The Sommer Frieze

Heard some of the Scott Van Pelt show on ESPN radio today. Interesting. He and/or his guest basically asked who’s David Robertson in saying that the role of a manager is overrated. They then said that Robertson is a guy with a nice fastball.

Well, they must not know much. Yankee fans can tell you that besides a nice fastball, Robertson also possesses a heck of a CURVE. … and who’s Robertson? How about the AL Pitcher with the BEST K/9 IP ratio of any AL pitcher who pitched 40 or more innings this year?

2-1, 3.30. 45 g. 43 2/3 IP, 63K. 13 K/9.

Now let’s look at Robertson vs. Aceves. I like Al (10-1, 3.54; 43 games, 84 ip; 69K 4.31 K/9), but… 

Robertson has pitched 3 games in this postseason. He’s escaped some hairy jams but has pitched well. 3 games. 2-0. 0.00.
3 IP. 0 R, 2 hits, 2 walks (both intentional) and 1 k.

Aceves this postseason? 3 games. 0-1. 7.71. 2 1/3 IP. 2 R. 4 H. 3 walks (1 int.) 1 K.

Which makes last night’s early yanking (pardon the pun) of Robertson more unfathomable. I thought power pitching wins in the postseason? That’s why CC and AJ were added, right? Why Joba, Hughes and Mo are in the bullpen? So why pull the AL’s K/9 IP leader after just two batters? Now even if Aceves gets out of the 11th, the bullpen is burned (again) and the only one left is Gaudin, who hasn’t pitched since…

…and with that rust, would you trust Gaudin right now if a game gets into the 14th?

I got a Daily News today (no Post at the store, which I usually get, plus the Post deadline for my area probably didn’t have the game recap and stories whereas the “Ruse” does). Good articles by Lupica (and it pains me to write that, since I don’t care much for the little guy/huge ego) and Madden. Especially Madden. Some very telling bits in Madden’s piece regarding Girardi and Robertson —from scouts.   

Meanwhile, I wonder what Filip Bondy in the News is thinking. In writing about the Phillies, he mentions the Phils’ fans as chanting Steroids taunts at Manny and mentions that A-Rod may face the same. Fair enough. But where does Bondy come off as writing

The Phils are one of the rare teams left in baseball that hasn’t been entangled yet by a performance-drug scandal, thereby empowering the fans to scream that much louder and self-righteously on the subject. …

Oh yeah? There was an amphetamine issue in the late 1970s regarding the Phils, and hasn’t Bondy ever heard of Lenny “I got some good vitamins” Dykstra or Darren “‘Roid Rage” Daulton? Tell me they weren’t on the juice and I’ll laugh at you. Take a look at Daulton’s police record and mug shots sometime. “Macho Row” in 1993? Try something else. Take a look at how many of “Macho Row’s” bodies broke down in 1994-1996.

Give me a break, Bondy. Maybe it is not proven, but it doesn’t take a genius to figure out something was phunny in philly—in their only winning season between 1986 and 2001. I have very great suspicions about that team and that year. Proven, no. But suspicious—hell yes.

Nice phrase by Mark Feinsand regarding Girardi:

Reliever Roulette 

I’ve written this before…is there another manager in the AL so quick to lose his DH as Girardi?

Feinsand does make good points (and you can be sure that our friend Josh “The Truth” has pointed them out too). All 4 Yankee runs yesterday via the solo HR. 3-31 with RISP in the 3 games of the ALCS. 0 for their last 20 with RISP. 0 for 8 yesterday.

I know that Girardi won’t do it with Kazmir (a lefty) pitching tonight, but starting Gardner may be an option. Combat the Angels speed with speed. Be aggressive and make things happen. Also improve the OF defense. Swisher is 3 for 22 in the postseason so far. 1 RBI. 9 Ks. Melky is 5 for 25. 0 RBI. 9 K.

Cano 5 for 25. 2 RBI.

After a 1 for 12 ALDS, Damon is 5 for 16 vs. the Angels.

One guy the Yankees NEED to step up is Teixeira. 3 for 25 in the postseason. That includes the walkoff Game 2 HR vs. the Twins. Other than that HR, nada with the stick (the glove is another story).