Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Who’s Sorry Now? Apologies Excepted as Dodgers Return to the Bronx

June 18, 2013 by William Juliano

(The following was originally published at SB*Nation’s Pinstriped Bible)

The last time the Dodgers visited the Bronx, they went home with a trophy.

The last time the Dodgers visited the Bronx, they went home with a trophy.

The last time the Los Angeles Dodgers visited Yankee Stadium, their road grays were soaked with champagne. After losing the first two games of the 1981 World Series, the Dodgers swept the next four, including the series finale in the Bronx. It was the end of an era for the Yankees, and the transition to the next was punctuated by an apology.

“What would George Steinbrenner do?” After recent pinstriped disappointments, that question has become a common refrain. More rhetorical than inquisitive, the musing is often as pejorative as the Boss’ many outbursts, which, although scathing at times, were usually more overt when he tried to be subtle. In order to accomplish this passive aggressive effect, Steinbrenner used one his favorite weapons…an apology.

I want to sincerely apologize to the people of New York and to fans of the New York Yankees everywhere for the performance of the Yankee team in the World Series.” – George M. Steinbrenner, October 28, 1981

The corks had barely been popped in the visitor’s clubhouse before Steinbrenner’s printed statement was circulating in the press box. In addition to apologizing on behalf of his team, the Boss also made sure to damn his troops with praise for the opposition. “I also want to extend my congratulations to the Dodger[s]…a team that didn’t give up…and to my friend Tom Lasorda, who managed a superb season, playoffs and brilliant World Series,” the Boss’ statement concluded.

Needless to say, the Yankees’ players weren’t thrilled with Steinbrenner’s apology. “I don’t apologize for anything,” Reggie Jackson fumed, “I’m sorry we didn’t win, but we tried out best.” Conflict between Steinbrenner and Jackson wasn’t new, but Dave Winfield was getting his first taste. After going 1-22 in the series, which would later prompt the Boss to call him “Mr. May”, the Yankees’ newest slugger stated, “I’ve got no reason to hang my head…I’m proud to be here”. Eventually, that sentiment would change.

Continue Reading »

Posted in Baseball, Baseball History, Don Mattingly, George M. Steinbrenner, Hal Steinbrenner, MLB, World Series, Yankee History, Yankee Stadium, Yankees | Leave a Comment »

Yankees Offense Continues to Crumble; Are Hal and Cashman Ready (and Willing) for Plan B?

June 14, 2013 by William Juliano

The Bronx Bombers’ offense continues to make history this season, just not the kind Yankee fans have come to expect.

Scoring two runs in 18 innings has not been a problem for the 2013 Yankees. The team has already had two sets of consecutive games with either zero or one run scored, compared to no more than three such stretches in any season over the past 10 years. Not content with this mundane display of futility, the Bronx Bombers took their offensive struggles one step further yesterday by accomplishing the task in one game.

Number of Games in Which Yankees Have Scored One or Fewer Runs
NYY_1_run

Note: Red portion of 2013 is pro rated.
Source: baseball-reference.com

To be fair, the Yankees 3-2 loss to the Athletics in 18 innings wasn’t really a team effort. On the contrary, all of the “credit” belongs to the middle of the order. The not quite Murderer’s Row of Mark Teixeira, Travis Hafner, Kevin Youkilis, and Vernon Wells combined to go 0-28 in the extra inning marathon, giving the Athletics a no-hitter’s worth of outs from what used to be the most dangerous part of the Yankees’ batting order.

For their efforts, the Yankees’ 5 through 7 hitters were rewarded with a historic distinction. By each going at least 0-7, Hafner, Youkilis and Wells became the first pinstriped trio to combine for such futility in the same game. In addition, Hafner and Youkilis each posted a negative WPA worthy of ranking among the 20 worst rates in franchise history. With no men on base in front of him, Wells was spared a similar fate. Still, the black hole in the middle of the order was enough to give the Yankees their lowest recorded combined WPA.

Continue Reading »

Posted in Baseball, Brian Cashman, Hal Steinbrenner, MLB, Yankees | 1 Comment »

Finding the Right Fit for Hole in Yankees’ Outfield

June 12, 2013 by William Juliano

(The following was originally published at SB*Nation’s Pinstriped Bible)

Yankee outfielders have not provided much of a helping hand on offense. (Photo: AP)

Yankee outfielders have not provided much of a helping hand on offense. (Photo: AP)

The 2013 Yankees are giving new meaning to the word “out”field. In the team’s first 64 games, hitters occupying the three outfield positions have combined to post an unimpressive line of .258/.309/.401, which, in terms of OPS, ranks as not only one of the worst rates in the league, but also in recent franchise history.

Yankees’ Outfield OPS+, 1945-2013
Yanks_OF

Note: sOPS+ compares a team’s performance in a split to the league average. A reading above 100 is considered above average.
Source: Baseball-reference.com

Injuries have clearly taken a toll on the Yankees’ offense, and, undoubtedly, if Curtis Granderson had not broken his hand twice, the Bronx Bombers would be enjoying much more production from their outfield. However, the weakest link in the chain resides in right field, and the main culprit has been Ichiro Suzuki. When the Yankees decided to let Nick Swisher walk away over money, the plan was for Suzuki to provide comparable value at half the price. Instead, the offense has been saddled with a black hole as Suzuki and a cast of part-time players have combined to post an OPS of .651, the fourth lowest rate in the majors.

Much has been written about the short sighted decisions the Yankees made this off season, so it’s time to move past the mistakes of the winter and explore potential solutions for the summer. Although the offense has several weak spots in the lineup, the most glaring, and perhaps quickly remedied, are in the outfield. Also, even if Granderson makes a speedy recovery from his most recent bad break, the void in right field would remain, so Brian Cashman’s top priority should be trying to fill it.

Even though the new wild card format has most teams still on the periphery of the post season, some early season sellers are starting to emerge. Listed below are five candidates who would fit well with the Yankees as either an immediate stop gap or more long-term solution. The potential trade targets are listed in order of the perceived likelihood of the Yankees being able to consummate a trade for them.

Continue Reading »

Posted in Baseball, Brian Cashman, MLB, Roster Analysis, Trades, Yankees | 1 Comment »

Bud Selig’s Legacy at Stake with Biogensis

June 5, 2013 by William Juliano

Air tight investigations don’t rely on leaks. Such a tactic is more typically born of desperation, a word that seems charitable when describing Bud Selig’s dogged pursuit of the dozens of players allegedly linked to Biogensis.

Bud Selig wants you, or anyone linked to Biogenesis. (Photo: AP)

Bud Selig wants you, or anyone linked to Biogenesis. (Photo: AP)

Commissioner Selig was probably hoping the Mitchell Report would purify the stains to his legacy caused by the rampant use of performance enhancing drugs during his tenure as commissioner. Instead, it only served to expose the malpractice that took place on a league-wide basis, especially in the commissioner’s office. Ever since then, Selig has become a PED zealot, taking every opportunity to appear strident in his efforts to clean up the game. Normally, his dedication would be laudable. Instead, it just seems like a transparent attempt to clean up his own reputation.

Biogensis is Bud Selig’s last stand on PEDs. Not only does he have an opportunity to hand out one of the most expansive and punitive drug-related penalties in sports’ history, but a successful conclusion to the investigation would help settle the score with Alex Rodriguez and Ryan Braun, two players whom Selig likely views as archenemies in his never ending fight for truth and justice. The Biogensis scandal is more than just business; it’s personal. And, the outcome will likely influence the epitaphs of the figures involved.

So, how desperate is Major League Baseball to prove its case against the players linked to Biogensis? For starters, it was willing to file a frivolous lawsuit against the clinic’s proprietor, Anthony Bosch, in the hopes of smoking him out. Now that the strategy has worked, MLB is prepared to abandon the lawsuit and indemnify Bosch against further litigation that his testimony might invite. Think about that for a moment. A sports league is willing to assume the legal fallout from the activities of a man they have accused of being a drug dealer. MLB has reportedly even promised, if needed, to go to bat for Bosch before federal investigators. Ironically, if MLB gets its way, about 20 players would face suspension, and Bosch would be left free to supply his “wellness solutions” to dozens more.

Continue Reading »

Posted in Alex Rodriguez, Arod, Baseball, MLB, PEDs, Yankees | 2 Comments »

No Hard Feelings for Swisher, but Yankees Left with Regret

June 4, 2013 by William Juliano

(The following was originally published at SB*Nation’s Pinstriped Bible)

Swisher gives the Yankee Stadium crowd one last salute. (Photo: NY Daily News; Ron Antonelli)

Nick Swisher gives the Yankee Stadium crowd one last salute. (Photo: NY Daily News; Ron Antonelli)

“No Hard Feelings.” In his return to the Bronx, that’s how Nick Swisher described his departure. With most players, such a magnanimous response might seem like a poorly veiled cliché, but not so with Swisher. Hard feelings are not a part of his ebullient emotional repertoire.

Just because the Yankees former right fielder doesn’t feel resentment toward the organization doesn’t mean fans of the team have to feel the same way. After all, what the Bronx Bombers need most – a patient, switch hitter with power and the versatility to play both outfield and first base – is exactly what the Yankees lost when they opted to let Swisher go.

There were 56 million reasons why the Yankees said good bye to Swisher, just not any good ones. For four years, the right fielder was a model of consistency in pinstripes, posting an OPS+ ranging from 120 to 129 and playing in just about 150 games each season. Considering the current state of the Yankees, the latter was no small accomplishment. What’s more, despite sticking out like a sore thumb on a regimented Yankee team, he also seemed to fit just like a glove.

We’ve run five out of six or six out of seven lefties, sometimes, in a row, and he was very good at splitting them up. You could hit him anywhere, really – second to seventh in the lineup. He gave you a lot of flexibility.” - Joe Girardi, quoted by the New York Times, June 4, 2013

Continue Reading »

Posted in Baseball, Hal Steinbrenner, MLB, Yankees | 1 Comment »

Does Another Step Back from Hughes Mean Yankees Should Move Forward Without Him?

June 3, 2013 by William Juliano

Among the many disappointments from a frustrating week of Yankees baseball was another step backwards by Phil Hughes. Of course, that’s not to say it shouldn’t have been expected. Although the right hander’s inconsistency can be maddening for Yankee fans, that’s more their fault than his. In his six-plus years on the mound, Hughes has settled into such an established level of mediocrity that any greater expectation is really nothing more than wishful thinking.

Phil Hughes Relative Game Scores vs. All MLB Pitchers, 2010-2013
Hughes GS Disty

Source: baseball-reference.com

In many ways, Hughes is a victim of his former status as an elite prospect. Despite being 10 years removed from his selection in the first round of the 2004 draft, he is still looked upon as developing young starter instead of the league average veteran he has become. Whether evaluated on the basis of ERA+, xFIP or even a game score distribution, Hughes’ performance just about rises to the mean. Sure, there are some flashes of brilliance, which, undoubtedly, many confuse with his potential finally being fulfilled, but his peaks are no greater or more frequent than the typical major league pitcher. And, that’s exactly what he is. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Instead of continuing to wonder when Hughes will final breakthrough, it’s probably more relevant to ask why he has not. Poor fastball command and his inability to master a put away pitch are the two most often cited culprits, and a look inside the numbers seems to bear that out.

Continue Reading »

Posted in Baseball, MLB, Statistical Analysis, Yankees | 3 Comments »

Not So Fast: CC Sabathia Turns Up Heat, but Can He Sustain It?

June 1, 2013 by William Juliano

(The following was originally published at SB*Nation’s Pinstriped Bible)

CC Sabathia brings the heat. (Photo: USATSI)

CC Sabathia brings the heat. (Photo: USATSI)

The Yankees’ series opener against the Red Sox was supposed to be about the return of Mark Teixeira and Kevin Youkilis to the lineup, but the big story turned out to be CC Sabathia’s re-emergence on the mound.

Sabathia’s previous start had been one of his worst as a Yankee. Not only did the big lefty surrender seven runs to the light hitting Tampa Rays, the most he ever allowed in pinstripes, but his game score of 37 ranked as the 12th lowest in 140 starts since joining the team. With only one start standing between Sabathia and his first winless month since April 2003, it was shaping up to be a forgettable May.  Instead, Sabathia mowed down the Red Sox with a performance that seemed to say, “Remember me”?

Sabathia’s 10 strikeouts against the Red Sox represented the 17th time he reached double digits with the Bronx Bombers, as well as the first time he did so without a walk. It was the kind of domination the Yankees have come to expect from their ace, but had not enjoyed this season. And, perhaps more importantly, it was accompanied by a meaningful increase in velocity. After toiling in the low-90s since the start of the season, Sabathia’s average fastball jumped all the way to 92 mph, which, although still below his career norms, seemed to represent an important breakthrough.

CC Sabathia’s Monthly Fastball Velocity, 2008-2013
SabathiaMonthlyVelo

Source: fangraphs.com

Continue Reading »

Posted in Baseball, MLB, PitchFX, Red Sox, Yankees | Leave a Comment »

Older Posts »