twilightdawning

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

April in the Bronx (part two) – the Pitchers

Posted on May 4, 2009 by twilightdawning

Last season, the Yankees had one of the most consistent bullpens in baseball. This year, essentially the same bullpen staff has reported but with a stronger (on paper) starting rotation than last year. Having added CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett, and with a fit-again Chien-Ming Wang and with Andy Pettitte without last year’s off-field distractions, what could possibly go wrong:

New York Yankees – Pitching – Month – April
Name	GP	GS	GF	IP	H	RA	ER	BB	SO	W	L	Sv	ERA	OBA
Hughes, Phil	1	1	0	6.0	2	0	0	2	6	1	0	0	0.00	.100
Swisher, Nick	1	0	1	1.0	1	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0.00	.250
Melancon, Mark	2	0	1	3.0	1	0	0	1	2	0	0	0	0.00	.100
Rivera, Mariano	10	0	8	9.2	12	3	3	0	13	0	0	5	2.79	.293
Pettitte, Andy	4	4	0	27.1	24	10	9	6	16	2	1	0	2.96	.240
Chamberlain, Joba	4	4	0	23.0	22	11	8	13	17	1	0	0	3.13	.265
Bruney, Brian	9	0	1	8.0	3	3	3	2	12	2	0	0	3.38	.111
Coke, Phil	11	0	1	9.2	7	7	4	4	8	1	1	0	3.72	.206
Robertson, David	2	0	2	2.1	3	1	1	1	4	0	0	0	3.86	.300
Sabathia, CC	5	5	0	32.1	31	18	17	14	19	1	2	0	4.73	.256
Burnett, AJ	5	5	0	31.2	29	19	19	13	25	2	0	0	5.40	.257
Veras, Jose	9	0	4	11.0	6	7	7	6	10	1	1	0	5.73	.154
Ramirez, Edwar	7	0	0	8.1	11	7	6	8	8	0	0	0	6.48	.306
Albaladejo, Jonathan	9	0	0	11.0	13	10	10	4	5	1	0	0	8.18	.317
Marte, Damaso	7	0	3	5.1	9	9	9	3	6	0	1	0	15.19	.360
Wang, Chien-Ming	3	3	0	6.0	23	23	23	6	2	0	3	0	34.50	.622
Claggett, Anthony	1	0	0	1.2	9	8	8	2	2	0	0	0	43.20	.643
	90	22	21	197.1	206	136	127	86	156	12	9	5	5.79	.273

Positives

Mariano Rivera. No surprise to see Mo at the top of my list but it hasn’t been without a wobble or two. But for most of the month there looked to be no chance of him giving up a run. And then came a tight game against Boston. One of Mariano’s strong suits has always been his mental toughness. After last season’s tendency to come up short in a tied game and having blown this particular save, there will be those who claim to have spotted a chink in his armour. Don’t know but at the moment he still looks the best closer in MLB.

Andy Pettitte. I expected Pettitte to be stronger this year and so far that is the story. Two wins and a 2.96 ERA in amongst a staff that hasn’t yet found its direction. It’s good to have this veteran around.

Brian Bruney. So I know that Bruney is on the DL (again) at the moment but this is based on his form prior to that. He had a dreadful first appearance but after that he looked basically unhittable. That .111 OBA speaks volumes. Time will tell whether his "rest" is a temporary glitch or something more substantial but fit, he looked one of our best options.

Joba Chamberlain. Just. Of the remaining starters Joba just comes out on top. In his last start, he finally looked dominating. Prior to that he had looked just enough – at least to keep us in the game. At the moment, the great experiment seems to be working. I’d rather see him in the bullpen and, boy, does the bullpen need him. But for now it seems to be working out. Just.

Negatives

Damaso Marte. What do you do with a left-handed specialist who can’t get left-handers out? Marte didn’t look the real deal last season. This year he hasn’t shown up at all. 15.19 ERA and more than a third of the batters he pitches to are getting on base. Horrible.

Edwar Ramirez. Last year, Ramirez looked dependable. This year, his ERA is 6 and a half. ‘Nuff said.

Jose Veras. Last year, Veras looked dependable. It is hard to track the cause of all these sudden down turns. More peculiar, that most of these guys looked good in Spring Training. Girardi needs to lift some heads that have fallen. His ability / inability to instill confidence in the roster members may be the defining issue of his tenure as manager.

Jonathan Albaladejo. There’s not much to say that you couldn’t also say about Veras and Ramirez. There are simply too many members of the bullpen who are ragged and under-performing. These guys need to find some consistency.

Surprises

Chien-Ming Wang. Nobody knew quite what to expect from Wang in April. He was coming off a serious injury and his innings in the Spring had been few and their quality indecisive. Nobody expected him to be as bad as he has been. 34.50 ERA and an OBA over .6. Now he is on the disabled list again. This is quite a nosedive. Hope he can pull out of it.

Mark Melancon. Melancon didn’t even make it in to the 2009 Yankees media guide but here he is in the Majors and so far he is holding his own. Whether this can continue is debatable but as out of bullpen options as they have been (can you say "Swisher?"), it has been a pleasure to see him.

AJ Burnett. Burnett looked strong in his first two starts and it was encouraging to see a big money signing so strong straight out of the blocks. He hasn’t maintained that and he has a reputation for injuries. I don’t want any more nasty surprises.

Anthony Claggett. Claggett was a bright hope for the future. Claggett was called up when the pitching staff was particularly horrible in mid-April. Claggett was brought into a game that was already lost. Claggett only had to make some outs and get us through a few innings without further humiliation. Claggett looked worse than Chien-Ming Wang that had preceded him. That’s a lot of baggage for a bright hope to carry as he headed back to the Minors.

The pitching has not been good in April – in the Bronx and on the road!

Threw it All Away

Posted on April 7, 2009 by twilightdawning

Leyton Orient 2 Leeds United 2
7th April 2009 @ Brisbane Road, London

Leeds United dominated the first half of both halves of this game so completely but managed to undo their chances of a conclusive win by taking their foot off the pedal the longer both sections of the game went on.

Robert Snodgrass was the star for Leeds and he scored a goal in both halves of the game. The second came from a penalty given when Demetriou handled to keep out a shot from Luciano Becchio.

Becchio, as always, worked tirelessly but there was little contribution from his strike partner, Liam Dickinson (currently on loan from Derby County) who was in the team to cover for the injured Jermaine Beckford. Dickinson seemed over-matched and lightweight against opposition that had little to offer until the closing minutes of the second half. He was eventually replaced by Andy Robinson.

Demetriou’s handball saw him red-carded and this meant that Orient were functioning with 10 men for the last half hour making it even more embarrassing that Leeds did not press home their advantage.

Fabian Delph showed invention and vigour but Howson and Kilkenny, his midfield partners, were very quiet and Leeds missed having Jonathan Douglas in midfield. Douglas has been slotted into the right back role since injury to Frazer Richardson left a vacancy in that role.

Captain Richard Naylor was forceful in defence and well-partnered by Rui Marques who was restored to the team because of injury to Sam Sodje. Marques was firm and showed real class but along with goalkeeper, Casper Ankergren may have been responsible for the first goal Leeds conceded.

Leyton seldom looked like scoring but somehow scrambled a late equaliser and Leeds were left with only themselves to blame. Church’s 85th minute goal sent the Orient fans into surprised ecstasy. They only just out-numbered the visiting fans and it was the home team who had looked like they expected to lose from the beginning – the fans took their lead from the demeanour of the team and were as quiet as a mouse until they crept back in and stole a point against all the odds.

And one more……

Posted on April 4, 2009 by twilightdawning

I said:

"On the bench? I’d expect to see Nick Swisher (33), Melky Cabrera (53), Ramiro Pena (he’s been using 90, I think)."

They said:

"The Yankees finalized their Opening Day roster on Saturday, selecting infielder Ramiro Pena as the club’s 25th man over former American League Rookie of the Year Angel Berroa."

The aspect of this that did catch me unawares was that the Yankees removed Dan Giese from their forty man roster to make room for Pena. Giese was a vital part of the roster last season and only just missed out on the last pitching slot. I hope he catches on with another Major League outfit before too long. He gaves us some vital innings last year.

Another Yankees prediction comes true……..

Posted on March 31, 2009 by twilightdawning

From Major League Baseball.com:

"The Yankees continued to finalize what will be their Opening Day roster on Tuesday, informing right-handed reliever Jonathan Albaladejo that he will be heading north to New York.

The decision means that the Yankees will not have a dedicated long reliever to begin the season. Alfredo Aceves, Dan Giese and Brett Tomko were all sent to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, along with catcher Kevin Cash. "

Pettitte and the Yankees ….. the story continues

Posted on January 27, 2009 by twilightdawning

A few weeks ago I said:

"I’d like to see: Sabathia – Wang – Burnett – Pettitte – Aceves."

In another post I said:

"I think he (Pettitte) should swallow deeply, remember last winter and all the damage that did to his reputation and take the $10 million that the Yankees have on the table. He would be a good no. 4 or no. 5 starter."

Yesterday, Pettitte accepted far less than that offer – albeit in an incentive-laden deal that could net him more than that if the season goes well.

Another piece falls into place in the puzzle.

Yankees in 2009 – Where does it look like they’re going?

Posted on January 21, 2009 by twilightdawning

Having finally laid to rest the 2008 Baseball season, from a Bronx perspective, a week ago, we now begin looking at the team as it will line-up for 2009 or at least as it looks like it will this side of Spring training.

Here are the players that I would expect to dominate the roster:

C – Jorge Posada
1B – Mark Teixeira
2B – Robinson Cano
3B – Alex Rodriguez
SS – Derek Jeter
LF – Johnny Damon / Xavier Nady
CF – Melky Cabrera / Brett Gardner
RF – Xavier Nady / Nick Swisher
DH – Hideki Matsui / Johnny Damon

Infield Bench – Cody Ransom / Juan Miranda
Outfield bench – Brett Gardner / Nick Swisher
Catchers on bench – Jose Molina / Francisco Cervelli

SP1 – CC Sabathia
SP2 – Chien-Ming Wang
SP3 – AJ Burnett
SP4 – Joba Chamberlain
SP5 – Alfredo Aceves / Phil Hughes

Long Relief – Alfredo Aceves / Dan Giese

Middle Relief 1 – Jose Veras
Middle Relief 2 – Brian Bruney
Middle Relief 3 – Phil Coke

Left handed specialist – Damaso Marte
Closer – Mariano Rivera

Other pitchers in the running: Ian Kennedy, Andrew Brackman, Jonathan Albaladejo, David Robertson, Humberto Sanchez.

I’m reckoning that they’ll only carry one of the back-up catchers I’ve mentioned – very probably Molina. Aceves is in the forefront for two spots but could miss out all together. The bullpen, as always, is the least settled prior to the Spring. Nick Swisher could move prior to the start of the season.

The Twilight Dawning 1st Annual Yankees Baseball Awards

Posted on January 14, 2009 by twilightdawning

That’s TWI-D (Twilight Dawning) not TWIB (This week in Baseball)

Using the rules I explained so clearly yesterday, here are the Yankees players who fared best according to my bi-monthly updates during the 2008 season:

Batter of the Year 2008: Alex Rodriguez
Pitcher of the Year 2008: Mike Mussina
Bench player of the Year 2008: Wilson Betemit
Relief Pitcher of the Year 2008: Mariano Rivera

Most appearances without getting mentioned in the Twilight Dawning reports:
Jonathan Albaladejo (7 games)

For the record, here are the total points gained:

Batters

A. Rodriguez 6

B. Abreu 3

J. Damon 2

D. Jeter 1

X. Nady 1

R. Cano 1

H. Matsui 0

J. Posada 0

J. Giambi -1

I. Rodriguez -2

M. Cabrera -3

J. Molina -4

Bench

W. Betemit 6

B. Gardner 2

C. Ransom 2

C. Moeller 1

J. Miranda 1

J. Christian 0

M. Ensberg -1

A. Gonzalez -2

S. Duncan -2

R. Sexson -2

Pitchers

M. Mussina 6

M. Rivera 5

B. Bruney 4

J. Veras 4

K. Farnsworth 3

J. Chamberlain 2

A. Aceves 2

D. Giese 2

P. Coke 2

C.M. Wang 1

Andy Pettitte 0

Carl Pavano 0

E. Ramirez -1

H. Sanchez -1

B. Traber -1

R. Ohlendorf -1

S. Ponson -1

D. Marte -2

C. Britton -2

P. Hughes -2

L. Hawkins -2

K. Igawa -2

D. Robertson -3

I. Kennedy -3

D. Rasner -5

There’s the odd anomaly (Rasner simply wasn’t that bad, he was just simply left on the roster longer than other struggling pitchers!) in this but I think it is surprisingly evocative of the way the season went.

It’s fifteen years since my first trip to Yankee Stadium. It was a privilege to be there again this season and particularly to be present for the final game at the old Stadium. Hopefully, next year will see them back in the post-season.

Almost ready to sum up

Posted on January 13, 2009 by twilightdawning

I’ve now summarised the 2008 baseball season for the New York Yankees position-by-position. Looking back over the season, I listed the most notable batter and pitchers, twice a month, in three categories. Six players (three batters, three pitchers) were recorded as Pluses, Minuses and Surprises. Going back through those lists and awarding one point for being a Plus, subtracting one for being a Minus and adding or deducting one point depending on whether they were a good Surprise or a bad one.

Totalling all this up I’ll reveal tomorrow who is the Twilight Dawning Yankees Batter of the Year, Yankees Pitcher of the Year, Yankees Bench Player of the Year and Yankees Relief Pitcher of the Year.

Yankees – and finally to the designated hitters

Posted on January 8, 2009 by twilightdawning

The Yankees used fifteen players at designated hitter in 2008……….

There was………

Johnny Damon ……. who was predominately the left fielder. He played there in 27 games.

Jason Giambi ……. who was the everyday first baseman for much of the season. He played there in 26 games.

Jorge Posada …… who would have been the everyday catcher if it hadn’t been for injury. He played there in 15 games.

Alex Rodriguez…. who was the everyday third baseman. He played there when he was recovering from injury……that was 7 games

Xavier Nady….. who took over in leftfield for most of the second half of the season. He was the DH on 7 occasions.

Bobby Abreu….. who was the everyday rightfielder. He was the DH on 4 occasions.

Chad Moeller…… a player looking for a slot in the line-up. Particularly in the second half when there was one catcher too many. 2 games.

Ivan Rodriguez…… not the player they expected at catcher, so occasionally he was used at DH. Again, just 2 games.

Derek Jeter….. occasionally even the captain / shortstop needs to do half duty…… 2 games

Justin Christian…. found time in the outfield harder to come by so he was moved to DH……. 2 games.

Shelley Duncan…… didn’t live up to expectations at 1B…… 1 game

Morgan Ensberg……. another failed first base experiment…….. 1 game

Wilson Betemit…….. the consummate bench player…… 1 game

Richie Sexson….. maybe he’ll hit more home runs without the defensive responsibilities….. 1 game

All of which shows that Girardi regards Designated Hitter as some kind of bonus role for the weak and / or recovering player he can’t slot in anywhere else. This is fine when you’re a manager in the National League where the DH only becomes an issue for the half-a-dozen inter-league games at an American League stadium which are such a pesky nuisance. However, it really doesn’t work in the American League. Whether you like the Designated Hitter or not (and I do) you have to give the player in that position some kind of consistency – and use a fit player. The only player who came close to being consistently used there was also someone carrying a debilitating medical problem awaiting attention……….

Hideki Matsui (93 games). 66 of these were at DH. Matsui’s days when he was able to be a good leftfielder seem to be behind him now. He will become a useful designated hitter if he can still hit with power…. and that remains to be seen but he will need to be a different proposition in 2009 than he was in 2008. In 2008, his slugging average was .424. This was a career low for Matsui and only 7th amongst Yankees who appeared in more than half of the games of the season. Whether the Yankees should be guiding Matsui towards retirement rather than designated hitter remains to be seen. Honouring someone who’s done good service for the team is one thing but we can’t afford to do this in the active lineup unless he comes off his September surgery vastly improved.

But who will we use at designated hitter if Matsui doesn’t work out. Whether the obvious candidate seems to be Nick Swisher, who looks peculiarly surplus to requirement, now that we have Teixeira at first base. Johnny Damon would have been destined there if we had done the sensible thing and re-signed Bobby Abreu – but that looks increasingly unlikely. Brett Gardner will need to find playing time somewhere …. but he’s scarcely in the big hitting designated hitter mold that I’m arguing for…….

So Matsui it is…… with reservations.

Yankees – Any relief coming their way? part 3

Posted on January 5, 2009 by twilightdawning

Here we have a last few comments on the relief pitchers the Yankees used this season. And then some predictions for who will man the bullpen in 2009……….

Alfredo Aceves (6 games). 4 starts, two relief appearances. For my main comments on Aceves, please see the article on starting pitchers. Suffice to say that if he doesn’t make the rotation, he should be the long reliever.

Humberto Sanchez (2 games). Both appearances in relief. Sanchez after many stumbles and time lost to injury, finally made it to the Bronx in September. Sometimes you sit in the box seats and watch someone’s debut and you know you’re watching the beginning of an era. Sometimes you sit and watch and you think you see a journeyman. My impression was the latter. He’ll need an awfully good Spring to make the roster. I don’t see it – expect him to begin the year in Scranton.

Sidney Ponson (16 games). 15 starts, 1 relief. See the Starting pitchers comments for my thoughts on Mr Ponson.

Kei Igawa (2 games). 1 start. 1 relief appearance. How the Yankees came by Igawa is anyone’s guess. He came as the next young Oriental pitcher expected to make it big in the States. He became someone who needed to be developed before he was set to be a major league regular. He is now the man who the Yankees just wish someone would take away and put an end to their and his suffering. He suffered a 13.50 ERA in 2008 as the Yankees were willing to try anyone to give them left-handed relief. Unprotected and off the 40-man roster, I doubt we will see him back in New York pinstripe.

Ian Kennedy (10 games). 9 starts, 1 in relief. See the starting pitchers list for my thoughts on his pitching and chances for 2009.

Scott Patterson (1 game). 1 game in relief. The way that the Yankees treated Patterson in 2008 is a mystery to me. He had a great Spring and just missed the opening day roster by a hairs-breadth. In June, he was called up when the Yankees designated Morgan Ensberg for assignement and he pitched a lack-lustre 1 and a third innings in his debut for an ERA of 6.75. Too early to tell but the Yankees needed a reliever the next day so it was back to Scranton for Patterson where the people at the major level seemed to completely forget he existed. Despite a good year at Scranton, he was placed on waivers in September to clear space on the roster for incoming players (never a good sign for your future) and this seemingly expendable reliever / closer was claimed by San Diego where he had a good finish to the year giving up no runs in three appearances. This might make sense if there weren’t times in the year when the Yankees were really scratching around to find half-way decent pitchers. Anyway, good luck to him at the Padres in 2009.

So that’s em all. Where does that leave the New York Yankees’ bullpen for 2009. Well, barring any surprise additions or subtractions, I look at it like this:

Certainties: Rivera, Veras, Bruney, Marte

Likelies: Coke

Possibles: Robertson, Ramirez, Giese, Aceves

Slim chance: Albaladejo, Sanchez

This, of course, doesn’t allow for injuries and the ever-present likelihood that one of the young arms will so impress the coaches in Spring training that they decide to give him a first chance. This happens almost every year and is impossible to predict. It also doesn’t allow for the possibiility that the big noises in New York might change their minds once more and decide that Chamberlain is a reliever after all. This makes way too much sense and therefore will not happen. It does however mean that the Yankees do not have to fill the last relief spot on their roster with some make-weight like Billy Traber.

The year in relief looks good.