“Sign Sabathia and Teixeira and I値l be happy.”

Am I the only one concerned about CC’s workload the past two years? Not to mention, he has not exactly blown anybody away in the post-season? Yeah, I know its as small sample, but its all I have to go on.  I am terrified that he would be one of the worst signings in Yankee history…

Sign Sabathia and Teixeira and I値l be happy.

Yes, and then perhaps Sabathia can accidentally trip and fall on Hank.

There’s certainly some concern there, but Sabathia seems pretty sturdy and his failure in this post season probably has more to do with pitching on 3 days rest for like 4 games in a row. I’m sure the Yankees will be thorough in their medical examination if they sign him.

Agreed.  But I want Lowe, too.

“I知 sure the Yankees will be thorough in their medical examination if they sign him.”  Good one.

Aye Mr. Rizzuto. I’m pretty excited about signing a lad thats allowed 27 hits,17 walks and 20 earned runs in his last 19 post season innings.
Whats not to love?
He’ll fit right in.
Thats a killer resume.
22 mil a year for 5 years.
20 a year for 8?
Maybe we can christian him down to 180 for 10 years.

well, OTF, Beckett looked like a pretty great postseason pitcher before this year, no?

seriously—playing “clutch or not clutch” with 19 innings is a fool’s game…

Beckett is hurt.  And by the way, the Yanks would be insane to sign two free agent pitchers.  They need bats.

By the way, Jeremy Bleich had a nice showing in Hawaii recently: 6IP 4H OR 0BB 6K.  Austin Romine is also playing well thus far.

Oscar- Thats a lotta cash.
BTW I am a fool.
I was against the Santana deal also.
Someone please hit one out.

Yo IE. Long time. You cool?

I was against the Santana deal then and still am.  Hughes is going to be good.  He’s 22 years old.  The fact that the New York media is judging this trade right now is rather imbecilic.  But that’s to be expected.

By the way, I’m good Thurm.  I follow the AFL and Hawaii Winter League far more than, you know, those other guys.

Good to hear Mr. E.
Pretty decent job by Wheeler but I think this may get a bit fugly soon.

Why did Maddon leave him in for 47 pitches?

In any case, David Wright should be able to pitch until Tampa gets a chance to face one of Boston’s scrubs.

By the way, Kazmir certainly didn’t distinguish himself in his playoff debut.  In the regular season, Boston usually can’t touch him - even in Fenway.  If the Rays lose, it’s on him.

The top of the Rays rotation next year is going to look quite good with Kazmir, Price, Shields and Garza.

RE-14 Torreism.
The Price was certainly right during that inning.
I wanna go to sleep.
Throw some Cuban voodoo down and make the Rays win IE.

No Cuban voodoo will be necessary OTF.  Mike Timlin is on, after all.

funny way to bunt but ok.

Done.  I’ll take my payment in beer OTF.

F u Nancy. Rays win. Timlin has become the Hawk of Boston.
Take care IE. Good call.

Get yer ass up here. New Scottish style ale I’m enamored with.
You’ll love it. From friggin Colorado of all places.

Imagine if we end up with a rotation of

CC, Wang, Peavy, Vazquez

that would be the worest playoff rotation, EVER (even non-clutch believers wouldn’t feel too comfortable with this rotation lol)

On a unrelated note, Nady would be our best sell high candidate

I would rather hit myself in a face with a shovel than welcome Javier “I’m a bigger head case than Kyle Farnsworth” Vazquez back.

Beyond his dubious small-sample playoff record, didn’t he have a substantial good-but-not-great regular season record until the last 2 years?  And a huge workload?  And the kind of big body that doesn’t handle that workload so well?  I think it’s a disaster waiting to happen.

And I, too, am still glad the NYY didn’t make the Santana move.

And the most salient point made here, IMHO, is that the team needs real, serious, dependable (to the extent that’s philosophically possible) hitting.  Without moves being made, it’s a lot harder to see where the hittings going to come from than where the pitching will, or at least could, come from.

And the kind of big body that doesn稚 handle that workload so well?

what are you basing this on?

Yup, without digging for evidence - didn’t lots of people think Joba was a questionable draft pick because, among other things, his size/weight/build made him prone to break down?

No, he was a questionable draft pick because of his arm problems (tricep issues i believe) and he was good but not Joba good when he was picked. The Yankees added 2-3 mph to his fastball in under a year. The weight was an issue, but there doesn’t seem to be any hard evidence that being overweight is that bad for a pitcher beyond tradition.

The injury was the “among other things.”  And, as you point out, CH, the weight was an issue, and the size, and it’s not the first time such issues have been raised, so I wonder whether there is any evidence to back this up.  Has any work been done on that?

Weight and size as an issue Pete..
It never seemed to be a problem for guys like Lolich and Wells. They seemed to deal with it if not revel in it while covering themselves with gravy.
Sid Fernandez on the other hand was blessed with a great arm and even better stuff but never seemed to live up to his ability.
Fernando Val is another one that should be considered in this conversation.
Including CC its kinda strange that all these lads are southpaws. That may require SG to put that Kray to work.
Honestly looking at the numbers Sid and Fernando ended up with better stats than I thought. Interesting.

“well, OTF, Beckett looked like a pretty great postseason pitcher before this year, no?”

Yeah, 72 innings, 1.7 ERA… in exactly two post-seasons.

As opposed to CC who has been in the post-season twice before this year as well, with 21 innings and a 7.1 ERA.

Again, small samples, but lets not compare these two.  CC has not distinguished himself at all, while Beckett has.  And CC wasn’t throwing on 3 days rest in those other post-seasons.

I’ll be happy if the Yankees stop these [exorbitant] FA signings, and start making smart trades, such that built the 1996-2001 team as an example. And build from within as well.

No every-five-day-player is worth what CC will get, IMHO.

The problem is , those smart trades was the root of the big FA signings, because they drained the Yankees of younger talents.

your going to have to put together a team somehow, with the Yankee advantage in finance, FA is theorically a better weapon then trade.

I値l be happy if the Yankees stop these [exorbitant] FA signings, and start making smart trades, such that built the 1996-2001 team as an example. And build from within as well.

i’d also like to see some smart trades, but i am not sure that same environment in which those trades were made really exists anymore. 

those trades weren’t “smart”, they were absurdly one-sided heists.  teams are just too smart now for that to happen again.

Cone, Tino/Nelson/Mecir, O’Neill, Fielder, Raines, Brosius, Knoblaugh ...

the Yankees basically put together a good chunk of their team without giving up ANYTHING of value.  could that really happen today?

and start making smart trades, such that built the 1996-2001 team as an example.

What a lot of people seem to forget, is that the only reason the 1996-2001 teams were built that way, was because of two things.  1) Big Boss was suspended, allowing Gene Micahel to do his work in peace and 2) The Yankees REALLY sucked 1990-1992.  This allowed (what was at the time) small trades for players like O’Neill, small signings like Wade Boggs, and time for players like Bernie to grow into roles.  No one was looking at holes that *must* be filled, because no one was expecting the Yankees to compete, until AFTER they had a respectable 1993 season.

It’s a lot harder to stay on top by doing the kinds of moves the Yankees did then.  Either they’re going to have to accept a few seasons w/o playoffs, or they’re going to need to sign a few FA.  The signings have to be smart of course - not the old Boss, “throw enough money at the problem and it will be fixed”, method - but really it’s either going to be fix the holes through FA, or spend a few years rebuilding from within.

I’d say in the case of Mike Lowell the Yanks traded something of value.

Sign Lowe!

He eats innings!  We need inning eaters.

I壇 say in the case of Mike Lowell the Yanks traded something of value.

sure, but that’s not really relevant to the discussion, since none of the players they got in return were part of the teams Don was referencing. 

2) The Yankees REALLY sucked 1990-1992.  This allowed (what was at the time) small trades for players like O誰eill, small signings like Wade Boggs, and time for players like Bernie to grow into roles.

not to mention that the Yankees had the SIXTH pick when they took Jeter.

I値l be happy if the Yankees stop these [exorbitant] FA signings, and start making smart trades, such that built the 1996-2001 team as an example. And build from within as well.

Wouldn’t you kind of say that they made a bunch of small and risky trades that just happen to pay off?

Not for nothing but most of the mid late 90 trades were because they were viewed as salary or personality or health headaches for their team.