twilightdawning

A writer's thoughts – mainly about music, sport and theatre. Shakespeare, Bob Dylan, live shows, New York Yankees

Yankees – Catching as catch can…..

Posted on December 28, 2008 by twilightdawning

Jorge Posada’s injury dramatically effected the Yankees season …. and only time will tell whether he can return to his pre-injury form and what the Yankees will do if he doesn’t. Anyway his injury unsettled things at the catching position in 2008 and the Yankees end up utilising five other players in the postion. Here’s how it went:

Jose Molina (100 games). 97 games at catcher. Molina had a very impressive year in 2007 and had been established as someone who could more than easily adapt to being the Yankees no. 2 catcher and Posada’s back-up. The problem was that in most of the year in 2008, he was left exposed, no longer backup but the first-string catcher and this left him vulnerable and his offensive figures fell away rapidly. His 2008 figures were .216 (BA), .313 (SLG) and .263 (OBP). This compared unfavourably to his .318 (BA), .439 (SLG) and .333 (OBP) during the time he spent on the Yankees roster in 2007. A substantial fall indeed. After this, he is still a very capable defensive player and there is no reason why his offensive figures shouldn’t rebound if the Yankees can take the weight of starting from him.

Chad Moeller (41 games). 33 games at catcher. At one point in the season, Moeller was on waivers with Molina and Posada set to hold the roles for the rest of the year. Injury intervened once more and the Yankees were able to breathe a sigh of relief when he wasn’t claimed and they could restore him to the roster. He became a surprising and vital cog at moments during the season, simply because he gave them a capable player at a position where they were running out of options. He batted .231 in 91 at bats which sounds unspectacular until you notice that it was higher than both Pudge and Molina. He also saw a little time at 1b, 3b and DH and proved a valuable man to have upon the bench. His 9th season in the majors and this was his best. His time at the Yankees is probably over but we were glad he was there at the time.

Jorge Posada (51 games). Injuries and lingering problems meant that only 30 of these games came behind the plate. He still managed to produce .268 BA but this is now largely irrelevant. The questions are all about 2009 and not about 2008. The hope is that the injury accounts for all the decline of the year and that the surgery will restore him and that age does not come into this at all. Only time will tell.

Ivan Rodriguez (33 games). 30 of these games included time as catcher. Now if the Yankees had signed Pudge in the second half of the year to cover for an injured catcher a few seasons ago, it would have been regarded as a major coup. But that was then and this is now…. Age and time meant that the best that Rodriguez could muster whilst in pinstripes was a batting average of .219 with 2 home runs. This from a guy who was capable of .332 and 25 home runs a decade ago, and .330 with 13 home runs just two years ago, meant that he never became more than second choice for the Yankees and his presence didn’t really benefit Molina’s plight. Consequently, the Yankees have no interest in re-signing him and he might be looking at retirement.

Francisco Cervelli (3 games) All his games came at catcher and were in September as the Yankees widened their roster to give those who had had good seasons at Triple-A Scranton a taste of the majors. In 5 at-bats, he didn’t manage a hit and he managed to strike out three times. But he served 13.2 innings behind the plate without an error and he looked more than serviceable there. Chances are he will be back at Scranton during the first half of 2009 but there will be questions about Posada well into spring training and, who knows, he could give Molina and new signing, Kevin Cash a run for a roster spot, if he has a good spring.

Chris Stewart (1 game). Posada and Molina were unavailable because of injury, Moeller had been placed on waivers and hadn’t yet cleared or being claimed and someone needed to catch. Journeyman, Chris Stewart, was making up the roster at Scranton and was called up for the day, making it three MLB clubs he has seen limited service on in 3 years. He got three at-bats and no-hits and a few days later he was gone. Next year, he looks likely to have a chance back at his first club, Chicago White Sox but for one day he was our only option.

Next year? Well, if injury doesn’t again rear its ugly head then it should be Posada – Molina, one-two but if Posada is ruled out or can’t manage too long behind the plate then Cervelli may get his chance. New signing, Kevin Cash, will only come into the mix, if they decide to carry three catchers. The optimist in me says look for Posada as catcher come opening day.

Yankees – Did the Yankees get it right in rightfield in 2008?

Posted on December 27, 2008 by twilightdawning

The Yankees were pretty much set in rightfield during 2008. . Whilst they used five other players in walk-on roles, the rightfield pretty much belonged to Bobby Abreu. Since the season finished the Yankees seem to have show little interest in the out-of-contract Mr Abreu. So what the story?

Bobby Abreu (156 games). Of those a massive 150 games saw Abreu spend time in rightfield. And it has to be said that Bobby was a very consistent presence in an uncertain year for the Bronx Bombers. He finished the season with a .296 batting average. He endured a slower start in April, going .269 on the month but he soon picked up the pace. He batted .330 with a .570 slugging average and 4 home runs the following month. June was a slower month but in July he hung around a .300 average all month before closing it out at .299. He also managed 20 RBIs in July, second only to A-Rod. In August, he had a quieter month for power but leapt to a season-high .342 batting average, only topped by the resurgent Derek Jeter. He finished the season with a quiet .276 which meant that he dropped below the .300 line for the season. His 100 RBIs and 100 runs and 20 homers made him a stand-out player for the Yankees in most every category, so why the lack of interest?
Well, the headline is that Abreu wants a multi-year deal and the Yankees would only be interested in having him back for 1 year initially. This would make sense on the cautious-build-from-within-2008 Yankees but makes no sense for the 2009 Yankees who having just rid themselves of 1 under-performing long-contract first-baseman have just signed Mark Teixeira to a mere eight years. For some reason, Abreu’s face doesn’t fit but whatever that is about it seems to have little to do with his on-field play. Go figure. It’s not likely that 1 year contract is even on the table for him to refuse. I’m more likely to be playing in the outfield than Abreu is – and that makes absolutely no sense.

Xavier Nady (59 games). Nady played only 7 games in rightfield. See my leftfield analysis for some thoughts on his season.

Melky Cabrera (129 games). 5 of those included time in rightfield. See my analysis of the centrefielders for a look at his troubled season.

Justin Christian (24 games). 5 in rightfield. Most in leftfield. And you’ll find my thoughts on him on the leftfield page.

Shelley Duncan (23 games). He played in rightfield in 4 games. See my first base analysis for my thoughts on his year.

Hideki Matsui (93 games). Only 3 of those came in rightfield. I’ll get to him when I get to the designated hitters.

And for 2009? Well, there’s Nady, Damon, Swisher (well, they have to find somewhere to put him now they’ve got Teixeira) and my money’s on Nady. The fact that he only played 7 games there in 2008 should worry the Yankees. Should worry them a lot……..

Yankees – Back to the centre (field) of everything

Posted on December 20, 2008 by twilightdawning

Centrefield seems to have been clearly identified as a major problem for the Yankees last season (second only to starting pitching). Consequently, come spring training it will be an area that is closely watched – that is unless the Yankees make a trade before then which settles the matter. It is somewhat surprising then to realise that they only used four men in that role in the whole of 2008 and that they didn’t spend the whole year casting around for a suitable occupant. Here’s the runners and riders:

Melky Cabrera (129 games). Of those 129, a 115 were spent in the centre of the outfield. He batted .249 during 2008 which was a 24 point drop off on his performance in the preceding year. Whilst this is a worrying development, it is significantly ahead of Brett Gardner (see below) who would be Cabrera’s nearest rival if there was no trade made before the season started (this seems far more likely than chasing a free agent). This wasn’t a season where Cabrera’s fortune rose and fell frequently as the months passed. Whilst he hit .299 in April, there was little to smile about after that. His average fell to .234 in May and then to a lowpoint .206 in June. He rose again to .272 in July but by August was out of favour and headed for the minors. Interestingly, he performed well at Scranton-Wilkes Barre and when he returned to the Bronx in September, he batted .462 over the 12 games in which he appeared. It does seem though that he has lost the confidence of the management of the New York team and that is a notoriously difficult thing to regain. Expect him to be gone before opening day.

Johnny Damon (143 games). Only 34 of Damon’s games saw him occupy centrefield at some stage in the ballgame. See my analysis of the leftfielders for some comments on his campaign as a whole.

Brett Gardner (42 games) Gardner spent time in centrefield in 22 of his appearances. The Yankees showed more and more enthusiasm for Gardner as the season progressed in 2008. It seems likely though that this enthusiasm was created by their lack of confidence in Cabrera (see above) than by anything in Gardner’s ability to fill this role in the long term. A reality check is required when we realise that Cabrera topped him not only in batting average but in slugging and on-base percentage too. Gardner has better speed on the base paths, not least shown in his 13 stolen bases to Cabrera’s 9, which were delivered in far fewer appearances. He also is the better fielder and his throwing arm has a greater range. The fact remains, however, that it is more likely that Cabrera might regain lost ground offensively than Gardner deliver something that just doesn’t seem to have ever been there. Expect Gardner to be the back-up outfield on opening day. For my money he is the third most likely player to occupy centrefield on a regular basis for the Yankees in 2009.

Justin Christian (24 games). Christian played in centrefield for only 3 games in 2008. For some thoughts on his season, please see my leftfield analysis. Since that was written, the Yankees have decided not to tender Christian a contract for 2009 which makes him a free agent. This is no surprise and falls into line with my prediction.

So where to for centrefield? Well, the big money remains on Mike Cameron arriving from the Brewers and becoming the resident in that role. If that doesn’t happen look for Cabrera and Gardner to run-off for that spot during Spring training with Cabrera an unlikely winner.

Yankees – one out of leftfield

Posted on December 9, 2008 by twilightdawning

In 2008, the Yankees used 6 players at left-field. Here’s a summary of how it all went:

Johnny Damon (143 games) . Of those 143 games, 86 included time in leftfield. On the whole, injuries aside, this was a good year for Damon and a distinct improvement over 2007.

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	TB	BB	SO	SB	CS	OBP	SLG	AVG
2007	141	533	93	144	27	2	12	63	211	66	79	27	3	.351	.396	.270
2008	143	555	95	168	27	5	17	71	256	62	82	29	8	.375	.461	.303

This can be seen in the way that almost every column on the comparison, above, shows an increase for 2008. However, he had some months when he was well off the pace. He opened the season with an April average of only .276 and it seemed like he was going to struggle to improve on his 2007 standard. But May was a step up (.306) and June proved a high month of the season for him, batting .363 albeit mainly hitting singles. He missed a dozen games in July and the enforced mid-season rest set him back a little. July and August were months when he set his benchmark for the season showing .304 and .306 averages respectively. September proved to be his worst month offensively and his season rather tailed off just as the rest of the team were putting together a winning sequence.
So a successful but uneven season for Damon offensively. In the field, he made few errors and continues to show amongst the best ranges of the everyday leftfielders.
It seems 95% certain that Damon will be one of the starting Yankees on opening day. Despite being an ex-Red Sox, he has been accepted by the fans and that would not be many ways to replace him and improve. A good 2009 for him will definitely help the team.

Xavier Nady (59 games). He played in leftfield in 46 of his games after arriving in mid-season. 2008 was pretty much a career year for the X-Man albeit that his better figures were put up before he left Pittsburgh. Nady previously had had a short tenure with the Mets but moved on after only 75 for the other New York team. At the moment, the Yankees seem to like him a lot and it seems likely that he will last much longer in this part of town. He batted .305 and slugged .510 across the season. It was .268 and .474 whilst wearing the Bronx pinstripes. At the moment the inclination seems to let Abreu depart and make Nady a fixture. Nady played only 7 games in rightfield and Damon played none. It will be interesting to see how one of them works out playing the whole season in that corner which seems likely as things stand. Look for Nady to be in the line-up on opening day but not necessarily in leftfield.

Hideki Matsui (93 games). Injury meant that Matsui played only 21 games in a position where earlier in his career, he had been a fixture. I’ll say more about his season when we get to the designated hitters which is where we are likely to see him in 2009.

Brett Gardner (42 games). This young outfielder played 17 games in leftfield. I’ll say more about him in the discussion of centrefielders.

Justin Christian (24 games). He played 9 of those games in leftfield which was his most appearances at any one position. There were times in the season when the Yankees hierarchy seemed to regard Gardner and Christian evenly in terms of their becoming a fixture on the Bronx Bombers. At one point Christian seemed to have edged ahead. By the end of the season, it seemed like Gardner was a firm choice and Christian was all but forgotten. Defensively, he did well. Like Gardner, he has speed and can steal bases. His .250 average included very little power hitting but Gardner is weak in that area too. I’m guessing that the difference between the two players is in those legendary indefinables that baseball experts sometimes talk about because otherwise I can see little to choose. Gardner looks likely to be on the opening day roster and has a shot of the centrefield job, Christian must be wondering where his future lies. I don’t get the feeling it will be in the Bronx.

Melky Cabrera (129 games) Played only eight of those in leftfield. I’ll say more about his "difficult season" when we get to the centrefielders.

So my feeling is that Damon is likely to the starting leftfielder come April but there is time for that to change. We’ll see how things shape up in Spring training but I expect that’s how it will be.

Yankees…. A short stop at Shortstop

Posted on November 28, 2008 by twilightdawning

The Yankees only used 4 players at shortstop during 2008. This was pretty much as expected. Derek Jeter OWNS this position and its pretty much guaranteed that he will continue to do so for the rest of his career. Here’s a survey of the performances at that position.

Derek Jeter (150 games). Jeter played 148 games at ss and 2 at DH. By his own standards this was a quieter year offensively.

Year	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	TB	BB	SO	SB	CS	OBP	SLG	AVG
2006	NYY	154	623	118	214	39	3	14	97	301	69	102	34	5	.417	.483	.343
2007	NYY	156	639	102	206	39	4	12	73	289	56	100	15	8	.388	.452	.322
2008	NYY	150	596	88	179	25	3	11	69	243	52	85	11	5	.363	.408	.300
Career		8025	8025	1467	2535	411	57	206	1002	3678	813	1376	275	75	.387	.458	.316

In fact, it was more an inconsistent year than anything else. By September, he was batting .378 with a .425 OBP. The fact that his stats improved throughout the year bodes well for 2009. He is a certainty to be in the starting lineup on opening day.

Wilson Betemit (87 games). Betemit played 14 games at shortstop. The White Sox will have a good player in 2009. See my first base analysis for some comments on his season.

Alberto Gonzalez (28 games). Gonzalez played 14 of his games at shortstop. In both 2007 and 2008, he was a solid defensive player for the Bronx Bombers but he was a lightweight with the bat. By July 2008, his average had dropped to .173 and there were several other good defensive players available to back-up Jeter so the Yankees allowed him to depart for the Washington Nationals. Whether it was something to do with the drop in pressure in being away from New York or something else, his batting performance picked up in the limited time he saw at the plate for the Nationals. He collected his first major league home run and batted .347 in 49 at bats. He looks likely to continue with the Washington team in 2009.

Cody Ransom (33 games). Ransom played just 9 games at shortstop. See my first base analysis for some comments on his season.

Jeter is, injuries aside, certain to be the mainstay at shortstop during 2009. Predicting his back-up is more problematic. Betemit and Gonzalez are gone and Ransom looked more confident in other fielding positions. Hopefully all will become obvious in spring training.

Yankees….Round Third Base and Heading for Home

Posted on November 20, 2008 by twilightdawning

In 2008, the Yankees used 6 men to man third base but it was always going to be Alex Rodriguez who dominated the position which he did, aside from some down time caused by injury. Here’s how he performed along with the others who were called upon in the position:

Alex Rodriguez (138 games). Rodriguez played 131 games at third base, the remaining seven he was used at designated hitter.

It was only partially because of his time on the disabled list that he fell short of his offensive figures of 2007. Despite his fairly even performance, he was slightly down on his own high standards:

		G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	TB	BB	SO	SB	CS	OBP	SLG	AVG
2007	NYY	158	583	143	183	31	0	54	156	376	95	120	24	4	.422	.645	.314
2008	NYY	138	510	104	154	33	0	35	103	292	65	117	18	3	.392	.573	.302

Frequency of strike outs was up and he showed less patience at the plate. Defensively he was as strong as ever with few errors.

The Yankee fans have him tabbed as someone who can’t performance in the post-season and this year there was no opportunity for him to prove them wrong or right – so that debate will have to wait.

Expect Rodriguez to man third base throughout the 2009 season and to be amongst the Yankees strongest performances. An everyday player.

Morgan Ensberg (28 games). He played at third base in 21 of his 28 appearances. Ensberg was a surprise in the opening day roster and few who fall in that category see the season out. His .233 average in April suggested that Ensberg wouldn’t buck that trend. His major opportunity came in May with Rodriguez injured and Gonzalez suffering at the plate. He failed to turn this to his advantage with his average on the month falling to .161 on the month. As a consequence, he lost playing time to Alberto Gonzalez who is the stronger player defensively. He was gone before June began and didn’t find another ML team willing to give him plate time.

Wilson Betemit (87 games). He played at third base in 20 of these games. See my first base analysis for some comments on his season. I hope he does well for the White Sox next year.

Alberto Gonzalez (28 games) He played at third base in parts of 20 games. I’ll say more about his season when I get to the shortstops.

Cody Ransom (33 games). He only manned third base on 4 occasions. See my first base analysis for some comments on his season.

Chad Moeller (41 games). This versatile player saw some time at third base in 3 games. I’ll say more about his season when I get to the catchers.

So A-Rod will be back at third base in 2009, but there will to be someone found to act as a back-up. Perhaps they’ll pick up someone as a minor addition to a trade.

Yankees at second base …. but far from home

Posted on November 17, 2008 by twilightdawning

The Yankees used only 4 players at Second Base during the 2008 series. Here they are:

Robinson Cano (159 games). All Cano’s 159 games involved some time at Second Base although for three of them he entered the game as a pinch hitter before moving to that position. His previous years’ performances were the reason for the confidence they placed in him. The nadir of that confidence came when Girardi benched him for not running down infield hits.

Year	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	TB	BB	SO	SB	CS	OBP	SLG	AVG
2005	132	522	78	155	34	4	14	62	239	16	68	1	3	.320	.458	.297
2006	122	482	62	165	41	1	15	78	253	18	54	5	2	.365	.525	.342
2007	160	617	93	189	41	7	19	97	301	39	85	4	5	.353	.488	.306

With Cano you’re essentially looking at someone who hits singles well but this year he fell away in some major offensive categories

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	TB	BB	SO	SB	CS	OBP	SLG	AVG
2008	159	597	70	162	35	3	14	72	245	26	65	2	4	.305	.410	.271

Effectively, he produced less hits in 597 at-bats this year, than he had in 115 less turns at the plate in 2006

Question marks against Cano are such that if any team requested him as part of a trade then the Yankees wouldn’t need much persuading. In reality, this is unlikely to happen. Other teams are as likely to be as wary of his falling away as the Yankees are right now. Expect him to be in the line-up on opening day.

Alberto Gonzalez (28 games). Only 4 of Gonzalez’s 28 appearances in a New York shirt came at Second Base. I’ll say more about him when we get to the shortstops.

Wilson Betemit (87 games). Only 3 of Betemit’s appearances came at Second Base. See my first base analysis for some comments on his season. Update: Betemit’s time as a Yankee came to an end last week as he was a key piece in the trade that brought the White Sox’s Nick Swisher to the Bronx. This leaves the Yankees with the task of finding a suitable backup for the middle infield positions. Last season’s principal choices Betemit and Gonzalez are no longer around.

Cody Ransom (33 games). Only 2 of Ransom’s games involved time at Second Base. See my first base analysis for some comments on his season.

So Cano seems very likely to be the first choice second baseman, at least at the beginning of the season. Expect the Yankees to try and pick up a solid bench player during the off-season to help out at 2b, 3b and ss.

Yankees at first base … but not very safe

Posted on November 6, 2008 by twilightdawning

The Yankees used 12 players at first base and still they couldn’t find anyone who was satisfactory.

Jason Giambi (145 games) played at first base during 113 of the 162 games in 2008. There were times during the season when his offense was invisible. During April, he batted .148 with 0 home runs. It was hard to see why the Yankees were persisting with him giving the infamy of some of his actions in previous years. In May, he looked like a different guy. He hit with .353 albeit still with only 3 home runs. His power had kicked in by June. He reached 9 home runs by the end of that month. That power stayed but his ability to hit for average declined as the season went on. He made 9 errors during the season and his ability in all areas has withered with age. His 32 home runs shine but his .247 was simply not good enough. The Yankees have declined their option on his contract and they shouldn’t get into negotiations to bring him back. Time for a new face at first base.

Wilson Betemit (87 games) played at first base during 35 of the 162 games in 2008. I would have released Betemit at the end of 2007 and I had no bright hopes for his contribution this year. His early season injury and eyesight problems didn’t seem likely to help but somehow or other, he came back stronger. I expected his contribution such as it would be to be in the middle infield positions off the bench but most of his games whether as a starter or more commonly as a substitute came at 1b. He had a positive contribution to make which leaves me asking to see him as the key member of the bench in 2009. He batted .265 with 6 home runs and only a handful of errors in the field. No mean achievement given that he was put into a number of different fielding situations and that he had no regular role. Bring him back as a back-up.

Cody Ransom (33 games) played first base during 19 games of the 2008 season. Ransom didn’t arrive in the Bronx until August. He had a little major league experience but not much. His first two at-bats were home runs. He played all the infield positions but struggled at the middle infield position. He needs a good spring training but I could see him as the back-up first baseman with Betemit taking on the bench role for the other infield positions. A chance of being in the Bronx on opening day.

Richie Sexson (22 games) played first base during 18 games of the 2008 season. Sexson was meant to have been brought in to add power – he hit one home run. His signing was a big mistake – no other team took him up when he was released by the Yankees in mid-August and it is hard to imagine that his career isn’t over. Already gone.

Shelley Duncan (23 games) played first base during 16 games of the 2008 season. Duncan was the late blooming, bright young hope. That hope disappeared quickly and he wasn’t even called up in September. I have higher hopes of being in the Bronx in April than he has.

Jorge Posada (51 games) 7 at 1st base. I’ll say more about him when we get to the catchers.

Morgan Ensberg (28 games) 7 at 1st base. I’ll say more about him when we get to third base.

Juan Miranda (5 games) played first base during 5 games of the 2008 season. Miranda didn’t look that convincing when he arrived in the Bronx but he has gone on to hit extremely well in the Fall League since the season finished. At the moment, he has an outside possibility of being the opening day first baseman, if a big name signing doesn’t materialise at this position. Alternatively, he’ll end up back in Scranton as a prospect for 2010. Wait and see.

Xavier Nady (59 games) 3 at 1st base. I’ll say more about him when we get to the outfielders.

Chad Moeller (41 games) 2 at 1st base. I’ll say more about him when we get to the catchers.

Johnny Damon (143 games) 1 at 1st base. I’ll say more about him when we get to the outfielders.

Jose Molina (100 games) 1 at 1st base. I’ll say more about him when we get to the catchers.

Summing up, there is a slim possibility that Juan Miranda could be first choice at first base. There is a slim possibility that if his problems continue Jorge Posada could play more games at first base than anyone else but it won’t be that way on opening day and the chances beyond that are wafer thin. Cody Ransom and Wilson Betemit look possibles to be coming off the bench. Frankly, we need to sign a free agent to fill the first base gap.

Back to baseball……

Posted on November 4, 2008 by twilightdawning

Well, the baseball season is over. In case you hadn’t noticed the Phillies swept the board. They deserved it, I think. Certainly one of the most consistently impressive teams throughout the year. For me, it was one of the most enjoyable years in baseball. The Yankees only ran in third in their division but I think the basics are there for a successful year in 2009 with only a couple of big signings required.

I’m going to review the Yankees’ season. I’m going to begin by looking at the players. Position by position – beginning at first base.

At the end of the review (however long it takes), I will announce the TWI-D Yankees awards based on my rating of players during the season. That’s right not the TYIB (This Year in Baseball) awards, or the TWIB (This week in Baseball awards) but the TWI-D (Twilight Dawning) awards.

The baseball world waits with baited breath………

When September Ends (#2 – the Pitchers)

Posted on October 7, 2008 by twilightdawning

The bullpen came up with the goods in the last month – but let’s face it they had to. The starters were prone to only delivering 4 or 5 innings and with exception of Mussina and Aceves, the rotation was a mess.

New York Yankees – Pitching – Month – September

Name GP IP H RA ER BB SO W L Sv ERA OBA

Bruney, Brian 10 10.0 3 0 0 2 12 2 0 0 0.00 .091

Robertson, David 4 4.2 2 0 0 3 7 1 0 0 0.00 .125

Coke, Phil 12 14.2 8 1 1 2 14 1 0 0 0.61 .160

Rivera, Mariano 9 9.0 4 1 1 0 7 1 0 7 1.00 .125

Marte, Damaso 9 6.2 4 1 1 3 7 1 0 0 1.35 .167

Hughes, Phil 2 12.0 9 3 3 2 10 0 0 0 2.25 .209

Chamberlain, Joba 10 11.1 11 3 3 3 14 0 0 0 2.38 .250

Aceves, Alfredo 5 28.0 25 8 8 10 13 1 0 0 2.57 .240

Mussina, Mike 6 34.0 37 12 12 8 35 4 2 0 3.18 .282

Veras, Jose 10 9.0 10 4 4 7 11 1 1 0 4.00 .286

Sanchez, Humberto 2 2.0 1 1 1 2 1 0 0 0 4.50 .167

Pettitte, Andy 4 22.2 29 14 12 6 21 1 3 0 4.76 .302

Ponson, Sidney 5 19.1 24 15 14 6 9 1 0 0 6.52 .296

Pavano, Carl 5 23.1 31 19 18 8 9 2 2 0 6.94 .326

Britton, Chris 6 7.1 11 6 6 6 3 0 0 0 7.36 .367

Ramirez, Edwar 6 5.1 8 5 5 5 6 1 0 0 8.44 .364

Giese, Dan 5 5.0 11 8 6 1 4 0 0 0 10.80 .423

Rasner, Darrell 4 5.1 7 7 7 6 3 0 1 0 11.81 .304

Pluses

Brian Bruney. Bruney was a treasure this season whenever he was fit. A little lost weight and a little more consistency has led a good member of the bullpen to being a great member of the bullpen. His .091 OBA in September says it all.

Phil Coke. Coke had to eventually give up a run but it was only 1. There are signs that opposition were getting a little more used to him but here’s hoping he can roll into 2009 at the same level.

Mariano Rivera. Rivera got the last out at the old Yankee Stadium on a night which will live in the memory for a long, long time. He has had an excellent season and September was more of the same.

Minuses

Carl Pavano. Pavano was very lucky in his starts to pull off 4 wins. I don’t think there was one, he really deserved but he got lots of run support. There have been some disastrous signings of starting pitchers over the last 20 years – Andy Hawkins and Tim Leary come to mind – and Pavano is right up there with the worst.

Darrell Rasner. September finally saw him bounced out of the starting rotation as he achieved a season high 11.81 ERA on the month. Part of me thinks that a lot of this is down to a coaching staff who left him to wilt until it was too late. Most of me knows he won’t be in pinstripes in April.

Chris Britton. Britton was finally reduced to ninth innings in games we were winning by a considerable margin and he still struggled then. .367 OBA. He allowed too many hits and walked too many.

Surprises

Dan Giese. Giese did well in relief. Giese did well as a starter. Giese came back from injury well. And then in September it all fell apart. 10.80 ERA and leading the team in OBA on the month.

Damaso Marte. We finally found the right role for Mr. Marte who had struggled to find consistency since arriving from the Pirates. A good month for him and part of a package with Bruney, Chamberlain and Rivera which worked very well indeed on a number of occasions.

Humberto Sanchez. Sanchez’s arrival in the Bronx has been talked about for two or three years. Injuries got in the way on a number of occasions. He finally made it in the final week of the season and was …….ordinary.