Hmm, is this ticket giveaway due to the fact the RLYW may lose readers due to the Yankee’s sucktitude?  We haven’t reached that point, have we?

Pretty sure I know this answer offhand, but I’m not eligible so good luck to all.

I think we are the kind of fans who feel the need of reading RLYW when the situation is adverse, but I could be wrong.

it’s a credit to SG, et al. that this is one of the few sites i can actually stand when things are going poorly.

Yeah, this site and RAB are the only 2 Yankee fan sites I’m reading nowadays.  Abraham for useful updates and SWB blog for AAA-related stuff.  My productivity at work has gone way up lately - so I guess I should be happy about the Yanks tanking! 

I’ll definitely keep coming here through thick and thin, where else would I find really long tables with lots and lots of numbers?

I run a Yankee blog and this is the only Yankee site I can deal with anymore. That is including my own blog. Sad, but true.

Apparently Oakland’s 3b is named C. Pennington.  That really threw me for a loop for a second.

I’m kind of looking forward to a September of careless baseball watching.
Watching good films and reading books I don’t have time for may be a good thing.

Fuck that. 40 games left lads.  We still have time. Its a quarter of a season. There is still time.
Confession time.
Father forgive me for I have been wrong.
Cano and Cennedi are delicate wee bitches and I’m finished with the two of them.
These are lads I’ve loved since the begining of said careers. Robby even more than Ian.
I was very warlike in attacking Chucksax RE- Robby back in the spring.
Chuck… mea effin culpa. I   would love to smack the effin crap outta RC, the grinning slacker.
Had enough.
Ian. I was Defending him like a parent at a rape trial.
Done with that too. Christ I’m in a bitter effin mood.
Melky- sellin used Kias in 6 months.
Sorry lads. I’m jusy pissed off.
Oh yeah. Marte Heredia the Kyle Gordon. I hope his urine burns. Like Magnesium.

beginning.

just.

Watching good films and reading books

sounds like my September. Although mine will be painfully stressed. As I’ll be reading for my History major and watching films for my Film major.

teh Yankees are teh suck

Hi, my name is Don, and I’m a Yankees fan. Help me.

I’m still holding out hope.

Five out (or more) at Labor Day, and then I’ll basically write ‘em off.

There’s a lot of baseball left before Labor Day, though.

This season is turning into the biggest nightmare since 2004.  You have Bahston, The Mutts, and now the Dodgers all looking like they’re going to the playoffs (damn AAAA National League- such BS).  That damned Mr. Torre I really can’t stand, as well as his minions in the press (I’m looking at you fat Francesser).  What makes it worse is that Girardi has been underwhelming as Manager- I figured he’d look at stats and use logic occationally but apparently he doesn’t as evidenced by, among other things, leading off Brett Gardner and Christian. 

In addition to the on-field problems with the Yankees, the off-field issues remain a complete disaster.  We still have the worst, most biased radio announcers in all of baseball and are now facing the full onslaught of the Met propaganda machine known as WFAN.  Why the Yankees don’t ditch WCBC for ESPN and have them hire a bunch of Yankee fans to work for them I don’t know.  But I’m tired of all the talk centering around JV and the decline of The Yanks.  Mike and Mke need to go- put Kellerman on in the AM.

I am not mad at girardi. He makes some bonehead moves but he has made some good ones too. I don’t think torre would be doing much better with this team…probably worse and believe it or not we would have more injuries especially in the pen.

Our radio announcers are biased but definitely not the worst (maybe waldman). You should probably listen to a few tampa bay or miluakee games on the radio. The yanks look terrible right now but they are not as bad as they have been on this road trip. I am still confident that these next couple of series against KC toronto and baltimore can get us back in this thing. I said before the angels series we need atleast 9-6 through the next 15. Well, 8-1 it will have to be. I hope they take a long time and clear their heads with this day off.

Even if they don’t make it…quit whining it makes us (yankee fans) look bad. We have been in the playoffs since 1995. There is no doubt that not making the playoffs is embarassing with the highest payroll in baseball but lets take it in stride they cannot take the 26 rings away from us.

This team is not hungry…they need the eye of the tiger (cue training montage)

[14]
In addition to the on-field problems with the Yankees, the off-field issues remain a complete disaster.  We still have the worst, most biased radio announcers in all of baseball

What?  When Hawk Harrelson join the Yankee broadcast booth?

i gotta say..the banner ad for Reyn’s really pisses me off. Some douchebag in the ugliest shirt available. Not to mention it is a BloSox shirt.

Send a check and we’ll take down the ads.

Well, 8-1 it will have to be.

Certainly doable.  And if course if it happens, suddenly things won’t look so bad, as they’ll probably only be 3 or 4 behind Boston with I think six games left against them.  At the same time, yeah, these next nine games are crucial.  Even 5-4 I think won’t be good enough.  6-3 is a MINIMUM.

Even if they don’t make it…quit whining it makes us (yankee fans) look bad.

YES.  This isn’t the NBA or NHL where if you fail to make the playoffs the season is a complete failure.  Even if you are the Yankees.  Sure, it will be disappointing - especially if the Mets make it since my brother and best-friend are Mets fans - but they’re in a tough division.  Heck, it may even do some good; players like ARod, Jeter, Posada, etc. may feel some extra motivation.

“Send a check and we’ll take down the ads.”

I’m not saying take it down, I am just saying that this is supposed to be a Yankees Blog and your advertising ridiculous blosox shirts on it. In a way it makes sense…sell the ugly shirts so boston fans look even stupider than they already do.

But seriously, does adsense let you select which ads appear?

no one’s going anywhere…

But seriously, does adsense let you select which ads appear?

No.  When people bitch and moan about the Red Sox all the time instead of talking about the Yankees, then we get Red Sox-related ads.  Tell people to shut up about the Red Sox and those ads will go away, but some people would rather piss and moan about other teams than talk about their own team for whatever reason.

“Tell people to shut up about the Red Sox and those ads will go away”

Shut the fuck up about the red sox!! I guess my mentioning of that team kinda hurts the cause though. Those guys at google are smart cookies.

So if I keep talking about eastern european mail order brides those ads will start to appear?

So if I keep talking about eastern european mail order brides those ads will start to appear?

If that’s the case, I’ll have to start babbling about the US Men’s swim team.

So if I keep talking about eastern european mail order brides those ads will start to appear?

You might need a few partners in crime to help out on that one.

God I hate that Jessica Biel, Jessica Biel, Jessica Biel, Jessica Biel…

God I hate that Jessica Biel, Jessica Biel, Jessica Biel, Jessica Biel…

You know, you don’t actually have to speak negatively about the subject to trigger the ads. It’s not like Google goes out their way to piss people off.

Yankees.  Yankees.  Yankees.
Yankees.  Yankees.  Yankees.
Yankees.  Yankees.  Yankees.
Yankees.  Yankees.  Yankees.
Yankees.  Yankees.  Yankees.
Yankees.  Yankees.  Yankees.

Eva Mendes.  Eva Mendes.  Eva Mendes.
Eva Mendes.  Eva Mendes.  Eva Mendes.
Eva Mendes.  Eva Mendes.  Eva Mendes.
Eva Mendes.  Eva Mendes.  Eva Mendes.
Eva Mendes.  Eva Mendes.  Eva Mendes.
Eva Mendes.  Eva Mendes.  Eva Mendes.

So if I keep talking about eastern european mail order brides those ads will start to appear?

If that’s the case, I’ll have to start babbling about the US Men’s swim team.

Would this create some sort of add for eastern European mail order swimming teams?

I suggest we delve into this.

I’m not seeing any ads for Eastern European mail order swimming teams, Eva Mendes, or anything else remotely exciting.  All I get are some Sharp ads, one for Mercy College, and some sort of baseball memorabilia dealer.  I’m sad :(

It’s not like Google goes out their way to piss people off.

That’s what you think.

SG,

As always - interesting analysis.  However, I’m not sure you can draw strong inferences about his team’s offense with respect to the teams awful play based on context independent analysis, such as RSAA.

Context independent analysis for this particular team underestimates how poorly the offense has performed.  Perhaps the biggest problem with this team’s production is how they’ve performed in terms of hitting with RISP and situational baseball.  How many times have they not done simple things like scoring a runner from third base with less than 2 outs?  That’s what’s killed them.

You hope a team is more than the sum of its parts. This team is the opposite - it’s a lot less as a whole then the addition of its parts.  Been that way the whole season.

The normal inferences one can draw from context independent statistics to the team’s overall level of play is very limited given the strange gap between their overall offensive statistics and their situational production. 

Giambi is emblematic of this.  He’s got a .915 OPS this season but hasn’t been nearly as productive as you’d expect a .915 OPS player to be.  No way his presence has been felt to that degree.  That’s because he’s been a poor player in the context of the 2008 yankees offense.  ARod as well.

I’m not trying to dig up an argument about whether players are “clutch.”  It’s an empirical argument.  You wouldn’t expect Giambi to be hitting .212 with RISP and ARod .234 - but they are.  I know you did that analysis of the team taking into respect their BA with RISP the other day.  Analytically, I think that’s the more valid approach towards understanding this team and its failures.

There shouldn’t be such an anomalous failure of situational hitting with this team - but it’s empirically there.  IMO that’s a major root cause of their failure this season, both overall and since that 8 game streak.

The pitching has been horrendous recently.  But the offense has been far worse than they appear from those context independent stats.

Fair point snowshoe.  Their ‘Clutch’ score using the definition I used in this entry over this stretch is -10.1, which means the offense has been ten runs worse than their context-independent stats show if you look at their performance with runners in scoring position and their HRs with runners on base.

And the pitching has an excuse, seeing as our top 2 starters are hurt and our projected bottom 2 are either recovering or completely ineffective. We’re depending on Sidney Ponson for goodness sake.

Although missing a healthy posada and matsui has turned a loaded lineup into a lineup where pitchers salivate before facing our bottom 4.

SG,

-10.1 from the clutch score added to the 8.9 from your context independent stats comes closer to the truth.  Your original point still stands - the poor pitching swamps the poor hitting.  But over a short period of games since that 8 game stretch distributional issues are obviously a big factor.  Ponson gives up 9 runs in one game and then 4 runs the next two the yankees are very happy with his performance.

And for the reason’s you pointed out there’s real limitation on how valid that “clutch” statistic is.  For example, it doesn’t factor in scoring runs on outs from third with less than two outs.  That’s been perhaps the most frustrating part of this offense.  So even the -10.1 underestimates the context dependent failure of this team.

Again - in no way a knock on your work.  Just an observation - this team has not only underperformed, but underperformed in such a strange way that it really is an analytic challenge to understand.

“Although missing a healthy posada and matsui has turned a loaded lineup into a lineup where pitchers salivate before facing our bottom 4.”

I am not sure [Kim Kardashian]pitchers are salivating at pudge (maybe pudge but not really) and nady [Kim Kardashian] those two being out is not an excuse IMO [Kim Kardashian]. Pitchers salivate at our bottom four because cano melky betemit sexson etc.. suck [Kim Kardashian][Kim Kardashian][Kim Kardashian][Kim Kardashian][Kim Kardashian][Kim Kardashian]

Ew, no Kim Kardashian.  At least try for like Angelina Jolie or something.

Well[Scarlett Johansson] with Matsui[Scarlett Johansson] and Posada you can stick Matsui in LF, Damon in CF[Scarlett Johansson] Nady in RF, Posada at C, Abreu at DH, Giambi at 1st, and[Scarlett Johansson][Scarlett Johansson][Scarlett Johansson] the only one who sucks is Melky(and Cano this year[Scarlett Johansson][Scarlett Johansson]).

Defensively that sucks, but I honestly don’t care about our defense anymore.

[Scarlett Johansson][Scarlett Johansson][Scarlett Johansson][Scarlett Johansson][Scarlett Johansson][Scarlett Johansson][Scarlett Johansson][Scarlett Johansson]

And because of all the [Scarlett Johansson][Scarlett Johansson][Scarlett Johansson] I realized Melky would not be playing after I submitted that.

Damon CF
Jeter SS
Giambi 1B
Arod   3B
Nady   RF
Posada C
Matsui LF
Abreu DH
Cano   2B

I miss having a lineup that looks like that.

Just an observation - this team has not only underperformed, but underperformed in such a strange way that it really is an analytic challenge to understand.

Wow, truer words have never been written.
Its not that there isn’t enough time to come back right now, but before this mini-collapse, the Yankees did not have to depend on other teams failing.  Right now, the at least one of the teams in front of them for the WC will need to falter just a bit in addition to the Yankees making a run.
The problem is, the way they are playing, its hard to imagine them running off two wins in a row, let alone 6 or 7.

boobs.

39: After all the [Scarlett Johannson], I’d expected your lineup to be:

Scarlett Johannson
Scarlett Johannson
Scarlett Johannson
Scarlett Johannson
Scarlett Johannson
Scarlett Johannson
Scarlett Johannson
Scarlett Johannson
Scarlett Johannson

P Charlize Theron

That would be nice to be able to do. I am just saying that the loss of po and matsui is not what has doomed this team so far. Jolie is getting too old and [Kim Kardashian] has a lotta junk in the trunk. No human being should react with an ew to [Kim Kardashian]...unless you like men.

I do second the [Scarlett Johansson][Scarlett Johansson][Scarlett Johansson][Scarlett Johansson][Scarlett Johansson][Scarlett Johansson][Scarlett Johansson][Scarlett Johansson]  though…

No human being should react with an ew to [Kim Kardashian]...unless you like men.

Hah!

Kim Kardashian is way too Paris Hilton-y.

bacon. megan fox. mo’s new york grill. bacon. wes montgomery. gary sheffield. arrested development. butts. bacon. vida guerra. olivia munn. gibson l-5. deep fried bacon. mike mussina. fried twinkie wrapped in bacon. churrascaria. The Joker. sandy koufax. kfc, except instead of breading use bacon, and then put the breading on. cast iron pans. puggles. telecaster. tila tequila roasting on a spit. jesus.

I’m sort of confused as to how the “clutch” stat you’ve been using is in units of runs.  I understand how the linear weights translates hitting events into run values, but the clutch stat seems to just give an arbitrary number.  Is it sort of like the fact that “OBP * total bases = runs” sort of accidently works pretty well in the regimes that we’re talking about?  Maybe I’m just more confused than normal.

EELZ, drugs are bad.

Bacon is good, though.

[Michael Phelps][Aaron Peirsol][James Blake][Roger Federer][Chase Utley][Mike Mussina][Mike Mussina][Mike Mussina][Mariano][bacon]

No human being should react with an ew to [Kim Kardashian]...unless you like men.

The 4’5 bitch who blew Brandy’s brother? You’re not serious are you? That’s gross. All yours champ.

Sign me up for some more Megan Fox.

<i>vida guerra.</i.

Oh yeah, she’s super freaking hot. Thank God for Youtube or I never would have seen her.

i dont care how tall she is…you dont think megan fox is blowing everyone? she might not be but scarlett johanson certainly is.

Vida vida vida vida

talk about making a cowboy pop up

we should have a celeb porn site on the banner in no time

Youse are too funny.

well this thread has taken an unexpected turn

well this thread has taken an unexpected turn

Well, it’s still about pitching and catching, as it were….

Oh, Keeley Hazell is another chick I found out about because of the internet. I am most definitely a fan of hers. Dirty British whore that she is.

Amber Heard who plays the 18 year old in Pineapple Express is apparently not 18 and very hot.

its kinda sad (and telling) that i saw pineapple express the other day and cannot remember what that girl looks like…

anybody have an opinion on us gymnast who messed it all up alicia somethingoranother…I think she is pretty hot and was very relieved to learn she is 20

Alicia Sacramone.  She scares the crap out of me.

I’m sort of confused as to how the “clutch” stat you’ve been using is in units of runs.  I understand how the linear weights translates hitting events into run values, but the clutch stat seems to just give an arbitrary number.  Is it sort of like the fact that “OBP * total bases = runs” sort of accidently works pretty well in the regimes that we’re talking about?  Maybe I’m just more confused than normal.

At the risk of ruining our potential banner ads…

I think James just played around with numbers until he found a formula that worked.  The formula looks fancy, but it’s actually pretty basic.  It compares what a player actually did with RISP and ROB to what they should have done given their opportunities.  So if a player hits .300 overall and comes up with 100 runners in scoring position, in theory he should have gotten 30 hits.  I think the assumption is that each hit with a RISP is worth one run.  If he got 27 hits instead, that means his .300 overall average belies his actual production with RISP, and he is 3 hits (each worth one run) worse.  The HR with ROB works the same way.

I don’t know if it’s really a 1-1 system with runs or not, but it seems reasonably close I guess.

This isn’t necessarily the best system, and I don’t intend to come off like it is.  The only reason I mentioned it in the first place was that I noticed it was already being calculated over at the Hardball Times and when I took it through the 2008 Yankees on a team level it showed what I would have expected it to show.

[Scarlett Johansson] [Scarlett Johansson] [Scarlett Johansson] [Scarlett Johansson] [Scarlett Johansson] [Scarlett Johansson] [Scarlett Johansson] [Scarlett Johansson]

What was I saying again? Oh yeah ...

[Scarlett Johansson] [Scarlett Johansson] [Scarlett Johansson] [Scarlett Johansson]

Anyway, I am going to YS to watch the game on Saturday. Can anybody tell me if Yankees have any restrictions on bringing DSLRs and lenses in the stadium?

Although, with Snacks Pontoon probably starting, bringing a camera may be a bad idea for humanity.

[Scarlett Johansson] [Scarlett Johansson] [Scarlett Johansson] [Scarlett Johansson]

My ideal lineup:

Lesbian Pornography CF
Lesbian Pornography 2b
Lesbian Pornography 1b
Lesbian Pornography DH
Lesbian Pornography LF
Lesbian Pornography 3b
Lesbian Pornography RF
Lesbian Pornography C
Lesbian Pornography SS

While I’m at it, here’s the rest of the roster:

Bench:
Lesbian Pornography IF
Lesbian Pornography OF/DH
Lesbian Pornography OF/PR
Lesbian Pornography C

Pitching Staff
Lesbian Pornography SP
Lesbian Pornography SP
Lesbian Pornography SP
Lesbian Pornography SP
Lesbian Pornography SP
Lesbian Pornography RP
Lesbian Pornography RP
Lesbian Pornography RP
Lesbian Pornography RP
Lesbian Pornography RP
Lesbian Pornography RP
Lesbian Pornography RP

Tomorrow:  The 40-Man!

You people (Frog, I’m lookin’ at you) are working very hard to get this site blocked at my work.

Ha yeah I was going to say we better stop before people get this site blocked. However this is my second to last day at my internship so…

Frog didn’t you forget your closer?

LittleLeague Sodomy CP

I think the assumption is that each hit with a RISP is worth one run.

Okay, that’s what I was missing.  I guess that’s a reasonable approximation, although I would probably put it a little higher than one.  I figure for each time you don’t score someone from second on a hit (infield single, single too hard at an outfielder, or hit at someone other than Damon) there are going to be more times where there’s two runners in scoring position in a single at-bat.  Well, maybe not, maybe they cancel.  The HR one should definitely be higher though.

Thanks for the explanation.

I think it’s cute that you’re so obsessed with me, d.

Okay, that’s what I was missing.  I guess that’s a reasonable approximation, although I would probably put it a little higher than one.

That was my first thought, then I remembered that this is sort of ‘extra credit’.  The hitter is already getting credit in linear weights for their hits and homers, so this is above and beyond that.  The average linear weights value of a HR is 1.4, so this formula says a HR with runners on base is worth 2.4.  I’d guess that’s pretty close to the the truth, I think most non-solo HRs are 2 run HRs.

i gotta admit i love to hate you frog

your the blosox to my yankees on a more serious note…

Jessica Biel Jessica BielJessica BielJessica BielJessica BielJessica BielJessica BielJessica BielJessica Biel

Now this is how to spend an off day! [Jessica Rabbit]

Conkles, I think I love you.

oh dear…I knew the cartoon barrier would get broken on this blog. This is when I tag out.

Conkles, I think I love you.

But I wanna know for sure.

Patience, grasshopper.

Patience, grasshopper.

Our references got mixed somewhere.

Wow.  Just wow.  As I normally do when I come to this site, I go to the bottom of the comments and scroll up until I find the last post I made/read.  I saw all of the [Scarlett Johansson] and what-not, and thought you guys had gone all gone bonkers.  Actually, even though I understand the point now, I still think that.  But, when in Rome..

Jessica Alba, Jessica Alba, Jessica Alba…

Let’s just backtrack for a second.  You thought we had gone bonkers after you read this thread?  You mean this was your first clue?!

One shitty road trip and we have all lost our minds…except SG he’s still on point. Curiously enough I believe all the [Vida Guerra] [Jessica Simpson] [Beyonce] has had the opposite effect. There is a Carl Edwards ad on top now

Scarlett’s getting a real laugh when I logged on, seeing her name mentioned so much. She says Hi! to all of you.

Hi, Scarlett.

You’re mom’s name is Scarlett?

damn grammer. Your mom’s name is Scarlett?

damn spelling. your mom’s name is scarlett?

/triple post apology

/triple post apology

/Triple cast apology

You thought we had gone bonkers after you read this thread?  You mean this was your first clue?!

I like to think the best of people

Wasn’t Cutter second cousins with Scarlett Johannson, or something?

Back on (sort of) topic—I had to live with Larry for 20 years— I think that should get me the tickets by default (Plus Sunday’s my birthday)

Plus I never understand a damn thing he says to me on the phone when he’s talking about baseball.

Antonio Bandaras Antonio Bandaras Antonio Bandaras Antonio Bandaras Antonio Bandaras Antonio Bandaras Antonio Bandaras Antonio Bandaras Antonio Bandaras

Amazing how a comment expressing my dislike of the blosox shirt snowballed into this farce of a discussion.

Amazing how a comment expressing my dislike of the blosox shirt snowballed into this farce of a discussion.

Let this be a lesson to you, young man: always think of the consequences before you say or do something.  I hope you have been suitably shamed.

[Chase Utley][Chase Utley][Chase Utley][Chase Utley][Chase Utley]

what are the odds hughes makes his MLB redebut within a week? I hope they let him so I can have something to look forward to other than gidps and ineffectiveness with runners on 3rd with less than 2 outs.

Does anyone know where we rank with runners on 3rd and less than 2 down? I figure it is way down there but I would like to see where we stack up.

This is certainly a departure from the normal off-day schedule.

Abraham says Hughes may be the started called up to take Giese’s spot if he’s unable to go. I doubt it though.

I have beef with abraham. I appreciate his updates (even though they are part of his job) but lately he has been pissing me off. When the team is winning everything is “we” and “our” yankees and nowadays we get “Your team is in trouble.”

This is certainly a departure from the normal off-day schedule.

And thank your favorite deity for that.  Usually it’s carnage on the off-days, man!

I don’t think Hughes is ready yet.  But who would they bring up?  I guess IPK might get another shot if Giese goes on the DL…Or maybe Chase Wright?

Abraham says Hughes may be the started called up to take Giese’s spot if he’s unable to go. I doubt it though.

OTOH, Hughes is scheduled to pitch for SWB on Sunday (courtesy of Chad Jennings).  I imagine they’ll try to get him up to 100 pitches then, and see where they are.  Unless he has a setback, I imagine end of next week he’ll be pitching for the Yanks.

I think Giese is scheduled to pitch Tuesday?  If so, and he can’t make it, that would be Kennedy’s turn (he pitches tonight).

I think Hughes could use another start, but I’d bet they choose not to bring him up because the start would be 2 days off from his current schedule.

Whats the deal with Aceves? nobody talks about him getting a shot anymore I am curious what The Duck can bring to the table.

Aceves was bad last night and has been bad for nearly a month now

Aceves hasn’t really adjusted well to AAA yet.

Monica Belluci I think Aceves still needs a Eva Mendes few starts before the Yankees can hooters think about boobs calling him up to pitch in the Kirsten Bell majors.

Get with the program, Clay.  No on-topic conversation allowed, unless you supplement it with a mention of a hot woman (or man, that will work nicely, too).

can hooters think about boobs

Yes?

I think Giese is scheduled to pitch Tuesday?  If so, and he can’t make it, that would be Kennedy’s turn (he pitches tonight).

I’d rather have Kennedy go, as desperately as I want to see Hughes pitch again, I don’t want him up before he’s ready.