“personal issues”

Mom finishing the basement, I take it?

SG,

No worries about the lack of stuff. Hopefully, the personal issues are not serious, and you will be blogging in full vigor sometime in near future.

I think Coke becomes the token lefty and long man, and that leaves two more slots to be filled in. Edwar probably makes it, he is usually good for the first inning or so. If they go for a long man other than Coke, it is likely Aceves or Giese. If they want another short inning guy, it is probably Albaladejo, although Robertson’s K-rates are really good.

The good thing is, it is really good depth.

Mom finishing the basement, I take it?

Yeah, it’s about damn time too.

“personal issues”

I thought the blog was personal business. Are you becoming addicted to porn?
Please SG, seek help!

Becoming?

I really wish Jose Veras had any trade value whatsoever. I suspect that of all the Yankee relievers, he is the one Girardi is most likely to irrationally trust in high-leverage situations.

But maybe I’m still suffering from my Torre hangover.

Are you becoming addicted to porn?

this seems redundant to me.

If we type ‘porn’ in a few more comments, this site won’t be safe for work (unless you work from home).

Yes, let’s keep the site safe for those who are gainfully employed.

Or we can just use a coded term for the, um, “p-word.”

Okay, no more typing of “porn.”

D-oh.

They have porn filters in moms’ basements?

I hate it when my mom plays around with my control settings! 

Whatever happened to Humberto Sanchez?  Did he just not get over the injuries?

I had big expectations when he came over.

I hate it when my mom plays around with my control settings!

Tell me about it.  Damn computer classes at the Y…..

The pathword ith…nipple.

Also, what about Chris Britton?

Did he just not get over the injuries?

I think he only started pitching again midway through last season…it was TJ surgery, wasn’t it?

Chris Britton was traded or claimed on waivers, I believe (by the Padres?).

Not being able to watch today’s game makes me a very sad panda.

thanks ym

however panda /= monkey

are you some kind of chimaera?  “yankeechimaera”?

FREAK!!!!!!

porn

FREAK!!!!!!

Took you this long to realize?

porn

Yes, please.

Huuuuuuughes!

Two HBPs for Hughes already.  But he did K Crawford.

Bust.

Jesus, let’s hope A Phil’s parents don’t check out the blogs he likes.  Kid will be grounded until he’s 30.

good defense by the Yanks thus far today. Some pretty decent pitching too.

The pathword ith…nipple.

Cable Guy?  hilarious.

Whatever happened to Humberto Sanchez?  Did he just not get over the injuries?

he’s around.  was pretty rusty in the winter league, not sure if he’ll start or relieve.  he’s probably a reliever until he shows he can stay healthy.

we could see him in the Bronx at some point in 2009 if all goes well.

he’s probably a reliever until he shows he can stay healthy.

I think he’s probably a reliever forever at this point, at least if he stays with the Yankees.  I *think* the plan is to start him at Scranton, and let him work his way back.  He’s one of those guys we really have no idea at this point; he could never pitch in the majors again, or he could be the answer to, “but who will pitch teh eighth!?#!” by June.

Hughes today: 2 GO, 2 FO, 2 K, 1 BB, 2 HBP, 0 H.

I would say reasonably good effort.

Posado!

Posado!

I pray this remains a frequent comment throughout the season.

[crickets]

Does everybody have work issues and personal issues today?

I do. I was in a car accident, the other car hit mine in the side.

Sorry to hear that.  As for me, my only personal issue today was that I absolutely hated the work I had to do.

It’s maddening that Juan Cruz and Mark Grudzielanek are looking for work and can be had on the cheap, yet the Yankees won’t sign either.  If they signed Cruz they’d be looking at a pen that of:

Rivera
Marte
Cruz
Ramirez
Coke
Giese/Aceves/Whoever they decide to use as the long man/spot starter

That’s downright filthy.

Who do you take off the 40 man for Cruz?

It’s maddening that Juan Cruz and Mark Grudzielanek are looking for work and can be had on the cheap, yet the Yankees won’t sign either

really, “maddening”?

maybe the Yankees don’t want to go from the 2nd round to the 5th round of the draft without having a pick?

maybe they are already overloaded with quality bullpen arms and stacked in the minors?

your list doesn’t even include Melancon.

also, Cruz walked 5.4(!) batters per 9 last year.  who says he’ll even be all that good in the AL East?  he’s going to face MUCH better hitters moving from the NL West to the AL East, so he’ll probably K fewer, and with his walk rate, could easily be a dud.

i WOULD like to see Grudzielanek come in on a minor league deal, but how do we know they didn’t offer him one already?  i’ll be curious to see where he ends up, and i think he’d be a nice bench player.

but i really have no problem passing on Cruz.

i WOULD like to see Grudzielanek come in on a minor league deal, but how do we know they didn’t offer him one already?  i’ll be curious to see where he ends up, and i think he’d be a nice bench player.

but i really have no problem passing on Cruz.

I agree with this.  Perhaps Grudzielanek still feels he is worth a ML contract (glancing at his #‘s, I can see why he would feel that way).  Perhaps he doesn’t want to play on the East Coast.  Dozens of reasons why he may not be in Yankee-camp.

Cruz…hmmm, 30 year-old, hard-throwing RH relief pitcher who K’s AND walks a ton of batters, and suddenly starts having career-years when he’s in a pitcher-friendly environment.  Who have the Yankees recently signed that matches that description?  If the Yanks REALLY needed bullpen help - which despite what you read on ESPN they don’t - he may be worth getting.  But they don’t, so pass.

That pen doesn’t even include Bruney…

Cruz is essentially Jose Veras+, which makes sense since he’s two years older.  The marginal upgrade in the bullpen is almost certainly not worth the 40 man spot, the couple million it will take to sign him, and the 4th round pick.

I’d like to have a better BU-INF.  Right now, it’s between Angel Berroa and Cody Ransom.  Ick.

You know guys, there should be at least fifty more comments on this thread.  I really rely on all of you to keep me entertained over the course of the day, and you’re letting me down.  I know that you can’t always be on a streak, but a little more dedication and focus ought to get you back on track.  Right now all you guys can muster is a conversation about whether or not the Yanks should add another guy whose name is going to be a pain in the ass to spell.  Come on.  Is that how you want to be remembered?!  Is that what you guys think is real momma’s basement geek kind of commentary?!!  Now let’s get out there and talk some baseball!!!

sorry.  maybe we could get some Post Enhancing Drugs?  alcohol probably works pretty well.  maybe some HGH - Higher Gregariousness Hormone, which again, is really just alcohol. 

what you are telling us to do is go have a liquid lunch and come back and post lots of dumb shit?  b/c it IS friday….could work.

maybe we could get some Post Enhancing Drugs?  alcohol probably works pretty well.

No, not alcohol.  Like the man said, the problem is our lack of focus.  Adderol should do the trick.

You know, MC, I feel that I used to disagree with you a lot.  But now I find myself agreeing with pretty much everything you say.  Maybe we’re in some sort of new post-partisan era.

Maybe you stopped being wrong a lot?

Someone needs to invent Adderhol.  Or is that just a Red Bull and vodka?

I like pizza!

Is that how you want to be remembered?

Oh, I’m pretty sure I’m going to be remembered as captain of the Brett Gardner fan club.  *Especially* if he fails.

alcohol probably works pretty well.

Truer words have never been spoken!  Unless you are driving.  Or operating power tools.  Or performing surgery.  Um, what was my point?

Oh, I’m pretty sure I’m going to be remembered as captain of the Brett Gardner fan club

Thus far today: IF single, SB, score.  Aye-aye, cap.

alcohol probably works pretty well.

It certainly makes one more prolific.  Li-quid lunch!  Li-quid lunch!

Thus far today: IF single, SB, score.

All I have to say is, Shelly Duncan.

Brett Gardner: The next Rickey Henderson?  I’ll settle for the next Clay Bellinger.

You know, apropos “The Curse,” I remember saying when he left the Yankees that he’d been a pretty important piece of the team.  I was pooh poohed.  This was before RLYW, so the pooh-poohing took place FTF—what we used to call “face to face.”

I LOOK PRETTY SMART NOW, DON’T I???

Spring training reminder both Enrique Wilson and Tony Woemack had monster springs so color me skeptical that Gardner will not suck and I won’t mind at all being terribly wrong.

Anybody have a clue what Manny/Boras are up to?  It’ll be a crying shame if such a great hitter ends up sitting out half the season, and I’d rather not read a dozen squared stories about why the Yankees should acquire him in case we’re only a few games ahead at mid-season.

Brett Gardner: The next Rickey Henderson?  I’ll settle for the next Clay Bellinger.

I was actually doing some comparisons the other day, and I don’t think it is too far-fatched that he could become the next Brett Butler, or fairly close anyway.  Both speedy CF with little power/good discipline, both debuted at the age of 24 (w/ almost the exact same # of plate appearances), if you look at TheBaseballCube their scouting reports are very similar, both named Brett, both names end in “er”.

I think Butler is probably Gardner’s ceiling, which isn’t bad.  His floor is probably Bubba Crosby.  He’ll likely be somewhere in between, and if he is just a little closer to Butler on the scale I think most will be happy.

“Woemack”

Wömack.  Heavier than heavy.  They’ll make your eyebrows bleed until you’re blind.

“Brett Butler”

How many runs above replacement or wins or whatever was he worth/year?

Anybody have a clue what Manny/Boras are up to? 

I understand the last proposal had deferred $$‘s.  Either a lot of deferred $$‘s, or deferred over a lot of years (or both).  Boras is now probably trying to get the same contract offer but with little or no deferred money.

I’d rather not read a dozen squared stories about why the Yankees should acquire him in case we’re only a few games ahead at mid-season

Word.

“a dozen squared stories”

144 stories?

“Boras is now probably trying to get the same contract offer but with little or no deferred money”

I suppose, but the Dodgers have been bidding against themselves all along.  If they’re out, Manny will only make less. 

I have mixed feelings about Boras—on the one hand, let him make $ for his clients, on the other, I’d like to see him fall on his face. Over and over.

How many runs above replacement or wins or whatever was he worth/year?

Most years he was between 5-20 runs above an average *hitter* (not CF).  A few years a little below (a few negative at the ends of his career), and a few years a little above, topping out at about 29.  Not sure about defense, but I remember him being well-regarded anyways.

Spring training reminder both Enrique Wilson and Tony Woemack had monster springs so color me skeptical that Gardner will not suck and I won’t mind at all being terribly wrong.

What, 2 PA’s isn’t enough for you?  Well put on your scouting glasses, because he got a double in his second at-bat.  A hustle double.  With the IF single, the SB, and the fact that he just fought off the sun to catch a fly ball, you have something called grit, my friend.  And the Yanks need that in spades.

I think Butler is probably Gardner’s ceiling, which isn’t bad.  His floor is probably Bubba Crosby

Most jackassery aside, this seems a pretty good assessment.

the thing is, there was only ONE Brett Butler like….ever.

Butler is the outlier of all outliers. 

i am certainly exaggerating, but Butler was a very rare player, and i would be pretty shocked (but delighted) if we had another one sitting here.

i think Gardner is more like Dave Roberts. check out their minor league numbers.

Roberts was good for a stretch, if Gardner turned into Roberts, i think the Yankees would be overjoyed.

I have mixed feelings about Boras—on the one hand, let him make $ for his clients, on the other, I’d like to see him fall on his face. Over and over.

I agree.  Chances are, Boras will find a way to minimize the damage he (and Manny) have already done.  I guess w/o knowing how many years or how many $$‘s are deferred it is tough to judge.  E.g. if the $25M is deferred over 25 years, would Manny be better off playing for $16M somewhere?  Ask an economist.

144 stories?

That’s gross!

“a dozen squared stories”

Indirect way of saying “a gross”.

Incidentally, here’s a poem by the late lamented John M. Ford, “110 Stories”.

the thing is, there was only ONE Brett Butler like….ever.

In addition to Brett Butler the baseball player…

There was an actress named Brett Butler.  She had her own sitcom in the 90s.  Played a character named Grace and there was some kind of pun on the name in the show’s title. I saw her on an episode of “My Name is Earl” recently.  I think she played Joy’s mom.

let’s not forget Lisa Loeb and 9 Stories..

“a gross”

Ha, now I don’t look so smart after all.

i think Gardner is more like Dave Roberts. check out their minor league numbers.

Roberts was good for a stretch, if Gardner turned into Roberts, i think the Yankees would be overjoyed.

I suppose it begs the question, did Roberts hit his ceiling?  And if not was his ceiling Butler?  I mean, I don’t know.  If a player has a ceiling and didn’t hit it, was the ceiling wrong, or is there one of those “intangible” things?  E.g. maybe Roberts isn’t/wasn’t a hard-worker who maximized his talent?  I don’t know.

I agree with you that Butler was a rarity.  I guess the question is what is it about HIM that allowed him to be successful?  And does Gardner have that same unknown quality?  Looking at their #‘s and the scouting reports, there are a lot of similarities; are the differences (mainly Gardner with more K’s) enough to make Butler a quasi-star and Gardner a 5th OF?

Justin ... Leone?

The Twins radio announcers aren’t so bad.  Or maybe I’ve just been so starved for baseball that a salt cracker tastes like lobster.

mmmm, lobster.

Or maybe I’ve just been so starved for baseball that a salt cracker tastes like lobster.

Thanks Dave, now I want lobster for dinner.  Do you have any idea how busy seafood restaurants are here on a Friday night???

I’ve come up with a goal for this year.  I’m going to try to get to at least one Short Season game (Staten Island is coming to Williamsport on my birthday!), and one AA game (Trenton plays in Reading twice each year).  Who’s with me! (noting it’s like a 3 hour trip from NYC to those places)

So Brackman appears a flyball pitcher, and is prone to the longball. Anybody watched him pitch?

You know, MC, I feel that I used to disagree with you a lot.

I guess I never really noticed… what were you saying?  Where’d I put my ritalin?

But now I find myself agreeing with pretty much everything you say.  Maybe we’re in some sort of new post-partisan era.

Maybe you’re just getting smarter. 

mainly Gardner with more K’s

The strikeouts are a pretty big deal for a guy with no power, though.  Butler struck out a little more than 10% of the time.  There’s no way he manages to hit .290 for his career if he strikes out twice as much, which at this point would be pretty optimistic for Gardner, based on his minor league track record.  If you add another 500-700 outs to his career, Butler turns into a pretty terrible player who never would have had a job past 30, much less a 10,000 PA career.

Anybody watched him pitch?

Saw him pitch for NC State against UVA a couple of years ago.  He wasn’t all that effective, which isn’t too surprising considering that his elbow was probably hanging by a thread at that point.

MC, not that we had any tussles, I just had an impression that I was often on the opposite side from you in discussions.  Maybe I wasn’t very verbal (?) about it.

Although I have no doubt that smart people agree with you, I would say my progression from dumb>dumberer means you’ve got the morons with you too

Fgas:  I’m sure you’re confusing MC with Don.  That happens quite often.