Game 61: Yanks VS. Royals

Here’s the lineup (sorry if it’s a bit late, via PA):

YANKEES
Damon LF
Jeter SS
Abreu RF
Rodriguez 3B
Matsui DH
Giambi 1B
Cano 2B
Molina C
Cabrera CF
Rasner RHP

It’ll be Kyle Davies VS. Darrell Rasner.

Side Notes — Chris Britton has been placed on the DL with a rib cage injury (what a bad break for a guy who can’t get enough of them). Dan Giese has been recalled yet again to take his place (with Hawkins out, he could be a big help).

Manny-Youkilis Fight Over Youkilis’ At-Bat Behavior

From ESPN:

A Red Sox source told ESPNdeportes.com that the cause of the dugout disagreement was Youkilis’ temper following a poor at-bat.

“It all happened because Manny complained about Youkilis’ habit of throwing bats, helmets and other objects in the dugout when he has a bad at-bat, something that has become a constant practice,” the source said.

“Other players have told Youkilis in the past about the situation, which makes him look selfish and that he is more worried about each at-bat than about the team. If Boston is winning easily, there’s no reason to throw objects all over the dugout because of a bad at-bat.

“There was a meeting where the team let Youkilis know that many of his teammates were tired of his explosive reactions for each bad plate appearance. It became very bothersome … more so when the team is winning and it’s in first place. There’s not much room for individualistic attitudes.”

Interesting stuff. OK, back to the Yankees VS. KC…

Hawkins’ Suspension Upheld

LaTroy Hawkins’ 3-game suspension was upheld after appealing the decision. His suspension for throwing at Luke Scott was not reduced and he’ll begin serving the suspension today. For most Yankee fans, this is probably a good thing… okay, that’s not fair, but still.

Manny Pimp Slaps Youkilis

From the NY Times (Jack Curry):

Before the fifth inning, television cameras caught Ramirez and Youkilis barking at each other and Ramirez giving Youkilis a back-handed slap. Teammates quickly intervened to separate them, but the skirmish, which only lasted a few seconds, was jarring. There is not much footage of two players on the same team slapping each other in the face.

Youkilis and Ramirez were unavailable for interviews after the game and Manager Terry Francona tried to minimize the incident. The two players, one a hard-nosed first baseman and one a free-spirited left fielder, might have been arguing over an earlier brawl.

According to The Boston Globe, Ramirez was one of the last players on the field after James Shields of the Tampa Bay Rays drilled Coco Crisp with a pitch in the second inning. The Globe said Ramirez was not on the field until the Red Sox relievers were involved in the fracas. The relievers had to run in from the bullpen, which is over 300 feet away. Ramirez had a much shorter jaunt from the dugout.

And people always talk about the Yankees and their “clubhouse” dynamic. I don’t recall seeing Derek Jeter or Alex Rodriguez every bitch slapping each other in the dugout. Then again, we’ve seen Alex Rodriguez bitch slap Bronson Arroyo when running to first base, so maybe the two teams aren’t so dissimilar as bitch slapping is part of their communication process.

Keith Law’s Ratings

Keith Law rated the picks from yesterday’s draft and gave the Yankees an honorable mention for “best pick” although he does state that the reason the Yanks were able to grab Cole was because of signability issues (he’s represented by Scott Boras, he’s a high school player, etc.). Law goes on to give the Mariners the “worst pick” award and I would have to agree. I saw Law’s reaction yesterday during the draft and he looked absolutely perplexed by Seattle’s choice in picking a reliever. The Mariners are low on quality bats and starting pitching yet they went with a BP guy. That’s tough for Seattle fans, especially with their 2008 season.

Mechanical Wang Pt.2

Here’s some specific info on Wang’s mechanical problems (courtesy of Ed Price):

Pitching coach Dave Eiland said Wang has the same mechanical problem he had in last year’s playoffs, when he was 0-2 with a 19.06 ERA.

Wang said more than anything, he is confused.

He has been “flying open” with his left shoulder as he starts toward home plate, leading him to drop his right elbow and push the ball rather than drive it down. That means no sink on his sinker and a loss of command.

“My work in the bullpen is good,” he said, “but in the game, maybe I try to overthrow.”

Catcher Jorge Posada said Wang has been dropping his arm angle on his slider and can’t get back over the top when he goes back to the sinker.

“It’s a mental thing,” Eiland said. “He has to trust it. He has to trust that delivery. He had two really good side (sessions) since his last start. He warmed up very well. … He knows what he needs to do. It’s just repetition and getting it back — getting that muscle memory back.”

In his past four starts, Wang has allowed 24 runs on 14 walks and 27 hits in 23Ã’ innings. His ERA has gone from 2.90 to 4.57.

Wang insists he is totally healthy, and the Yankees say they have no reason to believe he isn’t.

“Everything’s good,” Wang said of his physical condition.

Considering how terrible Chien-Ming Wang was in the playoffs, this makes sense because he’s been almost as terrible in this recent stretch of games. Wang will figure this out and with a start against Oakland on the horizon (he has a 1.42 ERA against them), he could be inline to fix this issue soon. If he’s having trouble throwing his sinker because of the arm slot he’s using for his slider, why not just concentrate on throwing the sinker exclusively in his next start? It’s a good enough pitch for him to throw it over and over again and he can mix in some 4-seamers or other pitches. There’s no need for him to absolutely use the slider if he’s simply trying to regain the confidence he had in that sinker slot, right?

Mark Melancon is Ready

Mark Melancon has generated quite the following as he makes his way through the minor league ranks. He’s thought of as Mariano Rivera’s successor, and if that wasn’t enough pressure, fans are wondering if Melancon, who recently came off of TJ surgery (he had the operation at the end of 2006, but it takes a while to regain what you had), will bridge the gap to Mariano this year.

What, you don’t trust Kyle Farnsworth?

If you didn’t know much about Melancon before, Tyler Kepner has a really fascinating read out about the young reliever. He interviews Melancon and from the get go, you can tell, this kid is simply oozing with confidence. Actually, when articulating the confidence he has in his abilities, he almost seems overconfident, which isn’t necessarily a good or a bad thing, but at least we know he’s ready to do some damage (at least mentally).

“I think I could be ready as soon as they want me,” Melancon said. Later, he added there was no reason to think a call-up was far away.

“If I pitch well and continue to do what I’m capable of doing, I don’t see why not,” Melancon said. “Why not? Why isn’t it close? I really do believe I am capable of doing what they’re doing, all those guys out there. So, yeah, I think it’s close.”

See what I mean? But, I guess, when you’re tabbed as the great Mariano Rivera’s successor, you’re going to need every bit of confidence you have in order to ride the wave and hang in there. One of the things everyone seems to rave about, actually, is this “confident” quality, although some of us like to refer to it as “makeup” (baseball jargon). You know, it’s the opposite of whatever Jeff Weaver and Kyle Farnsworth have (or had). It’s a mental and competitive edge that allows these guys to succeed in a big market like NY. Mark Newman, who oversees baseball operations for the Yanks, can’t get enough of Melancon’s “intangible” qualities, like his makeup. In fact, according to Kepner, that’s a big part of why they ultimately drafted him.

Newman said the Yankees took the gamble because Melancon rated highly in four intangible qualities — preparation, competitiveness, leadership and commitment to growth.

“We look for guys that are strong on all four counts, and he is,” Newman said. “It’s like Derek Jeter.”

Who are they going to compare him to next (..waits for Jesus reference)? Either way, the Yankees have a great closing prospect in their system (along with J.B. Cox) and he’s got a lot of tools (big fastball, changeup, curve). Now that Joba Chamberlain has opened the door for young prospects to shine in the Bronx, one has to wonder about Melancon’s chances for 2008. Will he be with the Yankees sooner, rather than later? No one has really ruled anything out yet, but I would think that they Yankees are willing to wait on Melancon and Cox a bit more (especially with TJ surgery).

It looks like the 8th inning is going to become a reliever free for all, with Farnsworth getting the ball until he blows enough games, then maybe Edwar will get a shot (sorry Chris Britton, we hardly knew ye). If the Yanks are really scuffling with that single inning then I would actually think that the Yanks will go after Brian Fuentes or Damaso Marte (trades). Fast tracking a reliever is probably a lot easier than what the Yanks did with Joba last year since he was a starter turned reliever (the process itself of undoing that has been difficult). But, these guys are still young and I’m sure the Yanks would prefer to let them see some more time in the minors before they get the call.

Of course, that doesn’t rule anything out…

Vets Want to Win Now

Kat O’Brien was brave enough to ask Bobby Abreu and Andy Pettitte (among others) if Joba’s transition signals the waving of a white flag for the season and if the Yankee front office is actually attempting to sacrifice 2008 for the future. O’Brien’s question, which is basically built upon one factor, Joba’s move (and our performance, thus far), really doesn’t have legs and the Yankee veterans quickly brush it aside (Andy Pettitte saw it as unfathomable). These guys are veterans and, of course, they want to win now, while they still can so asking them isn’t going to get you much of a response.

Although Joba Chamberlain’s move is a big deal and signals a change in the way the Yankees do things, it’s not really a signal to an end, at least, not to me. I think most Yankee fans see it, not as a white flag, but as a bridge to the future, as the Yankees are attempting to win now and build now, all at the same time. The Red Sox are the only other team who has really been capable of doing this and have done it successfully. The Yankees can also do it, because, like the Red Sox, they have a ton of money and employ smart scouting programs (the Yanks took awhile to get back to that, but they’ve done it).

Time will tell if the Yankees can be as effective as the Red Sox have been, but if the Yankees can start racking up the wins with Joba in the rotation (he’ll obviously help in that regard), then no one will be asking the Yankees if the team is in a collective transition period. Right now, the only reason that question has even come up is because we’ve been inconsistent. And, as long as the Yankees have Jason Giambi’s mustache, I’m sure the team will be fine.