where’s giambi?  these games are kind of important.

You know…I feel like the A’s got reamed on that Harden deal.

Actually…I’m certain they did. I’m actually really upset the Yankees couldn’t have found a way to match that deal.

I mean…seriously, Josh Donaldson is nothing, Eric Patterson might be a decent 2B, Matt Murton is an avg OF at best, Sean Gallagher is a good not great pitching prospect.

What an awful awful awful trade. I can’t deal with this.

Just reading this now. Shit. Harden would have looked nice in pinstripes.

Unless he’s injured, of course.

Why is everyone trading before the All-Star break?

On paper, this game does not look good for the Yanks.

Wow, that trade is ridiculous. Did Hendry drug and beat Beane? Rope to the jewels Casino Royale style?

“Rope to the jewels Casino Royale style?”

I woke up to that scene this morning.

I don’t understand the As or Beane.  Was cash exchanged as well, perhaps that’s it?

Why make that trade?  The A’s are one small hot streak away from winning the division.  At least wait until later in July.

I woke up to that scene this morning.

someone torturing you with a knotted rope? or just playing on a nearby media device? Either way not exactly the most pleasant way to begin your day.

What Yankee package would this be equivalent to?  Would Kennnedy, McCutchen, and Gardner got it done?

27 Pitches, 27 outs.

drat

Would Kennnedy, McCutchen, and Gardner got it done?

If so, that may be a pass from where I’m sitting.

Melky leading off.  Eh.

Ok, so that dude definitely took a bat to the face. But he also had the presence of mind to make sure he had a firm grip on it so that the fat dude in front of him didn’t get it.

j, yeah, I rewound that. He grabbed the bat with his right hand and then grabbed his face with the left.

Wow, WOE is just fodder for Kazmir huh?  Last perfect game at the old Yankee Stadium, perhaps?

Worth it?  Including the camera time, definitely?

At least I have Kazmir on my fantasy team.

Man kazmir looked good.

I’m sure the October air will do wonders for Harden’s injury prone body come postseason.

RE: Harden… [profanity-laced tirade] So much for my AL-only keeper league bargain of the year.

Re tonight, I never thought I’d say this, but go Yankees! My unfounded hunch: the Rays are flying a little too close to the sun these days. It’s barely July.

Well, I have Longoria on my team and will be rooting for him to go 0-4 tonight.

Yeah Harden if, and this is a big if, he’s healthy, for that deal, is a steal.

And I’ve of the opinion that certain players aren’t as injury prone as people would have us believe, so I say that’s a steal.

so now all we have to do is pass either TB or Boston and hope that the twins fade away.  doable.

flying a little too close to the sun

... on wings of pastrami?

Seinfeld quotes never get old.

At least make Kazmir work.

Wow that ball just took off. These guys are swinging early and Pettite is making good pitches.

well pettitte is certainly gonna have a low pitch count if this keeps up

flying a little too close to the sun

... on wings of pastrami?

Yeah, that’s what ya did.

At least I have Kazmir on my fantasy team.

I have him and Lincecum. They usually pitch on the same day. Those are usually good days for me.

You know what I don’t miss - Bernie Williams’ centerfield defense.

Well, I have Longoria on my team and will be rooting for him to go 0-4 tonight.

Priorities:
1. Sawx
2. my pitchers
3. my hitters
4. Whoever the Yanks are playing (temporarily suspended in favor of a whoever the Rays are playing policy, which I expect to rescind in a week or two)

Is it just me or does Ken Singleton seem like a really nice guy?

Over/under on Kazmir’s K’s tonight: 10.5

I’m taking the over.

Ugh, this is aggravating.

What’s Bonds’ phone number?

Just perusing the Yankees lineup tonight and this has no-hitter written all over it.

To put those soon to be ex-Cubs in Yankee terms, I’d say Murton is ~white Karim Garcia, Gallagher is poor man’s Andy Pettitte (current, not vintage edition).

Is it just me or does Ken Singleton seem like a really nice guy?

Not just you, he seems like a REALLY nice guy.

Perhaps a no-no and 21 strikeouts…..

Just perusing the Yankees lineup tonight and this has no-hitter written all over it.

And maybe 20 Ks.

The best thing going for the Yanks is that Kazmir tends not to last long.

42. So as a Harden owner, I’m getting first dibs on a four-headed blob of nothing? Seriously, since it’s a keeper league, is there any value coming back?

Hah, Jonathan.

I hear you SSF, I found myself scoreboard watching the Rays game last night…

Not that much, SSF. Sorry, man.

Oh god damn it..

Can you imagine what is going through Pettitte’s head? “Okay, so I’m going to have to pitch a shutout? Fuck.”

Wow, I guess when your team sucks against mediocre pitching its only logical that they’ll be mowed down by a great pitcher.

This is going well.

man the mets sure got the best out of the victor zambrano kazmir trade…

I’m sure Gallagher will tear up the Yanks if we see the A’s again this year.

Not that much, SSF. Sorry, man.

Thanks Brian.

At least Kazmir is throwing some off speed pitches last time he did this just fastballs. I’m taking solace in that.

This is starting to remind me of the time I predicted the three-hit shutout for Roy Halladay on the day I left him out of my fantasy lineup.

All these strikeouts are really getting Kazmir’s pitch count up.  Good job boys.

Wow.

Time to think about Posada getting that surgery now instead of end of season.

I wonder what the Yankees record is when it’s Singleton/Flaherty. I think it’s not so good.

“Andy was really upset with himself, almost embarrassed, after the game against Boston.”

Right, Suzyn, because he was embarrassing!

Pull Betemit, put Giambi in.

Nice play Robinson, now go strike out.

Nice inning.

Now murderer’s row - Cano/Molina/Gardner!

I bet Cano gets a hit, Molina GIDP, Gardner strikes out after 7 pitches.

Prediction: Gardner breaks up the no-no….eventually.

This may be the baseball equivalent of “put a giant fat guy” in the goalie box or “punt the ball on a diagonal out of bounds”, but against a guy like Kazmir, couldn’t you strategize for every player in the lineup to hit as many foul balls as possible?  Is this something that MLB hitters could execute?  You could get him to 100 pitches in the 4th inning.

So four AAA hitters, two guys who are having season long slumps, a guy who hasn’t been able to hit lefties since forever, a good hitter and the best player in the game. I’m tempted to root for history, they don’t stand much of a chance anyway.

Hot Robbie > Kazmir

Sweet.

Wow, nicely done Robinson. In the second half, he’s probably one of the five best players in baseball. Too bad he’s so unbelievably terrible in the first half.

“Is this something that MLB hitters could execute?”

No, otherwise they would do it.

great, now the Yankees are going to lose and nothing interesting will happen.

Actually, in retrospect, it was lame of me to go for the joke earlier re: Murderer’s Row, because Cano IS hot now. Apologies!

Someone made this point earlier, but I think Cano often runs hot when the team is cold and cold when the team is hot.  My theory is that he’s the most ‘natural’ hitter on the team, in the sense of “see the ball, hit the ball.” 

I have absolutely no statistics or evidence to back this up, and for all I know he spends 75 hours a week watching film of upcoming pitchers.

Molina making him work. Go, Molino!

Hell, I’d be fine with a bunt by Molina.

WOW!!! Don’t I feel foolish?

Wait, what? Did April Molina just hit a double?

Don’t understand what just happened.

No, otherwise they would do it.

Perhaps, but I don’t agree with the idea that all optimal strategies are already implemented.

Wwwwwow.

My theory is that he’s the most ‘natural’ hitter on the team, in the sense of “see the ball, hit the ball.”

So the problem was he couldn’t see for 2 1/2 months?

Keep the reverse jinx’s coming people..

the universe has become unbalanced!

You know, Kazmir would make a great setup guy. He obviously loses something after the first two innings, and if the Rays want to make a push, they need a shut down eighth inning guy.

Nate, that was my theory and I believe it was statistically discredited on this site.  I’ve become a little suspicious of it because it seems to conform to the ‘air-headed Caribbean ballplayer’ stereotype.  But maybe there’s something we’re missing.

Does Kazmir throw much over 91-92 mph? I read all this stuff about Phil Hughes and how he doesn’t throw like 95 mph regularly, and therefore won’t be a good pitcher, ever.

Kazmir handled that at-bat the way Paps should have handled Gardner Sunday night.

Yeah, they ain’t scoring here.

“I don’t agree with the idea that all optimal strategies are already implemented”

Hitting a baseball is a skill, not a strategy.  Not trying to be snide, but imagine the strategy was “every batter get a hit.”  It’s just as impossible to foul off balls at will.

Gardner swings like I do in whiffle ball.

Hit the ball. That’s all you need to do here jackass.

fgasparini… wouldn’t hitting a ball foul be somewhat equivalent to hitting it fair?  MLB players implement that strategy fairly successfully.

Strikeout pitchers amaze me.

The way they can just almost MAKE the hitters miss - it’s just so impressive.

“It’s just as impossible to foul off balls at will.”

Unless you’re Rickey Henderson in his prime.

Melky isn’t good. I mean, that ball was no where near him, much less the strike zone.

Fuck you

OMFG.  The Yankees are going to get nothing.

Haha, the Yankees have as much a shot of scoring with no men on as they do with a man on third.

Think Jeter will get any shit if he makes out here?

I say…..................nope.

Melky’s swing from the right side is definitely fucked up. He lifts his back foot up and it slides away from him. I’ve had this problem before.. it’s tough to correct, but you can’t hit the ball with any authority when you do that.