In Case You Were Wondering…

Johan Santana went 7 innings today against the Marlins, striking out 8 (Hanley Ramirez, the Floridian phenom, struck out twice) while giving up only 2 ER.

If Wang blows it on the mound tomorrow, expect to see heads spin in NY.

Game Postponed

The game will be tomorrow night (originally an off day) instead. It’s at 7:05 so if you’re on the west coast like me, you may not have to miss it.

Opening Day: Yanks VS. Blue Jays

Here’s the starting lineup, brought to you by PA’s LoHud Blog:

YANKEES
18 Johnny Damon LF
2 Derek Jeter SS
53 Bobby Abreu RF
13 Alex Rodriguez 3B
25 Jason Giambi 1B
24 Robinson Cano 2B
20 Jorge Posada C
55 Hideki Matsui LF
28 Melky Cabrera CF
40 Chien-Ming Wang RHP

BLUE JAYS
11 David Eckstein SS
4 Shannon Stewart LF
15 Alex Rios RF
10 Vernon Wells CF
35 Frank Thomas DH
17 Lyle Overbay 1B
2 Aaron Hill 2B
19 Marco Scutaro 3B
9 Gregg Zaun C
32 Roy Halladay RHP

As of right now, the start of the game is delayed but officials do expect to play sometime this afternoon.

Opening Day Bits: Wangian Wonder, Bleacher Creatures, Game Time

First and foremost, I’d like to wish everyone a happy Opening Day. To me, it’s definitely an unofficial holiday that starts rather early. The much anticipated Wang VS. Halladay matchup will begin at 1:05 for all of you excited east coasters, while I’ll be waking up bright and early to see the game at 10:05, here on the west coast. I won’t be live-blogging for the entire game, since I have class from 11:30-1:30, but I’ll definitely be here, updating for anyone who stops by until I have to leave, so make sure to check in.

With that said, let’s get into the bits: 

1) With Opening Day a few hours away (I rap like that), there are a variety of concerns that are plaguing many Yankee fans. Our pitching has definitely been our biggest concern, as our rotation can be described as “new and intriguing.” The 5-man staff has been built upon the backs of youngsters, a few frail oldies, and a questionable ace in Chien-Ming Wang. In fact, Chien-Ming Wang might even be the biggest question mark on the team. Wang wrapped up the spring with an uncharacteristic 8.04 ERA over 15.2 innings of work, so now, as John Harper wonders in this article, one must ask, should we be worried about Wang? Harper raises this question as he looks back on the Santana trade, a trade that 4 out of 6 scouts believe the Yankees should have made, according to Harper (6 scouts/executives were polled by Harper). Harper cites the obligatory reasons as to why these scouts feel this way (e.g. growing pains with young pitchers, dying pains with old pitchers, etc.) and then he throws Wang in the situation. Wang’s spring training numbers are high, so, everyone together now, should we be worried? Maybe his confidence has deteriorated after his miserable showing against Cleveland in 2007? Simply put, what’s with Wang, asks Harper. The Yanks can’t afford to be wrong about him.

To be honest, nobody knows except for Wang, but more importantly, should we really be worried about the spring training numbers? As we’ve discussed many times, Wang has been experimenting with a few of his secondary pitchers during the spring season which can easily explain his bloated ERA. He has 11 K’s in 15.2 innings which is a good sign if he’s been utilizing secondary stuff a bit more. But, ultimately, doesn’t this “worry about Wang” mentality fall upon the discomfort writers generally have with him? He’s not an ace, they say, and then they question his validity even as he grabs the reigns to a $200-million organization and starts the final Opening Day at Yankee Stadium. That’s why people are questioning Wang and wondering if we should have traded for Santana. There’s just a general critique about his ability as a frontline starter. To demonstrate my point, the following is a list of “aces” with high ERAs this spring:

1. Chien-Ming Wang - 8.04
2. Ben Sheets – 9.56
3. Brandon Webb – 8.50
4. Jake Peavy – 9.39
5. Erik Bedard – 8.63

These are all undisputed aces so nobody is wondering about these guys (although Bedard has scared a few people in Seattle). Have you heard about Jake Peavy’s struggles or the comparable Brandon Webb’s (to Wang) miserable spring? Probably not (unless you follow fantasy baseball). Spring training is no definitive indication of a starting pitcher’s talent, yet people are harping on Wang’s abilities, as if the spring stats serve as a reflection of his bruised psyche after the Cleveland debacle last year (yes, John Harper is Freud). Let’s all relax a bit and watch Wang pitch against the Blue Jays in the first game of 08 before we instantly declare the man a lost cause. If he gets blown out in today’s effort, you can believe that the writers will be in a frenzy but, if he does the usual (sink, DP, sink DP), you probably won’t hear much about it (unless he strikes out 6 or more).

Here’s to hoping that Wang sticks it to the naysayers and provides us all with a wonderful treat on our final Opening Day within the cozy confines of Babe Ruth’s home.

2) Next up, after that long-winded writeup, what would an Opening Day be without some information on the infamous Bleacher Creatures, our favorite group at the current Yankee Stadium. However, Filip Bondy has a nice read on the creatures and whether or not they’ll be able to transplant themselves after the new Yankee Stadium opens. One would certainly miss the roll-calling rituals and drunken debauchery that occurs on that side of the ballpark. With the rocketing costs and prices at the new stadium, and with new seating arrangements in toe, it could be a tough situation for the creatures and their legacy.

3) Finally, here’s an ESPN rundown of today’s (it’s 3 AM here in Seattle) game. I’m sorry it’s ESPN, but they do raise some nice points about 2008’s Opening Day, as it marks the end and beginning of a new era in Yankee history. There will be no Joe Torre present, which is a strange sight for many Yankee fans, yet I feel that the new blood will provide a much needed spark to the sometimes stagnant lineup. With that said, my final prediction for the club is 97-65. It’s going to be one hell of a year and a wild ride.

LET’S GO YANKEES!!!

Pettitte to Pitch on the 5th

Andy Pettitte pitched against Tripe-A competition today and struck out 6 over 6 innings while allowing just one hit and one walk. He says that he “feels great” and is ready to pitch on April 5th. Ian Kennedy also pitched against Pettitte in the game, throwing 5 strong innings where he walked one and struck out 5. He’ll start the fourth game of the year.

The Yankees play in an actual game tomorrow? More on that later…

PA’s Cashman Q&A

PA at the LoHud Blog has a great Q&A with Brian Cashman. Check it out. Cashman seems like a pretty nice guy and he offers some good advice to those who are interested in getting into the baseball business (among other things).

Loose Ends: Patterson & Marte

A couple of loose ends to tie up for the week.

1) Joe Girardi issued final cuts yesterday and Scott Patterson was pretty disappointed. After an impressive spring and an equally impressive 2007 season in the minors, Patterson failed to capture a bullpen spot. Girardi has said that his inexperience ultimately cost him a chance, however, he does expect to see Patterson sometime soon. Brian Bruney will be kept on a short leash and if he fails or if Ohlendorf fails, Patterson can definitely get the nod.

2) Next up, even with the bullpen supposedly set, Devan Kovacevic, a writer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, states that the Yankees are still very interested in Damaso Marte. If Farnsworth or Hawkins don’t pan out (well, Farnsworth hasn’t panned out already), I can see the Yanks pursuing Marte even further. However, they may feel inclined to work with what they have in the minors, unless their pen totally fails.

Your 2008 Yankees

PA’s got the roster up:

Lineup
Johnny Damon LF
Derek Jeter SS
Bobby Abreu RF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Jason Giambi 1B
Jorge Posada C
Hideki Matsui DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Melky Cabrera CF

Bench
Jose Molina C
Shelley Duncan 1B-RF-LF
Morgan Ensberg 1B-3B
Wilson Betemit 1B-2B-3B-SS

Starters
RHP Chien-Ming Wang
RHP Mike Mussina
RHP Phil Hughes
RHP Ian Kennedy

Relievers
RHP Mariano Rivera
RHP Joba Chamberlain
RHP LaTroy Hawkins
RHP Kyle Farnsworth
LHP Billy Traber
RHP Ross Ohlendorf
RHP Brian Bruney
RHP Jon Albaladejo

————-
60-day disabled list
RHP Andrew Brackman
RHP Humberto Sanchez
RHP Carl Pavano

15-day disabled list
LHP Andy Pettitte
RHP Jeff Karstens
LHP Sean Henn

This is our team and I’m pretty excited. As you can see, the Yankees placed Pettitte on the DL but it’s backdated, so he’ll be available the first week of April. This allowed Girardi to carry an extra reliever in Jonathan Albaladejo. Girardi opted to go with Ross Ohlendorf over carrying a long man which, in view of the spring training performances by Kei Igawa, Rasner and Karstens, seems like the best idea. Ohlendorf can get some ground outs with his sinker and he’s got a different look when compared to Bruney, Farnsworth or Joba. The team looks very solid right now. Great bench, good stuff in that bullpen.

The iYankees Award

Hey everyone. I’ve been trying to set up a giveaway for a long time now and I finally have the means to do that. I’ll be giving away either Yankees tickets next week, or something more than that (I can’t say right now) so stay tuned. I finally have it worked out. Thanks for sticking around.

The Force?

From Tyler Kepner:

I never thought of Joe Girardi as Yoda. For one thing, he’s not 900 years old. He’s not green. And while Girardi may carry a baseball bat at times, I’ve never seen him with a cane.

But I couldn’t help but think of the Jedi Master from Star Wars on Friday when hearing an anecdote from Matt Treanor, the Florida Marlins catcher who played for Girardi in 2006.

Yoda’s most famous quote, of course, was: “Do, or do not. There is no try.” Turns out Girardi believes the same thing.

“He expects you to get the job done,” Treanor said. “One time in spring training, somebody said, ‘I’m going to try to do this.’ I remember his comment was, ‘I can get a truck driver to try.’

“So basically that means, you’re out there to do it, by whatever means you have to do it.”

There you have it, the distilled wisdom of the Yankees’ new manager, straight from the playbook of a three-fingered puppet.

That’s why Yankee fans are excited about Joe Girardi. He’s about working hard, but if you don’t succeed you’re simply not working hard enough. That’s a good mentality to have and hopefully it’ll catapult the Yankees to a World Series.

Pettitte on Track

PA is reporting that Pettitte threw another bullpen session today and he’s ready to go on Sunday (minor league game). He says he feels “great” but he’s still experiencing some slight tenderness in his back.

Soon to be Unemployed

Our old friend Mike Stanton is about to be cut by the Reds. That’s pretty tough considering how awful their bullpen already is (okay, it got a little bit better this year, but still).

Friday Morning Bits: Girardi, Pettitte, Bullpen, Steinbrenners, Albaladejo

It’s pretty late, so I’ll try to be quick.

1) First, the Yankees will face the Marlins tonight and Joe Girardi’s looking forward to seeing some old faces. It’ll be a bittersweet return as Girardi’s first managerial stint was with the Marlins in 2006. It was his work ethic that turned that young team around, leading them into the Wild Card race and winning the NL Manager of the Year Award, only to be fired by Marlins owner, Jeffrey Loria, at the end of the season. Well, one man’s loss is another man’s gain, right? Girardi turned his brief Floridian tenure into a managerial building block, which ultimately paved the way for his NY return.

2) The next bit of news is on our favorite lefty, Andy Pettitte. Pettitte is supposed to start in a minor league game on Sunday. However, Joe Girardi has not ruled out placing him on the disabled list. The move would be backdated to March 21st, allowing Pettitte to pitch on April 5th. It would help to give Andy an extra day and the Yankees could bring up an extra bullpen pitcher in his absence. That could be interesting depending on how the pen shakes out. If they do decide to do this, expect to see Ohlendorf of Patterson called up. I’m obviously assuming that they’ll be reassigned to the minors.

3) Now, on to some strange news. There has been some speculation around the baseball world regarding the club’s future. Apparently, people are wondering whether or not the Steinbrenners will sell the Yankees. However, Hal (not Hank) Steinbrenner explictly states that the Yankees will remain in the Steinbrenner family. There are no plans to sell the club now, or in the future. Good to know.

4) Finally, here’s a nice read by Chad Jennings on Jonathan Albaladejo. It gives some background info on his history and he’s definitely looking forward to his time with the Yankees. Our bullpen is a revolving door, so I wouldn’t rule out seeing him soon.

I Just… Don’t… Get It…..

Yahoo’s baseball experts decided to get together and predict the 2008 baseball season. I didn’t read every one of their predictions, but I did manage to read each of their AL East predictions and wow, I must ask, what world are these guys living in?

Below is Steve Henson’s prediction. I’d like to talk about each person’s prediction, but they’re essentially the same, as each predicts the Sox over the Yankees for the same reasons (one guy even says the Blue Jays will overtake the Yankees):

Late March adventures in the Tokyo Dome and the L.A. Coliseum might cause the Red Sox to start slow, but this is one of the best rosters in recent memory. Better than the Yankees, who are counting heavily on young pitchers and aging position players, and the Blue Jays, whose team doctor should be MVP if they win the division. The Rays are improving but are still middle-school level to the Red Sox graduate students.

So, let’s see here. They have a better roster because the Yankees are “counting heavily on young pitchers and aging position players…” Hmm, this concept has been talked about endlessly by many sportswriters, analysts, and of course, fans. However, is this statement truly accurate? Let’s look at the rosters.

The Red Sox have the following starting lineup: Jacoby Ellsbury (24), Dustin Pedroia (24), Kevin Youkilis (29), David Ortiz (32), Manny Ramirez (36), Mike Lowell (34), J.D. Drew (32), Jason Varitek (36) and Julio Lugo (32). Their SP’s are Josh Beckett (28), Dice-K (27), Jon Lester (24), Tim Wakefield (41), Clay Buchholz (22).

The Yankees have the following starting lineup: Melky Cabrera (23), Robinson Cano (25), Jason Giambi (37), Hideki Matsui (34), Johnny Damon (34), Alex Rodriguez (32), Bobby Abreu (34), Jorge Posada (36) and Derek Jeter (34). Our SP’s are Wang (28), Andy Pettitte (36), Phil Hughes (22), Mike Mussina (39), Ian Kennedy (23).

If you look at the ages provided above, exactly where is the big difference? The Red Sox have 6 hitters playing on the wrong side of 30 (32+) and the Yankees have 7. One of those 7 was actually the AL MVP last year. The Yankees have offensive consistency up and down the lineup. Can you really say that with the Red Sox? What can you expect from Varitek, JD Drew, or Julio Lugo? Now what about the pitching? I see both teams relying upon their young arms this season, not just the Yankees. What was Henson talking about? Also, last time I checked (uh, just now), the Yankees actually have more experience in their rotation than the Red Sox.

Please, everyone, stop the madness already.

Karstens to be Placed on the DL

Kat O’Brien reports that Jeff Karstens suffered a groin injury during his outing against the Pirates (today). He’s expected to start the season on the DL and will not make the team as a long-reliever. So, the battle comes down to Rasner and Igawa. I think Igawa has a good shot simply because his contract forces him into the position, although he did pitch poorly today. It’s not even the 4 ER that probably bother Girardi. However, walking 3 in 3.1 innings probably does bother him. Rasner has walked 9 in 14 innings.

Reggie to Throw the First/Last Pitch

Reggie Jackson will throw the ceremonial first pitch at Yankees Stadium. It’ll be the last of its kind in the old stadium as the new stadium continues along in its development. It would’ve been nice to get Bernie Williams back, at least for this special moment, but I guess, for now, that bridge has been burnt beyond repair (especially with Cashman’s more recent comments about Bernie).

Shelley Awarded

Today, Shelley Duncan received the Yankees’ James P. Duncan award, which is offered annually to the top rookie in Spring Training. When told of the award, Shelley screamed, “Cool!” and then he did a spikes up slide into his locker, taking out Mike Mussina who was in the middle of a crossword puzzle (….). For those who don’t know, the Duncan award was made to commemorate James P. Duncan, a NY Times sportswriter who passed away while covering the Yankees in Spring Training.

Let’s hope Shelley fares better than last year’s recipient–Kei Igawa.

Exhibition: Yanks VS. Pirates

The Yanks lost to the Pirates today (2-5) and were shut down by my boy Tom Gorzelanny (a fantasy sleeper), although he did allow 1 ER. Here’s a rundown of the game, including some information about Jeff Karstens who apparently injured his leg. Kei Igawa also pitched today and gave up 4 ER in 3.1 IP, but with Karstens injured I wouldn’t be surprised if he locks up the long-man role. Rasner could even get a shot.

Steinbrenner Field

Legends Field was officially renamed today, as it is now George M. Steinbrenner Field. Bryan Hoch has a nice writeup on the event/ceremony that took place. The renaming concept, although connected to Steinbrenner’s desire and passion for winning at all costs (literally), was also designed to honor the philanthropic work he’s done and been involved with in the Tampa community. Jeter, Pettitte, Girardi and the Steinbrenner sons all chime in to congratulate George and it seems like an emotional day in Florida.

Hank Disses Canseco

From Pete Caldera:

“Consider the source, that’s No. 1,” Steinbrenner said of Canseco. “He wouldn’t have been able to hit the ball out of the infield without steroids.”

Agreed. Hank Steinbrenner has spoken.