Five to go
Does it seem like a lot has happened since April 29? That's the last time Phil Hughes stood on a Major League mound. Pretty incredible to think about -- but Hughes is back now, hoping to at least finish his season on a positive note with the Yankees. After two fairly dominant starts at Triple-A, Hughes gets a real nice test tonight with a White Sox club gunning toward the playoffs.
Juan Miranda was promoted from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and will be on the bench tonight, though Joe Girardi said he intends to play him. It would be interesting if Miranda can get into a few games and showcase himself for next year. The Yankees will need a first baseman and though they have no shortage of internal candidates (Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui, maybe Jorge Posada), Miranda is sort of an unknown.
A couple of things to alert you to, our faithful blog public. The New York Times has a few of the details for what you might expect on Sunday here in the Bronx. It goes without saying, but if you're lucky enough to score tickets, get here early and use mass transit. You don't want to be listening to John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman from the Major Deegan Expressway while everyone else's memories are created.
And now for a shameless plug, if you don't mind. If you weren't able to score tickets to the finale, why not head over to Foley's at 18 W. 33rd Street, across from the Empire State Building? Mickey Rivers will even be there. I've spent more than a few evenings hanging out there, as have most people in baseball -- it is an "Irish bar with a baseball attitude," after all, and you can't help but love a place that actually would waste a baseball on a MLB.com reporter's signature.
Juan Miranda was promoted from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and will be on the bench tonight, though Joe Girardi said he intends to play him. It would be interesting if Miranda can get into a few games and showcase himself for next year. The Yankees will need a first baseman and though they have no shortage of internal candidates (Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui, maybe Jorge Posada), Miranda is sort of an unknown.
A couple of things to alert you to, our faithful blog public. The New York Times has a few of the details for what you might expect on Sunday here in the Bronx. It goes without saying, but if you're lucky enough to score tickets, get here early and use mass transit. You don't want to be listening to John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman from the Major Deegan Expressway while everyone else's memories are created.
And now for a shameless plug, if you don't mind. If you weren't able to score tickets to the finale, why not head over to Foley's at 18 W. 33rd Street, across from the Empire State Building? Mickey Rivers will even be there. I've spent more than a few evenings hanging out there, as have most people in baseball -- it is an "Irish bar with a baseball attitude," after all, and you can't help but love a place that actually would waste a baseball on a MLB.com reporter's signature.
33 pitches for the 1st inning. No win for Phil today then. Let's hope he can at least get the lead, 5 innings isn't likely if the White Sox produce those kind of ABs
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At a combined .221 BA and a total of ruff 288.61 AB's for the following players this season.........Jose Molina, Wilson Betemit, Ivan Rodriguez, Brett Gardner, Chad Moeller, Morgan Ensberg, Shelly Duncan, Alberto Gonzalez, Justin Christian, Richie Sexson, Cody Ransom and Chris Stewart.
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Candy, he'll get five. He needs to learn how to have those types of innings if he wants to become an ace. The tougher the job is, the tougher you become as a ballplayer. The most importat thing about that inning is how he came out of it: unscaved. That shows you alot about what type of pitcher he is. Good future for Hughes.
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Miranda should see a couple of innings tonight. Probaby a full game at some point in the homestand. I'm excited to see what we've got in Miranda, although I'm not expecting much... just curious.
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5 innings, well I hope so, but he's now 57 pitches after 2. A couple of baserunners in the 3rd and 4th and he'll be done.
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Here's Girardis latest quote!!!!
This was not what New York expected in Joe Girardi's first year as manager.
He replaced Joe Torre, who left after 12 seasons, insulted by the team's offer of just a one-year contract. Torre signed on as manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers and now appears headed to the playoffs again.
Standing outside his office in a subterranean corridor of the stadium this week, Girardi said he didn't let the losing eat him up away from the ballpark, and he doesn't second-guess his decisions too much when he gets home after games to watch "Seinfeld" reruns or more baseball.
"I'm able to leave it here. That doesn't mean I won't think about it when I'm laying in bed," he said. "I'll watch a little TV maybe and fall asleep. My wife can sleep with the TV on, so it doesn't matter. I fall asleep and then I get up with the kids and we play.
WOW way to go this year SKIP!
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Richards has pitched 26 deliveries in 3 innings. What the hell, he has a 6+ ERA and the Yanks make him look like Sandy Koufax
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The Yankees will make Richard look like a A.L Cy Young contender. He will throw a 3 hit shutout.
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Anyone watching YES? Michael Kay just quoted Girardi that apparently the game is changing and you can't afford to take pitches anymore as all the pitchers are pounding the strike zone these days. I hope that is some kind of misunderstanding/mis-quote on Kay's behalf
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candyrunts,
No you heard right? Thats Girardi's style. Thats another reason why we had a Really good year this year, another great idea by the skip!
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Why did they call that piece of crap up from the minors. What wasted start 4 innings they should have traded him when they had the chance. He is worthless in the trade market now.
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I take that back it will be a two hit shutout.
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Wow your talking about Phil like that?
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Good showing for Hughes, nice cutter. Albeit in four innnigs, but I'm astonished as to how the Yanks are not hitting. WTF is this shat!? I didn't know Clayton Richards was the next CY winner. Take pitches and amount a good at bat on this guy... take him out of his groove! My God, if this is how these guys hit in the majors then aybody in here can do better than that.
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Great way to bunt and move'm over Melky. My LORD! Thank goodness it's only one run.
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The Yankees were swinging hard to apply pressure and get him out early as opposed to working him late. It didn't happen but I'm positive that was the plan.......
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Ditto for Damon. Nice working the count. These guys are pathetic; Might as well mail it in.
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Thank god for Xavier Nady
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What kind of guy catches home run balls on consecutive nights...and wears a national scrabble championship shirt?
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That's ZAck!
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Richards made us look like Low-A players. Sure he works fast but get used to it. It seemed like his pace really threw us off all night. Kay was right. The bottom of the 3rd was a microcosm of our season - a 5 pitch inning. Are you kidding? 5 pitches? 5? He was making ARod look foolish. And the comment about Girardi feeling that the game is changing, not taking pitches, etc... With Flaharty of all people disagreeing and using Hughes' outing as a perfect example. Foul off those pitches that are pounding the strike zone and wait for a mistake. You notice how no one talks about how Abreu has long AB's anymore?? What happened to that?
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On the plus side..... Our bull pen continues to impress. And Cano went 3-3!
On the down side, Moose can only finish with 19 wins. :( I know his last couple outings haven't been the best. But he should be at 20 already. These last couple starts should just be gravy.....
And Matt, will you lay off the Derek Lowe S H I T!?!? Are you in love with this guy? Look at his numbers. Look where he's been pitching for the last 4 seasons. He's barely a .500 pitcher in the weakest division in baseball. What do you think happens to him when he comes to the toughest?? CC isn't a lock. I think he got a taste of how easy NL ball can be and he's doing it in a strong division. I get the idea that perhaps he's about the numbers. Remains to be seen. I am likewise cool on Burnett and Sheets. Both injury prone and neither has pitched +200 innings in some time. For Burnett, it's his first +200 season in 4. For Sheets it'll be the first time in 5. Do you REALLY want question marks like that?
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RC,
Moose has two scheduled starts left but with the off-day coming up on the 22nd, they could pitch him on the 23rd @ Toronto, then the last game at Fenway Park. If he wins tonight I'd like the management to do it. It would be Ponson's start afterall against the Blue Jays. I'm sure MM would take it and he gives a far better chance of winning if we're playing for pride.
Plus imagine Boston need to win the final game of the regular season to take the AL east...and Sindey Ponson rocks up to take the mound!!
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rcngolf,
I'll lay of the Lowe crap if you lay off the Pettitte garbage. Open your eyes for God's sake. His numbers are inflated and his skills are deteriorating badly. Who the F U C K cares if he is lefthanded or knows how to win when he can't even pitch. At least I'm not crazy enough to try and compare the two pitchers' stats to each other when Lowe hasn't even been a starter his entire career. Also, his won-lost record isn't his fault when he has been on a sorry-*** team like the Dodgers for the past few seasons. His stats show that he has been solid and consistent. His last 8 starts ,he has shut down the other team especially in his last 4 starts where he posted an 0.47 ERA. I don't care whether you're pitching in the AL or NL that's extremely tough if not impressive to do. At worst if the Yanks bring him back he will post Pettitte-like numbers from this season. Signing a pitcher like Pettitte is just as big a risk as signing Burnett or Sheets, he's no longer a stopper and can't be relied on to win as consistently as he has in the past.
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