GIRARDI SHOUTS AT HECKLER IN CHICAGO

 

August 23, 2012, 10:44 a.m.

So Yankees Manager Joe Girardi was just minding his own business, giving a news conference Wednesday night after his team lost to the Chicago, completing a sweep by the White Sox. He’s answering a reporter’s question when in the distance he hears “Yankees swept? Yes!”

But he ignores it, and continues answering, when he starts to hear it again. And then Joe Girardi gets angry and stops his answer mid-sentence.

“Hey, hey, shut up! We’re doing an interview!” he says as he moves toward the guy.

But that’s not the best part. That comes when he returns to the news conference and picks up his sentence where he left off, as if nothing ever happened.

It’s a really impressive display by Girardi.

How did a fan get so close to a news conference? Well, apparently in Chicago, they let fans who sit in the expensive seats right behind home plate go in and out of a different exit than the commoners in the rest of the stadium. And the entrance/exit is right across from where the news conference was held.

Here’s guessing that fan won’t be invited back any time soon, though a little good-natured heckling is part of the game.

Go ger em! Joe!  Joe don’t take no shit!  Joe with my new friend Sweeney Murti in the background.  We met Sweeney in the airport in Chicago, while waiting for our bags.  I asked Sweeney for a Yankees report.  He did tell me on Monday that Texierra was ready to play and he ws correct.  EDB

PHIL P HUGHES FINDS NEW PITCH

Phil Hughes, Sudden Changeup Pitcher

By Mike Axisa

Changeup! (Jason Szenes/Getty Images)

A usable changeup has long been Phil Hughes‘ white whale, that reliable third pitch he’s been unable to develop to help take his game to the next level. Outside of his injury-plagued 2011 season, Phil’s fastball-curveball combination has been strong enough to allow him to survive as a league average starter in the AL East. The kind of guy you’ll take towards the back of the rotation but will leave you wanting more.

Hughes, not so young anymore at 26, has ridden his fastball and two curveballs to a 4.15 ERA and 4.70 FIP in 149.2 innings this year. He’s maddeningly homer prone, but outside of a disastrous April — how stupid does this look in retrospect? — he’s pitching to a 3.70 ERA and 4.46 FIP in his last 21 starts (133.2 IP). Last night’s outing against the White Sox was about as it good as it gets, seven innings of two-run ball against a club with the sixth-highest runs per game average in baseball. The Yankees lost, but not because of their starter.

Against the ChiSox, Phil threw that white whale changeup a total of 17 times out of 98 pitches according to PitchFX. A dozen of those 17 changeups were strikes, including a pair of swings and misses. The last batter he faced, former Yankee Dewayne Wise, saw nothing but changeups in a five-pitch at-bat. Five of those 17 changeups were thrown to right-handed batters, which is notable because Hughes threw a total of four changeups to right-handers in 12 starts from mid-June through mid-August according to Will Cohen.

This isn’t a one-start blip either. Against the Red Sox last week he threw a whopping 29 changeups (106 total pitches), the most he’s ever thrown in a single outing during the PitchFX era. Nineteen of those 29 were strikes and six were thrown to righties. As a result, Hughes threw just seven curveballs. Last night it was a much more normal 18 curveballs. Perhaps all these changeups is an adjustment he’s made after getting shellacked by the Tigers and Blue Jays in back-to-back starts two weeks ago, when just seven of his 182 total pitches were changeups.

Hughes doesn’t need a knockout changeup, just a serviceable third offering that will keep hitters off the fastball and curveball. I feel like I’ve been saying that for five years now. He has really emphasized the pitch these last two times out, and not just against left-handers either. Whether he continues to use the pitch this much in the future remains to be seen, but the fact that he’s been able to use it this heavily and remain effective against good offenses these last two times out is encouraging.

  IF HE COULD FIND SOME:    HEART!  EDB

DEREK’S ANSWER TO SKIP BAYLESS AND MY ANSWER TOO….

Yankees captain Derek Jeter suggests Skip Bayless should check himself for HGH usage

‘What do you want me to say?’ Jeter asked. ‘I ain’t getting involved with this, man. You can say whatever you want to say now, huh? There’s no repercussions.’

Comments (194)

By Mark Feinsand / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Paul Zimmerman/Getty Images; Charles Rex Arbogast/AP

Yankees’ Derek Jeter responds to Skip Bayless before the Yankees take on Chicago Wednesday night.

CHICAGO – Derek Jeter has a new idea regarding baseball’s drug-testing policy: Test the media.

That was the Captain’s response Wednesday after he was informed that an ESPN voice questioned his remarkable season by insinuating that he was using performance-enhancing drugs.

Skip Bayless, one of ESPN’s loud-yakking talkies on its “First Take” program, suggested Wednesday morning that Jeter’s renaissance season could be the product of some illegal assistance.

Jeter called it “unfortunate” that somebody can go on television and make such insinuations, and joked that Bayless might be the one in need of a drug test.

JETER HOMERS, GIRARDI LOSES COOL AS YANKS SWEPT IN CHICAGO

“Whenever you have people that anytime you bring something like this to light with guys that are doing things, it’s like, now you have everybody questioning everything,” Jeter said. “That’s the unfortunate thing. Maybe Skip should be tested.”

Asked if he was bothered by Bayless’ backhanded accusation, Jeter shrugged.

“This is a first for me, man,” Jeter said. “I don’t know what to tell you.”

Jeter had not heard of Bayless’ comments until before the game, but he laughed out loud when informed of the indictment.

“What do you want me to say?” Jeter asked. “I ain’t getting involved with this, man. You can say whatever you want to say now, huh? There’s no repercussions.”

In what seemed like an act of defiance, Jeter hit homer No. 13 in a 2-1 loss to the White Sox Wednesday night. It marked the first time in his career that he had homered in three straight games.

“I am shocked by what I am seeing from Derek Jeter right now,” Bayless said Wednesday morning, noting that the 38-year-old had already eclipsed his hit and home run totals of last season.

“I sat back last night thinking about this and I thought, ‘You know what? You would have to have your head in the sand or your head somewhere else to not at least wonder, how is he doing this?’”

Bayless brought up recent comments by BALCO founder Victor Conte that synthetic testosterone use is rampant among major-leaguers. Stephen A. Smith, Bayless’ debate opponent on the show, began shouting at him.

“You’re mentioning Derek Jeter in the same breath as Victor Conte?” Smith yelled.

That’s when Bayless flat-out questioned Jeter’s legitimacy.

“I would have to be sight- and hearing-impaired not to at least wonder, because there is no HGH test in the sport of baseball,” Bayless said. “They do not blood test; they do it one time in spring training for HGH, not again the rest of the year. How could I not wonder, ‘Is he using something?’ If you’re Derek Jeter, would you think about using HGH right now? Because I would. How would you not? Would you not think about it?”

Jeter has long been considered one of the least likely players to be involved with performance-enhancing drugs, serving as one of the sport’s top ambassadors during the soiled steroid era.

“I’ve never taken performance-enhancing drugs,” Jeter said bluntly on February 18, 2009, days after Alex Rodriguez was outed as a PED user. “I’ve never taken steroids. That’s it.”

Jeter has even objected to the term “steroid era,” saying the decisions by some players to use PEDs shouldn’t tarnish an entire generation of players.

JEFF HAYNES/REUTERS

Derek Jeter homers for a third straight game, a career first.

“One thing that is irritating and really upsets me a lot is when you hear everybody say it’s the steroid era and that everybody was doing it,” Jeter said in February 2009. “That’s not true; everybody wasn’t doing it.

“I think it sends the wrong message to the baseball fans and it sends the wrong message to kids to say that everybody was doing it. That’s just not the truth. I understand that a lot of big-name players have come out or have allegedly done this or that, but everybody wasn’t doing it.”

Bayless is believed to be the first national media member to raise the question about Jeter, though he did backtrack later, saying he has “no idea” whether or not the shortstop uses illegal substances.

“I am not saying he uses a thing; I have no idea,” Bayless said. “But within the confines of his sport, it is fair for all of us – in fact, you’re remiss if you don’t at least think about this.”

Bayless noted that Jeter’s 12 home runs through Tuesday were twice as many as he hit in 2011, but he added that the purpose of HGH is not to hit home runs but rather to stay on the field during the grind of the 162-game season.

“It’s not about hitting for distance; it’s about surviving,” Bayless said. “It’s about how quickly can you respond game after game after game. Bouncing back. Longevity. He’s played, at age 38, in 121 of 123 games; he looks stronger to me, he looks a little quicker to me. There was a lot of talk about, ‘He’s lost his range at shortstop; he’s lost his speed.’ Could it be natural? Sure it could be. I’m just saying he’s a victim of his game.”

I cannot blame Bayless for his comments.  From where he sits, he has to wonder why Derek is performing so well at age 38.  I choose to believe that Derek reached way-down and found something, as Nolan Ryan did and Mariano has.  They are rare exceptions and I pray that we are not being “put-on.”  If I were to find out that Derek and or Mo have cheated, that would it for me.  “No More Baseball.”  Hopefully that is not the case, because I love Baseball.  EDB

NICK SEES GREEN

How Nick Swisher Proved He Cares More About Money Than Being a Yankees Lifer

By

Zachary D. Rymer

(Featured Columnist) on August 22, 2012

Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

To the surprise of, well, nobody, it sounds like Nick Swisher will not be giving the New York Yankees a proverbial “hometown discount” this winter.

Swisher, on the books for $10.25 million this season, is due to become a free agent for the first time in his career this offseason, and the word from Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com is that the right fielder has his sights set pretty high for his next contract.

Apparently, he wants Jayson Werth money. In other words, a contract in the neighborhood of $126 million spread out over seven years.

Yeah, this is the part where you, savvy baseball fan, cringe.

Baseball is the best sport in the world, but the Werth contract is just one of many bad contracts handed out over the years that reflects poorly on Major League Baseball’s economic structure.

And now Swisher wants to be next.

To be fair to Swisher, he didn’t actually tell Heyman that he wants Werth money. The notion that he does comes not from the horse’s mouth, but from various “Yankees people” and an additional source. It’s not like Swisher is parading around the Yankees’ clubhouse bragging that he has $126 million coming his way. (Even in a room full of rich guys, that wouldn’t fly.)

Werth has a .755 OPS as a National.
Rob Carr/Getty Images

But Swisher didn’t deny that he has his eyes on Werth’s deal with the Washington Nationals, signed before the 2011 season. Swisher referred to it as a “great deal,” and he urged Heyman to check out the numbers.

And that’s just the thing. If Swisher truly does want Werth money, the numbers suggest that he should have no trouble getting it as a free agent.

There are a lot of similarities between Swisher’s situation now and Werth’s situation when he was a free agent following the 2010 season, virtually all of which Heyman outlined in his article.

Most notably, Swisher is going to be 31 when the offseason rolls around, just like Werth was back in 2010. More importantly, Swisher’s 19.0 career WAR is virtually equal to the 19.2 WAR Werth bore at the time. By the end of the season, Swisher’s career WAR could very well be higher than 19.2.

If one were to consult FanGraphs for WAR numbers, one will see that Swisher already has a higher career WAR than Werth did in 2010. FanGraphs has Swisher’s career WAR at 24.9. Back in 2010, Werth’s career WAR was 23.1.

So Swisher could conceivably argue this offseason that he deserves at least Jayson Werth money based on his overall value. Beyond that, he can always point to the fact that his 203 career homers and 649 career RBI (and counting) fairly dwarf the 120 homers and 406 RBI Werth had to his name when he was seeking a contract two years ago.

Swisher is also clutch. He has a .981 OPS in late and close situations this season.
Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

According to Baseball-Reference.com, Swisher’s career 162-game average includes 28 homers and 90 RBI. Werth’s 162-game average between 2002 and 2010 amounted to 26 homers and 85 RBI.

So Swisher basically has everything he needs to go out and demand a contract like Werth’s in free agency. He has precedent to point to and a leg to stand on.

Will he actually get Werth money?

Yeah, probably. There’s more than enough money floating around out there. In fact, there’s more now than ever before thanks to the absurd television contracts teams have nowadays. It’s also worth noting that one of four MLB executives Heyman talked to didn’t think Swisher would be crazy to ask for Werth money. No doubt, that executive isn’t the only one who feels that way.

One thing we know for sure, however, is that Swisher won’t be getting Werth money from the Yankees. Not a chance.

The Yankees have enough bloated contracts on their hands. Alex Rodriguez, CC Sabathia and Mark Teixeira are all due to make over $20 million in 2013. Derek Jeter will make $17 million. Robinson Cano’s $15 million option and Curtis Granderson’s $13 million option will presumably be picked up, and the Yankees will have to pay Rafael Soriano $14 million if he chooses not to opt out of his deal.

Those seven players alone could account for over $130 million in 2013. Even for the high-spending Yankees, that’s a lot of money.

And of course, the Yankees are making an effort to curb their high-spending ways. Hal Steinbrenner, who is a far more traditional businessman than his old man ever was, wants to get the club’s payroll down below $189 million before the 2014 season comes around. In order to do that, the Yankees are going to need to find as many bargain players as possible in the next few years.

At seven years and $126 million, Swisher would be the exact opposite of a bargain buy. If that’s the kind of contract he wants, then the Yankees will surely wish him luck once the season is over and tell him they look forward to inviting him back to Yankee Stadium to participate in old-timers’ games someday in the distant future.

You’d be surprised how hard it is to find pictures of Swisher acting normal.
Mike Stobe/Getty Images

It’s going to be a damn shame when it happens. Swisher is a quality player, one who really doesn’t get the kind of credit he deserves. And though he doesn’t fit the mold of a traditional Yankees star, the fun-loving demeanor he brought to the club in 2009 was a welcome change of pace. Several years later, his goofy-guy act still comes off as being out of place in a strangely delightful way.

Heyman noted in his article that Swisher’s Yankee teammates have grown accustomed to his day-in, day-out silliness. For his part, Swisher had no problem admitting that he’s loving life as a member of the Yankees.

“Everyone knows how much I love New York. I’ve been very vocal about that. This place has been so amazing for me. I’m enjoying my situation. I’m enjoying my teammates. I’m not going to have any regrets. I’m going to live it up. And I’m going to have a blast,” Swisher said.

This quote is Swisher in a nutshell. In addition to being one of the league’s top right fielders, he is also baseball’s most preeminent dude.

But these words ring hollow. They’re undoubtedly Swisher’s, but one gets the sense that this is just him doing a little preemptive damage control. He doesn’t want there to be any hard feelings when he leaves. A few months from now after he signs his new monster contract, he’ll probably come right out and reiterate how much he loved New York. But, you know, business is business.

When that moment comes, it will be obvious that Swisher really isn’t any different from every other ballplayer under the sun. He may seem to love having fun more than he loves anything else, and he may say he loves it in New York, but in the end, he’s going to be as willing as the next guy to follow the almighty dollar.

The only thing that will be at all different about his situation is that he’ll be leaving the Yankees in order to get a better payday. Irony doesn’t get much more ironic than that.

Does Nick Swisher deserve Jayson Werth money?

Yes No Jayson Werth doesn’t even deserve Jayson Werth money Submit Vote vote to see results

Does Nick Swisher deserve Jayson Werth money?

• Yes

  6.0%

• No

  11.0%

• Jayson Werth doesn’t even deserve Jayson Werth money

  83.0%

Total votes: 912

Not that any of this is a surprise. Swisher’s inevitable departure has been on the horizon for some time now, and both casual and diehard Yankees fans seem to have come to grips with it. The Yankees themselves don’t seem to be dreading his departure, either.

But all the while, there was at least a chance that Swisher and the Yankees would find a way to come to a mutually beneficial agreement, one that would allow him to stay in pinstripes and in the city he loves so much.

The chance of that happening is basically dead—at least until further notice. It won’t be revived until Swisher has a change of heart and decides he’d rather be happy in New York than cashing Werth-like paychecks in an alien city where baseball may not be king.

This is not going to happen. Being a Yankee is all well and good, but the idea of staying a Yankee isn’t going to keep Swisher from getting his.

I like Nick Swisher.  He has been a good player for The Yankees.  He has been a no-show for the playoffs.  I won’t blame the Yankees if they do not resign him.  Nick has put up good numbers in the regular season.  Overall, he has been inconsistent.  When has been hot, he’s been good.  Other times, he is just not there.  My thoughts had turned to Melky, but that thought is over.  EDB

 

JETER’S DIARY

CAPTAIN’S LOG

Derek Jeter’s Diary: Steroids, Solidarity, and Immortality

By Mark Lisanti on August 22, 2012 4:00 PM ET

Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

The baseball season is a long and lonely road. To preserve his sanity, Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter keeps a diary. These are excerpts from The Captain’s private journal.

Wednesday, August 15: vs. Texas Rangers

Baseball is a sacred trust. For some people, it’s almost a religion. (For the record, I was raised Catholic, but you hate to talk about your belief system publicly; your faith is a matter best kept between you, your God, and whatever Hall of Famers up in the Cooperstown section of Heaven you quietly pray to for guidance during difficult slumps. That’s nobody’s business but your own. And possibly St. Scooter Rizzuto’s.) So to knowingly betray our great sport feels like a sin. Baseball’s been around since the dawn of time, and in the early days of The Game, cheaters were punished like sinners: They were forced to wear jerseys made of sackcloth, sit in bottomless chairs in front of the local field, and be struck in the genitals with a pair of wet rosin bags tied to the end of a rope. Some might consider this barbaric, but it sent a powerful message about the importance of integrity in our sport. These days, you get a 50-game suspension the first time you’re caught cheating with steroids. Is that more or less “barbaric”? I don’t know, I don’t feel qualified to make that call. But I will say that if you really love the game, if you’ve got baseball religion, losing a third of a season should give you the same kind of queasy feeling in your lower abdomen as being repeatedly racked with a torture rope. You wonder if Bud Selig was reading a lot of Torquemada when he was figuring out how to replace those old punishments with ones that would hurt as much, but not violate the CBA.

Anyway, our old pal Melky Cabrera failed a drug test, and now he’s on the bench for 50 games while his team battles to make the playoffs. As someone whose entire life is defined by winning, your heart goes out to him as he’s forced to sit out the stretch drive, especially since he was making a charge at a batting title. Like I’ve said before, he was like family when he was with us in New York. You hope that this is just a terrible misunderstanding, but you also recognize that when your fat little brother suddenly looks like he’s ready for the NFL Combine, maybe you need to sit him down and make him watch that old Ben Affleck after-school movie with you. It’s not medicine. It’s cheating. And it’s a sad day for all of us.

In happier news for baseball, Felix Hernandez pitched a perfect game. That’s a special accomplishment, even if it happens in front of 45 fans in Seattle. They were probably pretty excited to witness it, and you can never take that away from them. You just wish that it happened in a city where more people could have experienced the magic of baseball history being made. I’m not going to suggest a better city, I’m pretty sure that could be considered tampering. It’s got to be tough for that kid, though. The biggest day of his life and everyone’s speculating about how the Yankees are going to trade for him, like we’re some kind of pitcher-relocation program. Not everyone’s cut out for performing on the biggest stage. Just last night, Tim Tebow called me up, bawling. A garbage truck drove by him and all the guys got off and started throwing trash at him. “But they threw it like girls, missed me by 10 feet, and said that’s how I throw! Then one guy intercepted a can of Clamato and ran it back for a touchdown! How do you play here, Jetes?” I just told him this: New York is the greatest city in the world, but it’s not for everyone. It’s a tough place. You just have to take it one garbage-throwing day at a time.

Good luck to Felix, wherever he winds up.

Thursday, August 16: vs. Texas

You always want to support your teammates, but we’re starting to wonder if Ivan Nova needs either a quick trip to the minors or 15 days on the DL sitting out a phantom hamstring pull to get his head straight. The kid’s got all the potential in the world, great stuff, and he’s always really calm out there. You can walk to the mound to check in on him with the bases loaded and nobody out, give him an encouraging, “Be aggressive, you can get this guy,” and then realize he’s been taking a micronap through the entire five-second conversation. That kind of relaxation is a useful skill to have once you’ve got things figured out a little bit more, but when you notice he’s already scratching pictures of birds in the dirt while the hitter’s halfway through a home-run trot, you start to worry there might be deeper focus issues. Yeah, Ritalin might be over-prescribed in America, but probably not for people who can’t concentrate long enough to remember if the catcher flashed one or two fingers five seconds ago. Or to throw two-thirds of an inning in his socks before he realizes his cleats are in the dugout.

Friday, August 17: vs. Boston Red Sox

Everyone knows I don’t place any importance on personal accomplishments that don’t help me top off the 11 ring-pillars (one more than Yogi) that circle the perimeter of the Champion’s Den at my place in Tampa (five pillars complete, with six more to go between now and retirement!), but tonight I hit my 250th career homer. It’s a meaningless milestone — why are round numbers any more special than unround numbers? — but I bring it up only because I dedicated it to a cause that’s been very dear to my heart: the release of Pussy Riot. Tragically, the band was sentenced to two years in a Russian prison early today, so my historic home run couldn’t help them avoid this injustice. You just hope the gesture brings some more awareness to the situation. As Captain, I understand the symbolic value of leading by example, and they’ve certainly set an example for all their countrymen by not backing down against the government. But you also wonder if maybe there was a way to get their point across without the hooligan stuff in the church, maybe some kind of closed-door team meeting with Vladimir Putin. That always seems to work for us. You hate to second-guess civil disobedience, but you also hate to see noble dissidents get railroaded into jail in a mockery of due process.

I hope they get the home run ball. Jay-Z said he’s going to give it to his buddy Mikhail Prokhorov and he’d take care of it from there. No pasaran, ladies.

Saturday, August 18: vs. Boston Red Sox

Just one of those days, you know? Before the game, Jack Curry from YES started poking around, asking all kinds of questions about my health because he’s noticed I’ve been coughing a lot lately. I have a very strict policy about these things: I don’t talk about them. No one cares. But here’s my answer, anyway: It’s no big deal. They don’t pay you fight off low-grade tuberculosis, they pay you to help your team win ballgames. If I can hit .320 while quietly sloughing out bloody chunks of lung in the corner of the dugout between innings, I’m gonna keep running out there. It’s a non-issue.

You think Pussy Riot is complaining about a nagging cold? Of course they aren’t.

Sunday, August 19: vs. Red Sox

Three hits tonight, we get the W, and take two of three from the Sox. I told you the cough isn’t a problem.

Wow, that Melky situation got weird in a hurry, didn’t it? When you’re caught, you’re caught. Make your apologies, take your punishment, serve your time. One thing you don’t do is cook up some bizarre, elaborate plot to try and prove your innocence when they’ve got you red-handed. OK, fine, Ryan Braun. Whatever, the point stands.

After the game, Boone Logan came to my locker and started reading the Melky story over my shoulder.

“That’s crazy, Jetes.”
“Real crazy.”
“He paid 10 grand for that website?”
“That’s what it says.”
“I will make you a website for $15.”
“I don’t need a website, Boonie.”
“Fine. It’s free.”

Then he walked away.

No idea.

Monday, August 20: at Chicago White Sox

You really want to be frustrated with the way Joba Chamberlain’s been pitching since he came back from his injuries, but (1) that’s probably a little bit unfair, since his recovery time from the Tommy John and the trampoline accident was impressive, and (2) then he goes and beans Kevin Youkilis, which is never not hilarious. Even Youk looked pretty amused by it, it feels as if he stopped getting upset by Joba’s mysterious vendetta about 10 plunkings ago, like a mailman who’s made peace with the Rottweiler on his route who hates the smell of Land’s End catalogs. I’d bet Joba doesn’t even remember why he’s still hitting him. No one else on the team seems to, either, though CC says he once framed Youkilis for sneaking into the clubhouse and eating all of Joba’s Little Debbies. That’s as good a theory as any. You don’t want to see a player on another team get hurt, but you also don’t want to see a revenge plot over some allegedly stolen snack cakes ever end. It’s a long season, you take your entertainment where you can find it.

Tuesday, August 21: at Chicago

Speaking of vendetta-nursing headhunters, there’s news that my friend the Rocket is coming back to pitch in the minors on Saturday night. You wish him the best, but he’s 50 years old. To put that in perspective, imagine someone who is 50 years old coming out of retirement to pitch in a minor league baseball game. See how insane that sounds? You have my personal guarantee that when I’m 50, I’m not coming out of retirement to play in a minor league game. Because I’ll still be the starting shortstop for the New York Yankees, putting some more distance between me and Pete Rose.

As the lone member of the 5,000-hit club.

You don’t go out there expecting to shatter baseball’s most sacred record. You just get your hits, day after day, until the hits stop coming.

When you’re 60.

Scooter willing.  EDB

NOVA PLACED ON DL

Angels’ Albert Pujols to undergo MRI on calf

Aug 23, 2012

Yankees put Ivan Nova on DL

By Chad Jennings, The Journal News

The Yankees just sent an email announcing that Ivan Nova will be placed on the 15-day disabled list with inflammation in his right rotator cuff. According to the team, Nova’s treatment will consist of medicine and rest, and he will not play catch for five days.

The decision was made after Nova was examined by Dr. Christopher Ahmad and underwent an MRI at New York-Presbyterian Hospital.

Although the Yankees haven’t said as much, it’s expected that this will be the move to open a roster spot for CC Sabathia to be activated from the disabled list tomorrow.

By Chad Jennings, The Journal News

Yankees right-hander Ivan Nova was sent to the DL on Thursday.

CAPTION

By Kim Klement, US Presswire

The New York Yankees just sent an email announcing that Ivan Nova will be placed on the 15-day disabled list with inflammation in his right rotator cuff. According to the team, Nova’s treatment will consist of medicine and rest, and he will not play catch for five days.The decision was made after Nova was examined by Christopher Ahmad and underwent an MRI at New York-Presbyterian Hospital.

Although the Yankees haven’t said as much, it’s expected that this will be the move to open a roster spot for CC Sabathia to be activated from the disabled list tomorrow and start against Cleveland.

Nova was 11-7 with a 4.92 ERA and led the league in hits allowed with 179.

Maybe the Yankees placed Nova on the DL because he has simply stunk!  EDB

LOSS AND SWEEP SHOWS YANKEES’ PROBLEMS

 

 

The Yankees were swept in Chicago.  The loss shows the problems I have been harping on, since I started this blog.  First Phil Hughes, better know as P-Hughes and in other circles as Phil Hughsless.  You might be thinking that he only gave up two runs.  Yes, but right after Jeter tied the game with a home run, Hughes gave it right back.  He was hit hard by Beckham, a .226 hitter.  Beckham hit the double that resulted in the White Sox first run.  The Yankees needed Hughes to pick them up after two terrible losses, in the first two games.  Hughes, did not come through. Then there is the Yankees offense.  The Yanlkees lineup against lefties is pathetic.  I must apologize, I did not realize that McGahee is hitting under .190.  I thought he was a good pickup, but he has not performed.  Against lefties, the Yankees present Andruw Jones at .213, Monsieur Martin at .193 or so and Casey “Not At The Bat,” who I believe is under .190.   This horrible lineup should cause managers to throw any pitcher who throws lefty, ala the Mike Caldwell era, or even the peanut vendor if he or she throws lefty.  For those WFAN hosts who kept saying do not worry Yankees fans, I say “Woryy Yankees Fans.”  The Rays and their low payroll and weak lineup, are scoring runs and finding ways to win.  They can even hit a fly ball with a runner on third and less thean two outs.  To make matters worse, Ivan Nova is compalining of shoulder stiffness and will miss his next turn.  Wouldn’t it be great if the Yankees had another young pitcher to bring up, besides David Phelps?  It would also be nice if they had a solid right handed hitter to bring up and insert in Andruw Jones or McGahees spot.  Joe Girardi said “we are going through tuff times, we’ll get through it.”  Well Joe, The Yankees need to win in Cleveland.  Furthermore, Joe, Joe, Joe, batting Andruw Jones fifth does not work, he’s D=O=N=E, Joe.  This will be a very huge choke, if the Yankees blow the division lead.  EDB

CAN HUGHES STEP-UP?

 

 

 

Will Phil P. Hughes pitches against Chris Sales, the lefty Ace of the White Sox.  That means we get the wonderful Righty lineup against an excellent pitcher and have to ask Hughes to save the Yankees’ Bacon.  The Yankees are only four games ahead of the Rays in the loss column.  Does not look so good.  All year I have been complaining about the Yankees lineup.  Let’s see this team step-up!  EDB

EDB FROM CHI-TOWN..

Another crappy effort from the Yankees.  No asshole ushers tonight, just a piss-poor pitched game by Ivan Nova.  Man, has this guy sucked lately.  I hope if and when CC pitches again, that Phelps takes this guy’s place.  I might change my mind tomorrow night after watching Phil P Hughes pitch.  Nova gets in trouble three or four times a game and cannot get out of much of the trouble.  The Yankees gave up four hits to DeWayne Wise.   How much more pathetic can you get?  Ofcourse the “Prime Time” offense could not score more than 2 runs off Liriano and his five plus E.R.A.  They had him on the ropes and let him off.  All this with Andruw Jones getting on base twice.  Luckily, KC defeated Tampa, who is getting close.  The Yankees are annoying me.  EDB

YANKEES STINK IT UP IN CHI-TOWN…

Hi readers, reporting in from Chicago.  I sat at Cellular Field.  Not much personality.  The night started poorly, when I asked one of the White Sox Ushers (help,) how to get to my seats,  He replied, telling me that I had 27 ways to find my seats and the White Sox had only “two.”   I guess he saw my shirt that stated 27 Wolrd Championships.  He then repeated the line that he hear too often, out of NY.  The Yankees buy all of their players.  I told him that was getting to be a “tired” statement.  He asked me to name players the Yankees have developed.  I answered Jeter, Mo, Cano.  His Mid=western, hick reply was that they would not know who Cano is in Kanas City.  I cannot explain this to you.  It was followed that the Yankees have not developed a lot of players since Babe Ruth.  I replied, “end of conversation.  You are making no sense and I cannot argue with an idiot”  My wife continued to banter with this sdiot.  I walked away.

On to the game.  The Yankees carried on their tradition of leaving too mny runners on Base,  Texierra, who came through early, later hit into a double play after two loud foul balls.  All in all, the Yankees could not tack on runs for Freddy Garcia.  Freddy eventually lost it quickly.  You could see he was losing it.  Girardi, left him in.  I wiull not kill Joe, because he did not want to burn his bullpen.  He ended up doing that, anyway.  The worst being Jaba Chamberlain.  It’s time to send Jaba to the minors.  He offers no positive use for the Yankees.  I do not know who the Yankees could bring up in his place?   The procession of Clay Rapada, Buffon Logan, Lowe, all stunk.  The Yankees bullpen was terrible, giving up homers to studs like DEWAAAAAAAYNE WISE,  While I  am at discussing players that need to go, how about Andruw Jones.  It is time to say goodbye to Andruw.  He’s done and I praying I do not have to watch him bat cleanup.  It was truly disturbing wathcing this game.  The Rays continue to win and are only 4 games back.  Time to be concerned!  EDB