A “Forest Gump” moment for Jonathan courtesy of Joe Morgan.
A couple of months ago I heard Mike the sports pope mention WHIP re- Mooses HOF worthiness.  I turned the radio off, sped home and poured some bourbon.
I felt as if I’d seen Bigfoot exiting a UFO carrying Elvis.

Most likely Joe never saw it as WHIP but Walks + Hits / IP and didn’t put it together.

Walks + Hits per IP must have come up during a couple of broadcast.

That’s even funnier than when Jon Miller says “OPS” instead of “O-P-S”

“That’s even funnier than when Jon Miller says “OPS” instead of “O-P-S””

Actually a number of commenters here find the former natural.

As great as the story would be if Morgan really didn’t know what WHIP was, I agree with villainx. That being said I’m gong to pretend that he had no clue what WHIP is.

I really dislike Beckett. i hope he falls apart in the next couple of innings.

Momentum is a hard thing to stop. Most say that it doesnt exist in baseball because of the next days starter. I disagree on the basis that confidence plays large in hittters minds and since most games are handed over to relievers-need I say more. BTW, if Molina can’t stop the Angels running game, then what purpose does he serve over Cervelli? Perhaps he can at least stop the ball on the chance CC K’s someone.

What wierd plays will be featured today?

6. Against KC? dream on, but I’m with you

“Momentum is a hard thing to stop.”

Oddly, it seems to stop all the time.  Even in-game.

Clay may get his wish.  That long Sox inning may have iced his arm.  The Royals hitters really hit him hard in the 5th but all at’em balls.

A “Forest Gump” moment for Jonathan courtesy of Joe Morgan.

Jon tried to show Morgan his million dollar wound?

By the way, Jon, great story, but - and I hope this isn’t assuming too much - for your job security, be careful. Thin skinned announcers might want retribution.

Be careful, I hear Joe Morgan reads this site daily.

They just kicked me out!

Stuff gets viral, and it’s phrased in a way that the identity is obvious as opposed to “I heard.”

But yeah, I may be paranoid and overstating.

So apparently odds are Sergio Mitre for the 5th spot. Because using Hughes for around 10 pitches per night 4 nights a week is a good way to maximize his talent.

Shit show.

If momentum is a hard thing to stop then a perpetual motion machine might just be possible

“That’s even funnier than when Jon Miller says “OPS” instead of “O-P-S””

Actually a number of commenters here find the former natural.

Doesn’t Jon Miller saying “ops” prove that it must be the wrong way to say it?

[16] So, does Hughes take Mitre’s spot after his 1+ IP, 9 ER in his Yankees debut?

Irv says this is worst non Ransom lineup, Serling says “its a really good lineup,” lets just see.

I don’t like Flaherty, he feels an unnecessary need to fill in the briefest moments of silence with mostly mindless chatter.  More Cone, more Leiter please.

If Figgins only played against us he’d be a first ballot HOFer

Maybe the plan is to spot the Angels a 4-0 lead, as that seems to against the Yankees recently, so why not try it the other way?

Or maybe CC just wanted to get into battle mode early.

19: No he’s too valuable in the BP, never mind that 1->3 times a cycle we might not get to the 8th inning.

Is CC really the only pitcher on this team that can get himself out of situations like that?

12 pitches though. Won’t complain about that.

Won’t complain about that.

Against the Angels, it’s best to pace the complaints.

If Figgins only played against us he’d be a first ballot HOFer

All of the Angels would be.

Sterling still trying to sell the fact that Matsui’s fly out to Abreu on Friday was thought by everyone to be a near grand slam.

Please suck today Lackey.  Pretend we’re Boston and its the playoffs.

If its “mental” as Flaherty says we’re in for a world of hurt.  What about Boston?

[31] what’s mental?

Our consistent losses to Halos per Flaherty

Jeter’s gotta come through here. Right? Please?

I guess that works. SOP for the Yanks: get the run in without hitting.

RIP.

Uh, what was that?

CC, what are you doing?

That was better.

Its a good thing that the pitchers in the futures game are only allowed to pitch one inning. This rain delay is epic.

Bummer.

Sterling says Napoli should be commended for “giving himself up to get the runner to third”. Wouldn’t a better idea just be to get a hit and score the runner from second?

Wow that’s frustrating.

This sucks.

Yankees suck.

Wouldn’t a better idea just be to get a hit and score the runner from second?

Never underestimate just how well Mike Socia understands how to adapt his tactics to the deadball era.  The soft ground ball reduces variance which can be key when the average team only scores 3 runs/game (and will score 2 or less more often than not). 

Wait a sec—Is is 2009 or 1909?

C’mon, Yanks.  Make my ride home enjoyable.

Fucking bloops.

The ‘Ace’ strikes back.

Ha ha.  We get it.  Jokes over, though: runs please.

Girardi has done a great job of waiting to use Hughes in this series. He’s now properly rested going into the break.

This situation smells like a Jeter bunt…as such, it also smells like one of Fat Bastards farts.

Please don’t give away an out bunting here Jeter, unless the ONLY other option is to GIDP. How about a hit?

Bases loaded and none out with Teix and ARod up, they can’t possibly F this up, can they?

“I’ve seen people not score bases loaded and no one out.”
-John Sterling

That is correct, John, because you see the Yankees everyday.

I am shocked by that strikeout.  Shocked!

Come on A-Rod…lets clear these bases, shall we?

That sucks.

That’s terrible. Just unbelievably terrible.

O.M.G.

Yay!  He cleared the bases!

I actually still think the Yankees are going to win this game.

I think they still have a good chance but it would have been nice to score some runs with the three and four hitters up with the bases loaded and no one out.

Oh, and an on-the-ropes John Lackey still in the game.

3 runs in two innings with the bottom of the lineup coming up, let’s hope they have some fight in them.

Better get Hughes out of there, 4 pitches in 3 days seems a bit much.

[54] Didn’t work. Nothing works when this team loads their pants…. errrrrrr…... loads the bases.

OK, let’s try this again.

Better get Hughes out of there, 4 pitches in 3 days seems a bit much.

He is just a ROOGY, right?

Bases loaded, no one out, no RISP (or is RIP the official term now?)

I…I’ve seen this before…

He is just a ROOGY, right?

I believe that is the plan of action to prepare him for starting next season.

Alright Leche! So clutch!

That KGB commercial is so stupid. No one will forget Bill Buckner’s name, ever.

I will take the run. Head’s up play by Robinson there noticing Matthews struggling with the sun.

Okay…we really need about seven more runs right here…

You have got to be fucking kidding.

A_M_A_Z_I_N_G

Hughes hadn’t walked anyone since June 28th and then he walks Howie Kendrick.

Why the fuck are they intentionally walking Kendry Morales? He’s not that good.

Why the fuck are they intentionally walking Kendry Morales? He’s not that good.

Maybe it’s part of program to stretch Hughes?

I heart Hughes.

Do you think they play the scene(s) from Hoosiers and/or Rudy in the Yankee dugout when they’re away?

It’d be really nice if the middle of the order guys earned their pay check right now.

Non out, non out, non out.

That sucked.

That was an altogether unsatisfying series.

Sorry I had to miss that douchathon.

Suck.

I guess the Yankees are stretching Hughes out one-third of an inning at a time.

I’ve had a lot of faith in the plan the organization has. But this year they are rapidly losing me. They are fucking around with Hughes big time. I can only hope that he returns to the rotation somewhere when Damaso comes back. I’m not sure what to think about Joba. Somehow, these Yankees, despite being much better than last year’s are just as frustrating to watch.

It’s the streakiness. If they keep having problems with Chamberlain, Wang and Pettitte, you can bet the rotation will have Hughes in it sooner or later.

Interesting question…

Would you trade Melky for Halladay and Wells?

[89]  I imagine you are joking.

I thought it was a joke question until a friend of mine, that is usually pretty smart when it comes to analyzing baseball, said he would do it.  Honestly I wouldn’t even think about it but I was just looking to get other opinions.  Maybe there is something I’m not seeing.

[89]

No. Then who’s going to be bunk-mates with Cano?

The thing about Wells is, he’s even terrible defensively.

What you are basically asking is, would the Yankees take on Vernon Wells and his conract in order to get Roy Halladay? I think the answer is absolutely yes.  The Yankees have the money.  Giving up only Melky?  That’s nothing.

I thought it was a joke because the Jays would certainly ask for Melky, plus, oh, I don’t know . . . Montero and Melancon. 

I don’t give a rat’s ass about Vernon Wells but he does have an OPS+ of 108. That’s not terrible.

No but he makes over $21M a year for the next 5 years and he is a worse player than both Melky and Gardner.  Nobody can pay a bench player than much money.  Not even the Yankees can bury a contract that bad. 

Think about it.  As it is since he didn’t break out this year and Gardner showed he is just as good if not better, Melky is one of the most expendable members of the Yankees.  Wells, since he can’t even play defense, would be even more expendable. 

So basically you’d be giving Halladay a $130M contract for 1.5 seasons.  No way in hell could any team justify getting Halladay and Wells as a pair.

damn it. I just remembered that the all-star break means no Yankee games.

This should make people feel better

http://www.collider.com/wp-content/image-base/People/M/Megan_Fox/megan_fox_04.jpg

SD, your logic is that since Melky . . . is expendable the Yankees would NOT do that deal? 

Look, iff it’s true that the Yankees could not afford to pay a player who might wind up a part-timer (and hey, he’d be, let’s face it, about the best 4th outfielder in baseball), then no, they can’t do the deal.  But neither you nor I know that.  I suspect they would try to make it work.  Halladay is just that good. 

Also Gardner’s sample size is pretty small to be saying he’s better than a player who OPS+ 121 last season.

None of this matters because anyone who thinks the Blue Jays would trade Halladay and Wells for only Melky . . .  Well, I want some of what they’re smoking.

I mispunctuated but you know wat I mean.

Maker’s.