Get Me Russo!
Kevin Russo has played 2B/3B/SS and CF this season at Scranton and before tonight he was hitting .304/.388/.422. The Yankees need to get him up to the bigs before Saturday's game.
I've griped and yelled and screamed about this over and over again, but carrying 13 pitchers is just way too risky in the AL. It leaves you with only three guys on the bench and the Yankees came way too close to running out of position players tonight. After Johnson and Cano left, Jeter got drilled. If he hadn't been able to continue the Yankees would have been forced to put Posada behind the plate, Cervelli at 3B and A-Rod at SS. Hopefully tonight scares the Yankees into avoiding 13 pitchers at all costs in the future. It is absolutely criminal in my mind that the Yankees demoted Golson before tonight's game. With Mariano available and yesterday's offday, they had six relievers available why in the world did they need another pitcher? Girardi kept referring to his "card being a little short today", the solution to that is don't carry 13 pitchers!!
Since I started this post, Joe Girardi has basically said the Yankees are gong to make a DL move tomorrow and it will probably be an infielder. That practically guarantees Russo is going to be on his way. Nick Johnson sounds like he might be in big trouble. Boston has wonderful hospitals, but the Yankees have decided to send him back to New York for tests. This was the risk with Johnson, great OBP, but very, very brittle. If he is gone for significant time then the Yankees should be thankful they have Thames on the bench.
As for Cano, he sounds like he isn't going to play tomorrow (more evidence of an IF on the way) but the long term concern is good. The Yankees can survive losing Johnson, losing Cano would have been very tough to overcome.
Interesting reaction from CC Sabathia during Beckett's meltdown in the sixth. I got the impression that Sabathia felt Beckett was using the Yankees for target practice. I'm not sure I agree with that assessment, but it will be interesting to watch if Sabathia sends a message tomorrow afternoon. I wouldn't be surprised at all.
Lost in all of this and unfairly so is an awesome start from Phil Hughes. He is truly blossoming into the pitcher the Yankees hoped he would become. He has four pitches and he controls all four. Throw in his ability to dial it up into the mid 90's and the Yankees might have thier best first round pick since 1992 when they took Derek Jeter.
Comments
Looked to me that Beckett was taking out his frustrations, pretty obviously, on Yankee hitters. He was dominating and then lost his cool and his focus - and he cost his team the game.
Nick Johnson will not be missed in the two hole for a while. Perhapps the layoff will do him (and us) some good.
Robertson's stuff, when he can cotrol it, is great - but he's lost his consistency. Good to see Girardi run hin out there in an effort to get him going again.
My guess is that CC will be focused on putting up all zeroes tomorrow, although either he or Joba might leave their mark on someone in the late innings if we have enough of a lead.
And - absolutely, we need to bring up someone like Russo.
Posted by: Mitchell![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://yankeesredsox.com/nav-commenters.gif)
|
May 8, 2010 12:21 AM
|
I don't think so Mitchell, I didn't see it but from the circumstances (bases loaded)I don't think so. HBP to force in a run and a curveball on Cano?
btw - cable was/is out so that saved me from the terrible trifecta last night.
Posted by: blmeanie![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://yankeesredsox.com/nav-commenters.gif)
|
May 8, 2010 09:36 AM
|
The way he threw at Cervelli's head after he called time? That was Cervelli's way of getting under JB's skin - and it worked. The way he caught Jeter high in the back? The "too-inside" pitch to Cano? The smirk on his face while walking back to the mound? The words he clearly mouthed while on the mound, caught on camera? Nah, BL, Beckett continues to be a hot head who throws at people when he gets mad. He either needs a hot shot right back at him to calm him down or a flying bat on a rainy night ... better yet, he can pitch for the Braves and step into the batter's box every once in a while to catch an inside fastball with his cup. That's probably the only thing that guy will ever understand.
And trying to convince me that Beckett just lost his control is like my telling that Joba never tries to slide a fastball under Youk's chin. :-)
Posted by: Mitchell![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://yankeesredsox.com/nav-commenters.gif)
|
May 8, 2010 10:07 AM
|
to reiterate, I did not have the advantage of seeing what you saw.
Posted by: blmeanie![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://yankeesredsox.com/nav-commenters.gif)
|
May 8, 2010 10:15 AM
|
yo- Peter/Andy, check your emails from yankeesredsox.com
Posted by: blmeanie![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://yankeesredsox.com/nav-commenters.gif)
|
May 8, 2010 01:29 PM
|
Mitchell
The Cervelli one was obvious, it was a message of "get your butt back in the box" and I don't really have a problem with that it's old school baseball.
I still don't know about the other ones. You're right about his facial expressions, but as BL pointed out the circumstances make it seem unusual. If he did do it intentionally he is a much bigger idiot than I thought.
Francona had a good line today when he was asked about the potential of retaliation by the Yankees he mentioned that the Red Sox already took care of it by hitting Varitek last night.
Posted by: Peter![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://yankeesredsox.com/nav-commenters.gif)
|
May 8, 2010 02:00 PM
|
Well, that settles it then: Beckett is a much bigger idiot than you thought, Peter. (LOL)
And I think that Beckett truly got so wound up in his anger/frustration that he forgot what pitch he agreed to throw - and crossed up Tek.
Posted by: Mitchell![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://yankeesredsox.com/nav-commenters.gif)
|
May 8, 2010 05:42 PM
|