Teixeira to the Yankees

I agree

but it won’t happen. The MLBPA is the most powerful union in sports. That’s the reason we’ll never have a uniform set of rules between the two leagues (which is a severe disadvantage to the NL) and that’s the reason we’ll never have a salary cap.

That being said, the Yankees have to win the world series this year. No doubt now they are the favorite with a lineup that will include A-Rod, Teixeira, and Jeter and the three biggest pitcher contracts in the AL.

by was385 on Dec 23, 2008 4:12 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Couldn't disagree more

I’m incredibly anti-union for the real world, but for sports where MLB is a government granted monopoly there is no reason to allow them to abuse that power. By allowing the MLBPA to form a monopoly as well ensures a lot better chance of players being paid their MRP labor which is what their wage would be in a perfectly competitive market. Being a monopoly gives the MLB economic rents which as Boras is so famous for saying, MLB revenues are at an all time high, the players deserve their fair share of those rents. I believe it was Joe Sheehan who said “MLB decries of poverty 1, economics professors of America 0”

Don't believe the lies Bill!!!! look at the sparkly ERA!!! Sparkly, Sparkly!!! - McCovey Chronicles

by Trenchtown on Dec 24, 2008 5:36 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

How can anybody be anti-union?

unless you are filthy rich and make a living taking advantage of us working schleps.

Mike Newman
baseballhandyman.com

by Baseball Handyman on Dec 26, 2008 10:46 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Not Valid

NFL and NBA are as much of a “monopoly” as MLB and they both have unions and have a workable salary cap. The only reason for no salary cap in baseball is that the owners lack the balls to break the union with a protracted lockout/strike.

Fat man is no more,
Bursting on through Heaven's Door
Come on in, says Bill

by Wilbur Wood on Dec 26, 2008 4:19 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

They don't have the balls to sabotage their own sport?

Maybe once upon a time that would have been worthwhile, but unless salaries are actually veering teams toward the red (like hockey) and the league’s popularity is dwindling anyway (like hockey), it’s not worth completely shutting down a sport and alienating the fanbase. Baseball’s doing fine.

by aap212 on Dec 26, 2008 5:55 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

their salary caps dont really provide any added parity

TPJ...you're dead to me

by billybeingbilly on Dec 26, 2008 8:45 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Absolutely...

rediculous.

by joegonzo on Dec 23, 2008 4:13 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

is that like ridiculous

to such a degree that it makes you mad enough to be red in the face?

* sarcasm might be involved in this comment

by mattyfrommo on Dec 23, 2008 6:31 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

No...

more of a pink. : ) But it really is. The Yankees are buying players to make themselves competitive. I can’t wait until they make it to the World Series and lose to the Mets.

by joegonzo on Dec 23, 2008 11:08 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I'm red in the face!

I’ll keep playing fantasy baseball and looking at prospects, but I won’t be following the standings.

Teixeira – Sad Day for Baseball

Mike Newman
baseballhandyman.com

by Baseball Handyman on Dec 26, 2008 10:47 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Giambi...

is a free agent. And I don’t think Damon or Matsui actually cause pitchers to lose sleep at night.

"My mom always taught me it's better to laugh at yourself than to laugh at others. She was so wrong. ;)" -Pedrophile

by Boxkutter on Dec 23, 2008 4:17 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Damon and Matsui

Are obviously past their prime, I was pointing out that they both make enormous sums of money along with their teammates.

by thefordhamflash on Dec 23, 2008 4:19 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

sweeet

by soxkid on Dec 23, 2008 4:23 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Yankees still a 3rd place club

1) No one has talked about this yet, but the Yankees have a very poor bullpen outside of Rivera and he could fall apart next with his elbow. Joba will be a starter, Yankees will have to trade for some power arms.
2) Team defense, outside of Tex, who do they have that is very good. Jeter is the worst defensive SS in the majors, Cano was below average, A-Rod could have throwing troubles again, and the outfield defense will be the worst in the majors. You have an aging Damon in center, Matsui/Swisher in left, and Nady in right.

This team will be a repeat of the 2006 Whitesox, all offense but starting pitching will suffer from a poor bullpen and defense.

Yankees in 2009 90-62 3rd place.

by Bravesin07 on Dec 23, 2008 4:24 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

90-72

by Bravesin07 on Dec 23, 2008 4:24 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Hrm..

1) The bullpen isn’t poor. The lone upshot of the youth movement has been that the Yankees have found very solid arms for their relief corps. Edwar, Bruney, Veras, Albadejo, Sanchez, and Robertson are all good young talents, and there are more viable arms in the minors.
2) Team defense :
C – Posada: Who knows? But I wouldn’t bet on him being even passable. There’s a chance he won’t be viable at the position.
1B – Teixeira: GG
2B – Cano: Very good in 06-07, I’m assuming a reversion to form
SS – Jeter: This has been discussed ad nauseum
3B – ARod: A bit below average
LF – Damon: Very good.
CF – Melky/Gardner: Very good for Melky, good for Gardner
RF – Swisher: Alright.

95-67 or better is my guess. Presumptive favorites in the East, but in a division that tough, it may not be enough.

by GuyinNY on Dec 23, 2008 4:37 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Nady and Posada...

I have a feeling Posada might be spending quite a bit of time in the DH spot, and being the 2nd (or 3rd) string catcher, with the Yankees using someone else as a starter. Also I was thinking the OF would look something like Damon/Swisher/Nady with Melky either being a 4th OF or used to acquire a catcher.

"My mom always taught me it's better to laugh at yourself than to laugh at others. She was so wrong. ;)" -Pedrophile

by Boxkutter on Dec 23, 2008 4:40 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

gonna be a lot of balls in the gaps with that outfield

by Bravesin07 on Dec 23, 2008 4:41 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Haven't looked at stats...

but by sight, Damon still has plenty of range for LF, it’s just his arm that is a noodle. Swisher has always been a good defensive OF, and I haven’t seen Nady much but I always thought he was average.

Now, you see me “defending” the Yankees. I feel so dirty. I need a shower.

"My mom always taught me it's better to laugh at yourself than to laugh at others. She was so wrong. ;)" -Pedrophile

by Boxkutter on Dec 23, 2008 4:44 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Swisher

is above average in a corner, but he doesn’t have good range in CF. If he’s playing there everyday, the defense will not be good.

"So's your mom"-David Sloane

by gatling on Dec 23, 2008 5:00 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

But Swisher's bad OF defense

Is nowhere near as bad as Giambi’s 1B defense. They are getting a massive 1B defense upgrade. And you can always push Swisher to a corner and pick up some D by putting Melky in CF every once in a while (especially to keep Nady from facing righties or Damon from facing lefties). Overall, it makes the team much better.

I ♥ Trent Edwards' groin

by Wonko on Dec 23, 2008 6:03 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Sure

I guess I should have put “OF defense” to avoid confusion, but since we were only talking about OF defense in those last three posts, I figured it was implied. Boxkutter was talking about an OF of Damon/Swisher/Nady from LF to RF, which wouldn’t be a good defensive OF.

"So's your mom"-David Sloane

by gatling on Dec 23, 2008 6:57 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Girardi

uses comments that would lead one to believe that Swisher won’t play CF. Melky, Gardner (?) or maybe they’ll sign someone else.

by Lovejoy on Dec 24, 2008 12:41 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Makes sense

Swisher isn’t a good option in CF. The problem is, now you’ve got Matsui/Damon/Swisher/Nady and possibly Posada fighting for AB’s at LF/RF/DH. There needs to be a trade somewhere, too much of a logjam by adding Tex to the mix. Someone has to go.

"So's your mom"-David Sloane

by gatling on Dec 24, 2008 1:08 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Damon has no arm.

Giants: World Series Champions...in 2011.

by Giants_Junkie on Dec 23, 2008 4:51 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

This has to be a projected 100 win team

I read an analysis Pre-Teix which projected 97 wins. To say 90-72 or 95-67 is just throwing stuff on the wall and hoping it sticks.

A healthy Wang, Posada, and Matsui are the equivalent of three more type A free agent signings since they were hurt and relatively worthless. Add Teix, Burnett and CC and the roster is obscene.

Mike Newman
baseballhandyman.com

by Baseball Handyman on Dec 26, 2008 10:49 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

How can you assume Posada and Matsui will come back so strong?

Matsui looks like he’s well on his way to being done.

by aap212 on Dec 26, 2008 1:10 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Jeter...

as much as I am not a fan on his, he is not the worst defensive SS in the majors. For one, HanRam is probably the worst. Jeter haas a bad reputation among fans as an awful defender, but the fact of the matter is that he has great range to the 3B side, but his range to the 2B side leaves a lot to be desired.

"My mom always taught me it's better to laugh at yourself than to laugh at others. She was so wrong. ;)" -Pedrophile

by Boxkutter on Dec 23, 2008 4:30 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Metrics says Jeter -39, HanRam +3

by Bravesin07 on Dec 23, 2008 4:37 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Which one?

Also, scouting reports (which are usually at least somewhat favorable to Jeter) should be included since metrics remain imprecise.
UZR has Jeter at -.4 and Hanley at -1. Point for Jeter.

by GuyinNY on Dec 23, 2008 4:51 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

The scouting reports and the numbers both say Hanley improved by leaps and bounds this year.

He’s always had the tools, just wasn’t polished at the position. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if he was an above-average defender.

Tools Whore

Sign Bonds!

by Tyler on Dec 23, 2008 5:32 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Uh..

Defensive metrics, especially UZR, fluctuate wildly from year to year. If you want to only use a single year’s worth of UZR to make your point, then yes 2008 was Jeter’s best defensive year since 2002.

To properly use UZR, make sure you’re taking into account at least three year’s worth of data. In which case you’ve got -5.2, -20, and then -0.5.

Defensively speaking, Jeter sits somewhere around -5 < x < -15 as a shorstop. While that still makes him one of the better defensive players in baseball (UZR is adjusted for position), it makes him a very below average short stop.

Fans are typically idiots.

by The Typical Idiot Fan on Dec 23, 2008 6:37 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Bullpen - Completely Untrue

The 2008 Yankees bullpen had the 7th best ERA in baseball and the 5th best in the AL. Rivera has never shown any sign of injury trouble the last few years and the same baseless comment can be said about any pitcher in baseball.

Rivera, Marte, Coke, Bruney, Alabaladejo, Ramirez, Veras, Robertson, Melancon, Giese. That looks like one of the best bullpens.

http://yankeesmtom.blogspot.com/

by hallofamer2000 on Dec 23, 2008 4:45 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

And

if they resign Pettite they might put Joba back into the pen.

Mitch Moreland - Rangers 2009 Minor League Player of the Year

by RangerMad on Dec 23, 2008 6:49 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

No

The Yankees have basically said a million times that Joba is a starter. That makes zero sense.

http://yankeesmtom.blogspot.com/

by hallofamer2000 on Dec 23, 2008 10:50 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Sure it does

If they sign Pettite they will have:
1. Sabathia
2. Burnett
3. Wang
4. Pettite
5. Hughes/Joba

Since they know Joba is a dominant reliever they may just put him back in the bullpen. I agree that he is much better then Hughes but unfortunately Joba is the one more suited to dominate in short relief.

"When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him."
-Jonathan Swift

by King Billy Royal on Dec 24, 2008 3:45 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Sounds like the NYY

are not going to bring back Petitte. Their rotation would be:

1. Sabathia
2. Burnett
3. Wang
4. Joba
5. Hughes

What I have always found funny with the Yankees is that they have this enormous payroll yet they always have to turn to unproven rookies to give them valuable ABs or IP.

Mitch Moreland - Rangers 2009 Minor League Player of the Year

by RangerMad on Dec 24, 2008 8:31 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

++++++++++

Ramirez, Bruney, Coke and Marte are an excellent four to build around. Add in Aceves as a long reliever/swing man and you have five pieces of a top flight bullpen.

Mike Newman
baseballhandyman.com

by Baseball Handyman on Dec 26, 2008 10:51 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Oh yeah, Kennedy and Hughes too

One of them might wind up in the pen as well.

Mike Newman
baseballhandyman.com

by Baseball Handyman on Dec 26, 2008 10:51 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

3rd place?

get that crap out of here

by IHateMitchMustain on Dec 23, 2008 11:04 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Hey

third place in the AL East in 2009 could mean 93 wins! Some really good team IS going to be left out of the playoffs… and if the Yanks underperform their pyth by 4 games it could easily be them – and underperforming your pyth by 4 games aint exactly hard to do.

by alskor on Dec 24, 2008 1:09 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

A better way of looking at it...

The Yankees now have the 4 highest total value contracts in all of baseball on their team with Arod, Jeter, Tex, and Sabbathia all ahead of 5th place Miguel Cabrera.

by nixa37 on Dec 23, 2008 4:26 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Ha!

The Yanks stopped winning championships when they decided to try and buy winners rather than groom them. Let them spend all the money they want; in the end, they’ll pay much more for what those players have already done than for what they’ll do in pinstripes. Free agents should be complimentary players, not the backbone of your franchise. They’re primed for deep playoff runs for the next three years or so, but then they’ll have more than any other team spends on their entire payroll tied up in dubious contracts. Honestly, they’re probably better than the Red Sox and worse than the Rays, but I could see them missing the playoffs all together, too.

Here we go again: http://thefulldeck.blogspot.com/

by ejruiz on Dec 23, 2008 4:30 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

look at the '96 yankees

They don’t even look like a great team, really. 92 wins. In ‘98, which was a great team, sure, they had home grown players. Guys they could afford to keep. But they also had David Wells, signed as a free agent, El Duque they paid for, Irabu, Cone they got from the Jays for 3 minor leaguers, but they could keep him on because they could pay him, etc. Not like they didn’t throw money at people back then, and I don’t think throwing money at A-Rod hurts them. Their home grown players weren’t exactly lights out last year, Melky, Cano, Brett Gardner, Hughes, Kennedy…Me, I’d rather have A-Rod than Brosius or Boggs at the end of his career, or Cano rather than Mariano Duncan or Knoblauch, guys from their championship teams.

Long and the short, it is too simple to say they groomed them then, they try to buy winning now. They always tried to buy it, and the still try to groom.

by wobatus on Dec 23, 2008 6:01 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Everyone is forgetting...

their payroll is still likely going to be lower in 2009 than it was in 2008. They had a lot of large contracts falling off which left them plenty of cash to spend. Giambi, Pavano, Abreu, Pettite, Pudge, and who knows who else I am forgetting. The Yankes had 88.5 million falling off, the combined yearly totals of the three big contracts so far is just a little over 60 million. They could reasonably sign another big name free agent and still have a lower yearly average salary.

Now, that doesn’t mean that nothing should be done. But like someone above said, the MLBPA is the most powerful union in all of sports. Donald Fehr is the most powerful person in baseball. Something does need to be done to change the way that the rich stay rich and the poor stay poor. But the rich are not the only ones to blame, the poor are too. Teams that spend less on player salaries than they get with revenue sharing are just as at fault.

"My mom always taught me it's better to laugh at yourself than to laugh at others. She was so wrong. ;)" -Pedrophile

by Boxkutter on Dec 23, 2008 4:36 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

you forgot

Moose. He was making a big chunk of change.

The Dodgers won't win a playoff series until the Cool-a-Coo returns.

by mckeeno on Dec 23, 2008 4:54 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Thanks...

I knew I was forgetting someone.

"My mom always taught me it's better to laugh at yourself than to laugh at others. She was so wrong. ;)" -Pedrophile

by Boxkutter on Dec 23, 2008 5:03 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

You're forgetting that their payroll is increasing

outside of the coming and goings of free agents.

by Lovejoy on Dec 24, 2008 12:45 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

A-Rod will never win a title

Football-Romo-A-Rod of Football
Basketball-McGrady
Baseball-A-Rod

3 of the bigger names in sports and they will never win a title.

by Bravesin07 on Dec 23, 2008 4:40 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

what does this mean?

by son.of.sourman on Dec 23, 2008 5:17 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

uhh...if you're going to compare Arod to someone...

for his lack of winning, which is stupid in the first place…at least make good comparisons….Dan Marino and Karl Malone would work….Lets not compare him to decent NFL and NBA players

TPJ...you're dead to me

by billybeingbilly on Dec 23, 2008 7:00 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Or Ted Williams.

by aap212 on Dec 23, 2008 7:14 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Ted Williams got to a WS

by Bravesin07 on Dec 23, 2008 7:27 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

And he never won a title.

If you’re going to set up goofy, team-oriented, cross-sport criteria, you should at least be consistent about it.

by aap212 on Dec 23, 2008 7:49 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Why?

The Yankees lowered their payroll this off-season and every other team had a chance, they were just too cheap.

http://yankeesmtom.blogspot.com/

by hallofamer2000 on Dec 23, 2008 4:41 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

YESSSS!!!!!

I’m actually loving what Cashman did this offseason. CC and Tex were two must gets and he went out and got them. I think they overpaid for Burnett (because of his injury history), but if he can stay healthy, even that was a great deal.

In past years they gave a shitload of money to above average players (Pavano, Damon, Abreu) and that is why they were struggling with the high payroll. If you are going to spend big bucks, at least pay guys that are stars.

Now, on to Manny….

by nyy601 on Dec 23, 2008 5:05 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Being from Vallejo

which is C.C.‘s home town i am pulling for him, but he will be exposed in the A.L. east. The patience of the Sox and Rays will expose C.C.’s control problems. Look at his 2 starts int he play offs against the Red Sox. His numbers will be good, just not as good as people think. Tex is the only one that scares me. Burnett is a strike out machine, but also has control problems. his arm should fall off somewhere around the end of June.

by jbg3004 on Dec 23, 2008 5:31 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Actually?

You’re “actually” loving it? You’re a Yankees fan! Who the hell said you wouldn’t!?

This is insane. There NEEDS to be a salary cap.

by Lt Melmo on Dec 23, 2008 7:36 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I meant

for the first time I am actually loving the choices Cashman is making.

A no their doesn need to be a cap. Only a non Yankee fan would say that :)

by nyy601 on Dec 23, 2008 10:36 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

shut up

the salary cap is the worst thing to ever happen to sports, we don’t want equality, we want every team to have a truly EQUAL chance to make decisions such as spending money the way they want, we don’t need to help poorly run teams and those who don’t like spending money to make their fans happy

by IHateMitchMustain on Dec 23, 2008 11:07 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

So you propose completely changing the current system. When you speak of teams’ money, it is often a direct result of taxpayer subsidies, like the Yankees.

by Lovejoy on Dec 24, 2008 12:50 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

you are terrible

just bad
horrible

Who's world is it? It's yours.

by BlackOps on Dec 24, 2008 2:54 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

It's not...

that the Yankees are FANTASTICALLY run, it’s that their market is so much superior to everyone else’s, it’s like they’re playing a completely different game.

The luxury tax was supposed to be a tool to restrict these kinds of things. Obviously, the Yankees laugh at the luxury tax. Back to square one, MLB, let’s fix this the right way.

by DrunkIrish on Dec 25, 2008 12:22 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

This might be the dumbest thing I've ever heard....

You must be a Republican.

If you were right, the NFL would be broke, the NHL wouldn’t be getting healthier and the NBA wouldn’t be doing just fine.

At least half of the teams in baseball has no reason to even show up. That’s obviously great for baseball!

Mike Newman
baseballhandyman.com

by Baseball Handyman on Dec 26, 2008 10:55 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

+1

He should change his username to IHateGoodReasoning.

by slurve on Dec 26, 2008 11:24 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

im pretty certain that the rays wouldve been in your half with no reason to show up...

the MLB is doing FAR better than the NHL and NBA

TPJ...you're dead to me

by billybeingbilly on Dec 26, 2008 3:43 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

No title no problem

As long as they keep losing in the first round of the playoffs I have no problem with all the money. I don’t know why the public does either. How many teams did the Yanks steal Tex from ~~-4? (Sox, Angels, Nats, O’s)~~-3 of those having high payrolls to begin with. I think after 8 years of watching this, we see that money doesn’t necessarily = championships.

Stop quibbling.

by sagecoll on Dec 23, 2008 5:24 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

You think it's unfair that they have Damon?

Teixeira’s the only decent contract among the three they signed.

by aap212 on Dec 23, 2008 5:45 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

sabathia was a great contract...

they basically signed a front line pitcher for a market value 3 year contract….he’ll more than likely opt out when he’s able to like every player does and the yanks can then reevaluate his performance, health, etc…

every team if given the chance would love to sign front line pitchers to three year contracts…

TPJ...you're dead to me

by billybeingbilly on Dec 23, 2008 7:02 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

No way he opts out.

The chances of him getting a bigger contract than the six remaining years are very slim.

by aap212 on Dec 23, 2008 7:15 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

You say that...

But Alex did the same thing and just re-upped with the Yankees.

Fans are typically idiots.

by The Typical Idiot Fan on Dec 23, 2008 8:31 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

in 3 years the economy will likely be better...

and baseball salary inflation will kick in and he’ll sign a bigger contract…or maybe he’ll decide he doesnt like NYC…or maybe he’ll win a couple titles and realize he wants to go back to cali, ,etc

TPJ...you're dead to me

by billybeingbilly on Dec 23, 2008 8:36 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

A-Rod never had any injuries and isn't a pitcher

At best, one of those two things will be true of Sabathia in three years. His contract wasn’t hurt by the economy. It’s the guys lower on the totem pole who are hurt.

by aap212 on Dec 23, 2008 9:16 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

uhh...sabathia has had no history or injuries...

and he’ll be 31 when those 3 years are up…6 months younger than aj burnett…who just got 5 years, so theres nothing to say that he wont get 5 years at more money in 2011…i think its pretty likely

TPJ...you're dead to me

by billybeingbilly on Dec 24, 2008 8:30 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Yes, but he only got five years from the Yankees.

I know that Sabathia has no history of injuries, but some people are concerned about his body, he’s been worked incredibly hard the last couple of years, and of course, he’s a pitcher. So comparing him to A-Rod doesn’t really work here.

by aap212 on Dec 24, 2008 12:06 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

i was comparing him to burnett who has a terrible injury history...

and was still able to get a 5 year contract at 32 years old…no way that sabathia doesnt have that option in 3 years

TPJ...you're dead to me

by billybeingbilly on Dec 25, 2008 10:50 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

No way?

There are at least a couple of ways.

by aap212 on Dec 25, 2008 2:42 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

It's not about the contract

It’s about his family! If they don’t like New York, he’s out.

Mike Newman
baseballhandyman.com

by Baseball Handyman on Dec 26, 2008 10:56 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

This is why it is a bad signing for the Yankees and great for the Sox and RAys

Year Round Tm Opp WLser G GS ERA W L SV CG IP H ER BB SO
—————-—-—-——-—-—-—————————-—-—-—-—-
2001 ALDS CLE SEA L 1 1 3.00 1 0 0 0 6 6 2 5 5
2007 ALDS CLE NYY W 1 1 5.40 1 0 0 0 5 4 3 6 5
        ALCS CLE BOS L 2 2 10.45 0 2 0 0 10.1 17 12 7 9
2008 NLDS MIL PHI L 1 1 12.27 0 1 0 0 3.2 6 5 4 5
—————-—-—-——-—-—-—————————-—-—-—-—-
  3 Lg Div Series 1-2 3 3 6.14 2 1 0 0 14.2 16 10 15 15
  4 Postseason Ser 1-3 5 5 7.92 2 3 0 0 25 33 22 22 24
————————————-—-—-—————————-—-—-—-—-+

HIs control has a lot to be desired

by jbg3004 on Dec 23, 2008 7:38 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

The postseason performance problems are over-stated

If you work a starter into the ground and are surprised when he doesn’t have his best stuff in the playoffs, you can’t blame the pitcher for not being a robot.

by aap212 on Dec 23, 2008 7:50 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

how about these numbers

I Split G GS GF W L S CG SHO IP ERA H R ER HR BB IBB SO HBP
   May 6 6 0 2 3 0 2 1 44.1 2.44 41 12 12 4 8 0 41 1
   June 5 5 0 3 1 0 1 1 38 1.89 29 9 8 1 7 0 44 1
   July 6 6 0 4 0 0 3 1 47.2 2.27 36 15 12 4 12 0 39 2
   August 6 6 0 5 0 0 3 2 48.1 1.12 40 7 6 2 8 0 51 0
   Sept/Oct 6 6 0 2 2 0 1 0 42.2 2.11 37 14 10 2 7 0 43 2

Who's world is it? It's yours.

by BlackOps on Dec 24, 2008 2:56 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Barry Bonds sucked in the postseason until 2002

Coincidentally enough, the 2002 Giants won 10 postseason games.

Most players are bad in the postseason most years, because half the teams get eliminated at each stage. It will often take a player 10 or more playoff trips for his numbers to average out to his career numbers. But, eventually, they do. This argument is tripe.

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on Dec 24, 2008 3:24 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Coup for the Yanks

Sabathia and Burnett werent going to help as much as people assumed… but run scoring was a problem, as was infield defense. Tex was always the perfect fit and should have been their #1 priority. This one scares me. The Sox and Rays are still about as good, though.

by alskor on Dec 23, 2008 6:31 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

+1

I’d say this puts them behind the Rays in the division, but not by much.

I’d say the following for the East next year
Rays: 99 wins
Yankees: 98 wins
Boston: 95 wins

by demondeaconsbaseball on Dec 23, 2008 9:37 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

-1

Flip the Rays and Sox

www.thebaseballuniverse.blogspot.com

by prestonb1291 on Dec 23, 2008 9:53 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah...

I would say the Rays are easily #3.

Yankees: 95 wins (dont hold me to these! just eyeballed it!)
Sox: 94 wins
Rays 90 wins

The Rays outperformed their pyth last year by a decent amount. All things being equal the Sox win that division 75% of the time. The Rays are a really good ball club, but they arent quite on the level of the Sox or Yanks. It wouldnt be a shock to see them finish 1st , by any means, but true talent wise they are not quite a half step behind. They would be the favorites in pretty much any other division in baseball, sadly… well, probably not NL East, too, but you see my point Im sure.

by alskor on Dec 24, 2008 1:14 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

If you're predicting three teams to be separated by five games or less...

Then you’re really projecting a dead heat. You guys have them separated by less than margin of error. Who cares what order you have them in?

by aap212 on Dec 24, 2008 1:25 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Pretty much

Though if we continue too much with that logic, Tampa is really the same as a team projected for 85 wins – who would be roughly the same as a team I project for 80 wins…

Its just a fun little exercise to put numbers to them.

by alskor on Dec 24, 2008 1:37 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I don't see any regression in TB at all

if TB wanted to spend any $ (and this yr they’ll actually have some) they could own this division for yrs. In ‘09 there’s a healthy Upton & Crawford, both as good as locked to improve upon last season. Add in the probable upgrades at RF & DH, Bartlett & Navarro scheduled to improve or at worst hold their own, which is what Pena & Iwamura will do. Anyone here think Longoria (and this time for a full schedule) won’t step it up a notch? The 1 thru 4 starters (Shields, Kaz, Garza & Sonnanstine) should all see a slight uptick perhaps more, and then take out EJ for Price. I guess the wild card is the bullpen, perhaps some fluctuation is unavoidable. Defensively there shouldn’t be any let up.

I think the NYY made all of these moves because they saw an unavoidable stagnation of 3rd place staring them in the face once again. Now the heat is on Boston. But the Rays, they’re in there. 100 W’s – mark it down.

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by dew on Dec 24, 2008 2:44 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Ding Ding Ding

They won 97 with a gimpy Upton and Crawford. Add Price and this is a triple digit win team.

I wrote this about Teixeira to the Sox, but it applies considering I looked at the opportunity for key players to progress and regress.

Yankees and Rays should finish 6-8 games ahead of the Sox. It will be hard for them to replicate 95 wins.

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by Baseball Handyman on Dec 26, 2008 10:59 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Sox won 95 with a gimpy Ortiz and Lowell. Add all their young pitching and this is a triple digit win team.

Youre way off.

by alskor on Dec 26, 2008 1:53 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

It's almost like they all have great teams

And might win the division.

No – that can’t be right. Clearly one team is the only one with a chance to win

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by OldProspects on Dec 26, 2008 2:13 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Some people arent having fun unless theyre taking contentious positions, I guess.

by alskor on Dec 26, 2008 2:25 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

And a 100-win team isn't a uniform thing

Any of these teams might win 100 games easily in the NL West, but with all three teams in one division, odds are none will.

by aap212 on Dec 26, 2008 2:26 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Not true

There is still massive, massive potential in the Rays youth, especially their pitching staff. And if they sign someone like Bradley or Dunn, that’s 2 or 3 more wins there.

The Yankees, on the other hand, are an aging club with a worsening defense and an offense that is only slightly above average (especially considering that their players are getting old and falling apart). If anything, the Sox should be flipped with the Yankees

by demondeaconsbaseball on Dec 25, 2008 2:04 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

And if they sign someone like Bradley or Dunn, that’s 2 or 3 more wins there.

Well, if they add a 2-3 win player and stay around the same then they should be about as good as Boston was last year by pyth. They got lucky last year. Their expected win loss was 91-71.

I think the Sox and Yanks are a little better, but theyre all pretty close – and I do expect Tampa to get a Bradley/Dunn/Giambi and to improve a little elsewhere. I expect Boston to bounce back a bit from injuries and underperformance, too, though…

by alskor on Dec 25, 2008 4:17 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Good move by the Yankees

He was not a must sign but they got him to fill a void for a long time at a reasonable price.

Now please be smart and save your money. Trade Igawa for Marquis or something and let Hughes + Kennedy battle for that final spot.

by BLieve on Dec 23, 2008 6:36 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

That was not a reasonable price

by alskor on Dec 23, 2008 7:04 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Man,

What happened to the Kei Igawa days? Jeter, Matsui, Damon, Posada, and Rivera will begin their tailspins (please).

by Colorado Fan on Dec 23, 2008 9:58 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

hopefully

Founder of the Johnny Giavotella fan club.

by doublestix on Dec 23, 2008 10:04 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Sadly

another benefit of the Tex signing is that they have Nady/Swisher to backup any injuries… they look a lot better today than they did yesterday. Forget Rivera – he’s a freak and will never decline Im convinced. Posada, Matsui and Jeter may have already begun their “tailspins” – but they have a long way to fall… Who the hell knows with JD… he’s a weirdo.

by alskor on Dec 24, 2008 1:16 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

The Yankees WILL win the World Series this year.

And, I hate the Yankees. They should sign Manny now and just sew the whole thing up for absolute certain to go with their new stadium.

by NLaloosh on Dec 23, 2008 11:05 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Always take the field

I’m not confident these moves make the Yankees the best team in baseball, and even if they are, how often does the best team in baseball win the world series?

by aap212 on Dec 23, 2008 11:19 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Some projections I've seen have them at ~92 wins.

That could still only take third place in the AL East. Don’t hand them the trophy yet.

Fans are typically idiots.

by The Typical Idiot Fan on Dec 24, 2008 3:37 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Shades of 2004

Before the 2004 season, the Yankees acquired A-Rod, SHeffield, Vasquez, and Brown, all coming off of outstanding 2003 campaigns.

We’ll see how it plays out.

by SmokeyJoeWood on Dec 24, 2008 6:34 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

You say that

as if 2004 was such a terrible season, we all know how close they were to the WS and there is no doubt they would’ve beat the Cardinals.

Also, the Yankees have averaged 97 over the past 9 years or so, so I don’t understand why angry fans have to say things like “Let them spend, it never works anyway, they haven’t won in years!” Sure they haven’t won the WS which is their ultimate goal, but the playoffs are a crapshoot and if you are able to get there 13 consecutive years then you are a damn good organization regardless of what you spend.

by tmacdaman1 on Dec 24, 2008 3:31 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

No doubt they would have beaten the Cardinals?

The Cards were the worst team in the playoffs by far that year, but they beat three superior teams and won the series. You can’t say there’s no doubt the Yankees would have beaten them.

by aap212 on Dec 24, 2008 4:42 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

no I didn't

I didn’t say 2004 was a bad year for them. I said only what I said.

My point is that the games still have to be played. A few posters are crowning them ‘09 champs already, and I’m just adding some reason to the stew of hysteria.

by SmokeyJoeWood on Dec 25, 2008 3:21 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

In 2004?

The Cardinals won over 100 games in 2004; you’re thinking of 2006. There’s certainly doubt that the Yankees would have beaten them, though.

by Vaux on Dec 24, 2008 5:39 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I must say, I find it rather ironic that the Cardinals had 2 great teams that didn't win the WS

and one utterly mediocre team that did…

Kind of points up how random the current playoff system is, doesn’t it. I much prefer the European system, where tournaments and leagues are separate competitions (but teams participate in both).

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by PaulThomas on Dec 27, 2008 1:17 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs