If you're looking for negativity tonight, you won't find it here. I'm tired of it, so this post will focus only on the positives we can take away from this game, as Yankee fans.
Here goes: The Bullpen stood tall, yet again. 9 batters faced by Hawkins, Veras and Edwar, 9 batters retired. Multi-hit games from Jeter and the Melky Man, and both of those guys came through with clutch two-rbi singles. The Yanks pounded out 7 singles. Ian Kennedy only allowed 5 hits in his 5 innings of work. Mo, Joba and Farnsworth all got much-needed rest. Johnny Damon saw his first action of the year at first base.
That's all I've got.
The Ras takes on Johan tomorrow night at the Stadium. Anyone think Hank will be apoplectic if Johan beats the Yanks at the Stadium?
Player of The Game: LaTroy Hawkins, 1 inning, 3 Ks. Team Record: 20-22 Damon: 0 confirmed, but he did switch bats during the game. Still, only confirmed kindling gets tallied.
As we continue our journey through the player acquisition options for the Sixers, this post from Marc Narducci made me realize that I've gotten a little bit ahead of myself. In that post, Narducci says the Sixers' top priority should be to sign Andre Miller to a contract extension, or at least sit down and talk to him about it. I couldn't disagree more, but I'll get to that a little later. I think it's about time we try to nail down the priority list for the team, keeping in mind that the goal here has to be year-over-year improvement and the long view of becoming a title contender.
Here we go, from most-important to least:
Make smart moves, or make no moves at all. Meaning, anyone you bring in needs to fit the style of play and the character of the team. If no one meets that criteria, stand pat.
Maintain cap flexibility, unless the moves you make can catapult you to contention immediately.
Low-post presence
Replace Willie Green in the starting lineup.
Shooter(s)
Re-sign Lou Williams
Re-sign, or sign and trade Andre Iguodala as a means to get that low-post presence.
Figure out the future of the PG position. Andre Miller was amazing this season, he performed far above expectations in just about every possible way, but he's 32 and he sure seems to want to return to the West coast. Extending him beyond next year would probably be difficult, and I'm not sure we want to invest 3 years and $30M in him to be our point when he's 35. I think you have to look at Miller as a big part of this team in '08-'09, unless you can upgrade the position, and then the cap space his expiring deal will give you after the season.
That's how I see it. Whenever evaluating a move, or potential move, I'm going to look to this list. For example, trading for Mike Miller would accomplish goals 1, 2, 4 and 5. Signing a guy like Josh Smith would only accomplish goal 1, but it may be worth it. There are so many permutations of moves that could be made, so many players who are available, or may become available as the season comes to an end, it should be helpful to have a big picture to look at.
What do you guys think? Are my priorities for the team in the proper order?
Watching Mike Mussina pitch tonight was a real pleasure. I don't think I've written that sentence before on this blog, and I'm quite sure it's been years since I even thought it, but it's true. Moose is pitching smart, he's aggressive in the zone, and he's adapted to his style to his diminished stuff instead of trying to force himself to be a power pitcher with an 85MPH fastball.
I still find it extremely troubling that two runs is the most this lineup can manage, but James Shields is a good pitcher. We'll concentrate on the positive for the offense and the manager, tonight. Both runs came on clutch hits, one by Cano, who finally saw his luck turn, and the other by Abreu. Let's talk about that second run for a minute, the game winner. Morgan Ensberg led off the inning with a single, then Jose Molina bunted him over. It obviously the right call, Molina is something like 4 for his last 50 at the plate, but for some reason I didn't think Joey Jr. was going to do it. Well, he proved me wrong and that decision gave the Yanks the deciding run, so Joey gets a gold star on the offensive side. Well, make that half a star, he loses something for another meaningless shuffle of the lineup.
The biggest shock of the game, and honestly I think this was the true turning point, came in the bottom of the 7th. Keep in mind that Moose was dominant through six and a third innings, he'd only allowed 5 hits, he hadn't walked a batter and he hadn't given up a run. After striking out Carlos Pena looking, Moose walked Evan Longoria. Girardi was out of the dugout in a hurry and there was a conversation on the mound. I would've bet money that Girardi was going to leave Mussina in the game. I thought Joey Jr. was going to defer to the veteran pitcher, again, and we were going to see Moose give it all up. Instead, Girardi brought in Ross Ohlendorf who got out of the inning. Joba and Mo were as advertised and the rest is history. Making the call to the bullpen right there probably saved this game. Another gold star for Joey.
Ian Patrick Kennedy will make his triumphant return to the Yanks tomorrow to face Scott Kazmir in a late afternoon game. The Yanks are looking to split the series before heading home to take on the Mets.
Player of The Game: Moooooooooose. Team Record: 20-21 Damon's Broken Bats: One of the most impressive lawn darts you'll ever see on a ground out.
I'm assuming Jones can play the shooting guard, but he barely spent any time at the position this season. It doesn't really matter though, because James is a shooter off the bench, pure and simple. He provides little-to-no rebounding nor assists, nor defense for that matter. He does one thing, and he does it well. He shoots the three. He actually shot a higher percentage from three (44.4%) than he did from the field (43.7%). If you're looking for a guy who can come off the bench and stretch the defense, he fits the bill.
Thoughts On Likelihood
Here's the problem. Ed Stefanski's only player-personnel move as GM of the Sixers was to jettison Kyle Korver to clear that cap space out. His feeling then was that a one-dimensional three-point shooter wasn't worth $4+ million per year when the team had more pressing needs. Well, Jones is a one-dimensional three-point shooter who might even demand more than Korver was making. I think Jones is likely to opt out of his final year, and someone will pay him, just like they paid Jason Kapono last season, I just don't think it should be the Sixers. The other shooters we've talked about up to this point (Vujacic, J.R. Smith, Ivan Calderon) all bring something else to the table. Vujacic is a marksman and a solid defender on the perimeter, Smith can run with this team and score in bunches, plus he's got three-point range. Calderon might be a top-five PG in the league, and he can hit the three. Jones is a three-point shooter and that's it.
I don't see this happening. If it did, I'm afraid they'd be using too much of that valuable cap space to bring in an extreme specialist when they haven't filled all the holes first. Now, if Jones is still lingering later in the Summer and his price tag drops after the Sixers have made their big splash, then you think about it, but for now I see him as an expensive toy, which this team shouldn't waste its money on.
If it came down to J.R. Smith or James Jones, who would you guys want?
All of the Yankee excitement came in the form of one Hideki Matsui at bat in the top of the ninth. Matsui took a Troy Percival fastball into the seats right down the line and the second or two it took for that ball to leave the park and tie the game up was the only time I sat up and took notice during the game.
The Yanks had two opportunities to score a run without a hit, both times they had a man on third with one out, both times they failed to drive him in. Wang was excellent, 7 innings, 1 run. You can't ask for much more. The bullpen was outstanding as well, until the 11th. All told, it was a long night for a painful result.
How does Edwin Jackson absolutely dominate this lineup twice in the same season? Explain that and you win a prize.
The Wanger went back to relying on his sinker tonight, and it was right there for him. Here's the breakdown of action pitches throughout the game:
Ground Balls: 16
Fly Balls: 3
Line Drives: 5
K's: 2
Walks: 3
The Rays jumped over the Sox and took over first place in the East. The Yanks have now scored 2 runs in 20 innings so far this series.
One point about roster management, the Yanks are carrying three bench players, tonight they were Moeller, Duncan and Ensberg. The Yankees have two guys in their starting lineup who absolutely need to be pinch-run for late in the game when they represent the tying or go-ahead run, Giambi and Molina. There is no one to pinch run for either of them. It's time to bring Brett Gardner up and find some at bats for him. The Rays, on the other hand, used Gomes to pinch run and his stolen base won the game for the Rays.
Player of The Game: Wang. He deserved better. Team Record: 19-21 Damon's Broken Bats: None, but Cano had a couple.
Also, did anyone else notice that Melky was wearing Jorge's helmet?
He did, however make the second team. The story here isn't so much that Thad got snubbed, he did, but you can make a case that every single member of the second team was more deserving of a spot on the first team than Jeff Green.
Green's inclusion on the first team is a joke. The only statistical advantage he has over any of the second-teamers is minutes/game. Apparently, playing on a crappy team is enough to get you the needed votes. Four of the players on the second team also played their minutes for playoff teams, which should mean something to the voters. Click on the names above to compare each second-teamer's numbers per 40 minutes to Jeff Green's.
Following up on their front page story about A-Rod passing out during the delivery of his first daughter, ESPN has another piece of ground-breaking journalism today. Apparently, back when Goose Gossage was pitching, you know back when he had to walk 10 miles through the snow in both directions with nothing but old newspaper tied to his feet just to get to the stadium, the veterans on the team would've never allowed a rookie to behave like Joba has on the mound.
The incident which brought on the comments was Joba's demonstrative fist pump into a pirouette when he struck out David Dellucci last week. The Goose said the veterans on the team would've sat him down, and went on to say that there's no place for it in the game and it's just not the Yankee way.
Fine, he's from a different era. Personally, I'm not crazy about celebrations of any kind, but if I were the Goose maybe I would've said something directly to Joba, you know rather than going to the press with it. At least that's how they would've handled it back in the day, you know, keep things internal. I mean, isn't that supposed to be the Yankee way? I guess the Hall of Fame goes to some guys' heads.
As you could probably tell from last night's post, I'm feeling a little down about the Yankees on-the-field performance so far this season. I realize it's early. I know they won't play this poorly the entire season. I'm sure they'll be in the thick of things come July or August, but still, I need some relief.
What better way to get your mind off the the on-the-field problems than to have an old-fashioned steel cage match pitting the two biggest pinstripe disappointments of the past decade against each other.
After the jump we'll break down the Yankee careers of Kei Igawa and Carl Pavano, click through, check it out and vote in the poll. Maybe we'll send the results to Brian Cashman and the Yankees scouting directors as well.
J.R. Smith is suspended 10 games for his part in a brawl with the Knicks. Smith was intentionally fouled by Mardy Collins late in the game, his suspension stemmed from sparring with Nate Robinson later during the fracas. (December 2006)
Smith passes a car waiting at a stop sign, collides with another car in an intersection. His friend is thrown from the car and later dies of his injuries. He is charged with two moving violations. It is later learned that Smith had 27 points on his license, but somehow his license was not suspended. Smith was apparently not under the influence, but obviously he was driving recklessly. (June 2007)
Smith says the death of his friend has fundamentally changed him. He comes into the '07-'08 NBA season with a renewed dedication to his game. (Oct. 2, 2007)
Smith is charged with assault for reportedly spitting at a woman twice and grabbing her (ripping her dress) at a Denver club. The team suspends Smith. (Oct. 13, 2007)
Thoughts On The Man
The first question we have to ask and answer is whether Smith would be a cancer for this team. Is he a bad apple who would ruin the cohesion in the Sixers locker room? I don't know. The car crash was stupid, but I know a lot of people who made stupid decisions behind the wheel when they were that age, myself included. Honestly, with a little bad luck the same thing could've happened to me or any number of teenage kids. The fact that alcohol and drugs weren't involved makes it somehow less troubling, though I'm not sure that it should. The assault charge, however, is extremely troubling. When a guy has something like that happen to him, you'd think it would necessitate a change. You'd think you'd do anything you could to avoid trouble. Common sense should tell you that you need to avoid situations where things could get out of hand. It's hard to find particulars about the night club incident, but just that fact that he put himself in harm's way again that soon after the car crash raises a huge red flag for me.
The fight with the Knicks was silly, but it's hard to hold that against him. He nearly got his head ripped off on the play and there was a full-scale brawl going on all around him. Each of these things taken on their own could be dismissed as nothing more than a kid growing up way too fast. Any one of them alone you could write off. All three taken at once, however, and you may just have a pattern. I'd like to see him keep his nose clean for a full year before I sunk a big chunk of change into him.
Thoughts On The Player
Now that we have the off-court stuff out of the way, let's talk about what he would bring to the team, should the Sixers decide they want him and they win a bidding war. First of all, this kid has unlimited range. He can hit the jumper from 6 feet beyond the three-point line with ease. He's a slasher, he can run, he's athletic and his shooting numbers were outstanding last year, 46% from the floor, 40% from three. He would absolutely be a huge upgrade to this team offensively.
On defense, well, he's a sieve. I'm not sure you could get away with starting him. He'd probably be a 15-20 minutes/game guy to come off the bench. Now, if my choice was either Smith or Willie Green, I'd take Smith in a heartbeat, but I don't think that's the choice the Sixers are going to face. Smith is going to probably get a contract worth north of $5M per year, too much to pay for a shooter who can't move right into the starting lineup, as far as I'm concerned.
Thoughts on Likelihood
The Nuggets can match any offer for Smith, but I have a feeling if his doors aren't blown off with an offer he'll sign his qualifying offer, play out his contract in Denver and become an unrestricted free agent after the season. If the Sixers really wanted him, they have the money, they could get him or at least make Denver over pay to keep him. I just don't see Ed Stefanski going that far out on a limb for a guy with a checkered past, especially when he's probably best used off the bench.
What do you guys think, is he enough of an improvement to forget about his legal problems? Has he already outgrown them? Would you want him on our team?
This Yankee season has been marred by injuries, inconsistent play, questionable managerial decisions, horrendous starting pitching and honestly, it hasn't exactly been a pleasure to watch.
Every time you start to feel good about the Yanks, and where they are, they lay an egg. Like tonight's 7-1 loss to the Rays. Tampa made the Yanks look old and slow, and you know what, that's exactly what they are. Matt Garza made the batters look weak, of course when you trot Giambi, Molina and Alberto Gonzalez out there, you are pretty weak (Although Gonzalez is far and away their best option at third right now, Joe finally got that right). They ran at will, they put the pressure on the Yanks from the first inning to the ninth, and they generally played like a second-place team, while the Yanks played like a middling, aged club. Which they just may be.
Every other game I come away with this feeling of angst. Then the Yanks show up and pull themselves back to .500. Every other day I tell myself they're treading water, waiting for A-Rod to get back. Then I see a team bunt a one-hopper to Giambi at first and I see him not even look at second base because he's afraid to make the throw. Every other day I see Robinson Cano hit absolute bullets right at people. Of course, I also see Andy Pettitte throwing 85 MPH fastballs and I wonder how many big wins we can count on him for.
Today was a down day, actually, a bad day. Tomorrow, it'll be the Wanger looking to knock off the first-place Tampa Bay Rays and pull the Yanks back to .500. Would I bet on it? Nope.
Off the field, there's good news (Ian Kennedy will start on Thursday, meaning Kei Igawa's days in the Bronx should be over for the time being) and obviously bad news as well (A-Rod's MRI was bad, meaning he will not be back this week.)
Player of The Game: Johnny Damon, purely because his buzzsaw batting style is the only thing that kept me watching the game after the 4th inning. Team Record: 19-20 Damon's Broken Bats: 1 confirmed, but I could've sworn he broke another.
Jamison, while technically a power forward, doesn't play the back-to-the-basket style traditionally found at the position. He's a volume shooter, who does not shoot for a high enough percentage at the position (43% from the floor in '07-'08) and he takes way too many threes (4.5/game) and shoots them at a below-average 34%. That being said, he is a bona fide scorer, he can shoot from the outside, spread the floor a little bit, his rebounding numbers were impressive this year, and he would fit into the Sixers up-tempo offensive style.
Jamison will be 32 next month, and you have to believe he's looking for his final pay day. I think it's just going to take too much money to bring him in and while he'd help make them a better offensive team, I don't think he's the answer. He'd give you 17-22 points per night, eat up more than 15 shots per game doing it, and he isn't going to draw double teams or really make life much easier for the rest of the offense.
Thoughts On Likelihood
Jamison is at the head of the unrestricted free agent class right now.
There are better players out there, arguably, but they all have some
kind of string attached (restricted free agency, player options, team
options, etc). The only thing it would take to land Jamison is money
and a willingness on his part to play in Philly. The probability is pretty hard to peg right now, because not a lot of teams have the cap space to give him the type of deal he's looking for. Philly may honestly be his best option, if the Sixers want him. My gut says he goes back to Washington, though.
Following up on their front page story about A-Rod 
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