The Sommer Frieze

Interleague is over.
You can come back now, Hideki.

After the hibernation that Godzilla went into for interleague (ok, he did PH but it seemed like he was MIA), Matsui must be looking forward to actual playing time again. He couldn’t play OF (ok, he could, but the Yanks wouldn’t risk it) so he was relegated to solely PHing and being an OF only in case of emergency.

It’s been a rough year for Hideki Matsui. He just turned 35, and is having an off year. .246-10-28 as we are nearing the halfway point. OPS+ 110. This from someone with a .291 career average (MLB only, not counting his excellent Japanese career) four 100-rbi seasons and a career OPS+ of 122. He is in the last year of his deal, and it’s pretty certain the Yanks won’t be bringing him back. With his knees, he would have to take a paycut from $13M to Dh for another AL team or possibly resume his career in Japan, where he is a national hero.

Matsui has been low maintenance, and a credit to the pinstripes. He has been a true clutch hitter and pure class all the way. As he nears the end of his time with the Bombers, I hope Yankee fans give him a standing ovation each time he comes to bat as the season winds down.

This classy Yankee deserves that much.   

Yankee pitchers during interleague action:

Pettitte, 1 for 5 (double and RBI) a sac
Burnett, 1 for 5
Wang 0 for 3 a sac
CC 1 for 4, RBI
Joba 0 for 2 with a sac (and a bullet that thankfully didn’t hurt the opposing pitcher)
Aceves 0 for 2
Mo 0 for 1 with an RBI (and the out was well hit)
Coke 0 for 1
Tomko 0 for 1

3 for 24, 3 RBI.

…and Lindy McDaniel remains the last Yankee pitcher to HR.

Still the last Yankee hurler to go yard…

Finally, the pitching is finally improving. The ERA+ hasn’t reached 100 yet, but it’s at 98 after hovering around 91 for far too long. The OPS+ is 114 but let’s look at the improving pitching. ERA+ marks.

CC 123
AJ 112 (a big improvement lately)
Andy 100
Joba 115
Wang 44 (ok, he has a long way to go, but the 34.50 is now 10.06… we know he has a long way to go, but a 4.70 in the last three starts is improvement. Still below par, but with the Yanks offense, he can get by with that as the #5 starter. The length of those starts [5, 5 and 5 1/3] needs work)    

Hughes 99 (but has an ERA of 1.50 as a reliever! That’s a 292 ERA+ in that role)
Rivera 149
Aceves 203
Coke 132
Bruney 154
Robertson 169 (why’d it take so long to dump Veras for him?)

Much better… Tomko is still there, (79) but you have weeded out:

Veras (traded to Cleve.) 73
Albaladejo 73
Edwar 84
Marte (injured) 29
(Melancon (4 games) and Claggett (1) we won’t get into, too little to show).

Still, you can see how much improvement Bruney/Hughes/Aceves are over Veras/Edwar and Alby.

Big difference. 

Now if Cashman can get one more bullpen arm (sorry, Tomko) at the deadline without giving up much (no Montero, A-Jax, McAllister…), that would help…