[100] Good thing they are facing a AAA lineup tonight.

How not to approach hitting with the bases loaded.

0-7.

Ladies and Gentleman, YOUR 2009 New York Yankees!

That was piss-poor, Joba.  Just weak.

There’s a shock, a stolen base.

Ichiro is, well, an insanely good baseball player.

Free bases, free bases here!!!  Step right up, get yer free bases!

There’s a shock, another stolen base.

There’s a shock, yet another stolen base.

Get’em while they’re hot!!!

Great 3-2 pitch there, Joba.

I can only assume a double steal is happening in the next couple of pitches.

I don’t think Junior’s Rascal can get up to speed fast enough to steal 2nd.

Dear Joba,

Please pitch like it’s your last inning.

Thanks in advance.

I want 2007 Joba back.

Against this lineup, that was a pretty sad performance by Joba.

[117] Ditto vs. the Mets.

Is Joba hanging out too much with Pettitte? This looks like a line that Andy would generate with his habitual battling.

Why does Joba have #3 starter stuff?

Looks like the old (not intention) IBB to get to Robbie “GIDP” Cano.

Infallible prediction: Cano will hit a DP ball here.

Just arrived. Mr sub the hutt ehh?  Any breaking ball? How was his gas?

Real Yankee (tm) at bat coming up.

Ok, the strikeout was the lesser of the two evils, I guess.

So Posada now makes an out.

I think Yankees are taking turn here. Tex and Alex made outs in their first two turns, while Cano and Posada didn’t. Now it is their turn.

Pudding and pie time.
Thanks for the rapid Joba critique you effen crickets.

Should I be hoping for an error here? That and sacrifices seem to be the only way they want to score tonight.

126. Joba had an inconsistent fastball, poor command, and the incredible fortune of facing the Mariners.

How do you pronounce Jakubauskas?

Baaaaaaaaahahahaha.  The entire Sox infield just left the field with only two outs.  They had to be called back.

The O’s fans were chiding them back and they had no idea.

[123] I am following via radio voices, so I would sum it up as classic inefficient Joba start, cost himself two runs by not picking up a slow Ichiro roller, and Cedeno started taking steroids tonight.

[120]

1.  Maybe 2007 Joba was a one-year-wonder, a flash-in-the-pan.

2.  Maybe he just needs to trust his stuff.

3.  Who knows.

This reliever’s profile pic on gameday makes him look like an alien wearing human skin as a disguise.

Thanks Matt. I always liked you. Felt bad when the bikers offed your ass.

Still beat Rikers.

[126] Lotsa sliders, haven’t seen many (any ?) curves. Hitting 05 here and there. Lotta 3-ball counts.

Maybe stop loading the bases.

bases loaded with 2 outs is the new bases loaded with 0 outs.

Maybe 2007 Joba was a one-year-wonder, a flash-in-the-pan.

2008 Joba was pretty damn good too. And despite being very frustrating 2009 Joba hasn’t been bad either.

Er, 95.

Please! No more bases loaded for Yankees. Please!!

135- Still love that song.

0-9 with RISP.  Wow.  Just wow.

2009 Joba has been a whole lot o’nothin’, as far as I am concerned.

[139] I think we’re all waiting for the pitcher we were told Joba would be by now. Very high expectations we had 2 years ago, and people were expecting 7-8 innings of what he was giving us under “Joba rules” for one.

Time to pull him with a slugger up next.

Yankees with RISP: 0-9
Yankees w/o RISP: 5-10

[147] -  I think it’s time for hypnosis.

Come on Don, 6th tied at 3, not quite Tim Leary.

Joba’s stuff has just vanished. Last season that slider is off the table before Johjima can even reach it. Not talking about this blog per se, but people forget that Joba still had nasty stuff in his starter cameo last year. It’s just not there right now. His curve is about the only pitch that hasn’t completely regressed.

Is it a bit of over-reliance on the lefty-lefty match-up deal to go to Coke here, since he is essentially the 6th best reliever in the pen?

Thurm, it is the Mariners. And we saw this against a dreadful Mets lineup as well.

2009 Joba is agonizing to watch. Just give him until the ASB off and let Hughes get some starts.

OTF, you bring sanity to the board—but we’d rather bitch about Joba.  I just want one Lincecum-level dominating stud start out of him—then I’ll stop worrying the good fastball is gone for good…....

[153] Can Hughes make a full start right now? He hasn’t started in over a month now.

Fabian: It’s like watching Shawn Chacon walk the tightrope. Where is the stuff? What happened?

It would be one thing if we were getting stuff, but no results, or results but not enough stuff…at least there would be something to hang your hat on. We’re currently getting ok to good stuff and eh results. I’m just waiting for him to have a Hughes in Baltimore type start so that his ERA can correct itself and then, hopefully, from there on out he will be awesome again.

[153] Agonizing is the word.

[149]
Timothy Leary’s dead.

Name one 09 starter not named CC who hasn’t been agonizing to watch.

Nice work by Coke… he’s really improved since the beginning of the season…

153] Can Hughes make a full start right now? He hasn’t started in over a month now.

Probably not. I’m just fed up. If I have to be in the office at this hour I would at least like to have a nice, clean box score to look at. Not this crap.

Or maybe I shouldn’t question using Coke.

[160]
Stammen?

on the plus side, Avis has evidently responded to my wishes to bring back the “I’m wicked psyched to be here” commercial

Name one 09 starter not named CC who hasn’t been agonizing to watch.

They’ve all been, to an extent. However, I take great pride in watching the younger players play and don’t care if/how/why Pettitte/Burnett/Wang suck.

Nick Swisher swung on the first pitch??!! WTF?

Swisher looks brutal this evening. It’s amazing this game is tied. If the Mariners played competent D, we’d be watching a lifeless loss in progress.

Some of us are listening to John and Suzyn… 

Name one 09 starter not named CC who hasn’t been agonizing to watch.

I think AJ is running away with the award this season.  I keep waiting for the hammer to drop everytime he throws a pitch.  Joba would have to be second though.

On offense, Cano can be maddening.

That was a painful to watch bottom of the 6th.

I guess, Hughes for 2, Mo for 1, and hope the Mariners commit another error to allow a run?

Masterson getting lit up right now, if that is any consolation to you.

Most Agonizing 2009 Yankees:

1. Joba
2. Cano
3. A.J.
4. Edwar
5. Veras

[170] I’m gonna go with Wang by a nose ahead of AJ. Simply because I know why AJ is still being allowed to start.

[174]
6. The entire offense whenever the bases are loaded

I guess, Hughes for 2, Mo for 1, and hope the Mariners commit another error to allow a run?

Would 4 HBP in a row count as an error or a blessing?

Hughes is smokin’

Most Opposite of Agonizing 2009 Yankees:

1. Hughes
2. Jeter
3. Gardner
4. Good Coke (Should we call Bad Coke, Crack?)
5. Aceves

173-Aye it is.
136- Thanks
154- Your welcome.
159- They turned into Wings.

[179] No love for Tex?

So, Don, how about this new Hughies.

Phil is a badass.

The Yankees really, really need to move Cano down in the lineup.

I really think that when pitchers bear down in big situations they have a much easier time getting Cano out by basically throwing him crappy pitches out of the zone.

His career numbers bear that out as well (706 OPS with RISP, 860 OPS with bases empty).

[159] Isn’t he outside, looking in?

[179] No love for Tex?

Tex just missed.

[179] Cervello is my #1. I also think Damon belongs somewhere in the Top 5.

[177] According to sexual harassment master Harold Reynolds, any BB or variant of that is an error on the pitcher and that is why OBP is over-rated. Seriously, he blogged about OBP being stupid a couple of days ago.

Hughes makes me happy.

184: totally agree…

Robby needs Bowa to administer that toughness enema.

Bunt? Not like they will actually get a hit with a RISP anyways.

[182] Phil Huggies looks great out of the pen. Being very agressive in his approach. Can he do that as a starter?

[193] He can’t get a chance with dominant starters like Pettitte and Wang filling the rotation.

If they can’t score Damon after a lead-off double with the 3-4-5 guys coming up, they should just leave the field.

[191] I say we all chip in and send Robbie to see his dad for some more batting lessons during the ASB. And let Melky tag along.

I know the king of baseball - Bill James - says that there is no such thing as hitting in the clutch, but a base knock here will be a ‘clutch’ hit. ARod is wayyyy overdue….

Wouldn’t it be ironic if the least clutch player ever got the first hit with a RISP for the Yankees tonight?

Donno- Why do you dislike Phil?
I’m onnit wit the Nimrod but I love me some Philo-dough.

[188]

Wow.  What’s his contract with MLB TV look like?  I hope there’s an education clause in there.  Seriously, we all watched Joe Morgan (JOE! MORGAN!)explain a BABIP graphic during the ESPN game on Sunday.  Fans are getting smarter and the broadcasters are going to need to get wise.  I haven’t read the blog entry, but I can’t see him coming across as anything less than an ignoramus.