Death By Bullpen

melancon_250_050609.jpgBy Glenn Giangrande
I just can’t take it anymore. The Yankees bullpen is like a train wreck that I DON’T want to watch.

In defense of Joe Girardi, he was dealt a tough hand when he lost Brian Bruney to the disabled list and Damaso Marte apparently was pitching hurt. That being said, about half the active ‘pen at minimum is downright unreliable right now. Jose Veras, Edwar Ramirez, and Jonathan Albaladejo can’t be trusted in big situations, but they also can’t be counted on to keep games close when the Yankees are down. Girardi also doesn’t seem to trust David Robertson much, and I can’t imagine Mark Melancon helped himself by walking the bases loaded in the ninth against Boston Tuesday night. Aside from Phil Coke and Mariano Rivera, it’s ugly out there.

So where on the planet is there to turn? For starters, Alfredo Aceves and his career .228 BAA deserve a chance to pitch some meaningful late innings. I’m not counting on Chien-Ming Wang’s return, so I’ll leave Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain out of the equation for now. Casey Fossum was signed to a Minor League deal after being cut loose by the Mets, a team that like the Yankees are dealing with a bullpen in dire straits. I guess Fossum is no worse than the current options, but anyone out there think he’s a real solution to the problem? Is there even an realistic external solution to be had? It’s too early to talk trade, not that the relief market is going to be any better than usual, and Fossum is clearly the best the Yankees could do via free agency.

On a brighter note, did anyone out there catch Family Guy this past Sunday? I was dying. Lauren Conrad-Bill Cosby sex tape, Mr. Magoo driving with Lindsay Lohan … there was some tremendous stuff. If you want your mind taken off the Yankees’ relievers, check it out on your preferred Internet TV portal of choice. 

Red Sox vs. Yankees: Lineups 5/5/09

yankees.jpgYANKEES (13-12)
Derek Jeter SS
Johnny Damon LF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Hideki Matsui DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Melky Cabrera CF
Ramiro Pena 3B
Jose Molina C

Pitching: Joba Chamberlain (1-0, 3.13)

redsox.jpgRED SOX (16-10)
Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Dustin Pedroia 2B
David Ortiz DH
Jason Bay LF
Mike Lowell 3B
J.D. Drew RF
Jeff Bailey 1B
Jason Varitek C
Nick Green SS

Pitching: Josh Beckett (2-2, 7.22)

Red Sox vs. Yankees: Lineups 5/4/09

yankees.jpgYANKEES (13-11)
Derek Jeter SS
Johnny Damon LF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Nick Swisher RF
Robinson Cano 2B
Jorge Posada DH
Melky Cabrera CF
Jose Molina C
Angel Berroa 3B

Pitching: Phil Hughes (1-0, 0.00)

redsox.jpgRED SOX (15-10)
Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Dustin Pedroia 2B
David Ortiz DH
Kevin Youkilis 1B
J.D. Drew RF
Jason Bay LF
Mike Lowell 3B
Jason Varitek C
Nick Green SS

Pitching: Jon Lester (1-2, 5.40)

ACEVES RECALLED
The Yankees have recalled Alfredo Aceves from Triple-A Scranton to serve as the long man out of the bullpen. Anthony Claggett was optioned back.

Big bucks, small production

ccblogyes0502.jpgBy Jon Lane
At what point do you worry about two of the Yankees’  big-ticket acquisitions? It’s still too early in my view, and people around the team will insist that Mark Teixeira and CC Sabathia will turn it around, and soon. But since a baseball season is dissected in reaction to daily events, Teixeira and Sabathia have been anything but impact players, and fans are getting restless.

Teixeira went 0-for-3 in today’s 8-4 loss to the Angels, is 2-for-27 (.074) over his last eight games and is batting .182. In the sixth inning with Derek Jeter on third and one out in a 1-1 game, Teixeira flied out to shallow center, not deep enough to put the Yankees ahead.

“I’m very upset,” Teixeira said. “I’m not getting hits. I’m very upset that I’m not coming through for my team. I’m embarrassed that I’m hitting one something.  Whatever one is, it’s embarrassing.
 
“In the last couple of days, I’ve really worked hard. Kevin Long and I have been looking at videotape of my swings and my swing feels good. I just got to swing at maybe a few better pitches.”

Metro New York reporter and stats guru Larry Fleisher compiled a list of his batting averages through May 2 in his career.
 
2008 – .265
2007 – .223
2006 – .292
2005 – .259
2004 – .222
2003 – .188

To be fair, Teixeira hasn’t had Alex Rodriguez hitting behind him and once the sleeping giant awakens the Yankees will begin reaping the benefits of the $180 million they’re paying him over eight years. Combine the fact that A-Rod will fortify a lineup playing in a hitter’s park and Teixeira will turn those boos into cheers.

(A-Rod, by the way, went 0-for-6 in an extended spring game and is 2-for-18 in three games.)

Ditto Sabathia, who was brilliant for six innings before falling apart in the seventh. He’s 1-3 and winless since April 11 and the Yankees are 2-4 in games he’s started. Blame the big guy all you want, and he’s with fault, but his team has supported him with one run over his last two starts, and today was 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position while stranding seven.

“Sure, I had given up the lead, Sabathia said. “It was just frustrating. It was a tie game up until that point  When we’re not scoring runs, it’s up to the pitcher to go out and keep it close when we get in that eighth and ninth inning. That’s frustrating.  Every time you go out there, you want the team to win.  I’m just going to keep working hard and try to turn it around.”
 
Fleisher the stat guru notes that Sabathia has thrown 656 pitches in 39 innings through six starts (119 today). At this point last season he threw 604 covering 32.

Wrapping up the week

By Jon Lane
Our friends at River Avenue Blues had their weekly live chat this afternoon. Among the highlights:

The Yankees made the right move by not offering Chien-Ming Wang a long-term deal. Wang’s miserable beginning to 2009 is 20-10 hindsight, but RAB notes they could afford to go year to year and pay big arbitration raises as warranted. Count on this, though: Wang will right himself and when he’s back – at 100 percent and nothing less – you’ll see what you’ve seen out of the talented right-hander since 2005.

Let’s defend A.J. Burnett’s start Thursday night. Okay, four runs and eight hits in seven innings isn’t pretty, but winning ugly is a beautiful thing. Burnett gave the Yankees seven innings and kept them in the game until they broke through in the eighth. John Flaherty made a great point during the telecast when he cited how Roger Clemens enjoyed pitching a lot more when he had to grind it out. You’re not going to have your best stuff every outing. Burnett didn’t but he found a way to survive and finished with a nine-pitch seventh.  

Who will be the odd man out once Brian Bruney returns? RAB speculates it’ll be David Robertson, but Jose Veras and Jonathan Albaladejo better be on alert. Albaladejo has options and he’s given up seven runs in his last inning of work covering two appearances. That three-year deal given to Damaso Marte is more and more of an albatross.

Interesting poll question: Who will be the Yankees’ closer in 2011? (Mariano Rivera’s current  contract expires after next season.)
 
Mark Melancon
Joba Chamberlain
Mariano Rivera
Other

Who do you think? Vote here and have your say.

It’s Angels vs. Yankees tonight on YES (weather permitting). Kimberly Jones is there off a successful debut chat. Enjoy the game and the weekend.

Angels vs. Yankees: 5/1/09 Lineups

yankees.jpgYANKEES (12-10)
Derek Jeter SS
Johnny Damon LF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Hideki Matsui DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Jorge Posada C
Nick Swisher RF
Melky Cabrera CF
Ramiro Pena 3B

Pitching: Andy Pettitte (2-1, 2.96)

angels.jpgANGELS (9-12)
Chone Figgins 3B
Gary Matthews RF
Bobby Abreu LF
Torii Hunter CF
Mike Napoli DH
Howie Kendrick 2B
Robb Quinlan 1B
Jeff Mathis C
Erick Aybar SS

Pitching: Jered Weaver (2-1, 2.45)

Hughes in relief, David Robertson, Citizens Bank Park

citizenspark_350.jpgBy Glenn Giangrande
Hey everyone! It’s been a while since I’ve blogged. I’ve been wrapped up in work here at YES mostly, though I did manage to take a day trip down to Philadelphia for a game at Citizens Bank Park. It’s a gorgeous place, and a great one to see a game. Dave Bush of Milwaukee came five outs of a no-hitter; my heart sank in the eighth inning when Matt Stairs launched a moonshot that hooked right into the right field foul pole, breaking up the no-no bid with a pinch hit homer. Fun times though, no doubt. Run a Facebook search on my full name if you want to see the pics. My profile’s public and it’s got the Philly pics in their own album. I don’t have anything to hide!
 
I thought I’d celebrate my return to blogging with a few quick hits. Where to begin, where to begin…
 

  • Phil Hughes, reliever?  If everyone wants to tout the idea of putting Joba Chamberlain back in the bullpen if Chien-Ming Wang returns healthy, why can’t Wang’s return push Hughes to the bullpen? Not that it’s an idea that’s been discussed or anything, but why is everyone so adamant about Joba being a reliever? It must only be because he’s done it regularly. Remember, Joba only solidified the ‘pen because he was necessary when Kyle Farnsworth and the like couldn’t do the job in ’07.

 

  • Anyone else wonder if the Brett Gardner era is over before it began? I’m the same guy who said that Gardner was going to run away with the starting CF job in Spring Training, but it’s May now, not March. Gardner might simply be a 4-A outfielder, albeit one with A++ speed.

 

  • I love Adrian Gonzalez of the Padres. One of the best players many baseball fans still don’t know about. Put him on the all-underrated team right next to Raul Ibanez.

 

  • Mark Melancon deservedly has the attention of those who follow the Minors as a guy who can be a breakout pitcher this season, but I really think David Robertson deserves equal focus.

 

  • How young does Ramiro Pena look? 15? 16?

 

  • Which New York hockey team had the more productive year: the one that blew a 3-1 lead in the first round of the playoffs or the team that secured the No. 1 pick in the draft?

 

  • Not only did David Wells sit with the fans on Opening Day, but I spotted him outside Yankee Stadium signing autographs for about 20 minutes long after the game was over. A stand up move by the lefty, though I cannot in good conscience call him Boomer. I reserve that name for Mr. Esiason much like many Giants fans refuse to call LaDanian Tomlinson “LT,” even though they are indeed his initials.

 

  • I just dropped major dollars on car repairs. My car’s a 1997 Plymouth Breeze. 150,000+ miles. Can I get it to 200,000?

Angels vs. Yankees: 4/30/09 Lineups

yankees.jpgYANKEES (11-10)
Derek Jeter SS
Johnny Damon LF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Hideki Matsui DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Jorge Posada C
Nick Swisher RF
Melky Cabrera CF
Ramiro Pena 3B

Pitching: A.J. Burnett (2-0, 5.47)

angels.jpgANGELS (9-11)
Chone Figgins 3B
Maicer Izturis DH
Bobby Abreu RF
Torii Hunter CF
Kendry Morales 1B
Mike Napoli C
Howie Kendrick 2B
Juan Rivera LF
Erick Aybar SS

Pitching: Anthony Ortega (0-1, 7.20)