A very quick statistical note, as the Yankees head to Boston for tonight's opener to the 19-game series (+7, potentially).
Runs Scored:
Yankees: 144
Red Sox: 117
Runs Allowed
Yankees: 91
Red Sox: 127
+/-
Yankees: +53
Red Sox: -10
Of course, it's early in the season. Given that the Yankees have, so far, had all their victories like 10-2, and their losses all like 3-1, run differential may be misleading. This stat will likely even out some over the year, and will likely change, if and when Mussina/Unit/Rivera/Sheffield/Posada get hurt (and they're all pretty likely), or when the Sox Call up Hansen?Anyone and ship FattyFatty2x4 out for .05 on the $1, but I have to like the way things look so far. Especially since this stat includes multiple starts by Wright and an unconscionable number of innings from Tanyon "Worst ERA in the Majors" Sturtze.
Offensively, the Yankees are doing great.
Jeet's hitting .400, Giambi's playing like an MVP (or at least a rival to Ortiz for the Edgar Martinez award), and ARod is making sure that all those victories are by 6 runs or more, inflating the RS/RA stat nicely to suit my argument.
Of course, there's still the recently-discussed matter that our DH is the worst player in baseball. I thought about that some this weekend, because while Bubba is certainly a better option than Bernie, he's still pretty pathetic as a DH.
Two words:
Andruw Jones.
Hear me out... Stick Bubba in the every day DH spot, and let him prove that he can hit above MLB-replacement player level (which I believe he can). Now. Jones is a free agent at the end of the year, and while he's lost some speed, he's done so in favor of Girth, and as a result he's a become a beast with a bat. If the Mets run away with the NL east, you offer up Eric Duncan and Crosby for Jones at the trading deadline. Jones moves to right field, and Sheffield moves to DH, extending his productive career another 3-5 years.
Now, this probably ain't gonna happen, and they still would have major pitching problems. Which is why they need to neither trade nor rush Philip Hughes.
Anyway, game on!
Runs Scored:
Yankees: 144
Red Sox: 117
Runs Allowed
Yankees: 91
Red Sox: 127
+/-
Yankees: +53
Red Sox: -10
Of course, it's early in the season. Given that the Yankees have, so far, had all their victories like 10-2, and their losses all like 3-1, run differential may be misleading. This stat will likely even out some over the year, and will likely change, if and when Mussina/Unit/Rivera/Sheffield/Posada get hurt (and they're all pretty likely), or when the Sox Call up Hansen?Anyone and ship FattyFatty2x4 out for .05 on the $1, but I have to like the way things look so far. Especially since this stat includes multiple starts by Wright and an unconscionable number of innings from Tanyon "Worst ERA in the Majors" Sturtze.
Offensively, the Yankees are doing great.
Jeet's hitting .400, Giambi's playing like an MVP (or at least a rival to Ortiz for the Edgar Martinez award), and ARod is making sure that all those victories are by 6 runs or more, inflating the RS/RA stat nicely to suit my argument.
Of course, there's still the recently-discussed matter that our DH is the worst player in baseball. I thought about that some this weekend, because while Bubba is certainly a better option than Bernie, he's still pretty pathetic as a DH.
Two words:
Andruw Jones.
Hear me out... Stick Bubba in the every day DH spot, and let him prove that he can hit above MLB-replacement player level (which I believe he can). Now. Jones is a free agent at the end of the year, and while he's lost some speed, he's done so in favor of Girth, and as a result he's a become a beast with a bat. If the Mets run away with the NL east, you offer up Eric Duncan and Crosby for Jones at the trading deadline. Jones moves to right field, and Sheffield moves to DH, extending his productive career another 3-5 years.
Now, this probably ain't gonna happen, and they still would have major pitching problems. Which is why they need to neither trade nor rush Philip Hughes.
Anyway, game on!
posted by Alex at
10:23 AM
5 Comments:
The tables do seem to have turned of late. I see no way the Yanks' offense shuts down unless someone gets hurt. This two-gamer does not look good for us, though I think we'll probably split.
But I think we both have reasons for concern. The Yanks have fewer issues, but they are way, WAY more serious, and they currently lie dormant. They'll manifest themselves eventually, and we'll see what things look like. Until then...
RED SOX
* Matt Clement. In the words of Ricky Roma, would someone... get this guy off my back please? Theo, pay the man to leave already. Oh, but how would you ever replace a guy who only beats the Orioles? You'd have to walk all the way out to the bleachers! It's a zoo out there.
* The #5 starter. I like Lenny DiNardo, and his start on Saturday might be the start of something, but what if he remains ineffective? The Sox are treating Wells' stint on the DL as an early retirement, so we've likely seen the last of him. Thanks to his closing prowess, Papelbon won't step into the rotation. Jon Lester isn't coming, either... his struggles at Pawtucket have nixed any thought of promoting him. The boo birds are calling for Bronson Arroyo, but we all know that he'd have turned into Matt Clement Lite (i.e. 2 IP, 7 ER) eventually.
* The Josh Bard thing. Not much to say there, other than he'll eventually get it right.
* I'm done giving Rudy Seanez the benefit of the doubt. If he were gonna straighten out, it'd have happened by now. Time to stop giving him rope. When you find yourself thinking "gee, I can't wait for David Riske to get healthy," you know you have problems. Craig Hansen will wear a B after the All-Star break.
* Coco's still out, but his absence from the #1 spot isn't what hurts. It's Kevin Youkilis's absence from the bottom. You get to Gonzalez, Bard, Cora et al, and the inning's over. But when Youk takes over at #8, you'll see a totally different offense.
YANKEES
* The rotation will die eventually. The Big Unit looks like a Big Turd. Mussina can keep up the good work, but for how long? Wang is eating innings nicely, but that's about all I'd consider from him.
* Beyond Mo, the bullpen is beyond horrible, and they are beyond fucked unless they find like THREE guys at least. As for the guys they do have, I'd like to dust off a rule my dad invented called the Ted Donato Rule. The original rule said that if Ted Donato could make the Bruins' lineup, they didn't have enough talent. Replace Teddy Donato with Proctor and you've got the Yankee bullpen. Have fun praying for 7 IP a start from Wang!
By
Jeff, at 11:38 AM
Agreed on all counts-
Mussina can't keep this up.
Wang can't go 7 innings, EVER.
Unit is looking shaky.
Wright should die a slow, painful death.
Pavano I don't want to talk about.
The bullpen is so horrible it's comedic. I have no problem with Myers as a LOOGY, and no problem keeping Farnsworth around (I still have faith that his $1,000,000 arm and 5 cent head will work out for the 8th inning). But Proctor should not be near a pinstriped uniform, and Sturtze should be nowhere near a baseball stadium. Or other humans, for that matter, for fear of infection. This means that two things are likely:
1) Rivera's arm will finally fall off.
2) They will overpay for someone at the deadline, and that someone will not be good enough (or trusted enough) to really help in the postseason, leading to more Sturtze in the playoffs (blarg!)
One solution to the mess is Aaron Small, who comes off the DL soon. Now, last season's W-L record notwithstanding, all real scouting reports are that Small sucks. Crap.
If he really is pretty good, and has success in ways difficult to measure, we could use him to get Wright out of the rotation, that would be awesome. Add 5 wins to their record right there. If he can help as a middle relief innings-eater, well, with this offense, and these starters, that would be just about as good.
Other bullpen solutions-- I wouldn't mind seeing a guy like Juan Rincon brought over, or maybe we could plunder the Pirates or the Mariners, who have some guys who can pitch, and who ain't winning any time soon.
By
Alex, at 2:54 PM
Who are you gonna send to Pirates/Twins/Mariners for those guys? Who are the prospects that will blossom in another uniform?
Also, I looked up some bullpen stats in the wake of the Mirabelli trade, and it looks to me like they've righted the ship a bit. Even Proctor has decent numbers now.
By
Jeff, at 3:34 PM
"righted the ship?"
The Goddamn Plane Has Crashed Into The Mountain!
And there's snakes on it.
To recap:
I thought Small pitched well, but he's still totally unreliable in the playoffs- his stuff is just garbage. Sturtze makes me physically ill. He's the second coming of Steve Howe (RIP), minus the talent. Where was Farnsworth? In what world is Sturtze a better option?
By
Alex, at 9:18 AM
All I meant by that was that Proctor, Farnsworth, Myers (until yesterday) all appeared to have decent ERAs despite all that early-season bellyaching.
Proctor did get the job done.
By
Jeff, at 9:50 AM
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