Rasner Rewarded for Success

Darrell Rasner may not be long from rejoining the Yankees, as a replacement in the rotation, or as a long man out of the bullpen. Earlier today, Rasner was named the International League Pitcher of the Week for this past week.

Rasner was awarded after winning a pair of starts and limiting Scranton's opponents to 1 run in 14 innings. It lowered his season ERA to 0.87. Amazingly, his ERA is only 4th best in the league.

Rasner is tied for the league lead in wins, is 3rd in innings pitched, and 4th in strikeouts. If Ian Kennedy feels hot breath on his neck, it's most assuredly Rasner's.

Share

New Boss Same as the Old Boss

Patience has never been a trait of the Steinbrenner family, and Hank Steinbrenner has seen enough. A 10-10 start has him calling for Joba Chamberlain to join the starting rotation ASAP.

“I want him as a starter and so does everyone else, including him, and that is what we are working toward and we need him there now,” Steinbrenner said Sunday by telephone. “There is no question about it, you don’t have a guy with a 100-mile-per-hour fastball and keep him as a setup guy. You just don’t do that. You have to be an idiot to do that.”

If it had been up to Hank, Joba never would have been in the bullpen last year either. Of course, he seems to forget the Yankees wouldn't have made the playoffs if the switch hadn't occurred.

“The mistake was already made last year switching him to the bullpen out of panic or whatever,” Steinbrenner said. “I had no say in it last year and I wouldn’t have allowed it. That was done last year, so now we have to catch up. It has to be done on a schedule so we don’t rush him.”

Boss Jr. still has faith in his other young pitchers and has some words of advising for his struggling veteran, Mike Mussina.

“I think once Hughes and Kennedy get plenty of starts and get Joba back, and with Wang and Pettitte, we will be fine,” Steinbrenner said, referring to the Yankees’ starters Chien-Ming Wang and Andy Pettitte.

He also said he thought Mike Mussina, who is 39, “just needs to learn how to pitch like Jamie Moyer,” the Phillies’ 45-year-old starter, suggesting that Mussina shouldn’t try to rely on his diminished fastball.

Somehow we don't think that's going to go over real well with Moose, not that we care.

“The starting rotation is not what I would have chosen at the beginning of the year, but that is not a big news flash to anyone,” Steinbrenner said.

The junior Stein may get his wish very soon.

Source: NY Times

Share

Snip Snip

Pitchers Chris Britton, Heath Phillips, Scott Strickland and Dan Giese were sent to the minor league camp last night. None of those moves was unexpected.

So now with 5 starters in place (Hughes-Wang-Moose-IPK-Pettitte) and 4 relievers (Mo-Joba-Farnsworth-Hawins), that leaves 3 openings in the pen. Figure Karstens or Rasner for the long man and Traber as the lefty specialist.

Which means everyone left is fighting for the final spot. Brian Bruney and Scott Patterson are the clear front runners. And while we would go with Patterson, particulary based on Bruney's past inconsistencies, we get the feeling Bruney will be the 25th man.

That would also mean that Jon Albaladejo, Edwar Ramirez, Ross Ohlendorf, and Jose Veras would be ticketed for the minors. Sean Henn is out of options and would have to pass through the waivers to be retained. However, Henn's shoulder is bothering him and it could land him on the DL.

Share

Make Lemonade

"What is what to do when life hands you lemons?". Scott Patterson might have thought he was handed a bunch of lemons when he jammed in his finger in a doorway three years ago. But being switched from a starter, where he struggled, to a reliever, where he has excelled, has given Patterson's career a new lease on life.

“I stubbed my finger in a door at my host family’s house in Lancaster,” Patterson said. “They brought me back slowly and said, ‘Could you work out of the pen?’ It was my first time ever doing that, and I just let it go for an inning. I was up to 90, 91, 92 miles an hour, and I was like, This could be good; let me stay here for a little bit.”

Patterson has put up a 1.47 ERA in 70 minor league games, all but one at the Double-A affiliate. This year Patterson has an excellent shot of going north with the big club this season.

“He’s made enough of an impression that we think he’ll help us at some point this season,” General Manager Brian Cashman said. “We don’t know where he’ll start, but he’s still here.”

The injury allowed Patterson to better establish his fastball (nicknamed the "Invisiball" by teammates because "no one hits it") and slow curve. His herky jerky motion adds to his repertoire by keeping hitters off balance.

Though he expects to start the season at Triple-A, Patterson's made a case for himself by not allowing a run this spring. Considering the way the pen has underperformed the last several years, he'd be a welcome addition.

Source: NY Times

Share

So it is Written So it Shall be Done

Joba Chamberlain has finally got his definitive assignment - the bullpen. Are only thoughts of why the Yankees prepped him as a starter for the first nearly 3 weeks of spring training games was the hope he would just come out and blow everyone away. He's done just the opposite this spring.

Even with an innings limit, we have to think the Yankees would have put Joba in the rotation had he stood out above Ian Kennedy or Mike Mussina, especially if the latter had continued to falter.

So now Joba, who had even begun to get frustrated with his status, can concentrate on bolstering the back of the pen. Joe Girardi said Joba will eventually be a starter, but backed off of earlier statements from the front office that it would be this year.

"I'm not saying this year, but I would say in the future," Girardi said. "I don't want to be locked into a timetable. Promises depend on performance, but in the future, we consider him a starter."

The Yankees have to be on the lookout for a veteran starter at some point. Whether it be a Freddy Garcia, Rich Harden, Joe Blanton, etc., the Yankees can't really be expected to win the division as currently constituted. But there's no doubt the bullpen just got a whole lot stronger.

Source: NY Daily News

Share

Starting Rotation and Bullpen your Biggest Concerns

Sorry for the lack of posts the last couple of days. We've been laid up with a bug again and threw our back out to top it off. In the meantime our poll has expired, and we thank the 69 of you who responded.

Not surprisingly, pitching is your biggest worry, both starting and the bullpen. 43% of you said the starting rotation was your biggest concern. While another 39% of you felt the lack of solid relief would be the Yankees undoing.

The Smörgåsbord at 1st Base received 7% of the vote, while defense (4%), Mariano Rivera (3%) and Joe Girardi (3%) rounded at the voting.

Stayed tuned for more polls and thanks again for participating.

Share

J-o-b-a Spells Relief

Joel Sherman of the NY Post reports that although Joba Chamberlain will prepare as a starter during spring training, he will be starting the season in the bullpen. Team officials confirmed Chamberlain's status.

That means Ian Kennedy will be the 5th starter to start the season and the Yankees will use the beginning months to determine if relievers not named Mo or Joba can do the job so that Chamberlain goes back to the rotation.

If that doesn't happen, the Yankees could opt to keep Chamberlain in the pen for the full season. There's no question that the pen will be a lot stronger with the rookie (yes, he still has rookie status) out there.

As for our poll, we asked you what you thought Joba Chamberlain's role should be in 2008. 56 of you responded as follows:

Full-time Starter 27% (15 votes)

Full-time Set up Man 38% (21 votes)

Split between Starter and Bullpen 36% (20 votes)

Share

The Return of K-Ram?

According to the NY Daily News, Edwar Ramirez is expected to be recalled from Scranton some time this week as the Yankees continue to shakeup their bullpen.

Still no word on who will be sent down today for the debut of Joba Chamberlain, but from Joe Torre's words about Jim Brower, it sounds like it will be Jeff Karstens or Brian Bruney.

Share

Torre Defenders, Time to Wake Up

Prior to the 1996 season, I was furious that Buck Showalter was let go and "Clueless" Joe Torre was hired. But in time Torre proved that circumstances can certainly make or break a manager. I wholeheartedly disagree with those who say any team could have won with the Yankees teams of '96 - '00. That's just plain garbage. Sparky Anderson used to hear the same thing when he managed the Reds teams of the '70s.

Torre pushed every right button, and used his personnel to perfection in garnering those WS championships. But over time, poor decisions by the front office and poor decision making by Torre have caught up to him.

The biggest red mark on Torre's report card is his handling of the bullpen. It was a piece of cake in '96- Mariano Rivera for 2 innings and John Wetteland to close. In the ensuing years he was able to mix and match with Mike Stanton and Jeff Nelson as the bridge to Mo. But Torre has not met the challenge of managing a less than stellar bullpen.

Torre's m.o. is to use a reliever until said reliever's knuckles are scraping the ground, while he ignores other relievers he deems untrustworthy. The 2003 World Series turned on Torre's decision to use the horrendous Jeff Weaver instead of Chris Hammond in extra innings. Weaver served up a walk-off gopher ball and the Marlins went on to win the series. In 2004, Torre overworked Paul Quantrill into ineffectiveness, then overtaxed Tom Gordon and Rivera as a result.

In 2005 he abused Tanyon Sturtze. In '06 it was Scott Proctor and Ron Villone, and this year it's, well, Scott Proctor again. Last night's loss to the Orioles was a prime example of what happens when you a pitcher is shot. Proctor had absolutely no control, but Torre let him hang out to dry.

There's no question that this year's bullpen is less than start quality, and took an early beating because of the starter's ineffectiveness. But Torre has mismanaged them to a new level.

Torre's defenders need to wake up, this isn't 2000 any more. His detractors have to give him the credit he deserves for those glory years. But Torre's 4 rings is what got him a bye after the '03 and '04 seasons, but now is the time for Torre to not pass go and go directly to the unemployment line.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The bullpen problems MUST be resolved by Brian Cashman, who along with the Tampa morons, has the responsibility for the makeup of the pen. Here are some things to shake up that leaky pen.

Kyle Farnsworth - Has to go. Having a 1 inning pitcher, other than your closer, who can't work back-to-back days is a waste of space. The Yankees overpaid him, and if that means eating a chunk of his salary, so be it. This guy is awful. (it would also end Michael Kay's constant, "he's got such great stuff" commentary).

Scott Proctor - Can still be the 7th/8th inning guy if he gets some time off. Proctor may have to beanball his way to another suspension in order to get some rest.

Brian Bruney - Doesn't matter how hard you throw if you walk the ball park. This guy should be used in critical spots until Ron Guidry gets his straightened out.

Mike Myers - The Poster Boy has to go. He's a roster spot killer. A lefty specialist who can't retire lefties. Go take your windup to a beer softball league where you belong.

Ron Villone - Could still be an innings eater out of the pen, but Torre has lost faith in him- again. Last year he practically used him every day until he was ineffective.

Luis Vizcaino - Has seemed to turn things around of late, thanks to tutoring from Mo. Should be given the chance to pitch in the crucial 7th/8th inning spots again.

Mariano Rivera - Doesn't have to be a tie game or a save situation to use your best reliever. Torre doesn't want to him wear out like he has in the past. That doesn't mean forgetting about him for days on end.

Give the Farm some tryouts.

We've gone on and on here many times wondering why the Yankees refuse to use Chris Britton. He should be up here..NOW.

Edwar Ramirez - We won't know if this guy is the goods or a dud until he gets the chance. He failed as a starter for the Angels, but has wracked up amazing numbers (74 Ks in 40.1 innings) in the Yankees system. Started the year in Trenton before being bumped up to Scranton a few weeks back.

Kevin Wheelan - Probably still too early to make the jump from Double-A, but the kid might be worth a look. He's only his 2nd full season in the minors after being selected by the Tigers in the June, 2005 draft. Eastern League opponents are only hitting .182 off of him, but Whelan has issued 25 walks in 31 innings.

Sean Henn - Had moderate success earlier in the year before old control problems cropped up. Would still rather give him a chance then Myers.

Jim Brower - the 34-year old veteran was released earlier this season by the Pirates organization. He's struck out 28 in 26 innings and walked just 5 since joining Scranton. Brower has a 2.08 ERA to boot.

Runelvys Hernandez - Picked up after being dropped by the Red Sox organization. The one time prospect could be used as a long man out of the pen. Something the Yankees are still lacking.

Share

Igawa on the Hot Seat?

Maybe he's just using it as a motivational tool, but Joe Torre has hinted at sending Kei Igawa to the minors until he's up to speed. With the amount of money Igawa has coming to him, it's hard to believe that would be the case, but it wouldn't set a precedent. El Duque started out in the minors, but of course he hadn't been pitching in any professional games for a number of years. Igawa may feel some added pressure, but he needs to show better command tonight when he faces the Phillies. He's allowed 4 runs on 8 hits in 7 IP, but the bigger concern is the 7 walks allowed. On a positive note, Igawa has struck out 12.

Some Yankees fans have gone over the top, already labeling Igawa as a bust (perhaps unfond memories of Hideki Irabu). Can we give this guy a chance to throw in some real games before we blast him? He's adjusting to a new throwing routine, a new mound, new teammates, new language, and a new city.

Jeffrey Karstens' bubble finally burst a little yesterday, as he continues to push Igawa and Carl Pavano for the 4 and 5 spots in the rotation. The 24-year old, who was impressive in his 6 starts and 2 relief appearances last season, had thrown 9 shutout innings before the Toronto Blue Jays roughed him up for 4 runs and 6 hits in 4 1/3 innings yesterday afternoon. Even if he starts the season in Triple-A, Karstens has definitely given the Yankees something to think about.

Are you a Man or a Moose?

It's only spring training, but I for one was relieved to see Mike Mussina throw 5 scoreless innings against the Pirates on Sunday. Moose's lack of command until then had to be at least somewhat of a concern. In addition to having trouble locating his pitches, he had gotten smacked around for 5 earned runs, 11 hits, and allowed 3 home runs in 8 innings.

Taiwan On

Chien-Ming Wang's spring has been just the opposite of Moose's. A model of consistency, The Wanger has excelled in March, to the tune of a 2.57 ERA. He's allowed just 12 hits and 1 walk in 14 innings IP. He's also struck out 7.

You CAN go home again

Andy Pettitte's return to New York could become even more special if he is giving the opening day assignment. Joe Torre has yet to announced the starter, but sentimentality would say that Pettitte will get the ball. Pettitte has certainly pleased everyone thus far, tossing 10 shutout innings, while allowing only 5 hits, and embracing a leadership role.

The Usual Suspects

Mariano Rivera, Kyle Farnsworth, Scott Proctor. Those 3 names are etched in stone for the Yankees bullpen, but its difficult to tell who will make up those final 4 slots. Luis Vizcaino is the closest thing to a given. Ron Villone would seem to have an inside track based on comments made Torre a couple of weeks back. His versatility certainly is a plus.

Lefty specialist Mike Myers will probably clog up another roster spot...again. As much as I don't trust Sean Henn, I would almost rather see him on the squad than Myers.

That leaves 1 spot open. Brian Bruney is behind the others due to his early spring training back troubles, but he could still make the squad based on last year. If Karstens doesn't make it north as a starter he'd probably be sent to Scranton to pitch every 5th day. But Darrell Rasner has been effective this spring, and did a good job filling in last year, and could be a swingman out of the pen. Chris Britton hurt his chances yesterday with an awful outing against the Jays. He faced 6 hitters, only retiring one. Greg Zaun finished him off with a grand slam.

Share