Although there are some questions concerning Nick Swisher, the good outweighs the bad in the Yankees' newest acquisition.
All in all, I'd say the good outweighs the bad in the Yankees' acquisition of switch-hitting slugger Nick Swisher on Thursday.
First, as I like to do, the bad: He did bat only .219 last year and was so far in Ozzie Guillen's doghouse, he only started one of four games in the ALDS. His batting average (.189) and on-base percentage (.301) on the road were horrendous. And because of these numbers, I can't help but wonder if this is the beginning of a downward trend.
And, to boot, beside the fact he had one bad season, why were the White Sox so eager to get rid of him? Is there something we don't know?
Now the good news: He fits in with the Yankees theory of taking a lot of pitches. In fact, despite a poor batting average with the White Sox, he actually led the A.L. in pitches per at-bat with 4.51. His career on-base percentage is above average.
And despite a poor season overall at the plate, he did hit 24 dingers.
And he is a switch-hitter, which I love.
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The Yankees made a small move in the right direction when they re-signed left-handed reliever Damaso Marte to a new three-year contract.Good move re-signing LHP reliever Damaso Marte to a new three-year contract.
The Yanks did the right thing not picking up Marte's final year of his old contract, which would have paid him $6 million.
Instead, the Bombers gave him a three-year deal at $4 million per.
Lefties, of course, are hard to find, especially coming out of the pen. Although he was only 1-3 with a 5.40 ERA in 25 appearances with the Yankees, I thought the numbers were a bit deceiving.
First off, in most of the games he didn't perform well, more often than not he was in the second inning of an outing. To me, he shouldn't pitch more than an inning and hopefully, that's one thing manager Joe Girardi learned.
The Tampa Bay Rays have loads of pitching, catch just about everything -- and, oh yeah, David Price. No doubt I should have believed their press clippings and not their prior history.The definition of insanity is when you do the same thing over and over and expect a different result.
Well, folks, I've picked against the Rays all year. I doubted they could hold off the Yankees and Red Sox in the regular season and was convinced the Sox -- White or Red -- would have sent them home.
But that didn't happen.
The Tampa Bay Rays are young, talented and resilient.
And they finished first in what many baseball geeks maintain was the toughest division EVER in baseball.
For those reasons, and the feeling that the Rays lefthanded pitching will neutralize the lefty bats of the Fightin' Phils, I'm picking TAMPA BAY in SIX.
What I found quite amusing in the aftermath of the Rays knocking out the Sawx were all those people who were shocked that Joe Maddon leaned on David Price in the pivotal eighth inning, when Boston, down 3-1, had bases loaded, two out and J.D. Drew at the plate.
As we all know, Price went on to strike out Drew and close out the ninth for the pennant.
I was shocked that the announcers and sportswriters were shocked on the Price move.
It was a no brainer.
Maddon wasn't bringing in Scott Proctor or Luis Ayala.
He was calling on a blue-chip stud. A can't-miss prospect with top shelf makeup who throws gas and has a filthy slider.
I followed Price in the minor leagues and we Yankee fans saw the kid pitch at The Stadium in September. Everyone knows he's the real deal.
Put it this way. If Maddon kept Dan Wheeler in the game, the World Series would be opening in Fenway park tonight. The Rays didn't angle the kid on the playoff roster -- he was added due to ahem, injury, to another player, not to use him.
I was screaming for Maddon to brink Price on in Game 5 after Big Papi cut the lead to 7-4.
That the TBS crew thought Maddon was going to lift Price after he blew away Drew is incredible. As Maddon himself admited, "Price was throwing gas and throwing strikes," so there was no reason to take him out.
Right now Price is Tampa Bay's Joba -- without the DUI arrest.
He's K-Rod circa 2002.
He's the not-so-secret weapon for this series.
If Maddon is smart, and he is, he'll use Price as his closer.......
And one more thing.....
Met fans get to see that bust Scott Kazmir start Game 1 tonight.
Good thing Rick Peterson was able to fix Victor Zambrano (now Yankee property) in 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, Yankee fans shouldn't chuckle too much. As it turns out, former Bronx Bombers prospect Dioner Navarro HAS lived up to his nickname as "Little Pudge." While the Yankees acquired the original for their September run, Navarro -- who went to Arizone in the Randy Johnson trade -- just continued to improve.
And then there's Rays first baseman Carlos Pena. The Yankees had him in 2006, but never brought him up from the minors --- even though he batted .260 with 19 homers and 66 RBI in 105 games. I first-guessed on that one. Of course, the Yanks were saddled with Jason Giambi, but they could have given Pena -- who became the clubhouse leader Giambi never was --- a look. They had him on the cheap.
Brian Cashman's take? "He's two organizations removed from us. There's no looking back."
Not that the Yanks could use a young, feisty catcher and slick-fielding, slugging lefthanded first baseman. Right?
So I'm going to follow Cashman's advice -- and not look back -- at least not too much. Instead, I'm going to look ahead.
Again, this offseason is the biggest one for the Yanks in 13 years. In two weeks Cashman will be on the clock. He'd better have more success than I did picking the LCS winners.
If Joba Chamberlain wants to apologize for his senseless DUI arrest last week, he can do so by turning in an All-Star performance on the mound next season.What the heck was Joba Chamberlain thinking the other night?
Beside the fact he could have severely injured or killed himself, not to mention somebody else, why in God's name would he put himself in a situation where he could get arrested for a DUI?
I don't know if he thought there'd be no way an officer in his hometown of Lincoln, Neb., would have the nerve to arrest him or if he's just a typical 23-year-old kid who did something stupid, but I sure wish he would have avoided this altercation.
You can bet your bottom dollar every newspaper report or television interview leading up to spring training and beyond will make a reference to this mistake.
And, seriously, who wants to hear it? Not I. It's bad enough we have an October without Yankee baseball. I don't want to hear the negative press.
Phil Hughes has made two solid starts in the Arizona Fall League so far. In fact, the right-hander was named the AFL's Pitcher of the Week last week.Hello Yankee fans.
Just a couple of things I'd like to share as we approach what will likely be a busy off-season for the Bronx Bombers.
There's no earth-shattering news here, but there are two bits of news that I perceive as positive as the stove begins to warm.
First and foremost, it's nice the see Phil Hughes doing well so far in his stint in the Arizona Fall League. The big right-hander was named AFL Pitcher of the Week after allowing just one hit and striking out seven in five innings of work during Peoria's 10-3 victory. The only negative is he walked five.
But, in his second start on Monday, he scattered four hits and walked just one in five-plus innings. He also struck out three.
Most Yankee fans are rooting for Joe Torre to win the World Series again -- albeit in a uni other than Pinstripes.
For those keeping score, I went 3 for 4 with my Division Series picks.
I nailed the Phillies, Dodgers and Red Sox, but missed the boat on the White Sox. The Devil Rays have been proving me wrong all year.
If the Yankees get Manny they can resurrect the battlecry of Mariano Duncan (now a Dodger coach): "We play today, we win today, thas' it!"The chalk says that Chicago Cubs will meet Los Angeles in the World Series.
I can tell you right now -- that ain't gonna happen.
Joe Girardi -- and now Brian Cashman -- will be back with the Yankees next year. I own that same tie (Armani) Cashman is wearing in this photo, taken during last April's opening day rainout. Does this guy ever smile?!
He's coming back.
And it's really no surprise.
Earlier today, the Yankees announced that Brian Cashman is staying on as general manager. Cashman signed a three-year contract that runs through 2011.
"I've got a job to finish here," Cashman said in a statement. "That's the bottom line."
The real bottom line is whether Cashman learned his lesson.
That he is the GM of the New York Yankees and not the Kansas City Royals.
Which means that the Yanks need to sign some blue-chip free agents in the offseason and that players coming up from the farm have to earn a spot on the roster.
Cashman has the resources to give Joe Girardi a team that can compete for a World Series next year.
That means going hard after two free agent pitchers, most notably CC Sabathia. My world would be a better place to live in if Cashman signed Sabathia and Derek Lowe. Add them to Chien-Ming Wang and you have a solid Big 3. I'd re-sign Andy Pettitte and Mike Mussina to low-risk deals and have Phil Hughes compete for a spot in the rotation.
Joba Chamberlain's role is still to be determined. It depends on who the Yanks actually do sign -- as well as his health. We'll get in to what the Yanks need to do in the upcoming days.
Having a GM in place is the first order of business. I'm a Gene Michael fan, but Stick doesn't like being a suit. Cash-Man is a hard worker,but hopefully for all of us he will get some input when it comes to the pitching.
"I consider coming off a season where we didn't reach the playoffs for the first time since 1993 as a personal challenge. I've never been one to run from a challenge, and I look forward to having the chance to go after this thing again," Cashman said. "It's an incredible opportunity and honor to hold the title of general manager for the New York Yankees. With it comes a great responsibility to ownership, the people who wear the uniform and our fan base."
The Yanks lost the second game of yesterday's doubleheader, but not in my world. I choose to remember Mike Mussina's 20th victory in Game 1 and a ninth-inning rally in the nightcap.When the Yankees rallied to tie last night's second game against the Red Sox, I changed the channel and called it a year.
I wanted to remember this disappointing season on an up note. Mike Mussina getting his 20th win in the first game and the Yanks coming from behind in the second. I know it's foolish. But my last recollection of this year is Robinson Cano getting a clutch hit to knot the game at 3 and closing his season with a 12-game hitting streak.
Fade to black.
So the Yankees finish the season at 89-73. Considering the expectations and payroll, it's a downer. Considering the injuries, the lack of pitching reinforcements and an offense that scored nearly 200 less runs than '07 (and was supposed to mask this team's deficiencies), it's not a shocker.
But I let The Captain, Derek Jeter, speak for me when it comes to summing up the Yankees '08 campaign:
"It was a failure. We did not do what we wanted to do, We did not accomplish any of our goals."
(Please scroll down for Charlie DeBiase, Jr.'s take on the Yankee finale. Also, please continue to visit Yankees Watch. Baseball is a year-round proposition. Charlie and I will offer our take on the playoffs and what promises to be a busy offseason).
What moves will the Yankees make this off-season to turn these frowns into smiles in 2009? Stay tuned.
Now that it's all over, I just want to say a few things about the 2008 season and look slightly ahead to 2009 before Dean and I get ready for hot stovin' in a few weeks.
First and foremost, as diehard Yankee fan, you better believe I'm disappointed we're not in the playoffs this year. But here are some facts: We made the playoffs 13 straight years; In that time frame, we won four World Championships and made it to six World Series; We won numerous division titles.
The bottom line is, making the playoffs wasn't going to last forever (is the fact I'm going to hit 40 in four months helping me become more logical? I guess so). It's not our God-given right, even if we do have a $200 million payroll. So, yes, I can accept the fact we're not going to the playoffs this year.
Although we weren't officially eliminated until earlier this week, I believe the Yankees' season went south on Father's Day, June 16, the day Chien-Ming Wang was lost for the season. That's the day the Yankees season ended folks, like it or not. And when Joba Chamberlain got hurt in early August, that just solidified our fate. Think about it: We went months with Sidney Ponson and Darrell Rasner in our rotation.
The Yankees are currently tied with the Red Sox 1-1 in the top of the seventh inning.
It's a meaningless game, but when you're a fan, you root for players reaching their goals, silver linings and positive signs for next year.
Call him Mike Mussina, 20-game winnerMike Mussina has finally done it. The 39-year-old won his 20th game a short time ago as the Yankees defeated the Red Sox 6-2 at Fenway Park.
Mariano Rivera pitched a four-out save -- his 39th -- and Xavier Nady launched a three-run homer to power the Yankees to victory. Mussina, who won his last three starts and has 270 for his career, became the oldest pitcher to win 20 games for the first time. He hurled six innings of shutout ball.
While watching the Yankees pound the Red Sox last night at rainy, foggy, Fenway Park, I had a cruel flashback. It came in the top of the eighth inning with the Bombers up 17-5. I told one of my buddies that this game was eerily reminiscent of Game 3 of the 2004 ALCS.
The Yanks were down early, but then scored in just about every inning on the way to a blowout victory. It was rainy and foggy that night also, and like last night, the stands were virtually empty by the ninth inning.
I told my buddy, Rob, "watch this game ends up with the same score" as in 2004. Sure enough, horrible Chris Britton gives up three runs in the bottom of the ninth. Final score: Yankees 19 - Red Sox 8. Just like in 2004. We all know what happened after that.
Last night was the perfect time to employ my plan to get Mike Mussina a cheap victory, which would insure his first 20-win season.
When the Yanks came out of the rain delay it was the top of the fifth inning, with the Bombers ahead 12-4. The Yankee starting pitcher, Aceves, did not continue, so he had not pitched the required five innings to earn the victory. At that point, Mussina could have pitched two innings, Then manager Joe Girardi could have three pitchers hurl one inning each to finish the game. The official scorer would have awarded Mussina the "W."
Cheap? Yes. But Mussina has been jobbed out his 20th win multiple times when he played with Baltimore. The main culprit? Armando Benitez. Shocking!
Speaking of Girardi, you wouldn't know he had an engineering degree from Northwestern. If Girardi doesn't learn how to deal with the New York media, he's going to engineer his departure from the Yankees. GI Joe doesn't have to spill the beans to the press, but that doesn't mean you lie. Joe has not been honest about any injured Yankee player. According to Joe, Wang, Posada, Bruney and Hughes were all going to be OK. All were either out for the season or in the case of Bruney, out for four months.
In this latest incident, Girardi was protecting Mariano Rivera, but he also embellished his story to the point that he got caught -- and ended up having to make an emotional apology to the beat writers.
I don't know. Joey G. was one of my favorite Yankee managers, but he looks like he's ready to have a nervous breakdown. A number of people who wanted Girardi to replace Torre, including Eddie from Staten Island and Allieboy from Willowbrook have told me they've seen enough and they want Little Joe out of here......
I saw Roy Halladay won his 20th against the Yankees. It felt like it was his 20th win against the Yankees this season. In reality, Halladay is 5-1 against the Yanks in '08 and 15-10 against everbody else.....
I know Andy Pettitte has been shut down, but why is Sidney Ponson pitching today against the Red Sox? You mean to tell me there isn't one call-up or rookie who might have a future with the team who could take the mound?
No doubt. it's been a disappointing year. But if the Tampa Rays had not come out of nowhere, the Yanks would be leading the wildcard hunt with two games to go. And Girardi would not be battling the media....
The Yanks are 88-72, tied with the Mets for the seventh best record in the major leagues. Don't know what that means, but the Bombers won 94 games last year....
Finally, if the Mets are eliminated today (I expect Johan "He could have been ours" Santana to win), tomorrow's goodbye to Shea soiree is going to be real festive, don't you think?
"Hey Hank, Randy..Na na, boo boo...I'm in the playoffs, you're not!!!"So is the Dodgers' contest against the Padres.
Yogi knows the score.Well, now Joe Girardi can speak to the media about next year without those goofy proclamations that the Yankees don't have an "X" next to their name in the standings. Actually, that would have been a good thing, because "X" signifies that a playoff spot had been clinched.
