I wrote a piece for The Faster Times unfavorably comparing Joe Girardi's bullpen decision's to Bruce Bochy's. I closed it by wondering why Girardi was so willing to go to Mariano Rivera in that ubiquitous Taco Bell commercial, but not in the postseason!
I know some Yankee fans who liked the Taco Bell ad, but I'm not one of them. It's not just that they played it about a gazillion times during the postseason. It's not just that I don't like seeing the greatest closer of all time lowering himself to be in a fast food commercial. It's that the commercial makes zero sense.
First off, the guy eating the XXL Chalupa who sighs, "I can barely finish it," hasn't even started eating it. There's not one bite missing from the chalupa!
Then, there's Girardi being so eager to get Mo to finish that uneaten chalupa. What's up with that? Can't Mariano buy his own fast food? Why does he have to dumpster dive from someone else's meal?
Besides, if I'm thinking of a Yankee who would finish somebody else's din-din, it wouldn't be Mo, the thinnest guy on the team. It would be CC Sabathia. But he's in the Subway commercial instead! How does that work?
Mariano is no actor, but Girardi isn't half-bad. However, it's a little disconcerting the way Joe smacks the customer's butt so enthusiastically!
I do like one thing in the ad: when the guy who just had his food stolen from him just mumbles, "Mo."
Showing posts with label Joe Girardi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Joe Girardi. Show all posts
Monday, October 25, 2010
Brian Cashman, Joe Girardi, and some of the moves that cost the Yankees the pennant
Squawker Jon's article, How Brian Cashman Cost the Yankees the Pennant, is currently being featured on the popular site Yardbarker! For a Met fan, Jon did a good job encapsulating the mistakes Brian Cashman made this year. But I have a few things to add about Cashman, Joe Girardi, and the 2010 season. Here are some of my own gripes:
* The Javier Vazquez deal: It isn't second-guessing to say this was a horrible trade, and that it was clear that Javier wouldn't succeed in pinstripes the second time around; I was against this deal from Day 1. I heard Cashman last week on Mike Francesa trying to explain the trade. But the deal was inexplicable, no matter what Javy's numbers were last year. How can Cashman not acknowledge that the ability to play in New York is kind of an important thing for a Yankee pitcher to have? Does he not understand his team's own fan base, and that many Yankee fans were not going to give this guy a second chance after he gave up a grand slam to Johnny Damon in Game 7 of the ALCS? The booing Javy got this year wasn't right (I don't believe in booing your own team's players) but it also wasn't surprising.
* Signing Nick Johnson for, what, exactly?: Let's leave Hideki Matsui out of the equation here as a possible DH -- he signed with the Angels before even hearing an offer from the Yankees, and reportedly didn't want to come back to New York. But the Johnson deal never made any sense.
I remember Cashman saying that if Johnson could stay healthy, he could be a $15 million a year player. Well, if Lindsay Lohan could stay sober and get a good role, she could win an Oscar one day. But neither thing is likely to happen any time soon.
The Johnson signing was another deal that was obviously a bad one right from the beginning. Cashman seems to sometimes want to show how clever he is with signings like this. He's not. Johnson seems like a decent guy, but he can't stay healthy. And the Yankees paid him $5.5 million for just 98 plate appearances in 24 games.
* Not bringing back Johnny Damon: Sure, Damon and Scott Boras deserved some blame for overpricing Damon. But it was pretty clear that Cashman had zero interest in bringing Damon back, at any price. And that $2 million, last-minute "offer" he made to Damon was insulting to somebody who played his heart out for the Yankees. For the money Cash paid Nick Johnson and Randy Winn, who was dumped during the season, he could have extended a one-year deal to Damon and kept him in the fold.
Sure, Damon faded a little in 2010, but undoubtedly, his numbers would have been better in Yankee Stadium, a place tailor-made for his swing. Plus, he added something to the clubhouse. The Yankee hitters looked so tight in the ALCS; would Damon have been able to loosen things up? I think so. Even Bill James admits that clubhouse chemistry does mean something, and this team was missing a key element of that chemistry this year with Damon being off the team.
* What's the deal with Joe Girardi?: Joe G. most likely will be back with the Yankees next year -- after all, he did lead the Yankees to a World Series title just a year ago. But he did seem to age a lot this season, and to look both gaunt and miserable as time went on this year. What's the story? Several people have asked me privately if he's got some serious disease; that's how sickly he's looked!
* What happened to Dave Eiland?: His still unexplained leave of absence in June cost the team a lot, specifically, A..J. Burnett. It's forgotten now, but A.J. was out to a pretty good year in the first two months of the season; he was 6-2, with a 3.28 ERA. In Eiland's absence, he lost all five games he pitched in June, and his ERA shot up to 5.25. How much of that had to do with his pitching coach's absence?
* And finally, what happened to A.J. Burnett's eye?: How is it that we still don't know what happened? Nobody has said anything. What is the deal? Enquiring minds want to know!
What do you think? Tell us about it!
* The Javier Vazquez deal: It isn't second-guessing to say this was a horrible trade, and that it was clear that Javier wouldn't succeed in pinstripes the second time around; I was against this deal from Day 1. I heard Cashman last week on Mike Francesa trying to explain the trade. But the deal was inexplicable, no matter what Javy's numbers were last year. How can Cashman not acknowledge that the ability to play in New York is kind of an important thing for a Yankee pitcher to have? Does he not understand his team's own fan base, and that many Yankee fans were not going to give this guy a second chance after he gave up a grand slam to Johnny Damon in Game 7 of the ALCS? The booing Javy got this year wasn't right (I don't believe in booing your own team's players) but it also wasn't surprising.
* Signing Nick Johnson for, what, exactly?: Let's leave Hideki Matsui out of the equation here as a possible DH -- he signed with the Angels before even hearing an offer from the Yankees, and reportedly didn't want to come back to New York. But the Johnson deal never made any sense.
I remember Cashman saying that if Johnson could stay healthy, he could be a $15 million a year player. Well, if Lindsay Lohan could stay sober and get a good role, she could win an Oscar one day. But neither thing is likely to happen any time soon.
The Johnson signing was another deal that was obviously a bad one right from the beginning. Cashman seems to sometimes want to show how clever he is with signings like this. He's not. Johnson seems like a decent guy, but he can't stay healthy. And the Yankees paid him $5.5 million for just 98 plate appearances in 24 games.
* Not bringing back Johnny Damon: Sure, Damon and Scott Boras deserved some blame for overpricing Damon. But it was pretty clear that Cashman had zero interest in bringing Damon back, at any price. And that $2 million, last-minute "offer" he made to Damon was insulting to somebody who played his heart out for the Yankees. For the money Cash paid Nick Johnson and Randy Winn, who was dumped during the season, he could have extended a one-year deal to Damon and kept him in the fold.
Sure, Damon faded a little in 2010, but undoubtedly, his numbers would have been better in Yankee Stadium, a place tailor-made for his swing. Plus, he added something to the clubhouse. The Yankee hitters looked so tight in the ALCS; would Damon have been able to loosen things up? I think so. Even Bill James admits that clubhouse chemistry does mean something, and this team was missing a key element of that chemistry this year with Damon being off the team.
* What's the deal with Joe Girardi?: Joe G. most likely will be back with the Yankees next year -- after all, he did lead the Yankees to a World Series title just a year ago. But he did seem to age a lot this season, and to look both gaunt and miserable as time went on this year. What's the story? Several people have asked me privately if he's got some serious disease; that's how sickly he's looked!
* What happened to Dave Eiland?: His still unexplained leave of absence in June cost the team a lot, specifically, A..J. Burnett. It's forgotten now, but A.J. was out to a pretty good year in the first two months of the season; he was 6-2, with a 3.28 ERA. In Eiland's absence, he lost all five games he pitched in June, and his ERA shot up to 5.25. How much of that had to do with his pitching coach's absence?
* And finally, what happened to A.J. Burnett's eye?: How is it that we still don't know what happened? Nobody has said anything. What is the deal? Enquiring minds want to know!
What do you think? Tell us about it!
Friday, October 22, 2010
Yankees lose, Rangers celebrate, and I've had it with Joe Girardi
Well, so much for my hope that the Yankees would win tonight. But believe it or not, if the Yankees had to lose to anybody, I'm glad it was the Texas Rangers. Congrats to them and their fans.
I lived in Texas for over a decade, and I have friends and family who are Rangers fans. Like my nephew, Zachary. We went to the Yankees-Rangers ALDS elimination game in 1998 together, along with my father and my brother, and Zack was very sad afterwards to see his beloved Rangers lose. Now he, and all the other long-suffering Rangers fans, finally have something to cheer about.
I talked to my nephew after the game to congratulate him, and I told him that whether the Rangers face the Phillies or the Giants in the World Series, I will root for the Rangers and the American League. Besides, the Yankees won just last year, so at least there's that. They can't win every year, as much as we'd like them to!
With all those niceties out of the way, I have to admit I'm very angry at the way the Yankees played in this series. Not just with the hitting, and the pitching, but with the way Joe Girardi managed. And I really think the Yanks ought to consider a new manager next year. I was about as pro-Girardi as they come, but I completely lost faith in him over the past month, as have many other fans. Yes, the Yankees bats fell asleep, but whose ultimate fault was that? The manager.
Things started going sour in September, when Girardi played not to lose, instead of playing to win. Then he made a bunch of crucial errors in this series. I'm not going to second-guess him on switching out Phil Hughes and Andy Pettitte, as I didn't originally criticize him for originally doing that. But I think he was awfully complacent in this series. It took Joe Torre eight years before he started snoozing in the dugout. It's taken Girardi three.
The biggest issue I had with Girardi was bullpen management. He should have gone to Mariano Rivera in Game 3; a two-run lead with Cliff Lee at a season high in pitches would not have been insurmountable. Instead, he went to Boone Logan, and then David Robertson. To add insult to injury, he left Robertson in to get pummeled for five hits and five runs, causing potential damage to his psyche.
Then Girardi had faith in A.J. Burnett for too long on Tuesday, costing the Yanks the game on a homer to Bengie Molina. Finally, Joe left Phil Hughes in too long tonight, then brought in Robertson, of all people, who blew the game wide open. When he finally went to Kerry Wood and Mariano Rivera, the Yanks were already way behind. Not smart. And so much for the plan to use CC Sabathia for an inning or two.
I don't understand Girardi's whole bullpen management, and kind of wish he had channeled Billy Martin, who once brought Sparky Lyle in during the fourth inning (!) of a playoff game, as opposed to him being as passive as Joe Torre at his worst. If there is a goat to this series besides the Yankee lineup, I think it's Girardi, something I would never have guessed I would have said just three months ago. At the risk of sounding like a greedy Yankee fan, I think Girardi's mistakes helped cost the team the series. The Yankees didn't just get outplayed; they got outmanaged.
My YES Network broadcast went out after the game, so I didn't get to see it, but I heard Brian Cashman say Girardi would be back. Bummer.
A few other things I wanted to rant about:
* So much for Mike Bloomberg and his planning the World Series victory parade talk, eh?
* And how about Michael Kay's proclamation that the ALCS was over after Game 1?
* Or Daily News columnist Filip Bondy's ridiculous trash talk that "The Yanks should win this series just by throwing their pinstriped uniforms onto the field and reading from a few pages of The Baseball Encyclopedia.
Granted, my own predictions (that the Yankees would win in seven, and that they could win tonight) weren't exactly on the mark. But at least I hope I showed respect for the Rangers, something the folks I'm complaining about didn't!
What do you think? Tell us about it!
I lived in Texas for over a decade, and I have friends and family who are Rangers fans. Like my nephew, Zachary. We went to the Yankees-Rangers ALDS elimination game in 1998 together, along with my father and my brother, and Zack was very sad afterwards to see his beloved Rangers lose. Now he, and all the other long-suffering Rangers fans, finally have something to cheer about.
I talked to my nephew after the game to congratulate him, and I told him that whether the Rangers face the Phillies or the Giants in the World Series, I will root for the Rangers and the American League. Besides, the Yankees won just last year, so at least there's that. They can't win every year, as much as we'd like them to!
With all those niceties out of the way, I have to admit I'm very angry at the way the Yankees played in this series. Not just with the hitting, and the pitching, but with the way Joe Girardi managed. And I really think the Yanks ought to consider a new manager next year. I was about as pro-Girardi as they come, but I completely lost faith in him over the past month, as have many other fans. Yes, the Yankees bats fell asleep, but whose ultimate fault was that? The manager.
Things started going sour in September, when Girardi played not to lose, instead of playing to win. Then he made a bunch of crucial errors in this series. I'm not going to second-guess him on switching out Phil Hughes and Andy Pettitte, as I didn't originally criticize him for originally doing that. But I think he was awfully complacent in this series. It took Joe Torre eight years before he started snoozing in the dugout. It's taken Girardi three.
The biggest issue I had with Girardi was bullpen management. He should have gone to Mariano Rivera in Game 3; a two-run lead with Cliff Lee at a season high in pitches would not have been insurmountable. Instead, he went to Boone Logan, and then David Robertson. To add insult to injury, he left Robertson in to get pummeled for five hits and five runs, causing potential damage to his psyche.
Then Girardi had faith in A.J. Burnett for too long on Tuesday, costing the Yanks the game on a homer to Bengie Molina. Finally, Joe left Phil Hughes in too long tonight, then brought in Robertson, of all people, who blew the game wide open. When he finally went to Kerry Wood and Mariano Rivera, the Yanks were already way behind. Not smart. And so much for the plan to use CC Sabathia for an inning or two.
I don't understand Girardi's whole bullpen management, and kind of wish he had channeled Billy Martin, who once brought Sparky Lyle in during the fourth inning (!) of a playoff game, as opposed to him being as passive as Joe Torre at his worst. If there is a goat to this series besides the Yankee lineup, I think it's Girardi, something I would never have guessed I would have said just three months ago. At the risk of sounding like a greedy Yankee fan, I think Girardi's mistakes helped cost the team the series. The Yankees didn't just get outplayed; they got outmanaged.
My YES Network broadcast went out after the game, so I didn't get to see it, but I heard Brian Cashman say Girardi would be back. Bummer.
* * *
A few other things I wanted to rant about:
* So much for Mike Bloomberg and his planning the World Series victory parade talk, eh?
* And how about Michael Kay's proclamation that the ALCS was over after Game 1?
* Or Daily News columnist Filip Bondy's ridiculous trash talk that "The Yanks should win this series just by throwing their pinstriped uniforms onto the field and reading from a few pages of The Baseball Encyclopedia.
Granted, my own predictions (that the Yankees would win in seven, and that they could win tonight) weren't exactly on the mark. But at least I hope I showed respect for the Rangers, something the folks I'm complaining about didn't!
What do you think? Tell us about it!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Joe Girardi leaves A.J. Burnett out to dry
A.J. Burnett is getting a lot of grief from Yankee fans these days, including some calling for his head last night. But really, he did much better than expected, giving up only two runs in the first five innings. Heck, he was the first Yankee starter to get through the first inning without giving up a run in this series. Until Joe Girardi left him in too long in the sixth, that is.
Longtime readers know that I'm no Girardi basher, but he has done such a poor job with decision-making this series that Squawker Jon and I were musing last night what were the chances that be fired if the Yankees lose the ALCS. And what Joe did in the sixth was just ridiculous.
Guess Girardi never heard of that "leaving on a high note" adage. He should have pulled Burnett after Vladimir Guerrero's hit. At that point, A.J. was at 90 or so pitches. Burnett could have left the cheers from the crowd, with a well-pitched game, and something to build on for the future. Instead, Girardi got a little too cute, deciding to leave him in, and then intentionally walking David Murphy to pitch to Bengie Molina. This, even though he had Joba Chamberlain warmed up in the bullpen. I thought Girardi would keep Burnett on a short leash, but instead, the leash was long enough for A.J. to get caught in.
Incidentally, did you see that Burnett nearly threw the ball away in one of the intentional walk pitches? That should have been yet another clue to Girardi that Burnett was about to turn into a pumpkin.
I didn't watch the postgame last night because he was too angry after the loss. But Jon did, and he thought Girardi was awfully defensive. New York Post columnist Joel Sherman wrote about what the manager said, and I pretty much agree with Sherman's take on what happened last night (emphasis added).
One last note -- Squawker Jon sez Molina's homer is bad karma on me for trash-talking Jon for four years about Yadier Molina's homer against the Mets. By the way, last night was the fourth anniversary of that event.
What do you think? Tell us about it.
Longtime readers know that I'm no Girardi basher, but he has done such a poor job with decision-making this series that Squawker Jon and I were musing last night what were the chances that be fired if the Yankees lose the ALCS. And what Joe did in the sixth was just ridiculous.
Guess Girardi never heard of that "leaving on a high note" adage. He should have pulled Burnett after Vladimir Guerrero's hit. At that point, A.J. was at 90 or so pitches. Burnett could have left the cheers from the crowd, with a well-pitched game, and something to build on for the future. Instead, Girardi got a little too cute, deciding to leave him in, and then intentionally walking David Murphy to pitch to Bengie Molina. This, even though he had Joba Chamberlain warmed up in the bullpen. I thought Girardi would keep Burnett on a short leash, but instead, the leash was long enough for A.J. to get caught in.
Incidentally, did you see that Burnett nearly threw the ball away in one of the intentional walk pitches? That should have been yet another clue to Girardi that Burnett was about to turn into a pumpkin.
I didn't watch the postgame last night because he was too angry after the loss. But Jon did, and he thought Girardi was awfully defensive. New York Post columnist Joel Sherman wrote about what the manager said, and I pretty much agree with Sherman's take on what happened last night (emphasis added).
Girardi had Mariano Rivera for as much as two innings, a remnant of the manager’s iffy choice not to use the closer to keep the Yankees within 2-0 in the ninth inning of Game 3. So Girardi would have had to fill just two set-up innings here.
But he got greedy or caught up in the moment....
“If you take A.J. out there and you give up a couple of runs, people say, ‘Why did you take A.J. out?’“ Girardi said.
No, that would not have been the conversation. New York is now well versed on Burnett. No one could think it was a good idea to have him on the mound at that moment: tying run in scoring position, go-ahead run on first, season on the brink. Burnett has spent a career breaking hearts, throwing the pitch he absolutely could not at the wrong time.
And he did here....
Girardi had given a baseball arsonist matches and the Yankees season went up in flames.I agree with Sherman, something I don't say very often!
One last note -- Squawker Jon sez Molina's homer is bad karma on me for trash-talking Jon for four years about Yadier Molina's homer against the Mets. By the way, last night was the fourth anniversary of that event.
What do you think? Tell us about it.
Monday, December 7, 2009
How I met Joe Girardi at Chipotle, of all places
So I met Yankee manager Joe Girardi today, and I was so excited, I lost my cool - big time!
Girardi was in town doing a fundraiser at Chipotle in Times Square. For a $5 donation to his Catch 25 foundation, you got a burrito, chips and salsa and a drink, and the chance to meet Girardi. What a deal! And not only did I get to meet Joe and say hello, I got to shake his hand, get an autograph, and get my photo taken with him. Awesome!
Anyhow, I got so excited over getting to talk to Girardi, I babbled like a fangirl in front of Joe! Yes, you read that right. I got emotional over meeting not a Yankee player, but the manager. It's because seeing him lead the Yankees to a World Series title was something I dreamed of, months before he ever was even officially considered for the job. And trying to explain how happy I was for him left me at a loss for (coherent) words! Let me explain:
As many Squawker readers know, I wasn't exactly a fan of the later years of Joe Torre's managing - or, more to the point, his snoozing in the dugout while collecting a paycheck from 2004 on. Remember from history class how Cato the Elder ended every speech by saying, "Carthage must be destroyed"? Well, I was kind of that way about Torre in 2006 and 2007 - the first two years of Subway Squawkers - with me repeatedly saying "Joe must go" in the blog. I also wrote repeatedly that the Yanks would never win another ring with Torre at the helm.
Anyhow, in June 2007, Baltimore had just fired their manager, and Joe Girardi - who was a Yankee announcer then, after getting fired from the Marlins the winter before - was interviewed for the spot. But then he turned it down. I was at Walt Disney World when this all happened. Here's what I wrote at the time:
And guess what, I was right! My oh-so-restrained headline on the day of the new managerial announcement was "Joe Girardi gets offer; Squawker does Snoopy Dance"!
Fast forward two years. Although I don't always agree with Girardi's managerial decisions, he is still a great hire. I also think he hasn't gotten the credit he deserves for this team's championship. All too many writers seemed gleeful to rip him for perceived errors, like the three-man playoff rotation, without giving him the credit he deserves for No. 27.
And for all the tired talk about how Girardi was so inflexible, he actually did something amazing - allowing an entirely new Yankee culture to flourish, while keeping the Core Four in the fold. Not only did these Yankees win it all, but they were the most likeable team in ages.
Anyhow, when I met Girardi today, I tried to explain to him how happy I was for him, and how much I admired him, and about how I wrote about him in the blog, but I sounded more like a babbling brook than anything! That's what happens to me when I get overexcited.
Before leaving Chipotle, I did pull myself together enough to say to Girardi, "thank you for No. 27, here's to No. 28!" and wave. At least I did say one semi-coherent sentence!
What do you think? Tell us about it!
Girardi was in town doing a fundraiser at Chipotle in Times Square. For a $5 donation to his Catch 25 foundation, you got a burrito, chips and salsa and a drink, and the chance to meet Girardi. What a deal! And not only did I get to meet Joe and say hello, I got to shake his hand, get an autograph, and get my photo taken with him. Awesome!
Anyhow, I got so excited over getting to talk to Girardi, I babbled like a fangirl in front of Joe! Yes, you read that right. I got emotional over meeting not a Yankee player, but the manager. It's because seeing him lead the Yankees to a World Series title was something I dreamed of, months before he ever was even officially considered for the job. And trying to explain how happy I was for him left me at a loss for (coherent) words! Let me explain:
As many Squawker readers know, I wasn't exactly a fan of the later years of Joe Torre's managing - or, more to the point, his snoozing in the dugout while collecting a paycheck from 2004 on. Remember from history class how Cato the Elder ended every speech by saying, "Carthage must be destroyed"? Well, I was kind of that way about Torre in 2006 and 2007 - the first two years of Subway Squawkers - with me repeatedly saying "Joe must go" in the blog. I also wrote repeatedly that the Yanks would never win another ring with Torre at the helm.
Anyhow, in June 2007, Baltimore had just fired their manager, and Joe Girardi - who was a Yankee announcer then, after getting fired from the Marlins the winter before - was interviewed for the spot. But then he turned it down. I was at Walt Disney World when this all happened. Here's what I wrote at the time:
I was in Florida when Baltimore’s pursuit of Joe Girardi went down last week. You know what I wish happened? That Cashman whispered in Girardi’s ear to not take that job, because the Yanks would be needing him as manager very soon.Then, in October 2007, when it looked like Torre might still return, I wrote:
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, that my vote is for Joe Girardi. Girardi has shown that he is a good motivator. He knows the Yankee way, but he’s also learned different ideas. And he knows what ails this team. That was clear from listening to him announce games this year.And when Torre and the Yankees finally parted ways in October 2007, I championed Girardi some more. I also predicted that the Yankees would pick Girardi, at a time where pretty much every single mainstream Yankee writer in town was sure that Don Mattingly would be the successor. I wrote "the Yankees will pick Girardi over Mattingly for two reasons" - because "Girardi is the opposite personality of his predecessor, while Mattingly is very similar, personality-wise, to what the Yankees have had," noting that "most replacement managers fill the void of what their predecessors lacked." I also pointed out that the Yanks would be "stuck with Donnie Baseball as manager forever, even if he stinks, for fear of offending the fanbase."
True, Girardi is an argumentative guy, who doesn’t suffer fools gladly, but frankly, that’s what this team needs after Torre and his green tea and his classiness. I’m tired of this team losing with class. I’d rather the Yankees be feared than be loved, and it’s been a long time since the Yanks have been feared. Girardi would be just the guy to bring that era back.
And guess what, I was right! My oh-so-restrained headline on the day of the new managerial announcement was "Joe Girardi gets offer; Squawker does Snoopy Dance"!
Fast forward two years. Although I don't always agree with Girardi's managerial decisions, he is still a great hire. I also think he hasn't gotten the credit he deserves for this team's championship. All too many writers seemed gleeful to rip him for perceived errors, like the three-man playoff rotation, without giving him the credit he deserves for No. 27.
And for all the tired talk about how Girardi was so inflexible, he actually did something amazing - allowing an entirely new Yankee culture to flourish, while keeping the Core Four in the fold. Not only did these Yankees win it all, but they were the most likeable team in ages.
Anyhow, when I met Girardi today, I tried to explain to him how happy I was for him, and how much I admired him, and about how I wrote about him in the blog, but I sounded more like a babbling brook than anything! That's what happens to me when I get overexcited.
Before leaving Chipotle, I did pull myself together enough to say to Girardi, "thank you for No. 27, here's to No. 28!" and wave. At least I did say one semi-coherent sentence!
What do you think? Tell us about it!
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Joe Girardi helps out Jets - how about the Mets?
Joe Girardi showed up at Jets' practice Tuesday to instruct quarterback Mark Sanchez in the fine art of sliding. When spring training starts, perhaps Girardi can offer the same courtesy to the Mets.
After last season, the Amazins could use some tips not just in sliding, but in all facets of baserunning.
Meanwhile, the Mets' offseason continues to limp along with word that the team has signed a player who said upon signing, "I will always consider myself a Phillie." And regarding the Mets: "It’s the last team I ever saw myself playing for."
Chris Coste will be 38 in February. He is on his third team since the Phillies released him in July. One would think that this fringe player, who did not make it to the majors until he was 33, would be grateful that anyone wanted him. Lucky for him that Omar Minaya is up to his usual tricks of mostly pursuing older players (Elmer Dessens, 39 in January, Alex Cora - 34).
Coste's signing has had the unlikely effect of making me miss both Tom Glavine, whose heart was in Atlanta, but did have a Hall of Fame career there, and Brian Schneider, who just signed with the Phillies.
Let's hope that spring training does not feature Coste waving his 2008 World Series ring around, criticizing Jose Reyes and Francisco Rodriguez for excessive celebrations and telling Mr. Met that he's no Phillie Phanatic.
After last season, the Amazins could use some tips not just in sliding, but in all facets of baserunning.
Meanwhile, the Mets' offseason continues to limp along with word that the team has signed a player who said upon signing, "I will always consider myself a Phillie." And regarding the Mets: "It’s the last team I ever saw myself playing for."
Chris Coste will be 38 in February. He is on his third team since the Phillies released him in July. One would think that this fringe player, who did not make it to the majors until he was 33, would be grateful that anyone wanted him. Lucky for him that Omar Minaya is up to his usual tricks of mostly pursuing older players (Elmer Dessens, 39 in January, Alex Cora - 34).
Coste's signing has had the unlikely effect of making me miss both Tom Glavine, whose heart was in Atlanta, but did have a Hall of Fame career there, and Brian Schneider, who just signed with the Phillies.
Let's hope that spring training does not feature Coste waving his 2008 World Series ring around, criticizing Jose Reyes and Francisco Rodriguez for excessive celebrations and telling Mr. Met that he's no Phillie Phanatic.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Is it time for Jorge Posada to take off his catcher's mask?
Jorge Posada will be 38 this summer. By the time Yogi Berra and Johnny Bench were 38, Yogi was in his last season, and Johnny Bench was retired. And Joe Girardi, Posada's predecessor, was off the Yankees for five years, and in his last season.
Francisco Cervelli has been terrific in Posada's place. The kid has been impressive behind the plate, making smart plays, calling good games, throwing baserunners out, and framing the ball well. And he's hitting well, too, getting 12 hits in 40 at bats. While I don't expect Cervelli to continue his hot hitting, his catching skills are something that should only get even better over time. I hope he gets to stay with the Yanks, even after Jose Molina's eventual return.
Kevin Cash hasn't been hitting well, but he's also been a decent backup catcher. Loved how he tried to settle down A.J. Burnett by going to the mound - and not saying anything!
Anyhow, it will be interesting to see if the Yankees starting pitching continues its good run under Posada. Let's hope it does.
While Posada has been very outspoken about how he wants to be the Yankees No. 1 catcher, is it time for him to do more DHing and less catching? One New York sports columnist seems to think so.
New York Post columnist Joel Sherman suggested in a column earlier this week that "there is no coincidence that the best Yankee run of 2009 has come with others catching." He expanded on his column's thoughts in his blog yesterday, writing that he believes "the Yanks have to think seriously about making Posada more a full-time DH and having him catch less." Sherman also noted:
Pitchers do not generally enjoy pitching to him for a variety of reasons, including his inadequacy at framing pitches and his sketchy game calling.
In his column, Sherman explained why pitchers complained about Posada:
Now, I have long been a huge supporter of Posada the catcher, including defending him in his own clubhouse. Over the years, I have heard plenty of off-the-record snipes from pitchers who did not particularly like Posada's game-calling intellect or the lack of soft hands and finesse that enables a catcher to frame pitches well and steal strikes.
I would listen to the complaints and then offer one of the following responses: 1) You hate him all the way up to the three-run homer he hits to bail your sorry butt out. 2) Yeah, he's terrible. That dynasty must have been in spite of him.
Yes, I admit it, I like Posada for both his skill and his passion.
Hmm, whatever happened to that "no cheering in the pressbox" adage? Yes, I get that a columnist is different from a beat writer, but why the heck was Sherman getting into arguments with Yankee pitchers over the merits of Posada, and why is it only now that we're hearing about such arguments? Put down your Posada pom-poms, Joel!
Besides, Sherman's "count the rings" dynasty rejoinder is misleading, given that Joe Girardi was the No. 1 catcher in 1996, and caught 78 games in 1998, and 65 games in 1999.
Francisco Cervelli has been terrific in Posada's place. The kid has been impressive behind the plate, making smart plays, calling good games, throwing baserunners out, and framing the ball well. And he's hitting well, too, getting 12 hits in 40 at bats. While I don't expect Cervelli to continue his hot hitting, his catching skills are something that should only get even better over time. I hope he gets to stay with the Yanks, even after Jose Molina's eventual return.
Kevin Cash hasn't been hitting well, but he's also been a decent backup catcher. Loved how he tried to settle down A.J. Burnett by going to the mound - and not saying anything!
Anyhow, it will be interesting to see if the Yankees starting pitching continues its good run under Posada. Let's hope it does.
What do you think about Jorge Posada? Leave us a comment.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Positively Swishalicious! Yanks win eighth in a row on back-to-back-to-back homers
Lots of nice moments yesterday at the Stadium, and the Yankees seem to have found a partial solution to filling up those empty seats.
First up, the game. Squawker reader The Emperor said that John Sterling exclaimed, "Positively Swishalicious" over Nick Swisher's homer. And yes, he went there - he did do a back-to-back-to-back and belly-to-belly-belly call! And the other night, Sterling had the stellar call, "Two and two for Swisharoo." Heh.
Swisher, who has been slumping as of late, finally got his first homer at the new Stadium. I wonder if honorary bat girl Polly Tompkins, the schoolteacher fighting Stage 4 cancer who got to throw out the first pitch, brought him good luck with her cheerful attitude. They seemed to have bonded, hugging after the game. Bryan Hoch of yankees.com wrote a very touching story on Tompkins - click here to read it.
Phil Hughes made it harder for the Yanks to send him down to the minors with his nine-strikeout win. I think the Yanks should keep him up for a while as a long reliever - I'm not sold that Chien-Ming Wang is ready just yet.
Oh, snap! Johnny Damon seemed to call out Joe Torre, saying about how "family-oriented" Joe Girardi runs his clubhouse, suggesting that's why this year's free agents came to play in the Bronx. I don't think that's the case - I think the $423 million the Yanks spent had a bit more to do with it. But I guess Damon couldn't say, "Girardi actually pays attention to players besides the four rings guys," or "Hey, I don't have to worry that Girardi is going to sell me out in a tell-all book."
And somebody in the front office seems to have gotten a clue. Instead of shunting the servicemen and servicewomen in town for Fleet Week to the obstructed view bleacher seats, the way the Yanks did with the West Point cadets on Opening Day, the Yanks put them in the Legends seats right up front. Cool!
Only thing I didn't like about last night's game was Mariano Rivera pitching the ninth. I had no problem with Girardi bringing in Mo in the eighth to shut down the O's. But after the Yanks scored six runs at the end of the inning, Mariano should have been out of the game. Getting him the save isn't worth him pitching the ninth, even if he did throw only 14 pitches in the game.
Speaking of Rivera, I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall at the Yankees' first Kangaroo Court since 2005. He was the judge, A. J. Burnett, Johnny Damon, and Derek Jeter were the jury, and Xavier Nady was the court stenographer. Sounds like it was great fun. I think Brian Bruney should have been the bailiff.
In honor of the Yanks winning eight in a row, here's a classic video about the number eight. It's Sesame Street's Jazzy Spies segment, featuring Grace Slick on vocals. Yes, Grace Slick. It's like having Amy Winehouse on Barney and Friends or something! Anyhow, the tribute to No. 8 is from early 1969, back when Oscar the Grouch was orange. It
And for Mets fans, click here to check out the day when Keith Hernandez and Mookie Wilson made a cameo on Sesame Street. They told Ernie to put down the duckie. Good advice!
First up, the game. Squawker reader The Emperor said that John Sterling exclaimed, "Positively Swishalicious" over Nick Swisher's homer. And yes, he went there - he did do a back-to-back-to-back and belly-to-belly-belly call! And the other night, Sterling had the stellar call, "Two and two for Swisharoo." Heh.
Swisher, who has been slumping as of late, finally got his first homer at the new Stadium. I wonder if honorary bat girl Polly Tompkins, the schoolteacher fighting Stage 4 cancer who got to throw out the first pitch, brought him good luck with her cheerful attitude. They seemed to have bonded, hugging after the game. Bryan Hoch of yankees.com wrote a very touching story on Tompkins - click here to read it.
Phil Hughes made it harder for the Yanks to send him down to the minors with his nine-strikeout win. I think the Yanks should keep him up for a while as a long reliever - I'm not sold that Chien-Ming Wang is ready just yet.
Oh, snap! Johnny Damon seemed to call out Joe Torre, saying about how "family-oriented" Joe Girardi runs his clubhouse, suggesting that's why this year's free agents came to play in the Bronx. I don't think that's the case - I think the $423 million the Yanks spent had a bit more to do with it. But I guess Damon couldn't say, "Girardi actually pays attention to players besides the four rings guys," or "Hey, I don't have to worry that Girardi is going to sell me out in a tell-all book."
And somebody in the front office seems to have gotten a clue. Instead of shunting the servicemen and servicewomen in town for Fleet Week to the obstructed view bleacher seats, the way the Yanks did with the West Point cadets on Opening Day, the Yanks put them in the Legends seats right up front. Cool!
Only thing I didn't like about last night's game was Mariano Rivera pitching the ninth. I had no problem with Girardi bringing in Mo in the eighth to shut down the O's. But after the Yanks scored six runs at the end of the inning, Mariano should have been out of the game. Getting him the save isn't worth him pitching the ninth, even if he did throw only 14 pitches in the game.
Speaking of Rivera, I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall at the Yankees' first Kangaroo Court since 2005. He was the judge, A. J. Burnett, Johnny Damon, and Derek Jeter were the jury, and Xavier Nady was the court stenographer. Sounds like it was great fun. I think Brian Bruney should have been the bailiff.
* * *
In honor of the Yanks winning eight in a row, here's a classic video about the number eight. It's Sesame Street's Jazzy Spies segment, featuring Grace Slick on vocals. Yes, Grace Slick. It's like having Amy Winehouse on Barney and Friends or something! Anyhow, the tribute to No. 8 is from early 1969, back when Oscar the Grouch was orange. It
And for Mets fans, click here to check out the day when Keith Hernandez and Mookie Wilson made a cameo on Sesame Street. They told Ernie to put down the duckie. Good advice!
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Trouble in Squawker City - Lisa is a jersey girl
Who'da thunk it? After a stormy start to spring training, Yankeeland is Camp Tranquility these days. And Joe Girardi took a cue (sorry, couldn't resist the pun) from Tom Coughlin's bowling trip with the Giants - he took the Yankees out to play pool yesterday. Sounds like great fun, even if I couldn't get the "Ya Got Trouble" song from "The Music Man"out of my head yesterday:
Trouble, oh we got trouble/Right here in River City! /With a capital "T"/That rhymes with "P"/And that stands for Pool!
Heh! Anyhow, I always love seeing the Yankees in "civilian" clothes (click here to see a gallery of pictures from the pool tournament.) Seeing such pix also keeps me up on the recent fashion trends - I wouldn't know who or what Ed Hardy is if it weren't for A-Rod wearing those t-shirts all the time.
In other news, I was causing trouble in Squawker City. I read on Mets Police that you cannot plug in the last name "Ramirez" onto a Mets jersey. I went to see for myself, and tried the personalizing jerseys function at mets.com with Manny's name. I got the following message:
Your current entry cannot be processed. Some entries are prohibited due to guidelines for past and present player names. Please create a new entry.
An outrage!
Then I tried to plug in the word "steroids" on both a Mets jersey, and a Yankee one on yankees.com, and got this hectoring from the site:
Your current entry cannot be processed. Language deemed inappropriate, derogatory, or profane will not be accepted. Please create a new entry.
Another outrage! But while MLB got all prissy on me when it comes to using the word "steroids", it didn't have a problem with the words "Balco," "HGH," "Boli," and "Tic Tacs." Or even a real profanity, like Madonna! For all of them, the site made up a mockup of what the uniform would look like, and had this message:
Great choice! To purchase your customized jersey, click on "ADD TO CART."
It's $99 to make up an A-Rod "Boli" or "HGH" jersey with No. 13 - too rich for my blood. But I'm wondering if some prankster will do so this year, and what will happen if they try to go to the Stadium wearing such a shirt. Will hilarity ensue?
Come to think of it, though - who would want to put a last name at all on a Yankee jersey, given that the players don't have their names that way on their uniforms? It makes no sense.
And what's up with the Mets inaugural season jersey being $249? Is it because of that lovely Domino's pizza patch?
In addition to this, the Mets site also has not one but two different Mets jerseys for pets, and even a Mets K9 varsity jacket! Talk about a team that's gone to the dogs!
One other note - Squawker friend Bob Ekstrom has a whole mess of links about what's happening in Red Sox Nation these days. Click here to see it.
What do you think? Leave us a comment!
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