MLB - Discuss Yesterday's action or anything you want

[pilferk]

Again, we disagree.  You need decent pitching to win 97 games, if you can outslug the majority of your opponents.  A 4.0 and 5.0 ERA will win you ballgames when your team averages 6 runs a game, in the long run.  Over a short series, you need good to great pitching to prevent the other teams from scoring runs.  You can't depend on a pitcher with a high ERA to lock down a team through the early and middle innings so the lineup has a chance to sit back and play your game (ie: be patient).  During the regular season, one game is one game.  One loss is one loss. No big deal.  In the playoffs...one loss can mean the difference between being relaxed and being desperate.   And given their age, physical condition, and general inconsistency this year, the 2,3 and 4 spots in this rotation were, IMHO, less likely to "heat up" than anyone else's.  Cashman, I'm sure, must have suspected that.  And, in all this, that's where they need to do some work in the off season.  They need a legitamate #2 (or #1) guy at the top of the rotation.

Wang had a great year, no question.  Mussina was....OK...certainly not what you would want from a #2 guy for the entire year.  Good early season, so-so later in the season.  Randy?  Randy won 17 games and benefited from more run support than any other Yankee pitcher...and he had to because his ERA was deplorable.  Not just for the series, but for the season in general.  Older pitchers (Mussina, Randy) tend to break down later in the season.  Wright is exactly what Wright has been for awhile now....a decent way to get your top 3 a night off, but nothing more than that.  Personally, I would rather have seen Karstens get that #4 spot in the rotation..but I digress.

Offense wins games.  Defense (ie: pitching) wins championships.

[the dirt]

I don't really follow baseball all that much anymore, but I have to throw in that I think Jim Leyland is probably the best manager that I've seen. We're talking back to the killer B's pirates days here.

[GeorgeSteele]

Again, we disagree.? You need decent pitching to win 97 games, if you can outslug the majority of your opponents.? A 4.0 and 5.0 ERA will win you ballgames when your team averages 6 runs a game, in the long run.? Over a short series, you need good to great pitching to prevent the other teams from scoring runs.? You can't depend on a pitcher with a high ERA to lock down a team through the early and middle innings so the lineup has a chance to sit back and play your game (ie: be patient).? During the regular season, one game is one game.? One loss is one loss. No big deal.? In the playoffs...one loss can mean the difference between being relaxed and being desperate.? ?And given their age, physical condition, and general inconsistency this year, the 2,3 and 4 spots in this rotation were, IMHO, less likely to "heat up" than anyone else's.? Cashman, I'm sure, must have suspected that.? And, in all this, that's where they need to do some work in the off season.? They need a legitamate #2 (or #1) guy at the top of the rotation.

Wang had a great year, no question.? Mussina was....OK...certainly not what you would want from a #2 guy for the entire year.? Good early season, so-so later in the season.? Randy?? Randy won 17 games and benefited from more run support than any other Yankee pitcher...and he had to because his ERA was deplorable.? Not just for the series, but for the season in general.? Older pitchers (Mussina, Randy) tend to break down later in the season.? Wright is exactly what Wright has been for awhile now....a decent way to get your top 3 a night off, but nothing more than that.? Personally, I would rather have seen Karstens get that #4 spot in the rotation..but I digress.

Offense wins games.? Defense (ie: pitching) wins championships.

It's tough to argue against the absurdity of a team with a $200 million payroll starting Jaret Wright in an elimination game.  No question they need to improve there.  With that said, there have been worse staffs that strung together stellar postseason pitching performances in years past (2002 Angels?).   Mussina, in particular, has a lower postseason ERA (3.80) for the Yankees than Pettitte had (4.05).  In any case, I must be in some sort of bizarro world defending the Yankees this much.  At least you didn't try convincing me the Yankees were better off with Brosius than A-Rod.

[cotis]

Corey Lidle, whom the Yankees acquired in July from the Phillies, has died in a plane crash.

Confirmed by ESPN and CBS.

Check www.yahoo.com for details.

RIP COREY!!!!

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

Oh no!  So he was the one who crashed into the building in NY.

Rest in peace Cory, your life ended much too soon.

[pilferk]

God speed Corey.

My thoughts and prayers go out to his wife and 6 year old son.

What a tragedy....

[GeorgeSteele]

Derek Jeter lost out on the MVP to Minnesota's Justin Morneau.  So much for that East Coast sports bias.

[COMAMOTIVE]

Derek Jeter lost out on the MVP to Minnesota's Justin Morneau.? So much for that East Coast sports bias.

I'm a Jeter guy but I don't really have a problem with this - Morneau was a beast for Minnesota - Jeter is going to have a tough time winning something like this for as long as he's in a line-up that's as loaded as it always is - I want him to win one, and I strongly believe that if you watch this guy everyday,
you'd vote for him, but on a numbers basis - it's hard to argue against Morneau

[sandman]

i was really glad to see Howard get the MVP. he deserved it. he's a beast. and a class act.

i don't follow the AL enough, but i thought jeter should have won. i think it's easy to look past all that he does and the leadership he provides because of the lineup around him.

[tim_m]

I think Jeter should have won this. He was clearly the MVP of his team. Morneau on the other hand wasn't even the mvp on his own team.

[faldor]

I think Jeter should have won this. He was clearly the MVP of his team. Morneau on the other hand wasn't even the mvp on his own team.

You can say the same thing for A-Rod LAST season.  He won the MVP, but I think most people would agree that Mariano Rivera was MORE valuable to the Yanks than A-Rod.  It all depends on how you define the MVP.  I thought Jeter would've won it, but Morneau had a very solid season.  But you're right, you could argue he was the 2nd or 3rd most valuable on his team behind Santana and Mauer.

[tim_m]

I think Jeter should have won this. He was clearly the MVP of his team. Morneau on the other hand wasn't even the mvp on his own team.

You can say the same thing for A-Rod LAST season.  He won the MVP, but I think most people would agree that Mariano Rivera was MORE valuable to the Yanks than A-Rod.  It all depends on how you define the MVP.  I thought Jeter would've won it, but Morneau had a very solid season.  But you're right, you could argue he was the 2nd or 3rd most valuable on his team behind Santana and Mauer.

You have a good point there you could've made a very strong case for Rivera last year over A-Rod. I actually thought Rivera deserved it over A-Rod.

[cotis]

Barry Zito to the SanFran Giants.

7 years, $126 million dollars.

Richest contract in MLB history for a pitcher.

Not worth it, IMO.

[cotis]

Randy Johnson back to Arizona!

Source:
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2720413

[pilferk]

Randy Johnson back to Arizona!

Source:
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2720413

I'm not surprised.  Not in the least.  Well, maybe that Randy's taking the deal, but.....not that the Yanks wanted to unload him.  I think I summarized, in a post just a bit further up the page, why the Yanks would do it.

[Krispy Kreme]

Bonds finally signed his 2007 contract but has a clause that if he is  indicted the Giants are off  the hook for his salary. What a world  we  live  in--who would  ever imagine  that sports would  come to this?

[tim_m]

Pretty sad isn't it?

[Mal Brossard]

Bonds' agent is trying to challenge the legality of that clause.

Go figure.  The guy won't be a hall of famer now, but he's going to get completely off the hook otherwise.