TwitterWhere To Begin?
9 Sep 2012
Last night’s loss bothers me on so many levels that I don’t know where to start with my complaints.
Obviously, the call at first base was terrible, but it wasn’t the reason the Yankees lost. They lost because CC Sabathia did not pitch well. I’m very torn on what I see in Sabathia right now. I can see that his velocity is down. But the numbers provide an interesting counterpoint to that. He is striking out batters at the same rate he did before the All-Star Break, but his walk rate has plummeted. However, his ERA is higher because he has given up more home runs in the 62 innings he has pitched since the break than he did in the 107 before it. Does that combined with the lack of walks mean he isn’t wasting enough pitches and subsequently getting burned? I don’t know, but the Yankees need him to figure it out.
Another thing that really bothered me was Mark Teixeira calling himself out of today’s game last night. I understand he is hurt, I understand he slid into first because he felt something in his calf, but couldn’t he have at least seen how he felt this morning before saying he wasn’t playing? This is crunch time and the Yankees need him. If he can’t play I understand, but try a night of treatment before ruling yourself out.
And why is Jason Nix playing third last night? A-Rod missed six weeks and since he has returned he has DH’ed four times. Nix is 9-for-49 over the last month with two extra base hits. Remember Eduardo Nunez? I’m not sure the Yankees do.
Finally, let me address what happened between Joel Sherman and Joe Girardi. I understand the media is going to protect their guy and they did quickly on Twitter, but let’s not pretend that there isn’t a history between these two. Take a look at this and tell me how you would feel about the author if it was written about you. Sherman’s an excellent baseball writer, but he also wasn’t an innocent victim last night.
Sep 09, 2012 @ 23:29:39
Peter,
The questions about CC are valid. Something is not quite right. Is it health, a slump, or (gulp) the start of the decline phase? All we know for sure is he has come up small a lot recently. This is not the ace the Yankees were expecting, and desperately need right now. And even Joe acknowledged his velocity is down. As far as Girardi and Sherman, I remember that article from 2010 and I thought then (and still think now) that Sherman made quite a few valid points, Truth is, Girardi is wound a bit too tight, and he does sometimes stretch the truth so much (and so transparently) that it borders on outright lying. Anyway, I am reminded about the old saying about the heat, the kitchen and what to do if you find it too darn hot in said kitchen . . . That’s a prerequisite for managing the Yankees. Comes with the territory.
Question: When are the Yankee coaches going to drill into the heads of the Yankees pitching staff how to pitch to Mark Reynolds? I don’t want to sound like I’m taking anything away from the man, but look at his numbers. The rest of the league is somehow managing to get him out, so why can’t the Yankees? I mean, based on his career trajectory so far, it doesn’t look we’re talking about a future hall of famer here (except when he is hitting Yankee pitching, of course). Get him out, already.
You were right: I loved the ballpark. Absolutely loved the whole look and feel of the place, and Eutaw Street, too. My wife really enjoys these weekend getaways so we can probably do this every year if I want (it would be nice . . .). Heck, we go to DC once a year anyway (we have a restaurant and a hotel we love there). It was raining really heavily on the way down there — I was concerned the game would be postponed, It was also raining while we waited on the seemingly interminable line to get past the security check (wife’s handbag). But, as we were sitting way up in the nosebleed section, we at least got to enjoy protection from the rain during the game, courtesy of the overhang. The bratwurst and chicken tenders were awful, by the way — the bratwurst was too fatty, too chewy, and not flavorful and the chicken tenders didn’t have much in the way of actual chicken. Breading, yes. Chicken, no. They were very heavy and were also not very flavorful. You’ve been warned. The local brew was not too bad, though. I was shocked at how many Yankee fans were in the stands. Amazing. I was even more shocked at the number of Yankees fans in the hotel. We stayed at the Homewood Suites at BWI Airport. The hotel was full, and from the looks of it, they were mostly Yankees fans (I could tell easily enough by their Yankee apparel). I do not exaggerate when I say the hotels in the area appear to derive a fair amount of their in-season business from Yankees fans (I wouldn’t be surprised if the same holds true for Red Sox fans when the Sox are in town). The hotel offers a free shuttle service 24×7 to the airport light rail stations (there are two stops), which makes things really convenient. The competing hotels all appear to do the same. We were in Alexandria and DC for Labor Day weekend and bought a couple of SmarTrip tickets, which are similar to NYC MetroCards except they don’t expire, they can be managed via a web account, and are usable in both DC and Baltimore. Pretty convenient. So I bought two (each person has to have their own), and I dutifully charged each card with $10.00 before boarding the tram. And I had absolutely no idea where/how to swipe the card. And from what I could, tell, neither did anyone else, not even the Marylanders. Apparently, everyone rode for free! I still have $10.00 on each card. Oh, well.
One last thing (please forgive me for rambling, guys): Today we spent the day in historic New Castle, DE. This is a really charming place which I wholeheartedly recommend for a few hours’ visit. It is easily reached from I-95 so if you’re coming back up from DC or Baltimore it is a convenient excursion and well worth it. We saw the sights and even had the good fortune to run into the author of this book:
http://www.amazon.com/New-Castle-Images-America-Travers/dp/0738518336/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1347247314&sr=1-1&keywords=new+castle+travers
He was giving a tour to a woman and invited my wife and I to join him (for free!), He is loves history, as do I, so I thoroughly enjoyed myself as we hit it off quite well. What a lucky break.
I’m thinking maybe I should create a website, something like http://www.weekendgetawaysfromnyc.com, whatcha think?
Sep 10, 2012 @ 21:34:45
Greg
You didn’t go to Boog’s for dinner at the park? Or better yet, a hardshell dinner before the game? Yes, it’s a great park and a great scene. You should try the new Nationals Park at some point too. Not as nice, but I love the President race and D.C. is a fun town too, especially for history buffs. (Along those lines, did you get to Fort McHenry in Baltimore?)
And sign me up for the website, just include a section for people with kids please!
Now on to “business”. I agree that Girardi can be tightly wound, my point was that there is history between Sherman and Girardi. Some of the Yankee writers and some national guys acted like Joe had been completely unprovoked and then flipped out on Sherman in the manager’s office. From what I can piece together Sherman asked a question that Girardi didn’t love and they had a conversation about it afterwards which got heated. Both sides should probably share the blame.
Yeah the Mark Reynolds thing is frustrating because he did it two series in a row. He crushed us. I guess the good thing is they won’t face him again until the playoffs. Maybe that will give them time to figure a way to shut him down?
Sep 11, 2012 @ 01:14:55
Peter,
We got to the park late. We left later than we’d planned, and then traffic slowed down considerably because of the rain. So we didn’t get to eat before the game. Haven’t been to Fort McHenry yet, but the Aquarium is awesome. I plan to see the Nationals some time, too. BTW, the next time you are in DC, try a restaurant called Zaytinya. Easy to find on the web, just Google the name. My wife and I basically look for excuses to go to DC so we can eat there. If you go, let me know and I’ll give you some pointers on what to order.
I understood what you meant by Girardi, and I understand there’s been some history. I just think, perhaps more than you do, that Girardi over-reacted.
Sep 11, 2012 @ 08:52:54
Greg
Thanks for the dining tip, I will definitely check it out.
And Boog’s is Boog Powell’s BBQ join inside of Camden Yards. Much, much better than the regular concessions.
Sep 11, 2012 @ 11:39:17
with the all critical series beginning tonight you guy embark on a food critique ???
Sep 11, 2012 @ 12:29:17
Baseball or no, a man’s still gotta eat. Might as well enjoy it.
Sep 11, 2012 @ 13:27:28
change of subjects (sorry), I think we’ve discussed this particular article before, but my hat goes off to Bobby V on this one, I don’t mind at all if he sticks around next year.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=110907/September11
Sep 11, 2012 @ 13:27:56
change of subjects (sorry), I think we’ve discussed this particular article before, but my hat goes off to Bobby V on this one, I don’t mind at all if he sticks around next year.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=110907/September11
Sep 11, 2012 @ 16:55:14
That’s quite a topic change, but a very cool story.
I will look out my window at the tribute in light tonight and think back to that awful day.