Tagged: New York Yankees
Hello Toronto
By Jon Lane
Game 1 of the two-game set is tonight with Andy Pettitte squaring off against Roy Halladay, who makes his first start in T.O. since surviving the trade deadline and remaining a Blue Jay. Red Sox-Yankees may begin on Thursday, but this series also carries plenty of intrigue.
Consider:
? Nice pitching matchup tonight (YES HD, 7 p.m.): Andy Pettitte vs. Roy Halladay. Pettitte may be on his last legs, but so far so good in the second half. He comes off a strong game last Thursday in Chicago, two runs (one earned) on five hits in 6 1/3 innings during a tough-luck no-decision, and owns a 2.70 ERA in his last three starts – and has pitched into at least the seventh inning in all three. Speculation will increase from where I sit on whether this will be Pettitte’s final Major League season, but anything he provides down the stretch is critical. If the Yankees make the postseason, Pettitte will get a Game 3 start – or perhaps Game 2 – based on track record alone.
? Expect a packed house energized that the Yankees are in town and Doc Halladay (11-4, 2.68 ERA) is still a Blue Jay. Halladay is 16-5 with a 2.90 ERA in 34 games – 32 starts – versus the Yankees and 8-0 with a 2.10 ERA in his last 10 games against New York at Rogers Centre. The last time the Yankees saw Halladay in Toronto was May 12, when pitched a complete-game five-hitter in a 5-1 victory, but they did tag him for five runs in seven innings (three home runs) during a 6-5 July 4 win in 12 innings.
? We’re seeing Phase I of the Joba plan with the Yankees bumping him an extra two days to start Thursday against the Red Sox (while avoiding throwing Sergio Mitre out there). How the team actually manages this innings limit thing will be unveiled a little each time. If you notice, Phil Hughes has been getting a bit more work with each appearance (except yesterday).
Speaking of Mitre, he and his 7.90 ERA starts Wednesday. Unless Brian Cashman snags a veteran starter that clears waivers this month, he better hop Mitre shows dramatic improvement off a disasterous start Friday night (five runs on seven hits in three innings). Otherwise you’re looking at Kei Igawa (whoa boy) starting potentially key games.
? Heading into Showdown Thursday, the Red Sox play two games against the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg before flying into New York City. Both teams will have their hands full the next two days.
The Lodown
By Jon Lane
It’s been an eventful week on YESNetwork.com. I worked yesterday’s 6-4 Yankees win that showed me that while the Yankees are contenders, they need to prove they can beat A-list opponents before being considered an elite team. Still, an old credo from 1996 has helped them maintain focus, which a couple of players said will be the difference when they meet the Rays next week and the Red Sox next month.
Jerome Preisler worked the game with me and this morning eloquently broke down Nick Swisher’s day of redemption.
After the game I spoke exclusively with Phil Hughes. Showing the maturity to accept the hand he’s dealt, Hughes has thrived as Mariano Rivera’s primary set-up man.
The Off the Wall podcast with Chris Shearn debuted last night. The host of BPTV talks Erin Andrews, Roy Halladay and calls out the mecurial nature of the New York sports fan.
HOPE Week has been a huge success and there’s still more to come. I was there to tell the heartbreaking and powerful story of George Murray, a former Army paratrooper suffering from ALS. I came away having experienced first hand the quality of courage. Jerome, Joe Auriemma and Christa Robinson will be on hand for tonight’s special installment. And be sure to watch Yankees Pre Game at 6:30 for a special feature about Helping Others Persevere & Excel.
Back to work
By Jon Lane
The Yankees begin the second half of their season tonight at Yankee Stadium, where A.J. Burnett takes the ball against Luke French and the Detroit Tigers (YES HD, 7 p.m.). There are storylines aplenty entering the summer’s dog days, including Burnett, writes Peter Abraham. The right-hander posted a 1.77 ERA in winning his last three starts and is 4-1 with a 1.34 ERA in his past five. For all the talk of CC Sabathia’s importance, and it’s legit, Burnett must continue to show that he’s peaked and is capable of carrying a team.
A few other random thoughts as we gear up for the weekend, which includes Old Timer’s Day on Sunday. I’ll be on-site with lots of blogging and storytelling.
The Yankees hope to emerge from a four-day break recharged after a three-game sweep in Anaheim, where they allowed 29 runs to the Angels that wiped out an eight-game road winning streak. The Tigers (48-39) are a good team in the mold that’s given the Yankees fits. Against the first-place teams they’ve played in 2009, New York’s record is 5-15. Tonight and the weekend is the first of many statement games and series. This is the time of year where business gradually begins to pick up and the next couple of weeks could determine whether the Yankees will be major players at the trade deadline. Those reports you’ve been seeing on how they won’t be pursuing Roy Halladay? Take them with a grain of salt. Brian Cashman loves to fly stealth.
Speaking of Doc, like with any great debate, there are those who want him in pinstripes at any cost, others at only the right price and those who think it’s crazy for Cashman to gut a farm system he so painstakingly rebuilt. Steven Goldman’s message to the Yankees: Don’t do it. As Newsday‘s Anthony Rieber wrote yesterday, the Yankees can and must take on Vernon Wells’ bloated contract to make this happen while preserving the system. But as one fan points out, Plan B — a Brian Bannister or Paul Maholm — is the best route. What do you think?
Alex Rodriguez is once again generating attention, except this time it’s been confined strictly to the baseball diamond, and that’s a good thing. Over his last 17 games, A-Rod is batting .373 (22 for 59) with eight home runs and 22 RBIs. His first game was May 8, yet Rodriguez ranks second on the team in homers (17) and tied for second in RBIs (50), and the Yankees are a league-best 38-22 since his return.
Still, there’s something about the Yankees’ performance against the Red Sox that gnaws at you. Oh, that 0-8 record. And if there’s enough to worry about coming from Boston, beware of the Rays, writes Goldman.
Check back on YESNetwork.com for lineups and updates from the Stadium. And be sure to read about HOPE Week a program designed to promote five remarkable stories and inspire others into action.
Happy 35th birthday, DJ
By: Joe Auriemma
It’s June 26th and that can mean only one thing — it’s the captain’s
birthday. Derek Jeter is 35 years old today. Wow, where did the time
go? It seems like just yesterday, we saw this young, lanky talent get
his first Major League hit back on May 30, 1995, in the Kingdome. Even
in that 1995 season, we saw greatness, but we didn’t fully realize how
much he would mean to the franchise until the 1996 season when he won
the Rookie of the Year. Jeter and company created one of the most
magical seasons in the history of the Yankees. His maturity level was beyond his years, and his knack for hitting in the clutch provided a spark to a veteran squad. One of the memories that most people will never forget from that first season is of course the Jeffrey Maier home run against the Orioles in the ALCS.
Throughout his career, Jeter has given Yankees fans so many memories. He is still the only player in the Major League history to win both the All-Star Game MVP and the World Series MVP in the same season (2000). In that aforementioned World Series, the Subway Series against the Mets, Jeter lead off game four with a home run off of Bobby Jones that turned the tide in that game and the momentum in the series.
Who can forget the flip against the A’s that changed the momentum in that series? Grasping on to a 1-0 lead, that play not only gave the Yankees that game but led the charge to another two wins and a series victory.
The play that might be the most quintessentially “Jeter-ian” is the dive into the stands against the Red Sox. It was the classic Yankees-Red Sox showdown on July 1, 2004, and it was a defining moment in the career of the captain. The dive exemplified everything that Jeter is as a player, a person and a leader.
When Jeter eventually does retire, he certainly will go down as one of the greatest players to ever wear the Pinstripes. Shockingly, he is on pace to be the only Yankee to ever attain 3,000 hits in a Yankees uniform. So here’s to you Derek on your birthday.
Also, I’d like to send out a special Happy Birthday to my wife Kelly, who shares a birthday with the captain and just might be his biggest fan.
Derek Jeter’s Career Stats on his Birthday
AVG .325
H-AB 13/40
XBH 2
RBI 3
Runs 6
OBP .404
Pretty good I would say!
Could it Actually be Sunny in New York?
By: Joe Auriemma
The sun is shining in wonderful Stamford, CT, the home of the YES Network’s studio. I was really starting to think that New York had inherited Seattle’s weather pattern. What a brutal month this has been for both weather in New York and for the baseball teams that reside here. How appropriate that they are both ending June by playing each other in the last weekend series.
The Yankees will finally check out the Mets new digs. I’m going for the first time on Saturday to get some interviews with some players and hopefully chat with both managers. I know that Jerry Manuel has to be pleased, that even though his team is not playing its’ best baseball, they are still only one game back of the Phillies in the division. The Mets have suffered some major injuries this season that would cripple any contender into the cellar, however, they have endured and continue to compete. Even though they have won their last three out of four, they are only 9-13 in the month of June and this series with the Yankees might give them an opportunity to leave this month unscathed after getting swept by the Pirates to start June. The other teams in the NL East continue to struggle giving the Mets the golden opportunity to stay in the race, while some of their main cogs try and get healthy.
The Yankees are five games back of the Red Sox, who seem to have had a stranglehold on the Yankees and the AL East since the meltdown of 2004. Now I know the Rays won the division last season, but it just feels like the Red Sox get all of the breaks the Yankees used to get before the 2004 ALCS. The Yankees need to figure out a way to beat those guys in the second half of the season or else it’s going to be another long offseason for the team’s fans and especially the team itself.
This weekend series is more than just a regular Subway Series for the Yankees; they need this series to make a push and finish out their first half on a high note. Let’s hope for sunnier days after the All-Star break.
Other Sports Related Notes
Basketball
According to Chad Ford of ESPN.com, the Nets and Orlando Magic have agreed to
a trade that would send Vince Carter to the Magic. The official deal is Carter and
Ryan Anderson for Rafer Alston, Tony Battie and Courtney Lee. Orlando
would add Carter to an already star-studded lineup that would include
Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis and Jameer Nelson, while Hedo Turkoglu is
most likely going to opt out of his contract this summer. The Nets are
trying to be big players in the big free agent market next summer, when
all of the big names seem to be free agents at the same time. The Nets
are going to be well under the cap with this move.
Shaquille O’Neal will be 38 years old next season and has one more opportunity to win a championship by teaming up with LeBron James. The Suns and Cavs have agreed on a trade that would send Shaq-daddy to Cleveland. My question is, when is Nike going to make a Shaq puppet. This should be interesting to see how Shaq and LeBron play together.
Wasted Fantasy Baseball Pick
Literally my pick was wasted on Geovany Soto this season. I thought I was getting a stud catcher and in his second major league season, he is turning out to be a dud. I’m happy that I traded for Victor Martinez, but Soto has been a huge disappointment. Now word is that he has failed a drug test administered by the International Baseball Federation for marijuana use during the World Baseball Classic. Thanks Geovany!
Can you believe the decade is almost over?
I want to put together a poll here on YESNetwork.com about the best and worst moments of the decade in New York and National Sports. I don’t know about anyone else, but this decade flew by. Give me a shout on twitter, https://twitter.com/JoeAuriemmaNYY, or comment on here if you like the idea and I’ll start to come up with some moments.
Till next time!
Holy Geez! What happened while I was gone?
By: Joe Auriemma
To say that I went off the grid for a little bit is an understatement. On June 12th, I got married to my lovely wife Kelly. I’m quickly learning to say things like that in the early stages of married life. However, the week leading up to the wedding and then the honeymoon thereafter has made me lose touch with the team that I not only have been covering for the last eight seasons, but watched faithfully since I was a little boy.
Before I left, the Yankees again got swept by the Red Sox but were still in decent shape in the division — even after the Fenway massacre. I would try and get some sports updates in Aruba, but I was lost. It wasn’t until I came home and watched the team lose to Atlanta 4-0 and saw Chien-Ming Wang fall to 0-6 on the season that I realized how much trouble the Yankees could be in soon. The Red Sox are now five games up in the division, the Yankees still have not beaten them, and they are losing series to the Nationals and the Marlins. No offense to the Nationals and Marlins, but the Yankees that were rolling along in May wouldn’t have had that much trouble with any team.
Are the Red Sox still in their head? Will the offense start to show up again? How long are they going to go with Wang continuing to lose and not give them length in his starts? What happened to that powerhouse that we all saw in May winning day in and day out?
Over the last 13 games, since the beginning of the Sox series, the Yankees are 4-9 and the offense has sputtered. They are averaging four runs per game while hitting .240, and have hit one home run per contest over this span. To make things worse, A-Rod’s batting average is now down to .207. The previous 29 games before this 4-9 stretch, the Yankees were 21-8. Over that time the Yankees were hitting .279, scoring 5.8 runs per game and hitting 1.8 home runs per contest. The numbers speak for themselves.
This team is at a crossroads right now and it could start spiraling out of control sooner than later. I still think this team is good enough to compete for a championship, but they need to start answering some of the questions surrounding them and move on.
Well I’ve finally given in and I have my own Twitter account. You can follow me at https://twitter.com/JoeAuriemmaNYY. I’ll update it as much as possible, but I’m still on my Facebook kick. I’ll catch you next time.
The Pulse of New York
Every Tuesday, YES Blog takes the pulse of New York on the hottest topics being talked about right now in the world of sports. What’s your take on the below issues?
How many games will the Yankees win this weekend at Citi Field against the Mets?(polls)
Who will start at first base in the All-Star game for the American League?(answers)
Who should the Knicks take with the 8th pick in Thursday’s NBA Draft?(polling)
Which current division leader is least likely to win the division?(surveys)
How many starts will CC Sabathia miss with his biceps injury?(trends)
Who is to blame for the over-coverage of the Brett Favre situation?(poll)
A cybertour around the A.L.
by Glenn Giangrande
I’m the kind of guy who likes to be plugged in. A few days ago, while I was sitting through the five-and-a-half hour rain delay that turned the Yankees’ 1:05 game versus Washington into about a 6:30 game, I finally gave in and joined Twitter. It was partially out of boredom and because Facebook happens to be blocked at the YES Studios. I have to say that I enjoy it, and the best part has to be being able to track celebrities or sports stars. Paul Pierce and Shaq were in the first wave of people and websites I agreed to follow, along with the official page of the Jets and the phenomenal blog about my Islanders, “Point Blank,” among others. You can find me at http://twitter.com/glenngiangrande. The page is a work in progress though. Shout out to my first follower who’s a fellow blogger, @yankeemeginphl!
The thing we need to worry about on sites like Twitter and Facebook are the imposters, but it’s great to be able to get post-game reactions from players such as Nick Swisher, for example. So in honor of the social networking boon, I thought I’d summarize the season thus far for the American League teams along with some of their problems when applicable, Facebook status update style. Now since Twitter users can link their Facebook status updates to be on both pages, the status updates are limited to no more than 140 characters. Here’s what the members of the Junior Circuit might say if they had pages…
AL East
* The New York Yankees are glad to be where we are given the injuries we’ve dealt with. Could use a bullpen arm and maybe an outfield upgrade.
* The Boston Red Sox are lovin’ life atop the division, but we’re cursing the WBC for ruining Dice-K! Although, Smoltzie could fix that issue.
* The Tampa Bay Rays are really hoping that last season wasn’t a fluke. Yes, Zobrist is this good! We’ll be a-o-k once Price gets on track.
* The Toronto Blue Jays are wondering who has the voodoo doll. How many more pitchers do we need to lose? Eh, we’re still not moving Halladay.
* The Baltimore Orioles hate being in the basement. Time to listen to offers on everyone age 30 and up! How many Wieters shirts can we print?
AL Central
* The Detroit Tigers are back! 2008 was an aberration. We’ll cruise if Magglio gets himself right. Verlander emerging as a Cy Young candidate?
* The Minnesota Twins are wondering what the heck happened to our bullpen! Can we get some consistency from Liriano? We all heart Joe Mauer.
* The Chicago White Sox knew Alexei Ramirez would catch fire. Beckham may need more seasoning. We can make a run if Contreras steps it up!
* The Kansas City Royals are down. So much for that great start. Glad we locked up Greinke, now Gordon needs to make strides when healthy.
* The Cleveland Indians are wondering where it went wrong. Hopefully Grady avoids further damage. We could get some assets for C-Lee in trade.
AL West
* The Texas Rangers could really use a veteran in the rotation, though Nolan’s philosophy is paying dividends! Hope Josh gets well asap.
* The Los Angeles Angels have gotten solid production out of Morales after not choosing to spend big in the winter. 2nd half runaway out West?
* The Seattle Mariners are wondering if the Bedard trade was worth it, but the Putz deal has worked! Not sure if we’re contenders though.
* The Oakland A’s would have no problems letting Matt Holliday walk and taking some draft picks, but let’s see what the highest bidder has!
Time to move on
By Jon Lane
Okay, the Yankees are 0-8 against the Red Sox and losers of nine straight to their rivals since last season, the longest such streak in nearly 100 years.
Terrible, no doubt. And no question the Red Sox hold a psychological edge over the Yankees; whatever could go wrong did during those three nights at Fenway Park. Blame A.J. Burnett, Chien-Ming Wang, the bullpen and Joe Girardi all you want, but 3-for-26 with runners in scoring position in the past two games is hideous.
But if you look at the big picture, the series means nothing.Consider.
- Today is June 12, 2009. The Yankees are two games out of first with 102 to play and 34-18 against the rest of the league.
- The teams do not meet again until August 6 at Yankee Stadium, the first of 10 remaining between the clubs. The last three are September 25-27 at the Bronx. Trust me, those games will be far more significant.
- For a historical precedent, I think back to 1988. Yeah, the Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers aren’t bitter division rivals, but the Mets took 10 of 11 games from them during the regular season. The Dodgers beat them four games to three in the National League Championship series en route to winning the World Series. In 1999, the Yankees went 4-8 against the Red Sox – and beat them 4-1 in the ALCS.
Moral of the story. Put this to bed. Tonight begins another Subway Series. It’s overhyped and six games are too many – it’d be better if the teams met three times once a year, but that makes less money – but it still generates a buzz amongst fans. I’ll be there later keeping a diary of pregame activity and the vibe around the Stadium. Being that we haven’t seen the sun all week, we’ll have to keep close eyes on the weather.
Back soon with more.
Rivals go at it again
By Jon Lane
Not since 1974 have the Red Sox won six straight
games against the Yankees in one season, when they ran off seven
consecutive victories over their rivals. At that time the rivalry was
simmering before exploding later that decade. Dating back to 2003, this
has been at another level, and another chapter will be written starting
tonight. You can catch the game on My9, and tune into YES for complete
pre and postgame coverage starting with Yankees Batting Practice Today at 6 p.m.
Here’s where the teams stand:
- The
Yankees are in the AL East penthouse, one game ahead of the Red Sox,
and are a much different team than the one that dropped five straight
to them in the early going. Alex Rodriguez has since returned to the
lineup and New York has been on a 21-8 run. A-Rod may be batting .248,
but has eight home runs in 29 at-bats. More important is that his mere
presence alone has had a major impact Mark Teixeira, who is is batting
.364 with 13 homers and 36 RBIs hitting ahead of A-Rod in the lineup.
Teixeira, incidentally, now leads AL first baseman in All-Star voting.
- Yankees
starters are 12-2 in their last 24 games while limiting opponents to
three earned runs or fewer in 18 of 25 starts. Leading the way is CC
Sabathia, who has pitched at least eight innings in six of his last
eight starts (4-1, two no-decisions). The burly lefty starts Thursday
night against Brad Penny.
- Big start tonight for A.J. Burnett,
4-2 with a 4.69 ERA and seeking his third straight win after going
winless since April 14. Burnett leads the Yankees with 65 strikeouts
and is seeking redemption both team-oriented and personal. His last
time pitching at Fenway Park, Burnett blew a 6-0 lead on April 25,
allowing eight runs on eight hits in five innings of a 16-11 loss.
“We owe them a couple,” Burnett said.
- Bigger
start for Chien-Ming Wang Wednesday night. Everyone is well aware of
Wang’s early-season troubles and terrible track record at Fenway (3-3,
5.11 ERA in seven starts). Wang returned to the rotation last week and
while he was far from great, it was something to build on
considering what he’s had to endure. However, you’d think his leash
will be short. Many are speculating (including me) that Phil Hughes
will be summoned almost immediately if Wang digs himself a hole.
- As
you also know, David Ortiz is in the throes of an awful season. Big
Papi, who’s made his living killing the Yankees and rivaling Tom Brady
and Adam Vinatieri as Boston’s greatest clutch performer, is batting
.197 with two homers and 22 RBIs in 51 games. He visited an eye doctor
on Monday and his vision checked out well, which has left the Back Bay
mystified as to what has happened to him. Leave to Red Sox Nation to
panic. A few callers phoned into WEEI-AM saying he “stinks” and needs
to be relegated to part-time duty. Good line from Dale & Holley
though in response to Joe Girardi’s complaint about the Yankees playing
nine straight games in National League cities: The Red Sox played 50
games without a DH, the Yankees can play nine.” Ouch.
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