This Week in Baseball

[Bruiser Chong]

People are giving the Yankees too much credit. They won't stay this bad, but what makes you think they're going to make such a drastic improvement between now and the end of September? Jeter and A-Rod are hitting as well as they're going to, maybe even more so. This wasn't the case last year. There's only a couple bats in the lineup you can expect to make any real improvement as the season years on. But their rotation is a mess, as is their pen.

[The Czech Republic]

People are IMing me telling me Felix Rodriguez for Todd Hollandsworth. Whaddya think Chong? I think it's bad.

[EVIL~! alkeiper]

Too many K's, a pitching straff in disarray, and a dismal bullpen.

 

There is no correlation between strikeouts and scoring runs. The team is frequently among the league leaders in BB:K ratio, so that is not a problem.

 

As for the Yankees, 85 wins tops. Teams with Tony Womack in left field do not win divisions.

[mike546]

People are IMing me telling me Felix Rodriguez for Todd Hollandsworth. Whaddya think Chong? I think it's bad.

Take him please. Hes Heredia to the 2nd power.

[The Czech Republic]

That's all the endorsement I needed to know this is a BAD TRADE.

 

Hollandsworth for Heredia^2? hah!

[CanadianChris]

How good does everyone see the Yankees being this year? I'd venture to say 88-90 wins this year. Pretty much carried by the lineup, Johnson and occasionally Pavano, and Mussina.

Not a chance. They would need to play 23-25 games over .500 the rest of the way for that to happen. With only half a starting rotation, an average bullpen, half a batting order, and no bench, they have no shot at being that good.

 

Mussina's record belies his poor start to the season. He's had only 2 quality starts in 6 starts overall (and they lost one of those games). A WHIP of 1.67 means he's gotten extremely lucky to only have an ERA of 4.50. He's due to get rocked soon.

[Vern Gagne]

That was assuming everyone gets healthy, and guys like Posada and Matsui start to play up to their abilities.

[Bruiser Chong]

People are IMing me telling me Felix Rodriguez for Todd Hollandsworth. Whaddya think Chong? I think it's bad.

I heard that the Yanks and Cubs were in talks for Rodriguez, but hadn't heard who the player the Cubs would be giving up was. I've been giving Holly a tough time, but I think he's too much to give up for Rodriguez. Of course, there's always the injury problems, but it still seems like a one-sided deal.

[Bored]

Awww tonight could have been so much fun with Barry Zito vs. Carl Pavano in the battle of the Alyssa Milano's current boyfriend vs. the ex but apparantly Zito and Milano broke up. I wonder what starting pitcher she'll be banging next?

[Vern Gagne]

Jeff Weaver

[Precious Roy]

Chien-Ming Wang....

 

Alyssa Wang

[The Czech Republic]

Guy needs to just give in and pronounce his name the way we pronounce it.

[CanadianChris]

That was assuming everyone gets healthy, and guys like Posada and Matsui start to play up to their abilities.

That's a lot of assuming.

[DerangedHermit]

Awww tonight could have been so much fun with Barry Zito vs. Carl Pavano in the battle of the Alyssa Milano's current boyfriend vs. the ex but apparantly Zito and Milano broke up. I wonder what starting pitcher she'll be banging next?

Kris Benson

[Bruiser Chong]

Todd Worrell has requested time off to deal with "personal pyschological issues."

[Brett Favre]

Felix Rodriguez for Todd Hollandsworth would be a great trade.

 

Five months from now, after the Yankees win the World Series, we'll be looking back at this abysmal start and laugh.

[therealworldschampion]

All I will say is that the Yanks better hope that George's horse wins the Derby tomorrow, or else there is probably going to be a statement issued...

[EVIL~! alkeiper]

Ball is carrying in Wrigley today. At least Lidle is a groundball pitcher. After this series, at least one group of fans (Cubs or Phillies) can breathe a little easier.

[Bruiser Chong]

I'm not optimistic with today's game. Ball's carrying too well and the Cubs are going to be swinging for the fences despite the fact that almost everything Lidle throws drops down. Props to Prior, though, for loading the bags with no outs and striking out the side right after.

[Bruiser Chong]

Lidle's only thrown 59 pitches through five innings. Always shooting for the fences is a huge problem for the Cubs, but their refusal to work counts ensures that they rarely see middle relief. Seven pitches in that fifth inning.

[EVIL~! alkeiper]

Big situation here with Derrek Lee up.

[EVIL~! alkeiper]

For Phillies fans, the team called up Robinson Tejeda to replace Worrell in the bullpen. Tejeda struck out 133 and walked 59 in 150.3 IP in AA Reading last year, but surrendered 29 home runs in the process. This season in AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, he has struck out 28 in 28.3 IP, with 13 walks, and no home runs. He's just 23, and I think that with a move to the bullpen, he can be a welcome surprise in the bullpen. He can reach the mid-90s with his fastball.

[Bruiser Chong]

Burnitz took the best pitch in that at-bat. I'd say none of the pitches he swung at were in the zone. *sigh* At least the count got worked up a little.

[Vern Gagne]

Going back to yesterday. Jason Davis drills Shannon Stewart. Stupid warnings issued, Gardenhire goes ballistic and gets tossed. Twins are pissed at the Indians, and vice versa. Twins vow revenge the next time they meet.

[Bruiser Chong]

I will donate $2,000 to MLB if this game is called right now.

[EVIL~! alkeiper]

I feel bad for Bruiser, but MAN.

[Bruiser Chong]

Hawkins wins Bonehead Move of the Year award.

[the pinjockey]

Well I knew that Ed Wade was incompetent but I did not realize that he is a piece of shit as well. Link

 

That is in-fucking-excusable that Worrell calls Wed. and asks to be put on the DL because he has issues and Wade does not immediately tell Manuel (according to ESPN he found out about Worrell's issues this morning). Then Manuel, without the knowledge, puts Worrell into a pressure situation where he fails thus making the problems worse I would imagine. That is a god damn disgrace that Wade would do that to Worrell, no matter what you think of Tim on the mound right now no one deserves that. Fuck, fire Wade immediately.

[EVIL~! alkeiper]

Well I knew that Ed Wade was incompetent but I did not realize that he is a piece of shit as well. Link

 

That is in-fucking-excusable that Worrell calls Wed. and asks to be put on the DL because he has issues and Wade does not immediately tell Manuel (according to ESPN he found out about Worrell's issues this morning). Then Manuel, without the knowledge, puts Worrell into a pressure situation where he fails thus making the problems worse I would imagine. That is a god damn disgrace that Wade would do that to Worrell, no matter what you think of Tim on the mound right now no one deserves that. Fuck, fire Wade immediately.

Hold on a second. ESPN.com's article has this to say...

 

"I called [general manager] Ed Wade last night to tell him that I am dealing with some personal psychological issues that I need to resolve," Worrell said Friday in a statement issued by the team. "They are affecting my family life and my ability to do my job. I am going to deal with these issues and I hope to resolve them as quickly as possible."

 

Is it not likely that the Red Barons' website carries a typo?

[Mik]

D-Train pitching tonight against a Colorado team that doesn't stack up favorably against him... hopefully he will move to 6-0.

 

I also picked up the Baseball Prospectus Analysis of steroids and will be starting to read that tonight... if I am in any shape to read in a few hours. I'm hoping it's as interesting as it looks.