Greetings from Winter Haven
Sorry, no cute postcard to show you this time around. We’re about an hour northeast of Tampa today at Chain O’ Lakes Park in Winter Haven — the second to last game being played here before the Indians find a new home.
This place is just the epitome of old school Spring Training – some concrete, a bunch of red seats and a ballpark. There’s also a giant building in the shape of an orange beyond the outfield walls, but no wireless access in the press box. Thus, in-game updates just aren’t going to happen (we have wireless laptop cards coming, thankfully, but mine was sent to New Jersey).
Baseball’s most accessible Hall of Famer, Bob Feller is here, and Joe Girardi was pre-warned to bring a working pen — Feller is going to want some autographs from the Yankees this afternoon. Ian Kennedy gets the call for a Yankee club that sent most of its belongings north on a truck that left Tampa on Monday. Think a bunch of the guys wouldn’t have minded hitching a ride as well?
Bryan Hoch
****. IPK got lit up in the first….. 4r on 3h
Betemit better bat better, before beers bake betemit buggy.
boo betemit, bizarre ballplayer. bet’ betemit buys “boogies” best beach bum byfar-
Is it a contract year for Giambi? I’m still pulling for Mark Teixeria for 09!
all the runs were unearned.
Molina’s 3 for 3. And no ER and a no decision for IPK…still a dodgy outing
Betemit got a hit, picked his sorry average all the way up to .182…nice.
Watching the game on YES. Where did Michael Kay go? Hasn’t been broadcasting recently.
Another good outing for Rasner, tough on him if they still pick Karstens just because he’s on the 40-man roster.
Isn’t Feller notorious for being one of those guys who only signs autographs when he’s being paid to do so? If I were Joe Girardi, I’d make sure I got a healthy donation to the VA Tech fund (or some other charity) from Rapid Robert BEFORE I took the cap off my pen!
Jeterstar,
Definitely a contract year for the Giambino, but I think that Hank and Hal’s money (and the revenue stream coming from “the House that George Built” would be better served inking the next incarnation of the “Portly Portsider” C.C. Sabathia.
Ians 4 Ws did’nt help. Damon, Jeter, Abreu, Sui 0-12, they’re gone a we still lead 5-4..RaZZner had a good inning.
“GO YANKEES”
How could they be unearned? He gave up a 3 run homer???
And NOT anohter good outing for Rasner. Another TYPICAL outing for him. 1.2ip 0 runs. .1 ip 3 runs.
Did anyone notice last year when Betemit batted at Yankee Stadium the Pearl Jam song “Better Man” played, the chorus of course being “Can’t find a better man.”
Another good outing for Rasner? Did you watch the game? That 3 run bomb was ridiculous! He can’t **** it up after the error and goes with the “get it in” fastball. 3 run jack and lead GONE. Rasner is a pile of ****.
Tribe 7-5, top 9.
Someone explain how IPK’s runs were unearned?
Igawa will be the choice
NOT Rasner OR Karstens
Look at the numbers.
I would like C.C. too Jonathan, BUT if he resigns with Cleveland, the Yankees should go after Mark! Ha ha ha Betemit’s intro song was “Better Man”, it should be “Loser” by 3 Doors Down.
Golf,
If a pitcher has 2 outs and then an error is recorded. All baserunners AFTER the error will be unearned.
Example: 1 on, 2 outs, then e-5.
The runner that was on base will be an earned run (unless he reached on an error, or was inherited) and any runs scored after him will be unearned.
HA! HA! Good one jeterstar. Karstens won’t be considered for a spot on the final roster. His chances( though small ) went down the toilet after his last outing. He’s a bigger pile of **** than Rasner.
okay I posted that before Rasner’s 2nd inning.
Igawa ha someone should have sent him back to Japan with the Sox and A’s.
I didn’t see the IPK 1st inning but I’m guessing he would have ended the innings before the HR if not for the error
I appreciate everyone’s passion about who should make the roster (I’d take Karstens and Traber over Rasner and Igawa, FWIW) but I don’t understand the invective and vitriol directed at the guys who aren’t your choice. Isn’t there a better way to make your point than by calling either Karstens OR Rasner a “pile of ****”?
[/sermon]
Who cares about Karstens, Rasner, Igawa they’re only going to be this year’s Clippard, De Salvo and erm, Igawa
Farnsworth looks ok which is surely more than anyone could have hoped for spring training
Looks like it will be Igawa over Rasner, and Karstens by default ( default being that neither Karstens or Rasner have the talent to pitch in the majors, they are toast ). I guess it could be worse thought, the Yanks could still have a broken down old fart like Randy Johnson on the roster.
chaz,
I understand that. But he gave up a dinger didn’t he? That’s at least 1 run unless it was an inside the parker and even then if it were the result of E’s, it wouldn’t be a homer.
Oddly, while I object to calling Karstens and Rasner names, I don’t have a problem with referring to Randy Johnson as a “broken down old fart” . . . (guess my bias is showing now)
: – )
I can’t speak for anyone else, but when I call names, it’s more tongue-in-cheek,I’m not trying to be serious, offensive or personal. Don’t mean to offend anyone else when I do it.
Bpark,
You have Jason Lane, a guy who hit .160 last year,is hitting .238 in spring training, and was struck out by a nervous college kid on a New York Yankees bench. Why?
Posted by: chazbedlam@cableone.net | March 25, 2008 10:25 AM
Read my comments about Duncan please. Lane is basically a pinch runner/late sub. Duncan would need to play more. Lane’s is on the roster by default.
Same here, but if you want a good reason why they are not my choice go look at the stats. Igawa is performing above expectation, while Karstens and Rasner are nothing more than bums. I can only post the stats so many times to prove my point but here we go AGAIN:
Karstens’ ERA – 9.64.
This bum’s era is almost 10 and some of you like him for a spot in the bullpen? Even worse, if Pettite can’t stay healthy, A SPOT IN THE ROTATION?
I can’t wait to have to score 11 runs to win every Karstens start.
Rasner’s ERA – 5.02
He’s lucky the 3 run jack he gave up today to lose the game were all unearned runs. He’d have an ERA over 7 if that wasn’t the case. Anyway, I’m seeing plenty of posts that are pro-Rasner. What? Did you guys want to ask Hideki Irabu to join back up?
Speaking of Japanese Imports:
Kei Igawa’s era: 3.38
What the **** is wrong with this picture? Uh…nothing, that’s what. Igawa has earned that long man spot in the rotation based on this really weird thing called “performance”. Out of all the potential long relievers, he has done the best job this spring, so he earns the spot.
There, didn’t call them anything but what they are: a couple of bums, and made my point with stats. Happy?
How is Lane on the roster by default? Do we have no other choice for corner outfield? I guess Duncan, Damon, Abreu, Matsui don’t make enough corner outfielders for a major league 25 man roster? We don’t need Lane within 100 miles of Yankee Stadium. He’s a waste of a valuable roster spot. I’d rather bring in 13 pitchers and 3 bench players if they want to bring in Lane. He’s worse than Betemit.
I will guarantee that we will have to count on a timely hit from a bench player in a crucial situation on more than just a few occasions this season.
So, why in the **** do we want to load our bench with guys that can’t hit .200 in Spring Training off of AA and AAA pitching? What will a guy of Jason Lane’s calibur do against Okajima? Here’s a hint: Okajima will be pumping his fist, while Lane stands in the box and un-velcros his batting gloves. The umpire will punch his fist off to the side and yell something that sounds like, “Strike 3!”.
I will be the first to say that we don’t need a bench full of all-stars. That is ridiculous. They wouldn’t be bench players if that was the case. But, we have better choices than Wilson Butt-imit. And Jason “Couldn’t-hit-it-if-it-was-right-down-the” Lane.
Jason Lame?
Jason “Slow” Lane?
I like Jason Lame.
Listen Chaz,
There is no point having Duncan on the roster at the end of the bench. Jason Lane can fill this spot. Lane will hardly play. He would be a late inning sub in the infield or outfield, a pinch runner. He makes much more sense in that role than Duncan.
I wish I could of been here today to talk about the game but I was at the hospital all day and they take forever just to get you in.
best wishes.