This was the one matchup I was not looking forward to - Weaver has been one of the best in the AL this year and Pettitte has ... not.  But I heard somewhere that you can’t predict baseball, so maybe this ends well.  Ah, who am I kidding, they’re doomed.  DOOOOOOOOOMED!!

L. Castillo, SS (.321/.399/.462)

Haha, nice.

Oh people of little faith.  Today is the day Pettite comes back to form, Hinske proves valuable, Cano gets a hit with RISP and pigs fly.

Mets sign Angel Berroa and assign him to AAA Buffalo. Hope you packed your mittens!

BTW- If the Jays are selling, I think I’d be more interested in Rios than I would be in Halladay.

BTW- If the Jays are selling, I think I’d be more interested in Rios than I would be in Halladay.

You think the Yankees can reverse his slide? Only for this year, or as full time or part time in seasons to unfold?

You think the Yankees can reverse his slide? Only for this year, or as full time or part time in seasons to unfold?

Rios trending downward certainly isn’t encouraging, but with the plus D I think he’s a valuable guy. He is signed for a few years and about $80M (I think), but I don’t know if that makes him someone the Jays would trade. I honestly haven’t followed Rios all that much.

We also talked a lot about DeJesus around here as a CF option (sparked by a RAB post), but he seems like a nice fit. Solid D in LF and slightly above average with the stick.

Halladay, Bay and Crawford headline the corner OF market for this coming year (if the Rays don’t pick up Crawford’s option)... I think a move like Rios or DeJesus would be preferable to one of those guys. I’d also like to see them keep Nady onboard.. some sort of 2 year deal so they can get something out of him after he’s done rehabbing.

but he seems like a nice fit. in LF.

Halladay Holliday

Let’s go Alex.

Woohoo!

Without looking at Gameday, it seems the ump has been pretty generous with strike zone.

For this year, it feels like the Yankees are missing a righty power bat compliment. But for following years, assuming Damon and Matsui are gone, there needs to be some lefty pop infusion, so I’m not sure about Rios. But assume he’s gonna be a big plus on defense.

Battle Cat!

Methinks I’m gong to garage band a Battle Cat theme song for Andy.

He is signed for a few years and about $80M (I think), but I don’t know if that makes him someone the Jays would trade.

He’s signed through 2014 with an option for 2015.  He’s owed about $63M (counting the rest of 2009), or around $75M if the option gets picked up.  If he returns to form, that’s a pretty decent deal.  Toronto may be selling, but I don’t know why they’d want to sell low on him.

It’s been pretty quiet on the Halladay rumor front.  I don’t see anybody paying what it’s going to take to pry him loose.

Yay Gardy

Another blown call.

We also talked a lot about DeJesus around here as a CF option (sparked by a RAB post), but he seems like a nice fit. Solid D in LF and slightly above average with the stick.

But is there any indication that he’s being shopped?  Has there ever been any indication that he’s being shopped?  I think we’re going to have to start getting used to the fact that some of these small market teams getting all this Yankee revenue sharing money can afford to keep a few of their players once in a while.

Though that was looked scary for Teix’s arm.

Phew.  Gonna enjoy the lead as long as it holds up.

Gardner looks pretty good in CF.

Let’s go offense.

But is there any indication that he’s being shopped?  Has there ever been any indication that he’s being shopped?  I think we’re going to have to start getting used to the fact that some of these small market teams getting all this Yankee revenue sharing money can afford to keep a few of their players once in a while.

Yeah, and DeJesus is signed for a very reasonable amount through 2011.  But with DeJesus, Guillen, Crisp and Teahen (who moves back to the OF when Gordon comes off the DL), they’ve got 4 good OF options for 3 spots, and a SP and RP issues. I think it wouldn’t be unwise to move an OF for a SP if I were KC.  From the rumor mills, though, it sounds like they’d prefer that OF to be Teahen.

A DeJesus/Gardner combo left to center would be amazing defensively. But you’d eventually need a masher in right to mitigate their offensive shortcomings.

That blown force out is so annoying, especially with the home ump making the call, when he probably couldn’t see the ball get into Teix’s glove.

Hinske!

From the rumor mills, though, it sounds like they’d prefer that OF to be Teahen.

Same way it sounded over the winter.  Seems that they’re smart to want to keep the better player.  DeJesus would likely fetch more than Teahan, but it’s not like you’re getting a king’s ransom for ether one of them.

My hair says spiky.

Howie Kendrick having a Canoian ver. 2008 first half.

Nice inning by Andy Cat.

I guess with Damon and Matsui gone, I prefer a foundation top 1/2 of the lineup type player to take over one of the OF spot. Either a high OBP or power lefty.

The DeJesus option seems along the line of Swisher, Hinske, Melky/Gardner, and AJackson type. Though a top tier OF type won’t be easy to acquire. So we’ll see.

Let’s go offense.

I hadn’t realized Weaver was doing quite so well this year.  He’s been outstanding.

Weaver looks pretty good so far. Lots of looking strikes.

I hadn’t realized Weaver was doing quite so well this year.  He’s been outstanding.

And yet, I feel a bit more confident about the Yankee chances against a sub .400 ERA starter than against a plus .500 ERA starter.

Nice DP…

That worked. More offense now.

And yet, I feel a bit more confident about the Yankee chances against a sub .400 ERA starter than against a plus .500 ERA starter.

It’s bizarre.  Yet I know exactly how you feel.

I guess with Damon and Matsui gone, I prefer a foundation top 1/2 of the lineup type player to take over one of the OF spot. Either a high OBP or power lefty.

While I think it’s a good idea to keep the DH spot open for ARod, Jeter and Posada, you *could* plan to make up some of that missed offense at DH. There are a few FA options out there but nothing too inspiring.

Wild thought…  Jesus Montero @ DH/C in 2010?

Did anyone see Joba’s post game comments the last two outings?  They were almost as disturbing as his pitching.  He seemed to think he mostly made good pitches.  If he can’t acknowledge problems how’s he going to correct them?

Looks like Matsui and Posado are deliberately slowing down the ABs. I’m not sure how quickly Weaver works but he seemed to be going at it on a decent clip earlier.

[38] I thought he was more contrite following this last start.

Zombie Cano!

RE: [3] We’re just waiting for pigs to fly

Oh people of little faith.  Today is the day Pettite comes back to form, Hinske proves valuable, Cano gets a hit with RISP and pigs fly.

Uncanny.

#3 Pigs 2/3 way launched

Bebop, wouldn’t you say 3/4ths??

Well… there goes the no no…

I still blame Jonathan.

Hopefully today’s four run lead works out better than yesterday’s.

Clay Hoadley, shouldn’t you be at the game?

Nice work, Andy…

40:he was somewhat contrite but:

says three times that his stuff and mechanics in the last two starts were the best he has had this season.

“If I had an answer for you, it would probably be a lot easier,” he said. “I felt I’ve been better in the last two but we came up against some good ball clubs. They hit mistakes and that is what they’re supposed to d

Pigs are on holding pattern, but hopefully that’s it for Andy’s bad inning.

Clay Hoadley, shouldn’t you be at the game?

I SHOULD be. But I have very little money right now.

And driving down to Anaheim sucks. Especially when I’m 10-15 minutes from Dodger Stadium.

Do the MLB regulations allow us to win a series at Anaheim?  A game?

That was a so so at bat by Teix. Going down looking is frustrating.

Who is the Fox play-by-play guy?  Whoever it is, he has basically screwed up the call of almost every Jered Weaver pitch type.  Most fastballs have been “breaking balls” and changeups have been “fastballs”.  Anyone else notice this?  Is it so hard to look at the radar gun reading before calling the pitch?

They hit mistakes…

So then he’s acknowledging that he made mistakes, right?  IIRC, he acknowledged that he didn’t do a good job of getting ahead in the count after his last start.  I’m not sure why you think that his saying the stuff and mechanics are good equates with not acknowledging problems.  He’s just saying that the problems aren’t with his stuff and/or mechanics.

[54] I’ve only been to LA once (CA, twice) and the traffic everywhere was brutal… I did pick up a few tricks, though, to keep the RI and MA drivers in line…

Is it so hard to look at the radar gun reading before calling the pitch?

Or just watch the pitches. It’s not that hard to tell the difference between a fastball and a non fastball.

[57] That would be Red Sox fan Dick Stockton, who is married to Boston Globe and CBS sportscaster Leslie Vissar…

Who didn’t know this was coming.  We’d have a great rotation if you didn’t count the 3/4/5 guys.

[55] How about the Yanks ask not to play the 5th inning… sheesh…

The drive to Anaheim includes going down the 5 which, through LA, is the most nightmarish piece of highway imaginable. CA drivers are crazy, no signals and changing lanes is like a gladiator battle.

BTW, Dick Stockton is the guy who called the infamous Carlton Fisk HR in the 1975 WS…

Our 5 starter is ??.  Petitte has been inconsistent and average all year and Joba is an enigma.

Who is the Fox play-by-play guy?

Isn’t it Dick Stockton?  Isn’t he like 111 years old?

“With there style of play the Angels get you.”  Of course it helps when your pitcher is not very good.

Watcvhing us play Boston or the Angels is like sitting through a “Sorrow And the Pity” marathon.

Bacon has crashed.

The Yankees are so pathetic against the Angels that Sterling is predicting baseball.

So right now the Yankees have a 3 starter Battle Cat who kinda sucks, a 4 starter who is super inconsistent (although consistently bad recently) and a non-existent 5 starter because they won’t move Hughes out of the BP.

Awesome.

Is it too early to turn off the game?

I can live with a crappy “teh 8th” guy if Hughes can be a starter.  I mean, he’s too good to pitch one inning every few games.  Right?

Hughes would fix one of the 3 problems. I think Battle Cat has Feline Leukemia.

Andy’s future(and present) is in the past.  Maybe the shouldn’t let Joba and Andy pitch back to back for the sake of the bullpen, like that will help.  I keep hoping that the Yankee’s record is more meaningful then my doubts but Andy, Joba, Wang, Bruney, Robertson, the lack of power from the OF, Ransom are a lot of doubts.  I don’t see this team doing better then possibly sneaking in to the wild card.

Andy Cat has reverted to Cringer.  You leave, the Yanks are up 4-0, you come back, they’re down 6-4.  Of course: it’s the Angels.

To quote Elton John, “I’ve seen that movie too”.

Andy Cat has reverted to Cringer.  You leave, the Yanks are up 4-0, you come back, they’re down 6-48-4.  Of course: it’s the Angels.

Sorry.  Fixed it.

They should just forfeit the rest of today’s game and tomorrow’s game so as to avoid any injury. What a joke. This effort against a Mets caliber lineup. I can’t even watch any games they play in LA any more.

Meanwhile, David Robertson probably not impressing Girardi.

I agree we those calling for Hughes to start we can’t afford Joba, Andy and the mystery 5 guy and still win a pennant and Robertson looks so much better on a spreadsheet then in a game and we’re getting crushed without the Halos having Vlad, Hunter or Juan Rivera.  How pathetic is that!

Ya know, if JTTM69 just left out the part about pigs flying, we might have been OK… this is ridiculous…

Again, if can avoid the 5th inning out here, who knows…

76. 3rd best record in baseball i think. i think they make the playoffs relatively without drama. I also think they get bounced in the first round, if Joba doesn’t shape up.

Wow, talk about totally overreacting to one and a half bad games.

I so wanted to win last night because I so felt bad about this matchup though when we jumped out to a lead I did get hopeful for a nano second.

The Yankees are plenty good enough to do more than sneak into the playoffs. But they have some serious issues.

I thought they sent Robertson down when they brought Melancon up.  Clearly, they should have.

I don’t think we’re over re-acting to 1.5 games…

We’re reacting to the same ol’ shit against the Angels and the Red Sox…

Even at the start of the game the Fox announcers were commenting on how much the Angels have owned the Yanks over the past 5 years.

It’s embarassing

Wow, talk about totally overreacting to one and a half bad games.

It’s what folks do around here, or haven’t you noticed?

BTW, as you all know, the Angels own the Red Sox, too… and, the Sox fans here are just as baffled…

The first couple of innings were pretty enjoyable, then it became less enjoyable. Whatever.

Get out of this inning, then rally.

Gamethreads are for overreacting and all that nonsense.

Its hardly overreacting to not feel that the Yankees have problems in their rotation and in Bruney and Robertson.  Has anyone felt confident in Andy lately?  Will anyone feel confident in Joba next out?  Or Bruney in a tight spot?

91 NOT in the playoffs unfortunately

[84] I wouldn’t make playoff predictions yet… the trading deadline is still three weeks away…

Thanks bebop, they remind me about that all the time here…

10 runs yesterday… 9 so far today…

Should they try underhanding it to the plate… ?

Robertson has gotten scarily hittable.

I’m mad as hell and I’m going to continue to take it