Monday, May 19, 2008

Same as it ever was...

Well, Yankee fans, here we are again, 20-24, 6 games out. But hey, look at the bright side - last year we had the very same record but were 10-1/2 games out.

And last year things got worse -- we'd finish the month 22-29 -- before they got better. But we went 72-39 the rest of the way.

So yeah, it's possible we'll do that again and win the wild card, maybe even the division. But wouldn't it be nice if this team could play all six months of the season, instead of only the last four?

It's just not easy to beat a guy like Oliver Perez with five lefties in the lineup (and when one of the righties is Alberto Gonzalez).


Perez vs RHB: .285 BA, .390 OBP, .398 SLG
Perez vs LHB: .094 BA, .269 OBP, .208 SLG


I don't know why Girardi left Morgan Ensberg and Shelley Duncan on the bench; you would think their only purpose in life is to mash guys like Ollie. If you aren't going to use them last night, why have them on the team? I do realize that Ensberg is hitting .214 (.179 vs LHP) and Duncan is hitting .194 (.240 vs LHP), but it's not like Giambi and Cano are hitting either. If they put Gonzalez at second, Ensberg at third and Duncan at first, do they win the game? Who knows. Maybe Duncan doesn't waste an out in the 4th inning the way Giambi did (trying to force Carlos Beltran instead of getting the easier out at first), and the Mets don't score 4 runs that inning. Maybe the offense produces more than 2 runs. Or maybe they get shut out, who knows.

All I know is this is a very frustrating team to watch right now, and when things were bleak last year, it was guys like Duncan who fired up the team and finally got them playing with some heart again.

Get them in the game, Joe. At this point, what do we have to lose?

Friday, May 16, 2008

Bobby Hill watch

I have not relented in my unhealthy obsession with Bobby Hill, not the kid from King of the Hill but rather the former can't-miss prospect who missed. Hill was a Scott Boras client who elected not to sign with the White Sox after they took him in the second round of the 1999 amateur draft; instead, he played a year with the independent league Newark Bears. The following year, the Cubs took him in the draft and he did sign. After a few years in the minors, but never really getting a shot to play, and a few injuries, he's now back where it all began, with the Newark Bears.

Through Newark's first 18 games, Bobby is still getting on base (.373 OBP) but is hitting just .246; he no longer has any speed and he never had much power. A .246 BA/.721 OPS from a second baseman wouldn't impress you if he did it in Triple-A, and this isn't even Triple-A. This is the Atlantic League, where the level of competition is uneven to say the least.

At least Bobby is out-hitting a couple other former phenoms, Randall Simon and Calvin Pickering. In fact, you could go through the Atlantic League and put together an intriguing roster of has-beens, almost-weres and never-wuzzes.

The Atlantic League's "Where Are They Now?" All-Star Team:

Starters:
C Jason Phillips (Camden) - .320/.393/.400 in 25 AB
1B Randall Simon (Newark) - .226/.258/.306 in 62 AB
2B Brent Abernathy (Long Island) - .320/.346/.360 in 50 AB
3B Brandon Larson (Somserset) - .338/.411/.508 in 65 AB
SS Alex Prieto (Bridgeport) - .191/.263/.235 in 68 AB
LF Curtis Pride (Maryland) - .212/.350/.318 in 66 AB
CF Val Majewski (Newark) - .300/.390/.400 in 50 AB
RF Carl Everett (Long Island) - .323/.440/.468 in 62 AB
DH Calvin Pickering (Bridgeport) - .161/.333/.339 in 56 AB

Reserves:
C Mike Rose (Long Island) - .156/.289/.219 in 32 AB
C/1B Matt LeCroy (Lancaster) - .129/.206/.226 in 31 AB
UT Bobby Hill (Newark) - .246/.373/.348 in 69 AB
UT Damian Jackson (Maryland) - .000/.222/.000 in 7 AB
OF Mike Vento (Camden) - .125/.200/.125 in 8 AB

Starting Pitchers:
SP John Halama (Maryland) - 2.36 ERA, 0.97 WHIP in 26.2 IP
SP Brian Lawrence (Camden) - 3.97 ERA, 1.37 WHIP in 22.2 IP
SP Eric Dubose (Bridgeport) - 4.50 ERA, 1.55 WHIP in 22.0 IP
SP Ryan Drese (Camden) - 4.87 ERA, 1.57 WHIP in 20.1 IP
SP Jason Simontacchi (Long Island) - 6.43 ERA, 1.64 WHIP in 14.0 IP

Relievers:
RP Bret Prinz (Somerset) - 0.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP in 9.0 IP
RP Travis Wade (Maryland) - 3.12 ERA, 1.50 WHIP in 8.2 IP
RP Wayne Franklin (York) - 3.86 ERA, 1.41 WHIP in 16.1 IP
RP Jeff Farnsworth (Maryland) - 6.35 ERA, 1.59 WHIP in 22.2 IP
RP Will Cunnane (Newark) - 6.55 ERA, 1.91 WHIP in 11.0 IP
RP Brian Shackelford (Maryland) - 0.00 ERA, 3.00 WHIP in 1.1 IP