Returning Pitchers: Wang, Pettitte, and Chamberlain

Chien-Ming Wang looked like the rotation’s ace last year until he was sidelined with an injury and the early-struggling Mussina rose up into the limelight. Thankfully the injury didn’t involve his arm or shoulder and he should return to form again this year. The published projections for Wang aren’t that hopeful. Both sources (the Bill James Handbook and Baseball Prospectus) are counting on Wang to make 30 appearances, but while Bill James predicts 200 innings, the Baseball Prospectus guesses 126, suggesting another setback might be on the way. BJ predicts an ERA of 3.70 while BP predicts 4.39. Obviously here one is looking for a solid season from Wang while the other is forecasting a big slide. Personally I think Wang will be back on his game and will produce numbers similar to his 2007 season. If he doesn’t, the injury prone and depleted rotation could be in big trouble.

Andy Pettitte was last season’s workhorse, the guy who would eat up innings and deliver stuff that was good enough to keep the team in the game. He had his off days and he had good days but in the end the innings went by and the team was still in a position to win. BP suggests a dropoff in Andy’s innings, games played and wins, but also a drop in ERA. BJ predicts a full workload of games and innings, a drop in wins and also an improvement in ERA. Pettitte’s deal with the Yankees took a while to iron out, but hopefully he stayed on top of his offseason conditioning. I’m looking for Andy to be Andy. Not the pitcher he once was, but still a reliable guy to go out there every five days. The media attention about his past PED use has all but disappeared and hopefully he can concentrate fully on the season ahead and deliver the goods.

Joba Chamberlain was impressive in everything he did last year. For the most part, people seem to be accepting the argument that  his talents are best used in the rotation rather than the bullpen. The big concern is his durability. The Yankees need to enforce a strict pitch count and innings limit for him from day one and need to be able to rest him every so often, skipping his start (by using him as the 5th man or having a 6th starter ready).  The only projections available are from Baseball Prospectus which seem to think his status is up in the air, making a bunch of starts but also getting some bullpen work while seeing 126 innings total. His ERA is predicted to be a mere 3.09, up from last year but still impressive. I personally don’t have a strong feeling about what’s going to happen with Joba. Starting him is the right thing to do, but he’s going to need rest, and he might not be able to hack it. If anything does happen, he’ll quickly be back in the bullpen where he’ll spend the rest of his career as a set up man and closer.

The Rest of the starters, well, there really aren’t any. I don’t have faith or hope for Kennedy or Hughes. The two of them need an entire year in the minors before I’d want them back. They will see time in the majors, however, because it’s inevitable that someone on this rotation is going to have at least a minor injury that will require a spot starter. Traditionally, a long reliever on the roster can fill in in these instances, but despite Girardi saying he wants a long reliever on the team, I don’t see it happening. I’d be willing to give Giese a shot and we should get a look at him in spring training.

Another Win for Sir Sidney

The Yankees managed a win against the hapless Seattle Mariners late last night, with a decent outing from Ponson and some mixed action in the bullpen. Brian Bruney was strong but then Joba Chamberlain struggled resulting in Mariano Rivera getting called in early. The Yankees have said that they are keeping Joba in the pen for the rest of the year and would like to get him back into the rotation next year. If he can handle it, Joba is unquestionably a valuable starter. If injuries continue to creep up, the bullpen it is.

Thanks to some offense from Abreu, Giambi and Matsui, the Yanks tacked enough runs on the board to secure the win. With both Boston and Tampa losing, the Yanks inched  slightly closer and are now 10 games out of first and 7.5 behind Boston.

In other news, Alfredo Aceves will be replacing Rasner in the rotation. Darrel did everything we could have asked of a replacement pitcher at the beginning, but as the season wore on hitters had him figured out and at the end, he was just abysmal.

Tampa has looked a little shaky lately and I'm sticking with my earlier predictions that Boston will finish in first. If the Yankees could play some serious ball at the end, it's not out of the question to make the post-season. This Yankee team, however, doesn't have the stuff to put together the necessary late season charge.

Why Did We Trade This Guy?

Joba Chamberlain is on the DL with rotator cuff tendonitis. The Yankees are now in dire straits when it comes to starting pitching. Meanwhile, Jeff Karstens, recently traded to the Pirates, shut down one of the most potent offenses in baseball when he manhandled the Cubs a few nights ago and then proceeded to throw a two-hitter in his next outing.

Jeff spend most of the year on the DL after looking like a decent candidate to make the roster as a long reliever. Damaso Marte is quickly looking like another Kyle Farnsworth while Xavier Nady is an offensive stud so far. It was certainly a good deal for the Yankees, but sometimes you have to wonder if these guys don't quite realize what they've got down in the minor leagues. Why wasn't Giese on the radar in the spring? Karstens never got his fair shot due to injury, but you have to think the Yankee coaches and scouts just may have missed something.

I was too frustrated to do a blog recapping yesterday's disaster. I'm quickly falling back to the position that the Yankees aren't going to make the post season this year. They've got the talent, but not the consistency. Now with Wang and Chamberlain out, they're pretty much sunk.

Joba Leaves Early With Shoulder Problems

It was not a good night for the Yankees. As if losing to the Rangers 9-5 wasn't bad enough, Joba Chamberlain had to leave the game early with tightness and soreness in his shoulder. The Yankees rotation is shakey as is, barely coping with the loss of their ace Chien Ming Wang, but the loss of Joba could be fatal.

JC is returning to NY today for medical evaluation and at this time, there aren't many details. Pete Abraham is reporting that Dan Giese is going to replace Darrel Rasner in the rotation. Ian Kennedy might be coming back soon as well, especially if Joba has to miss a start.

I'm sure this incident will start bringing out guys like Goose Gossage who will once again go on about how Joba belongs in the bullpen and a new wave of controversy will start up again. I stand by my position that if Joba can be a starter, he should start. The caveat is that if injury problems creep up repeatedly, it's time to consider a move to the bullpen. Chamberalin wouldn't be the first pitcher who couldn't handle the load and had to be moved to the pen for injury reasons. That being said, if he can get over this temporary setback and go back to pitching injury free as a starter, that's where he belongs.

Damaso Marte walked the bases loaded and then gave up a grand slam home run in the ninth inning, once again showing that the scouting reports regarding his inconsistency were on target. Clean-shaven Giambi went 3 for 4 and Xavier Nady went 2 for 4. The Yankees can hit some days, and they can pitch some other days. Someone needs to get everyone on the same page again for the winning to resume.

Joba Strikes Out Nine

That's right, nine strikeouts in seven scoreless innings. Does anyone out there (other than Goose Gossage) still think Joba is best served in the bullpen?

Kyle Farnsworth had a setback, only getting one out while facing three batters, forcing Mariano Rivera to come into the game early. Rivera stopped the bleeding before any runs could score. Farnsworth has been playing some of the best ball of his career lately, but tonight was back to typical Krazy Kyle.

The Yankees were only able to score one run, but it was enough. The offense could certainly use the help of Nady when he gets here. Brett Gardner continues to disappoint and is really starting to look like he peaked back in triple A ball.

The Yankees are two games behind Boston and if Tampa holds on to win, we'll be three games out of first. For a long time I've been saying that this team wouldn't make the playoffs, but they've been getting the job done lately. It hasn't always been pretty, but a win is a win. With the new additions coming soon, the team might actually be a contender.

Back in Action Tonight

After the all star break the New York Yankees are back in action playing the Oakland Athletics. The All Star game has came and went and was a relatively quiet affair. The game was the longest in history, and certainly had some great moments, but only contained a small amount of controversy.

The trade wheels were still turning as Oakland traded away Joe Blanton to the Phillies, and apparently Greg Smith is scheduled to get the start against the Yankees on Saturday.

Goose Gossage again gave another speech explaining why he thinks Joba belongs in the bullpen rather than in the starting lineup. At this stage, Gossage has slipped into full blown self-ego stroking, explaining to the world why a good relief pitcher is far more valuable to a team than a starting pitcher. To be perfectly clear, this isn't about Joba, it's about Goose, who, despite being in the hall of fame, is still trying to convince people that he was more important to the game of baseball than a lot of other pitchers.

The Yankees have added Richie Sexson to the roster, hoping his right handed bat can give the team an offensive boost against left handed pitching. The Yankees were able to get Sexson dirt cheap and with Matsui out for a while, they could use an extra DH. Sexson's performance this year has been pretty abysmal and I wouldn't expect much out of him, but the Yankees got him for next to nothing and you certainly can't blame them for giving it a go.

After the few days off, it almost feels like a new season. For this Yankees team the next few days should be really telling. Has the time off done them any good. Have they decided for themselves whether or not to show up and play each and every day, or are they going to continue with the mediocre effort, up and down playstyle that's gotten them third place in the division standings so far this season. A good run out of the gate could turn the team around. We'll just have to wait and see what happens.

Joba Piches Well, Halladay Better

Joba Chamberlain is really flexing his muscle on the  mound, striking out nine batters last nigh. The young chamberlain got a good less from Doc Halladay, however, as the unstoppable veteran shut down the Yankees for nine innings. The Yankee offense was less than anemic last night, as most of the hitters were powerless to touch anything Halladay was throwing at them.

Betemit, Cano and Cabrera are all hitting under .250 and Gardner is still hitting .129. This isn't the kind of lineup the Yankees need if they are going to chase the Sox and Rays. While Cano has been hitting a little better, he's nowhere near the hitter he was last year. Melky has lost his stroke as well and Betemit was, is and will always be a replacement level player at best. Gardner is inexperienced, but hasn't shown much of anything at the plate to warrant his sticking around when Damon gets back, Sure, he's got speed and runs the bases well, but if he never gets on base, what's the point.

Jorge Posada was back behind the plate today and the Yankee faithful were spared his whining for a day at least.

Despite great wins against Boston and Tampa, the Yankees struggle against Pittsburgh and Toronto. The offense only seems to come to life every few days. Injuries are really crippling the team offensively, and relief pitching has a lot of holes in it. This just isn't a championship caliber team. If the Yankees want to try to catch the teams ahead of them, they'll need help. Most of the focus has been on picking up another starter or reliever, but the real attention should be about putting some people in the lineup who can hit. It can't be that hard to find someone hitting .275 can it?

Hat's off to Halladay. He really pitched one heck of a game. Joba - keep your chin up, better days will come.

Joba Gets First Starting Win

The New York Yankees walloped the Pirates last night 10-0 and Joba Chamberlain got his first win as a starting pitcher. He still as a little too high of a pitch count, throwing 114 over 6.2 innings, but he only allowed 6 hits, striking out 7 and only walking 1.

Joba has been a great starting pitcher for the Yankees so far. I can't imagine anyone still thinking that he belongs in the bullpen at this stage. Sure, the bullpen could use him, but the rotation needs him more.

Ohlendorf was satisfactory but Veras gave up 2 hits at the end.

The Bomber bats came alive with Jeter, Abreu and Cano all getting 3 hits. Even though he's been hitting better lately, I still have zero faith in Robinson Cano's ability to hit or field.

Sidney Ponson is scheduled to pitch on Friday. That means that Girardi has no hope that any of the prospects working their way up through the minors are going to be ready to pitch. The Pinstripers already have minor leaguers Rasner and Giese in the Rotation, and so the farm is pretty well drained. There are guys who will be ready soon, but it's probably best to give them a little more time at AAA before rushing them into the big leagues.

Before too long Hughes and Kennedy will be healthy and ready to pitch again, and so Girardi will have more options. The pressure is really going to be on Rasner to start pitching a little better or else Joe might decide to take another look at Ike or the Franchise. Actually, it's probably safe to say that Hughes is guaranteed a spot in the rotation when he's healthy again.

Joba Progress Continues

89 pitches (approximately 55 fastballs) in six full innings of work were logged by the Yankees top pitching star as he continues on his path toward becoming a full time starter. The word is that the next time out, there will be no pitch limit for Chamberlain. He apparently was throwing in the mid to high nineties even in the sixth inning. Things are looking good right now for Joba and the real test will come down the road at the end of the season, where it remains to be seen if he can stay healthy and productive.

Chamberlain struck out two and walked four, and needs to work on efficiency on the mound when he's starting. All three Yankee youngsters, Hughes, Kennedy, and Chamberlain have had a tendency to get worked deep into counts and have hefty pitch counts.

Jose Veras got the win and was the go-to guy in the set-up role. In a shocking move, Girardi used Farnsworth as a closer to hold down the one run lead in the ninth inning. I don't know if this means Joe still does have ultimate faith in the dicey Farnsworth, or that he just felt bad for not having played the guy in a while. Personally, I've got Veras penciled in as my set-up guy and Ramirez as my alternate closer when you need to give Rivera a night off.

Jose Molina, Robinson Cano and Wilson Betemit are batting .216, .217, and .218 respectively. It will be interesting to see what the Yankees do catcher-wise next year, when Cervelli will hopefully be healthy again and Chad Moeller remains an option. Robinson Cano is trade bait in my mind. Perhaps some desperate team thinks he's got potential and can actually get him to listen to a pitching coach. Betemit is the caliber of a bench player on the Pittsburgh Pirates. I'd cut or DFA him as soon as possible and get Alberto Gonzalez back. Then again, if you read this blog on occasion, you already knew that.

Kudos to Derek Jeter for his timely home run that put the Yanks on top.

Joba Settling In

Joba Chamberlain lasted 4.1 innings yesterday, throwing 78 pitches. He had 5 strikeouts and only 1 walk, and looked like he had much better control than in previous starts. Joe Girardi said later that Joba should be ready to throw 90-95 pitches in his next outing. The transition from bullpen to starter is nearly complete, and so far, Chamberlain looks like the real deal.

The pitching star of the day was Dan Giese who didn't allow a hit or a walk in 2.2 innings and picked up his first major league win. Congrats Dan! It's only been a couple of games, but Giese has looked good and hopefully can stick around for a while. Are you reading this Joe Girardi? See how well things go when you have a decent long reliever in the pen?

Kyle Farnsworth had a day off supposedly because of a tweaked bicep that was getting an extra days rest. That left the set up job for Jose Veras. I personally like Edwar Ramirez as the setup man, but Veras is a close #2. Jose gave up 1 hit and didn't allow any runs. Mariano Rivera was his usual self; three up, three down.

The Yankees offense continues to show it's stuff. Johnny Damon went 2 for 5, bringing his average up to .328. Damon had the day off from fielding as Girardi put him in the DH spot to keep his legs fresh. Jason Giambi hit another HR, and certainly can hit the ball deep. Wilson Betemit was brought in as a defensive replacement, which again makes me wonder if Joe has watched any of the tapes of Betemit's defense this year.

So Joba looked good, Giese looked better, the bullpen was sharp and the batters were hitting. What's not to like?

Geise Outshines Joba

Joba Chamberlain used up the majority of his 65 pitch count in the first inning. He took a page out of the Ian Kennedy book and started trying to be cute, painting corners and dancing around the edges rather than throwing strikes. Joba will quickly learn that throwing like that won't get the job done in the big leagues as a starter. Chamberlain had 3 strikeouts but walked four batters. All of this happened in only 2.1 innings of work.

There is a real danger here that if the young star doesn't do better in his next couple outings that the impatient Yankees may stick him back in the bullpen, spoiling his chances to be an ace.

The recently called up Dan Giese did a decent job in the long reliever role, throwing 3.2 innings worth of quality ball, allowing 5 hits and 1 earned run.

Jose Veras and Edwar Ramirez tried to make me look foolish for saying they would make good set-up men. Veras allowed 2 runs while only getting out 1 batter and Ramirez allowed 4 without getting anyone out. Thankfully Latroy Hawkins was there to save the day.

Chris Britton pitched a scoreless inning after the game was out of reach.

The Yankees left 10 on base. Damon, Jeter and Matsui hit well but everyone else pretty much stumbled at the plate. Things aren't looking good for the team right now as they sit 7 games behind. Even with guys like Posada coming back, I don't see a dramatic turnaround coming anytime soon.

With guys coming back off of the DL, the Yankees will need to clear room on the roster. I'm wondering if it's time to cut their losses with a few of the guys who only have a year remaining and just let them go. The Yankees like to keep the guys they are paying for, and continue to play them even when they struggle, but I think it's time to just let go.

Chamberlain Continues to Stretch Out

Andy Pettitte was pitching at a high enough level last night that the Yankees didn't bring Joba in until midway through the bottom of the 7th inning.  Chamberlain pitched 1.1 innings, threw 28 pitches and faced 6 batters. With a 2 run lead, Joe Girardi went with Mariano Rivera in the 9th and Joba continued to throw in the bullpen afterward.

Jason Giambi went 2 for 3 with 2 RBIs and a home run. His average is now up to .244 and he continues to have a hot bat. You've gotta respect the 'stache. Melky Cabrera has been struggling at the plate a bit lately and had a nice outing hitting in the 9th spot and going 2 for 4. Matsui also had 2 and Damon went 3 for 5.

It's good to see Pettitte deliver a quality outing, going 6.2 innings. The bullpen is looking rather vulnerable at the moment and the Yankees absolutely aren't equipped to handle an early exit by too many of their pitchers. Ian Kennedy has a strained Latissimus muscle and some shoulder bursitis. Apparently he is expected back in 15 days and shouldn't miss an extended period. He probably deserves an extended stay down in the minors, and might need to be joined by Ohlendorf for a while.

There has been no official word yet on what will happen for Ian's next scheduled start. Pettitte may move up a day or Joba may get his first start. I doubt we'll be seeing Igawa back in New York. Chris Britton was called back up to fill Ike's spot on the roster temporarily, but the Yankees like moving him back and forth too much to let him linger long in the Big Apple.

The Joba Plan Continues

Joba pitched 2 innings and threw 40 pitches in an effort to get stretched out and ready for the rotation. Chamberlain wanted to come in for a third inning but Joe Girardi held him back and sent in Farnsworth instead. I'm a bit surprised that Joe didn't march him out to face at least one more batter, but I guess this is going to be a slow process, gradually increasing the pitch count.

Mike Mussina barely held on to a lead and ended up getting the win. The Farns had another off day, giving up 2 runs on 4 hits including a home run. It's really hard having a guy like Kyle on the team. He can pitch very well and can throw hard, but it seems a lot of hitters just plain have his stuff figured out.  When he's pitching well, he can be dominating, when he's not, he'll give up a lot of runs quickly. The unfortunate heart of the matter is that you cannot count on Kyle to deliver. You can put him in and hope he's having a good day, but there is little day-to-day consistency. There have been rumors that Farnsworth would take over as a setup man when Chamberlain went into the rotation, but I think that would be a horrible role for Kyle. He's more of a "use him whenever you think you can safely get away with it" type of pitcher than a setup man who you expect to be reliable.

Even though he's been iffy lately, I'd rather see a guy like Ohlendorf in the setup role. Veras is doing nicely and could do the job also.

On the other side, Yankee hitters have been coming to life, especially the struggling Cano and Giambi. If they continue to play at their current level for the rest of the season, they will both have respectable numbers. So I ask this: If Giambi and Cano have late season turnarounds and post decent numbers for the season, do you want them back? Giambi's contract is up at the end of the season, I'd still let him go personally. The free agent market for first basemen is looking very tempting with guys like Teixeira coming available.  Robbie Cano seems to make a habit of slow starts and I don't particularly like his fielding, but I'm not sure the Yankees really have any better options coming up through free agency. I would like to see Alberto Gonzalez get a lot more playing time, however and think he could turn out to be an everyday type of player.

Rasner Win Overshadowed by Joba News

Let's get one thing straight, Darrel Rasner pitched one heck of a game last night. 7.0 innings of work, 6 strikeouts and only 1 walk with 0 runs. You can't ask for anything more from a starting pitcher. It's something no other Yankee pitcher has come close to in their recent starts. For a guy called up in the middle of the season, Rasner is doing a commendable job. It wasn't a flawless performance, as Rasner got himself in trouble once or twice, but just as quickly he got out of the jam without giving up a run.

I like what I see from Darrel. I'm not putting him down as the next Cy Young winner, but I think he could prove a reliable back end guy. If he could pitch like he did last night all of the time, he'd be the ace on someone's rotation, but not all of the games will go as smoothly as what we just saw.

The big news generated after the game was Joe Girardi's comments about Joba Chamberlain stating that the process had begun and that the Yankees were beginning to stretch out Joba's innings to prepare him for a starting role. More news has been coming out from various sources that Cashman had talked with Joba and the young star confirmed that he's mentally ready and wants to give starting a try. That is the most important part of the equation for me. I was getting worried that Joba would become too comfortable in his set-up role and might not look favorably on the move to the rotation which would subconsciously kill any real chance of him ever succeeding in that role. The fact that Chamberlain thinks he's ready is a good sign. It's also a good sign that the Yankees still have some baseball sense about them and realize what a tragic mistake it would be if they didn't give him a shot as a starter.

On the other side of the ball, Alex Rodriguez was on fire. Officially he had 3 hits including 1 home run and 2 RBIs, but anyone watching on TV saw the replay clearly indicating that one hit ruled a double was clearly a home run. There was no doubt about it in anyone's mind and it will again cause a bit of talk about the idea of instant replay in baseball. A-Rod looked good at the plate and seemed to run well also, hustling out plays and going near full speed. Even in his absence, the Yankee hitters should have been producing more runs and playing better than they had. I'm not buying the lack of A-Rod as a valid excuse for their previous struggles. Having A-Rod back, having a guy who starts making contact and hitting the ball can provide a spark that jump starts some of the other players.

Lastly I want to comment on another guy who's doing an outstanding job, Chad Moeller. Moeller seems to be doing an excellent job of reading his pitchers and hitters. He's made some nice defensive plays and has been hitting decently. Last night he went 2 for 5 and brought his average up to .262. Despite being placed on waivers earlier in the season, Chad indicated he would be happy to remain with the organization even in the minors. When he was called back up he continued to perform well. This guy has done all that you could ask and more. I don't know what his future with the Yankees will be, considering you've got Posada, Molina and Cervelli, but he certainly has served the team well.

Yankees Sneak in Afternoon Game and Win

I missed yesterday's game because I didn't realize it was an early start. The Yankees won 6-3 with the help of 4 home runs during the game and a solid outing by Mike Mussina. Moose pitched 5 innings but started to crack at the end. Ross Ohlendorf gave up 1 hit and 0 runs in 2 innings, Joba Chamberlain retired the side in the eighth and Mariano Rivera gave up 1 hit and 0 runs in the ninth.

I'm starting to feel a little better about Mussina. He's settled down in his last few games and pitches decently. If he can get run support, he can get a few wins. He's still going to carry that 4.0-4.5 ERA and give up runs, but hopefully the offense will help him out.

I don't know what to make of Ohlendorf. I think he's got good stuff and have thinking that he would eventually be a setup man or closer. He had some troubles earlier in the season with long relief appearances, but yesterday he managed 2 innings just fine. He'll probably be fine with 2 innings of work but I think 3 might be pushing it, getting him a little outside is effective zone.

Joba created a stir once again with an animated fist pump that was all over the television media. I'm tired of this non-story.

Hideki Matsui remains the teams best hitter. If I ever mentioned a trade involving Matsui before, I retract it. We need his bat right now. Wilson Betemit hit a home run and may actually seeing the ball a little better. Struggling Robbie Cano went 2 for 3.

Team LOB: 1 - that's the kind of number I like.

Coming Up:

Kei Igawa vs. Kenny Rogers. The Yanks have been hitting Rogers hard and Igawa might actually stand a chance. I don't like to be pessimistic, but I doubt Igawa will get out of the fourth inning and won't be back in New York for a long time.

David Wells was mentioned in the Post as wanting to come back and play for the Yankees, who have rotation issues. I think that is pretty unlikely at this point. Expect Ian Kennedy to be back soon and Darrel Rasner to continue filling in for the injured Phil Hughes.

Yankee Fans Are Pitiful at Times

This is a rant about one thing I can't stand - fans who boo their own team. This phenomenon is especially prominent with many New York teams and has been plaguing the Yankees quite a bit this year.

There are a few times when I could be convinced it's OK for a quick boo, for instance if your team makes a boneheaded play call, or a player who doesn't put forth any effort. There really isn't an excuse to boo a guy who is out there honestly doing his best to help the team.

Joba Chamberlain, the team's best young pitching prospect received a few boos from the stands last night after blowing a save and costing the team a win. Joba is a class act. He tried hard, he's pitched extremely well, he's a nice guy and most likely is a key piece in the future of this franchise. There's absolutely no reason to boo a guy like this. After his unfortunate outing, Joba immediately returned to the locker room and very patiently and politely answered a host of questions from the reporters gathered there. No avoiding the questions, no avoiding the reporters, no ill-tempered remarks, just a guy doing the right thing. It's  a shame that a few fans decided to lessen the game by booing a decent kid.

The other incident that really gets me is the booing of LaTroy Hawkins. Early in the year Hawkins was abysmal and I frequently suggested he should be cut, sent down, or traded. New York fans seemed to care less about his poor performance and more about the fact that he wore number 21, which some misguided fans think should be retired because Paul O'Neill wore it. No way does Paul O'Neill deserve to get his number retired. A very good player, but not "number retired" great. The saddest part of all of this was that the number was chosen to pay tribute to Roberto Clemente. I'm still shaking my head that O'Neill trumps Clemente in anyone's book.

Eventually Hawkins switched numbers and the booing stopped. His performances at Yankee Stadium improved quite a bit after that as well. I wonder if the fans know what a nice guy Hawkins is? If you follow the team in the media, you'll know that he's a stand up guy who goes out of his way to support his new teammates. This isn't behavior that deserves booing.

This behavior isn't limited to just the Yankees, it's common for most NY sports teams, and some other big city teams as well. It just doesn't seem right to me and can't be helping matters any if the team is struggling. Maybe next time these so called fans feel like booing, they'll just get up and get a hot dog instead and cool off a bit. Yeah right.

JC Human After All

It turns out that Joba Chamberlain isn't some otherworldly entity sent down from the heavens to dominate opposing hitters. In the end, he's just a man; one who doesn't always have perfect control.

Andy Pettitte pitched masterfully, giving up 2 runs in 6.1 innings. Kyle Farnsworth continues to excel, retiring the last 2 batters in the seventh inning.

In the eighth however, Joba Chamberlain walked two and then gave up a three run home run. Joba was shaking off pitches from catcher Jose Molina, threw too many curve balls and eventually got ripped on a high inside fastball that hung out over the plate a little too much.

Jose Veras went 1-2-3 in the 9th inning and pitched well in his second appearance in the majors this year.

The offense was sluggish again, with Hideki Matsui providing most of the excitement going 3 for 3.

This game was shocking for many to watch. Pettitte gave everyone something to cheer about with his performance and the offense had given the team a slim lead. By the time you get to Joba, fans are expecting smooth sailing and an automatic win at that point. Seeing him give up not one, not two, but three runs was heartbreaking. Manager Joe Girardi felt bad for him and commented that he felt like he should give the guy a hug.

Much maligned reliever LaTroy Hawkins had some words of wisdom for the stuggling star, "Now he knows what baseball will do to you. If he's smart, he'll never forget it. That right there is part of the job."

It was bound to happen, we all knew it was coming eventually, but it still hurt.

The good news is that hopefully Joba learned from the experience and perhaps will listen to his catcher a little more next time. Joba seemed disappointed but was handling it well, indicating a willingness to move on, "It stinks when it happens but you understand it's part of the game."

In other news, Wilson Betemit was called up and made a start last night after suffering from a protracted bout of conjunctivitis. He quickly fell back into form of mediocre hitting and was decent over at third base. The unfortunate side effect was that Alberto Gonzalez got sent down. Gonzalez isn't a star just yet, but the more big league at bats he gets, the better his chances. Betemit has established himself and isn't going to get any better.

Lastly, Ian Kennedy pitched the game of his life down in AAA. He went 7.1 innings giving up only 1 hit and no runs. He had a no-hitter going through six. There were no walks and 8 strike outs. I think Ian got the message the Yankees were trying to send him.

Joba Loses

Joba Chamberlain is not invincible in the bullpen as some have come to believe, and proved it in the Yankees 7-6 loss to the Chicago White Sox. The young star gave up the winning run in the ninth inning and was credited for the loss.  Maybe now some people will stop perseverating about how dominant he is as a late reliever and how he needs to stay in the bullpen.

That's not going to happen, but I can dare to dream right?

For the record, I'm a huge Joba fan and think he'll be an all star pitcher for many years with the Yankees. Giving up 1 run on 2 hits in 1.1 innings of work. Stuff happens and even the best pitchers get hit once in a while, so lets just hope this doesn't get into Joba's head too much. "I give up hits and that's the way it's going to be. I let my team down," said Chamberlain after the game.

The story of the night was the Yankee pitchers and the tragedy that surrounded each of them.

Phil Huges looked much better in his first 2 innings, giving up only 1 hit and no runs. In the first inning he threw quite a few pitches and worked into a few deep counts but in the second inning he ripped through the opposing batters. In the middle of the third inning the rain came again and after the significant delay, Joe Girardi and Dave Eiland decided to pull Hughes in favor of Ross Ohlendorf, who apparently they think is a long reliever.

Ross Ohlendorf has a lot of talent and could turn into a very  successful reliever in the major leagues, but the longer he pitches, the less effective he is. Ross' velocity and stuff as a starter was always a step down from his stuff as a reliever, where he'd come in and throw harder with more movement. This season he's had some nice 3 inning outings, but last night he came undone after one. The first inning Ohlendorf pitched beautifully, but the second he came out flat and got tagged. In the end Ross gave up 5 runs on 5 hits in 2 innings.

I didn't like Joe Girardi's decision not to have a long reliever on the team out of Spring training and it continues to hurt the team. Darrel Rasner is pitching extremely well in the minors and deserves a chance to come up. He's the guy you want to bring in to relieve Hughesey, Ike, or Moose if they need to come out early. A long reliever will eat up a bunch of innings, hopefully keeping the game close until you can bring in your closer. As much as I like Ohlendorf, he's definitely not long reliever material.

LaTroy Hawkins was decent, giving up 1 run in 2 innings of work. Kyle Farnsworth pitched a scoreless inning until slipping off the mound and hurting his right elbow. Kyle said he hoped to be back in action on Friday.

Brian Bruney didn't pitch this game but apparently sprained his foot or ankle on Wednesday night while attempting (unsuccessfully) to cover first base. Bruney will likely go on the DL so that another pitcher can be brought up. The Yankees have been using their bullpen heavily and need some fresh arms.

Jason Giambi had a decent hitting night going 2 for 4, but remains a defensive liability. He botched a simple 5 foot toss to Hughes who was running to cover first. Thankfully the athletic pitcher was able to reach down low and scoop the ball in time, but there is no excuse for that kind of sloppy play, especially when you have guys like Ensberg and Duncan available.

The Yankees will be making some moves today, putting people on the DL and calling up relievers from the minors. Now might be the time Chad Moeller gets sent back down since Molina and Posada both appear to be healthy. If so, once again, congratulations Chad on doing an outstanding job of filling in!

Abreu Grand Slam Propels Yanks to Win

Chien-Ming Wang was getting hit frequently Tuesday night in Chicago, but Bobby Abreu came through with a 2 out grand slam home run.

Wang gave up 10 hits in 6 innings and allowed 3 runs. Many of Wang's pitches that were put into play went deep and were caught on the warning track. In a different ballpark the results could have been much uglier for the Yankees. Chien-Ming's win was the 50th of his career, reached in only 85 games. Dwight Gooden and Ron Guidry reached the 50 mark after 82 games.

The Bullpen was less than stellar today. Billy Traber was only allowed to face one batter, which he walked. Brian Bruney came on and proceeded to load the bases while only getting one out. Finally the Yanks called in Joba Chamberlain to get out of the bases loaded, one out jam. Struck out one batter, walked in a run, and then got the final out on a pop fly fielded by Posada.

To keep things interesting, New York manager Joe Girardi gave every fan watching a scare by brining in Kyle Farnsworth to close out the game. With the Yankees up 5 in the the bottom of the ninth, Farney walked one, gave up a hit, and allowed a run to score before getting the third out of the inning and ending the game.

Bobby Abreu had the biggest clutch hit of the night and put the Yankees on top in the seventh inning. Johnny Damon went 3 for 5 with a home run of his own. Jason Giambi was removed from the game with a swollen thumb after a horrible defensive play at first that should have been scored an error. While Giambi did hit a solo home run, his offensive production is still poor and he remains a huge defensive liability.

Surprisingly there were no stolen bases with Posada behind the plate, and no runners were caught stealing. Yankee pitchers did a good job of keeping runners close to first, but the one or two times runners went early, balls were put into play. I'm surprised that there weren't more attempts to steal, given the vulnerable arm that Jorge has.

The team LOB tonight was 6, a respectable number. If the Yankee bats can get on base and drive runners home like they did tonight, they'll be able to overcome their problems with pitching. Up until now it's mostly been starting pitching, but tonight the bullpen looked particularly vulnerable.

Congratulations to Alex Rodriguez and his wife on the birth of their second daughter.

Competition Notes: The Boston Red Sox beat the Los Angeles Angels 7-6, and are showing no signs of letting up. This is troubling to Yankee fans because the Sox ace Josh Beckett was scratched from the game. Instead, David Pauley was called up from the minors for the start. Pauley was shelled, giving up 7 hits and 5 runs in 4.1 innings of work. The Boston bullpen held strong, and even Mike Timlin got a batter out as they waited for the offense to come alive in later innings and secure the win. Even with their best starter out, this team finds a way to win. The Yanks will have to wait another day to try and close the gap.

Time to Panic?

The buzz on the Yankee blog scene lately has been consisting mostly of people telling their readers not to panic, that the season is still young, these pitchers will settle down and the offense will come to life.

I'm panicking.

Ian Kennedy couldn't get out of the 3rd inning. It's especially worrisome given Phil Hughes and Mike Mussina's performances of late.

This team can't carry three pitchers who won't make it more than 3 innings per start. Mussina, Hughes, and Kennedy can't be in the same starting rotation with the way they are currently playing. I don't doubt that Hughes and Kennedy could both turn into reliable, quality starting pitchers, but bringing them both along at the same time is not a roadmap for success this year.

Mike Mussina looks like he's just about done. When he comes out to pitch if he doesn't have his stuff he's going to get lit up. If he does have his stuff, he's only good for about 4-5 innings. Maybe the Yankees could use him as a long reliever, but his starter days are numbered.

It remains to be seen what will happen with Joba. He was back in the lineup tonight and closed out the 9th inning in style. I'm glad that Joba's dad is doing better and relieved (no pun intended) to see Chamberlain back in the bullpen. Ross Ohlendorf gave up a couple of runs but is performing reasonably well in his defacto role of long reliever. Billy Traber is working out well and will be valuable as more than just a situational guy who gets called in to face left handed batters.

I like the move of Posada to 1st base. While his shoulder is sore that's a great use for him, putting the struggling Giambi on the bench and allowing others a chance at the DH spot.

It's hard not to sound like a broken record, but the Bombers need to right the ship when it comes to starting pitching, and the offense needs to wake up. I think they've got the talent with the bats, but am keeping a close eye on the transaction reports, expecting to see a move to acquire pitching soon.

The Yankees left 8 men on base tonight, had 6 hits but were unable to score a run. I keep thinking in the back of my head that it's only a matter of time before they start gelling a bit more, getting hits at the right time and stringing together their offense so as to start driving in more runs.