Happy Cinco de Mayo!
The Yanks will be bringing up Kei Igawa for a start in Detroit this upcoming weekend. From Phil and Kennedy to Rasner and (Ugh)awa. I like Rasner, but he isn’t the future. Rasner is 5-4, 4.06 in his Yankee career, and I wonder why some Yankee fans have been overly critical of him. Reality says you won’t have five aces in the rotation. Yet some fans feel as if someone who is a spot starter/long reliever is supposed to have ace-quality stuff and numbers. You are who you are.
Thirteen appearances as a Yankee. Ten starts. 5-4, 4.06. If you multiply by two, 20 starts, 26 appearances, it’s 10-8, 4.06. Not bad for a 5 starter, is it? Unfortunately, right now, he is the #4.
The disturbing thing about Hughes (21) and Kennedy’s (23) struggles are that the replacements, Rasner (27) and Igawa (29 in July), are not the future. Phil and Ian have room to improve. With Rasner and Igawa, it’s what you see is what you get. As for Igawa, he will take a AAA record of 3-3, 3.86 into his start against the Tigers. Not bad, not encouraging. I hope he remembers that this will be the Detroit Tigers he will be facing, and not the Hanshin Tigers. One thing Rasner did (or didn’t do) yesterday as opposed to Hughes and Kennedy—he walked no one. Hughes and Kennedy were both averaging over 1 walk every 2 IP.
One move I hope the Yanks make soon is to swap Dan McCutchen and Jeff Marquez. McCutchen is 25, 3-2, 2.33 at AA Trenton. He was 3-2 there last year after a late-season callup. In thirteen starts at AA, McCutchen is 6-4, 2.37. Let’s see what he can do at the AAA level. Meanwhile, Marquez, who won 15 at Trenton last year, is struggling at AAA, going 2-4, 7.47 in six starts. Marquez is 23. McCutchen’s age is a question, but there is no arguing with the results thus far … 17-6 over the past two years with an ERA near 2.40. I can’t guarantee results, or pretend to know how someone’s minor league success will translate to the majors. I do know that if someone, like McCutchen, is doing well that I want to see them promoted and given a chance. After many Google searches, I did find something of a report on McCutchen’s stuff: Fastball sits 92-94, and he offers a solid curveball and split-fingered fastball combination. Plus control is one of his major strengths. I did see him at Trenton once last year and liked what I saw.
On YFCR last evening, I talked about the need to let the youngsters breathe. It takes time and you can’t analyze each outing, start or AB. Melky Cabrera is a good example of that right now. People were all over him for misplaying a ball into an inside-the-park HR at Fenway a few years ago. People were still all over him this past December when he was rumored to be going to the Twins in a possible deal for Santana. Isn’t it great to see the 23-year-old start to blossom right now? Wouldn’t it be great to see Hughes and Kennedy hopefully do the same? Melky didn’t come up and be a .300 hitter with 15-20 HR power right off the bat. Time will tell where he peaks out at. But right now he leads the team in HR (didn’t see that coming) and is 2nd in RBI (ditto). Crow is being served to many. Melky has reached in 29 of 31 games this year.
Matsui has a 14 game hitting streak. As Joe D. stated, “call me when it hits 40.”
When the Yanks brought up Wang in 2005, many never heard of him. Look what has happened. Same with Cano (even though Robbie is struggling now, you still must give him props for what he’s done to date). I may not agree with Kennedy speaking out, but I don’t disagree with what he had to say. The kids need room to grow and to breathe. Fans can’t suffocate them with expectations. Not every youngster breaks in like Dwight Gooden did in 1984.
It looks as if Farnsworth’s suspension will be this week. Whether it is the three games or a possible reduction is yet unknown, but some suspension gets served this week. I got to give Farnsworth credit. He hasn’t been bad lately, lowering his ERA to 3.52. He’s working at trying to get the “less” taking off of Farnsworth(less).
Wednesday should be interesting. Lee (5-0, 0.96) vs. Wang (6-0, 3.00). Heck, Thursday afternoon should be special, too. Byrd vs. Mussina. A Soft-Tosser’s special.
I just got added to another blogroll. I thank the individual, who is close to the Yankees and who has a high profile. It’s interesting in that I first asked to be put on five months ago, and a lot of the time since then has been the offseason. Frankly, I had given up on him. Someone else who is in the same situation (close to Yanks, high-profile) added me the next day. Oh well. Can’t complain. One thing I have noticed is that this individual’s numbers have drastically decreased on his blog. I’ve discussed that before. More on that in a minute.
But this is someone who I’ve praised—and ripped—at various times. If I see something that others have written that I think is really good, I’ll praise it. Likewise if I see something sloppy, I’ll rip it. The media is a watchdog, but I believe someone also needs to be a watchdog over the media. It’s one reason I love Phil Mushnick and his columns.
For example, when I see the AP or whoever print something like “when Alex Rodriguez signed with the Yankees in 2000,” I’ll rip them for lack of research and sloppiness. Alex signed with Texas in January of 2001 and was traded to the Yanks in February of 2004. When someone talks about replacing Hughes and Kennedy in the rotation but has no clue who is starting at SWB and who would be a potential replacement, that is just calling for criticism in my book.
Given that it is an off-day, I would like to thank YOU for your support. You make it worthwhile to post. Your encouragement means a lot, and I wanted to let you know it. I may be critical of others, but am critical of myself also. Comments are always appreciated, as long as they are clean. I truly believe one reason this one individual’s numbers are down is because of the number of trolls he had on his site. Things got really out of hand and as a result, a lot of regulars left, and so did a sense of community.
Feel free to comment and feel free to hold my feet to the fire. Just keep it clean. Constructive criticism is appreciated. In the meantime, I’ll try to provide some more good info and commentary and will do my best to research stuff as accurately as I can…time and schedule permitting.
And remember…it’s just baseball…hence some of the tongue-in-cheek pictures. You gotta have some fun!
Later!
UPDATE: There is one caveat I should add to Kei Igawa’s stats. 3-3, 3.86 is mediocre. He pitched six perfect innings on opening day vs. the Phillies’ AAA affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs (yes, that’s their nickname). Sounds good, right?
Um…not really. The Iron Pigs are HIDEOUS. 4-27. I live in the Lehigh Valley. I haven’t gone over to see the Pigs yet. I was there the night Igawa pitched those six perfect innings. That was up in Scranton-Wilkes Barre (actually Moosic, between the two cities). 4-27. Take away that started against the Pigs, and Igawa is 2-3, 4.54. Maybe that puts Igawa’s stats into better perspective…and maybe not. Worth pointing out though.
14 responses so far ↓
1 mike f // May 5, 2008 at 12:20 pm
i’m curious why you wouldn’t mention the name of a blog that is now advertising yours…i suppose it must be hoch’s and/or LoHud. poor brian, there really isn’t much reason to read his at all lately; his stuff is good, but whatever he has has usually been covered by the mighty abe. and as for LoHud, i really don’t see why anyone comments there as anything good gets lost in a sea of
anarchy. i like to read them anyway-even if only to get angry…with an occasional jab.
i’m not sure where i read this, but detroit has the highest OPS against left handed pitching in the AL, so good luck kei.
2 Mike Sommer // May 5, 2008 at 12:32 pm
Actually, the one I was talking about was Feinsand’s.
…and Mark did see how I described he, Sterling and Waldman. Sorry, Mark, but I don’t think you translate well to radio, and I think McCarron does a better job in that spot when he is on.
Hoch is the one who put me on the next day.
I was just trying to be civil, Mike.
But it is strange seeing his posts (and he’s a major NY paper, I am just a single Yankee fan blogger) have a handful of comments. He used to get a few hundred…like Pete Abraham. Now???
There are some comments that really make you scratch your head, like the person the other day who thought Clippard and DeSalvo would be doing well (he hasn’t checked their AAA stats, has he) or the one who wondered why the Yanks haven’t gone after Ramiro Mendoza.
3 Mike Sommer // May 5, 2008 at 12:37 pm
There were a few things during that 5th inning Daily News inning that teed me off. One was when they didn’t know (outside of Igawa) who was starting at SWB. Suppose one of those starters would be needed the next time around in the rotation? Then you are broadcasting his start…and you didn’t even know he was starting at AAA? To me, that is unprofessional.
I got ticked yesterday when Suzyn was talking about possible people to fill out the rotation and mentioned Bartolo Colon. Sheesh. How about giving a kid (whose name she obviously wouldn’t know) a shot first? I’d much rather see a McCutchen get a shot than go after another washed up has-been. Johnson, Clemens…and now Colon?
4 Mike Sommer // May 5, 2008 at 12:38 pm
…not to mention Kevin Brown in that category of washed-up has beens.
5 mike f // May 5, 2008 at 1:33 pm
perhaps the reason these major newspaper blogs (other thanLoHud)
don’t get too many comments is that people view them more like newspaper articles where it wouldn’t even occur to anyone to respond.
i know you guys want a wide readership and i certainly don’t blame you- and you certainly deserve it as well. i must say though that i like being part of a small community of readers who comment and sort of get to know one another- a friendly conversation rather than a chorus of rants.
bartolo colon huh? poor suzyn…
6 yankeegm // May 5, 2008 at 1:49 pm
Mike-
I agree with you that the media needs to be watched and critiqued, but that is no excuse to praise Phil Mushnick. Mushmouth has zero appreciable skill other than to rip other people’s work, and has shown himself to be a bigoted, elitest a@@.
Love the blog, Mike!
B
7 Mike Sommer // May 5, 2008 at 1:59 pm
Agree with you there, Mike. Having a bunch of drunken trolls gravitating over from SOSH yelling Yankees s*** gets tiresome after a while.
Intelligent conversation, analysis and discussion … along with some fun, tongue-in-cheek humor, etc., is very nice indeed.
Of course, we’ll rip an underperforming player (or media member) but no malice intended. I’ll just as easily rip a Yankee who hot dogs it just as I would Manny.
8 Mike Sommer // May 5, 2008 at 2:35 pm
Thanks, B.
Of course, everything is open to subjection. Some, like myself, love Mushnick while others don’t.
Ty writes a column, he has his people who like his stuff and others who don’t.
And I’ll have people who like my stuff and people who don’t like it.
Goes with the territory.
As Ricky Nelson sang in Garden Party, “see it’s alright now. I’ve learned my lesson well. See you can’t please everyone, so you’ve got to please yourself.”
9 Ty Hildenbrandt // May 5, 2008 at 3:02 pm
And just to underscore Mike’s point, there are DEFINITELY people that do not like my stuff, especially people in SEC country. I may never be able to go to Georgia or Alabama without wearing a clever disguise to conceal my identity.
10 Mike Sommer // May 5, 2008 at 3:25 pm
…and that’s the WOMEN…right, Ty?
11 Jason // May 5, 2008 at 3:43 pm
Thanks in return from this reader to you, Mike S. You do a great hob here, and I consider myself lucky that Mike, a reader we thankfully have in common, turned me onto your blog. I’ve always believed that there is a distinct difference between disagreeing and being disagreeable, which trolls are at best, foul and degenerate at worst. I’ve always wanted my blogging experiences to be collaborative exercises in sharing information and perspectives. Not doing that, or allowing what could be productive conversations to devolve into name-calling or finger-pointing–or worse–is just a waste of space and time.
That doesn’t occur here, and this blog and YFCR are very good testaments to what can happen when dedicated people work hard and foster good environments. Keep up the good work.
12 Tim The Wizard // May 5, 2008 at 3:44 pm
Hilarious story from this afternoon. I was up at Mohegan Sun this afternoon. They caught a guy stealing chips at the blackjack table next to where I was installing a new mechanical shoe. The guy was wearing a Red Sox hat. I walked over and said to the guards “Take this scum bag to the palace of justice”.
Anyway, Mike hit on the head with the media. Too much is put into one game. I like to win as much as the next guy, but invariably a playoff team(95 wins) will lose 67 games. Bad games happen, like Andy in Cleveland, and everyone just needs to chill out.
So everyone knows. Ty will have to wear goloden tights, a buttoned down blue shirt, whtie blazer, and white bowler hat if Wang wins 20 games. Ty will be dressing like the Smooth Criminal. Speaking of Ty, I need to get Uncle Joe’s phone number so I can text him crazy one liners.
13 Tim The Wizard // May 5, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Golden tights. White blazer and bowler hat. Blue buttoned down shirt. Here is the link http://youtube.com/watch?v=5wgS5PNTvgg. College basketball> College Football. Go Columbia! ROAR LION ROAR!
14 Mike Sommer // May 5, 2008 at 3:52 pm
Thanks Jason. Thanks again for some stats that I can use on YFCR, of which I give you the acknowledgment you deserve.
Thanks also to you, Tim. The Downs here is where I placed my Derby bet, and it was through Mohegan Sun. The horses I bet on were the ones who needed to be euthanized. I think they are still running.
I’ll have to check out that link.
You must log in to post a comment.