That lineup still looks pretty good even w/o Tex and Posada.

“Nick Markakis, RF (.307/.357/.479, 2.3 WAR)”

Thought he would be worth more.

“Nick T Swisher, 1B (.248/.365/.488, 2.3 WAR)”

T?  Anyway, worse fielder?

Hopefully.  Probably.  Maybe.  Definitely.

“Nick Markakis, RF (.307/.357/.479, 2.3 WAR)”

Thought he would be worth more.

“Nick T Swisher, 1B (.248/.365/.488, 2.3 WAR)”

T?  Anyway, worse fielder?

Well, Swisher’s got him beat in OBP and SLG, but Markakis is a run better offensively thanks to playing time.  Markakis has historically been a good defender, but this year he’s rating as slightly below average (-3 averaging ZR and UZR), compared to Swisher at -1.  So they’re essentially equivalent at this point.

And regarding the T in Nick T Swisher, my WAR spreadsheet pulls the data from the Hardball Times and for some reason they stick the middle initial in for certain players.

He really wants to be called T-bone.

I was just reminded that Fangraphs uses only context independent pitching stats when I saw Wang’s name as the 10th most valuable pitcher on the team with +0.1 WAR.  I hadn’t realized that his FIP was merely below average (5.37), not horrific.

Good news for Baltimore - at least Berken isn’t as bad as his ERA…

Christ.  Been to 2 games in the last few months and both were off days for Tex.

There’s maybe 12,000 people here, with Yankee fans in the convincing majority.

Our wished-for AL Central tie was not helped by this afternoon’s contest at Minnesota.  Joe Nathan has 2 match points and can’t close it out.

[2]

That’s just hard to believe.  Maybe impossible.  And I love Swisher.

And speaking of that word - when they say Evony is a role-playing game, just what do they mean by that?  Judging by the ads…

[8] Is anyone as bad as Berken’s ERA?

[12]

Artificially Big Papi without eyedrops?

Ponson?

[5] Maybe there is another Nick Swisher in their database?

[8] 2009 Wang?

That [8] was meant to be a [12]

Is handedness really a legitamate reason to have CESAR IZTURIS batting second?

Oh Jesus, look at the look on Reimold’s face after he hit that…

the look on Reimold’s face

expostulate

[17] If you team is 30.5 GB of first, then sure. They could bat a relief pitcher second and no one would care.

you = your

not on top of my typing game tonight

[19]

Reimold tried to check his swing, went around too far, with the result being and opposite field bloop single.

the look on Reimold’s face

Expostulate… please?

So in summation, Orioles run was: bunt single, check swing single, sac fly. Awesome.

Sorry, I don’t refresh between half-innings because there’s a fairly significant delay on mlb.tv.

GASP!

Boston is actually trailing for a half inning!

Thanks.  That makes sense.

Then again, I suppose Boston fans are thinking the exact same thing about the Yankees right about now.

Call me crazy, but I think the Yankees will score some runs against Berken/bullpen.

Is it too early to say: Cy Berken?

GIDP would be nice here.

How does it look on the tee vee?  From the upper deck it doesn’t seem like they’re hitting CC really hard.

I’m getting tired of the “In play, no out,” although the absence of the word “Run(s)” is, thus far, comforting.

[30] I was about to congratulate Berken on his first complete game shutout.

Boo yeah.

See, AJ ? That’s how you get rid of baserunners.

Notice that I said Boston was losing for a half inning.

5 hits in 2 IP… and no runs.
Perhaps that was the Bad Inning, and he’ll be lights out the rest of the way?

[36]

An extended, multi-thread joke.  Nice, P!

1 run?

[38] Do runs scored on sacrifices not count anymore?

[32] Wigginton’s liner was hit sharply. Pie’s was a slap shot.

Hinske possibly offering an answer to SG’s question.

I think this Hinske fellow would make a nice PH bat off the bench in the postseason, but maybe that’s just me.

Sorry.  I was so afraid of LOTS that I forgot about the ONE!

According to GD (not any more, I see), Hinske had possibly the greatest AB ever - first, he walked, and THEN he hit a HR!

2 more gophers coughed up by Beckett already.  I think it’s something like 15 in his last 5 starts.

[46] 2 out of three true outcomes. Nice.

first, he walked, and THEN he hit a HR

Didn’t Posada actually do that last night ?

K, homer.

Posada actually struck out, then hit a HR.

He also walked, but refused to take his base until the ump forced him to.

Were some folks seriously debating yesterday whether Hinske or Ramiro belonged on the PS roster?  Though I certainly understand the argument that there won’t be too many PH opportunities…at least not until Games 3-5 of the WS.

[50, 51] Ooooh. Thanks. I, uh, kinda lost track when my mind was wandering.

[47]

If he does that in the postseason, they will be the greatest postseason gopherballs ever given up.

[53] There was some debate about whether or not they would have spots for both Pena and Hinske, because for some reason some people think Bruney AND Coke are locks to make the PS roster. I thought someone was in favor of a 12 man pitching staff which I think is a bit unnecessary with the off-days involved.

2 more gophers coughed up by Beckett already.  I think it’s something like 15 in his last 5 starts.

All I had to do was ask when HR yielding Beckett was going to show up.

Jonathan, can you please ask when the New York Yankees 5-top-starting-pitchers-in-the-ML-for-5-years-running are going to show up?

That AB to Mora is was probably the first AB of the night was CC hit all of his spots with every pitch.

Waldman just referred to the “histrionics” of the Yankees hitters.  I think she meant “accomplishments.”  Can one do that?

[58] When CC misses his spots, teams still can’t really do much against him. When AJ misses his spots its a run party.

That Arod foul off his shin looked almost identical to the AB that broke Jermaine Dye’s leg in 01

Jonathan, can you please ask when the New York Yankees 5-top-starting-pitchers-in-the-ML-for-5-years-running are going to show up?

As soon as they trade for Cy Berken here, that will start to come together.

Maybe “lack of histrionics”?  In contrast to the RS batters we mock?

[60] Oh, definitely, CC missing his spots is still likely an above average pitcher.

Burnett, on the other hand, has a little bit of Jeff Weaver in him (much better though, obviously)

What AJ needs to become an ace:
 
POOHA
(his head, that is).

[55] Indeed, if Bruney can’t be trusted to work his way out of 2 on 1 out and a 4 run lead against the Orioles he’s not going to see much October action. 

In a weird way I don’t think there are enough trustworthy players to fill a 25-man PS roster.  If we go with the not-superfluous 11-man pitching staff, Pena or Cervelli really don’t add much to the bench.  Which is why I was for the acquisition of one more bat before Aug. 31.

Get angry Molina, they are disrespecting you.

[68]
That was funny.

Pena has value as the pinch runner if Gardner is healthy and you want to start Gardner.

I would have been tempted to pinch hit for Molina there as long as there’s a 3rd catcher on the roster.

I’m blacked out of Gameday Premium but unless Cano’s going to be out by a mile, it feels like you ought to send him with Molina in the hole.  Especially if this is Dave Trembley’s Game 7.

Acquire batting skills, Molina - they are disrespecting you!  Or is that… “properly evaluating you?”  Whatever…

[67] Well, Pena adds the ability to PR or substitute defensively in the last couple innings of a close game. Cervelli is insurance, but I would rather have him around as insurance than give Girardi the option of bringing in Bruney.

Gameday had Molina’s out almost going out - is that correct?

5-1 Rays.

[69] I had an excellent follow-up to that if he had gotten a hit, but alas it’s Molina.

I wonder what it is… often it feels as if the team’s losing when it isn’t; today, strangely, it feels as it’s winning.

[75] Deep fly ball just to the track, but it never threatened. Markakis had a bead on it the whole time.

[77]
Ted, just pretend.
Tenterhooks, you know!

Ty Wigginton is not worthy of any pitch but the changeup apparently. That was fantastic.

Congratulations to Berken on his first complete game victory. The fact he will only allow one run against this lineup is a great sign for his future.

[80] I was going to follow up “get angry” with:

In the words of Zack De La Rocha, “Anger is a gift.”

Can we put up scenery to make Yankee Stadium look like some other stadium so that Swisher can hit like this there?  (Preferably - a stadium I would actually like?)

Career hit # 2,500 for Alex. Yay-Rod !

Two outs and a veteran Gorija at the plate…

[83]
If it could turn a Molina AB into a run-scoring hit?  It certainly would be!

Grover Cleveland Aleberken.

Nolan Byrkan

If the pigman from Seinfeld were real, I would imagine he would look like Ty Wigginton.

Iron Joe MaBerkennity.

Josh Beckett has struggled the right way lately. I am not complaining.

It feels as if Dippin’ Dots have been “the ice cream of the future” for some time now.  When is their moment—their “present”—going to come?

Bert Blyberken?

Watching a few games right now.  Felix Hernandez is dominating.  Just got a looking strikeout on a pitch, 96, knees, outside corner.  Top of the 8th.

[93] is why I come to RLYW.

Mordecai Three-finger Brownken.
 
 
Four-finger, even.

Old Hoss Radberken

[93] I remember writing for my high school newspaper that Dippin Dots were “The Ice Cream of the Future of 10 years ago.”

That was probably about 10 years ago.

[96] For dippin’ dots?