 home run was not the form he delivered for the majority of the regular season and the question mark about post-season performance which hung around Rodriguez for so long will now pass to him.

Freddy Guzman. The only reason to carry Guzman on the ALCS roster was because Girardi was going to make him run. Consequently, the Angels were ready for him and the move negated itself. He’s a one trick pony who should have been left at home.

Nick Swisher. Swisher was another who did not rebound after a weak ALDS. His World Series performance was a little better in that he produced some power but as much as it is difficult not to like the guy and wish him well, it is hard to understand why the Yankees seem so set on him as the everyday right fielder next year.

Surprises

Brett Gardner. Gardner doesn’t take his chances. He began the season with Girardi describing him as the everyday centrefielder. He played his way out of that one and handed it back to Melky. He had a strong ALCS and when Cabrera got injured he had every opportunity to take the position by the scruff of the neck and at least make a memorable contribution that would stick in the management’s thoughts. It didn’t happen.

Jerry Hairston. Hairston produced .250 across the two series in what was not an easy role. He has been some distance ahead of Hinske as someone to bring off the bench since the two of them arrived

Andy Pettitte. Way to go, Pettitte, for being the only pitcher to produce a hit during the games in Philadelphia and for managing to turn it in to a run!

New York Yankees – The Bombers in October / November. Part 1 of 4

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The Yankees last few games of the regular season were ones to be got through and hope for a minimum of injuries. The Division Series is tricky simply because being only five games long, it can be argued that the team who have had to play right down to the wire to qualify quite often go into game 1 with the highest level of momentum. However, this year despite the Yankees bats falling quiet , there were to be no upsets and the Twins were seen off in three games.

New York Yankees – Batting – Month – October (Regular Season)
Name G AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR BB SO SH SF SB BA SLG OBP
Pena, Ramiro 3 4 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .500 .500 .500
Rodriguez, Alex 2 7 2 3 7 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 .429 1.286 .429
Damon, Johnny 2 8 1 3 3 2 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 .375 .625 .375
Cabrera, Melky 2 6 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 .333 .333 .333
Miranda, Juan 3 3 2 1 2 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 .333 1.333 .333
Gardner, Brett 3 7 3 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 2 .286 .286 .375
Hairston Jr., Jerry 3 7 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .286 .286 .444
Jeter, Derek 2 7 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 .286 .286 .286
Molina, Jose 2 8 2 2 0 1 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 .250 .375 .250
Guzman, Freddy 3 4 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .250 .250 .250
Cano, Robinson 3 9 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 .222 .222 .222
Matsui, Hideki 2 6 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 .167 .167 .167
Teixeira, Mark 3 6 1 1 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 .167 .167 .444
Hinske, Eric 3 6 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 .167 .167 .286
Posada, Jorge 2 7 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 .143 .143 .143
Swisher, Nick 3 7 2 1 0 1 0 0 4 1 0 0 0 .143 .286 .455
Duncan, Shelley 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000
Cervelli, Francisco 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000
106 17 27 16 4 0 3 8 23 0 0 4 .255 .377 .325

New York Yankees – Batting – Month – October (American League Division Series)
Name G AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR BB SO SH SF SB BA SLG OBP
Rodriguez, Alex 3 11 4 5 6 0 0 2 1 2 0 0 0 .455 1.000 .500
Jeter, Derek 3 10 4 4 2 2 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 .400 .900 .538
Posada, Jorge 3 11 1 4 2 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 .364 .636 .364
Matsui, Hideki 3 9 1 2 2 0 0 1 3 3 0 0 0 .222 .556 .417
Cabrera, Melky 3 12 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 .167 .167 .167
Cano, Robinson 3 12 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 .167 .167 .167
Teixeira, Mark 3 12 3 2 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 .167 .417 .231
Damon, Johnny 3 12 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 4 0 0 0 .083 .083 .154
Swisher, Nick 3 12 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 .083 .167 .083
Molina, Jose 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000
102 15 23 15 3 0 6 9 22 0 0 0 .225 .431 .288


Positives

Alex Rodriguez. Rodriguez has hardly had the easiest season although much of the damage has been self-inflicted in one way or another. It also needs to be noted that of all the Yankees’ big names, he is the one who has most often fallen flat when it comes to these big occasions. How delightful then to see him hitting for average in games 160, 161 and 162 when the outcome didn’t matter and adding some much needed power when the ALDS came along.

Derek Jeter. Jeter, on the other hand, has been just what the sport needed all season. A great sportsman who produces consistently and is concerned about character and appearance. 2 doubles, 1 home run, 3 walks. As the Yankees had to scratch out runs Jeter was just the guy to help them achieve that goal.

Jorge Posada. Posada was quiet in the latter days of the season but he did what needed to be done in the post-season albeit by sparking a little controversy along the way.

Juan Miranda. Miranda was never going to be on the post-season roster but he used the opportunities that he got at the end of the regular season to further his ambition of being part of that squad in 2010. Just as he did at the close of 2008, he was able to bring both hitting-for-average and power to some rather lacklustre team performances.

Negatives

Nick Swisher. Swisher is obviously a good clubhouse presence but he is also just about the streakiest player in the major leagues at this time and late October saw his bat fall very quiet once again.

Mark Teixeira. Teixeira has had a great season with the bat and defensively but in late October he went back to the form that he had shown in April.

Robinson Cano. Cano was one more who began to slumber as the season drew to a close and couldn’t be woken by the crowds of the ALDS.

Shelley Duncan. Another who was never going to play a part in the post-season but who had once last stab to make it as a Yankee after a good season at AAA. Expect his two at-bats against Tampa to be his last as a Yankee.

Surprises

Ramiro Pena. Pena’s reward for the two hits in his last four at-bats of the season was to be left off the post-season roster just as his continually impressive play in the regular season so him demoted to AAA. Go figure……

Eric Hinske. Hinske on the other hand who looked over-matched most of the season would be included in the roster to face the Twins but never got off the bench. Useful selection.

Francisco Cervelli. And whilst I’m moaning at the Yankees failure to give opportunities to youth, let’s not forget Cervelli who has a future with the Yankees and …….

Jose Molina. ……..who does not. Cashman and Girardi went with Molina. No disrespect to Jose who has done a very good job backing up Posada during his time with the Yankees but that time is over and Cervelli needs to be tested in the big situation.

September in the Bronx – Part 2 – The Pitchers

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The Yankees have benefited from some great pitching performances and some consistent pitchers this year. Who were the main heroes and the late season culprits?

New York Yankees – Pitching – Month – September
Name GP GS GF IP H RA ER BB SO W L Sv ERA OBA
Coke, Phil 10 0 2 5.2 1 1 0 2 5 0 0 1 0.00 .059
Robertson, David 4 0 0 3.2 1 0 0 2 6 0 0 0 0.00 .083
Kennedy, Ian 1 0 0 1.0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 0.00 .000
Sabathia, CC 5 5 0 35.0 20 6 5 13 36 4 0 0 1.29 .167
Hughes, Phil 12 0 2 12.2 6 3 2 3 16 3 0 2 1.42 .143
Rivera, Mariano 11 0 11 10.2 8 2 2 3 10 2 1 7 1.69 .211
Albaladejo, Jonathan 9 0 2 7.1 9 3 2 3 3 1 0 0 2.45 .310
Aceves, Alfredo 7 0 1 14.1 11 5 4 4 13 1 0 0 2.51 .208
Bruney, Brian 11 0 1 8.2 8 3 3 6 7 1 0 0 3.12 .242
Towers, Josh 2 0 2 5.1 6 3 2 1 2 0 0 0 3.38 .273
Gaudin, Chad 5 5 0 26.2 27 11 11 10 18 1 0 0 3.71 .265
Burnett, AJ 6 6 0 37.1 39 18 17 16 39 2 1 0 4.10 .262
Pettitte, Andy 4 4 0 23.0 21 12 12 13 15 2 1 0 4.70 .244
Melancon, Mark 4 0 0 5.0 6 3 3 4 3 0 0 0 5.40 .300
Dunn, Michael 4 0 3 4.0 3 3 3 5 5 0 0 0 6.75 .200
Chamberlain, Joba 6 6 0 22.2 31 19 18 11 17 1 2 0 7.15 .320
Ramirez, Edwar 5 0 2 4.2 7 4 4 3 6 0 0 0 7.71 .350
Marte, Damaso 10 0 1 5.0 6 5 5 2 4 1 2 0 9.00 .300
Mitre, Sergio 4 2 1 15.0 21 18 16 4 12 0 2 0 9.60 .309
120 28 28 247.2 231 119 109 107 218 19 9 10 3.96 .244

Positives

Phil Coke. Coke has not looked the pitcher who made his entry on to the major league stage in 2008. He has, however, usually provided an adequate performance and has frequently been better than that. In September, he started to look again like the pitcher we had seen back in the previous season and when he wasn’t that good, he looked like the luckiest pitcher in the major leagues. It is not a bad combination if you can pull it off.

C.C. Sabathia. With the expection of an abysmal performance against Tampa Bay in the last few days of the season (which fell in October), Sabathia looked every bit a 20-game winner. That defeat left him stuck on 19. Four of those came in September and a 1.29 ERA over 35 innings is quite an achievement.

Phil Hughes. Hughes has become a consummate relief pitcher in 2009 which is why the Yankees are thinking of converting him into a starter in 2010!! Less than 2 runs every nine innings, less than 1 walk every four innings. Great performances.

Alfredo Aceves. Aceves has had a great time of it in 2009. He was left off the opening day roster but since he made it, there has been no looking back and September was as good as every other  month of the season.

Negatives

Sergio Mitre. Mitre was the fifth starter for the last few months of the season. His performance in September was so bad that he took away any chance he had of making the playoff roster. A 9.60 ERA for the month, a visible lack of confidence and the highest OBA on the side. Great finish!

Joba Chamberlain. Chamberlain, at times, has looked like he was growing into a great starter. For most of September, he didn’t look like he should ever be allowed to start again. At times, he looked like he couldn’t throw strikes and when he did manage one, it generally ended up in a gap in the outfield. Back to Plan A, I think.

Edwar Ramirez. At the start of the year, Ramirez looked like a fixture in the 2009 Yankees bullpen. By mid-season, he was gone. At the roster expansion point, he returned. He didn’t look any better and his time with the Yankees should be at an end now.

Damaso Marte. He looked a much better possibility after returning from injury than he had before he was injured. Second in the pecking order amongst left-handed specialists – behind Coke but looking more reliable than late season call-up, Mike Dunn – Marte, suddenly fell apart again late in the month.

Surprises

Ian Kennedy. I don’t know what was more surprising. Was it that Kennedy made it back to the Majors in 2009? Or was it that he got out of his one appearance with a 0.00 ERA. Put simply, he was awful in that game.

David Robertson. Robertson was another pitcher who managed to get ahead of the timetable and return to the team before season’s end. That was where the similarity with Kennedy ended. He threw well. He threw strikes. He occasionally got in to a jam but he usually managed to get himself out of the problems. Sadly, because of Chamberlain’s redirection to the bullpen, he is unlikely to get many innings in the playoffs.

Brian Bruney. He had a good month, on the whole, in September, and it was somewhat surprising that he didn’t make the roster for the first round of the playoffs. He pitched with conviction but his uneven season was too much for him to overcome.

Chad Gaudin. If the Yankees need a 4th starter in the playoffs, it is likely to be Gaudin which in and of itself suggests how much of a surprise Gaudin has been over the last few weeks. He has shown a gritty determination to keep the Bombers in the game and produced some goos innings without ever been overpowering.

September in the Bronx – part 1- the Batters

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Well, here we are in October, the R/Sox crashed out of the playoffs in three straight games and I still haven’t published my summary of September for the Yankees.
As I anticipated the two L.A. teams are going to be the ones that the Yankees need to worry about – what ammunition do they have to overcome them, once they have dispensed with the Twins?

New York Yankees – Batting – Month – September
Name G AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR BB SO SH SF SB BA SLG OBP
Cervelli, Francisco 14 14 3 7 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .500 .571 .500
Cano, Robinson 28 100 15 35 13 9 0 4 7 15 0 2 1 .350 .560 .391
Teixeira, Mark 26 102 21 35 20 8 3 7 8 23 0 2 0 .343 .686 .395
Jeter, Derek 26 100 13 34 6 2 0 1 19 22 2 0 7 .340 .390 .450
Posada, Jorge 18 59 11 20 18 3 0 5 10 17 0 0 0 .339 .644 .435
Rodriguez, Alex 25 89 14 30 23 5 0 5 10 19 0 2 5 .337 .562 .396
Miranda, Juan 5 6 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 .333 .333 .333
Matsui, Hideki 24 80 13 26 18 0 0 5 14 13 0 0 0 .325 .513 .426
Pena, Ramiro 13 17 3 5 2 1 0 1 0 3 0 0 1 .294 .529 .294
Cabrera, Melky 28 87 10 25 18 5 0 2 7 8 0 0 2 .287 .414 .361
Swisher, Nick 24 88 19 23 12 7 0 7 15 19 0 0 0 .261 .580 .369
Gardner, Brett 20 41 9 10 3 2 0 0 2 8 1 0 4 .244 .293 .295
Damon, Johnny 22 81 13 19 5 4 0 0 14 16 1 0 2 .235 .284 .347
Duncan, Shelley 8 13 1 3 1 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 .231 .231 .231
Hinske, Eric 15 28 4 6 4 0 0 2 4 7 0 1 1 .214 .429 .303
Molina, Jose 15 35 1 6 2 0 0 0 5 6 0 0 0 .171 .171 .275
Hairston Jr., Jerry 18 28 4 4 1 2 0 0 4 3 1 0 0 .143 .214 .250
Guzman, Freddy 7 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 .000 .000 .000
970 154 290 151 49 3 39 119 186 5 8 25 .299 .476 .377

Positives

Robinson Cano. As I mentioned in the reports of the individual games, Cano has made tremendous progress this season. No longer the guy who was lazy in the field last season or the guy with the lacklustre batting average. He led the team in September in hits and doubles and defensively having him and Teixeira in the field means that we compare with anyone on that side of the park.

Mark Teixeira. Speaking of Teixeira, another great month for him. It’s interesting that the press still like to talk about his standard of offensive performance in April, attributing it to the lack of A-Rod’s threat behind him in the lineup which is nonsensical. Better to concentrate on the fact that since then he has been so consistent and always put up great stats and been a leader in clutch situations. In September, he led the team in at bats, runs, RBIs, triples, home runs and slugging. I think he’s done enough to gain credit in his own right.

Derek Jeter. In September, Jeter had another .340 month and led the team in walks. He has not had a down period all year. He is also much improved in the field – although I don’t think he deserved a large part of the negative criticism he took last year.

Alex Rodriguez. Rodriguez continues to get into his stride and this has, so far, continued into the post-season. It has been a slow progression for him but he’s finally got there.

Negatives

Jerry Hairston, jr. Hairston has, by contrast, been cooling down each week since since he arrived in the Bronx. On one hand, this makes it very easy to decide who to choose to start at third base but leaves us going into the post-season without having anyone on the bench that we would particularly want to call on to fill that spot in an emergency. Ramiro Pena has been a consistent and capable utility guy for the other infield spots but first, Ransom and now Hairston and Hinske have offered very little offensively and played only adequately in the third base corner.

Jose Molina. If I was to choose a Yankee catcher on the basis of power and experience, I would go with Posada. If my choice was guided by defensive ability and the need to grow through more playing time then Cervelli is my guy. Molina’s .171 with no power in September means that Molina might count himself lucky to be on the post-season roster. If it wasn’t for the questions about the Burnett-Posada tandem then I would have left him off and given Cervelli the extra time.

Eric Hinske. See the comments on Hairston. Hinske brings the potential for a little more sporadic power but not much else.

Shelley Duncan. Duncan’s great season at Scranton gave him one more chance in the majors for the Yankees ………. and he didn’t even begin to take it. 13 at bats, 3 hits is not too bad but you’re looking for this guy to hit for power and he just hasn’t done it in this limited role. The Yankees can either choose to give him the option to become a career minor leaguer or release him to try his fortune elsewhere.

Surprises

Johnny Damon. Damon needs to finish hot if he is to persuade the Yankees to let him return in 2010. He is a sub-par left-fielder and really needs to keep up his average if he is to be back in that role next year. A mere .235 with no home runs was not the way he wanted to go in September. He needs a big post-season.

Freddy Guzman. Guzman was a surprise addition to the roster in late August and immediately, Girardi was talking about him having a role in the playoffs. He didn’t make the first round of the playoffs and a series against the Angels would seem to offer him the best chance of a call up. But to be honest is baserunning in late September was predictable and too often he found himself in problems.

Brett Gardner. Gardner didn’t really deliver in September. He is significantly behind Cabrera for the centrefield starting role and his baserunning hasn’t been as aggressive and Jeter and Guzman have looked the main threats in that category. Given that he went into the season as the favoured man for CF and that Girardi said he had no plans to platoon, this must be regarded as a severe setback for him.

Francisco Cervelli. Cervelli has proved himself again and again this season. He is a capable guy with the tools of ignorance but it is ability to hit for average at the major league level that is the big surprise and which is the big lift for him and which is beginning to look like it is no fluke. Mostly as a late innings replacement in September, not an easy role, he has managed six singles and a double in fourteen at-bats which for me means that he should see a big increase in opportunities next year and that he should move up the pecking order for the catching role, even if that means saying goodbye to Molina who has served us well over the last few years.

August in the Bronx – #1 – the Batters

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So, August has come and gone and within its spread, the Yankees rose to the head of the pack in Major League Baseball and looked confidently towards the post-season. September will involve the expansion of rosters and will provide me with plenty of time to absorb the sights and sounds of the new Yankee Stadium as I make my first visit to New York this year. Let’s see who came up with goods in the heat of Summer and who came up sadly lacking. Batters first:

New York Yankees – Batting – Month – August
Name G AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR BB SO SH SF SB BA SLG OBP
Jeter, Derek 28 122 27 46 17 6 0 6 5 14 1 1 4 .377 .574 .403
Pena, Ramiro 7 8 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .375 .375 .375
Cano, Robinson 28 118 19 41 16 13 0 5 2 13 0 0 0 .347 .585 .358
Damon, Johnny 24 98 21 32 16 8 0 7 7 14 0 0 2 .327 .622 .371
Rodriguez, Alex 25 92 19 29 12 3 1 4 18 23 0 0 1 .315 .500 .442
Teixeira, Mark 28 109 17 32 26 7 0 6 17 19 0 1 1 .294 .523 .391
Hairston Jr., Jerry 24 41 10 12 10 3 0 2 6 5 1 1 0 .293 .512 .388
Matsui, Hideki 24 89 16 25 25 2 1 8 6 11 0 0 0 .281 .596 .333
Posada, Jorge 20 75 9 21 16 7 0 4 8 24 0 1 0 .280 .533 .345
Swisher, Nick 25 94 14 26 16 6 0 5 17 24 1 1 0 .277 .500 .384
Cabrera, Melky 27 103 13 23 13 5 1 2 5 12 1 1 3 .223 .350 .264
Molina, Jose 14 40 5 8 3 0 0 0 5 9 0 1 0 .200 .200 .283
Hinske, Eric 14 29 3 5 2 3 0 0 4 10 0 1 0 .172 .276 .265
Ransom, Cody 2 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000
1022 175 303 172 63 3 49 100 181 4 8 11 .296 .508 .361

Positives

Derek Jeter. First in the line-up and first on my list. The captain has had a simply outstanding season and he has even managed to improve as the year has gone along. He added 12 extra base hits to his .377 BA on the month, his defense is better and as always he has the perfect demeanour to give the team the lead and example they need.

Robinson Cano. Cano has had some problems in the field but there is no taking away from his offensive production. He’s had his best ever year for power production and has continued to hit for average and he is a great singles hitter. Unfortunately, his patience at the plate has suffered, resulting in too few walks, as his ability to gain singles has increased but all-in-all, it’s still been a good year for him.

Johnny Damon. Damon had his best month of the year and gave the Yankees something to think about when they think about leftfield for 2010. No question that they could improve defensively but in extra base hits he is second only to Cano, on the month.

Alex Rodriguez. Rodriguez also achieved his best month of the year – which to be fair wasn’t difficult but still bodes well after his early season surgery. 2009 will still be a year he wants to forget for all kinds of reasons but that .442 OBP is a bright indicator of good things to come.

Negatives

Cody Ransom. At the beginning of the year, Ransom, who has seen some limited time in the majors before, seemed to have his best chance of making the grade. From April to July, he messed up every opportunity he was given and in August, his inability to hit a single finally saw him demoted to Triple-A and more significantly removed from the 40 man roster. He struck out three times in the four at-bats he was given in the early days of the month which really shows his problems.

Eric Hinske. Of the pairing of Hinske and Hairston who were brought in when Gardner headed to the DL, Hinske has been the poorer. He achieved a meagre 5 hits in August – 2 singles and 3 doubles. If it wasn’t September (which brings with it extra spaces on the roster) it would be difficult to justify keeping him around.

Jose Molina. Molina vs Cervelli – Posada’s days of playing 7 out of 7 were always going to be limited but they’re now behind him. This means that the backup catcher is going to get significant playing time. Youth vs experience. The Yankees went with experience and in some ways that has paid off but it is Molina’s lack of production in the hits column which suggest that youth might have been the better choice.

Melky Cabrera. Since the night, he hit for the cycle, Cabrera’s batting production has slumped to the kind of problems he had in 2008. It has been a rollercoaster year for him but he needs to turn it around one more time before the post-season.

Surprises

Hideki Matsui. Matsui who looked like he was on his last legs (pun intended) just a few weeks ago, had some fluid drained and had a flush of power as the month came to its conclusion. He led the team in home runs for August including a couple of nights when he encouraged the ball to leave the stadium on more than one occasion.

Jerry Hairston Jr. Aside from the error he made during Pettitte’s most recent outing – when Andy looked like he might have a stab at a perfect game – this has been a very good move for Mr Hairston. .293 BA and .512 slugging percentage are both significant markups on his numbers prior to joining the Yankees.

Ramiro Pena. Ramiro’s name is very near the top of the above list which is sorted by batting average. He’s proven himself to be more than capable in the infield (the team’s hope that he would also develop skills in the outfield doesn’t seem to have really worked out). Somehow, when a roster move requires someone to make the dusty bus trip back to Scranton, his name comes to the top of that list as well, too often.

Nick Swisher. Swisher has proved that he can be a good clubhouse presence and a threat to produce home runs. His ability to produce a good batting average has not been so consistent. This month he bucked the trend and hit .277 which is still below the team average for the month but a marked improvement.

July in the Bronx – Part 2 – The pitchers

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Today, I turn my attention to the pitchers who have graced the New York Yankees in July. Again, my apologies that this is so late.

New York Yankees – Pitching – Month – July
Name GP GS GF IP H RA ER BB SO W L Sv ERA OBA
Rivera, Mariano 12 0 11 11.2 3 0 0 2 9 0 0 10 0.00 .081
Hughes, Phil 11 0 2 14.2 10 1 1 3 16 1 1 1 0.61 .192
Burnett, AJ 5 5 0 33.1 27 10 9 16 21 4 0 0 2.43 .220
Chamberlain, Joba 5 5 0 29.2 26 15 9 10 24 3 0 0 2.73 .232
Melancon, Mark 3 0 2 6.0 5 3 2 0 4 0 1 0 3.00 .217
Albaladejo, Jonathan 4 0 1 4.2 5 2 2 2 5 2 0 0 3.86 .278
Tomko, Brett 3 0 2 4.1 4 2 2 1 1 1 0 0 4.15 .250
Sabathia, CC 6 6 0 39.0 45 21 20 12 31 3 3 0 4.62 .300
Pettitte, Andy 6 6 0 37.1 34 21 20 11 32 1 3 0 4.82 .241
Coke, Phil 12 0 2 9.2 9 6 6 2 8 1 0 0 5.59 .250
Robertson, David 9 0 3 11.0 10 8 7 7 13 0 1 1 5.73 .233
Aceves, Alfredo 9 1 2 15.0 14 13 11 4 10 1 0 1 6.60 .237
Wang, Chien-Ming 1 1 0 5.1 6 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 6.75 .300
Mitre, Sergio 3 3 0 13.2 24 13 12 3 6 1 0 0 7.90 .400
Bruney, Brian 7 0 2 5.1 11 7 7 3 7 0 0 0 11.81 .423
96 27 27 240.2 233 126 112 77 188 18 9 13 4.19 .254

Positives

Mariano Rivera. Every year, the baseball experts decide that Mariano’s career is finally fading. Every year, he bounces back. In the second half of June and the whole of July, he didn’t give up any runs. In July, his OBA was an amazing .081. He added another 10 saves to his total during the month.

A.J. Burnett. Of the 5 starters, during July, Burnett gave most innings per appearance and produced the best ERA. His walk total was a little on the high side but he produced 4 wins and 1 no decision. No losses.

Joba Chamberlain. The debate over Chamberlain as starter or Joba as reliever is pretty much over. Even Jorge Posada says he misjudged the situation. His figures for the month were good and solid. He may never over-power as a starter as he first did when he appeared as a reliever and there’s no question that his larger-than-life persona does even irritate this Yankees fan when I have to watch it for six innings but there is no question that he is very valuable to the Yankees in this role.

C.C. Sabathia. Sabathia has been inconsistent. But he has been good enough. When he is in the zone, he looks like our best starter. When he is not, he usually gives us the innings.

Negatives

Brian Bruney. General Manager, Cashman has basically said that Bruney lied to the coaching staff when he said he was ready to pitch so off-the-field and on-the-field, it has been a bad time for Bruney. In April, he was one of the teams best relievers but April seems a long time ago. He had the worst ERA and worst OBA on the team during July.

Sergio Mitre. The Yankees are really scratching around to find a fifth starter and Mitre is their latest great idea. He looked below par at triple-A Scranton and promoting him to the Majors didn’t seem likely to make him look better. It hasn’t.

Chien-Ming Wang. Wang is gone for the season but it is hard to believe he was ever really here. His one start in July was not memorable.

Andy Pettitte. Pettitte is giving up too many hits, too many home runs (particularly at the new Stadium). In July, he produced only 1 win and 3 losses, 2 non-decisions.

Surprises

Phil Hughes. Hughes has been a revelation in relief. He has been so good that even though the team desperately needs a fifth starter, they have chosen not to return him to his previous role. For most of the month he matched Rivera performance-for-performance as the two did not give up a run. The one run he did give up (towards the end of the month) gave him his only loss in July.

Mark Melancon. Melancon finds himself back in the minors in August but it is hard to see why. He gave the team 6 innings over 3 appearances in July and was solid most every time.

Jonathan Albaladejo. Like Melancon, Albaladejo looks likely to spend the forseeable future shuttling between Scranton and New York. In limited useage, he managed to maintain runless performances for much of the month. It is hard to see what he has to do to earn a regular spot on the roster.

Alfredo Aceves. Aceves does well most of the time but most of July doesn’t fit into that category. Despite a respectable OBA, his ERA for the month was closer to 7 than 6.

July in the Bronx – Part 1 – Batters

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New York Yankees – Batting – Month – July
Name G AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR BB SO SH SF SB BA SLG OBP
Jeter, Derek 27 112 19 40 11 4 1 2 15 16 0 0 1 .357 .464 .438
Hinske, Eric 7 21 5 7 8 0 0 5 1 6 0 0 0 .333 1.048 .417
Cano, Robinson 27 103 20 34 14 8 1 4 6 9 0 0 0 .330 .544 .373
Teixeira, Mark 27 112 14 33 15 6 0 6 10 23 0 0 0 .295 .509 .358
Matsui, Hideki 24 75 10 22 19 5 0 5 15 13 0 1 0 .293 .560 .407
Cabrera, Melky 27 76 10 22 5 6 0 2 10 5 0 0 0 .289 .447 .372
Rodriguez, Alex 25 97 19 28 18 3 0 7 12 25 0 1 5 .289 .536 .369
Posada, Jorge 24 82 13 23 15 7 0 3 6 22 0 1 0 .280 .476 .333
Cervelli, Francisco 3 11 1 3 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .273 .364 .250
Swisher, Nick 24 73 8 18 15 4 0 3 12 20 0 2 0 .247 .425 .352
Damon, Johnny 24 85 16 20 12 3 0 3 17 16 0 0 0 .235 .376 .369
Gardner, Brett 18 41 4 9 7 0 2 0 4 9 0 0 3 .220 .317 .304
Ransom, Cody 12 20 5 4 2 3 0 0 4 7 0 0 1 .200 .350 .333
Molina, Jose 5 11 2 2 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 .182 .273 .250
919 146 265 143 51 4 40 112 174 0 6 10 .288 .483 .370

 

So July seems a long time ago now but here are the Yankee batters who made their mark for good or bad during that month.

Positives

Derek Jeter. Jeter has simply been the most consistent offensive player on the Yankees this season – and in a time when there is such turmoil in the sport, he is a gentleman and a role model. .357 on the month. And improved in the field.

Robinson Cano. Cano has recovered from last seasons set backs and has shown himself to be a solid consistent player. That word “consistent” explains why the Yankees have risen to the top this season.

Mark Teixeira. The term “MVP” is already been used about Teixeira but I don’t think he’s quite there unless he has an outstanding last two months. What he has achieved is a solid performance after a slow beginning in April.

Melky Cabrera. When Gardner went on the DL, there was a general air of expectancy that Cabrera’s comeback season would begin to buckle. It hasn’t happened in July (though August is proving a very quiet time so far).

Negatives

Cody Ransom. Ransom just can’t hit singles. You know that when he comes to bat, he is either going to hit a double or better (20% of the time) or he is going to be an easy out (80% of the time). He should have gone to Scranton instead of Pena.

Johnny Damon. Damon looks tired and old in the field. He can just about get away with this when he’s hitting. In July, he wasn’t hitting.

Jose Molina. Molina was fortune to get his spot on the roster back. Cervelli was unlucky. Experience counts for a lot and he always looks solid behind the plate but he needs to raise his average by at least 20 points.

Nick Swisher. Swisher hit .247 in July and that was one of his better months. We’re very glad that we signed Teixeira.

Surprises

Eric Hinske. The fact that Hinske is a Yankee ought to be enough of a surprise. But to see him hit .333 in his first 7 games is another thing again. It won’t last but it’s nice for now.

Hideki Matsui. .293 and 5 home runs in July. Matsui has settled into the role of everyday DH very well. His legs might not last the distance even with a light load but so far, so good.

Jorge Posada. Posada played 24 games in July. He hit .280. After a very difficult 2008, he’s bounced back well. Now if he can add a little more power……..

Alex Rodriguez. July might be the first sign of light at the end of the tunnel for A-Rod. He led the team in home runs and produced his best hitting performances of the season. He’s still not worth the money, the emotional investment and all the circus that goes with him but better this than the way he was earlier in the year.

June in the Bronx – Part 2 – The Pitchers

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Of the 4 New York Yankee ERA leaders for June, 1 is a left-handed specialist, two were not on the roster in April and one will not be in the roster for July. And none of them are starters or Mariano Rivers. Suprising? I’ll say so.

New York Yankees – Pitching – Month – June
 
Name GP GS GF IP H RA ER BB SO W L Sv ERA OBA
Coke, Phil 14 0 2 12.2 5 1 1 3 14 0 0 0 0.71 .122
Aceves, Alfredo 9 0 2 13.2 11 2 2 4 10 2 0 0 1.32 .224
Hughes, Phil 8 0 2 13.0 5 2 2 3 16 0 0 0 1.38 .114
Veras, Jose 3 0 2 5.0 4 1 1 0 2 0 0 0 1.80 .211
Burnett, AJ 5 5 0 30.0 23 10 7 16 35 3 2 0 2.10 .209
Robertson, David 10 0 6 10.0 7 4 3 5 16 1 0 0 2.70 .194
Rivera, Mariano 11 0 10 11.0 7 5 4 2 14 1 1 9 3.27 .175
Sabathia, CC 5 5 0 31.0 23 14 13 7 22 2 1 0 3.77 .205
Chamberlain, Joba 6 6 0 35.2 33 16 15 15 27 2 1 0 3.79 .244
Pettitte, Andy 5 5 0 26.2 34 19 15 13 27 2 2 0 5.06 .306
Bruney, Brian 6 0 0 4.2 4 3 3 5 3 1 0 0 5.79 .250
Tomko, Brett 7 0 2 12.0 10 8 8 4 10 0 1 0 6.00 .222
Wang, Chien-Ming 5 5 0 22.2 28 17 16 10 19 1 3 0 6.35 .298
  94 26 26 228.0 194 102 90 87 215 15 11 9 3.55 .228
 

Positives

Phil Coke. Coke is beginning to look like the pitcher we saw at the end of 2008. And that is good news indeed. Only one walk in every 4+ innings, leading on the month in ERA, seconding on the month in OBA.

Alfredo Aceves. Aceves has had a sensational season in long relief. This month was no exception. With Wang headed for the DL, Aceves is the obvious man to head to become the fifth starter. I think he can do a job as a starter but he needs to know what his role is and not be jerked about.

Phil Hughes. Hughes led the team in OBA for June and he has settled into his role as a reliever just fine and dandy. With a couple of the starters not producing there has been enough work for Aceves and him but hopefully it will not always be this way. Consequently, the Yankees need to make some decisions during the All-Star break about that crucial fifth starter role. What they decide will have a significant impact on the pitching staff for the rest of the year and their chances of making the playoffs.

A.J. Burnett. The starting rotation has lacked some consistency this year and its Burnett’s chance to return to the top of the heap. He’s seldom been bad and when he’s good he’s capable of being very, very good – and so far those nagging worries about injuries have proved unfounded.

Negatives

Chien-Ming Wang. He looks much better than he did a month or two ago but you still feel you’re going into a game hoping that he will reach the fifth innings and that if he gets there, he might have done enough to have kept the team in the game. The goals of a fifth starter have to be higher than that if you’re going to contend. However, he has done sensationally in previous seasons and it is a difficult conundrum. This latest injury just convolutes the problem.

Brett Tomko. "Tomko" ought to be an alternative for journeyman in the thesaurus. Some games he is good and others he is not. And at the moment the "nots" have the majority. The form pattern suggests he should be due for another purple patch but when he goes down for the third time……

Andy Pettitte. Inconsistent starters indeed. Pettitte looks healthy in the wins column, on the season, but he puts too many batters on base and gives up way too many hits. He’s getting more run support than anyone else and at some point that is going to balance out and then he will be in trouble if he hasn’t improved.

Brian Bruney. When he pitches well, he is prone to injury. At the moment, he’s not so hot but he’s staying fit. He’s giving up too many walks which is leading to too many runs but its difficult to identify what has changed.

Surprises

Jose Veras. Veras was having his best month of the season which, of course, led to him being designated for assignment and leaving town in exchange for cash. He was pretty good in 2007 and 2008 and he looked like he was coming around again. They should have shown more patience.

Mariano Rivera. It’s difficult to tell which Mo is going to turn up at the moment. Some nights he is still capable of being lights out but earlier in the month he developed a tendency to blow the big game. Last season, it was the non-save situation he struggled with, this year it has been the game when the spotlight is brightest. This current good run should help settle him down.

David Robertson. Robertson has had a tendency for his ability to strike opponents out to wither the longer he stayed at the major league level. So far this time around, he’s avoiding that problem and he could be about to become a fixture.

June in the Bronx – Part 1 – The Batters

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Any month that includes as much inter-league play as June did, is always going to be a difficult – particularly in estimating how much it impacts the season as a whole. The month included bad streaks for the Yankees as a team and as individuals. Here’s hwo it went for the batters:

New York Yankees – Batting – Month – June
 
Name G AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR BB SO SH SF SB BA SLG OBP
Ransom, Cody 2 5 2 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .400 .600 .400
Gardner, Brett 24 48 10 16 5 0 2 1 9 4 1 0 8 .333 .479 .439
Pena, Ramiro 11 21 4 7 3 3 0 0 1 5 0 0 1 .333 .476 .364
Jeter, Derek 22 87 17 27 7 3 0 2 12 9 0 0 7 .310 .414 .394
Damon, Johnny 24 85 16 23 15 7 1 4 13 17 0 0 3 .271 .518 .367
Cano, Robinson 25 100 14 27 11 5 0 3 5 10 0 1 2 .270 .410 .308
Teixeira, Mark 25 95 14 25 16 10 0 4 17 12 0 0 1 .263 .495 .391
Swisher, Nick 25 79 12 20 10 8 0 4 16 14 0 0 0 .253 .506 .379
Sabathia, CC 5 4 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 .250 .250 .250
Cervelli, Francisco 7 25 5 6 3 1 0 1 1 5 1 0 0 .240 .400 .269
Posada, Jorge 21 73 11 17 12 1 0 4 11 15 0 1 0 .233 .411 .329
Cabrera, Melky 26 80 11 18 11 6 0 2 11 14 1 2 1 .225 .375 .312
Rodriguez, Alex 25 82 13 17 22 2 0 5 22 17 0 0 2 .207 .415 .387
Matsui, Hideki 24 54 7 11 9 2 0 3 12 9 0 0 0 .204 .407 .348
Burnett, AJ 5 5 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 .200 .200 .200
Pettitte, Andy 5 5 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 .200 .400 .200
Berroa, Angel 7 10 2 1 1 1 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 .100 .200 .182
Chamberlain, Joba 6 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 .000 .000 .000
Aceves, Alfredo 9 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000
Wang, Chien-Ming 5 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 .000 .000 .000
Rivera, Mariano 11 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .500
Tomko, Brett 7 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000
Coke, Phil 14 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000
    868 140 220 130 51 3 33 131 141 6 4 25 .253 .433 .354
 

Positives

Brett Gardner. Gardner remains something of a conundrum. When he is giving a regular job in the starting line-up, he flounders. When there are no guarantees, he show himself as a feisty player who can get the hits. Of course, his speed is always an asset. As Cabrera had a quiet month, Gardner flourished. Best on the month in batting average and third of the regulars in slugging.

Derek Jeter. The captain continues to be a solid and consistent presence. His place on the All-Star team is a deserved one and as you see the mess so many players have put themselves in, you have to admire how he handles himself, on the field and off. He’s proving to be the consummate singles hitter, not a lot else but at the top of the line-up that is vital!

Robinson Cano. Cano continues to be a steady presence with the glove and with the bat. .270 on this month which he can improve on a little but his performance is so much more convincing and effective than in 2008.

Mark Teixeira. After a disappointing April and a mind-blowing May, Teixeira had a steady June. He looked great in the field and he continued to have some power (although this certainly wasn’t May in those terms).

Negatives

Angel Berroa. Berroa finally got a hit in June. That’s one more than he got in May. Thankfully, the Yankees have designated him for assignment.

Alex Rodriguez. On the month, .207 with 5 home runs. It seems he hits for power or he doesn’t hit at all. There were, to be fair, one or two exceptions to that rule. Did he come back too soon? Will the promised rest days help? Do the Yankees wish they’d stuck to their guns during the Boras debacle at the end of 2007?

Hideki Matsui. Matsui had a difficult month. Too many interleague games at the National league ground which makes him redundant as they won’t risk him in the field. When he was in the line up, his figures didn’t even match those of A-Rod.  .204 with three home runs on the month.

Melky Cabrera. Melky Cabrera has had a good season so far and whilst his work in the field was good in June, his performance with the bat drifted back to the dark days of 2008. He was second in the team in doubles and he still looks good in the clutch but he’s going through a barren spell.

Surprises

Cody Ransom. Nice to see Cody back in the line-up. There was a time when I wondered if the Yankees placing him on the 60 day disabled list might mean he was done for the season. In his first five at-bats back in the team, he hit .400 and this, if nothing else, will be a substantial improvement on Berroa who he matches in the field also. Only time will tell if he can gain some consistency.

Ramiro Pena. Ramiro Pena is headed to triple-A Scranton in a decison which makes no sense to me. In June, he hit .333. He isn’t the most patient at the plate but he has proved a reliable bat off-the-bench and he is as good and better in the field than anybody else in that category. His July in Scranton is dictated by the arrival of Eric Hinske, who is another one of those journeymen big bats that the Yankees tend to pursue at this time of the year. Surprise and mistake.

Johnny Damon. Damon is holding  up much better than I would have predicted. His slugging leads the team on the month, and he was tied second in home runs on the month. His fielding is never going to be that good again but he has managed to get this far without any serious injury.

Jorge Posada. Now back to full fitness apparently, Posada’s bat is not quite what we’re hoping for. 4 home runs on the month is fine but he isn’t hitting for average.

May in the Bronx – Part 2, the Pitchers

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Well, the Yankees game last night was rained out. As Boston lost, the Yankees were elevated to first place again – making today a good day to reflect on the pitching that got them there and that which didn’t live up to expectations…..

New York Yankees – Pitching – Month – May
 
Name GP GS GF IP H RA ER BB SO W L Sv ERA OBA
Bruney, Brian 1 0 0 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0.00 .000
Robertson, David 7 0 5 5.0 2 2 1 4 6 0 0 0 1.80 .118
Wang, Chien-Ming 3 0 2 8.0 9 2 2 2 7 0 0 0 2.25 .300
Rivera, Mariano 10 0 5 11.0 9 3 3 1 13 0 1 5 2.45 .214
Sabathia, CC 6 6 0 45.2 34 14 13 10 37 4 1 0 2.56 .204
Aceves, Alfredo 9 0 3 19.2 16 6 6 3 18 3 1 0 2.75 .219
Albaladejo, Jonathan 9 0 2 10.0 11 6 4 6 7 1 0 0 3.60 .282
Ramirez, Edwar 8 0 0 9.0 7 4 4 7 8 0 0 0 4.00 .212
Tomko, Brett 5 0 3 4.1 5 2 2 2 0 0 1 0 4.15 .313
Burnett, AJ 5 5 0 32.1 30 15 15 18 32 1 2 0 4.18 .248
Chamberlain, Joba 5 5 0 22.1 24 12 12 12 29 1 1 0 4.84 .286
Pettitte, Andy 6 6 0 36.1 46 21 20 17 18 3 0 0 4.95 .309
Coke, Phil 11 0 3 11.0 9 7 7 5 4 0 2 1 5.73 .237
Hughes, Phil 6 6 0 28.2 35 22 21 13 25 2 2 0 6.59 .307
Veras, Jose 13 0 4 9.2 13 9 9 8 6 2 0 0 8.38 .325
Melancon, Mark 2 0 0 0.1 1 2 2 4 0 0 0 0 54.00 .500
  106 28 27 254.1 251 127 121 112 211 17 11 6 4.28 .259
 

Positives

C.C. Sabathia. As CC Sabathia heads into today’s start against Tampa Bay, it is that .204 OBA that shows that it is not only his top-rank wages which makes him stand out amongst the other starters. Sabathia typically makes a slow start to the season and bearing this in mind it seems that he’s ahead of schedule for another examplary season.

Alfredo Aceves. When a Yankees starter goes down early in the game – and it does happen, Hughes and Wang take a bow, then Aceves is the guy that they can depend upon. He has given us two or three solid innings in every relief performance. This is a team that went without a long reliever on their opening day roster. This was obviously a major mistake and not having someone like Aceves to turn to in those early weeks lost us several games.

David Robertson. Robertson is another who didn’t make the opening day roster but who is making a sizeable difference now he is part of the bullpen. He still needs to gain a little in the consistency stakes but when he is good, he will do very nicely.

Joba Chamberlain. Chamberlain still isn’t the complete package as a starter but he is ahead of where I expected him to be at this stage and the voices (including mine) asking for him to be returned to the bullpen are dying down. He is ahead of Pettitte and Wang in his recent starts and May was a good month for him.

Negatives

Edwar Ramirez remains part of the 40-man roster so the Yankees aren’t finished with him but his form has been a big disappointment so far this year and he is learning to make his home at Scranton / Wilkes-Barre (AAA). During May, he averaged nearly a walk and a hit in every innings pitched and whilst the Yankees might have been a little premature in demoting him, it looked as though it was always heading that way.

Phil Hughes. The Yankees seem quite pleased with him and said he was unlucky to lose his starting job but the reality is that he is averaging less than five innings per start and that is ERA for the month was 6.59. We have to put this in context. This is one of the two guys who were going to be a mainstay of the rotation in 2008 and really messed up. Now Hughes is the best of the two (even when Kennedy is fit) but he looks like he will make-do as a number five starter. This is no longer a surprise to me but I’m not expecting a noticeable improvement and this isn’t good enough.

Jose Veras. Last year, Veras was a very important part of the bullpen. This year it is probably only his level of experience which is keeping him in New York. His ERA for May exceeded 8 and this is even considering that he occasionally does give us a good performance.

Jonathan Albaladejo. Another early-in-the-season reassignment. Last year, he started the season well and then got injured. This season he started well and then the hitters figured him out. Like Ramirez, I think he perhaps deserved another week at the top level to see if he could gather himself but really he can have no complaints.

Suprises

Chien-Ming Wang. The guys on the team who still have to communicate through an interpreter are in a difficult place when their form falls apart. Given all the psychological pressure the fact that Wang has taken some major steps towards comeback at all is quite an achievement. He has some distance to go and I thought it was too early to restore him to the rotation but this is so far-so good.

Brett Tomko. I was not alone in shaking my head when I heard that Tomko had been promoted to the Bronx, I’m sure. Another journeyman pitcher, who is likeable but struggles to maintain a high enough level of performance in the top flight. So I’m not expecting this to last but he has put in some creditable innings so far and deserves a nod for that alone.

Phil Coke. Coke is the guy we must go to when we need a left-hander out of the bullpen but whilst his performances have been adequate, he has looked a shadow of the pitcher he was in his appearances at the end of last year. He is simply giving up too many runs – too often in tight situations that can cost us a game.

Mark Melancon started his major league assignment well but then he stopped throwing strikes. He was a surprising call-up who took advantage of his chance but ultimately couldn’t maintain it. His ERA at AAA is less than half of what he produced at the major level and he needs some months at that level under his belt before he is giving another chance in the Bronx.