2008 New York Yankees [Forum Archive]

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2008 New York Yankees

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Posted by: tucker01

Quote:

Originally Posted by min0 lee

I was at the game yesterday.

Damn, Yanks are not going anywhere.....at least we have the Jays as company.

Jays atleast have potential. One of the best pitching staffs.

Just need to learn how to score runs.

Posted by: min0 lee

Just kidding, both teams are not doing so good.

Posted by: min0 lee

Here are a few pictures I took of the game, I should have taken more pictures but I underestimated how zoom on my lens.
I was in the left field bleachers behind the foul pole. I really thought I wouldn't get a good shot.

I should have taken more.

Here's Damon, he's real good with the fans.

Posted by: min0 lee

Mo before he blew the lead....it's real exciting seeing come out of the bullpen to the music of the Sandman.

He's not so big.

Posted by: tucker01

Jays 3rd in MLB in Pitching
13th in Batting Average.
22nd in Runs Scored. They left 13 runners on yesterday. UGH!

Posted by: tucker01

Awesome pics. I really need to get there this year. Hoping for the Jays series at the end of August.

Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:

Originally Posted by IainDaniel

Awesome pics. I really need to get there this year. Hoping for the Jays series at the end of August.

Try to make it, this is it for that Stadium.

I really screwed up with the picture taking, I should have been more aggresive and taken more.

Posted by: tucker01

I have a contact for 3rd base side

Posted by: min0 lee

Posted by: tucker01

No pics of the new stadium progress?

Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:

Originally Posted by IainDaniel

No pics of the new stadium progress?

Hold on, I'll be right back!

Posted by: min0 lee

This plaza was named after the Old Yankee owner.

Posted by: tucker01

Got tickets to the Aug 30th game against the Jays

Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:

Originally Posted by IainDaniel

Got tickets to the Aug 30th game against the Jays

Take your camera, don't forget.

Here's a tip, don't be afraid to go to the little bodegas.
Those outside vendors sold a bottle of water for $4.00, the stores sell them for $1.25.

Posted by: tucker01

Trust me I won't.... Assuming I am sober enough to not lose it

Do they sell beer for $1.25

Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:

Originally Posted by IainDaniel

Trust me I won't.... Assuming I am sober enough to not lose it

Do they sell beer for $1.25

In the stores you will get it cheaper, but at the Stadium it's $9.00 for draft beer!

Posted by: tucker01

pretty much same price as a game here.

Posted by: min0 lee

Damn, my brother had 8 of those at the game.

Posted by: tucker01

Yeah. It can do some serious damage to the wallet.

When I was a little younger and dumber.... I remember downing like 13 at a lacrosse game. Ahh good times.

Posted by: min0 lee

I would love to go to more games but sheesh....it's too expensive.
How do these people do it.

Posted by: tucker01

Oral favours ?

Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:

Originally Posted by IainDaniel

Oral favours ?

It must be that, those tickets cost us $65.00 each for an obstructed view...we were behind the left field foul pole.

Posted by: jpolito830

Anyone have some comment on Wang...I think they need to get Sabathia now in order to have a chance this year. Go Yanks!

Posted by: tucker01

They are fucked.

There are no starters available. Other then Salary dumps, like Bronson Arryo

10 weeks. I mean what the fuck you can't run around the bases?

Posted by: Triple Threat

Quote:

Originally Posted by IainDaniel

I mean what the fuck you can't run around the bases?

Exactly! Don't pitchers do any kind of running?

Posted by: I Are Baboon

These injuries are KILLING my fantasy team!

Friggin vengeful Yankee homos.

Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpolito830

Anyone have some comment on Wang...I think they need to get Sabathia now in order to have a chance this year. Go Yanks!

You need more than 1 pitcher.
If I was management I would wait till Sabathia is a free agent...that way we don't lose any players.

Posted by: min0 lee

The third base coach should have stopped him.

Posted by: tucker01

So the Yanks are looking for another 350 million in public funds for the new stadium.

On top of the 475 million they were already granted.

Posted by: min0 lee

I myself would like to know for what.

Posted by: tucker01

I remember when the shitdome err I mean skydome erm Rogers Centre was built. Oh it will only cost 300 million to build and ended up costing 600 million.

But Yankee Stadium is going to be in Excess of 1.5 Billion

Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:

Originally Posted by IainDaniel

I remember when the shitdome err I mean skydome erm Rogers Centre was built. Oh it will only cost 300 million to build and ended up costing 600 million.

But Yankee Stadium is going to be in Excess of 1.5 Billion

For all that money hopefully the surrounding area will clean up.

Posted by: Triple Threat

With 6 wins in a row, the Yankees are the hottest team in baseball.

Of course, they've done it against the pathetic Astros and Padres, but hey, it's a winning streak.

Posted by: tucker01

Got my Tickets

Main Reserved Section 22 Row C

Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:

Originally Posted by IainDaniel

Got my Tickets

Main Reserved Section 22 Row C

How much? If you don't mind me asking.

The Yanks signed Ponsen to a minor league deal.

Posted by: tucker01

I got them for Face value

like 60$

Posted by: min0 lee

Nice.

Posted by: tucker01

Yep it is nice to have contacts.

Was looking at Stubhub.com, and fuckers were raping you and that was for the no-alcohol zone.

Posted by: Triple Threat

Quote:

Originally Posted by min0 lee

The Yanks signed Ponsen to a minor league deal.

WTF for?

Why?

Couldn't sign Clemens?

Posted by: Triple Threat

Quote:

Originally Posted by IainDaniel

Got my Tickets

Main Reserved Section 22 Row C

Hopefully the Yankees will reward you with a win.

Posted by: tucker01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Triple Threat

Hopefully the Yankees will reward you with a win.

The way the Jays are playing losing 5 straight and 12 of there last 16... I would say that is a definate possibility.

I have never seen Batting so atrocious.

Posted by: sportsgalore

Big subway series this weekend!

Posted by: min0 lee

True, it can go either way.

Posted by: Triple Threat

Yankees signed Richie Sexson. Be still my beating heart.

Posted by: soxmuscle

He actually hits lefties quite well.

It's one of those signings where he could really help this Yankee team or he'll be released in a month. There's no middle ground and only time will tell.

Posted by: min0 lee

Yankees acquire Xavier Nady, Damaso Marte from Pirates

BY MARK FEINSAND
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Friday, July 25th 2008, 8:33 PM

Cataffo/News The Yankees acquire Xavier Nady from the Pirates.

BOSTON - The Yankees didn't wait for next week's trade deadline to make their move, landing outfielder Xavier Nady and lefthanded reliever Damaso Marte on Friday night in a six-player deal with the Pirates.
In exchange for the two players, the Yankees sent righthanders Ross Ohlendorf and George Kontos, lefthander Phil Coke and outfielder Jose Tabata to the Pirates.

Posted by: soxmuscle

Pretty incredible trade for the Yankees considering they gave up nothing but a 20 year old long shot who's been injured all year.

Posted by: Triple Threat

The trade for Nady and Marte has a much better potential upside than the Sexson signing.

I'm very surprised that Pittsburgh didn't hold out for more.

Now, who can they get to replace Ponson?

Posted by: I Are Baboon

I see Joba is going to visit Dr Andrews tomorrow. Not good for the Yankees. Hopefully his shoulder is ok...Dr Andrews visits are usually bad news though.

Posted by: min0 lee

Could the change from a relief pitcher to a starter affected him?
Who knows...

Posted by: soxmuscle

It could be just normal overuse.

Like you mention, he hasn't pitched this many innings in quite a while.

Posted by: Triple Threat

I think sox nailed it. He went from pitching an inning every few days to throwing 90-100 pitches fairly quickly. He throws very hard also which isn't helping matters.

Posted by: tucker01

I dunno... seems not right to me.

These guys are throwing practically everyday.

Posted by: min0 lee

The clock, she is winding down. The Yankees have lost six of their last nine - not good - and 13 of 21.

Well it doesn't look to good the rest of the way....do you think Giraldi did a decent job this year despite all the injuries?

Posted by: tucker01

The Team over achieved as far as I am concerned... so yeah he did fine.

Posted by: I Are Baboon

Did I hear correctly in that the Yankees might call up CARL PAVANO this week?

Posted by: min0 lee

Mussina suprised me this year, I thought he was done. He's a big reason they are still in it.

The 2 kids were real disapointments....for now I hope.

Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:

Originally Posted by I Are Baboon

Did I hear correctly in that the Yankees might call up CARL PAVANO this week?

Why must you bring the bad news.

Posted by: I Are Baboon

Quote:

Originally Posted by min0 lee

Why must you bring the bad news.

I'd like to see him salvage the remainder of his career.

Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:

Originally Posted by I Are Baboon

I'd like to see him salvage the remainder of his career.

He's too busy enjoying the money the Yanks threw at him.
He must be lazy.

Posted by: soxmuscle

The Yankees were a hit away from losing two of three at home this weekend.

Such is baseball.

Has the attitude changed in the papers with the two game winning streak to win the series this weekend?

Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:

Originally Posted by soxmuscle

The Yankees were a hit away from losing two of three at home this weekend.

Such is baseball.

Has the attitude changed in the papers with the two game winning streak to win the series this weekend?

No, the attitude hasn't changed.
I just hope they make the wild card this year.

Posted by: tucker01

Quote:

Originally Posted by min0 lee

No, the attitude hasn't changed.
I just hope they make the wild card this year.

They have about as much hope as the Jays.

Posted by: Triple Threat

Quote:

Originally Posted by I Are Baboon

Did I hear correctly in that the Yankees might call up CARL PAVANO this week?

I can see it now. He'll pick up the lineup card with his name on it, get a paper cut, and go on the DL for the rest of the year.

Posted by: soxmuscle

Quote:

Originally Posted by IainDaniel

The Team over achieved as far as I am concerned... so yeah he did fine.

This team has overachieved by a wide margin.

The Yankees will be lucky to finish in third IMO.

Posted by: min0 lee

Yankees send Melky Cabrera to minors, release Richie Sexson

When the Yankees didn't trade for Johan Santana in the offseason, it was assumed they were committing to Melky Cabrera as their center fielder for years to come.
Make that months.
The struggling Cabrera was optioned to Triple-A Friday as part of a dramatic roster shakeup that the Yankees hope will jolt them back into the playoff race.
In addition to Cabrera's demotion, first baseman Richie Sexson was designated for assignment. Brett Gardner was recalled from Scranton to take Cabrera's place in center field, while former Giants and Astros infielder Cody Ransom was called up to replace Sexson.
Yankees GM Brian Cashman was quick to say that Cabrera - who was 3-for-26 (.115) this month and was hitting .242 overall, that after hitting .299 with five homers and 12 RBI through April - was not to blame for the Yankees' struggles.
"You can take Melky's name and exchange it with a lot of guys on this field right now that are making a hell of a lot more money than Melky Cabrera," Cashman said. "They're better than what they have showed, too. But in this case, Melky had options and I have a guy who is pushing his way into the mix in Brett Gardner, so in Melky's case I had a choice I could make.....more

Posted by: min0 lee

Desperate Yanks run into nervous Red Sox in Bronx showdown

It is now time, whether all those playoff-privileged East Coast fans want to admit it or not, to face up to the very tangible possibility that both the Yankees and the defending World Series champion Red Sox might be on the outside looking in this postseason.
Not the Yankees or the Red Sox. The Yankees and the Red Sox. Both of them. Sitting home. In October.
The Yankees, as of this moment, are surely out of it. Despite a weekend sweep of the Orioles, the Yankees are floundering, 15-15 in their last 30 games, deep in third place in the American League East (9 1/2 games deep) and in third place in the wild card standings, five games behind the Sox. The Web site coolstandings.com gives the Yanks only a 7.3 percent chance of making the postseason.
The Red Sox? They haven't been in first place in almost two months. They haven't been within three games of the AL East lead in a month. (They begin the week 4 1/2 games behind Tampa Bay.) And their lead in the wild card race is now down to a single game over the Twins.
Not since the wild-card era began in 1995 has there been a postseason without either the Yankees or Red Sox. In every one of them -- 13 and counting -- the Yankees were in. In seven of those years, both teams made it.
Now, we have a Yankee team that could be counting on Sidney Ponson and Darrell Rasner and Carl Pavano -- Carl Pavano! -- in September, and a Boston team with an ace (Josh Beckett) suffering through some mysterious arm ailment, a 42-year-old knuckleballer (Tim Wakefield) coming off the disabled list and a 37-year-old soft-tosser (Paul Byrd) as a fill-in.
It's just not looking good. For either team.
This week, beginning on Tuesday, the Red Sox and Yankees play a three-game series in the Bronx in what has been, many times in the last decade, a showdown for first place in the AL East. This one is different, though. First place isn't on the line this time. Survival is for one, and may be for the other.
The Yankees are getting desperate and almost certainly need a sweep to stay in the hunt. While the Red Sox will be in striking distance of a playoff spot when they leave the Bronx, they could very well be on the wrong side of the playoff picture, forced to play catch-up in September.
The Yankees, with Joba Chamberlain injured and ace Chien-Ming Wang long since sidelined, have had to count on Ponson, Rasner and, now, Pavano to stand next to old-timers Mike Mussina (having a bit of a renaissance) and Andy Pettitte. The Yanks have a 4.98 ERA in August, the worst of any team anywhere near the postseason.
The Yankees' once-feared lineup is struggling, too. Jason Giambi is hitting .219 in August. Pudge Rodriguez is hitting .209. The Yanks score 4.86 runs a game, seventh in the 14-team AL.
The Red Sox, with Beckett's next start being pushed back to Friday, will send Wakefield, Byrd and Jon Lester against the Yanks this week. There's a lot of worry about Beckett's arm injury. With him out, and with a struggling Clay Buchholz down to the minors, the Sox will have to rely on Daisuke Matsuzaka (15-2, 2.98 ERA) and the 24-year-old Lester (12-5, 3.49) to lead the way in September. The Red Sox have a 4.76 ERA in August, just ahead of the Yanks.
The Sox have questions in their lineup, too. J.D. Drew's back is acting up. Mike Lowell is out with a sore oblique muscle. David Ortiz is hitting only .237 in August, with just three home runs. Manny Ramirez is gone.
Clearly, the Yankees are more desperate at this point. They've lost five games to the AL East lead in August and have only 32 left to play. Even Hank Steinbrenner is giving off white-flag kind of signals.
But Beckett's injury, the resiliency of the first-place Rays and the push from the Twins give Boston fans plenty reason to be nervous, too. The Twins are 21-14 in the second half, behind only the Rays and Angels in the AL. Boston is just 18-15.
And so it may be time to picture an October that doesn't include either Fenway Park or Yankee Stadium. A fall without Big Papi and Derek Jeter. A postseason without the game's two most popular teams.
Can you see it?

Posted by: Triple Threat

Anything less than a NY sweep over Boston pretty much eliminates the Yankees. Otherwise they have 2 teams to catch and the Twins have a rather soft schedule from here on.

Posted by: tucker01

Did MLB fuck up or what by not having Yankee stadium close against the Red Sox.

Posted by: I Are Baboon

Boy, NYY fans were killing A-Rod last night.

Posted by: Triple Threat

Quote:

Originally Posted by IainDaniel

Did MLB fuck up or what by not having Yankee stadium close against the Red Sox.

Good point. That certainly would have been a great finale, especially if it had meant a showdown for 1st place.

Posted by: Triple Threat

Quote:

Originally Posted by I Are Baboon

Boy, NYY fans were killing A-Rod last night.

And deservedly so. What did he do? 2 K's, 2 GIDP, and a LFB. Plus an error in the field.

Posted by: tucker01

The Red Sox opened up Yankee Stadium.... Would only make sense to have them close it down as well.

Posted by: I Are Baboon

Quote:

Originally Posted by Triple Threat

And deservedly so. What did he do? 2 K's, 2 GIDP, and a LFB. Plus an error in the field.

That 7th inning DP with the bases loaded and one out killed you guys.

Posted by: tucker01

Quote:

Originally Posted by I Are Baboon

That 7th inning DP with the bases loaded and one out killed you guys.

No being Homo's killed them.

Posted by: I Are Baboon

Quote:

Originally Posted by IainDaniel

No being Homo's killed them.

That certainly didn't help.

Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:

Originally Posted by Triple Threat

And deservedly so. What did he do? 2 K's, 2 GIDP, and a LFB. Plus an error in the field.

There was a stat showing how he gets his hits mostly with no one on base.

He's gay around Boston or any big show.

Posted by: tucker01

The Jays challenge you to a third place battle LOL

Posted by: Triple Threat

Quote:

Originally Posted by IainDaniel

The Jays challenge you to a third place battle LOL

Accepted.

Posted by: I Are Baboon

Hey, Boston finished in third in 2006. There's no shame in that.

Posted by: I Are Baboon

Go Yankees!!

Posted by: min0 lee

Posted by: I Are Baboon

Quote:

Originally Posted by min0 lee

Pretty sweet Sox game this afternoon. Now I'm rooting for a YANKEE VICTORY tonight!!

Posted by: min0 lee

Sox may be right, the Yanks wont make the playoffs

Posted by: min0 lee

CITY WILL $TRIKE OUT IF YANKS MISS PLAYOFFS.
Damn Yankees!
City businesses stand to miss out on making $141 million this fall if the Yankees fail to make the playoffs for the first time in 13 years, according to a study commissioned by The Post.
The report conducted by NYU adjunct professor John Tepper Marlin shows that if the Yankees snag at least a wild-card berth, a first-round appearance could fill the coffers of bars, restaurants and other businesses across the city with $26 million.
Marlin, a former number-crunching chief economist for three former city comptrollers, said the Bronx Bombers would need to make the playoffs every year if the city hopes to reap any economic benefits, a feat many fans and businesses have taken as a given since 1995.
"If they're not, you can argue that the city loses money," he said. "You would think that with such a bloated payroll, the Yankees would make the playoffs."
The team's $207 million payroll is by far the largest in Major League Baseball. The Yanks are followed by the Mets at $137 million.
An appearance in the American League Championship Series could potentially bring in another $54 million, according to Marlin's calculations.
Reaching the World Series would add another $61 million to the pot, he said.
After yesterday's 13-9 victory over Detroit, the Yankees were 12 games out of first place in the AL East and 6½ games behind in the wild-card hunt.
A postseason appearance by the first-place Mets could offset not having the Yankees in the playoffs under a similar study Marlin compiled in 2000 when he worked for then-city Comptroller Alan Hevesi.
Playing in the first round would generate about $21 million, while a trip to the National League Championship Series would rake in another $45 million, said Marlin.
He said the Mets could potentially bring in another $81 million if they advanced to the World Series.
Marlin factored in that Mets fans are primarily based in Brooklyn and Queens, while the Yankees draw from across the region, including Westchester, New Jersey and Connecticut.
In 2000, the Subway Series between the Yankees and Mets generated $192 million for city businesses, a study by the comptroller's office said at the time.
In 1994, the city comptroller's office estimated that the baseball strike cost businesses in New York a staggering $163 million.
Of that, some $40 million would have gone to sports-related bars and restaurants and stadium concessions and ticket revenue.
clemente.lisi@nypost.com

Posted by: Triple Threat

Quote:

Originally Posted by min0 lee

Sox may be right, the Yanks wont make the playoffs

The only thing worse than the Yankees not making the playoffs is the Red Sox making them.

Posted by: Triple Threat

Quote:

Originally Posted by I Are Baboon

I'm rooting for a YANKEE VICTORY tonight!!

Nice to see IAB has seen the light and become a Yankee fan.

Posted by: tucker01

I haven't.... fuck the yanks.

Posted by: min0 lee

Morrow nearly no-hits Yankees in 1st start

Posted by: tucker01

Worst run organization in Baseball

Posted by: Triple Threat

How soon until George fires Hank?

Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:

Originally Posted by Triple Threat

How soon until George fires Hank?

Posted by: min0 lee

A-Rod's slip of tongue indicts fading Yankees
A-Rod's slip of tongue indicts fading Yankees

BY KAT O'BRIEN

kat.obrien@newsday.com

September 8, 2008

SEATTLE

Even Alex Rodriguez seems to have realized that the Yankees are not playoff-bound.

After a 5-2 loss to the Mariners yesterday knocked them into fourth place in the American League East, behind the Rays, Red Sox and now the Blue Jays, Rodriguez was asked about being passed by Toronto.

"Toronto's playing really well," he said. "I'll tell you what, a lot of people should be happy they're not in the playoff race, because they'd be the scariest team, with the 1-2 punch they've got over there with [Roy] Halladay and [A.J.] Burnett."

But, Alex, if the Blue Jays are ahead of your team, and they're not in the playoff mix, what does that mean about your chances to make the playoffs?

Said A-Rod: "I'm too tired to answer that; you confused me."

When the question was repeated, pointing out that the Yankees can't be in the playoff race if the Blue Jays -- ahead of them in the standings -- are not, A-Rod tried to backtrack. "What I'm saying is if Toronto was to get in the playoffs, they would be the scariest team to face, by far, with those two," he said. "I'm not saying anything else."

Rodriguez already said what every Yankee must be thinking deep down, that they are not going to be in the playoffs this year. They fell 8 1/2 games behind the Red Sox in the wild-card chase, and the Yankees' next three series are against division leaders -- the Angels, Rays and White Sox.

Even manager Joe Girardi admitted how bleak things look, saying: "There's 19 games left, and we're going to have to win most of them, if not all of them."

To lose two out of three to the last-place Mariners, who are 30 games beneath .500, is deflating for a team with even slim playoff hopes.

"It doesn't make any difference who we're playing," Derek Jeter said. "The bottom line is we have to win games. We can't afford to keep losing."

Yesterday looked on paper like a game the Yankees should have a sharp advantage in. Mike Mussina was on the mound, and the Yankees entered with a 20-9 record in games started by Mussina. They won his previous seven starts, with the last loss on July 28. And the Mariners were starting Ryan Feierabend, who had just one major-league win in 21 outings.

The Mariners had planned to start Carlos Silva, who has a 9.30 ERA in six starts against the Yankees, but Silva was scratched with a bad back. Feierabend and his career 6.83 ERA should have been an easy target, but he held the Yankees to two runs, five hits and three walks in seven innings.

"He was a guy that we haven't seen," Johnny Damon said. "It seems like we have trouble with those guys."

The Yankees led 2-0 after two innings on home runs by Jeter and Xavier Nady. They managed only two more hits in the next five innings against Feierabend, though.

Mussina (17-8) was not sharp, allowing four earned runs, seven hits and a walk in six innings. He gave up two home runs, including a two-run homer to Adrian Beltre with two outs in the third and a solo home run to Jose Lopez in the fourth.

Mussina was hit by a one-hopper in the sternum by the Mariners' second batter, Jeremy Reed. He had a huge welt on his chest after the game but said it did not affect his pitching.

"I felt flat today," Mussina said. "I didn't have my best stuff."

Neither did the Yankees' hitters. And now their postseason possibilities look even grimmer.

Said Mussina: "Unless somebody gets cold, the farther it goes, the less likely it is."

Tragic number: 12

Combination of Yankees losses and Red Sox wins that eliminates the Yankees from the postseason race.

Tonight

Yankees at Angels

Posted by: I Are Baboon

Fuck A-Rod. Trade him to Boston.

Wait, what?

Posted by: soxmuscle

Pathetic New York media strikes again.

Posted by: I Are Baboon

Quote:

Originally Posted by soxmuscle

Pathetic New York media strikes again.

Clearly A-Rod is to blame for their pitching woes.

Posted by: tucker01

Wow what a bullshit story.

The Media looking to hang someone, for a team that is run like shit.

Posted by: I Are Baboon

Quote:

Originally Posted by IainDaniel

Wow what a bullshit story.

The Media looking to hang someone, for a team that is run like shit.

Meh, they'll be back in a couple of years. They're still eight games over .500.

Posted by: tucker01

Yeah cause they can buy players like Sabathia.

Management wise it is horrible. There is no excuse for them not dominating every year with there payroll.

Posted by: min0 lee

I wonder what's going to happen to Cashman this year.

Posted by: I Are Baboon

Quote:

Originally Posted by IainDaniel

Yeah cause they can buy players like Sabathia.

Management wise it is horrible. There is no excuse for them not dominating every year with there payroll.

They are working on a new business model which includes growing their own young players and keeping them, rather than trade them away for expensive vets. It'll be a couple of years before they can wash out those expiring contracts. They'll still spend like hell, but I think they're going to try to be smarter about it and not give rediculous contracts to the Sheffields, Giambis and Damons of the world.

Posted by: tucker01

Hey all the power to them if they have that kind of money.

It isn't like they are losing money doing it. Let alone the money they bring into NYC when the make the playoffs.

It is just sad when a team spends 200 Million, is getting beat by teams with less then half that payroll.

Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:

Originally Posted by I Are Baboon

Jeter, Posada, Rivera, Pettitte, Orlando Hernandez and Bernie Williams, Cano
The Yankees have always mixed homegrown players with seasoned players throughout there history.
It hasn't always worked, in fact Boston has used there formula during this run. You can thank Epstein for that.

Manny....Pedro.....Big Papi....those are big names that were not home grown.

Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:

Originally Posted by IainDaniel

Hey all the power to them if they have that kind of money.

It isn't like they are losing money doing it. Let alone the money they bring into NYC when the make the playoffs.

It is just sad when a team spends 200 Million, is getting beat by teams with less then half that payroll.

Sadly someone will pay for this.
The Yanks are not the only team to do this, look at the Dodgers the Mets...you have a few.

This may be the first time in Years they don't make the playoffs....it's been a good run if they didn't.

I always say this, I would rather have an owner like the Boss than an owner like they have in KC.

Posted by: I Are Baboon

Quote:

Originally Posted by min0 lee

It hasn't always worked, in fact Boston has used there formula during this run. You can thank Epstein for that.

Boston's much smarter about it.

Posted by: tucker01

Quote:

Originally Posted by min0 lee

I always say this, I would rather have an owner like the Boss than an owner like they have in KC.

I am sure if KC had the revenue that the Yanks did, you would see a different story there.

Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:

Originally Posted by I Are Baboon

Boston's much smarter about it.

Now they are.

Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:

Originally Posted by IainDaniel

I am sure if KC had the revenue that the Yanks did, you would see a different story there.

No way, read up on that owner.

You do have a few small market teams willing to spend some cash wisely, KC runs there team like a minor league.
They also get money from the Yankees...where has it gone? People keep asking that.

Posted by: soxmuscle

Quote:

Originally Posted by min0 lee

It hasn't always worked, in fact Boston has used there formula during this run. You can thank Epstein for that.

Manny....Pedro.....Big Papi....those are big names that were not home grown.

Epstein had nothing to do with the Pedro/Manny signings and while responsible for signing David Ortiz, that one (considering the overall money he's made for the production he's put up since his time in Boston) might go down as the greatest move in the history of sport.

Posted by: min0 lee

OK, not those but he has made a few good moves.

Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:

Originally Posted by soxmuscle

That's taking it a bit too far....maybe, just maybe for the Red Sox.

Posted by: soxmuscle

Quote:

"Toronto's playing really well," he said. "I'll tell you what, a lot of people should be happy they're not in the playoff race, because they'd be the scariest team, with the 1-2 punch they've got over there with [Roy] Halladay and [A.J.] Burnett."

But, Alex, if the Blue Jays are ahead of your team, and they're not in the playoff mix, what does that mean about your chances to make the playoffs?

Said A-Rod: "I'm too tired to answer that; you confused me."

Quote:

"We have 20 games left. Last time I checked we weren't 21 games out," Yankees captain Derek Jeter insisted.

A-Rod's being realistic, Jeter's being completely delusional.

If anything, Jeter should be the one being bashed by the New York media; if not for this ridiculous comment, because he's been absolutely horrid this year.

Posted by: soxmuscle

Quote:

Originally Posted by min0 lee

That's taking it a bit too far....maybe, just maybe for the Red Sox.

From 2003 through 2007, Ortiz has made:

Code:

2003Boston Red Sox$1,250,000 2004Boston Red Sox$4,587,500 2005Boston Red Sox$5,250,000 2006Boston Red Sox$6,500,000 2007Boston Red Sox$13,250,000

...or $30,837,500 total dollars while putting up:

Code:

2003 27 BOS AL 128  448   79  129  39  2  31  101   0  0  58  83  .288  .369  .592  144  265   0   2   8   1   9 MVP-5
 2004 28 BOS AL 150  582   94  175  47  3  41  139   0  0  75 133  .301  .380  .603  145  351   0   8   8   4  12 SS,MVP-4,AS
 2005 29 BOS AL 159  601  119  180  40  1  47  148   1  0 102 124  .300  .397  .604  158  363   0   9   9   1  13 SS,MVP-2,AS
 2006 30 BOS AL 151  558  115  160  29  2  54  137   1  0 119 117  .287  .413  .636  161  355   0   5  23   4  12 SS,MVP-3,AS
 2007 31 BOS AL 149  549  116  182  52  1  35  117   3  1 111 103  .332  .445  .621  171  341   0   3  12   4  16 SS,MVP-4,AS

Five top 5 MVP caliber seasons for $4.5 million dollars more than Alex Rodriguez makes per season.

In this day and age, money has to be factored in. When you do so, the Ortiz signing is quite remarkable.

Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:

Originally Posted by soxmuscle

Hold on, that's what separates Jeter from Arod, Arod is already quiting.

You can't be negative... you have to think positive, you think the Red Sox of '03 thought negativly down 0-3 in the series?

If I remember that series well during the final outs of the game Jeter got a hit and was rooting for more hits.

A-Rod seems to quit on himself a lot, sure he's had a not so great year but when the game is on the line you can count on Jeter to stick his chest out while A-Rod sticks his up his ass....tell me, how many times has A-Rod come up big against Boston compared to Jeter?

Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:

Originally Posted by soxmuscle

In this day and age, money has to be factored in. When you do so, the Ortiz signing is quite remarkable.

Like I said maybe for Boston but not for all of sports.

I think Babe Ruth wants to have a word with you........

Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:

Originally Posted by soxmuscle

You must hate Jeter.
I am suprised because that's the what they teach players...to be positive..a winner.

Posted by: tucker01

Quote:

Originally Posted by min0 lee

You can be optomistic all you want. When you are battling a team Head to Head... you can continue to fight. But the Yanks much like the Jays are down. The Yanks have to Jump what 4 teams? to get a spot.

Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:

Originally Posted by IainDaniel

It's a reality we have to they face, my point is a fighter doesn't call it quits...he goes down fighting.

After the all-star break I already sensed this season was down the shitter, so did Hank.

This is all about Boston and the Rays now.

No shame on my behalf.

Posted by: tucker01

Quote:

Originally Posted by min0 lee

Fixed

Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:

Originally Posted by IainDaniel

Fixed

See! Your just like Jeter, you know your team is going nowhere but you still put up a front.

Damn, if only we had your 1,2 pitchers.......

Posted by: I Are Baboon

Jays are seven back in the Wild Card and still play Boston seven times.

The Sox play NYY the last series of the season.

Posted by: tucker01

Quote:

Originally Posted by min0 lee

See! Your just like Jeter, you know your team is going nowhere but you still put up a front.

Damn, if only we had your 1,2 pitchers.......

AJ will be a free agent after this year.

Difference is the Jays can determine their fate.
The Yankees need to rely on help.

Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:

Originally Posted by IainDaniel

AJ will be a free agent after this year.

Difference is the Jays can determine their fate.
The Yankees need to rely on help.

You know he's going to get his money, I see Boston and the Yankees in a bidding war.

Posted by: tucker01

So is Joe Torre secretly gleaming on the inside as his team holds a playoff spot, while the Yanks struggle.

Posted by: min0 lee

Joe Torre's Dodgers 74W - 71L = 1st place

Joe Girardi's Yankees 77W - 68L = 4th place

Not to defend the Yankees but Torre's Dodgers play in a much weaker division.

Yanks winning Pct. is .528 while the Dodgers is barely over .500 at .507.

Posted by: tucker01

Can compare numbers all you want.

Division winner will always sound better

Posted by: min0 lee

No doubt, they won't go far though.

Your trying to get rise out of me....well it won't work.
I knew this was coming so

to you.

Posted by: tucker01

Ok let's stick to the numbers

Teams the Yanks need to Catch

Tampa 86-57 $45 Million
Boston 85-59 $133 Million
Minnesota 79-65 $48 Milllion
Jays 78-66 $84 Million
Yankees 77-68 $233 Million

HAHA

Posted by: min0 lee

The Warriors and I should have jumped when you came to NYC.

Posted by: soxmuscle

Quote:

Originally Posted by min0 lee

I agree with Iain.

It's one thing when you're playing that team in a playoff series, it's another thing when you're as close to being mathematically eliminated as the Yankees are and have to jump several teams to even be in contention.

It's not a dislike thing because Jeter is one of the few Yankees I respect, it's simply being irrational and boneheaded which describes three-fourths of the Yankee fan base.

If you have time, go to NYYfans.com and read some of the opinions of Yankee fans who think they still have a chance at the playoffs:

"Technically, we're only 4.5 games out because we finish the year against the Red Sox and we can sweep 'em!"

Again, I love that optimism and we're all victims at one time or another of doing something similar, it's just hysterical to me given my hatred for that team and their fans.

Posted by: min0 lee

You don't say we are going to lose....not to the media nor yourself.
They might as well forfeit every game and call it a year.

Posted by: min0 lee

Tell the Phillies of last year that.

Posted by: Triple Threat

Quote:

Originally Posted by IainDaniel

So is Joe Torre secretly gleaming on the inside as his team holds a playoff spot, while the Yanks struggle.

Given the way Torre was forced out of NY, I wouldn't be surprised if he were pleased at the way things turned out. I know if I were in that position I would be.

Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:

Originally Posted by Triple Threat

Given the way Torre was forced out of NY, I wouldn't be surprised if he were pleased at the way things turned out. I know if I were in that position I would be.

Not Torre's style...at least not with his former players.
Pretty sure he does feel that way with management though...

Posted by: Triple Threat

Sorry sox, but I'm with min0 on this one. The realist in me says the Yankees are finished for the year, but the Yankee fan still holds out hope that a miracle occurs. That hope will remain until they are mathematically eliminated.

I don't think Jeter realistically thinks they have a chance either, but it's his job to go out there, do his best, and see what happens. That attitude is what puts them at the top of their profession.

Posted by: min0 lee

Hey Sox....do you wake up to the NYDaily news and look for more reasons to hate New Yorkers and the Yankees?
I kid around Boston but it's in good humor......I get this feeling I'll see you at the new stadium strapped with Explosives wearing your Schilling Jersey....yelling the "Yankees Suck!" in the back and Jeter is gay on the front.

Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:

Originally Posted by Triple Threat

Sorry sox, but I'm with min0 on this one. The realist in me says the Yankees are finished for the year, but the Yankee fan still holds out hope that a miracle occurs. That hope will remain until they are mathematically eliminated.

I don't think Jeter realistically thinks they have a chance either, but it's his job to go out there, do his best, and see what happens. That attitude is what puts them at the top of their profession.

I wish I could speak as eloquently as you do.

That is what I am trying to say.

A-Rod just has a way of putting his foot in his mouth.....and then to make matters worse he denies them. I think if he were blunt and stopped kissing up to everyone he would be more accepted..

Posted by: min0 lee

Jeter: Who's quitting?

Aceves goes strong 7 as Damon, A-Rod provide 3 HRs, 6 RBIs

BY KAT O'BRIEN

kat.obrien@newsday.com

8:56 AM EDT, September 10, 2008

ANAHEIM, Calif.

On Monday, hours before the Yankees would lose a lopsided 12-1 game, one longtime Yankee questioned the effort of some players.

The veteran wondered aloud if players were still turning in top effort, or if perhaps some had thrown in the towel for the season and were merely going through the motions. If the latter were the case, he would be furious. When asked about that possibility on Tuesday, some veteran players vehemently disagreed. They then went out and showed some spark in a 7-1 Yankees win over the Angels.

The game would not have appeared to be a perfect setup for a Yankees victory. The Angels could have clinched the American League West Division if they beat the Yankees and the Rangers lost to the Mariners, and they were surely eager to pop some champagne. Also, the Yankees had Alfredo Aceves making his first major league start while Angels starter Ervin Santana was 15-5 with a 3.23 ERA. Yet Aceves was outstanding and multi-run homers by Alex Rodriguez and Johnny Damon chased Santana.

The Yankees are 8 1/2 games out in the wild card chase.

"He was great," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said of Aceves. "Seven strong innings, and we probably could have sent him out for the eighth."

Before the game, captain Derek Jeter, in particular, took exception to the idea that any players had given up: "If somebody said that, they should identify themselves."

Jeter, who had two hits and passed Babe Ruth for second on the Yankees' all-time hit list with 2,520, said he believes everyone is playing at top effort. He seemed most bothered that someone would make an assertion to the contrary without attaching their name to the sentiment, saying: "You've got to give me someone to disagree with. Like I said, if somebody said that, they should identify themselves. That's the way I look at it."

In Jeter's eyes, if you're going to accuse members of your own team of not trying as hard as they are capable, it should be a public accusation.

Said Damon: "I don't know who would say that. We're going out, playing hard. We're trying as hard as we can. It just seems like nothing is going our way right now."

The veteran who worried that some people had quit had no cause for concern last night. Before the game, Mariano Rivera said players should never quit, but he did not want to add to anyone else's comments by chiming in, so he said: "I prefer not to have any comment about that. I see the guys trying as hard as they've been trying all year."

That looked true last night.

Copyright Â© 2008, Newsday Inc.

Posted by: soxmuscle

Quote:

Originally Posted by min0 lee

You don't say we are going to lose....not to the media nor yourself.
They might as well forfeit every game and call it a year.

Herein lies the problem. A-Rod never said that they sucked, we're going to lose or anything like that. He simply praised the Jays, nothing more and nothing less.

It's the media and Yankee fans who simply have it out for the guys head who are in the wrong here, not A-Rod.

Posted by: min0 lee

How would it look to have the captain of your team call it quits with games left to play?

If I was your coach Sox I would bench you for thinking that way.

Why this reminds me of a speech I once gave.....

min0 Lee

Well, boys ... I haven't a thing to say.
Played a great game...all of you. Great game.
(min0 lee it tries to smile.)
I guess we just can't expect to win ‘em all.
(min0 lee pauses and says quietly.)
I'm going to tell you something I've kept to myself for years ...no,not my sex you idiot--
None of you ever knew KEFE.
It was long before your time.
But you know what a tradition he is at The bathhouse...
(There is gentle, faraway look in min0 lee eyes as he recalls the boy's words.)
And the last thing he said to me -- "min0 lee," he said -
"sometime, when the team is up against it -- and the
breaks are beating the boys -- tell them to go out there
with all they got and win just one for the KEFE...
(min0 lees eyes become misty and its voice is unsteady as it finishes.)
I don't know where I'll be then, min0 lee", he said - "but
I'll know about it - and I'll be happy."
There is a hushed stillness as min0 lee and the crowd of boys look at each other naked. In the midst of this tense silence and the aroma of unwashed jock straps, min0 lee quietly says "Alright," to the men beside it and on top of it, and it's chair is wheeled slowly out of the dressing room.

PLAYER # 12

Well, what are we waiting for?

With a single roar and one wimper, the players throw off their blankets and rush through the doorway.

Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:

Originally Posted by soxmuscle

Your right, he was confused though as you are in saying that he said they sucked.

The media came out with this and of course that's where the fans get there info from.

Posted by: soxmuscle

Quote:

Originally Posted by min0 lee

Hey Sox....do you wake up to the NYDaily news and look for more reasons to hate New Yorkers and the Yankees?
I kid around Boston but it's in good humor......I get this feeling I'll see you at the new stadium strapped with Explosives wearing your Schilling Jersey....yelling the "Yankees Suck!" in the back and Jeter is gay on the front.

I hate the New York media, hate the Yankees and hate many of their fans but I think half of our country thinks the same.

Wouldn't own a Schilling jersey, went years without wearing my Yankees suck shirt (because they didn't suck until this year) up until this year, I don't think Jeter is gay and I actually respect and like him as a ballplayer with the only thing that irks me being how unbelievably overrated he's been throughout his career.

That description isn't me.

Posted by: soxmuscle

Quote:

Originally Posted by min0 lee

Your right, he was confused though as you are in saying that he said they sucked.

The media came out with this and of course that's where the fans get there info from.

He wasn't confused. The reporter asked him a question and then spun it on him knowing he could sell papers to the Yankee fan base who will do anything and everything to take a shit all over this guys life.

It's a joke.

Posted by: soxmuscle

Quote:

Originally Posted by Triple Threat

This isn't the problem here, TT.

If A-Rod isn't trying his best and seeing what happens then shame on him, but that most definitely isn't the case. He's been the best hitter in baseball thus far in September, so being on the opposite end of this argument is downright ridiculous.

A-Rod commended the Jays for how well they've been playing, the Yankee media and their fans chose to make a mountain out of a molehill because they are both out to get this guy and thats that.

Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:

Originally Posted by soxmuscle

I think everybody likes to shit on A-Rod, sadly he is is a lightning rod for critism here and everywhere else.
In Texas it was the same, in Boston where he never played but almost was signed he's loathed....the stuff about that came out of there is funny. It's not so bad now though.

Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:

Originally Posted by soxmuscle

The Media sucks I admit, but tell me what fans do you speak of?
The one's who boo A-rod when the bases are loaded and he hits into a double play?

In clutch situations he hasn't done really good and for the money he makes which I don't think anyone can disagree he should produce a little better.

Trust me, his numbers may look good but he ain't a Big Papi when it comes to wining games.

Same shit happened in Texas.

Posted by: soxmuscle

Quote:

Originally Posted by min0 lee

The one's who boo A-rod when the bases are loaded and he hits into a double play and then jump up for joy and say that they "called it" when he hits a a go ahead home run off of Papelbon in the ninth.

^ I hate them.

Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:

Originally Posted by soxmuscle

^ I hate them.

You don't see that too often, do you ever see any Yankee games?
I wouldn't expect you too but he's really horrible in clutch and important situations.

Posted by: Triple Threat

Quote:

Originally Posted by min0 lee

You don't see that too often, do you ever see any Yankee games?
I wouldn't expect you too but he's really horrible in clutch and important situations.

There was an article recently showing that although Arod is putting up respectable numbers, he's not coming through in the clutch, ie, his big hits occur either early in the game or when the score is lopsided.

Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:

Originally Posted by Triple Threat

I read that same article in the Daily News, he almost at the bottom of the league went it came time to produce with men in scoring position.

Posted by: soxmuscle

Code:

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB K SB CS AVG OBP SLG OPS
 Runners On   125 243 77 68 17 0 11 73 37 62 17 3 .280 .391 .486 .877     RISP   113 147 68 40 7 0 7 60 30 42 2 2 .272 .416 .463 .878     RISP w/2 Outs   77 60 30 15 0 0 4 21 19 18 2 0 .250 .451 .450 .901

There is no way a .900 OPS ranks in the bottom portion of the league. If anything, he's ranking in the top. I don't have time to find where he ranks exactly, but the fact remains he's a pretty darn good player with runners in scoring position and even better when runners are in scoring position and there are two outs.

Once again, New York media spewing bullshit.

Posted by: soxmuscle

That table didn't come out right:

Posted by: soxmuscle

Okay, I can't get it.

Álex Rodríguez - New York Yankees - Situational Statistics - MLB - Yahoo! Sports

Fact is, he's got a .900 OPS with RISP and a .986 OPS (good for second best in the American League) overall.

With runners on base and without runners on base, Alex Rodriguez has been one of the best players in the game this year and would be in the MVP running if the Yankees were a competent baseball club.

Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:

Originally Posted by soxmuscle

Okay, I can't get it.

ï¿½lex Rodrï¿½guez - New York Yankees - Situational Statistics - MLB - Yahoo! Sports

Fact is, he's got a .900 OPS with RISP and a .986 OPS (good for second best in the American League) overall.

With runners on base and without runners on base, Alex Rodriguez has been one of the best players in the game this year and would be in the MVP running if the Yankees were a competent baseball club.

Numbers do look decent.

Posted by: min0 lee

Steinbrenner says Yanks will 'fix what we have to fix' for next year

TAMPA, Fla. -- Hank Steinbrenner is disappointed the New York Yankees could be eliminated from postseason play during Yankee Stadium's final homestand.

"We're going to have to look at what has been done wrong over the last five years, which I've had one year to try and figure out," he said Thursday at the Yankees' spring training complex. "Clearly, a lot of mistakes were made."

Hank and his brother Hal took over most of the Yankees' day-to-day operation last fall. Their father, George Steinbrenner, bought the Yankees in 1973.

"I'm going to be reviewing the entire organization," said Hank Steinbrenner, a team co-chairman along with his brother Hal.

New York opens a 10-game homestand Friday night against Tampa Bay. The Yankees, fourth in the AL East, are 8Â½ games behind AL wild-card leader Boston with 16 games left.

"We're going to do everything we can to win next year. We're not going to wait," Steinbrenner said. "Do everything we can that makes sense. We're going to fix what we have to fix."

New York is expected to be active in free agency. Pitchers CC Sabathia, Ben Sheets and A.J. Burnett, and first baseman Mark Teixeira are among the players whom the Yankees might be interested in signing.

Steinbrenner has already said that manager Joe Girardi will return next season, but the contract of general manager Brian Cashman ends this year and extension talks won't take place until after the season.

In addition to the GM spot, Steinbrenner is looking at setting up an advisory group, such as the one his father established before the Yankees' run of four World Series titles from 1996-2000.

"If Brian stays on as GM, that doesn't mean he won't be the No. 1 guy," Steinbrenner said. "But the fact is, the more opinions the better. I think that's probably the best way. It worked in the 90's, and it can work again."

Injuries and offensive struggles have been key factors this season, which will likely end with New York missing the playoffs for the first since 1993.

"Our offense was a major disappointment," Steinbrenner said.

The Yankees lost more than 30 combined starts due to injuries to Chien-Ming Wang (foot) and Joba Chamberlain (shoulder).

"Where would we be if we weren't down two-thirds of our top three starting pitchers?" Steinbrenner said.

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

Posted by: min0 lee

[QUOTE]Rodriguez has only one ninth-inning RBI all season [/QUOTE]This was printed on Aug. 30

Posted by: min0 lee

This is old but still a nice read, i'll see if I find more.

Mr. Clutch or Mr. Choke?

Yankees boo birds have roosted on Alex Rodriguez for being a bust in key situations, but A-Rod's career numbers in clutch aren't bad

By Dave Sheinin
THE WASHINGTON POST

June 26, 2006

Alex Rodriguez has reached a crisis point in his career. The widespread perception of him as being a choker â€“ someone who puts up mammoth numbers but fails consistently in the clutch â€“ has penetrated his skin, turned him sullen and fatalistic.

â€œRip away,â€ he dared the media Thursday following another typical performance. â€œYou can write the worst article, and say the worst things, and you're probably right.â€

That day, with the bases empty in the seventh inning and the New York Yankees trailing the Cleveland Indians by five runs, Rodriguez crushed an estimated 500-foot homer â€“ the kind of awe-inspiring swing that validates his standing as the most talented player in the game.

But an inning later, with the Yankees down by only two and with the tying runs on base, Rodriguez struck out with a meek swing, cascades of boos trailing him back to the dugout.

Rodriguez has always known that his $252 million contract, the richest ever in professional team sports, means he will be held to a higher standard. But what he seems to be realizing lately is that, as he told reporters earlier this month, the â€œchokeâ€ label won't go away until he wins â€œfive or six world championships and hits a Joe Carter home run to win every one of them.â€

In other words, it will never go away. That label, nearly 12 years into his career, is Rodriguez's legacy, fairly or unfairly. Ask someone to pinpoint the defining moment of his career, and it likely would not be any of his 443 home runs, or any of the six he has hit in 31 career playoff games. It will be his infamous slap of Red Sox pitcher Bronson Arroyo's glove in Game 6 of the 2004 American League Championship Series.

Is it fair? Is Rodriguez really the gag artist he is made out to be? Some of the numbers may surprise you.

In any critical situation, most Yankees fans would say they'd prefer to see Derek Jeter at the plate, as opposed to Rodriguez. But their career numbers in â€œclose-and-lateâ€ situations â€“ defined by Stats, Inc. as â€œseventh inning or later with the batting team ahead by one run, tied, or with the tying run on base, at-bat, or on deckâ€ â€“ are telling.

In those situations, Rodriguez has hit .271 (or 35 points below his overall career average) with an .892 OPS (on-base plus slugging), while Jeter has hit .283 (or 32 points below his career average) with an .849 OPS.

What about the postseason, where Jeter supposedly raises his game, and Rodriguez supposedly turns into a choking dog? Jeter has hit .307 with an .841 OPS, while Rodriguez has hit .305 with a .935 OPS.

(By way of comparison, Boston's David Ortiz, another player heralded as a clutch performer, goes .284/.961 in close-and-late, and .301/.935 in the postseason.) The prevailing wisdom in the Sabermetric community â€“ those folks who study baseball numbers for a living â€“ is that the existence of clutch hitters is a myth. A hitter who succeeds in clutch situations one year is just as likely to fail to a similar degree the following year.

With Rodriguez, that certainly is the case. This season (through June 15), in close-and-late situations, he was hitting just .114 with a .327 OPS â€“ horrible, pathetic, must-be-a-typo numbers. But last year, he went .293/.935.

In the Yankees' Division Series loss to the Angels last October, Rodriguez hit .133 and did not drive in a run over five games. But the year before, in their Division Series win over Minnesota, he hit .421 with a 1.213 OPS. (Of course, he then disappeared in the Yankees' four straight losses to Boston in the ALCS.) Realistically, no matter what the numbers say, the perception will remain the same, and not without some justification. We know Jeter and Ortiz are clutch because we see it with our own eyes. We know Rodriguez chokes because we see that, too.

Maybe we're just not watching when the opposite is true.

The two sides of A-Rod

Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez has a reputation for being a fabulous player until his team really really needs him to be. Does he deserve the rap? Yes. And no. (All statistics through June 15):

THE GOOD

With bases loaded: Hitting .500 (3-for-6) with one grand slam in 2006 and .326 career, with 12 grand slams.

With runners in scoring position: Hitting .301 (.333 with RISP and two outs) in '06.

Postseason batting: .305, with six career homers.

Against Yankees: Hit .334 with 28 homers against the Yankees when he was with the Mariners and Rangers.

THE BAD

Against the cross-town Mets: Has only one extra-base hit and no home runs since joining the Yankees.

At Fenway: Hitting .239 in Boston since joining the Yankees.

2004 ALCS: Went 2-for-17 in last four games of the Yankees' loss to Boston.

September: .272 lifetime (34 points below overall career average).

THE UGLY

May series vs. Mets: Stranded 11 baserunners in three-game series.

2005 playoffs: Batted .133 with no RBI.

â€œClose and lateâ€ in 2006: Hitting .114 in the seventh inning or later when the Yankees are either ahead by one run, tied, or with the tying run on base, at bat or on deck.

Posted by: min0 lee

Alex Rodriguez: Always Clutch at the Wrong Time

New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez is often derided by the media for coming through when situations are no longer important, i.e. hitting a homerun when his team is up or down by eight runs.

Arod - Honey, kids, dinner is ready! I made chop suey!
Wife - I'm in our room!
Arod - Dinner's ready. Where are the kids? Wait, why are you in bed?
Wife - It's 11 o'clock. The kids are asleep and I'm reading before I also go to bed.
Arod - What about dinner?
Wife - You said you were going to cook, but then you just stared meekly at the stove in silence for six hours. We ordered Dominoes.
Arod - Oh, wow.
Wife - Yeah.
Arod- I'm very sorry Madonna.
Wife - What'd you call me?

Arod (answering the phone) - Hello?
IRS Agent - Hello, Mr. Rodriguez, how are you doing tonight?
Arod - Good. Who is this?
IRS Agent - I'm with the IRS. I'd like to begin preliminary procedures regarding an audit on your taxes this year.
Arod - Whoa, whoa, hold on, I know for a fact that I filed them perfectly. I bought one of those 'idiot's-guide-to' books and followed all the rules! I sent my taxes in just last week!
IRS Agent - You do know it's July, right?
Arod - Oh... so it is.
IRS Agent - Alright, so I'm going to begin with your write-offs for charitable donations. It says here that you gave "two million dollars for the cause of cleaning up the Exxon Valdez spill"???
Arod - That's right; the Alaskan government was more than happy to receive my donation. I can't let another day go by in which those lovable seals are drowning in oil.
IRS Agent - Yikes, you're serious, aren't you?

Arod - Honey! Quick, get in here! I finally got that erection! Honey! Hurry up! We can have sex now!
Proctologist - Wow, uh, okay Mr. Rodriguez, if you could just be kind enough, you know, to bend back over the patient table, um, so I could retrieve my hand.
Arod - Honey! Get in here! Quick! It's huge! Honey! Honey? Madonna?

Posted by: min0 lee

BERNIE TO ATTEND STADIUM CLOSING CEREMONY

B

Quote:

y MIKE PUMA
Posted: 3:07 am
September 12, 2008

Before construction crews literally bring down the house, the return of a Yankees icon figures to serve the same purpose.

Bernie Williams told The Post last night he plans to be at Yankee Stadium as part of the pregame festivities on Sept. 21, when the Yanks and Orioles play what surely will be the final game in the current Stadium.

It will be Williams' first appearance at the Stadium since the Yankees left him unsigned following the 2006 season.

As he prepared for a musical performance that benefited Robinson Cano's Foundation Fundraiser at Frankie & Johnny's Pine Restaurant in The Bronx, Williams said he expects an electric night at the Stadium.

"It will bring me back to my first time in 1991, when I played my first game," Williams said. "It will be amazing. The fans are going to be great. I'm obviously very sad to the Stadium go - you have a lot of great memories - but you move on."

Whether the former Yankee center fielder has completely moved on from wanting to play is anybody's guess. Williams, who turns 40 tomorrow, stumbled to find an answer when asked if he's 100 percent retired from baseball.

Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:

Whether the former Yankee center fielder has completely moved on from wanting to play is anybody's guess. Williams, who turns 40 tomorrow, stumbled to find an answer when asked if he's 100 percent retired from baseball.

What kind of a question is that?
He's been gone since 2006 and is 40....what a moron, Sox is right about the NY media.

Posted by: soxmuscle

The whole A-Rod isn't clutch thing is a fallacy believed by fans who truly just don't know baseball that well or can't think for themselves and are brainwashed by boneheaded writers who know they can stir trouble and thus earn more money than they otherwise would if they just minded their own business and were credible writers.

Which is why it's so great when 50,000 jackasses start booing their teams (by far and away) best player and arguably the greatest player to ever play the game.

The guy has given everything for New York and New York has given nothing to him. If he could have gotten the same money in some other place, I really wonder if he'd had been so adamant about resigning in New York last year.

Posted by: soxmuscle

Quote:

Originally Posted by min0 lee

What kind of a question is that?
He's been gone since 2006 and is 40....what a moron, Sox is right about the NY media.

Sometimes I wish the New York media would question Terry Francona sometimes..

"Terry, what the hell were you thinking bringing in the corpse that is Mike Timlin when you have a plethora of pitchers to choose from now that the rosters have expanded?"

...the Boston media won't dare question him, instead they ask him "So Josh Beckett looked real sharp tonight. How do you think he'll perform going forward?"

Posted by: soxmuscle

Is that the third or fourth time Hank's used injuries as an excuse for his teams misfortunes?

Seriously Min0, you might be right.

George > Hank and that says something if it's coming out of my mouth.. err computer.

Posted by: min0 lee

I can honestly say that most of the games that I have seen he's never hit when it mattered the most.

Tell me, how many times did he get a hit when it mattered most against Boston.

Now tell me how many times Manny or big Papi killed us in the late innings.

He's a great player no doubt and after the season he had last year and his decision to stay in NY should give him a little leeway.
It's tough here, that's for sure.

Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:

Originally Posted by soxmuscle

I know Franco is a media darling there, heck we like him here too.

The manager before him, I forget what's his name didn't really get the royal treatment from what I heard.

Posted by: min0 lee

Sometimes it's good to question a Manager....look at how much Art Howe sucked, the media really didn't get to him till later on.
The A's were more than glad to get rid of him.

Posted by: soxmuscle

I think it's perceived as such because every time he fails in the clutch its rehashed over and over again until weeks go by and he fucks up again in an important situation.

He had that one 0-5 game and a couple of other times that he's failed this season that I remember, but his numbers state that he's a top 5 player in the game with Runners In Scoring Position; Were all those extra base hits, home runs, walks to keep innings alive, etc. done in unimportant situations? I just find that hard to believe.

Posted by: soxmuscle

Quote:

Originally Posted by min0 lee

I know Franco is a media darling there, heck we like him here too.

The manager before him, I forget what's his name didn't really get the royal treatment from what I heard.

Grady Little didn't know how to deal with the media, but I think a lot of why Francona is such a media darling is because he's delivered two World Series titles during his tenure.

In 2004 before the World Series was won, he was no different than Grady Little in terms of how the media treated him.

I guess winning truly does change everything.

Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:

Originally Posted by soxmuscle

I Were all those extra base hits, home runs, walks to keep innings alive, etc. done in unimportant situations? I just find that hard to believe.

Not all, but you had to see him this year.
last year he did great..except for the playoffs..this year you just had to see it to believe.

You do know he came with this label before he came to NYC? Look it up, his teammates made fun of this at Texas.

Posted by: soxmuscle

Quote:

Originally Posted by min0 lee

Sometimes it's good to question a Manager....look at how much Art Howe sucked, the media really didn't get to him till later on.
The A's were more than glad to get rid of him.

Oh of course..

Francona isn't the best manager in baseball.

He might not even be in the top half of the league.

Just because he's delivered two World Series' should he be treated differently? That depends on who you talk to, but just because we won in 2004 doesn't mean I'm less hungry to win Championships. Every year brings out something special. In '04, it was the first of many of our life times. Last year, we won the division which made it real special. This year if the Red Sox are to do something, it will be cool knowing more than half the roster is home grown.. Every year it's a different novel; just because we've had two best sellers doesn't mean I don't care to have that third.

Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:

Originally Posted by soxmuscle

That's the same reason Rivera, Jeter, Posada, Martinez....etc.,etc, get the highest respect from other players here.

Look at Scott Brousa the third baseman, he was no one special but he delivered big time and he usually gets the biggest ovation.

Posted by: soxmuscle

Quote:

Originally Posted by min0 lee

He's always had that reputation for performing worse in higher pressured situations, but his numbers are still outstanding.

How much of it is because it's Alex Rodriguez and he's supposed to come through more than any other hitter in the game?

That article you posted stated that Rodriguez' playoff numbers are better than Jeter'.

If it was Wilson Betemit coming into these situations regularly instead of Rodriguez, this would be a non-issue.

Posted by: soxmuscle

Quote:

Originally Posted by min0 lee

Oh my god..

Brosius was the worst.

Easily one of my least favorite Yankees of all time in that Bucky Dent type of mold.

A below league average third baseman who somehow/someway just killed the Red Sox.

Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:

Originally Posted by soxmuscle

When your considered the greatest ballplayer alive you should live up to it, really.

Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:

Originally Posted by soxmuscle

Exactly, I remember when he came over...I was like who??
I couldn't wait for them to get rid of him.

But then the crucial games against Boston, the Playoffs and the World Series came and he killed teams....I was actually sad to see him retire.

Posted by: soxmuscle

Quote:

Originally Posted by min0 lee

When your considered the greatest ballplayer alive you should live up to it, really.

I don't think we necessarily disagree with eachother.

The best players are going to be under the most watchful eye because they're expected to come through in every situation, but this is baseball where players win the batting title and become Hall of Famers for succeeding 3 times out of every 10.

I guess over the years I've become less harsh.

My Dad will call me and be start yapping away about how this guy sucks and I just can't agree with him because we're analyzing one game.

Jason Bay went 0-7 the other night. It wasn't his night. Yet, my Dad will call me and tell me how the guy is brutal at times. Well sure, he's brutal at times (as is any ball player), but I can guaranfuckingtee you that the night before when he hit the potential game winning home run you were praising him like you would Pamela Anderson's rack.

Posted by: min0 lee

[URL="http://www.nypost.com/seven/09122008/sports/yankees/hank__cash_may_lose_power_128693.htm"]HANK: CASH MAY LOSE POWER[/URLIf Brian Cashman wants to return to the Yankees as general manager, he might not have the total power George Steinbrenner gave him in 2005 when he signed a three-year deal worth $5.4 million.

"If Brian stays on as GM, that doesn't mean he won't be the No. 1 guy," Hank Steinbrenner said yesterday. "But the fact is, the more opinions the better. I think that's probably the best way. It worked in the 90's, and it can work again."

Steinbrenner's thoughts could lead to Cashman, who is a candidate in Philadelphia and Seattle, leaving The Bronx.

The Steinbrenners, Hal and Hank, want Cashman back, but he is reluctant to talk about a contract until the season is over. His contract expires Oct. 31.

Hank seemed to take a swipe at Cashman when assessing the team's recent history.

"We're going to have to look at what has been done wrong over the last five years, which I've had one year to try and figure out," Steinbrenner said. "Clearly, a lot of mistakes were made. I'm going to be reviewing the entire organization. We're going to do everything we can to win next year."

Posted by: soxmuscle

That's interesting about Cashman.

Hank is going to have a voice? I couldn't be happier.

Posted by: min0 lee

Mike Mussina and Yankees ripped by Rays in opener of day-nighter

Posted by: min0 lee

Yankees recall Phil Hughes, could start him Wednesday

He's come back to save our season!!
We may still have a fighting chance.

Posted by: soxmuscle

Hopefully he pulls a Buccholz and then Hank trades him this offseason for a high priced veteran. This kid is going to be a stud some day.

Posted by: min0 lee

Yes he is, I wonder how he would have done under Mel Stottelmeyers wing.

I was against them trading the two kids, they just had bad luck this year.....I hope.

Who isBuccholz?

Posted by: soxmuscle

Clay Buccholz.

All the major publications were hyping Buccholz and Hughes as future aces, neck and neck for 1 and 2 on the top prospects lists.

He really struggled this year. Hopefully they don't let him part ways, I still believe he'll be a Cy Young contender by 2010.

Posted by: soxmuscle

A-Rod comes through, grand slam!

Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:

Originally Posted by soxmuscle

A-Rod comes through, grand slam!

I knew deep down inside you were a Yankee fan.

Posted by: I Are Baboon

Thanks, Yankees! Good job! You guys rule!

Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:

Originally Posted by soxmuscle

A-Rod comes through, grand slam!

Was it when it mattered?

Posted by: min0 lee

Pavano expects to make next start

Quote:

Righty left Sunday's game against Rays with left hip injury.

This sucks, this will definitely hurt our chances for the playoffs.

Pavano needs to be euthanized.

Posted by: soxmuscle

Quote:

Originally Posted by min0 lee

Was it when it mattered?

Tie ball game.

Of course it mattered.

Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:

Originally Posted by soxmuscle

Tie ball game.

Of course it mattered.

Wasn't it in the first inning?
Not that it makes a difference, a slam is a slam and I applaud him for it.

Just wish he did this when it mattered.

Posted by: min0 lee

Just checked it, it was tied....zero to zero in the first inning. Then he hit the grand slam to break the tie.

Posted by: min0 lee

Derek Jeter makes history at Yankee Stadium, more to come

Quote:

BY ANTHONY MCCARRON
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Sunday, September 14th 2008, 10:23 PM

Cataffo/News
Derek Jeter
Derek Jeter said he'd never heard cheers during an at-bat in which he hit into a double play, so maybe that says something about the record Jeter tied during Sunday's victory over the Rays. Heck, even Jeter, who doesn't get overly jazzed about milestones, seemed touched.
Jeter had three more hits - he was 9-for-11 in the series - and matched Lou Gehrig's mark for career hits at Yankee Stadium with 1,269. Before he came to the plate in the seventh with a chance to break the record, fans showered him with encouragement as he warmed up in the on-deck circle. When he went to hit, everyone in the crowd of 54,279 stood and hollered, and they kept it up even though he bounced into a 5-4-3 twin kill.

He is loved here, I love him too.

Posted by: min0 lee

Posada: More injury risk for Joba in rotation than in bullpen
Associated Press

NEW YORK -- Jorge Posada reignited the debate over Joba Chamberlain's future Monday, recommending the young pitcher be kept in the bullpen and predicting more injuries if the New York Yankees put him back in their starting rotation.
"I think if you start him and he pitches 200 innings in one year, you're going to lose him. He's going to get hurt. I don't see him as a starter," Posada said Monday during a session of "CenterStage," scheduled to air on the team's YES Network starting Sept. 28.
Chamberlain, the hard-throwing righty who turns 23 next week, began the season in the Yankees bullpen, then moved to the rotation in June. The plan was to limit his innings early, then make him a full-time starter.
"He's been around the game and that's his opinion. I'm not going to fault the guy for having an opinion. We all have opinions," Chamberlain said. "We have to sit down. It's going to be what's best for the team in the long run. It's your career and you have to be a part of it. You do what's best for yourself, also, but the end goal is to win a championship. Whether that's in the bullpen or as a starter, time will tell."
He was sidelined from Aug. 4 to Sept. 2 because of rotator cuff tendinitis and went back to the bullpen when he returned.
"A little tendinitis, it just tells you a lot," Posada said after the TV interview. "I think his body is made up for a reliever."
Chamberlain was 3-1 with a 2.76 ERA in 12 starts, striking out 74 in 65 1/3 innings. He's 1-2 with a 2.29 ERA in 24 relief appearances, fanning 34 in 28 2/3 innings.
New York hasn't decided its future plans for Chamberlain.
"We'll discuss whether Chamberlain will be a starter or a reliever, along with everything else, during the winter," co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner said.
Manager Joe Girardi didn't mind Posada voicing his opinion, saying "some players feel more freely to discuss them openly than others." He also said the decision could depend on offseason developments.
"For right now, we still envision him as a starter. We just didn't have a chance to build him up," Girardi said.
He did reject the notion that starting makes Chamberlain more susceptible to injury.
"You can't put your head inside a guy's arm," he said. "People will argue it's better to start every five days from a physical standpoint, where you get four days' rest. Other people say it's better to throw in the bullpen, but what if you have to throw three days in a row? I mean, I think it just depends on the individual."
Chamberlain would like the debate to end at some point.
"At the beginning of the year, we're just going to have to say, this is it," he said. "Then I never want to answer another question about it again."
Posada had season-ending shoulder surgery June 30 and expects to return behind the plate for New York next season, anticipating he can catch 120-130 games.
With the Yankees almost certain to miss the playoffs for the first time since 1993, the 37-year-old says the team must go into the free-agent market to repair its starting rotation. CC Sabathia, Ben Sheets and A.J. Burnett are their chief targets.
"We're pretty much going to be in it, but you don't know if those guys are going to want to come here," Posada said. "I hope they do."
New York figures to have tens of millions of dollars available: Jason Giambi ($21 million), Andy Pettitte ($16 million), Bobby Abreu ($16 million), Mike Mussina ($11 million) and Carl Pavano ($11 million) are all potentially eligible for free agency.
"We're going to do whatever we can to improve, whether it's free agency or trades," Steinbrenner said.
On another topic, Posada voiced anger toward Pedro Martinez for the 2003 brawl between the Yankees and the Red Sox during the AL Championship Series.
"I thought he was going to hit me in the head with a bat, after we had the fight and he pushed Don Zimmer. It was ridiculous. I mean, he throws at Karim Garcia because he's losing the game. I mean, there's no class," Posada said.
It might have been an uncomfortable situation had Posada signed with the New York Mets after the 2007 season. He would have had to catch Martinez.
"You try to forget about the past and look forward," Posada said.
Told of Posada's comments after the Mets' 7-2 loss at the Nationals on Monday night, Martinez said he wouldn't throw at a batter on purpose because he was angry about losing.
Martinez also said Posada insulted Martinez's mother during that game.
"He cursed my mom, which is something I would never do to his mom, because she doesn't play," Martinez said. "She's not in the field. She's someone that you admire and respect. And I didn't like that."
Martinez pointed at his own head during the confrontation.
"It wasn't precisely to tell him that I wanted to hit him in the head," Martinez. "No, he's a human being, and he has a family, and I'm a professional. What I meant from his head was because he cursed my mom. I'll remember that. Because he knows he's Latin. As much as he pretends to be American, he's Latin, both sides, and he knows that cursing your mom in Latin America will get you into a fight. But, it wasn't to try to tell him.
"I actually had done it the inning before to Varitek. I would go like this," Martinez said, pointing to his head, "when there was a sequence or something. I go like this. If you go like this, it's not hit you in the head. It's think about it. That's what I meant to say: I'll remember what you just did."

Posted by: soxmuscle

As somebody who's fascinated by sabermetrics, I find this startling.

A-Rod's Win Probability Added for the last two seasons:
2007: 6.85
2008: 0.40

Quote:

Here's the basic idea. An average team, at any point in a game, has a certain likelihood of winning the game. For instance, if you're leading by two runs in the ninth inning, your chances of winning the game are much greater than if you're leading by three runs in the first inning. With each change in the score, inning, number of outs, base situation or even pitch, there is a change in the average team's probability of winning the game.

Christopher Shea has invented a "Win Expectancy Finder" to look up the actual Win Probability of every base/out, inning and score combination of all Major League games from 1979 to 1990. Chris used Retrosheet data that had been compiled by Phil Birnbaum, and his WE Finder simply looks up the percent of times a team in a given situation went on to win the game during those years. Next time you watch a ballgame, use it to track the ups and downs of the game. It will change the way you watch baseball.

Here's an example: Bottom of the ninth, score tied, runner on first, no one out. The home team has a 71% chance of winning according to the Win Expectancy Finder (in this situation, the home team won 1,878 of 2,631 games between 1979 and 1990). Let's say the batter bunts the runner to second. Good idea, right? Well, after a successful bunt, with a runner on second and one out, the Win Probability actually decreases slightly to 70% (home team won 1300 of 1,848 games), according to the WE Finder. The bunter hasn't really helped or hurt his team; his bunt was a neutral event.

If you're managing a team, or even following the game, you might want to know this sort of thing. Of course, the application of actual strategy (should he bunt or not?) depends on a lot of other factors, such as the skills of the batter, the pitcher and the baserunner, the following batters in the order, the game conditions and probably a number of other things. But Win Probability sets the baseline for evaluating each event on the field.

To really have fun with this system, you can take it one step further and track something Drinen calls "Win Probability Added" (WPA).

Once again, the concept is simple. Let's say our batter in the bottom of the ninth hits a single to put runners on first and third with no outs. This increases the Win Probability from 71% to 87%, for a gain of 16%. So, in a WPA system you credit the batter +.16 and debit the pitcher/fielder -.16. If you add up every positive and negative event from the beginning to the end of a game, you wind up with a total for the winning team of .5, and a total for the losing team of -.5. And the player with the most points will have contributed the most to his team's win.

By the way, that 87% with runners on first and third in the bottom of the ninth is on the low side for reasons I'll discuss in a minute.

If you were to track an entire season in this manner, you would have a Win Contribution metric that is more accurate than Win Shares, because it is based on how much each event actually contributed to the team's wins. In a way, WPA is the ultimate baseball statistic. And in a way, it is not.

Like Win Shares, WPA is not a good predictive statistic because it's not necessarily a good representation of a player's true talent. If a player hits a home run in the ninth inning of a 1-0 game, he is credited with more WPA points than if he hits a home run in the first inning of a 1-0 game. The talent is the ability to hit the home run; when it happens in a game is something that is pretty random. When you are thinking of acquiring a player for your fantasy team, you should rely more on the traditional sabermetric stats, like Linear Weights, Runs Created, DIPS, etc. etc.

Also, WPA measures the impact of an event while the game is in progress, not after the game is over. After the game is over, the score is 1-0, and it doesn't matter when the batter hit the home run. But during the game, it matters a lot. Good managerial strategies, for instance, are based on an implicit understanding of Win Probabilities. And if there is such a thing as clutch performance, WPA might unearth it.

The One About Win Probability -- The Hardball Times

Going against everything I've been saying, this one statistic basically rates A-Rod at the bottom portion of the league in terms of how well he performs in late/"clutch" situations.

I also included his WPA from 2007 which was one of the highest in all of baseball last season.

What does this all mean?

It means A-Rod, despite leading the American League in slugging percentage and being tied for fourth in on-base percentage has been a considerably worse player in late game situations than he has been in early/"non-clutch" situations.

It also means, that even though he underperformed in the playoffs last year, A-Rod was one of the most effective players in the game in late/"clutch" situations in the regular season last year.

In 2006, he had a WPA rating similar to this season and in 2005, his numbers in late/"clutch" situations shot right back up reminiscent of last season.

I'm not a huge fan of this metric or of the word "clutch" because if somebody is having the kind of season that Alex Rodriguez is having, he's without question helping his team win ball games. Still, to have the MVP caliber season that he's having and to have a WPA so low is telling of just how bad he's performed in high leverage situations this season.

Given these numbers, can you say that A-Rod is an "unclutch" player? Absolutely not, because in high leverage situations last year he was tops in the league.

I'm rambling now, but basically put:

You can't say A-Rod is an unclutch player because he's been as clutch as they come every other year. You also can't say he's a clutch player because he's been as unclutch as they come every other year.

Posted by: soxmuscle

Also,

the Yankees demise last season had little to do with Alex Rodriguez. The entire team struggled and as much as Yankee fans want to deny this, Derek Jeter was the worst player on that team last year in the playoffs.

IMO, the A-Rod hate stems from the fact that Jeter is such a respected Yankee. Given that A-Rod is twice the ball player that Jeter ever was, given that they played the same position and Rodriguez was better both offensively and defensively when originally coming over, etc. it makes sense that the New York media would (once again) paint Rodriguez as such a villain.

It happened with Maris/Mantle, and the Jeter/Rodriguez situation isn't very different.

Posted by: soxmuscle

Final thing before my class begins.

Looking at Derek Jeter' baseball reference page, the top players that compare to him in terms of numbers are Barry Larkin, Alan Trammell, Ray Durham, Ryne Sandberg and Roberto Alomar.

I'm not trying to take anything away from Derek Jeter, but if he hadn't been drafted by the Yankees, had Jeremy Giambi slid into homeplate in the ALDS years ago, etc. there is not one single chance we're talking about a nine time all-star here.

More than likely he'd be a very dynamic ball player who was tossed from team to team every 4-5 years, never won a World Series and made about half of the $140 million dollars he's made over the course of his career.

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2008 New York Yankees

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