The Official New York Yankees 2009 Season Thread

[CommishJoe]

Ok, we lost 2 out of 3 to the Nationals??? At home?????? Hopefully, this is the low point of our season *sigh*

[wireman]

Originally Posted by CommishJoe

Ok, we lost 2 out of 3 to the Nationals??? At home?????? Hopefully, this is the low point of our season *sigh*

Welcome to my world.

[Russ]

I was really hoping for a sweep so I could see everybody go bat****. But 2 out of 3 ain't bad.

[CMH]

Very disappointing series. The bats were horrible.

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by CMH

Very disappointing series. The bats were horrible.

The Marlins may be just what the club needs right now. I liked this about tonight's game:

The Yankees made their rare appearance in Miami with style, helping the attendance-challenged Marlins bring in 35,027 fans, their second best of the season. [Still, that leaves over 12,000 empty seats. Moreover . . .]

The stadium's orange seats were hardly recognizable as New York transplants came in droves, wearing their Yankees caps and pinstripes and sounding off with roars that are rarely heard for baseball games at the Marlins' home.

Plus, of course, thhhhhhheeeeee Yankees won!

Edit: Whoa! I just read about Pettitte legging out a double. Keep him and all our pitchers off the basepaths or else something might go Wang!

[CMH]

Josh Johnson is good.

[Déjà Bru]

I hope it was just the heat that got to CC (left after 1 1/3 innings today).

EDIT: OK, "tightness in left bicep." No tests scheduled, listed day-to-day. Could still be heat-related.

[CMH]

This is unacceptable.

[Purple Cowboy]

Daily News has Eric Hinske to Yanks for minor league righthander Casey Erickson and outfielder Eric Fryer.

[ukhotstove]

The Yankees should try to sign that guy up who threw the first pitch tonight he looked pretty good

[Déjà Bru]

It falls to me, the last Yankees fan standing in this thread (the others are away on assignment) to congratulate Mariano Rivera for his 500th save Sunday night. Only one other man (still active, darn him to heck) has more career saves than Mo.

A humorous note to end the night with:

MARIANO, MEET CODY
Mariano Rivera, who earned his 500th career save Sunday, was scheduled to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before Tuesday’s game.

Meanwhile, Rivera faces a tricky decision in his role as judge for the team’s Kangaroo Court. Rivera, who borrowed his teammate Cody Ransom’s equipment in his two recent plate appearances, has been cited for failing to know a teammate’s first name. He referred to Ransom as “Cory” during interviews after both games.

[CMH]

Maybe if his name was Cory he'd have an RBI too.

[CommishJoe]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

It falls to me, the last Yankees fan standing in this thread (the others are away on assignment) to congratulate Mariano Rivera for his 500th save Sunday night. Only one other man (still active, darn him to heck) has more career saves than Mo.

A humorous note to end the night with:

Sorry, works been absolutely crazy lately. To make up for it, I'll post a great article about Mariano...

Mariano Rivera's a true Yankee, almost mythical in his dominance - Joe Posnanski - SI.com

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by CommishJoe

Sorry, works been absolutely crazy lately. To make up for it, I'll post a great article about Mariano...

Mariano Rivera's a true Yankee, almost mythical in his dominance - Joe Posnanski - SI.com

Good one, Joe. I liked this best:

One pitch. Think about that. Mariano Rivera has saved 502 baseball games by essentially throwing one pitch, that same cut fastball.

followed by this:

Rivera's one pitch has never lost its power. He just keeps going, year after year. Here's a challenge for you: pick out Mariano Rivera's best year. Do you want 1998, when he saved 36 games for the almost unbeatable Yankees and posted a 1.91 ERA? Or do you prefer the next year, when he led the league with 45 saves and opposing batters hit .176 against him? Do you like 2004 when he saved 53 -- 32 by the All-Star Break -- or 2005 when he had a 1.38 ERA and had an absurd 38 1-2-3 innings?

Then again, you could always choose last year, when Rivera had a 77-to-6 strikeout-to-walk ratio and punched up a .665 WHIP -- only Dennis Eckersley in his heyday had ever put so few batters on base.

[CommishJoe]

Ok, so you don't have to tag a runner trying to steal 3rd in order for him to be out????

Pettitte, umps have bad days as Yanks fall to Jays -- Newsday.com

Jeter turned toward Foster and said, "He didn't tag me." According to Jeter, Foster replied: "He doesn't have to tag you."

To which Jeter about lost it, because this was not a force play. He took a few steps toward the umpire and said, "I was unaware of the rules change.'' He was restrained by coach Rob Thomson until Joe Girardi took over the argument. He wagged a finger in Foster's face and was ejected. "I didn't care for the explanation," he told reporters

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by CommishJoe

Ok, so you don't have to tag a runner trying to steal 3rd in order for him to be out????

Pettitte, umps have bad days as Yanks fall to Jays -- Newsday.com

This is the same ump that called Tex out at the plate when the catcher tagged him with an empty mitt. The ball was in his other hand.

Edit:

Girardi was booted because he brought up a bad call at the plate by Foster in Sunday's game. On that play, Foster called Mark Teixeira out even though catcher Raul Chavez tagged him with the glove while holding the ball in his bare hand.

http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseba...,2419168.story

[Déjà Bru]

dola,

Youse guys are going to find out that a little bit of Joba goes a long way, just like I told you. His force, concentrated in small bursts, can be overwhelming but spread out over 5-7 innings, well, it just looks like it gets diluted.

We're not in "toldya so" stage yet but we're tending in that direction, I think.

[CMH]

His attitude is beginning to irritate me. I don't think there's one player on the roster that I dislike more right now.

Another poor start and another bag of excuses suggesting that he had his best stuff and guys were hitting good pitches. That pitch to Aybar was NOT a good pitch, Joba. Until he realizes that he isn't at his best, he won't improve.

I'm beginning to think that a lot of the complaints from other teams, Joba's insistence to shake off the catcher, and his previous history are telling tales of this guy's persona. He's arrogant and until some vet knocks him upside the head, he's never going to be what he was projected to be.

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by CMH

His attitude is beginning to irritate me. I don't think there's one player on the roster that I dislike more right now.

Another poor start and another bag of excuses suggesting that he had his best stuff and guys were hitting good pitches. That pitch to Aybar was NOT a good pitch, Joba. Until he realizes that he isn't at his best, he won't improve.

I'm beginning to think that a lot of the complaints from other teams, Joba's insistence to shake off the catcher, and his previous history are telling tales of this guy's persona. He's arrogant and until some vet knocks him upside the head, he's never going to be what he was projected to be.

Agree. He was saying much the same things after his last poor start and looked a bit foolish when he heard Joe's negative comments about his performance. Some of that is self-confidence, which is a good thing, and some of it is bravado. If he pulls himself out of it that way, then fine. If he needs to admit to himself that he needs help, then he better do so soon.

Me, I think he's a miscast 8th inning/closer guy.

[CMH]

It's definitely looking like he doesn't have the make up to be a starter. I'm not sure he can deal with that constant pressure of keeping guys down inning after inning.

I don't want to pull the trigger yet. I think it's still too early and with a guy like him and there's no ruining him and his confidence.

If he is sent to the pen to be the 8th inning guy, he'll go in and say to himself: I was good at this and I know I can get guys out in this inning.