Scott Proctor's Arm - A New York Yankees Blog

Scott Proctor's back

2011-09-01T13:24:00.008-04:00

I never thought I'd be writing that Scott Proctor was back in pinstripes after the Yankees traded him to the Dodgers at the 2007 deadline. But life is unpredictable, and here we are.

Obviously the biggest news here is that Jesus Montero will finally be joining the big club, but Proctor's return is more poignant for me. This blog served as an outlet for me to get my long-form baseball and Yankees opinions out there, to hone my writing skills, and to pretend to be a baseball reporter.

The jokes about his arm falling off are as tired as me complaining about Jorge Posada, but for a time way back in 2007, those jokes inspired me to name this blog. Thank you, Joe Torre, for riding Proctor's arm for a ridiculous 102.1 innings way back in 2006. Wow, 2006. The year I graduated high school; the year I began college. I can't believe that was five years ago.

Proctor has always seemed like a good dude and hopefully he can take advantage of the opportunities he gets to finish out this season. It'd be foolish to expect him to get high-leverage innings out of the bullpen in a race to win the division, but the fact he's back here at all is rather astonishing. Stranger things have happened, I suppose.

My interests and goals have changed, but I'll always look back fondly on the time I had keeping up this blog and I hope you enjoyed reading it.

Maybe Scott Proctor will get a ring after all.

I’m back!

2010-04-01T10:48:00.001-04:00

Hey everyone!

I figured I’d bring the blog back with a new season on the horizon.

April Fools!

But seriously…I have missed keeping up with the blog at times over the last few months. The thing I’ve missed the most, however, was simply interacting with the great fans of this team.

I simply haven’t had the time necessary to maintain the blog at the required level of excellence I’ve set for myself. And instead of having that suffer, I decided to just stop altogether.

I hope everyone enjoys the season and hopefully I’ll be able to check in at times.

Until then, you can always interact with me on Twitter (@Fletch788).

Year of the Jeter

2009-11-30T13:43:00.001-05:00

Derek Jeter became the first Yankee ever to be named Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year today.

Jeter was obviously thrilled by the announcement.

“It’s unbelievable. It was completely unexpected. It came out of the blue,” Jeter told The Associated Press during a break in the photo shoot. “When I heard it, what can you say? It’s one of the greatest honors you can achieve in sports.”

Michael Phelps was last year’s Sportsman, for some perspective.

The issue will hit newsstands on Wednesday.

Gregory Heisler/SI

Sheppard hangs up the mike

2009-11-26T12:26:00.001-05:00

Legendary voice of Yankee Stadium Bob Sheppard told Bryan Hoch today that he plans on retiring. Sheppard, 99, hasn’t called a game since 2007.

"I have no plans of coming back," Sheppard said on Wednesday in a telephone interview. "Time has passed me by, I think. I had a good run for it. I enjoyed doing what I did. I don't think, at my age, I'm going to suddenly regain the stamina that is really needed if you do the job and do it well."

The entire article is worth a read. He has words of praise for current public address announcer Paul Olden. Sheppard also said he doubts he’ll return to Yankee Stadium in 2010 to call one game.

Of course, we still hear Sheppard’s voice when Derek Jeter comes to bat.

*****

I’m sure Mr. Sheppard has a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, just like all of us. On that note, I’d like to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving!

World Series Film premiere

2009-11-23T21:27:00.001-05:00

I caught the premiere of the 2009 World Series Film tonight. No, I wasn’t at the big one at the Ziegfeld in Manhattan, but this was good enough.

I thought the film was nicely done and it’s certainly worth the $19.99 MLB.com is charging (but if you’re a savvy Internet shopper, Amazon has it for $14.99).

The film had some great behind-the-scenes shots of the players, a variety of camera angles, and some great commentary by the managers, players and announcers. I also liked the integration of the fantastic Game 6 time lapse video made by Robert Caplin.

One thing that I found a little strange was when the narrator failed to mention Alex Rodriguez past drug use. The segment was about Rodriguez’s hip surgery during spring training and how it positively affected him during the regular season. I thought for sure the steroids would be mentioned somewhere, but I was wrong and somewhat surprised by that.

I’m a nit-picker when it comes to these things, and that was really my only bone to pick with the production.

This will probably air on MLB Network throughout the winter, but this definitely makes for a nice holiday gift.

And no, I won’t spoil the ending.

This is hideous

2009-11-23T18:16:00.001-05:00

Political allegiances aside, this Yankees cap is absolutely awful.

Spotted by me in the Palisades Center in West Nyack, N.Y.

As expected, Mauer wins MVP

2009-11-23T14:12:00.001-05:00

Congratulations go out to Joe Mauer who won the American League MVP award with 27 of the 28 first place votes.

The one surprise of the voting was that Miguel Cabrera – who finished fourth overall – received the other first place vote. I’d love to see that writer try to defend that vote.

On the Yankees’ front, Mark Teixeira finished second and Derek Jeter rounded out the top three. Alex Rodriguez came in 10th.

Guess who’s back

2009-11-23T11:07:00.001-05:00

It’s been a while, hasn’t it?

Now that I’m on Thanksgiving break, I figured it’s time to try to get back into blogging. I’ve been extremely busy at school and hopefully this break will recharge my batteries.

Plus, I reached an agreement with Jeremy that he would stop pestering me to blog if I wrote today. So here we are today.

I know I rarely posted in September, didn’t post once in October and only posted a picture thus far in November, but I’d really like to get back into this. There was a reason (in my head) for not posting during October – superstition. The Yankees were playing just fine without me getting in the way and it paid off in the end. You’re welcome.

The AL MVP is announced today at 2 p.m., so I’ll have something on it later.

27

2009-11-05T01:07:00.001-05:00

How sweet it is!

Reuters

Who says they hate each other?

2009-09-27T19:02:00.001-04:00

There are plenty of fun celebration photos all over the Internet, but the above photo is pretty cool. Who says Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter don’t get along?

NYDN Photo

Top of the East

2009-09-27T18:01:00.001-04:00

The Yankees clinched the American League East championship with their 4-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox this afternoon.

Despite starting the year 0-8 against their longtime rivals, the Yankees were able to fight back and eventually split the 18-game season series.

The Yankees also won their 100th game of the season behind Andy Pettitte’s six innings and Mariano Rivera’s 43rd save.

The division title was the Yankees first since 2006.

Though the job isn’t done yet, today is a good day for the Yankees and for the fans.

Saturday YanksBlog.com game recap

2009-09-26T20:04:00.001-04:00

CC Sabathia pitched seven shutout innings in the Yankees 3-0 victory over the Red Sox this afternoon. Read all about it on YanksBlog.com.

---

And on that note, I’d like to offer up an apology. I obviously have not been blogging much this month. I’ve been busy with school and the newspaper, and maintaining this site has been moved to my mental backburner. I hope to write more as the playoffs are set to begin.

Saturday YanksBlog.com game recap

2009-09-12T17:40:00.001-04:00

The Yankees lost to the Orioles for the second straight day, this time 7-3 with A.J. Burnett allowing two home runs and six runs in the second inning. Read all about it at YanksBlog.com.

Jeter passes Gehrig all Yankees’ all-time hits leader

2009-09-11T21:48:00.001-04:00

Derek Jeter’s third inning single down the right field line made history tonight. It was the 2,722nd hit of his career, passing Lou Gehrig for first on the Yankees all-time hits list.

Congratulations, Derek!

Jeter ties Gehrig, Yanks sweep Rays

2009-09-09T23:27:00.001-04:00

Derek Jeter’s 3-for-4 night put him in a tie with Lou Gehrig for first place on the Yankees’ all-time hits list with 2,721. He had been hitless in his previous three games. As for the team, the Yankees scored four in the eighth to defeat Tampa Bay 4-2 Wednesday night.

Meanwhile, Joba Chamberlain only lasted three innings, throwing 56 pitches and allowing two earned runs and three hits.

The three hits and two runs allowed were recorded in the first inning, meaning the Tampa Bay Rays were no-hit over the final 8 2/3 innings.

Jorge Posada hit a go-ahead pinch-hit three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth to lead the Yankees to victory.

The Yankees were able to avoid using Phil Hughes and Mariano Rivera in the ninth. Brian Bruney got the first two outs, while Phil Coke earned the save by striking out the only batter he faced.

New York is now 91-50 and will begin a three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles on Friday.

(Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

Swisher walks off

2009-09-08T23:36:00.001-04:00

Nick Swisher joined the long line of Yankees who have had walk-off hits this season. Swisher hit a one-out solo home run to right against Dan Wheeler in the bottom of the ninth to lead the Yankees to a 3-2 victory. They have now reached 90 wins and are 40 games above .500.

The home run, his 26th, was Swisher’s second of the game. This was strange because he had only hit three previous home runs at Yankee Stadium this season. He also homered from both sides of the plate.

Chad Gaudin allowed one earned runs and six hits over 6+ innings, striking out six. Phil Hughes actually faltered in his inning of work, allowing a game-tying home run to Jason Bartlett in the eighth. It was his first blown save of the season and it was the first earned run he allowed in a game since Aug. 4.

The Yankees will go for the four-game sweep of the Rays tomorrow night with Joba Chamberlain on the mound.

(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Gardner, Duncan back

2009-09-07T11:46:00.001-04:00

Peter Abraham reports the Yankees’ latest roster moves this morning.

Brett Gardner has been activated off the disabled list. He hasn’t played since July 25 with a broken left thumb. Shelley Duncan has also been recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

The Yankees and Rays are playing a doubleheader at the Stadium today. CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett get the starts.

Saturday YanksBlog.com game recap

2009-09-05T17:13:00.001-04:00

The Yankees defeated the Blue Jays 6-4 Saturday afternoon. Read my game recap over at YanksBlog.com.

Posada drives in 4 as Yankees win another

2009-09-03T23:19:00.001-04:00

(Originally written for Baseball Digest)

Jorge Posada went 4-for-5 with a home run, double and four RBI in the Yankees' 10-5 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays Thursday night at Rogers Centre. Alfredo Aceves picked up his 10th win of the season with 2 1/3 innings of relief.

The Yankees scored four quick runs in the first inning against starter Ricky Romero. With the bases loaded, Hideki Matsui singled. Three runs scored, aided by Travis Snider's fielding error. As a result, Matsui was only credited with one RBI. Posada followed with an RBI single of his own to increase the lead to 4-0.

Chad Gaudin couldn't escape the fourth inning, allowing three earned runs while only retiring 11 batters. With one out in the fourth, Gaudin allowed three singles, he hit a batter and allowed a sacrifice fly to cut the Yankees' lead to 5-3.

Aceves entered in relief and allowed two runs (one earned) in his 2 1/3 innings of work. David Robertson, Brian Bruney and Damaso Marte each followed with a scoreless inning of work apiece.

In addition to Posada's four RBI, Alex Rodriguez drove in two runs on two hits, including a solo home run in the ninth.

The Yankees have now won seven games in a row and are 38 games over .500. Joba Chamberlain takes the hill tomorrow night in Toronto.

The series ahead

2009-09-03T15:57:00.001-04:00

The New York Yankees (85-48) begin a four-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays (59-73) at Rogers Centre tonight. The pitching matchups are:

Tonight – 7:07 p.m., YES
Chad Gaudin RHP (1-0, 3.21 ERA as a Yankee) vs. Ricky Romero LHP (11-6, 3.95 ERA)

Tomorrow – 7:07 p.m., YES
Joba Chamberlain RHP (8-4, 4.38 ERA) vs. Roy Halladay RHP (13-8, 3.13 ERA)

Saturday – 1:07 p.m., YES
Andy Pettitte LHP (12-6, 4.03 ERA) vs. Brett Cecil LHP (6-3, 5.42 ERA)

Sunday – 1:07 p.m., YES
Sergio Mitre RHP (3-1, 5.65 ERA) vs. Brian Tallet LHP (5-9, 5.17 ERA)

A couple of videos

2009-09-03T12:31:00.001-04:00

I received two videos in my e-mail yesterday. Since I had a very busy day, I was unable to post them until now.

First up, we have a 4-year-old named Zachary who can recite all of the Yankees’ retired numbers.

Secondly, the Alex Rodriguez haters in the audience will enjoy this one:

Yanks hit 5 home runs, win 9-6

2009-09-02T00:00:00.001-04:00

Jorge Posada hit two home runs and drove in three runs in the Yankees’ 9-6 victory over Baltimore Tuesday night. Robinson Cano, Eric Hinske and Nick Swisher joined in on the home run fun as well.

A.J. Burnett did not fare as well, allowing six runs and 11 hits in 5 1/3 innings. He allowed a two-run home run to Felix Pie and a three-run home run Luke Scott.

Damaso Marte earned his first win of the season after retiring all three batters he faced. David Robertson, Phil Coke and Mariano Rivera also had scoreless outings, with Rivera earning his 38th save of the season.

The Yankees will go for the sweep tomorrow night with CC Sabathia on the mound.

September call-ups

2009-09-01T17:38:00.003-04:00

Chad Jennings brings us the list of the Yankees' September call-ups. They are:

Francisco Cervelli
Ramiro Pena
Mark Melancon
Edwar Ramirez
Mike Dunn (pictured)

The new name here is Dunn, a 24-year-old left-handed reliever, who has appeared in 73 1/3 innings between Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. In 20 innings with the latter club, he struck out 23 and walked 14, allowing five earned runs.

Pettitte nearly perfect, Yanks win 5-1

2009-08-31T22:07:00.001-04:00

Andy Pettitte carried a perfect game into the seventh inning Monday night at Camden Yards. However, Jerry Hairston Jr. let a ball go through his legs for an error and Nick Markakis then followed with a single to left to end the no-hit bid. No worries, though, as the Yankees, behind Nick Swisher, won 5-1.

Pettitte allowed two hits and one earned run over eight innings, striking out eight. He finished the month of August with a 4-0 record in six starts.

Swisher went 3-for-4 with two RBI and was a triple shy of the cycle. The solo home run he hit in the third inning was his 22nd of the year. Robinson Cano went 2-for-4 and also had two RBI. His two-run double in the eighth gave the Yankees some valuable insurance runs.

Mariano Rivera had to come in for the final two outs because Brian Bruney walked a batter and allowed a hit. The save was Rivera’s 37th of the season.

The Yankees are now 35 games above .500 and hold a 6.5-game lead over the Boston Red Sox in the American League East. A.J. Burnett gets the start tomorrow night in Baltimore.

AP Photo

The series ahead

2009-08-31T16:13:00.001-04:00

The New York Yankees (82-48) begin a three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles (54-77) at Oriole Park at Camden Yards tonight. The pitching matchups are:

Tonight – 7:05 p.m., YES
Andy Pettitte LHP (11-6, 4.18 ERA) vs. Jeremy Guthrie RHP (9-12, 5.26 ERA)

Tomorrow – 7:05 p.m., YES
A.J. Burnett RHP (10-8, 4.10 ERA) vs. David Hernandez RHP (4-6, 4.24 ERA)

Wednesday – 7:05 p.m., YES
CC Sabathia LHP (15-7, 3.56 ERA) vs. Jason Berken RHP (4-11, 6.33 ERA)

On Joba

2009-08-31T12:12:00.001-04:00

So, last night I was called out by Joe at River Ave. Blues for some tweets I made during yesterday’s game pertaining to the new Joba Chamberlain rules and regulations.

Much like Ross, who was actually at yesterday’s game, seeing Chamberlain throw 35 pitches only to be taken out is enough to be frustrated. I think the babying of Chamberlain has gone a bit too far.

Chamberlain has looked fairly ordinary this year, and who can blame him? The Yankees have changed his routine almost on a weekly basis by altering his days off, capping his innings and pitches, etc.

It’s frightening to know he’s the No. 4 starter in October if the Yankees advance past the Division Series. The Yankees are simulating spring training in the middle of a race to attain home-field advantage, and I’m not too confident in Chamberlain being playoff-ready. That’s the root of my concerns with this plan.

Chamberlain threw 35 pitches in three innings. In starts where there weren’t innings limits, he nibbled more, elevating his pitch count early. Did he change the way he pitched yesterday because he knew he’d only hang around for three innings? Perhaps. I want him to be at the top of his game when the playoffs roll around.

No, I don’t have a plan for Chamberlain, but I’m not convinced the Yankees know what they’re doing either. I was tired of hearing that “we have a plan” and “we’re on schedule” all summer from the front office. I think if they really had a plan, they would’ve been forthright from the beginning.

I just hope it all works out in the end, because if it doesn’t, the Yankees will be the butt of jokes for years.

I think I’m with everyone when I say I can’t wait until next year when “the training wheels are off,” because frankly, this whole situation has gotten to the point where it’s ridiculous, just as the previous quoted phrase has gotten old.

Teixeira, bullpen ensure sweep of White Sox

2009-08-30T16:16:00.001-04:00

(Originally posted for Baseball Digest)

Mark Teixeira drove in four runs and the Yankees bullpen pitched six innings, allowing only one earned run, in the team’s 8-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox.

Teixeira hit a sacrifice fly in the first and then hit a three-run home run in the five-run seventh inning to pass 100 RBI on the season. He has now reached 30 home runs and 100 RBI in six straight seasons.

Starter Joba Chamberlain only went three innings, as the Yankees instituted their revised version of the “Joba Rules.” They are essentially simulating spring training and will get him up and around 100 pitches near the end of the season. He threw 35 pitches, allowing four hits and two earned runs.

Alfredo Aceves relieved Chamberlain, pitching three shutout innings, to earn his ninth win of the season. Damaso Marte, David Robertson and Phil Hughes combined to pitch two shutout innings. Phil Coke allowed a solo home run in the ninth.

On the offensive side, Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada each had two hits, while Johnny Damon was the other Yankees aside from Teixeira to drive in more than one run (he hit a two-run home run in the third to give the Yankees the lead). The home run, which was his 24th, ties a career-high. Damon left the game in the seventh with cramping in both calves.

With the sweep of the White Sox, the Yankees are now 34 games over .500. They now embark on a seven-game road trip with the first stop being in Baltimore for three games starting tomorrow night.

Game 130: White Sox at Yankees

2009-08-30T11:57:00.001-04:00

Chicago White Sox (64-66)	New York Yankees (81-48)
Scott Podsednik LF	Derek Jeter SS
Gordon Beckham 3B	Johnny Damon LF
A.J. Pierzynski C	Mark Teixeira 1B
Carlos Quentin LF	Alex Rodriguez 3B
Jim Thome DH	Hideki Matsui DH
Jermaine Dye RF	Jorge Posada C
Mark Kotsay 1B	Robinson Cano 2B
Alexei Ramirez SS	Eric Hinske RF
Jayson Nix 2B	Melky Cabrera CF

Freddy Garcia RHP (0-1, 6.75 ERA) vs. Joba Chamberlain RHP (8-4, 4.34 ERA)

Time: 1:05 p.m.
TV: YES
Radio: WCBS-AM 880, XM 176

White Sox vs. Chamberlain

Pierzynski: 0-1
Quentin: 1-2, 2B
Thome: 0-3
Dye: 0-2
Kotsay: 1-1, 2B

Yankees vs. Garcia

Jeter: 5-28, HR, RBI
Damon: 9-44, 2 2B, HR, 2 RBI
Teixeira: 0-9, RBI
Rodriguez: 12-32, 2B, 3B, 5 HR, 8 RBI
Matsui: 2-5, RBI
Posada: 3-16, HR, 2 RBI
Cano: 1-7
Hinske: 6-13, 2B, HR, 3 RBI
Cabrera: 1-7, 2B

Fans allowed to bring a bag to the game

2009-08-29T19:55:00.001-04:00

The blogger behind The Girl Who Loved Andy Pettitte, also known as @leokitty on Twitter was at last night’s game and reported back some exciting news in terms of Yankee Stadium policy. Fans are now allowed to bring in one bag that cannot be larger than 16” x 16” x 8”, subject to inspection.

The Yankee Stadium A-to-Z Guide has been updated to reflect these changes as well.

So keep this in mind the next time you head out to the Bronx for a game.

Photo via The Girl Who Loved Andy Pettitte (Click to enlarge)

Saturday YanksBlog.com game recap

2009-08-29T17:39:00.001-04:00

Sergio Mitre and Chad Gaudin of all people one-hit the Chicago White Sox Saturday afternoon as the Yankees won 10-0. Read all about it on YanksBlog.com.

Cano walks off

2009-08-28T23:04:00.001-04:00

Robinson Cano hit a walk-off three-run home run in the 10th inning to defeat the Chicago White Sox 5-2 Friday night at Yankee Stadium.

The duel between CC Sabathia and Mark Buehrle lived up to the hype for the most part. Sabathia struck out 10 through seven and Buehrle only allowed two solo home runs – from Derek Jeter to lead off the game and Johnny Damon in the third inning – over six innings.

Sabathia had a 2-0 lead until the seventh. But Jermaine Dye led off with a double, Carlos Quentin walked and Alex Rios hit an RBI double to cut the lead to 2-1. After a line out, Alex Rodriguez, with Ramon Castro batting, made a nice throw home to cut down the lead runner at the plate. He also saved another run when he made a diving stab at third to hold Jayson Nix to a leadoff single. Gordon Beckham then singled to right to tie the game at 2, but Nick Swisher’s throw home beat Castro to the plate for the third out of the inning.

After that, it was a battle of the bullpens. Phil Hughes, Mariano Rivera and Brian Bruney each pitched scoreless innings, while Matt Thornton and Scott Linebrink combined for three shutout innings as well.

But in the bottom of the 10th, Randy Williams walked two batters with two outs before Cano came out. He then belted one into the Yankees’ bullpen in right center to win the game.

The Yankees have now reached 80 wins with tonight’s victory. Sergio Mitre will start tomorrow’s game, with first pitch at 1:05 p.m.

Game 128: White Sox at Yankees

2009-08-28T18:36:00.001-04:00

Chicago White Sox (64-64)	New York Yankees (79-48)
Jayson Nix 2B	Derek Jeter SS
Gordon Beckham 3B	Johnny Damon LF
Jim Thome DH	Mark Teixeira 1B
Paul Konerko 1B	Alex Rodriguez 3B
Jermaine Dye RF	Hideki Matsui DH
Carlos Quentin LF	Nick Swisher RF
Alex Rios CF	Robinson Cano 2B
Alexei Ramirez SS	Melky Cabrera CF
Ramon Castro C	Jose Molina C

Mark Buehrle LHP (11-7, 3.92 ERA) vs. CC Sabathia LHP (15-7, 3.59 ERA)

Time: 7:05 p.m.
TV: my9
Radio: WCBS-AM 880, XM 176

White Sox vs. Sabathia

Nix: 0-6
Beckham: 3-4, 2 2B, RBI
Thome: 4-24, 4 HR, 6 RBI
Konerko: 14-66, 3 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI
Dye: 14-46, 2B, 5 HR, 11 RBI
Quentin: 2-10, HR, RBI
Rios: 7-23, 2 2B, 3 HR, 4 RBI
Ramirez: 3-8
Castro: 0-3

Yankees vs. Buehrle

Jeter: 11-28, 3 2B, 3 RBI
Damon: 13-50, 2 2B, 3 RBI
Teixeira: 11-35, 3 2B, HR, 7 RBI
Rodriguez: 6-28, 2B, 2 RBI
Matsui: 2-10, 2 RBI
Swisher: 8-17, 2B, RBI
Cano: 3-6, 2B
Cabrera: 4-8, 2B, HR, 4 RBI
Molina: 6-15, HR, 2 RBI

Joba Chamberlain update, via Peter Abraham:

He will start Sunday and every five games (not days, games) moving forward.

The first few starts will be cut short at a pre-determined amount.

Then he will be built back up toward the end of the season.

The innings limit has not changed. This is just a different way of getting there.

He has pitched poorly in recent outings and the hope is that getting back to a regular routine will help him. Once the rosters expand on Tuesday, they’ll have a large enough bullpen to cover the gaps.

Fascinating as always.

Walks ruin Burnett’s start, Yanks lose 7-2

2009-08-27T21:18:00.001-04:00

A.J. Burnett was cruising well into the fourth inning Thursday afternoon at Yankee Stadium against the Texas Rangers. In fact, he was perfect through 3 2/3 innings. However, after two two-out walks, Burnett gave up a three-run home run to Ian Kinsler. After that, the Rangers were well on their way to a 7-2 victory.

It wasn’t all Burnett’s fault. The Yankees left 12 runners on base and couldn’t capitalize on starter Dustin Nippert’s seven walks.

Burnett was done after six innings. He struck out a season-high 12 and only allowed two hits, but the three-run home run he allowed was more than enough to cause the defeat with the lack of run support he received.

Once Burnett was out, Phil Coke allowed a three-run home run to Nelson Cruz and Kinsler added his second home run of the game against David Robertson.

The Yankees will look to rebound tomorrow when they begin a three-game series against the Chicago White Sox. CC Sabathia gets the start.

Game 127: Rangers at Yankees

2009-08-27T12:08:00.001-04:00

Texas Rangers (70-55)	New York Yankees (79-47)
Julio Borbon DH	Derek Jeter SS
Michael Young 3B	Johnny Damon LF
Josh Hamilton CF	Mark Teixeira 1B
Nelson Cruz RF	Alex Rodriguez 3B
Ian Kinsler 2B	Hideki Matsui DH
David Murphy LF	Nick Swisher RF
Taylor Teagarden C	Robinson Cano 2B
Chris Davis 1B	Melky Cabrera CF
Elvis Andrus SS	Jose Molina C

Dustin Nippert RHP (4-2, 3.95 ERA) vs. A.J. Burnett RHP (10-7, 4.08 ERA)

Time: 1:05 p.m.
TV: YES
Radio: WCBS-AM 880, XM 176

Rangers vs. Burnett

Young: 6-24, 2B, HR, RBI
Hamilton: 4-9, 2 2B, HR, 3 RBI
Cruz: 1-5, HR, 3 RBI
Kinsler: 3-15, RBI
Murphy: 4-12
Davis: 0-7
Andrus: 1-4

Yankees vs. Nippert

Teixeira: 1-3
Swisher: 1-2

Yanks turn 3 double plays behind Pettitte, win 9-2

2009-08-26T22:19:00.001-04:00

(Originally written for Baseball Digest)

When Andy Pettitte loaded the bases with Texas Rangers with one out in the top of the first, it didn't look like he would be long for Wednesday night's game at Yankee Stadium. However, he was able to induce a 5-4-3 double play with Ivan Rodriguez at the plate to end the threat. After a Jorge Posada three-run home run against Texas starter Derek Holland in the bottom half of the frame, the Yankees were on their way to a 9-2 victory.

Jerry Hairston Jr. added a solo home run in the fourth, and his 12-pitch at-bat in the seventh inning helped start the Yankees' five-run rally after Robinson Cano led off with a double.

Pettitte went seven strong, allowed two earned runs on five hits while striking out seven and walking three. He threw 103 pitches and was aided by three double plays behind him. The Yankees would turn another with Brian Bruney pitching in relief.

In addition to Posada's three RBI, Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira drove in two runs apiece, while Hideki Matsui and Cano were the only Yankees with multi-hit games.

It wasn't all good news for New York. Posada left the game in the top of the eighth after taking a foul tip off his glove hand. X-rays were negative, and the team's report is that he aggravated his ring finger. The Boston Red Sox also won on David Ortiz's walk-off home run.

The Yankees will look to take this three-game series tomorrow afternoon, with first pitch slated for 1:05. A.J. Burnett will get the start.

(Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

And that is why I hate the bunt

2009-08-25T23:08:00.001-04:00

Frank Francisco is on the ropes and Nick Swisher, in his infinite wisdom, decides to give him a free out. What a joke.

If Joe Girardi called that, he should be fired on the spot. Even if he didn’t call it, Swisher squared up earlier in that at-bat. He could’ve made it crystal clear that the bunt was not on.

What a terrible ending to an equally terrible game.

Update – 11:25 p.m.: During the postgame, Girardi said that he was trying to move the runners over and that Swisher has been a good bunter all year.

I can’t even begin to wrap my head around the idiocy of this move.

Pitiful performance by Chamberlain

2009-08-25T22:18:00.001-04:00

Tonight’s start was emblematic of the way Joba Chamberlain has performed this season. He nibbled too much tonight and could never put away the Rangers with two outs until they did their damage.

In four innings, Chamberlain allowed seven earned runs (all with two outs) on nine hits while walking three. He also threw 96 pitches, 44 of which were thrown in the five-run fourth inning alone. Oh, he also blew a 4-0 lead.

It’s getting to the point where the three dominant starts after the All-Star break were an aberration.

This is the kind of pitcher Chamberlain is this season. And if the Yankees have to rely on him to pitch them out of a hole in October, I don’t have faith that he’ll deliver.

(Photo By Al Bello/Getty Images)

Game 125: Rangers at Yankees

2009-08-25T17:43:00.001-04:00

Texas Rangers (69-54)	New York Yankees (78-46)
Julio Borbon DH	Derek Jeter SS
Michael Young 3B	Johnny Damon LF
Josh Hamilton RF	Mark Teixeira 1B
Marlon Byrd CF	Alex Rodriguez 3B
Ian Kinsler 2B	Hideki Matsui DH
Nelson Cruz LF	Jorge Posada C
Ivan Rodriguez C	Robinson Cano 2B
Chris Davis 1B	Nick Swisher RF
Elvis Andrus SS	Melky Cabrera CF

Kevin Millwood RHP (9-8, 3.48 ERA) vs. Joba Chamberlain RHP (8-3, 3.98 ERA)

Time: 7:05 p.m.
TV: my9
Radio: WCBS-AM 880, XM 175

Rangers vs. Chamberlain

Young: 3-8, HR, 3 RBI
Hamilton: 0-6
Byrd: 2-5, 2 RBI
Kinsler: 3-6, 2B, 3B
Cruz: 1-1, 2B
Rodriguez: 0-1
Davis: 2-6, HR, 2 RBI

Yankees vs. Millwood

Jeter: 6-23, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI
Damon: 6-21, 4 2B, RBI
Teixeira: 4-11, 2B, HR, RBI
Rodriguez: 7-18, 2B, HR, 2 RBI
Matsui: 3-9, 2B, 2 RBI
Posada: 2-12
Cano: 5-15, 2 RBI
Swisher: 10-26, 2 2B, 3 HR, 7 RBI
Cabrera: 4-11, 2B, 3B

A friend and fellow Yankees fan is participating in a Diabetes Walk and would like you to help out.

Teixeira on Letterman [Video]

2009-08-25T12:02:00.001-04:00

I mentioned last night that Mark Teixeira was going to appear on the Late Show with David Letterman last night. CBS.com has since put up a clip of the appearance, including him batting outside on 53rd St.

The series ahead

2009-08-25T09:55:00.001-04:00

The New York Yankees (78-46) begin a three-game series against the Texas Rangers (69-54) at Yankee Stadium tonight. The pitching matchups are:

Tonight – 7:05 p.m., my9
Kevin Millwood RHP (9-8, 3.48 ERA) vs. Joba Chamberlain RHP (8-3, 3.98 ERA)

Tomorrow – 7:05 p.m, YES, ESPN2
Derek Holland LHP (7-7, 4.72 ERA) vs. Andy Pettitte LHP (10-6, 4.25 ERA)

Thursday – 1:05 p.m., YES
Dustin Nippert RHP (4-2, 3.95 ERA) vs. A.J. Burnett RHP (10-7, 4.08 ERA)

Teixeira on Letterman tonight

2009-08-24T23:14:00.001-04:00

For those who are still awake, Mark Teixeira will appear on the Late Show with David Letterman tonight. He taped an outdoor batting demonstration.

The show starts at 11:35 p.m.

Impending free agency for Damon, Pettitte, Matsui

2009-08-24T11:44:00.001-04:00

MLB Trade Rumors links to three separate articles talking about the impending free agency of Johnny Damon, Andy Pettitte and Hideki Matsui. Keep in mind that I’m not looking toward next year at all – in fact, I hate articles like this during the season – but today is an off day.

We’ll go one-by-one, starting with Damon (Gordon Edes from Yahoo! Sports reporting):

“I realize the business side of it,” said Damon, whose four-year, $52 million deal with the club is approaching its expiration date. “But I hope at the end of the season we could lock something in for a couple more years.

“I mean, I don’t want to go anywhere else. I love this team, my family loves New York, six weeks of spring training in Tampa, close to my home, and three trips to Tampa (to play the Rays). Yeah, I don’t want to go anywhere.”

Out of the three players named, I’d want Damon back the most, but I don’t know how I’d feel about a multi-year deal. I think the absolute longest I’d go with Damon is two years. While he is still a terrific offensive player and clubhouse presence, he is an absolute adventure in the outfield. Damon also said he doesn’t expect the Yankees to do anything during the season – which is how the team normally operates – so this is a conversation for another day.

*****

Onto Pettitte, who said he doesn’t want a repeat of last offseason where there was a lengthy back-and-forth between the two sides, via Christian Red of the Daily News:

"I wanted to come back here and it looked like it might not happen towards the end. In my mind-set, I was coming back no matter what," he said. "That's where I was at. It's tough when you're getting offers from other clubs, and it's not even comparable.

"As far as next year - I'm trying to get through this year. I hope I can stay healthy and try to help this club win. That's all we're looking at right now. I'm not through - we got a lot of starts left (this season). I want my arm to be healthy. Once I get closer, I can start thinking about that. Maybe start talking to my family and my wife about that."

I don’t think I want Pettitte back. But if the Yankees are so inclined, I’d hope it’s a one-year deal at $7 million or less.

*****

And finally Matsui, who didn’t say too much about his future, with Anthony McCarron of the Daily News reporting:

"My honest answer is I don't know," Matsui said. "I don't have an answer. As a player, you just try to do better than what you've done before. It's not so much about how the organization or other clubs look at me. All I'm focused on is winning a championship."

Would he prefer to stay in New York? "I try not to think about that," he said. "I like New York, the Yankees, the Yankee fans. It's definitely someplace I feel comfortable."

Matsui is an interesting case. He hasn’t played an inning in the field all season, his knees flair up every now and then, but he has 23 home runs this season. Matsui is notorious for his hot and cold streaks, but the way he is playing this season, it will be hard for the Yankees to let him go.

To Matsui’s credit, he said in the article that he wants to play defense to help out his team. He said it limits the team’s choices, which is completely accurate. Unfortunately, he still had to get his knee drained this season without playing in the field.

If the Yankees want him back, they should go year-by-year with him. When healthy, he’s a productive player, but that hasn’t been a certainty with him in his latter years.

Beckett bombed in Yankees' 8-4 victory

2009-08-23T23:51:00.002-04:00

(Originally posted for Baseball Digest)

The New York Yankees belted five home runs against Josh Beckett, a career high, Sunday night at Fenway Park in their 8-4 victory, to win the three-game series against their archrivals.

Derek Jeter led off the game with a home run and Hideki Matsui added two home runs to give him a total of four in this series. Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano also hit home runs.

CC Sabathia went 6 2/3 innings, allowing four runs (three earned) while striking out eight to record his 15th victory of the season.

Beckett allowed eight runs and nine hits over eight innings, throwing 120 pitches. He has now given up 15 earned runs in his last 13 2/3 innings. The eight earned runs also tied a season high, which also came against the Yankees on April 25.

Phil Hughes struck out one and allowed one hit in 1 1/3 relief innings, and Mariano Rivera struck out two and walked one to close out the game in the ninth. Both pitchers hadn't pitched since Aug. 19.

After a day off on Monday, the Yankees will begin a three-game series at home against the Texas Rangers.

AP Photo

Game 124: Yankees at Red Sox

2009-08-23T19:22:00.001-04:00

New York Yankees (77-46)	Boston Red Sox (70-52)
Derek Jeter SS	Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Johnny Damon LF	Dustin Pedroia 2B
Mark Teixeira 1B	Victor Martinez 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B	Kevin Youkilis 3B
Hideki Matsui DH	Jason Bay LF
Nick Swisher RF	Mike Lowell DH
Robinson Cano 2B	Rocco Baldelli RF
Melky Cabrera CF	Jason Varitek C
Jose Molina C	Alex Gonzalez SS

CC Sabathia LHP (14-7, 3.58 ERA) vs. Josh Beckett RHP (14-4, 3.38 ERA)

Time: 8:05 p.m.
TV: ESPN
Radio: WCBS-AM 880

Yankees vs. Beckett

Jeter: 14-47, 2B, HR, 3 RBI
Damon: 12-44, 5 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI
Teixeira: 2-16
Rodriguez: 11-39, 3 2B, HR, 7 RBI
Matsui: 6-23, 3B
Swisher: 5-17, HR, 2 RBI
Cano: 14-41, 5 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI
Cabrera: 12-36, 3 2B, 4 RBI
Molina: 2-13

Red Sox vs. Sabathia

Ellsbury: 1-3
Pedroia: 0-9
Martinez: 1-6
Youkilis: 4-12
Bay: 0-6
Lowell: 2-13, RBI
Baldelli: 5-22, 2 2B, RBI
Varitek: 1-13, HR, 3 RBI
Gonzalez; 0-6

Giambi finds a home

2009-08-23T15:30:00.000-04:00

Old friend Jason Giambi, who was released by Oakland earlier this month, has agreed to a deal with the Colorado Rockies.

Giambi hasn’t played since July 19 because of a strained quad, but his agent says he is healthy. According to the linked article, Giambi will play for Triple-A Colorado Springs before getting called up to the big club when the rosters expand on Sept. 1.

Giambi hit .193/.332/.364 with 11 home runs and 40 RBI in 328 plate appearances for Oakland this season.

‘E:60’ reports on 11-year-old Yankee fan with cerebral palsy

2009-08-23T14:00:00.000-04:00

“HOPE Week” was a major success for the Yankees earlier this season. Rich Reilly wrote a fantastic piece about A.J. Burnett’s involvement with the kids from Camp Sundown and we all remember Polly Tompkins’ story.

ESPN’s newsmagazine show, E:60, will feature “HOPE Week” once again, this time telling the story of 11-year-old Tom Ellenson. Here is the description, via a release ESPN sent me.:

The story of 11-year-old Tom Ellenson is an extraordinary one. Growing up with cerebral palsy, Ellenson could not walk or speak. But his father created a device that allowed him to communicate as a kid his age would, and his “voice” inspired a little league baseball team in New York City to excel.

Ellenson’s magic touch with the team got the attention of the New York Yankees, and Andy Pettite, Joba Chamberlain and Alex Rodriguez visited Ellenson and his teammates. Then, the Yankees gave Ellenson and his teammates a day at Yankee Stadium they will never forget. ESPN’s E:60 was given exclusive access to document Ellenson’s day spent with the Yankees, including a ceremonial first pitch different than any other first pitch in Major League Baseball history. Rachel Nichols reports.

The episode will air on Tuesday, Aug. 25 at 7 p.m. on ESPN. Below is a preview clip the network provided.

Much ado about Posada/Burnett

2009-08-23T12:50:00.001-04:00

Anyone who watched yesterday’s disaster of a game could tell that A.J. Burnett and Jorge Posada were not on the same page. This was evidenced by Burnett talking to himself on the mound, by two missed return throws to Burnett and by numerous mound visits.

Peter Abraham relays quotes from both characters, with Burnett putting the blame squarely on himself.

“There were a couple of heaters (when) I felt that I should have thrown a hook. I step off and re-gather and that’s when the non-executed pitch came. (Posada) calls fine back there. It’s just a matter of me throwing what I want to throw.

“There’s no pattern there. I’ve had a great run now with Jorge. So there’s no fingers to point but at me.”

Posada basically said, according to Abraham, that he just makes suggestions and the pitcher is the one who is ultimately in charge.

Abraham called Burnett stubborn, which he is, but Posada also appears to be extremely stubborn as well.

The team’s ultimate success is bigger than any one man. Burnett and Posada need to get over the problems they have with each other – if any – because both players are important now and will be even more important come October. Burnett will be the No. 2 starter in the playoffs, and Joe Girardi will obviously not want to use Jose Molina.

There is a little more than a month left in the season. Sit these two down in one room and let them figure out what’s wrong.

What goes around, comes around

2009-08-23T01:13:00.001-04:00

Earlier today (technically yesterday) I was still basking in the glory that was the 20-11 victory, saying how great the photos of Green Monster scoreboard are after a big victory. Well, Yankees Universe was handed a blowout defeat of its own this afternoon.

See you all tomorrow (technically today). CC Sabathia’s on the hill and Eric Hinske better not be in left field.

(Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

Saturday YanksBlog.com game recap

2009-08-22T21:29:00.001-04:00

A.J. Burnett can’t pitch in Fenway. That is all. Here is my YanksBlog.com game recap.

Game 123: Yankees at Red Sox

2009-08-22T15:20:00.001-04:00

New York Yankees (77-45)	Boston Red Sox (69-52)
Derek Jeter SS	Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Nick Swisher RF	Dustin Pedroia 2B
Mark Teixeira 1B	Victor Martinez 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B	Kevin Youkilis 3B
Hideki Matsui DH	David Ortiz DH
Jorge Posada C	Jason Bay LF
Robinson Cano 2B	J.D. Drew RF
Eric Hinske LF	Jason Varitek C
Melky Cabrera CF	Alex Gonzalez SS

A.J. Burnett RHP (10-6, 3.69 ERA) vs. Junichi Tazawa RHP (1-2, 5.40 ERA)

Time: 4:10 p.m.
TV: Fox
Radio: WCBS-AM 880, XM 177

Yankees vs. Tazawa

Jeter: 1-1
Teixeira: 0-1
Rodriguez: 1-1, HR, 2 RBI
Matsui: 0-1
Posada: 1-1
Cano: 1-1
Hinske: 0-1
Cabrera: 0-1

Red Sox vs. Burnett

Ellsbury: 6-20, HR, RBI
Pedroia: 6-23, 2 HR, 4 RBI
Martinez: 3-15, 2B
Youkilis: 6-24, 2 RBI
Ortiz: 7-30, 3 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI
Bay: 6-18, 2B, HR, 4 RBI
Drew: 7-23, 2 2B, 3 RBI
Varitek: 5-21, 2 2B, HR, 6 RBI
Gonzalez: 0-4

Picture of the night

2009-08-22T12:12:00.001-04:00

The best part about winning games in blowout fashion at Fenway Park is seeing a picture of the Green Monster scoreboard with the final score in the background.

No, this game wasn’t pretty at all, but seeing the Yankees put up a 20-spot in Boston with what was a 6.5-game lead certainly puts a smile on Yankees fans’ faces.

Hopefully A.J. Burnett can restore order in terms of pitching today. I don’t want to be a Debbie Downer, but Burnett’s worst start of the season came at Fenway on April 25 when he imploded, blowing a 6-0 third-inning lead, eventually giving up eight runs over five innings.

(Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

Matsui drives in 7 in 20-11 victory

2009-08-21T23:29:00.001-04:00

Hideki Matsui hit a pair of three-run home runs and every Yankee who played the majority of the game drove in at least one run in the Yankees’ 20-11 victory over the Boston Red Sox Friday night at Fenway Park.

As the score suggests, there was a lot of hitting and very little pitching. Andy Pettitte only went 5+ innings, allowing seven runs (five earned) on seven hits. Brian Bruney, while not charged with any runs, walked three and hit a batter while the Yankees had a large lead.

Alex Rodriguez added four hits and an RBI while Derek Jeter (3-for-6, two RBI) recorded his sixth straight multi-hit game. Over that span, he has also had four games of three hits. Mark Teixeira also had a three-hit game with three RBI.

The majority of the Yankees’ runs were scored against starter Brad Penny (eight earned runs on 10 hits over four innings) and Michael Bowden, who allowed seven earned runs and eight hits in only two innings.

Overall, the Yankees recorded 23 hits, including eight doubles.

It wasn’t all fun and games for the Yankees’ offense. Johnny Damon fouled a ball off his leg and had to leave the game. He was replaced by Eric Hinske in left field. The team called it a bruise and he’s day-to-day.

The Yankees’ lead over Boston is now 7.5 games. They’ll do it again tomorrow afternoon at 4:10 p.m. A.J. Burnett and Junichi Tazawa each get the ball for their respective teams.

(Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

Game 122: Yankees at Red Sox

2009-08-21T18:37:00.001-04:00

New York Yankees (76-45)	Boston Red Sox (69-51)
Derek Jeter SS	Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Johnny Damon LF	Dustin Pedroia 2B
Mark Teixeira 1B	Victor Martinez C
Alex Rodriguez 3B	Kevin Youkilis 1B
Hideki Matsui DH	Jason Bay LF
Jorge Posada C	David Ortiz DH
Robinson Cano 2B	Mike Lowell 3B
Nick Swisher RF	J.D. Drew RF
Melky Cabrera CF	Alex Gonzalez SS

Andy Pettitte LHP (9-6, 4.09 ERA) vs. Brady Penny RHP (7-7, 5.22 ERA)

Time: 7:10 p.m.
TV: YES
Radio: WCBS-AM 880, XM 178

Yankees vs. Penny

Jeter: 3-6
Damon: 0-5
Teixeira: 0-9
Rodriguez: 0-4
Matsui: 1-2
Posada: BB, RBI
Cano: 1-3
Swisher: 1-3, 2B
Cabrera: 1-2

Red Sox vs. Pettitte

Ellsbury: 5-12, 2B, 4 RBI
Pedroia: 6-32, 2B, 5 RBI
Martinez: 3-13
Youkilis: 9-25, 3 2B, HR, 3 RBI
Bay: 12-27, 3B, HR, 3 RBI
Ortiz: 17-46, 6 2B, HR, 9 RBI
Lowell: 8-24, 2B, 5 RBI
Drew: 12-32, 3 2B, 3 HR, 4 RBI
Gonzalez: 1-3

Marte’s back; Jim Rice is a fool

2009-08-21T18:07:00.001-04:00

First, Damaso Marte is finally back up with the big club. He had been on the 60-day disabled list with left shoulder tendinitis since April 26. Ramiro Pena was sent down, as the Yankees have decided to carry 13 pitchers. Remember, the rosters expand to 40 on Sept. 1.

However, this isn’t the biggest news of the day. One of the newest Hall of Famers, Jim Rice, is none too pleased with today’s major leaguers, calling some of the big names self-absorbed.

It was fine when he cited Manny Ramirez and Alex Rodriguez as examples. I dislike both and agree with him there. But then he put Derek Jeter in that category. I honestly have no idea how he gets off lumping Jeter with Ramirez and Rodriguez.

"You see a Manny Ramirez, you see an A-Rod [Alex Rodriguez], you see [Derek] Jeter ... Guys that I played against and with, these guys you're talking about cannot compare," Rice said to Little Leaguers gathered in the cafeteria.

Have at it, Yankees fans (even A-Rod die-hards).

The series ahead

2009-08-21T12:38:00.003-04:00

The New York Yankees (76-45) beging a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox (69-51) at Fenway Park. The pitching matchups are:

Tonight - 7:05 p.m., YES
Andy Pettitte LHP (9-6, 4.09 ERA) vs. Brad Penny RHP (7-7, 5.22 ERA)

Tomorrow - 4:10 p.m., Fox
A.J. Burnett RHP (10-6, 3.69 ERA) vs. Junichi Tazawa RHP (1-2, 5.40 ERA)

Sunday - 8:05 p.m., ESPN
CC Sabathia LHP (14-7, 3.58 ERA) vs. Josh Beckett RHP (14-4, 3.38 ERA)

Teixeira drives in all 3 in Yanks' victory

2009-08-20T11:10:00.003-04:00

Ho-hum, the Yankees win another series. But what made last night's 3-2 win against the Oakland A's interesting was that Chad Gaudin started, allowing no runs and one hit, but only pitched 4 1/3 innings. He was removed by Joe Girardi, later citing his pitch count (91), largely due to his five walks, as the reason he was taken out and not because he loaded the bases.

Alfredo Aceves relieved him and quickly induced a 1-2-3 double play to end Oakland's threat.

The Yankees were up 3-0 thanks to an RBI groundout and two-run home run from Mark Teixeira who is now at 89 RBI on the season.

After Aceves got out of the fifth inning, he allowed a solo home run to Jack Cust in the sixth and gave up three hits (including an RBI single from Mark Ellis) before being removed. Phil Coke, Phil Hughes and Mariano Rivera combined to record the final seven outs of the game, with the latter earning his 36th save.

The Yankees are off today before beginning a three-game series in Boston tomorrow.

Game 121: Yankees at Athletics

2009-08-19T21:13:00.001-04:00

New York Yankees (75-45)	Oakland Athletics (53-66)
Derek Jeter SS	Adam Kennedy 3B
Johnny Damon LF	Rajai Davis CF
Mark Teixeira 1B	Mark Ellis 2B
Alex Rodriguez 3B	Kurt Suzuki DH
Hideki Matsui DH	Ryan Sweeney LF
Nick Swisher RF	Landon Powell C
Robinson Cano 2B	Jack Cust RF
Melky Cabrera CF	Tommy Everidge 1B
Jose Molina C	Cliff Pennington SS

Chad Gaudin RHP (1-0, 5.40 ERA as a Yankee) vs. Brett Anderson LHP (7-8, 4.55 ERA)

Time: 10:05 p.m.
TV: YES
Radio: WCBS-AM 880, XM 176

Yankees vs. Anderson

Jeter: 3-7, HR, 2 RBI
Damon: 1-7, 2 RBI
Teixeira: 2-6
Rodriguez: 1-3, 2B
Matsui: 1-6, HR, 2 RBI
Swisher: 1-5, RBI
Cano: 3-6, RBI
Cabrera: 4-5, 2B, HR, RBI

Athletics vs. Gaudin

Kennedy: 0-1
Ellis: 0-1

My appearance on the Aug. 18 'The Michael Kay Show'

2009-08-19T12:05:00.012-04:00

Below, you will be able to hear my appearance on the Aug. 18 The Michael Kay Show on 1050 ESPN Radio where I discussed the 2009 Michael Kay/YES Network Drinking Game.

I'd like thank the good folks over at the station for sending me the audio. I'd also like to thank Michael for being a good sport about it.

The Michael Kay Show airs weekdays from 2-7 p.m.

You can also download it here.

CC cruises to victory

2009-08-19T10:03:00.003-04:00

Despite allowing solo home runs to Kurt Suzuki and someone named Tommy Everidge in the first two innings, CC Sabathia was able to recover and dominate the Oakland Athletics over his next six innings to record his 14th victory of the season. The Yankees defeated the A's by a score of 7-2, as Oakland committed four errors.

Derek Jeter recorded his third straight three-hit game in the process, raising his team-leading batting average to .330. Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui and Melky Cabrera also added two hits apiece.

The game was tied at 2 until the sixth inning, when the Yankees broke the game open with five runs on four hits against Jay Marshall and Santiago Casilla.

The Yankees stay seven games ahead of Boston after they defeated Toronto last night 10-9. Chad Gaudin takes the hill for the Yankees in tonight's rubber game. First pitch is slated for 10:05 p.m.

Game 120: Yankees at Athletics

2009-08-18T20:30:00.000-04:00

New York Yankees (74-45)	Oakland Athletics (53-65)
Derek Jeter SS	Adam Kennedy 3B
Johnny Damon LF	Rajai Davis CF
Mark Teixeira 1B	Kurt Suzuki C
Alex Rodriguez 3B	Scott Hairston LF
Hideki Matsui DH	Nomar Garciaparra 1B
Jorge Posada C	Mark Ellis 2B
Robinson Cano 2B	Tommy Everidge DH
Nick Swisher RF	Ryan Sweeney RF
Melky Cabrera CF	Cliff Pennington SS

CC Sabathia LHP (13-7, 3.64 ERA) vs. Vin Mazzaro RHP (4-8, 5.54 ERA)

Time: 10:05 p.m.
TV: YES
Radio: WCBS-AM 880, XM 176

Yankees vs. Mazzaro

Jeter: 0-2
Damon: 2-3
Teixeira: 2-3, 2B, HR, 3 RBI
Rodriguez: 0-2
Matsui: 0-2
Posada: 2-3, 2B, 2 RBI
Cano: 1-2

Athletics vs. Sabathia

Kennedy: 2-10
Davis: 1-8
Suzuki: 3-12, 2B, HR, 4 RBI
Hairston: 2-7
Garciaparra: 2-7
Ellis: 8-29, 2 2B, HR, 5 RBI
Sweeney: 0-3

My call into The Michael Kay Show

2009-08-18T17:19:00.008-04:00

Michael Kay was informed of the drinking game based on him and talked about it during his radio show ESPN 1050. Having heard about this, I called into to the show and had a nice conversation with him on-air.

I am posting from my BlackBerry. I will work on getting the audio when I get home. Thank you for your continued support of Scott Proctor's Arm, and welcome to the new visitors!

To those who are new and want to get in touch with me, Andrew Fletcher, there are plenty of ways in which to do so.

First, you can e-mail me at ScottProctorsArm@gmail.com. You can also follow me on Twitter (@fletch788). I frequently post on a Yankees message board called The Yankee Zone as well. We're always looking for new people to post with!

Scott Proctor's Arm has a page on Facebook where all of the posts are delivered and you can follow the blog using the NetworkedBlogs application.

And finally, if you use an RSS reader such as Google Reader, my RSS feed can be found: here.

The series ahead

2009-08-17T18:33:00.001-04:00

The New York Yankees (74-44) begin a three-game series against the Oakland Athletics (52-65) at Oakland Coliseum tonight. The pitching matchups are:

Tonight – 10:05 p.m., YES
A.J. Burnett RHP (10-5, 3.71 ERA) vs. Brett Tomko RHP (1-2, 5.23 ERA)

Tomorrow – 10:05 p.m., YES
CC Sabathia LHP (13-7, 3.64 ERA) vs. Vin Mazzaro RHP (4-8, 5.54 ERA)

Wednesday – 10:05 p.m., YES
Chad Gaudin RHP (1-0, 5.40 ERA as a Yankee) vs. Brett Anderson LHP (7-8, 4.55 ERA)

Yankees sign first round pick Heathcott

2009-08-17T11:30:00.007-04:00

Lane Meyer at NoMaas is reporting that the Yankees have signed first round draft pick Slade Heathcott. Meyer spoke to Heathcott directly and was told that the bonus he received exceeds $2 million.

After the Yankees failed to sign last year's first round pick Gerrit Cole, this is certainly good news.

For more on Mr. Heathcott, here is his scouting report.

Update - 11:45 a.m.: Jim Callis (via River Ave. Blues) is reporting Heathcott's bonus was almost double the slot money MLB recommends.

Joba, Aceves falter in Sunday defeat

2009-08-16T20:13:00.001-04:00

(Originally written for Baseball Digest)

Joba Chamberlain allowed four earned runs over five innings, and was relieved by an equally shaky Alfredo Aceves, who was charged with four runs of his own in 1 2/3 innings. Doug Fister, on the other hand, pitched well in seven innings, as the Mariners defeated the Yankees 10-3 to avoid a four-game sweep Sunday afternoon at Safeco Field.

The game started out well for the Yankees, as Derek Jeter recorded two hits in his first two at-bats to pass Luis Aparicio with the most hits as a shortstop, including an RBI double in the third inning.

Chamberlain retired the first seven batters he faced, but ran into trouble after walking Ryan Langerhans with one out in the third. After a single and another walk, Jose Lopez hit a two-run double to give the Mariners a 2-1 lead.

Nick Swisher and the Yankees responded in the next half-inning, when he hit a two-run home run to center to put the Yankees ahead 3-2.

But Chamberlain was undone in the fifth, with successive two-out RBI singles.

The Mariners wouldn’t look back from there, but they added insurance in the seventh. Aceves struggled in his second inning of work, but he wasn’t helped by Jerry Hairston Jr. to a step back before having to charge on Ken Griffey Jr.’s leadoff fly ball. Instead of making the catch, he had to field it on a hop. Eventually, the Mariners had the bases loaded with one out. After Langerhans struck out, Aceves hit Josh Wilson with a pitch. Chad Gaudin was then brought in, and he gave up three straight RBI base hits, extending the Mariners’ lead to 9-3. Kenji Johjima’s solo home run in the eighth put the M’s ahead 10-3.

The Yankees don’t lose any ground in the American League East, as the Red Sox were defeated in Texas. The Yankees take their 7.5-game division lead to Oakland for three games starting tomorrow night. A.J. Burnett will start against Brett Tomko, whom the Yankees designated for assignment earlier this summer.

Game 118: Yankees at Mariners

2009-08-16T15:38:00.001-04:00

New York Yankees (74-43)	Seattle Mariners (60-57)
Derek Jeter SS	Ichiro Suzuki RF
Johnny Damon LF	Russell Branyan 1B
Mark Teixeira DH	Jose Lopez 2B
Alex Rodriguez 3B	Ken Griffey Jr. DH
Jorge Posada C	Franklin Gutierrez CF
Nick Swisher 1B	Jack Hannahan 3B
Eric Hinske RF	Kenji Johjima C
Jerry Hairston Jr. CF	Ryan Langerhans LF
Ramiro Pena 2B	Josh Wilson SS

Joba Chamberlain RHP (8-2, 3.85 ERA) vs. Doug Fister RHP (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Time: 4:10 p.m.
TV: YES
Radio: WCBS-AM 880, XM 181

Yankees vs. Fister

No Yankees have any experience against Fister

Mariners vs. Chamberlain

Suzuki: 3-6
Branyan: 1-2, RBI
Lopez: 0-5
Griffey Jr.: 0-2
Gutierrez: 2-3, RBI
Hannahan: 0-2
Johjima: 2-5, 2B

Hideki Matsui has fluid on his knee and is day-to-day. Joe Girardi said he’s a “little bit” concerned about it.

Saturday YanksBlog.com game recap

2009-08-16T01:44:00.001-04:00

Behind eight strikeouts from the bullpen, the Yankees were able to close out a 5-2 win even though Sergio Mitre started. Read all about it on YanksBlog.com.

Game 117: Yankees at Mariners

2009-08-15T21:04:00.001-04:00

New York Yankees (73-43)	Seattle Mariners (60-56)
Derek Jeter SS	Ichiro Suzuki RF
Nick Swisher RF	Franklin Gutierrez CF
Mark Teixeira 1B	Jose Lopez 2B
Alex Rodriguez 3B	Ken Griffey Jr. DH
Jorge Posada DH	Russell Branyan 1B
Robinson Cano 2B	Jack Hannahan 3B
Jerry Hairston Jr. LF	Rob Johnson C
Melky Cabrera CF	Josh Wilson SS
Jose Molina C	Ryan Langerhans LF

Sergio Mitre RHP (1-1, 7.04 ERA) vs. Luke French LHP (2-2, 4.31 ERA)

Time: 10:10 p.m.
TV: YES
Radio: WCBS-AM 880, XM 176

Yankees vs. French

Jeter: 0-2
Swisher: 0-2
Teixeira: 2-3
Rodriguez: 0-3
Posada: 0-1
Cano: 1-2
Cabrera: 0-2

Mariners vs. Mitre

Griffey Jr.: 3-7, 2B, HR, 4 RBI
Branyan: 0-2
Wilson: 0-3
Langerhans: 1-6

As Pettitte settles down, Yanks come back

2009-08-15T01:45:00.001-04:00

Andy Pettitte’s evening began rather inauspiciously at Safeco Field Saturday night. Though the Yankees eventually won 4-2, it didn’t look like Pettitte would hang around for a while. Ichiro Suzuki led off with a single, followed by a Franklin Gutierrez single, a Jose Lopez RBI single and an RBI groundout from Ken Griffey Jr.

After retiring four of his next five batters via the strikeout, he had trouble with the Mariners’ top of the order in the third inning. Suzuki led off with a single and Gutierrez walked. But after that, Pettitte closed the door.

When the dust settled, he struck out a season-high 10 batters over six innings, allowing six hits and two earned runs. For the second straight game in Seattle, the Yankees’ starting pitcher struck out 10. Pettitte, CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett now each have one game of double-digit strikeouts this season.

The Yankees began their comeback in the second when Jorge Posada doubled off the top of the right center field wall. The play was reviewed, but the call stood. Jerry Hairston Jr. eventually drove Posada home on a fielder’s choice to halve the Mariners’ lead.

For the next few innings, Seattle’s starter, Ryan Rowland-Smith, held the Yankees in check. However, in the fifth, he was hit with some bad luck. Melky Cabrera singled with two outs and took second on a wild pitch. Derek Jeter followed with a single through the left side of the infield, somehow getting under both Josh Wilson’s and Jack Hannahan’s gloves to score Cabrera and tie the game.

The game remained tied at 2 until Mark Teixeira led off the ninth with a solo home run against Mark Lowe. The Yankees would add another on Nick Swisher’s RBI single following Robinson Cano’s bloop double.

New York is now 30 games over .500 and remain 6.5 games ahead of Boston following a dramatic comeback of its own in Texas (they scored six runs in the ninth to win by four). Sergio Mitre gets the ball tomorrow night.

Teixeira: Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images
Pettitte: AP Photo

Sabathia, Matsui power Yanks to victory over Seattle

2009-08-14T11:59:00.001-04:00

(Originally written for Baseball Digest)

CC Sabathia struck out a season-high 10 Mariners and Hideki Matsui hit two home runs and drove in five runs in the Yankees’ 11-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners Thursday night at Safeco Field.

Sabathia went eight innings, allowing one earned run and three hits while walking two and throwing 104 pitches to earn his 13th win of the season.

The Yankees recorded 15 hits, including four from Matsui and two from Derek Jeter, Johnny Damon, Mark Teixeira, Robinson Cano and Jerry Hairston Jr. The only Yankee starter without a hit was Nick Swisher, who went 0-for-3 with two walks.

In addition to Matsui’s two home runs (hit 18th and 19th of the season), Jeter hit his 14th home run to lead off the third inning.

New York got to Ian Snell, Seattle’s starter, early and often. He settled down around the middle of the game, but the Yankees piled on as he continued to get tired. He gave up eight earned runs in six innings, walking three and striking out four. He has give up 13 earned runs in 13 1/3 innings in three starts since being traded to Seattle.

The Yankees are now 29 game over .500 and have a 6.5-game lead over Boston. Andy Pettitte and Ryan Rowland-Smith get the ball tonight in a battle of southpaws. First pitch is set for 10:10 p.m. ET.

Game 115: Yankees at Mariners

2009-08-13T21:10:00.001-04:00

New York Yankees (71-43)	Seattle Mariners (60-54)
Derek Jeter SS	Ichiro Suzuki RF
Johnny Damon LF	Franklin Gutierrez CF
Mark Teixeira 1B	Jose Lopez 2B
Hideki Matsui DH	Mike Sweeney DH
Nick Swisher RF	Russell Branyan 1B
Robinson Cano 2B	Kenji Johjima C
Melky Cabrera CF	Jack Hannahan 3B
Jerry Hairston Jr. 3B	Jack Wilson SS
Jose Molina C	Michael Saunders LF

CC Sabathia LHP (12-7, 3.76 ERA) vs. Ian Snell RHP (2-8, 5.42 ERA)

Time: 10:10 p.m.
TV: YES
Radio: WCBS-AM 880, XM 176

Yankees vs. Snell

Teixeira: 0-5
Swisher: 1-1, 2B
Hairston Jr.: 1-2, 2 BB

Mariners vs. Sabathia

Suzuki: 17-41, 4 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 6 RBI
Gutierrez: 3-3, HR, RBI
Lopez: 2-10, 2 RBI
Sweeney: 20-72, 2B, 2 HR, 12 RBI
Branyan: 0-3
Johjima: 5-8, 2B
Hannahan: 0-3
Wilson: 2-15

The series ahead

2009-08-13T18:26:00.001-04:00

The New York Yankees (71-43) begin a four-game series against the Seattle Mariners (60-54) at Safeco Field. The pitching matchups are:

Tonight – 10:10 p.m., YES
CC Sabathia – LHP (12-7, 3.76 ERA) vs. Ian Snell – RHP (2-8, 5.42 ERA)

Tomorrow – 10:10 p.m., YES
Andy Pettitte – LHP (9-6, 4.14 ERA) vs. Ryan Rowland-Smith – LHP (2-1, 3.86 ERA)

Saturday – 10:10 p.m., YES
Sergio Mitre – RHP (1-1, 7.04 ERA) vs. Luke French – LHP (2-2, 4.31 ERA)

Sunday – 4:10 p.m., YES
Chad Gaudin - (5-10, 5.03 ERA overall) vs. Doug Fister – RHP (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

The 2009 Michael Kay/YES Network Drinking Game

2009-08-13T12:14:00.008-04:00

Love or hate Michael Kay, he is here to stay. After years of listening to him, both on television and the radio, I have noticed some of Kay’s favorite sayings and actions from the booth. I call these “Michael Kay clichés,” or “Kaychés.”

The 2008 Michael Kay/YES Network Drinking Game is still one of Scott Proctor’s Arm’s most popular posts. In response, I have made an updated version for this season. I hope you enjoy it and please drink responsibly should you decide to play along. I take no responsibility for you or your actions as a result of playing this game. And no, I don’t really expect you to take 22 drinks if Kay says, “Deuces wild.”

Kay shamelessly plugs his ESPN radio show – 1 drink / Take additional drink if he says the time of day it’s on
Kay screams, “See ya!,” “there it goes,” and/or “looking up” – 1 drink / If he says all three in the same call, finish drink.
Kay says, “Fallacy of the predetermined outcome” – 1 drink
Kay laughs like a maniacal moron, and then is joined by the others in the booth – 1 drink
Kay says, “Put a bow on it” – 1 drink
Kay says, “We’ll make sense of it all” – 1 drink
Kay gets on his soapbox – 1 drink
Kay says, “We thank you for joining us” – 1 drink
Kay says, “If you’re just joining us” – 1 drink
Kay says, “The crowd is still buzzing” a few minutes after something big happens in the game – 1 drink
Kay asks if the batter should get the green light on a 3-0 count – 1 drink
Viewer notices that the YES cameras cut off the top of Kay's head during a booth shot – 1 drink
Kay talks about baseball strategy, and is probably incorrect – 1 drink
Kay uses a word you have to look up in the dictionary – 1 drink
Kay says, “Hey!” (i.e. “Hey, Yankee fans!” or “Hey, check out…”) – 1 drink
Kay says, “Who but?” – 1 drink
Kay says, “Tough league” when a pitcher throws a changeup or breaking ball when down in the count – 1 drink
Kay says, “If it’s fair, it’s gone/trouble/a base hit/etc.” – 1 drink
Kay talks about how Nick Swisher always has a full count on him – 1 drink
Kay says, “Lineups, first pitch, BASEBALL!” – 1 drink
“Jeterian” or “Jeteresque” is said by anyone in the booth – 1 drink
Food is mentioned by any of the announcers – 1 drink / If Kay gets made fun of because of his weight, take an additional drink and eat a slice of pizza
Kay refers to a ball as “driven,” “laced” or “served” – 1 drink / Take 2 drinks if it’s a different verb
There is awkward silence in the booth – 1 drink
Kay says, “Big healthy cut” – 1 drink / Take an additional drink if the “big” is emphasized
Kay says, “Works into, and out of, trouble” – 1 drink
Kay says that Melky Cabrera was the last Yankee to hit for the cycle – 1 drink / Take an additional 2 drinks if Kay says anything about Tony Fernandez
Kay talks about a starting pitcher’s pitch count before the third inning – 2 drinks
Kay says, “Pretty play” or “Oh, what a play!” – 2 drinks
Kay refers to a player by his full name (i.e. “Andrew Eugene Pettitte,” “Derek Sanderson Jeter,” “Carsten Charles Sabathia,” etc.) – 2 drinks
Kay says, “People forget,” assuming that Yankees fans don’t have good memories relating to something that could be perceived as common knowledge (i.e. "People forget Cody Ransom was actually the starting third baseman at the beginning of the year") – 2 drinks
Paul O'Neill makes fun of Kay for having too many shows on YES – 2 drinks
Kay says, “Aforementioned New York Yankees” – 2 drinks
Kay says, “If you’re scoring at home” – 2 drinks
Kay says, “On what would be the infield grass” when a pop up is caught in the short outfield in a domed stadium – 2 drinks
Kay explains the benefits of the staggered lineup – 2 drinks
Kay says a player is “like the little girl with the curl” – 2 drinks
Kay says, “Let’s take this baby _th inning” – 2 drinks
Kay asks, “Do the Yankees have a rally in their bones?” – 2 drinks
Kay holds out the “he” in “he struck him out” (i.e. “Heeeeeeeeee struck him out”), the “goes” in “there it goes” (i.e. “There it goessssssss”) or the “see” in “see ya” (i.e. “Sssssseeeee ya”) – 2 drinks
Kay uses his “Philthies” nickname for Phil Hughes and/or Phil Coke – 2 drinks / If he calls both of them “Philthy” in the same game, take an additional two drinks
Kay screams, “Bonus cantos!” and/or “Free baseball!” when a game goes to extra innings – 2 drinks
Kay refers to a past conversation he had and says, “He said” at least three times (Seriously, pay attention to this. He really does this all the time.) – 3 drinks
Kay says, “He ties a record held by many” when a fielder records all three outs in an inning – 3 drinks
Kay mentions Fordham University – 3 drinks / If John Flaherty mentions George Washington University in response, take an additional drink
O’Neill’s “Seinfeld” cameo is brought up – 3 drinks
Kay says, “That’s a fan for life” when a kid receives a foul ball – 3 drinks
Kay says, “How many times do you see a player make a great play and then lead off the next inning?” or some variation of that – 3 drinks
Kay apologizes in advance for messing up any strike calls when Tim McClelland is the home plate umpire – 3 drinks
Kay says, “Looking up” after the ball has already reached the stands – Finish drink
Kay asks his analysts a ridiculous question and is promptly debunked – Finish drink / Take an additional drink for each time he responds with a “don’t you think...” question
Kay says, “Hit DEEP to left/right/center” and the ball is then caught well in front of the track – Chug a beer
Kay says, “Deuces wild” – 22 drinks
Kay isn't calling the game – Spray champagne

Again, please drink responsibly.

Thanks to my Twitter followers for their various suggestions.

More back-to-back magic leads Yanks to victory

2009-08-12T10:19:00.002-04:00

Joba Chamberlain was bad last night, but he and the rest of the team were bailed out by back-to-back home runs by Hideki Matsui and Jorge Posada last night, as the Yankees defeated the Blue Jays 7-5.

Chamberlain blew a 3-0 lead in the third inning when he allowed a three-run double to Lyle Overbay. He then served up a solo shot to Randy Ruiz, a 31-year-old who played in his 23rd career game.

After three great starts following the All-Star break, Chamberlain has been average, at best. You can't expect him to be perfect all the time, but he has reverted back to what the majority of his starts this season have been like.

But for the third time in as many games, the Yankees hit back-to-back home runs. They are now 70-43 and have a 5.5-game lead over the Red Sox in the East.

They're playing a day game today, with A.J. Burnett getting the start. First pitch is a little after 1.

Game 113: Blue Jays at Yankees

2009-08-11T18:04:00.001-04:00

Toronto Blue Jays (54-57)	New York Yankees (69-43)
Marco Scutaro SS	Derek Jeter SS
Aaron Hill 2B	Johnny Damon LF
Adam Lind LF	Mark Teixeira 1B
Lyle Overbay 1B	Alex Rodriguez 3B
Vernon Wells CF	Hideki Matsui DH
Randy Ruiz DH	Jorge Posada C
Edwin Encarnacion 3B	Robinson Cano 2B
Rod Barajas C	Eric Hinske RF
Joe Inglett RF	Melky Cabrera CF

Scott Richmond RHP (6-6, 3.97 ERA) vs. Joba Chamberlain RHP (8-2, 3.73 ERA)

Time: 7:05 p.m.
TV: my9
Radio: WCBS-AM 880, XM 176

Blue Jays vs. Chamberlain

Scutaro: 1-8, 2 RBI
Hill: 2-6, HR, 3 RBI
Lind: 4-8, 2B, HR, 2 RBI
Overbay: 3-7, RBI
Wells: 2-6
Barajas: 1-4, HR, RBI
Inglett: 1-4

Yankees vs. Richmond

Damon: 1-2, 3B
Teixeira: 2-2, 2B, RBI
Rodriguez: 2 BB
Cano: 1-2, RBI
Hinske: 1-2, 2B
Cabrera: 1-1, 2B

Mitre to make his next turn

2009-08-11T11:35:00.003-04:00

Joe Girardi said after last night's game that Sergio Mitre will make his next turn in the rotation.

"He threw the ball well," Girardi said. "His miscue cost him a really good outing, in a sense. You're looking at just a couple of solo home runs and that's basically it."

Right.

It's nitpicking complaining about the fifth starter on a first-place team, but Mitre is a below average fifth starter at this point. While the Yankees are 3-2 in his starts, he hasn't pitched more than 5 2/3 innings. Last night, Alfredo Aceves, one of Girardi's most trusted relievers, had to pitch four innings. Whatever the reasoning, Aceves is out until tomorrow afternoon at the earliest.

In his latest column on FoxSports.com, Ken Rosenthal notes that recently-signed pitcher Russ Ortiz could be the next option for the Yankees should they decide to remove Mitre. Apparently, Ortiz can ask for his release after three starts. Last Thursday, in his first and only start for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, he threw six shutout innings. While Ortiz instills as much confidence in me as Mitre does, he's another arm to throw against the wall.

It's really just about eating innings at this point and praying the important starters don't get hurt. Watching Mitre throw games away - literally - is frustrating as hell. But if you continue to get good starts from the other four starters, you'll be in good shape.

Letdown: After Boston sweep, Yanks fall to Jays 5-4

2009-08-10T23:00:00.002-04:00

(Originally posted for Baseball Digest)

They say momentum is as good as your next day’s starting pitcher. Coming off a dramatic four-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox, Sergio Mitre was tapped to start against the Toronto Blue Jays Monday night at Yankee Stadium. That said, he did not provide much momentum for the New York Yankees, the first-place team in the American League East looking to extend their winning streak to eight games.

Mitre gave up five runs (three earned) over five innings in the team’s 5-4 loss. Though he struck out six and only walked one, he was undone by his own doing. In the top of the fourth, he fielded a comebacker off the bat of Jose Bautista. He then proceeded to throw wildly to second, which allowed a run to score. Though Cano was charged with the error, the throw was wide. That opened the door to a three-run Blue Jays inning.

The Yankees got on the board in the first right off the bat when Derek Jeter led off with a home run. Mitre had struck out the side a half-inning earlier despite allowing two hits. He then struck out two batters in the top of the second and looked to be well on the way to a quality inning. However, he allowed a two-out solo home run in the third to Aaron Hill to tie the game.

New York took the lead right back on Nick Swisher’s sacrifice fly after Jeter took third on catcher Rod Barajas‘ throwing error during a stolen base attempt. But after the top of the fourth, the Jays had a 4-2 lead behind starter Marc Rzepczynski.

Rzepczynski faltered in the bottom half of the frame, allowing back-to-back home runs to Robinson Cano and Jerry Hairston Jr. to start the inning to tie the game at 4.

Despite Mitre’s struggles in the fourth, he was allowed to continue. After recording successive groundouts, he served up a solo home run to Lyle Overbay that hit off the back wall of the Yankees’ bullpen. The bomb gave the Jays a 5-4 lead, the eventual final score.

Alfredo Aceves pitched the final four innings for the Yankees, throwing 42 pitches and only allowing two hits.

Jeter finished with three hits from the leadoff spot with two runs scored. Cano went 2-for-4.

The Yankees will look to rebound tomorrow night with Joba Chamberlain on the hill against Scott Richmond.

Update: According to Yankees.com beat writer Bryan Hoch, the error originally charged to Cano was changed to Mitre.

The series ahead

2009-08-10T15:50:00.000-04:00

The New York Yankees (69-42) begin a three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays (53-57) at Yankee Stadium tonight. The pitching matchups are:

Tonight - 7:05 p.m., YES
Mark Rzepczynski - LHP (1-3, 3.74 ERA) vs. Sergio Mitre - RHP (1-0, 7.50 ERA)

Tomorrow - 7:05 p.m., my9
Scott Richmond - RHP (6-6, 3.97 ERA) vs. Joba Chamberlain - RHP (8-2, 3.73 ERA)

Wednesday - 1:05 p.m., YES
Ricky Romero - LHP (10-5, 3.66 ERA) vs. A.J. Burnett - RHP (10-5, 3.67 ERA)

Rejoice, Yankees fans

2009-08-10T15:02:00.002-04:00

Cody Ransom has cleared waivers and will join Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre tonight.

Sweep success

2009-08-10T11:12:00.005-04:00

One of my friends had an extra ticket to last night's game, so I was able to take in all the action in the expensive field level seats down the left field line. The area had waiter service and padded seats, but I digress.

The game was absolutely incredible and the atmosphere was great. It really felt like we were watching old playoff games in the old Stadium. As critical as I have been of the crowds and the Stadium itself, the fans really came out this series.

When Victor Martinez hit his two-run home run in the eighth, despite cursing Joe Girardi and Phil Coke, I never had the feeling that the game was actually over. This year, the way the Yankees have won games, they have given us reason to believe. I haven't felt this great about a Yankees team since the dynasty years.

By no means am I saying "Get the ticker tape ready," but the confidence I have in this team getting to that point is great. For someone as pessimistic as I usually am, this is a stunning development.

Saturday YanksBlog.com game recap

2009-08-08T22:51:00.001-04:00

CC Sabathia and the Yankees shut out the Boston Red Sox for the second straight day, this time defeating them 5-0. Read all about it on YanksBlog.com.

What a game, and thoughts on Ortiz

2009-08-08T13:20:00.001-04:00

Five-and-a-half hours later, the Yankees were able to extend their lead over the Red Sox to 4.5 games when Alex Rodriguez broke a scoreless tie with a two-run shot in the 15th inning.

But for me, the story was A.J. Burnett. Yes, he walked six, but he one-hit the Red Sox over 7 2/3 innings.

After a game the saw 19 runs the night before, this game was refreshing. You just can’t predict baseball, Suzyn.

And this brings me to David Ortiz’s press conference from this afternoon. What a joke that was. Ortiz said nothing, and the Players Association made it more about itself and the list than it did about Ortiz. Then I hear Eduardo Perez on ESPN saying he was honest and genuine. How disgusting.

Where was this support for Rodriguez? Many know I’m not his biggest fan, but he was seemingly more honest and genuine. I’m disgusted.

Game 109: Red Sox at Yankees

2009-08-07T18:09:00.001-04:00

Boston Red Sox (62-45)	New York Yankees (66-42)
Jacoby Ellsbury CF	Derek Jeter SS
Dustin Pedroia 2B	Johnny Damon LF
Victor Martinez 1B	Mark Teixeira 1B
Kevin Youkilis 3B	Alex Rodriguez 3B
David Ortiz DH	Hideki Matsui DH
J.D. Drew RF	Jorge Posada C
Jason Varitek C	Robinson Cano 2B
Josh Reddick LF	Nick Swisher RF
Nick Green SS	Melky Cabrera CF

Josh Beckett RHP (13-4, 3.27 ERA) vs. A.J. Burnett RHP (10-5, 3.89 ERA)

Time: 7:05 p.m.
TV: YES
Radio: WCBS-AM 880, XM 176

Red Sox vs. Burnett

Ellsbury: 5-18, HR, RBI
Pedroia: 6-22, 2 HR, 4 RBI
Martinez: 3-12, 2B
Youkilis: 6-23, 2 RBI
Ortiz: 7-27, 3 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI
Drew: 6-20, 2 2B, 3 RBI
Varitek: 5-18, 2 2B, HR, 6 RBI
Green: 3-10, 2B, 3B, RBI

Yankees vs. Beckett

Jeter: 14-44, 2B, HR, 3 RBI
Damon: 12-41, 5 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI
Teixeira: 2-13
Rodriguez: 11-36, 3 2B, HR, 7 RBI
Matsui: 4-20, 3B
Posada: 9-28, 2B, 3 RBI
Cano: 13-38, 4 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI
Swisher: 5-16, HR, 2 RBI
Cabrera: 12-35, 3 2B, 4 RBI

Busy afternoon today. First, the Yankees recalled Ramiro Pena from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and sent down Anthony Claggett. Meanwhile, the Oakland A’s released Jason Giambi and last night’s starter John Smoltz was designated for assignment by the Red Sox.

It's about time

2009-08-07T10:29:00.003-04:00

Calling John Smoltz a shell of his former self would be an insult to shells.

I figured it was a good signing because He Knows How To Win® and He Hasn't Forgotten How To Pitch®, but with each successive start, it's looking like he doesn't and he has.

The Yankees were able to power their way to victory last night, despite Joba Chamberlain's career-high seven walks, to extend their lead over the Red Sox in the division to 3.5 games. At only 1-8 against their archrivals, that's remarkable.

A.J. Burnett and Josh Beckett get the nods at the Stadium tonight. Step on their throats, Yankees.

The series ahead

2009-08-06T10:08:00.004-04:00

The New York Yankees (65-42) begin a four-game series at Yankee Stadium against the Boston Red Sox (62-44). The pitching matchups are:

Tonight - 7:05 p.m., My9/MLBN
John Smoltz - RHP (2-4, 7.12 ERA) vs. Joba Chamberlain - RHP (7-2, 3.58 ERA)

Tomorrow - 7:05 p.m., YES
Josh Beckett - RHP (13-4, 3.27 ERA) vs. A.J. Burnett - RHP (10-5, 3.89 ERA)

Saturday - 4:10 p.m., Fox
Clay Buchholz - RHP (1-1, 6.05 ERA) vs. CC Sabathia - LHP (11-7, 3.95 ERA)

Sunday - 8:05 p.m., ESPN
Jon Lester - LHP (9-7, 3.79 ERA) vs. Andy Pettitte - LHP (9-6, 4.35 ERA)

----

I apologize for neglecting the blog lately. It's really just been laziness on my part. But I figured there's no better time to return than the present.

Follow me throughout the course of this series, the rest of the season and any time in between on Twitter: (@fletch788).

NY Times: Ortiz, Ramirez on 2003 steroid list

2009-07-30T13:00:00.004-04:00

According to The New York Times, David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez are on the infamous 2003 list of failed drug tests.

Oh happy day! I was giddy when Ramirez tested positive earlier this year, and I'm even giddier right now.

This is bad for baseball, sure. It's bad that they cheated and it's bad that the names have been leaked by lawyers cherry picking the most popular players.

However, in terms of the New York/Boston rivalry, this is great. After hearing all of the "steroids" chants at Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi, Yankees fans finally have some fodder as well.

This all said, release the entire list. From the potential Hall of Famers to the utility infielders, all of the names must be released.

Joba rolls over Rays

2009-07-29T22:37:00.001-04:00

(Originally posted for Baseball Digest)

Joba Chamberlain pitched eight shutout innings against the Tampa Bay Rays Wednesday night, leading the Yankees to a 6-2 victory. With the win, the Yankees took the three-game series against the defending American League champions.

Chamberlain threw 101 pitches over his eight innings, striking out five and walking two. He has won each of his three starts since the All-Star break to improve to 7-2 on the season.

The Yankees got on the board in the first inning when Mark Teixeira hit an RBI single to drive in Derek Jeter, who led off the game with a triple. They’d score another run in the fourth on Robinson Cano’s RBI groundout.

Robinson Cano added a solo home run in the sixth to extend the Yankees’ lead to 3-0, and the Yankees would get another in the eighth on a Jorge Posada RBI single.

The 4-0 seemed to be enough with the way Chamberlain was pitching, but for good measure, Melky Cabrera and Mark Teixeira hit solo home runs in the top of the ninth.

That gave the Yankees much-needed breathing room, because Brian Bruney struggled mightily in the bottom of the ninth when he entered with a 6-0 lead. Carl Crawford led off with a triple. Evan Longoria followed that up with a two-run home run. After a one-out double, manager Joe Girardi summoned Mariano Rivera, his trusted closer, to put out the fire.

The Yankees are back to 23 games over .500 and are now 3.5 games ahead of the Red Sox in the AL East after their loss against Oakland tonight. The Yankees begin a four-game series in Chicago tomorrow night.

Another Twitter service announcement

2009-07-28T22:47:00.001-04:00

For reasons beyond my control, I was forced to make a new Twitter account. I can now be followed at @fletch788.

So please follow me back, and I hope this is the last of my Twitter problems.

Kazmir dominates Yankees in Rays’ 6-2 victory

2009-07-28T22:45:00.001-04:00

(Originally posted for Baseball Digest)

Tampa Bay Rays starter Scott Kazmir allowed one earned run over seven innings as the Rays were able to stop the surging Yankees 6-2 Tuesday night at Tropicana Field.

CC Sabathia struggled through his 5 2/3 innings, giving up six runs (five earned) on nine hits. He wasn’t helped when Derek Jeter overthrew first base in the second inning, but he didn’t have his best stuff all night.

Hideki Matsui drove in both of the Yankees runs on a single and a double, but the Rays were able to get to Sabathia.

B.J. Upton, Carl Crawford and Ben Zobrist each had two hits. Evan Longoria added a solo home run off Sabathia in the fifth inning.

Mark Melancon appeared in his first game since July 10. He pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings, striking out two and allowing only one hit.

After the game, the Yankees learned that starter Chien-Ming Wang will need shoulder surgery and will be out for the rest of the season.

Joba Chamberlain starts tomorrow night as the Yankees will look the take the rubber game.

Yankees roll over Rays 11-4

2009-07-27T22:49:00.001-04:00

(Originally posted by Baseball Digest)

The New York Yankees hit four home runs and each starter had at least one hit in their 11-4 victory of the Tampa Bay Rays Monday night at Tropicana Field.

Five of the Yankees’ starters had multi-hit games and starter A.J. Burnett gave up one run (zero earned) over seven innings, striking out five and walking two.

The Yankees scored three runs in the second inning of James Shields. Jorge Posada (double), Robinson Cano (triple) and Nick Swisher (groundout) had the RBI. They would add two more runs in the sixth inning on back-to-back solo home runs by Cano and Swisher. Swisher’s home run was his first of two on the night. The shots gave the Yankees a 5-0 lead.

Tampa got a run back, as the Yankees traded a double play for a run.

Up 5-1, Alex Rodriguez, on his 34th birthday, hit a two-run double.

The 7-1 lead seemed comfortable, but reliever Jonathan Albaladejo, who was called up when Brett Gardner was placed on the disabled list, made things interesting in the bottom of the eighth. Carl Crawford hit a sacrifice fly and Ben Zobrist hit an RBI single to cut the Yankees’ lead to 7-3.

However, the Yankees hit two more home runs in the top of the ninth against Brian Shouse to put the game out of reach. Swisher hit his second home run of the game and Johnny Damon added a three-run home run to give the team an 11-3 lead. Pat Burrell hit a solo home run in the ninth to reach the final score of 11-4.

The Yankees are now 61-38 and remain 2.5 games ahead of the Boston Red Sox in the AL East.

Yankees rally in sixth to cap 9-1 homestand

2009-07-26T19:51:00.001-04:00

(Originally posted for Baseball Digest)

The Yankees came from behind twice Sunday afternoon to defeat the Oakland Athletics 7-5 and cap a 9-1 homestand that saw the team reach 22 games over .500.

The A’s scored quickly against starter Sergio Mitre in the first inning. Orlando Cabrera hit a one-out single and, after he stole scored, scored on Scott Hairston’s double. Hairston would then score on catcher Kurt Suzuki’s single to give the A’s a 2-0 lead.

However, the Yankees came right back, scoring four in the bottom of the first inning. Hideki Matsui hit a two-out RBI single to halve Oakland’s lead. Two batters later, Robinson Cano cleared the bases with a three-run double into the gap. He then overslid third and was tagged out. Nevertheless, the Yankees had a 4-2 lead.

Oakland got one run back in the fourth inning on Mark Ellis’ sacrifice fly. However, Mitre was able to escape further trouble by inducing a double play to end the threat. This cut the Yankees’ lead to 4-3.

After giving up a leadoff single in the sixth inning, Mitre was pulled. He gave up nine hits and four earned runs in 5+ innings, striking out one and walking none. After retiring the first two batters he faced, Phil Coke gave up a two-run home run to Ellis to give Oakland a 5-4 lead.

The Yankees roared right back in the bottom half of the inning. Melky Cabrera walked with one out and third baseman Cody Ransom doubled. Derek Jeter followed with a two-run single to center to put the Yankees back ahead 6-5. Jeter was picked off, but Johnny Damon doubled and was driven home by Mark Teixeira to give the Yankees another insurance run at 7-5.

Phil Hughes pitched 1 1/3 innings of relief before being bullpen for Brian Bruney when he ran into trouble. Bruney struck out his only batter and was replaced by Mariano Rivera, who retired all four batters he faced. The save was Rivera’s 29th of the year.

Boston lost their game this afternoon, so the Yankees are back on top of the AL East by 2.5 games. The Yankees begin a three-game series in Tampa tomorrow night.

Gardner to DL with broken thumb

2009-07-26T11:42:00.001-04:00

The news broke earlier this morning that Brett Gardner broke his left thumb during his takeout slide at second base yesterday afternoon. He was put on the 15-day disabled list, with Jonathan Albaladejo taking his spot on the roster.

Peter Abraham says that have the extra pitcher up is temporary and they’ll add a position player in the next couple of days. He suggests Austin Jackson, Shelley Duncan or John Rodriguez.

Gardner will be in a cast for two weeks.

I think if the Yankees call up Jackson, they feel that Gardner’s injury is more serious.

Saturday YanksBlog.com game recap

2009-07-25T16:29:00.001-04:00

Andy Pettitte and Alfredo Aceves unraveled in the seventh inning of this afternoon’s 6-4 loss to the Oakland A’s at Yankee Stadium.

Read all about it on YanksBlog.com.

A note to my Twitter followers

2009-07-24T17:28:00.001-04:00

As many of you know, I am on Twitter (@ProctorsArm). A few days ago, my list of followers and people I follow got deleted.

So if you previously followed me, please follow me back and I will return the favor. Also, if you are just discovering my Twitter account, please also follow! I don’t bite!

Tied for first

2009-07-21T00:06:00.001-04:00

The Yankees and Red Sox are in a tie for first place in the AL East, 4.5 games ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays.

This is amazing, considering the Yankees are 0-8 against the Red Sox this season. It kind of hurts thinking about where the Yankees would be if they won just a few of those games against their archrivals.

I forgot to mention this in the previous post, but how great were those two plays at home? The fact that they came at the most crucial part of the game only added to them.

Matsui walks off

2009-07-20T22:37:00.001-04:00

Hideki Matsui’s walk-off solo home run tonight gave the Yankees their third straight 2-1 victory and fourth straight win overall to reach 18 games over .500.

The Yankees have now hit five solo home runs over this span.

Andy Pettitte continued this stretch of solid starting pitching. Though he didn’t factor into the decision, he struck out eight over 7 1/3 innings, allowing six hits and walking two.

Sergio Mitre makes his Yankees and team debut tomorrow night.

Game 91: Tigers at Yankees

2009-07-19T13:21:00.001-04:00

Detroit Tigers (48-41)	New York Yankees (53-37)
Curtis Granderson CF	Derek Jeter SS
Placido Polanco 2B	Brett Gardner CF
Miguel Cabrera 1B	Mark Teixeira 1B
Marcus Thames DH	Alex Rodriguez 3B
Clete Thomas RF	Hideki Matsui DH
Brandon Inge 3B	Jorge Posada C
Josh Anderson LF	Robinson Cano 2B
Gerald Laird C	Nick Swisher RF
Ramon Santiago SS	Melky Cabrera LF

Edwin Jackson RHP (7-4, 2.52 ERA) vs. Joba Chamberlain RHP (4-2, 4.25 ERA)

Time: 2:05 p.m.
TV: YES, TBS
Radio: WCBS-AM 880, XM 179

Tigers vs. Chamberlain

Granderson: 0-3
Polanco: 0-3, RBI
Cabrera: 1-3
Thames: 0-1
Inge: 0-2
Anderson: 1-3
Laird: 1-5
Santiago: 0-2

Yankees vs. Jackson

Jeter: 11-27, 2B, 3B, HR, 4 RBI
Gardner: 1-4
Teixeira: 2-10, 3B
Rodriguez: 7-19, 3 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBI
Matsui: 7-22, 3B, HR, 3 RBI
Posada: 2-8
Cano: 6-24, 2B, RBI
Swisher: 4-12, 2B, 2 HR, 3 RBI
Cabrera: 6-17, RBI

Joba appears in a Powerade commercial

2009-07-16T12:22:00.005-04:00

Hello, folks. It's been a while. I'm not the biggest fan of the All-Star hubbub, so I chose not to make any posts about it. Anyway, baseball returns tonight (even though the Yankees don't start up again until tomorrow), and the kind folks at Powerade sent over a YouTube link of Joba Chamberlain appearing in a new ad promoting their fine drink.

The ad, which also features Carmelo Anthony, Ryan Howard and others, will appear in cinemas nationwide.

Failing to get clutch hit, Yanks get swept in Anaheim

2009-07-12T19:05:00.001-04:00

(Originally posted for Baseball Digest)

When the Yankees began their series in Anaheim on Friday, they were tied for first place in the AL East. Now as they head into the All-Star break, they are three games behind the Boston Red Sox after getting swept at the hands of the Los Angeles Angels. The Yankees lost Sunday’s game by the score of 5-4.

The Yankees had the bases loaded with no outs in the seventh and eighth innings, but they failed to get clutch hits to put them on top.

Down 4-2 in the seventh, Mark Teixeira struck out and Alex Rodriguez grounded into a double play to end the threat. And in the next inning, after CC Sabathia allowed the Angels to score another run to make it a 5-2 ballgame, the Yankees came within one run, but Nick Swisher lined back to the pitcher for a double play.

For the third straight game, the Yankees had a lead only to lose it soon after. Derek Jeter drove in a run on the fielder’s choice in the third inning. But Sabathia gave up four runs in the bottom of the fourth, including RBI doubles from Bobby Abreu and Howie Kendrick, as well as an RBI from Robb Quinlan and a run-scoring groundout off the bat of Brandon Wood.

John Lackey only allowed two runs and six hits over seven innings. He struck out six and walked three. On the other hand, Sabathia gave up five earned runs over 6 2/3 innings, bringing his season ERA to 3.86.

Jeter and Melky Cabrera had two hits apiece, but the nine combined runners left on base by Teixeira and Rodriguez effectively sealed the Yankees’ fate.

After the All-Star break, the Yankees will begin a 10-game homestand with three-games against the Detroit Tigers on July 17th.

Saturday YanksBlog.com game recap

2009-07-11T20:04:00.001-04:00

Awful pitching. Awful game. The Yankees fell to the Angels 14-8. Read about it on YanksBlog.com.

Game 86: Yankees at Angels

2009-07-10T21:10:00.001-04:00

New York Yankees (51-34)	Los Angeles Angels (46-37)
Derek Jeter DH	Chone Figgins 3B
Johnny Damon LF	Maicer Izturis 2B
Mark Teixeira 1B	Bobby Abreu RF
Alex Rodriguez 3B	Juan Rivera LF
Nick Swisher RF	Kendry Morales 1B
Robinson Cano 2B	Mike Napoli DH
Melky Cabrera CF	Gary Matthews Jr. CF
Cody Ransom SS	Jeff Mathis C
Jose Molina C	Erick Aybar SS

Joba Chamberlain RHP (4-2, 4.04 ERA) vs. Joe Saunders LHP (8-5, 4.44 ERA)

Time: 10:05 p.m.
TV: YES
Radio: WCBS-AM 880, XM 176

Yankees vs. Saunders

Jeter: 2-8, HR, 2 RBI
Damon: 3-8, 2B
Teixeira: 2-9
Rodriguez: 3-7, 2B, RBI
Swisher: 4-15, HR, 4 RBI
Cano: 1-5, 3 RBI
Cabrera: 0-1
Molina: 0-2

Angels vs. Chamberlain

Rivera: 0-1
Morales: 1-1, 2B
Napoli: 0-1
Mathis: 0-1

Note: Jonathan Albaladejo has been optioned out with Mark Melancon coming up.