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Tag Archives: cool
The Surprising Success of the Free-Swinging Pedro Ciriaco
After an impressive showing in Spring Training, Pedro Ciriaco returned to AAA . The versatile infielder had spent the last two seasons at that level and with that assignment, the Red Sox became the third organization to evaluate the 26 year old infielder as little more than minor league depth. Had things gone differently for the 2012 Red Sox, Ciriaco probably would have stayed in Pawtucket . He was behind Mike Aviles and Nick Punto on the depth chart at shortstop and Kevin Youkilis , Will Middlebrooks as well as Punto and Aviles at third. Fortunately for him, things did not go as planned. With Youkilis gone and the Red Sox coping with a rash of injuries, Ciriaco got his first chance to start on July 7, playing in both games of a double header that day against the Yankees . He went 0-4 in the first game with two strikeouts, but that was quickly forgotten when he went 4-5 with two doubles and four RBIs leading the Red Sox to a 9-5 victory. Since joining the big league club, Ciriaco has been a force of nature. He is hitting 38% better than league average by weighted Runs Created Plus (wRC+) while playing good-to-great defense at shortstop and third base. It has been incredibly fun and exciting to watch. Ciriaco has been so impressive that there has even been some talk around these parts in support of making him the starting shortstop in 2013. Now that he is on pass for something around a 4.5 win season by Fangraphs Wins Above Replacement (fWAR) model, it is high time that he got a closer look. The elephant in the room with Ciriaco is about as obvious as, well, an elephant in a room. His .350/.363/.483 performance at the plate has come in just 148 plate appearances and it is driven by ridiculous .425 batting average on balls in play (BABIP). His batting line is the definition of unsustainable right now. There is absolutely no way that he can continue to hit like this. However, given his abilities in the field, he doesn’t have to be anywhere near 38% better than average at the plate to be worthy of regular playing time. The average wRC+ for American League shortstops is just 85 and for third basemen, it is 93. Ciri could survive a lot of regression and still be a plus-hitting option on the left side of the field. Even just a brief glance at his triple-slash line makes it clear that Ciriaco does not walk. Not ever. He hits as if he has a violent distaste for the very idea of the walk. Allow me to put his walk rate into perspective for you. Thus far, in 188 plate appearances in the major leagues, Ciri has walked less than half as often as Mike Aviles. Yeah, it’s that bad. Of course, walks aren’t everything. Walk rate is a result of a hitter’s plate approach and it is possible to have a strong plate approach and still not walk much. Both Marc and I have discussed this in relation to Will Middlebrooks. Middlebrooks doesn’t swing outside of the zone much, but because of his excellent ability to hit strikes, he also doesn’t draw many walks. It is a plate approach that can be extremely effective. It is not Pedro Ciriaco’s plate approach, however. Plate approach might even be too generous a term for what Ciri does when he steps into the batter’s box. He swings firsts, asks questions later. Among players with at least 100 plate appearance, Ciriaco has swung at pitches out of the zone more than anyone else, hacking at an incredible 47.7% of pitches out of the zone. Only 20 players of the 420 to reach 100 plate appearances this year have swung more often overall than Ciriaco. He has seen the 17th fewest pitches per plate appearance in that group. Ciriaco swings a lot, but at least he has a great swing. Batted ball data is not the most trustworthy of statistics, but it does reflect a basic truth about Ciri’s game. Despite swinging at a huge number of bad pitches, he drives the ball. His line driver rate is 28.5% for his career and when he doesn’t hit the ball on a line, he hits it on the ground, with a 50.4% ground ball rate. That batted ball profile is a bit exaggerated by the small sample size, but between the line drive ability and his speed, Ciriaco should be able to sustain a better than average BABIP with that profile. A look at his Pitch F/X batter profile (care of Baseball Prospectus) shows that while he swings at a lot of bad pitches, he is a fairly good bad pitch hitter, especially when he chases pitches away. Ciriaco has a history of better than average BABIP as he was coming up through the minors as well. He had a .357 BABIP at the High A level with the Diamondbacks in 2008 and a .338 BABIP in AA in 2009. Before being called up this year, he had a .351 BABIP in Pawtucket . Ciriaco’s lack of discipline is extreme and it makes it hard to imagine him as a productive everyday player. Even if we credit him with .330 BABIP as his true talent ability (and that is .040 points higher than league average), his OBP would drop to approximately .297, which is below average even for a shortstop. Regress it to league average and it gets really ugly. His power has always been considered below average and his Isolated Power topped .100 just once in the minor leagues. It currently sits at a very respectable .133 and that also makes him look slightly better than he may be. It may be that Fenway suits him- it is a doubles haven after all and he is a gap power type of guy- but unless that power is more sustainable that it appears, Ciriaco would have a difficult time out-performing Mike Aviles over a full season. He does, however, make perfect sense as a bench player. He runs well, makes solid contract and plays good defense at three infield positions. This season has shown he can be a valuable utility infielder at the major league level. With Nick Punto (who was the extreme opposite in plate approach) gone now, Ciriaco makes sense as a bench player in 2013. he provides the kind of athleticism and energy that you want in that role and though his bat has real limitations, it is not entirely useless at all. Continue reading
What Could Cody Ross Cost?
With the Red Sox continuing to struggle, a reasonable person may decide that it’s time to start looking towards building this team for 2013 and beyond. This offseason is going to have a number of intriguing storylines. Will Bobby Valentine be fired? If he is, what type of manager should the front office choose to replace him? Will they deal Jacoby Ellsbury , and what kind of package can he bring back? Will they be able to find a taker for Josh Beckett who’s willing to give up something at least semi-valuable? Is David Ortiz going to be back? Another storyline that hasn’t been talked about as much, and is admittedly not as interesting, is will the Sox re-sign breakout outfielder Cody Ross ? Last winter, the Red Sox were in need of a new right fielder after the departure of J.D. Drew and Josh Reddick. I spent much of the offseason clamoring for the front office to sign then-free agent Josh Willingham . Instead, he went to Minnesota and the Red Sox opted for a cheaper option. They signed 2010-postseason hero Cody Ross to a minuscule one-year three million dollar deal. Looking back, the team may have gotten the steal as the entire offseason, as Ross has put up outstanding offensive numbers in 2012. However, as he is a free agent at year’s end, he is likely due for a fairly significant pay raise. This offseason’s free agent class is loaded with center fielders, but the corner outfield market isn’t nearly as stacked. There will likely be a number of suitors for Ross’ services, which will drive his price up even more. The question is: just how much will his price tag raise? This winter, there are two big-named corner outfield free agents on the market. Josh Hamilton may be the biggest name of any free agent in baseball this winter, and will certainly be asking for a huge deal. Moving one notch lower, Nick Swisher’s contract with the Yankees will be expiring at the end of the year. With a bit more of an extended track record, he will probably be commanding a bigger deal than Ross will. However, Ross probably falls to third on the corner-outfield market, depending on whether you consider Melky Cabrera a center fielder or a corner outfielder. Looking back at last offseason once again, there are three outfielders who had comparable track records to what Ross will carry into the coming winter. The aforementioned Willingham leads that group, and he is currently enjoying a breakout season of his own. Additionally, Jason Kubel and Michael Cuddyer also found themselves in a similar position. Below is a chart comparing each of these players’ stats from their final three years before free agency. Player Age Heading into Offseason Slash-Line OPS+ Contract Received Josh Willingham 32 .257/.360/.479 126 3 yrs/ $21 mil Jason Kubel 29 .274/.342/.470 118 2 yrs/ $16 ml Michael Cuddyer 32 .276/.341/.465 117 3 yrs/ 31.5 mil Cody Ross 32 .261/.327/.441 107 ??? On the surface, Ross appears to be a notch below the other three guys. However, a few of things push him into the same category as this group. Firstly, he already has a reputation of a “big-game player.” In 2010, the Giants picked him up on the waiver wire and he performed admirably down the stretch, posting a 122 OPS+ in 33 games during the postseason run. Then, he put up more monster numbers en route to a World Series championship, even winning the NLCS MVP on the way. On top of that, he has been a beast for the Red Sox this year. Using Fenway Park to his advantage, Ross has put up his best season to date, posting a .274/.339/.525 slash-line, good for a 125 OPS+. Amongst all batters with at least 350 plate appearances, his .251 isolated power (ISO) is tied for 19th. When a player is up for free agency, his most recent season will typically be weighed the most when teams decide how much to offer him. In addition to these two reasons, Ross’ value could rise a bit due to his ability to play center field in a pinch. In his career, he’s actually played center more than he’s played in either corner spot, though most of that playing time came in 2008, 2009 and 2010. However, teams that miss out on the big center fielders this winter (Cabrera, Michael Bourn , BJ Upton, Shane Victorino ) will likely look highly upon Ross’ ability to man the premium outfield postion. With all of this being said, I would expect Ross to sign for a similar deal as the three players discussed above. He may have to wait a few months before signing, as the bigger names could set the market a little better. After the big names sign, the teams that miss out will be scrambling for their “Plan B’s,” which is where Ross fits perfectly. In the end, I think it would be reasonable to expect he can land a three-year deal, with between seven and eight million dollars in average annual value (AAV). If he can be talked into a two-year deal, with the AAV possibly reaching eight-and-a-half to nine million dollars, the Red Sox should jump on that. In the right situation, Ross is the type of player who can be plugged into the fifth or sixth spot in the lineup and put up big power numbers. The Sox have been long-criticized for having a lineup that is too lefty-centric. This makes them vulnerable against same-handed starting pitching. In his career, Ross has mashed lefties, with a 136 OPS+ against southpaws, and a 201 OPS+ in those situations this year. Additionally, he has proven that he fits perfectly with Fenway Park. This season, he has a .307/.365/.630 slash-line with a 163 OPS+ at home, compared to a .233/.305/.393 line and a 97 OPS+ on the road. There will likely be some competition for his services, so getting a two-year deal may be difficult to achieve. Ross will be in his age-32 season in 2013, which likely signals the beginning of his decline. Because of this, a three-year deal may push me over the edge and scare me out of signing him. However, it’s impossible to deny his fit with this team and ballpark. If he can be talked into signing a two-year, $16-$20 million deal, Ben Cherington and company should jump all over that opportunity. Continue reading
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Visions Of A Post-David Ortiz Red Sox
David Ortiz hasn’t played in a game since July 16 due to an Achilles injury. Achilles can be tricky, and Ortiz’s hasn’t responded to rest or treatment, as there’s still pain when he runs. While he’s making efforts to come back, the Red Sox are getting a glimpse of what life is like without a regular designated hitter in the lineup. Ignore for a minute the production (or lack of it) from the DH slot over the last month. Anything is going to look paltry compared to what Ortiz has produced — he’s still leading the American League in slugging and OPS — and it hasn’t helped that Boston has been using catchers — one of whom is a rookie that’s adjusting to major-league pitching — in the role fairly often. Focus instead, for the moment, on the idea: that there will come a time where David Ortiz isn’t in the Red Sox lineup anymore. It likely won’t be next year. It might not even be the season after that. It’s hard to say just when Ortiz will stop being effective and call it a career, or finally not be worth the kind of money the Red Sox are giving him to DH. But it’s going to happen at some point, as it does for every player, regardless of how good they are, or for how long. Then, the Red Sox will likely be like most of the rest of the AL: without a dedicated designated hitter. For many clubs, rich or poor, the DH slot is used to rest regulars at other positions on a rotating basis. On paper, the Yankees were supposed to platoon Andruw Jones and Raul Ibanez there, two players that combined for just over $3 million, but injuries have mixed things up a bit. In addition to that planned platoon, though, the DH slot was also supposed to be a place for Alex Rodriguez , Derek Jeter , Mark Teixiera, and the rest of the Yankees to get a day off from the field, while keeping their bats in the lineup. This is normal. How many dedicated designated hitters can you name? David Ortiz, obviously. Billy Butler has been in that role since Eric Hosmer’s arrival in Kansas City. Who else, though? There are just seven designated hitters among 14 AL teams that qualify for the batting title, and have played at least 50 percent of their games at DH in 2012: Adam Dunn , Edwin Encarnacion , Butler, Delmon Young , Jesus Montero , Ortiz, and Kendrys Morales. Bump that to 75 percent, and it drops to four hitters — Butler, Young, Ortiz, and Morales. Keep moving the percentage up, and eventually the numbers shrink further — if not for interleague, Ortiz would likely never do anything but DH. It’s obviously a bonus if you can have a David Ortiz at DH. This in no way is meant to suggest that the Red Sox are somehow better off without a guy who owns a 150 OPS+ over the last three years — hell, Albert Pujols , who was just signed roughly for life and for all the money, is at 156 over the same three-year stretch. But, as you can see, when one of the 14 (soon to be 15) AL teams is using Delmon Young as their primary DH, you don’t always get a David Ortiz. There’s a reason he’s special, and his career is special. When Ortiz is gone from Boston, they’re far more likely to be like the rest of the AL in this regard. That’s not a bad thing, though. Give it a moment, and you can think of times where it would have been helpful to have some kind of rotating DH spot. The decline of Kevin Youkilis comes to mind, especially as his defense suffered. Jacoby Ellsbury started at DH on Thursday in Baltimore in order to give his legs a night off from the outfield. It helps open up possible platoons, as it has in New York the last few years with aging, inexpensive veterans who owns splits to be exploited. Carl Crawford’s elbow hampered him defensively, but not offensively — he could have slotted in as DH for a time. Ryan Lavarnway and Jarrod Saltalamacchia can both hit, but they can’t both start behind the plate on the same day. There’s always someone who could go there when they need a break, either for a day or a week, and it can help keep players rested and healthier — that’s something Boston could have used a whole lot of the last few years. It’s not ideal, in comparison to having Ortiz. But Ortiz isn’t the norm, and while he’s an amazing hitter, having him around is also very different in terms of roster construction and flexibility. There’s no need to ever get rid of Ortiz in order to have this kind of structure — or lack of it — at DH, but when he does go, there’s no reason to go out and directly replace him, either. Because, if we’ve learned anything from watching David Ortiz over the years, there aren’t very many like him to begin with. Continue reading
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Daily Red Sox Links: Johnny Pesky, Derek Lowe, Steven Wright
A sad year for Red Sox Nation just got much sadder. Rest in peace, Johnny Pesky. You will be missed. Johnny Pesky’s passing yesterday was the big news. Here’s a round-up of Pesky pieces: Peter Abraham’s write up on Johnny Pesky in the Globe ( Peter Abraham; The Boston Globe ) Peter Gammons on Johnny Pesky. ( Peter Gammons; MLB.com ) The Great Johnny Pesky. ( Alex Speier; WEEI.com ) Why is the Pesky Pole called The Pesky Pole? ( Dan Shaughnessy; The Boston Globe ) Remembering Johnny Pesky. ( Jay Jaffe; SI.com ) Former Red Sox players say that Pesky was a prince of a man and will be missed. ( Peter Abraham; The Boston Globe ) Even the Yankees, in a classy move, held a moment of silence in Pesky’s memory before their game with the Texas Rangers yesterday. ( Peter Abraham; The Boston Globe ) Ian Browne’s Pesky remembrance. ( Ian Browne; RedSox.com ) Bud Selig issued a statement. ( Bud Selig via The Boston Globe ) More after the jump… The news on the field didn’t get better for Red Sox Nation as Derek Lowe , one of The 25, signed with the New York Yankees . Barf. ( Zach Schonbrun; The New York Times ) Even more barf-worthy was that Lowe pitched in pinstripes last night and did very well. Figures. ( Zach Schonbrun; The New York Times ) Is the injury to Will Middlebrooks really a lesson in holding on to depth? ( The Common Man; The Platoon Advantage ) A scouting look at some of the starting pitching in the Red Sox farm system. ( Chris Mellon; Sox Prospects ) The Red Sox have a knuckleballer! Looking at the newly-acquired Steven Wright . ( Matt Huegel; Sox Prospects via ESPN Boston ) Cole Hamels : Good Pitcher! ( Carson Cistulli; Fan Graphs ) Sometimes pitchers get sick. Sometimes they pitch anyway. What happens? ( Ben Lindbergh; Baseball Prospectus ) Continue reading
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Daily Red Sox Links: Josh Beckett, Mike Aviles, Alex Rodriguez
The Red Sox are known as an organization that has embraced some of the “Moneyball” ideology, and for good reason. This lineup has been full of guys who are great at working counts and drawing walks over the past decade or so. However, it seems this year’s version of the Red Sox are getting away from that plate discipline. ( Brian MacPherson; Providence Journal ) If any of you fine OTM readers have read Boston.com’s Obnoxious Boston Fan column, you probably know how insane of a schtick it is. My good Twitter-friend did a great job of dissecting OBF’s latest piece and showing it’s many flaws. ( Chip Buck; Fire Brand of the AL ) Seam McAdam tells us that Cherington and company are waiting a bit longer to decide their strategy at the deadline. One interesting note from this piece is how highly Jose Iglesias apparently ranks in Boston’s farm system according to other teams. If he is truly this well-thought of, I’d think this is the time to move him. ( Sean McAdam; CSN New England ) One hundred years ago, the Red Sox won the World Series. Now, the trophy from that 1912 championship is being put up for auction. It’s an amazing piece of Red Sox history, and I’m sure sports memorabilia fanatics will be all over this piece of history. ( ESPN Boston ) The Red Sox were involved pretty heavily in rumors involving their former shortstop prospect Hanley Ramirez. As it turns out, he was traded to the Dodgers early Wednesday morning. Many are viewing this as yet another baseless fire sale from Miami’s ownership, but Dave Cameron cautions against that. ( Dave Cameron; Fangraphs ) Ever since he came to the team last season, Mike Aviles has been one of my personal favorites. I was never sure why, but he seemed like an extremely likeable guy. This story about his perseverance while awaiting his shot at the big leagues made me like him that much more. ( Alex Speier; WEEI.com ) A fan-favorite here in Boston, Alex Rodriguez recently went down with a fracture in his hand. This adds to the long list of injuries the division-rival Yankees have had to endure this season. With the lack of depth in their farm system, here are some potential external upgrades they could make in his absence. ( Jay Jaffe; Sports Illustrated ) A lot of Red Sox fans are still holding out hope for this season based on talent-level and preseason expectations. I would include myself in this group, though my hope is waning after each game. It’s refreshing to hear that Boston’s not the only AL East team in this position. ( Grant Brisbee; Baseball Nation ) Continue reading
Detroit Tigers Links: Justin Verlander Is Excited About the Trade & Ichiro Is Now a Yankee
AL Central Standings W L PCT GB STRK Detroit 52 44 .541 0 Won 5 Chicago 51 45 .531 1 Won 1 Cleveland 48 48 .500 4 Won 1 Kansas City 40 55 .421 11.5 Lost 2 Minnesota 40 56 .416 12 Lost 1 (updated 7.24.2012 at 5:42 AM EDT) Ichiro Suzuki is now a member of the New York Yankees , Alex Avila knows how to deal with summertime heat, and something about a trade that you may have heard of. These stories and more in today’s Morning Prowl. Monday Marks Detroit’s 2nd Straight Year Making an Impact Trade, This Time Real Talent Was Given Up – Walkoff Woodward, Josh Worn “Obviously, no one knows what the three players will turn into, but chances are that they will and the talent far exceeds what they gave up in last years trade.” Trade, impending return of Andy Dirks might force Detroit Tigers to choose between Ryan Raburn , Don Kelly – MLive, Chris Iott TRADE RAYBURN FOR GIANCARLO STANTON. Oh wait, wrong comment section. Tigers/ Marlins Trade: Rapid Reaction – Motor City Bengals, Brian Sakowski “The way this team has been rolling lately, coupled with this trade and the eventual return of Andy Dirks makes this Tigers team a scary one, with extreme potential.” Tigers Acquire Infante, Sanchez from Marlins – Tiger Tales, Lee Panas “It’s a heavy price to pay but that’s what contending teams do. I like the deal because it significantly improves their chances of winning the division and succeeding in the playoffs this year and they still have their top prospect Nick Castellanos .” A Really Funny Comparison Between Omar Infante and Every Other Tiger at Second Base in 2012 – Walkoff Woodward, Josh Worn “Really wish Infante would walk more. Such a selfish little player.” Small Talk: Detroit Tigers’ Alex Avila keeps his cool on hot game days – The Detroit News “It’s not easy being a catcher, especially in hot weather like the area has experienced in recent weeks. To see how he makes it through the heat and humidity of summer, News reporter Lynn Henning talked to Tigers catcher Alex Avila.” Miguel Cabrera is Good at Baseball, episode #300 – Roar of the Tigers, Samara Pearlstein I don’t know what’s better: the drawing of Phil Coke and his new daughter or the quote from Coke directly below it. Fish to Cats, Cat to Fish – Roar of the Tigers, Samara Pearlstein No Samara cartoons in this one, but the picture of Omar Infante picking his nose is worth your time. Anibal Sanchez and Omar Infante Traded – Fish Stripes “I like Omar Infante but we already have an Omar clone in Donvan Solano. By giving up these guys we got a top 30 prospect in Turner. [B]asically we got Anibal with more upside and much cheaper for next year.” A view from the other side of the trade. Meanwhile, someone on our side is excited too. Excited about Anibal and Omar! This team is now even more exciting…didn’t think that was possible #wow — Justin Verlander (@JustinVerlander) July 23, 2012 Around the AL Central: White Sox 7, Twins 4: 5 twin killings kill Twins, 5-game skid – South Side Sox, Jim Margalus “Coming home to a sold-out U.S. Cellular Field, the Sox kicked off a too-brief three-game stay with a convincing victory to snap a five-game losing streak.” White Sox Take Series Opner, Blitz Liriano, 7-4 – Twinkie Town, Brady Eyestone “With another first inning run, the Twins looked like they were going to roll into another win tonight in the Windy City. The Chicago White Sox, and more importantly, Francisco Liriano disagreed with that.” Game 96: Indians 3, Orioles 1 – Let’s Go Tribe “But though the Indians don’t look like a playoff right now, they are in a position where a hot streak can put them right back in contention.” Royals Lose. Again. World Is Shocked. – Royals Review “The loss drops the fourth-place Royals to twelve games under .500 and 16.5 games out of first.” That other trade: End of an era: Ichiro heads to Yankees after Mariners honor request for trade – Big League Stew, Kevin Kaduk Meanwhile, the Yankees acquired an aging slap hitter with a .288 on-base percentage. Yawn. Yankees acquire Ichiro Suzuki from Mariners for two prospects – MLB.com, Bryan Hoch “The blockbuster trade transpired so quickly, Yankees manager Joe Girardi was barely given enough warning not to put together an official lineup. Ichiro selected a uniform number — No. 31 — and found himself in that Yankees’ lineup, batting eighth and playing right field against his former Mariners club.” Yankees Trade D.J. Mitchell and Danny Fahrquar for Ichiro Suzuki – Pinstripe Alley “That just happened.” Continue reading
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Series Preview: New York Yankees
Feels like it’s been forever since you’ve read that headline. That’s because the last time the Red Sox faced New York, it was still April, and they only fit in two of the three games. Originally, with the way Boston was playing, having the final game of that three-game set postponed until July was a blessing. But, with Will Middlebrooks not back yet, Dustin Pedroia on the disabled list, and Felix Doubront having some trouble in the rotation as of late, early July isn’t feeling great for a four-game series against the Yankees , either. That being said, Boston’s bullpen was a major cause of the problems against the Yanks last time around, instead of the mostly-dominant force it’s been in the months since, and Clay Buchholz , were he here, isn’t in the same homer-allowing funk he was in back in April. It’s a different team in positive ways, too, even if it’s easier to grouse about the negative. That being said, this isn’t going to be as easy as Sox fans would like it to be, even if New York’s depleted rotation is starting to look like Boston’s lineup. Game 1: Hiroki Kuroda (102-1/3 IP, 2.6 K/BB, 134 ERA+) vs. Josh Beckett (84-1/3 IP, 3.0 K/BB, 106 ERA+) Game 2: Phil Hughes (94-1/3 IP, 4.1 K/BB, 98 ERA+) vs. Franklin Morales (43 IP, 4.2 K/BB, 177 ERA+) Game 3: Freddy Garcia (36-1/3 IP, 3.4 K/BB, 72 ERA+) vs. Felix Doubront (89-2/3 IP, 2.7 K/BB, 98 ERA+) Game 4: Ivan Nova (104-1/3 IP, 2.9 K/BB, 104 ERA+) vs. Jon Lester (108 IP, 3.1 K/BB, 99 ERA+) Three of the four of these games are obvious candidates for well-pitched outings, starting with the series opener of Hiroki Kuroda against Josh Beckett. The latter went six innings, giving up just two runs while punching out four, against the Mariners in his first start back from the disabled list. Kuroda just wrapped up a June in which he posted a 1.98 ERA over 41 innings, thanks to whiffing over a batter per inning, while also limiting his walks. Hughes hasn’t been great, but he’s been average, and, most importantly for a Yankees team dealing with injuries in the rotation, available. Like Kuroda, Hughes is coming off of an impressive June, one in which has carried over into July: in his last six starts, Hughes has punched out 40 in 41 innings, while allowing just 12 runs and nine walks. That being said, he’s also given up seven homers in that stretch, so while he’s been good, he’s probably been a little lucky, too. He’ll take on Morales, who is pitching well enough that he might just be Boston’s top starter right now. While that sounds insulting, it mostly has to do with just how ridiculously good Morales has been in 2012. Look at those numbers again. The only thing that’s worrisome is the inning total — he has to keep producing for it to be believable, and this potent Bombers lineup is his first significant challenge as a starter. Felix Doubront has had problems with the long ball as of late, but he’ll be taking on Freddy Garcia, who earlier in the season lost his rotation job. This, my friends, is the one of four that sticks out, but just because it’s baseball we’re talking about, watch this become the lowest-scoring of the bunch. In the series’ conclusion, we get Ivan Nova, who has followed up his solid 2011 campaign well in 2012, against Jon Lester, who is coming together in basically every way that doesn’t involve his ERA. That strikeout rate is climbing, the walks are back down to a level where his K/BB looks a lot like the ratios from his successful campaigns, and he’s keeping the ball in the park, but the ERA just hasn’t come down yet. Give it time, either for his runs to start dropping, or to realize that the walks are down, strikeouts are up, and his ERA is up because he’s in — wait for it — the danger zone . Middlebrooks will supposedly be back this weekend, but Boston’s lineup still won’t be whole with Dustin Pedroia out, and the various outfielders still on rehab assignments in Pawtucket. That gives the offensive advantage to the Yankees in this series, but, between the pitching matchups and the bullpen, Boston isn’t totally helpless here, either. This is an important series, given it’s July, before the All-Star break and trade deadline, and against a major divisional opponent. The year isn’t over if things don’t go well — as Red Sox fans should know, July standings don’t guarantee you anything — but perspectives will be much more bleak on Monday with anything less than a split. Continue reading
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Dustin Pedroia Heads To The DL
Dustin Pedroia avoided the disabled list the first time he hurt his thumb in 2012, but, possibly due to how poorly he played while dealing with that injury, this time around the Red Sox have put their second baseman on the DL after he injured the other side of his thumb while attempting to make a diving catch against the Athletics. The timing is poor, for multiple reasons: Pedroia finally seemed like he was over the torn adductor muscle in his thumb, hitting .302/.388/.465 over the last 11 games, Boston is set to open a four-game series with the Yankees on Friday, and third baseman Will Middlebrooks , while not on the DL, has missed the last four games with a hamstring injury. This leaves Boston’s infield, which has mostly been intact in 2012, somewhat thin, and right before the outfield is going to be whole for the first time all season. It’s not a good thing that the lineup is at its weakest right before taking on the Yankees, who have opened up a lead on what is otherwise a tightly-packed American League East. With Mauro Gomez already in the majors — and apparently in the mix to play games at third with Middlebrooks out — the lone infielder left on the 40-man roster who isn’t already in Boston is Jose Iglesias . With the 40-man full up once more with Justin Germano’s call-up, that means that someone will need to be designated in order to clear room for a Pedro Ciriaco promotion, or Rich Hill will need to be placed on the 60-day disabled list. It’s unclear just yet whether it’s going to be Iglesias or Ciriaco who gets the nod, as Iglesias might already be on the 40, but his presence in Boston would mean quite a bit of positional shuffling in order to get him in at short, whereas Ciriaco could just line up at second while Nick Punto handles third until Middlebrooks returns. Continue reading
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MT25: "Engage Exercise"- A Video Review
So Yankees.com likes to do “Yankees On Demand” videos from time to time. They’re usually just typical interviews with players about parts of their lives, but I found one today that I just had to review. “In the Gym with Teixeira” ( link ) I can only assume that it’s Evil Tex working out because Good Tex is too busy picking lilacs and treating his dainty cough. TIME TO PUMP SOME IRON, BITCHES. 0:10- I see we’re in brief exercise montage. That’s probably not even Evil Tex working out. The smart money says it’s the batboy. Or Brian Cashman, because as the “Moneyball” movie taught me, all General Managers work out like nobody’s busines. Right? 0:27- DONE WITH THIS STUPID JUMP ROPE. That was just cast aside like it was some undeserving rag. No love. 0:35- Oh hey, I just learned who the Yankees’ strength and conditioning Coach is! Good for you, Dana Cavalea. 0:36- Why’s Cavalea looking off to his left? Does he need a cue card to remember who Mark Teixeira is? Evil Tex won’t appreciate that. 0:39- Well, he clearly wasn’t looking at Tex since Tex appears on his right. Maybe he was quizzically glancing at Good Tex writing “Thank You” cards to everyone on the team for the Yankees’ efforts on the recent road trip. 0:43- Here we get this post’s lead picture. Evil Tex is here to make his body his bitch. Note that he flexes when Cavalea says “lower body.” Oh. 0:45- Cavalea: “Ready, Tex?” Evil MT25: “‘SDOIT” 0:49- One-armed step-up time. Whatever that means. 1:00- Cavalea: Explode up. /Time for Evil Tex to mime some groin kneeing/ 1:10- /MT25 Exhaust switch on/ 1:25- “Tex Tip #1: Track your workouts. And the locations of any writers who dare write negatively of your ability. They will pay.” 1:30- This is actually Evil Tex’s hit list. Best hope you’re not on it. 1:41- Now it’s “Cable One Arm Lat Row.” Hardcore? 1:46- Cavalea: “You can pull it as hard as you want and there won’t be any kink in the cable.” Pause. 1:51- Work the tail, Tex. 2:06- Obligatory chest shot. Thanks for that. 2:17- Okay, I’m sure the judo chop forward does something, but it just looks so silly. Especially when the MT25 does it. 2:45- “Tex Tip #2: Breathe properly and consistently during workout. And at-bats. And at first base. And doing pretty much everything, from cheating lie detector tests to eating muenster.” 2:55- “Tex Tip #3: Stay hydrated with your juice. Your juice is your friend. Love your juice. Juice for life.” 3:05- Reach to the sky with your Gold Glove hand. Disregard the haters. If the fools prefer Adrian Gonzalez , throw rocks at them. 3:27- DINGERS. The end result. 3:33- Squat. 3:47- Opposite field power? HAHA. Apparently that doesn’t get used much. 3:55- Wait a minute, how did Tex get to third?? A quick Baseball-Reference check says that Tex has hit four triples as a Yankee, none of which were in Oakland. Guess errors were involved. Or Evil Tex is playing with our minds. 4:02- “Tex Tip #4: Cardio does not just mean running and cycling. It also means chasing down your enemies with a chainsaw. Gets the heart pumping.” 4:27- “Tex has dynamite form.” That’s one word for it, I guess. 4:47- Lifting big weights so he’ll have the strength to carry the team I suppose. Has that ever happened? I’m not sure. 5:00- “Tex is very aware of his body.” He’s Texy and he knows it? 5:25- “Tex Tip #5: Never push yourself too hard in the weight room. Push other people so hard that they cry for their mommy and beg for mercy. Don’t grant it.” 5:30- “Hey listen, this is sore. Let’s do some exercises to help out that muscle or that body part.” So what does Jeter do when he… never mind. 5:45- “Tex Top #6: Do not waste too much time in between sets. Otherwise time will waste you. Unless you’re me.” 5:52- You have to love this music. It’s like the worst trance club music you’ve ever heard. 6:23- Hammer. 6:35- “Tex Tip #7: Take care of your body. Workout, get sleep, hydrate, drink a fifth of Maker’s Mark in a day, and be nutritious.” 6:49- “This offseason I started a drinking a lot of raw juice.” We know, Tex. You love your juice. 6:57- “This is the flat bench press, otherwise known as the ‘beach muscle press.’” /odd grin/ “Uh, no…” That was a weird moment. Guess that’s how he met Mrs. MT25. At least how Good Tex met her anyway, I do not want to know how Evil Tex did. 7:06- “Tex Tip #8: Keep chest and back muscles balanced. If your chest gets too big and strong, your back’s going to round and you’re going to get too tight in [the shoulder]. Not good for throwing or swinging, like that Giambi fatto.” 7:54- “Tex Tip #9: Train hard in the offseason because you will need to rest your body during the season. The New York City clubs don’t get torn apart themselves, you know, you need energy for that.” 8:45- Tex, you’re boring me. You have some nice RPG Boss Battle music, but what are you fighting? 9:15- Man, what happened to the coach? I forgot his name already, and hes gone now. 9:45- Oh, he’s back now. Just in time for the cool giant, green rubber band. 10:17- The tubing shuffle. I prefer the Super Bowl Shuffle. Tex ain’t here to start no trouble, he’s just here to do his tubing shuffle? 10:35- Reggie? Is that you in the background? Can you liven this up at all, please? No? Carry on, MT25… 10:55- “And there it is, workout over. Only 10 minutes every day. I spend more time vomiting into random portalets on Long Island.” Continue reading
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