Tag: "Yuck the Fankees"

Elimination Day

…for someone. Hopefully the home team. If I wanted to be optimistic, I could point out that while the Yankee starter in Game 4 was a better bet than the basic numbers might indicate, Nova is worse. 5.4 K/9, with a less than 2-1 K/W ratio, ain’t that good, and his low HR rate in that park screams “fluke.” The Tigers do have some power and might be able to get to him. Fister isn’t a great bet either, but he gets a few more Ks and has much better command. What I don’t like about the game is that the Yankees have a very deep and very rested bullpen, so if Nova doesn’t have anything the Yanks aren’t a lot worse off. They can use their ace and the Tigers can’t, Rivera is better than Valverde, Roberston better than Benoit, etc. It’s hard to think this will work out.

It’s also NHL opening Night; congrats to the Bruins fans out their on banner-raising day and performing such an invaluable service to humanity last June. I have to object to the characterization of the Flames as “most likely to disappoint.” This implies that someone expects them to be good…

And on that second optimistic note, let’s call this an open thread.

…Giradri managing like he’s in a Tony LaRussa wet dream. I actually think cutting bait on Nova was a good idea but platoon matchups with 1 on in the 4th might be a bit much.

…Trying to watch hockey to avoid watching the Yankees take lead you really absorb the fact that the mean Yankee half-inning is about 90 minutes.

…would feel better about this lead if Tigers didn’t strike out on terrible pitches at least twice an inning. And 3 runs ain’t going to hold up if they need 5 innings from the bullpen.

…49-for-49 my ass, this is terrifying. And I think we can be pretty safe in assuming the Yankees won’t be first-pitch swinging.

…woo-hoo! Congrats Tigers, and time to break out the good stuff.

Wedding Gifts

Take lessons from Farley, because he’s doing it right.

It’s especially appropriate that this arrived in time for what might be the greatest day of the year, Yankee Elimination Day! Although the pictured quantity is not nearly sufficient for any game involving Jose Mesa Valverde and a 1-run lead.
Superficially, the elimination seems likely to occur — an elimination game at home against Mr. A.J. Burnett seems like a great scenario. The problem is Rich Porcello, who’s just as bad as Burnett. Actually worse, since while Burnett at least misses bats and has some upside, Procello is the kind of Twins-style pitch-to-contact guy the Yankees specialize in beating the shit out of. This seems like a battle of bullpens, and the Yankees have an edge there.

Prove me wrong again, Tigers, prove me wrong!

…could Leyland ease up on the damn bunting? They may let Burnett off the hook even if he doesn’t have any command.

Rivera’s Value

There has been an interesting discussion in the comments about the value of Mariano Rivera to the Yankees.   On one level, I don’t disagree with the arguments of the skeptics.   While has value is almost certainly understated by WAR — which, if I understand correctly, doesn’t take leverage into account, hence understating the value of a close, I certainly agree that in the regular season Rivera has obviously not been nearly as valuable as Jeter, Posada, Williams, A-Rod, et al.    Another way of looking at the question is Tom Tango‘s study in this year’s Hardball Times book, which assesses Rivera’s value as only about 2 wins a year more than the rest of the Yankee bullpen, which can’t be considered to be significantly more valuable than an ordinary closer and is probably less. Having said that, I think this underestimates Rivera’s value to the Yankees for two reasons:

• As I assume is widely understood, what makes Rivera by far the best closer ever is not exceptional single-season performances but his remarkable consistency.   His peak value is no higher than the man he replaced, John Wetteland — an excellent but obviously not Hall of Fame caliber closer.    What makes Rivera extremely valuable to the Yankees is that he’s healthy and pitches about as well as any closer in baseball every year (2002 aside.)  Brad Lidge, in his best years, is about as good as Rivera — except that his ERA+ in a given year ranges from 225 to 60.    (Yeah, they made it to the World Series in his worst year anyway, but won only 93 games with an outstanding offense and good rotation; in a good division it would have cost them.)   Rivera may only be a game or two better than an ordinary closer, but he gives the Yankees that edge every year.   They haven’t had to worry about a closer blowing up on them (a la Keith Foulke in 2005), costing them several games.    That’s real value, more than his value in any given season reflects.
• And, obviously, when assessing his value one has to take into account his postseason record — 139 2/3 mostly high-leverage innings with a 0.71 ERA and 109/21 K/W.   I don’t think there is any serious question that he’s by far the most valuable postseason performer ever, surely relevant when assessing his overall value.   The Yankees don’t win five World Championships with a Joe Nathan or Trevor Hoffman doing an Incredible Shrinking Closer routine in the playoffs.

Boo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo

Apparently, the team that signs Joba Chamberlain’s paychecks is upset that a player of actual accomplishment is too demonstrative.

Lee To Yankees: “It’s Not Me, It’s You.”

Ha-ha.

Granted, this conflicts with my non-resentment-based rooting interest — if the Mets showed any sign of being competitive in the near future, this would bother be.  But as it stands…Lee taking his talents to South Philly is the lesser evil.

“They Aren’t Paying Jeter, They’re Paying Off Jeter.”

That’s pretty much right. And yet, given that it’s not actually going to prevent the Yankees from signing anyone they really want, and that there aren’t exactly a lot of young championship-quality shortstops lying around, they might as well.

Pasta Diving!

Derek Jeter, after one atypically mediocre defensive season, this year was back to being the 32nd best defensive shortstop in the majors according to the +/- rankings, with similar evaluations in other metrics.    So, of course:

I have to get this out of the way … Yes, Derek Jeter has just won another Gold Glove.

It’s his fifth, which means he’s now won at least four more Gold Gloves than he’s deserved. By any stretch of the fever-crazed imagination.

It’s not exactly news that the Gold Glove voters are incredibly lazy, but Christ. As Neyer says, what’s especially strange about this is that while there used to be a major discrepancy between his reputation in the media and his performance, I get the impression that even among his fawning lickspittles in New York nobody thinks he’s much of a shortstop at this late date. At least they didn’t give one to Posada…

…the full list, verbatim from the best.  website.  ever.:

2010 Gold Gloves

Game 6

In an homage to the completely impartial commitment to the principle that no pundit can ever be fired for expressing views their employers find objectionable recently displayed by conservatives,  I am proud to renew my eternal, deeply principled support for Dallas area sports franchises.

UPDATE:  This is…not good enough for a game of this magnitude.

UPDATE II:  I didn’t know the Rangers were now being managed by the late Gene Mauch.

UPDATE III:   Don’t keep insulting the Impaler!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

UPDATE IV:  Personal to Joe Girardi:  David Robertson in an all-hands-on-deck elimination game:  a superb choice!    How about a little Mitre for the 6th?   I also can’t resist pointing out that he would appear to be above the greatest pitcher athlete in Yankee known human history on the depth chart.

UPDATE V:   In retrospect, I’m glad I didn’t write the post I was planning saying that I didn”t expect Lewis to have much.

UPDATE VI:   Two words:   Woo.   Hoo.   Anybody got one of those perpetual GIFS of Slappy taking the called third strike yet?

Game 5

I see no reason why this needs to go back to Texas.