...and whoever's playing the Yankees - 2008 Game Thread

[das11209]

Any word on Jeter's injury? I thought he got hit by a pitch pretty hard.

[CrespoBlows]

Originally Posted by Jayhawk Bill

Humungous Media Market!
True Yankees.
Gargantuan Payroll!
26 World Series.
Absurdly high revenues!
Jeter is a great defensive SS, and a winner.

[das11209]

I think the Yankee bench might be the worst in baseball.

Ensberg, Betemitt, Duncan.

[Jayhawk Bill]

Originally Posted by das11209

Any word on Jeter's injury? I thought he got hit by a pitch pretty hard.

I was listening to the Yankees game driving home. Michael Kay reported that x-rays were negative, but that Jeter was day-to-day with the possibility of an MRI later to confirm the x-ray.

[26 to 6]

Originally Posted by SchillingIsTheNatural

Yanks can look on the bright side....they have Rasner pitching tomorrow....ouch....well then they have Ian Kennedy....uhh....

What do u mean ouch? Rasner has been pretty good.

Originally Posted by The Kilo

26 - What about the Yankees makes you think they will be making any kind of run anytime soon?

I'm asking seriously. Not to be a dick.

Crespo and JHB can joke about it, but the bottom line is the Yankees have too much talent to play this badly all year. It is still ONLY MAY guys. Who knows whats gonna happen, but I think you guys writing them off this early is as asinine as you guys think my statement is. Fact of the matter is that while they have experienced early struggles, and bad ones, this team, with the roster, payroll, experience, and attitude they have are bound to snap out of it. Like I said, we'll see what happens. I dont think we'll be having this conversation by the All Star Break, and I sure as hell doubt that these things will be being said by October. Idc how u guys feel, count them out for all I give a fuck, but the Yankees aren't dead, and definitely not this soon.

[rician blast]

Originally Posted by TheKilo

26 - What about the Yankees makes you think they will be making any kind of run anytime soon?

must be the "intangibles"

I'm not ready to count the Yankees out, or the Sox in. It's simply too early and there is nothing to gain with those kinds of predictions.

I do like the Red Sox chances. On the flip side, if I were a Yankees fan, be very concerned.

[Mr Crunchy]

as i have said 100 times this year,the a.l east is going to be a shit fight because all 5 teams are capable of winning a 3 game series and the idea of anyone of these teams playing .750 ball for 6 weeks is a fantasy.
ny just doesnt have the pitching and their roster is full of aging corner men and outfielders,some of which cant do anything defensively anymore.
when darryl rasner has a pivotal role in the rotation you got issues.
ny had been blessed recently by remarkable late season efforts by the likes of shawn chacon and aaron small,mussina this year pitched about as well as he's had since 03,hes not capable of sustaining this performance...its all up to the kids and they havent shown theyre good enough to handle the gig assigned to them at this point.
theres 3/4 of a season left and lots of time to right the ship in the bronx but honestly,who really thinks they're good enough to contend for the division?
if they make the wild card i'd be surprised..

[Mr Crunchy]

From a diehard Yankee fan yesterday. A pall has been cast over the Bronx......

-----Original Message-----
From: Michael S.
To: Hammond, Andrew
Sent: Tue May 20 14:15:01 2008
Subject: Lester

I'll take Lester and you can have Farnsworth, Hawkins, Hughes, Kennedy, that kid playing third base, Shelley Duncan, and we'll throw in Bobby Abreu.

there's some people who are desperate here

[TheKilo]

Originally Posted by 26 to 6

What do u mean ouch? Rasner has been pretty good.


Crespo and JHB can joke about it, but the bottom line is the Yankees have too much talent to play this badly all year. It is still ONLY MAY guys. Who knows whats gonna happen, but I think you guys writing them off this early is as asinine as you guys think my statement is. Fact of the matter is that while they have experienced early struggles, and bad ones, this team, with the roster, payroll, experience, and attitude they have are bound to snap out of it. Like I said, we'll see what happens. I dont think we'll be having this conversation by the All Star Break, and I sure as hell doubt that these things will be being said by October. Idc how u guys feel, count them out for all I give a fuck, but the Yankees aren't dead, and definitely not this soon.

I'm not looking for "It's only May." I'm looking for a few specific reasons you can hang your hat on, telling me why you think the Yankees will turn this around.

Having Arod back certainly helps but the pitching is a very large concern.

[Gom]

The pitching really isn't a concern. It's the hitting. The Yankees were 21-29 last year, and are 20-25 now. Their hitting has failed them, and so has the GM in creating the team. At least last year, they were injured. This year, it's been more the fact of a lack of performance.

[BoSox21]

Originally Posted by Gom

The pitching really isn't a concern. It's the hitting. The Yankees were 21-29 last year, and are 20-25 now. Their hitting has failed them, and so has the GM in creating the team. At least last year, they were injured. This year, it's been more the fact of a lack of performance.

yea, plus there's no Joba waiting in the wings to come up and light your world on fire

[redsoxrules]

Originally Posted by Gom

The pitching really isn't a concern. It's the hitting. The Yankees were 21-29 last year, and are 20-25 now. Their hitting has failed them, and so has the GM in creating the team. At least last year, they were injured. This year, it's been more the fact of a lack of performance.

so you're fine with this pitching staff who is ranked 23rd in ERA ?

[das11209]

Originally Posted by BoSox21

yea, plus there's no Joba waiting in the wings to come up and light your world on fire

How lovely it would be if Posada and A-Rod have contract year every season.

[TheKilo]

Here's the thing that many Yankee fans overlook though...this time last year, they had a positive run differential and really shitty bullpen performance. They were awful in close games. All they needed was a Joba-type pitcher to assume the 8th inning and to have Mo revert back to his norms and wins would begin coming (let's not forget the Yankees had a cakewalk of a second half schedule).

This year, the Yankees are playing in a vastly improved division (Rays? Orioles 4 games over .500??) and they really are playing to the level they should be (right now). Their pitching is a huge concern, run prevention will hold this team back all year and I really don't see them going 70-47 the rest of the way (which they need if they want 90 wins). 75-42 seems way unlikely at this point (for 95 wins).

Their offense will get better. The lack of production from Hughes and Kennedy has killed them and will continue to do so. Yankee fans seem to be pinning their hopes on "a magical run", spearheaded by guys like Darrell Rasner (or Horne or MucCutcheon, etc.). I see this team improving, but it will be VERY difficult for the Yankees to catch the Sox.

Lucky for the Yanks they are still VERY much in the WC race because I think the Tigers are done, so they'll have to beat the As and the White Sox for the WC spot, teams I think the Yanks are superior to.

[Jayhawk Bill]

Originally Posted by 26 to 6

Crespo and JHB can joke about it, but the bottom line is the Yankees have too much talent to play this badly all year. It is still ONLY MAY guys. Who knows whats gonna happen, but I think you guys writing them off this early is as asinine as you guys think my statement is. Fact of the matter is that while they have experienced early struggles, and bad ones, this team, with the roster, payroll, experience, and attitude they have are bound to snap out of it. Like I said, we'll see what happens. I dont think we'll be having this conversation by the All Star Break, and I sure as hell doubt that these things will be being said by October. Idc how u guys feel, count them out for all I give a fuck, but the Yankees aren't dead, and definitely not this soon.

Dude, read the posts. I've been on your side.

I'm not joking: the Yankees' biggest asset is their revenue base. The Yankees probably have the ability to sustain a $300 million payroll, if one considers the hidden revenue of the YES Network in the profit and loss statement. If they choose to do so, the Yankees can pick up any high-priced veterans from non-contending teams whom they might need: Greg Maddux, Bengie Molina, Omar Vizquel, Ray Durham, Todd Helton, Matt Holliday, Garrett Atkins and Brad Hawpe might all be available for a price, with each of their teams already ten or more games back.

But when you write,

Who knows whats gonna happen, but I think you guys writing them off this early is as asinine as you guys think my statement is. Fact of the matter is that while they have experienced early struggles, and bad ones, this team, with the roster, payroll, experience, and attitude they have are bound to snap out of it.

you're dead wrong. As constructed, this Yankees team will not reach the playoffs.

I prefer to quote the BP Playoff Odds using ELO because it reflects the strength of the Front Office to adapt. A different report shows the odds and projected outcomes based strictly upon this season's performances. Here's that report:

AL East	W	L	True W/L Pct	Avg W	Avg L	Champions	Wild Card	Playoffs
Red Sox	29	19	0.579	94	68	54.8	22.5	77.3
Rays	27	19	0.555	90	72	29.9	28.6	58.5
Blue Jays	23	24	0.532	83	79	8.1	13.9	22.1
Orioles	24	20	0.491	81	82	4.8	8.8	13.6
Yankees	20	25	0.500	78	84	2.3	5.2	7.5

Based upon what they're actually doing this season, the Yankees are the fifth-best team in a five-team division. It's not just that they have to overtake the Red Sox; it's that they have to prove that they're better than the freaking Baltimore Orioles. If Boston were to fold due to, oh, I don't know, distraction from Hollywood when they start making The Jon Lester Story, the Rays would still be demonstrably better. The Blue Jays are right behind the Rays. Even the Orioles are better than the Yankees, although it's close.

"Fact of the matter is?" Fact of the matter is that the Yankees suck. Keep insultingly misrepresenting me in your posts and the gloves come off, kid.

Your hope is that Hank Steinbrenner and Brian Cashman will buy your team back into contention. As constructed, your team will not win.