Here are my belated thoughts on Sunday's game (didn't have time to write on Monday!):
Jorge Posada is no longer an everyday player, and it was long past time to do so. I've heard some grumbling from fans that the Yankees somehow disrepected him, but I completely disagree. (For one thing, I wish somebody would disrespect me by paying me $12 million a year!) And quite frankly, I don't have a whole lot of sympathy for Posada after his sit-down strike. Posada has had a great career, and been a beloved Yankee, but that snit fit was ridiculous.
Some fans think that he shouldn't have even been replaced as catcher, which I don't understand at all. Did they watch how Posada couldn't throw anybody out last year? Not to mention that the Yanks were worried he was going to have another concussion. Besides, he's nearly 40 -- how many catchers are successful at that age? Carlton Fisk, but that's about it.
Posada has had all year to get adjusted to being a designated hitter. He couldn't do it. That's baseball. And that's getting older. Putting a DH in the lineup every day who hits .230, and who hasn't shown power recently, isn't putting the best team on the field. So don't be surprised if Jesus Montero gets called up soon.
At any rate, if Posada weren't Posada, he would have been released from the team. The Yanks are showing him respect by keeping him on the team at all. Guess what? Players gets their chance to start in the majors because somebody thinks they will be better than their predecessor. If the Yankees had been sentimental about Joe Girardi's triple to win the 1996 World Series, Posada would never have gotten to start.
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Hearing the ESPN broadcasters go on and on about how wonderful the Red Sox are was thoroughly nauseating. Please, don't tell me that if I don't like Dustin Pedroia, I don't like baseball. It's insulting. Not to mention that the Sox got to have Curt Schilling representing them, while there was no pro-Yankee equivalent in the booth.
The only thing I agreed with regarding the broadcasters was Bobby Valentine talking about how the pitchers needed to speed things up. Enough already -- these Yankees-Red Sox games go on way too long.
Who didn't think that after Mariano Rivera blew the save, and Phil Hughes was coming in, that the Yankees were going to lose the game? I felt like the game was over right them. Sorry, I don't have much faith in Hughes this year. (And I still think Ivan Nova should have gotten to keep his spot in the rotation.)
What do you think? Tell us about it!
Showing posts with label Phil Hughes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Phil Hughes. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
On Philip Humber, Phil Hughes, Breaking Up No-Hitters, and Booing After a Missed Pop-Up
Last night, when Chicago White Sox pitcher Phil Humber was in the seventh inning of a no-hit game against the Yankees, I tried to jinx him on Facebook by talking about it. And within 20 seconds (I am not kidding!), Alex Rodriguez got a hit to break up the no-hitter. It was the highlight of the evening for me! (Oh, and by the way, a friend pointed out that if Humber had succeeded in throwing a no-hitter, he would have been the seventh ex-Met to do so, with the Mets still never having a no-hitter of their own. I loved telling Squawker Jon that!)
Now, the not-so-fun stuff. After a setback Monday, Phil Hughes has a date with an MRI tube today. I don't understand why the Yankees have been so reticent about having Hughes checked out earlier. I wrote on April 9, after his second start, that he should get a medical exam. It's now April 26, and he's finally going to be checked out, weeks after being put on the disabled list. What was the holdup? Did the Yankees had to get a referral from their HMO or something?
I felt terrible for A.J. Burnett -- we had the Great A.J. last night, but the Yankees couldn't get any runs to help him.
There was something very weird that happened in the ninth inning, when Rafael Soriano was on the mound, that I thought would be a pretty big story. But I only saw it mentioned in a Wally Matthews ESPN blog entry, and at the end of a Star-Ledger game article. Alexi Ramirez hit a popup in the ninth inning. Soriano pointed and motioned, as if to say that he couldn't get it. Derek Jeter came charging in, but he wasn't quick enough catch the ball, which dropped to the ground.
And then the crowd booed. Yes, Yankee fans were booing! Now, it was unclear whether the fans were booing Jeter, or Soriano, or both, but Twitter and Facebook were all a-flutter last night over the incident. (Unless I missed it, the YES Network, of course, didn't get into discussing the booing, and didn't show the clip again in the postgame wrapup.) At any rate, I thought this would be a much bigger controversy, but it's downplayed in today's papers. Very strange.
What do you think? Tell us about it!
Now, the not-so-fun stuff. After a setback Monday, Phil Hughes has a date with an MRI tube today. I don't understand why the Yankees have been so reticent about having Hughes checked out earlier. I wrote on April 9, after his second start, that he should get a medical exam. It's now April 26, and he's finally going to be checked out, weeks after being put on the disabled list. What was the holdup? Did the Yankees had to get a referral from their HMO or something?
I felt terrible for A.J. Burnett -- we had the Great A.J. last night, but the Yankees couldn't get any runs to help him.
There was something very weird that happened in the ninth inning, when Rafael Soriano was on the mound, that I thought would be a pretty big story. But I only saw it mentioned in a Wally Matthews ESPN blog entry, and at the end of a Star-Ledger game article. Alexi Ramirez hit a popup in the ninth inning. Soriano pointed and motioned, as if to say that he couldn't get it. Derek Jeter came charging in, but he wasn't quick enough catch the ball, which dropped to the ground.
And then the crowd booed. Yes, Yankee fans were booing! Now, it was unclear whether the fans were booing Jeter, or Soriano, or both, but Twitter and Facebook were all a-flutter last night over the incident. (Unless I missed it, the YES Network, of course, didn't get into discussing the booing, and didn't show the clip again in the postgame wrapup.) At any rate, I thought this would be a much bigger controversy, but it's downplayed in today's papers. Very strange.
What do you think? Tell us about it!
Friday, April 15, 2011
Free Bartolo Colon! Time for Him to Take Phil Hughes' Place in the Rotation
Signing Bartolo Colon wasn't exactly a Brian Cashman move I was crazy about this winter, but the pitcher has actually shown some value so far this year. And given that he has had to come to the rescue for every single Phil Hughes start, I think it's time to put him in the rotation, and Hughes in the bullpen to work out his issues.
I don't think Hughes is afraid, or can't handle starting, or anything like that. He's built of pretty strong stuff. But the Yankees can't hope to have great walk-off wins like last night to salvage every Hughes debacle!
Going to Colon in the fifth was the right move last night, as Ed Valentine of Around the Empire noted. He said he was "shaking [his] head in disbelief" when Michael Kay thought the Yanks had too quick a hook with Hughes. You and me both, Ed!
Oh, and how about that play at the plate last night?
Loved that Nick Swisher hit the sac fly to give the Yankees the walkoff win. He seems to enjoy the pie thing more than any other Yankee.
Speaking of Swish, have you seen the commercial he has with Jonathan Papelbon for Norelco? The best part of it is that the ad plays off on Swish being likeable and amiable (even Squawker Jon digs him), but Papbelbon comes off as, um, kind of a jerk!
What do you think? Tell us about it!
I don't think Hughes is afraid, or can't handle starting, or anything like that. He's built of pretty strong stuff. But the Yankees can't hope to have great walk-off wins like last night to salvage every Hughes debacle!
Going to Colon in the fifth was the right move last night, as Ed Valentine of Around the Empire noted. He said he was "shaking [his] head in disbelief" when Michael Kay thought the Yanks had too quick a hook with Hughes. You and me both, Ed!
Oh, and how about that play at the plate last night?
Loved that Nick Swisher hit the sac fly to give the Yankees the walkoff win. He seems to enjoy the pie thing more than any other Yankee.
Speaking of Swish, have you seen the commercial he has with Jonathan Papelbon for Norelco? The best part of it is that the ad plays off on Swish being likeable and amiable (even Squawker Jon digs him), but Papbelbon comes off as, um, kind of a jerk!
What do you think? Tell us about it!
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Is It Time to Get Phil Hughes to a Doctor?
I am Officially Concerned about Phil Hughes. Because it's not just that he's had two bad starts, it's two bad starts and a very disappointing second half of 2010. Yes, yes, I know he won 18 games last year, but didn't , yesterday was an example of how it's silly to judge a player on that? John Lackey got the win, and Bartolo Colon the loss. Never mind that Colon was terrific, limiting the Sox to just two hits and one run over 4+ innings. And don't get me started on Boome Logan, the lefty specialist who can't seem to get lefties out so far this year.
It seems to me that a medical exam is in order for Hughes, given that his fastball has lost his speed. But the Yankees insist Hughes doesn't need that. I really don't see what the harm is in getting him checked out. It's not like when George Steinbrenner humiliated Reggie Jackson towards the end of his time in New York by making him get his eyes checked. I feel terrible for Hughes -- he looked upset on the mound, and sounded devastated after the game. It reminds me of when Chien-Ming Wang couldn't get it together a few years ago.
I really wish the Yankees had been at least been able to hold off the Sox for one more game, just to ruin Boston's home opener. Alas, it was not to be.
It's funny, though, how the game was mostly overshadowed by the news that Manny Ramirez was retiring due to failing another PED test. Manny was one the greatest hitters I've ever seen. Watching him was like watching The Rock back in the day in pro wrestling. You either loved him, or loved to hate him, but either way, he was so entertaining, you couldn't not watch him! The most electrifying men in sports entertainment!
What do you think? Tell us about it!
It seems to me that a medical exam is in order for Hughes, given that his fastball has lost his speed. But the Yankees insist Hughes doesn't need that. I really don't see what the harm is in getting him checked out. It's not like when George Steinbrenner humiliated Reggie Jackson towards the end of his time in New York by making him get his eyes checked. I feel terrible for Hughes -- he looked upset on the mound, and sounded devastated after the game. It reminds me of when Chien-Ming Wang couldn't get it together a few years ago.
* * *
I really wish the Yankees had been at least been able to hold off the Sox for one more game, just to ruin Boston's home opener. Alas, it was not to be.
It's funny, though, how the game was mostly overshadowed by the news that Manny Ramirez was retiring due to failing another PED test. Manny was one the greatest hitters I've ever seen. Watching him was like watching The Rock back in the day in pro wrestling. You either loved him, or loved to hate him, but either way, he was so entertaining, you couldn't not watch him! The most electrifying men in sports entertainment!
What do you think? Tell us about it!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Yankees dominate Twins again, but Joe Girardi's son is bored by the whole thing
Last night's game didn't have a lot of suspense -- Phil Hughes looked flat-out dominant right from the beginning, and the Yankees' scoring five runs off Brian Duensing by the fourth inning didn't exactly leave a lot of doubt as to whether the Yankees would sweep the Twins.
It's easy to be all blase about the Yanks "only" winning the ALDS so far, especially after winning the 2009 World Series. However, I haven't forgotten how much trouble the Yanks had getting through that series in 2005 through 2007, even when they had inferior competition. Come to think of it, the Bombers haven't won an ALDS that didn't have the Twins as their opponent since 2001!
Two things I noticed last night after the game:
* The on-field celebration was extremely subdued. You might expect that if they clinched in Minnesota, but for a home field clinching, I've seen bigger excitement after a regular-season win against the Red Sox! Heck, I was there last year when they clinched the AL East, and the Yanks showed more emotion then. I wondered on Facebook if the quiet on-field celebration had something to do with Kendry Morales breaking his leg in a walkoff celebration, and Chris Coghlan tearing his ACL throwing a pie! Yeah, I get that winning the ALDS is just the first step for the Yankees, but it still seemed very quiet.
* Why the heck did Joe Girardi bring his obviously disinterested son, Dante, with him to the post-game presser? I haven't a kid be so openly bored and annoyed at being on camera since Rudy Giuliani's son acted up at his first inaugural! It was just painful to watch. It was impossible to pay attention to what Joe was saying, when his son was making a complete spectacle of himself. One Facebook friend noted,"I guess it doesn't matter what your parents do for a living, a kid is always going to think its boring." Heh!
What do you think? Tell us about it!
*
It's easy to be all blase about the Yanks "only" winning the ALDS so far, especially after winning the 2009 World Series. However, I haven't forgotten how much trouble the Yanks had getting through that series in 2005 through 2007, even when they had inferior competition. Come to think of it, the Bombers haven't won an ALDS that didn't have the Twins as their opponent since 2001!
Two things I noticed last night after the game:
* The on-field celebration was extremely subdued. You might expect that if they clinched in Minnesota, but for a home field clinching, I've seen bigger excitement after a regular-season win against the Red Sox! Heck, I was there last year when they clinched the AL East, and the Yanks showed more emotion then. I wondered on Facebook if the quiet on-field celebration had something to do with Kendry Morales breaking his leg in a walkoff celebration, and Chris Coghlan tearing his ACL throwing a pie! Yeah, I get that winning the ALDS is just the first step for the Yankees, but it still seemed very quiet.
* Why the heck did Joe Girardi bring his obviously disinterested son, Dante, with him to the post-game presser? I haven't a kid be so openly bored and annoyed at being on camera since Rudy Giuliani's son acted up at his first inaugural! It was just painful to watch. It was impossible to pay attention to what Joe was saying, when his son was making a complete spectacle of himself. One Facebook friend noted,"I guess it doesn't matter what your parents do for a living, a kid is always going to think its boring." Heh!
What do you think? Tell us about it!
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