10/09: 2007 Season Comes to an End
Posted by: Patrick
As the 2007 season has come to an end, I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who visited and supported YanksBlog.com this season. Thank you to David, James and Seamus, as well, for a great year.
Even though it ended like it did and it was disappointing, this was some kind of season. Written off for dead before the break, we stormed back, giving the Red Sox a late run and taking the Wild Card. Coming from where we were, that was a huge accomplishment.
We've got decisions to make and, like every offseason, changes are coming. But, don't lose sight of what we accomplished and don't take anything for granted. Reaching the postseason is an accomplishment and a privilege - not a given or a right. To that end, congratulations to the Yankees on what they accomplished this year.
Now, all I have left is Miami Dolphins football (gah). But, there will be plenty to talk about this offseason and we'll have it here. And, before you know it, it'll be time to do it all over again.
Even though it ended like it did and it was disappointing, this was some kind of season. Written off for dead before the break, we stormed back, giving the Red Sox a late run and taking the Wild Card. Coming from where we were, that was a huge accomplishment.
We've got decisions to make and, like every offseason, changes are coming. But, don't lose sight of what we accomplished and don't take anything for granted. Reaching the postseason is an accomplishment and a privilege - not a given or a right. To that end, congratulations to the Yankees on what they accomplished this year.
Now, all I have left is Miami Dolphins football (gah). But, there will be plenty to talk about this offseason and we'll have it here. And, before you know it, it'll be time to do it all over again.
Posted by: Seamus
The Yankees came up short in the ALDS for the third year in a row, as they fell 6-4 to the Indians, last night, ending their season and quite possibly an era in Yankees' history. George Steinbrenner, as you all may know by now, has indicated that Joe Torre would not be brought back in the event the Yankees lose this series.
The Yankees dug themselves in a hole before even recording an out, as Grady Sizemore led the game off with a home run. That was only the beginning of the struggles for Chien-Ming Wang, who left the game in the top of the 2nd with the bases loaded and finished with a line of four runs allowed on five hits in just an inning of work.
Mike Mussina put in 4 and 2/3 innings of OK work in, but the two runs he allowed ended up being the difference in the game. The rest of the bullpen did fine, throwing 4 and 1/3 innings of shutout ball.
The big story in this game though, to me anyway, was the Yankees' inability to bring runners across the plate (well, I suppose that would be the problem in any loss). The Yankees put runners on in every inning, but left 10 runners on base and failed to capitalize on some big chances.
To me, the coffin was nailed in the bottom of the 6th inning. Robinson Cano led the inning off with a solo home run to cut the Indians' lead to 6-2. After back-to-back singles by Shelley Duncan and Johnny Damon, the Yankees had runners on first and third with one out before Derek Jeter grounded into his third double play in the two games at Yankee Stadium to prevent further damage from being done.
Hindsight is always 20-20 and it's easy to second guess, but I am a little surprised that Johnny Damon, who was 10th in the American League this year in stolen bases, didn't attempt to steal in this particular situation. Jeter, as hard as it is to come to terms with it, killed us with GIDPs this whole series, and had Damon been on second, Jeter's grounder would have scored a run and brought Bobby Abreu up to the plate with a runner in scoring position.
The Yankees did make a bit of a run at it again in the 9th, as Bobby Abreu homered to make it 6-4 and two batters later, Jorge Posada pulled a ball that was oh-so-close to bringing the tying run up to the plate but went just to the right of the right field foul pole.
Well, it looks like it could be the end of an era in the Bronx and it's really a shame because I like this team a lot. I would like to see the bulk of these guys get one more shot with one year left at the Stadium, including Torre. The team does have some holes though and they are not getting any younger. Next year's starting rotation could very well have five different pitchers from Opening Day of this year if Pettitte does not return, considering that Wang was on the DL to start the season. Abreu's option will probably not be picked up and it remains to be seen if the Yankees can/want to pick him up at a cheaper price.
All of that remains to be seen though. There are four teams still playing baseball in '07, and there are 2-3 weeks left of October baseball to be seen, but next year starts today for the Yankees, sadly.
The Yankees dug themselves in a hole before even recording an out, as Grady Sizemore led the game off with a home run. That was only the beginning of the struggles for Chien-Ming Wang, who left the game in the top of the 2nd with the bases loaded and finished with a line of four runs allowed on five hits in just an inning of work.
Mike Mussina put in 4 and 2/3 innings of OK work in, but the two runs he allowed ended up being the difference in the game. The rest of the bullpen did fine, throwing 4 and 1/3 innings of shutout ball.
The big story in this game though, to me anyway, was the Yankees' inability to bring runners across the plate (well, I suppose that would be the problem in any loss). The Yankees put runners on in every inning, but left 10 runners on base and failed to capitalize on some big chances.
To me, the coffin was nailed in the bottom of the 6th inning. Robinson Cano led the inning off with a solo home run to cut the Indians' lead to 6-2. After back-to-back singles by Shelley Duncan and Johnny Damon, the Yankees had runners on first and third with one out before Derek Jeter grounded into his third double play in the two games at Yankee Stadium to prevent further damage from being done.
Hindsight is always 20-20 and it's easy to second guess, but I am a little surprised that Johnny Damon, who was 10th in the American League this year in stolen bases, didn't attempt to steal in this particular situation. Jeter, as hard as it is to come to terms with it, killed us with GIDPs this whole series, and had Damon been on second, Jeter's grounder would have scored a run and brought Bobby Abreu up to the plate with a runner in scoring position.
The Yankees did make a bit of a run at it again in the 9th, as Bobby Abreu homered to make it 6-4 and two batters later, Jorge Posada pulled a ball that was oh-so-close to bringing the tying run up to the plate but went just to the right of the right field foul pole.
Well, it looks like it could be the end of an era in the Bronx and it's really a shame because I like this team a lot. I would like to see the bulk of these guys get one more shot with one year left at the Stadium, including Torre. The team does have some holes though and they are not getting any younger. Next year's starting rotation could very well have five different pitchers from Opening Day of this year if Pettitte does not return, considering that Wang was on the DL to start the season. Abreu's option will probably not be picked up and it remains to be seen if the Yankees can/want to pick him up at a cheaper price.
All of that remains to be seen though. There are four teams still playing baseball in '07, and there are 2-3 weeks left of October baseball to be seen, but next year starts today for the Yankees, sadly.
Posted by: Seamus
On Sunday, I will be participating in the Pokerstars World Blogger Championship of Online Poker, a tournament open to all bloggers around the world. Patrick informed me of the tournament last night, which is a freeroll, meaning I can play for (hopefully) a few hours without blowing any money, so I'll be looking forward to it.
I have registered to play in the PokerStars World Blogger Championship of Online Poker!
This Online Poker Tournament is a No Limit Texas Holdem event exclusive to Bloggers.
Registration code: 2349346
Posted by: James
I get it. Wang blew up tonight (and in game 1). Because of that, I've actually seen a lot of posts on Yankee threads calling for an immediate trade. Read this and understand why if you suggest that he be moved for scraps...you should really rethink your stance (and understanding of building a quality baseball team).
According to the pre-game press notes, Chien-Ming Wang leads the Major Leagues with 38 wins since the beginning of the 2006 season. He also leads the Major Leagues with a .745 winning percentage during that span with a 3.67 ERA.
He pitches well against good teams. He was 10-5 (the second most wins in the majors) with a 3.20 ERA this season against teams that finished the season with a winning record (107.0IP, 38ER).
He is perfect for the stadium. Obi-Wang has recorded 21 wins at Yankee Stadium (33GS) over the last two seasons, the most home victories by any Major League pitcher since the start of 2006.
And finally, he is a stopper like Pettitte and Jimmy Key (yes, I'm going far back here) before him. The Yankees won 10 of the 12 games Wang started following a Yankees loss in 2007 with a line of 9-2 with a 2.59 ERA (76.1IP, 22ER).
If you want him to be traded for a bag of balls, just stop it. He is a good young pitcher (and cheap). He is clearly not a #1 (though on most teams, he probably would be) but he is a good #2 and a fantastic #3. A #2/#3 pitcher under the age of 30 doesn't come under a team's control that often so just stop it.
According to the pre-game press notes, Chien-Ming Wang leads the Major Leagues with 38 wins since the beginning of the 2006 season. He also leads the Major Leagues with a .745 winning percentage during that span with a 3.67 ERA.
He pitches well against good teams. He was 10-5 (the second most wins in the majors) with a 3.20 ERA this season against teams that finished the season with a winning record (107.0IP, 38ER).
He is perfect for the stadium. Obi-Wang has recorded 21 wins at Yankee Stadium (33GS) over the last two seasons, the most home victories by any Major League pitcher since the start of 2006.
And finally, he is a stopper like Pettitte and Jimmy Key (yes, I'm going far back here) before him. The Yankees won 10 of the 12 games Wang started following a Yankees loss in 2007 with a line of 9-2 with a 2.59 ERA (76.1IP, 22ER).
If you want him to be traded for a bag of balls, just stop it. He is a good young pitcher (and cheap). He is clearly not a #1 (though on most teams, he probably would be) but he is a good #2 and a fantastic #3. A #2/#3 pitcher under the age of 30 doesn't come under a team's control that often so just stop it.
10/09: And...We're Done
Posted by: James
Well, that was sad...but it epitomized the team this season, huh? Quite the tease, eh Steve?
That being said, congrats to the Cleveland Indians and their fans. The Indians were the better team. They pitched better, they hit better, they fielded better and they were clutch. They capitalized and they deserved to win so congrats.
That being said, congrats to the Cleveland Indians and their fans. The Indians were the better team. They pitched better, they hit better, they fielded better and they were clutch. They capitalized and they deserved to win so congrats.
Posted by: James
Any and all baseball fans know who he is! Seriously. Heck, so does the rest of the country - he was on the cover of SI's baseball preview for goodness sakes! And not just a cover and a full-length profile... it was with the tagline of "He's without a doubt one of the greatest players of our generation". Tom Verducci basically wrote that he was baseball Jesus...so enough, we all know who he is and we know he is very good.
If you're gonna talk about unknown Indians, talk about Pronk or Fausto...
Also, stop calling A-Rod, "Pudge Rodriguez".
If you're gonna talk about unknown Indians, talk about Pronk or Fausto...
Also, stop calling A-Rod, "Pudge Rodriguez".
10/08: Starting Lineups
Posted by: James
Ol' Reliable Pete A has the lineups and a quick note on IPK and Joba's availability.
YANKEES
Johnny Damon LF
Derek Jeter SS
Bobby Abreu RF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Jorge Posada C
Hideki Matsui DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Melky Cabrera CF
Doug Mientkiewicz 1B
Chien-Ming Wang RHP
INDIANS
Grady Sizemore CF
Asdrubal Cabrera 2B
Travis Hafner DH
Victor Martinez 1B
Jhonny Peralta SS
Kenny Lofton LF
Franklin Gutierrez RF
Casey Blake 3B
Kelly Shoppach C
Paul Byrd RHP
Sweet - Kelly Shoppach, while no slouch (.261/.310/.472 this year), is still no Ryan Garko (.289/.359/.483).
Joba Chamberlain is available for an inning tonight and Mo for two. Brian Cashman on the Joba Rules: “The rules here in October: The rules are to win.”
Ian Kennedy was not physically ready to be added. But he could be ready for the ALCS.
Ian Kennedy was not physically ready to be added. But he could be ready for the ALCS.
YANKEES
Johnny Damon LF
Derek Jeter SS
Bobby Abreu RF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Jorge Posada C
Hideki Matsui DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Melky Cabrera CF
Doug Mientkiewicz 1B
Chien-Ming Wang RHP
INDIANS
Grady Sizemore CF
Asdrubal Cabrera 2B
Travis Hafner DH
Victor Martinez 1B
Jhonny Peralta SS
Kenny Lofton LF
Franklin Gutierrez RF
Casey Blake 3B
Kelly Shoppach C
Paul Byrd RHP
Sweet - Kelly Shoppach, while no slouch (.261/.310/.472 this year), is still no Ryan Garko (.289/.359/.483).
Posted by: James
Baseball Reference links for:
Chien-Ming Wang vs. the Indians (includes stats from his first start this series).
and Paul Byrd vs. the Yankees hitters.
If you click on the player name, it actually will take you to a list of all the plate appearances between the batter and the pitcher. Neat stuff.
Chien-Ming Wang vs. the Indians (includes stats from his first start this series).
and Paul Byrd vs. the Yankees hitters.
If you click on the player name, it actually will take you to a list of all the plate appearances between the batter and the pitcher. Neat stuff.
10/08: Clemens Out, Villone In
Posted by: James
Pete A. with the scoop. I guess IPK still hasn't gotten over the back injury.
Posted by: Patrick
A-Rod is up for the MLB Clutch Performer of the Year. Vote here.
