With Chien Ming Wang's much ballyhooed struggles and Xavier Nady going down quicker than a polo horse, not to mention the fact that Cody Ransom is playing third base, there are plenty of question marks surrounding the Yankees as we head in to the third week of this young regular season. Third. Week.
The good news is that Alex Rodriguez appears to be ahead of schedule (though Joe Girardi refuses to admit it), and that Chien Ming Wang could not POSSIBLY be this bad all season. The Elias Sports Bureau says that he is the first pitcher in Major League history to allow 7 or more runs in three consecutive starts, so I am guess that a shaved ape would get decent odds to have some sort of rebound in their fourth start.
For now, the Yankees have the option to skip Wang's turn in the rotation and maintain regular rest for the rest of the staff, but that won't last forever. Since starting pitchers in modern baseball throw complete games about as often as Lindsay Lohan spends a day sober (ZING!) , the five man rotation is obviously a necessity. Luckily, the team has a capable stable of arms in Scranton-Wilkes Barre-Philadelphia-Pittsburgh-Intercourse tthat should be able to pick up slack. Perennial prospect Phil Hughes has been solid in AAA thus far, and Ian Kennedy is back to form as a dominant starter in the minor leagues. Throw in names like Alfredo Aceves, Jason Johnson, and Kei Igawa (God, it was painful to write that), and the Yankees have the ability to hold down the fort while Wang figures out what the hell is going on.
As for the offense, the return of Alex Rodriguez will obviously provide a large boost to the lineup, especially with the seeming inability of the New Yankee Stadium to keep the baseball within the confines of its walls. The level of suckitude provided by Cody Ransom is almost astonishing. Nick Swisher will not ride this high all season, and the thought of seeing lineups that include both Brett Gardner and Melky Cabrera has actually forced me to contemplate suicide. This is now a very thin team, and Brian Cashman has his work cut out for him to find some depth (Oh, wait, it looks like this guy is available!).
All of that being said, it is the third week of the season, and despite the cloud of uncertainty, the team has managed to keep its record over .500 (7-6) and keep pace with a Boston team that will be around when the smoke clears and the Blue Jays start being the Blue Jays again. So, no, don't panic.
Showing posts with label Ian Kennedy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ian Kennedy. Show all posts
4/21/09
10/27/08
What about Joba?
As part of Bill James' second release of the "Young Talent Inventory", he lists the top 25 young players in major league baseball. The following list has earned him the James Moxon Award for the Goddamned Dumbest Smart Kid We Know:
1. Prince Fielder, Milwaukee Brewers first baseman, age 24
2. Hanley Ramirez, Florida Marlins shortstop, age 24
3. Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants pitcher, age 24
4. David Wright, New York Mets third baseman, age 25
5. Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers left fielder, age 24
6. Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox second baseman, age 24
7. Matt Kemp, Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder, age 23
8. Francisco Rodriguez, Los Angeles Angels pitcher, age 26
9. Jose Reyes, New York Mets shortstop, age 25
10. Nick Markakis, Baltimore Orioles right fielder, age 24
11. Joakim Soria, Kansas City Royals pitcher, age 24
12. Ryan Zimmerman, Washington Nationals third baseman, age 23
13. Cole Hamels, Philadelphia Phillies pitcher, age 24
14. Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado Rockies shortstop, age 23
15. Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners pitcher, age 22
16. Jon Lester, Boston Red Sox pitcher, age 24
17. Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays third baseman, age 22
18. John Danks, Chicago White Sox pitcher, age 23
19. Adrian Gonzalez, San Diego Padres first baseman, age 26
20. James Loney, Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman, age 24
21. Stephen Drew, Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop, age 25
22. Brian McCann, Atlanta Braves catcher, age 24
23. Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers first baseman, age 25
24. Grady Sizemore, Cleveland Indians center fielder, age 25
25. Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds first baseman, age 24
Though this list seems to be composed of players well deserved of this distinction, I must say that the inclusion of Matt Kemp, John Danks, and Joey Votto, while omitting of one Joba Chamberlain is diplorable.
Also of note concerning the list, it should be pointed out that of the twenty-five players listed, exactly twenty- five are older than Phil Hughes. It is for this reason that articles like this one, ttp://www.nypost.com/seven/10262008/sports/yankees/yanks_decision_looking_bad_135306.htm, by supposed Yankee insider Joel Sherman make me want to bludgeon a kitten. The fact that this man makes a living evaluating talent for a (relatively) major newspaper is ridulous. We here at The Fowl Balls once again support keeping Phil Hughes, and allowing him to undergo his caterpillar-to-butterfly-like transformation in pinstripes. On the other hand, we implore the Yankees front office to do whatever it takes to rid the team of the unfounded, self-important, douchy smirk of Ian Kennedy.
1. Prince Fielder, Milwaukee Brewers first baseman, age 24
2. Hanley Ramirez, Florida Marlins shortstop, age 24
3. Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants pitcher, age 24
4. David Wright, New York Mets third baseman, age 25
5. Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers left fielder, age 24
6. Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox second baseman, age 24
7. Matt Kemp, Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder, age 23
8. Francisco Rodriguez, Los Angeles Angels pitcher, age 26
9. Jose Reyes, New York Mets shortstop, age 25
10. Nick Markakis, Baltimore Orioles right fielder, age 24
11. Joakim Soria, Kansas City Royals pitcher, age 24
12. Ryan Zimmerman, Washington Nationals third baseman, age 23
13. Cole Hamels, Philadelphia Phillies pitcher, age 24
14. Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado Rockies shortstop, age 23
15. Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners pitcher, age 22
16. Jon Lester, Boston Red Sox pitcher, age 24
17. Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays third baseman, age 22
18. John Danks, Chicago White Sox pitcher, age 23
19. Adrian Gonzalez, San Diego Padres first baseman, age 26
20. James Loney, Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman, age 24
21. Stephen Drew, Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop, age 25
22. Brian McCann, Atlanta Braves catcher, age 24
23. Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers first baseman, age 25
24. Grady Sizemore, Cleveland Indians center fielder, age 25
25. Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds first baseman, age 24
Though this list seems to be composed of players well deserved of this distinction, I must say that the inclusion of Matt Kemp, John Danks, and Joey Votto, while omitting of one Joba Chamberlain is diplorable.
Also of note concerning the list, it should be pointed out that of the twenty-five players listed, exactly twenty- five are older than Phil Hughes. It is for this reason that articles like this one, ttp://www.nypost.com/seven/10262008/sports/yankees/yanks_decision_looking_bad_135306.htm, by supposed Yankee insider Joel Sherman make me want to bludgeon a kitten. The fact that this man makes a living evaluating talent for a (relatively) major newspaper is ridulous. We here at The Fowl Balls once again support keeping Phil Hughes, and allowing him to undergo his caterpillar-to-butterfly-like transformation in pinstripes. On the other hand, we implore the Yankees front office to do whatever it takes to rid the team of the unfounded, self-important, douchy smirk of Ian Kennedy.
10/20/08
Is Jake Peavy an ace?
With the recent speculation that a trade for Jake Peavy may interest the Yankees, The Fowl Balls decided that it was time to weigh in.
A trade for Peavy would undoubtedly include names like Hughes and Kennedy, and possibly a player like Austin Jackson. Peavy has been viewed as an ace, and seemingly there is basis for the Padres to be demanding that type of haul for a pitcher of Peavy's caliber. But upon further review, we are very disillusioned with a move to acquire him.
To look at Jake Peavy's numbers from 2008, one cannot help but be impressed; a sub-3 ERA and less than a hit per inning makes for a solid track record. However, his K/9 were significantly down, and he made only 27 starts due to injury. Though they might be red flags, these numbers were hardly our greatest concern, most alarming were his home/away splits. As is common knowledge, Petco Park takes up nearly 3/4 of the land in Whale's Vagina, California. Peavy's ERA away from Yellowstone National was a hefty 4.28; a far cry from "ace" status.
That being said, 27 year old pitchers are allowed to have off years, aren't they? Yes, they are, but that doesn't make them valuable enough to rape the Yankees already deteriorated farm system. We here at The Fowl Balls reiterate our reccomendation for the Yankees to throw whatever amount of currency it takes to sign CC Sabathia.
A trade for Peavy would undoubtedly include names like Hughes and Kennedy, and possibly a player like Austin Jackson. Peavy has been viewed as an ace, and seemingly there is basis for the Padres to be demanding that type of haul for a pitcher of Peavy's caliber. But upon further review, we are very disillusioned with a move to acquire him.
To look at Jake Peavy's numbers from 2008, one cannot help but be impressed; a sub-3 ERA and less than a hit per inning makes for a solid track record. However, his K/9 were significantly down, and he made only 27 starts due to injury. Though they might be red flags, these numbers were hardly our greatest concern, most alarming were his home/away splits. As is common knowledge, Petco Park takes up nearly 3/4 of the land in Whale's Vagina, California. Peavy's ERA away from Yellowstone National was a hefty 4.28; a far cry from "ace" status.
That being said, 27 year old pitchers are allowed to have off years, aren't they? Yes, they are, but that doesn't make them valuable enough to rape the Yankees already deteriorated farm system. We here at The Fowl Balls reiterate our reccomendation for the Yankees to throw whatever amount of currency it takes to sign CC Sabathia.
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