Posada May Hit DL Soon

It would appear Jorge Posada has suffered an injury worse than a "stiff shoulder" and may be heading to the disabled list. Posada described his shoulder as "dead" and it seems the Yankees coaches and training staff are mystified as to what it could be. An MRI is in Posada's near future with Chad Moeller probably moving up the depth chart to back up Jose Molina.

Molina is not Yogi Berra, but he is a rock solid backup catcher. Can you imagine if Wil Nieves were the contingency plan? Yikes. Kudos goes to Brian Cashman for securing a solid replacement should Posada ever hit the DL for his first time. With an arduous, travel-happy upcoming schedule on the horizon, the 2008 Yankees face their first difficult test.

Mark Wegner Holds Game Hostage

Possibly the worst homeplate umpiring in the history of organized baseball took place today as Ed Wegner decided on a sub zero day to take the strikezone captive. Much to the chagrin of Phil Hughes and Brian Bannister, Wegner's obtuse and inconsistent K-zone yielded eight walks and skyrocketing pitchcounts.

Ed Price, who is at the game, had this to say about Wegner:

[]

That's the size of Mark Wegner's strike zone today.

Through three innings, there have been eight walks. Pitch counts: for Brian Bannister, 39 strikes and 32 balls; for Phil Hughes, 43 strikes and 36 balls.

Hughes was far from sharp, but the 3-2 slider to Tony Pena Jr. was a perfect pitch that somehow became ball four and not called strike three. As a result, Hughes threw 20 some-odd pitches more than he should have and it became a turning point as the Yankee starter was gassed afterward. Wilson Betemit dropping a strike that should have ended the inning on a caught stealing did not aid Hughes either.

Regardless of the final score, this is a game to be shrugged off for Hughes and, for Wegner, investigated by Major League Baseball. If not an optometrist.

Could A-Rod Replace DJ At SS?

It's an idea which had always been discarded before even digesting its repercussions. The thought of Derek Jeter being replaced by Alex Rodriguez during an extended absence has always been taboo which Joe Torre refused to dignify.

Names like Wilson Betemit, Miguel Cairo, Felix Escalona, Andy Cannizaro and Alberto Gonzalez have spelled Jeter during A-Rod's Yankees tenure. Soon after A-Rod was acquired, the question was posed whether he would ever move over a few feet should the Captain end up on the disabled list. This potential scenario was quickly defused and every baseball fan knew for a fact Rodriguez would play out his days at the hot corner.

Until now...

Joe Girardi would not reject the possibility of Rodriguez manning shortstop should Jeter be placed on the DL. Expressing his prerogative to sort out all possible solutions, the new skipper reminded fans of how much better talent Rodriguez could show in Jeter's stead. Instead of playing Betemit at shortstop [or Morgan Ensberg at first] and becoming a major question mark, he would be moved to his natural position - third base - as A-Rod returned to his natural spot in the infield.

Should Jeter recover in the next handful of days, such speculation becomes fruitless chatter, but it is an interesting topic and already a signal of the difference between Girardi and Torre. From the Yahoo! article:

Joe Girardi didn’t say no. Joe Torre would have.

Now, this is not to compare Girardi and Torre, not in a mano-a-mano fashion at least, but one that deals with today’s reality in the New York Yankees universe: Suggestions that Alex Rodriguez move to shortstop if the strained left quadriceps that forced Derek Jeter out of a game Monday lingers.

“There’s a lot of different scenarios we’ll talk about as a club and decide what we’re going to do,” Girardi said, and even though there was little substance to his words, it felt frighteningly candid – and, considering the other options, a rather sensible idea. Because under Torre’s watch, no matter how damaging to the Yankees in the short or long term, he wouldn’t dare place someone of consequence at Jeter’s position for fear of upsetting the captain’s chi.

Jeter first felt a twinge in his quad during the Yankees’ Sunday game and iced it before Monday’s game. That didn’t help, and Jeter ended up in an MRI tube to rule out extensive damage. Doctors found a low-level strain, nothing like in 2001, when Jeter missed Opening Day because of his right quad.

“That was worse,” Jeter said. “This is a mild strain, from what I was told. The other one was a lot worse than that. It was something you could feel moving your leg, period. This one is more when I put for a little effort. I really start running before I feel it.”

Aside from Betemit and A-Rod, there’s not another person on the Yankees’ active roster who can play shortstop. They could call up rookie Alberto Gonzalez, who is on the team’s 40-man roster, or Cody Ransom, who would require a roster move but bring more experience. Or, of course, they could put A-Rod at short and use Morgan Ensberg, a natural third baseman, to fill in.

Like Girardi said, plenty of scenarios.

Mark Teixeira missed approximately five weeks of last season with a quad injury, leading one to believe they are an unpredictable health woe to forecast. The two major question marks remain: would Jeter yet feel secure enough for Rodriguez to man his position and is the 2007 MVP still physically capable of playing quarterback of the infield. Updates on Jeter's condition should begin to emerge today.

Shaky Weather In KC

The forecast for today's 4pm start in Kansas City looked bleak as late as yesterday evening with showers and thunderstorms expected. However, this morning the weather prediction seems more mild, with a few showers expected around game time clearing up by 6pm. There is always the possibility the Royals decide to push the game back a few hours to accommodate.

Today's starting matchup is Phil Hughes vs. Brian Bannister.

No DL For Jeter . . . Yet

Derek Jeter's quad injury first surfaced on Sunday, and the strain may keep him out a week. From The Star Ledger:

Postgame, manager Joe Girardi said Jeter's strained left quad would keep him out of the lineup Tuesday in Kansas City, but that the team is not putting Jeter on the disabled list at this time and is hoping it won't have to.

Jeter had an MRI that revealed the strain and scoffed at the idea of the DL. He said he first felt the muscle "grab" during Sunday's game but thought it was a cramp. Felt it again during his first-inning at-bat and that's why he looked awkward running to first base -- said he didn't want to run hard for fear of further injury.

Girardi said he hoped to have Jeter back within a week, but can't be sure.

Jeter Leaves With Quad Groin Strain

UPDATE 9:15: ESPN's Buster Olney just reported Jeter left with a groin problem, not the quadriceps injury which was originally reported and will go for an MRI tonight.

Derek Jeter left Monday night's game with what was termed a "mild quad strain," though Yankees injury news is always downplayed before it is totally necessary.

Quads are tricky to diagnose because they can be day-to-day, or last for weeks [see: Beltran, Carlos].

Paps Makes Theo Looks Stupid [Again]

The Red Sox sure aren't making GM Theo Epstein look very good. Considering the boy genius called out Mike Mussina for voicing his displeasure over an exhibition trip to Japan, the comments Jonathon Papelbon offered during a recent radio interview completely contradict Theo's "bad apple" remarks toward Moose.

Threatening to boycott the Japan trip altogether was one thing, but now comes straight up whining on the part of the Red Sox closer:

"It’s been pretty ridiculous,” Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon said after his team’s first regular-season game in the eastern time zone.

Believe me, Papelbon isn’t on an island with his opinion. Even before the final out was registered last night, the Sox’ well-worn description of the 19-day road trip as “a business trip” had morphed into downright disgust.

“I feel like if we start struggling toward the end of the year, don’t ask questions. That’s if we do. I’m not saying we are,” Papelbon said. “We might breeze through that last month. But if aches and pains are starting to come that normally don’t, and intensity starts to lower, which I hope it doesn’t . . .but if that does happen don’t ask questions.”

“Not only to start out in Japan, but all the responsibilities they asked of us in Japan, the appearances, all the extra (stuff) besides going to Japan. Not only that but I think things were said and promised and not held up,” Papelbon said. “That certainly starts the trip out on the wrong foot.

"There's not an exact reason why you're going to win or lose a ballgame, but there are certain things that help predict the outcome and this trip is definitely starting to feel its effects," he said. "It's not just me, but I think a lot of other players."

Once again, Theo, I'd like you [pot] to meet kettle.

Deconstructing Yankee Stadium

What it took to build Yankee Stadium.

Size of lot: 10 acres

Construction time: 284 days

Rebar: 800 tons

Mechanical steel: 2,300 tons

Topsoil: 13,000 yds.

Concrete: 20,000 yds.

Dirt removed: 45,000 cubic yds.

Sod: 116,000 sq. ft.

Cost to purchase lot: $675,000

Lumber for bleachers: 950,000 board ft.

Total lumber: 4,000,000 board ft.

Brass screws: 1,000,000

Construction fee: $2,500,000

Justice: Cash, Pettitte Finished

An uncharacteristic column from Richard Justice of the Sporting News made its way to my inbox today. In it, Justice proves to know little or nothing about the current state of the New York Yankees fanbase and also makes kneejerk reactions to the possibility of Andy Pettitte and/or Brian Cashman leaving New York next season.

We appear to be seeing the beginning of the end of Andy Pettitte's marvelous career, and if you care about the New York Yankees, this may be more bad news than you can digest in one sitting.

In a related move, Brian Cashman likely will end up leaving, too. By, say, this time next year, the Yankees as you once knew them will no longer exist.

The Yankees will go back to the future, back to a time when they ran chaotically, spent wildly and never won a thing.

Right now, you're thinking change is a good thing. You're thinking it was a good idea for Joe Torre to hit the road. You're probably thinking the same about Brian Cashman, since he got cold feet when it came time to pull the trigger during the Johan Santana trade discussions.

You're tired of hearing about the long-term interests of the franchise. You want now.

Right . . . This is the epitome of shock journalism - writing controversial opinion, without much evidence, in the hopes of surprising readers into buying newspapers. I do not disagree Cashman and Pettitte could be spending their final season in the Bronx. However, contending the Yankees organization will instantly become a wasteland and Pettitte is finished after one start is absurd and uninformed drivel.

Justice goes on to speculate Pettitte was "hit hard and often" on Saturday. While Jonny Gomes did hit a linedrive homer which landed about 5 inches over the leftfield fence, Pettitte was not hit nearly as hard as Justice would have you think. Maybe he did not even watch the game, though that would probably interfere with his apocalyptic premise.

This is particularly disappointing because Justice had previously been a very reliable source of baseball information.

Pags: Mechanics Sap Hughes Velocity

Over at Dugout Central, Mike Pagliarulo investigated the velocity loss seen in Phil Hughes' fastball during his first start of the season. According to Pags, Hughes can blame his lackluster radar readings on mechanical flaws and not an injury or inexplicable malady. Certainly this is a possibility, though there may be even simpler reasons.

Let me preface his study by quoting Pagliarulo's conclusion late in the article which claims, "Let's not forget [Hughes] should still be in AA Trenton."

Wait, what? Pags shows how little he knows about Phil's development, considering in 2006 he tossed 116 innings at AA Trenton, striking out 138, walking 32, allowing only 72 hits, with a 2.06 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and a BAA of .171. If there was ever a 20 year-old ready to jump to AAA and then the major leagues, it was Phil Hughes.

Pagliarulo is the same opinionated third baseman - and not a catcher/pitcher - who predicted Kei Igawa would be an very good acquisition. He then went on to ream Igawa as a poor move as if he never lauded him in the first place. Let's also remember Hughes is coming off a very strong outing, so the criticism is silly and unnecessary:

The reason Phil Hughes isn’t throwing his fastball faster than 91 MPH is mechanics – and nothing else. Why doesn’t Brian Cashman know this? Because he’s an expert at managing groups, people and processes; he’s NOT a baseball expert in terms of scouting, of understanding pitching mechanics, or understanding hitting mechanics, etc. That’s in no way an insult to Brian. Jack Welch, formerly CEO of General Electric, is one of the most respected business leaders of our time, and he couldn’t build a jet engine or a refrigerator himself. But he could manage the people who could.

So, it’s unfair to ask Cashman the Hughes question since it’s not his area of expertise. It’s like asking Joe Girardi about brain surgery.

The good news is that Hughes’ mechanics are fixable. Whether he is coachable – a trait needed for a player to improve – is another thing. I’m not saying he isn’t coachable; I just don’t know the guy, so I can’t say.

In his last Spring training start Hughes was easily hitting 93-94 mph on the radar gun. The explanation for his 91 mph heater last Thursday may be as simple as Hughes having to pitch in Winter-like conditions.

Whatever the case, the 94-95 mph range may not be his sitting velocity [though his 2007 average velocity was over 92], but rest assured he can rear back for mid-90s heat. Coming out of high school he hit triple digits on the radar gun, but Hughes takes pride in an easy low-effort delivery. Apparently WasWatching and Pagliarulo would rather have Hughes throwing 95-96 mph and give up five runs than what we've seen so far this season.

As a reference point, Detroit requested that Justin Verlander take some off his fastball in favor of movement this year. The same may be true of the Yankees and Hughes.

Joba's Plan Ain't New[Well, Duh]

Joel Sherman finally figured out the Yankees plan for Joba Chamberlain in 2008 - pitching half the year in the bullpen before joining the rotation - is not some crazy, unprecedented blueprint.

The Cardinals are masters of this maneuver. Rotation members Brad Thompson, Todd Wellemeyer and Joel Pineiro (on the DL) each had 10 starts and 20 relief appearances in 2007. Ace Adam Wainwright and Braden Looper moved from closers to starters. St. Louis GM John Mozeliak said longtime pitching coach Dave Duncan "has a model in mind of who can make the conversion generally it is big guys who have shown durability and have more than two pitches."

Chamberlain is certainly a big guy. And Gil Patterson, who worked as a pitching coordinator for the Yankes in 2006-07, vouched that Chamberlain's "curve and changeup are not far behind his fastball and slider, which are electric" and that "there is no question with stamina. He was throwing [last year] 95-96 [mph] in pitches 80 to 90."

But the two cases most similar to where the Yanks are with Chamberlain involve Santana and the Dodgers' Chad Billingsley.

Shocker, considering last year's use of Chad Billingsley by the LA Dodgers is the comparison this blog and countless others have referenced in illustrating the advantage and safety of such a program.

The Dodgers righty was 22 last season, the same as Chamberlain this year. It was his first full major league campaign. He opened with 23 games in relief (6-4, 3.09 ERA, 40 strikeouts in 35 innings). He followed with 20 starts (8-5, 3.38 ERA with 101 whiffs in 112 innings). In total, he pitched 147 innings and began this year as a full-time member of the rotation, a combo similar to what the Yanks envision for Chamberlain between 2008 and 2009.

And Dodgers GM Ned Colletti cited almost the same reasons for Billingsley's usage pattern in 2007 as the Yanks offer for Chamberlain in 2008: "He was ready for the big leagues. Our bullpen was comprised in such a way that we needed him there to start. We got him big-league time and experience without extending his innings or putting him in danger physically. . . . By the end of the year, we wished we had two of him because when we took him out of 'pen the 'pen suffered."

Johan Santana is the other example many [including Sherman] use as a measuring stick for Chamberlain:

Santana climbed from 1081/3 innings in 2002 to 1581/3 innings in 2003, and then in his age-25 season began a four-year stretch in which he became exclusively a starter and led the AL (9121/3 ) in innings before joining the Mets. Santana's arm probably was protected by the gradual innings progression, as the Yanks New York Yanke hope they are doing with Joba.

"At this point, I would have to say, yes [that the 'pen was good for him]," Santana said. "Back then? No. I wanted to be a starter my whole career. . . . I learned a lot in the bullpen. It gives you more time to think, and I went through every possible situation as a pitcher. You're exposed to everything out there, and I'm a guy who's always watched and listened. If Joba does the same thing, he'll be fine."

Hughes Relates To Pedro

The Journal News has Phil Hughes' reaction after witnessing Pedro Martinez suffer an eerily similar injury to the one the young Yankee did during his terrific start against the Texas Rangers last year.

The Mets #2 starter likely faces an even more arduous recovery period since he is roughly 16 years old than Hughes was when the then 20 year-old went down with a hamstring tear:

It was May 1 of last season when Hughes suffered the same injury in Texas. Seven outs away from a no-hitter, he limped off the field.

"Right when I saw what happened to Pedro on television, I thought, 'Oh, man,' because I remembered that feeling," Hughes said. "It looked like the same thing happened to him that happened to me. I really feel for him."

"The legs are your foundation," Hughes said. "You throw the ball with your arm, but it starts from the feet up. If there's a broken link somewhere in that process, it's tough."

"I thought initially it would be 4-6 weeks like they told me," he said. "It ended up being three months. But I didn't really get my fastball back until September. I was still tentative in August because I was afraid I'd hurt it again. It's tough to get over."

Martinez injured the same leg as well - the left one - which receives the most stress, pressure and weight from a righthander's delivery. It's this leg which provides the extra late-life and velocity pitchers need on their fastball.

First One To Seven Wins...

Bill Madden says these days a seven inning start is the new complete game. According to the article, teams with the most starts at or exceeding seven innings tend to find their way into October:

According to Elias Sports Bureau, the teams that get the most outings of seven or more innings from their starting pitchers have the best chance of making the playoffs. Last year, the Cleveland Indians led the majors with 71 games in which their starters went seven or more innings and they finished first in their division. The National League leaders were the Arizona Diamondbacks, with 59, and, not coincidentally, they too won their division.

With the exception of 2006, over the last five years those teams that finished first or second in the majors in starts of seven innings or more all made the playoffs. However, even those "new" complete game numbers are shrinking, as evidenced by the Yankees' major league-leading 87 starts of seven-plus innings in 2003, to the Angels' and Indians' major league-leading 71 in '06 and '07, respectively.

Duncan: I Played Like Crap

At least that's what Shelley Duncan said of his own play during Saturday's game:

Acting manager Rob Thomson liked how the young first baseman "battled," but Shelley Duncan boiled down his first start of the season to another word.

"Poop," Duncan said as he fiddled with the tab of a soda can in front of his clubhouse stall after yesterday's 6-3 loss to the Rays.

Duncan ripped a second-inning single to left in his first at-bat, but his afternoon deteriorated quickly. He finished 1-for-4, grounded out with two runners on base to end the eighth and committed a throwing error that led to two unearned runs.

"I feel like I have some work to do," Duncan said. "I felt like poop a little bit. Hopefully, I can put the work in the cage and next time around I can be sharp."

As for his choice of words, Duncan said, "It just means you feel you can do a lot better, you feel you can feel a lot better. You don't feel like your swing at everything was 100 percent. That was me [yesterday]. Poop."

Duncan had better find a poop scooper at first if he wants to challenge Jason Giambi for a recurring role in the infield.

SNY: A-Rod Postseason NumbersBetter Than You Thought

From Michael Salfino of Sportsnet New York comes a look at Alex Rodriguez in the postseason and the success he had before becoming a Yankee. Most fans realize this, of course, so it isn't particularly as groundbreaking as Salfino believes it to be.

It's also unclear how effective his analysis could be when Salfino - a Mets slanted writer working for a Mets tv network - claims "a majority of Yankees fans can't stand Rodriguez." This coming after he visited a North Jersey bar and sniped at Yankee fans as if he were some beacon of baseball knowledge.

From the column:

This so-called confirmation bias is a long-established universal of human decision-making. Psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky won a Nobel Prize in 2002 for their work in this area. For our purposes, it demonstrates that once we define a player in a certain way, we seek information that supports that view and reject information that contradicts it.

But A-Rod was a postseason force early in his career, and against the Yankees no less: .409/.480/.773 in the 2000 ALCS loss to the Bombers.

But his team lost. That’s another key to clutchness: your team has to win or your achievement is quickly forgotten or somehow viewed as “not quite enough.”

A-Rod went .320/.392/.600 in his first Yankees postseason. But two big things worked against him. He was the highest-paid player in baseball and thus was expected to perform at least at that level. More importantly, the Yankees lost that seven-game ALCS to the Red Sox. By the way, Derek Jeter went .200/.333/.233 in that Red Sox debacle, but the view of him being a clutch player, shaped during a string of successful playoff runs when he was earning near minimum big-league salaries, was cemented.

Girardi Out With Flu

Manager Joe Girardi will miss tonight's game - assuming the weather permits - because of an upper respiratory infection.

Yankees bench coach Rob Thomson will manage tonight's game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium because manager Joe Girardi is suffering from an upper respiratory infection and has decided to stay inside the Yankees clubhouse. Girardi, who had a high fever, is expected to be available to manage tomorrow's game, which is at 1 p.m.

Melky, Shelley Drop AppealWill Miss Two Games

According to the Star Ledger, Melky Cabrera and Shelley Duncan have both dropped their appeals and will sit out the next two games. The penalty for each player has been reduced from the original three game suspension:

Center fielder Melky Cabrera and first baseman Shelley Duncan dropped their appeals of their three-game suspensions for the bench-clearing incident between the Yankees and Rays in spring training. Both players had their suspensions reduced to two games, and Cabrera will serve his tonight and tomorrow, with Duncan serving his Sunday and Monday.

We'll see if this quells any possible confrontation during the Tampa Bay series this weekend.

Psycho-T Hits Like A Girl

Classic Simpsons Metaphors

Many have tried and more have failed, but a couple years ago Barstool Sports succeeded in compiling the definitive MLB Simpsons analogy list. A few of them are still spot on today:

Oakland A's - Bart Simpson - Reliable bad-boy winners who march to the beat of their own drum. Locked in a constant struggle against the overbearing establishment. Every time you think they're going to get what's coming to them, they weasel out of it and surprise you again.

Florida Marlins - Snake - Riding high for a while, publicly executed, and then somehow cheated death to escape and rise again. Important players in cities known for their rampant drug and crime problems. They seem to be in trouble a lot, but never really go away. Almost lost something of great value to a much wealthier, more prestigious individual, but hung onto it in the end (stealing his girlfriend back from Mr. Burns, 2003 World Series).

Houston Astros - Marge Simpson - Their fortunes rise and fall with those of a guy who has put together an unbelievable string of successes despite obviously being an inveterate jerk. Seemingly infinite reservoir of patience for someone who has proven themselves to be not worth hanging on to (Homer, Brad Ausmus).

Cincinnati Reds - Principal Seymour Skinner - Spent much of their existence under the hand of a domineering, insane woman who was impossible to please (Agnes Skinner, Marge Schott). Possessors of a dirty little secret that they would rather sweep under the rug (Skinner's true identity of Armand Tamzarian, Pete Rose). Their lives were given meaning in the '70s (Vietnam, the Big Red Machine) but now all they have to escape the monotony of their everyday existence is the flashbacks.

San Francisco Giants - Abe "Grandpa" Simpson - Even older than you would have thought. Surrounded by other decrepit crones, and they have a tendency to live in the past. Completely dependent on a big lug of questionable moral turpitude who, curiously, never seems to get any older.

Los Angeles Dodgers - Disco Stu - Overconfident and forever predicting the return of their glory days. Brought up by devoted fans more often than is probably reasonable, considering their sporadic appearances. Haven't been relevant since the '80s.

Hat tip to Baseball Think Factory.

Melancon Not Hurt

There had been some clamoring yesterday over Mark Melancon and his health. The powerful righthanded reliever was said to have entered Thursday's Tampa Yankees game but was removed before throwing a pitch. Many had worried Melancon had been injured in some way, but it was apparently human error as manager Luis Sojo forgot to add him to the Tampa Roster:

Mark Melancon is not hurt. He didn’t enter the game after throwing warmup pitches (that I took video of and analyzed like the Zapruder film), because T-Yanks Manager Luis Sojo forgot to put him on the roster. Just a simple brain fart. Don’t feel bad for freaking out though Yankee fans, until the game ended and this was figured out, Yankee brass in the stands were in a state of panic as well.

Dellin Betances was more than healthy in his first Charleston start, striking out eight allowing two runs on three hits over five innings.