Kerry Wood: Pitching's Version Of Nick Johnson

I don't know who is worse, Kerry Wood or Nick Johnson. Both have been on the DL countless times in their careers, and Wood just came off the DL today. Today!

I've been checking Twitter all day to keep abreast of the activities leading up to the trading deadline. When the Wood trade went down some of the tweets I read were hilarious:

@SheFanJane Kerry Wood is the Nick Johnson of pitchers. Don't get it

@YankeesUpdate Yanks get Kerry Wood to keep Nick Johnson company on the DL

And in response to my own tweet saying Wood had better be healthy:

@elephande Kerry Wood can be healthy?

I love Twitter. Anyway, at least one good thing came out of this trade: Chan Ho Park was designated for assignment to make room for Wood on the roster.

Will Kerry Wood make it to the end of August before going on the DL again? I'm not betting on it.

Has Granderson Turned The Corner?

Curtis Granderson was 2-4 with a triple in last night's 8-0 Yankee romp over the the Cleveland Indians. Granderson has been on fire lately. In his last 16 games, he is hitting .339 with three doubles, three home runs, 6 RBIs and 12 runs.

Has he turned the corner?  In a post on LoHud, Chad Jennings suggests that he might have. He compares him to Mark Teixeira who, last month, broke out of a season-long slump of his own.

I'm not so sure Granderson has turned the corner. As I stated in a previous post, he is playing against the AL Central, a division he knows and loves.  Most of the noise he has made (two doubles and three homers)  has come in the last eight games, all but one of which were played against AL Central teams.

It will be interesting to see how Granderson fares this weekend in Tampa Bay and next week against Toronto and Boston. If he does well in those games, I'll be happy to say that Curtis Granderson has, indeed, turned the corner.

Josh Tomlin, Another Rookie, Silences Yanks

Last night the Indians' Josh Tomlin retired the first nine Yankees he faced and held them to a run on three hits in seven-plus innings. It was his first Major League start.

The Yankees rarely, if ever, have any success against pitchers they have never seen before.  Why? Why would a lineup as potent as that of the New York Yankees be unable to hit a rookie pitcher making his first Major League start?

No one seems to know the answer to this question. I'll venture a wild guess:  At first the Yankees didn't take these pitchers seriously. They assumed they'd be successful against them and, as a result, went up to the plate without a solid game plan. But now, it has happened so many times with so many different pitchers that it is in their heads.

I'm probably way off base here but I don't know what else to say. For that matter, neither do the experts.

Curtis Granderson And The AL Central

The Yankees beat the Indians 3-2 last night on the pitching of Javy Vazquez and the hitting of Curtis Granderson. Javy was great but Granderson was clutch, delivering a two-run homer in the eighth inning to put the Yankees ahead. It was another strong showing by Granderson, who seems to have found his stroke here in the second half of the season.

This strong showing by Granderson has come against teams in the AL Central: Kansas City over the weekend and now Cleveland last night. Is there a connection here?

Well, up until this season, Granderson played his entire career in the AL Central with the Detroit Tigers. So he definitely has some familiarity with the teams in that division. Joe Girardi spoke about that familiarity after the game last night, saying "...he likes these Central teams. He knows them...."

The Yankees have 14 games left against the teams that Granderson knows. It would be a shame if he only played well in those games. Let's hope he gets to know the other teams remaining on the schedule as well.

Joba Chamberlain's Non-Trade To the Dbacks

Dan Haren is now an Angel. Rumor has it that the Dbacks would have traded him to the Yankees if they could have gotten (among other things) Joba Chamberlain. Arizona was reportedly willing to take Joba and his 5.95 ERA off the Yankees hands and give him a fresh start in the desert.

But the Yankees said no. Why?

Were they afraid the change of scenery would do him good, so much so that he'd make the Yankees look bad? Maybe they feel so much remorse for the Joba Rules that they feel they have an obligation to fix him. Or maybe they just think a better deal will come along later this week.

In any case, as I write this, Joba is still a Yankee. How much longer will he remain the 8th inning guy?  He had another poor outing yesterday, giving up a walk and a 2-run homer in the Yankees 12-6 win over the Royals. After the game Girardi said he is not ruling out taking the job away from Joba and giving it to David Robertson.

How long before he takes the job away from him? How long of a leash does Joba have? Hopefully not a long one.

Royals Acquire Sean O'Sullivan

Last night's game against the Royals and Yankees was chock full of events ( Jeter's inside-the-park homer, A-Rod's 599th career homer, Posada's bonehead play, Joba's nervous 8th, etc.) but something that happened several hours before the game was a bit more interesting to me. The Royals made a trade. They traded 3B Alberto Callaspo to the Angels. Who did they get in return? Pitcher Sean O'Sullivan. Yes, that Sean O'Sullivan, the Sean O'Sullivan who beat the Yankees earlier this week.

O'Sullivan is expected to join the Royals rotation and, if you do the math, he should start against the Yankees on Sunday. Has this ever happened before? Has a pitcher faced a team, gotten traded and faced the same team several days later? I don't know, but it should make for some interesting trivia if O'Sullivan takes the mound at the Stadium this Sunday.

No announcement has been made yet, but you can bet the Yankees are expecting better results against O'Sullivan whenever they do face him again. Good luck, Yanks.

Congratulations, Colin Curtis

Colin Curtis seems to have been through a lot in the past ten years. As a teen he was diagnosed with testicular cancer, which, according to Wikipedia, spread to the veins in his stomach and to his lymph nodes. He battled the disease and won, and has been cancer free for about ten years.

During a good portion of those ten years he has worked his way through the Yankee farm system, and yesterday it culminated in a pinch-hit three-run home-run, the highlight of the Yankees 10-6 victory over the Angels. I had to leave for work just before he came to the plate so, I missed it, but when I heard about it later that evening I was very happy for him.

Here's hoping Colin Curtis has continued success and, most of all, continued good health. Congratulations, Colin!

Joe Girardi's Journey To Comfort Video

You probably are familiar already with Andy Pettitte's charming Dove Men + Care Journey To Comfort Video, featured on MLB.com. What you might not know is that two others from MLB also made videos: Albert Pujols and Joe Girardi.

Girardi's video has just been launched. As with Pettitte's video, Girardi's reveals the experiences from his childhood, awkward teenage years, and other life stages that led him to the time he could take others’ expectations in stride and define his own success.

I got a real kick of of Girardi's video. Among other things, it shows him at home talking about his childhood, doing cartwheels with his children and dancing (reluctantly) with his wife. A very enjoyable look into the manager's life off the field.

All of the videos in the series can be seen at the Dove Men + Care website. Enjoy.

The Trouble With Phil Hughes

So, what's wrong with Phil Hughes? Hughes was terrible last night, allowing six earned runs in five plus innings of work. It was his first start in 11 days. The last time he had such a long layoff was when he was skipped over in the rotation. He had to wait 10 days, then gave up 6 earned runs in that start as well.

During his postgame comments last night Joe Girardi said, "It's difficult for any pitcher when you have a long layoff. It's not just him." [LoHud Yankees Blog]  I agree. Too much rest between starts makes for a bad outing when one finally takes the baseball again. The bad outings usually don't continue. Fans who want to believe that Hughes hasn't been the same since he was skipped over have short memories. They are forgetting about the good outing he had in Seattle just before the All Star Break.

It is not the long layoff between starts that is killing Hughes. It is the number of MLB innings he has pitched. Before this year, Hughes' career-high innings total was 86, which he reached last year. Now he is over 100 innings for the year. He has hit a wall.

What to do about this? I don't know. I'll leave that up to the experts. But, to keep saying he hasn't been the same since he was skipped is wrong. Totally wrong.

Curtis Granderson To Be National Spokesman For "Let's Move" Campaign

First Lady Michelle Obama today announced an initiative called "Let's Move." Major League Baseball, the Major League Baseball Players Association, the US Department of Agriculture and the Ad Council have all teamed up with her to try to end what is becoming an epidemic in this country: childhood obesity.

The initiative includes 30 TV and 30 radio public service announcements about childhood obesity, featuring one player each from each of the 30 Major League teams. Curtis Granderson will be the spokesman in the Yankees. He sounds pretty pumped about it:

"As a member of the Major League Baseball family, I hope that we can educate young people on a variety of topics to help them in their development and communicating the importance of physical fitness and that living a healthy lifestyle is critical. I'm proud and honored to be invited by the first lady to take part in this special event, and I pledge to do my part to continue stressing the importance of staying active to today's youth." [MLB.com]

This is such a good idea, this initiative. I hope it works. Click here to read more about it.

How Does Grade 1 Translate To 4-5 Weeks?

Andy Pettitte has a Grade 1 groin strain. As groin strains go, Grade 1 is the least severe. It is expected that he will be out for 4 to 5 weeks.

When I heard that it was only a Grade 1 strain, I assumed Pettitte would be out for about 2 weeks. How does Grade 1 translate to 4-5 weeks?  I hate to think of what would have happened had the grade been higher. Would Pettitte not have been able to walk off the field?  Would his season be over?

In any case, speculation is that Sergio Mitre will make the start for Pettitte this Saturday against Kansas City. Will he remain in the rotation for the next 4-5 weeks, or will the Yankees make a deal for another starter? My guess is that they will wait to see what will happen with Pettitte in the next couple of days. I have a feeling that this 4-5 weeks stuff is just that: stuff.

Get well soon, Andy.

Derek Jeter And Bob Sheppard's Funeral

So, no players attended Bob Sheppard's funeral. For the most part, I don't have a problem with that. After all, the players had no personal relationship with him. Put that together with the All Star Game and the death of George Steinbrenner and you can pretty much see how something like this can happen. I'm willing to give all the players a pass on this one. All of them, that is, except Derek Jeter.

Here is what Jeter said when asked about it:

"To be quite honest with you, I didn't even know his funeral was (Thursday). Having said that, I don't necessarily think you have to go to a funeral to honor somebody. I think a lot of players honor (Sheppard). That's the reason I've recorded his voice throughout the years and I will continue to honor him every time I go to the plate for the rest of my career. I was not aware of (the funeral), and I don't know how many players were aware of it." [NY Daily News]

I don't agree entirely with that statement. If you have gone so far as to record the man's voice and use it for the rest of your career, wouldn't you want to be there for his funeral? And even if you didn't know when the funeral was, wouldn't you want to find out? I think so.

Jeter dropped the ball on this one. Give him an E-6.

George Steinbrenner: The Ultimate Gentleman

In these, the first few days since George Steinbrenner died, a lot of stories are being revealed which show how multi-faceted a man he was. The New York Times published one of those stories this morning. It is the story of Mary Jane Schriner.

Ms Schriner dated George Steinbrenner when they were teenagers. Actually, the word "dated" doesn't do their relationship justice. It was an old-fashioned courtship.  George was the ultimate gentleman in 1949 Ohio, sending her roses for every birthday and taking her to, among other places, the ice cream parlor for milkshakes.

Discovering this side to Steinbrenner was extremely fascinating. It is totally different from what most of us in the 21st century remember about him. I truly enjoyed reading this article. Please take a moment and read it yourself as well.

Where Was A-Rod?

Why didn't Alex Rodriguez get into the All Star Game? Joe Girardi answered the question this way, after the NL beat the AL 3-1 last night in Anaheim:

"We were talking about pinch-running him in a situation. We also had a little issue with Beltre, and we were concerned about Beltre and we were concerned about his hamstring, so if we get the tying run on, Alex was going to pinch run and then go in.''  [ESPN.com]

So Alex was going to pinch run for Beltre. Pinch run? I would much rather he pinch hit for someone. The guy has nearly 600 home runs. The All Star Game is such a big stage. I know he could have hit one later in extra innings, but imagine what it would have been like had Alex come off the bench and swatted a home run into the rock pile?

Pinch run. True, he's an excellent base runner, but I'd rather see him try for the home run. After all, chicks dig the long ball.

RIP George Steinbrenner

Yankees Universe has lost its leader. The man without whom there would be no Yankees Universe is gone, dead of a heart attack at age 80.

George Steinbrenner was a multi-faceted, bear of a man. It was impossible not to have an opinion about him. The cliche "love him or hate him" is not a cliche when it comes to him. You truly did either love him or hate him.

I hated him in the early years of his ownership. "He doesn't know what he's doing," I complained to friends. "He's running the organization into the ground."

I loved him in the later years. "He's learned how to stay out of things," I boasted to them. "He gets it now."

Most recently, after he'd stepped back from day-to-day operations, I became concerned, and actually wondered how much time he had left to enjoy his Yankees. My suspicions were confirmed when players and coaches repeatedly said that #27 was for him.

If number 27 was for him, #28 must certainly be dedicated to his memory. Rest in peace Mr Steinbrenner. You truly will be missed.

Bob Sheppard's Voice To Live On At The Stadium

For as long as Derek Jeter has a career in pinstripes, the late Bob Sheppard's voice will be heard in Yankee Stadium. The recording that Sheppard made announcing Jeter's plate appearances is played each time the captain has an at-bat and it will continue to be played until Jeter's days as a Yankee are over.

Long before Sheppard passed away I had wondered if Jeter would continue to use the recording. Actually, I was hoping he would not use it after Sheppard's death.  I thought it was fine as long as Bob Sheppard was still living but, now? I think it's kind of creepy.

The man is dead. He's been referred to as the Voice Of God. His voice will be echoing through a cavernous arena. Echoing. I cannot believe I am the only one who gets the creeps from this. Or, has no one else thought about it?

What do you think? Is it creepy to you, too?

One Bad Pitch And They're At It Again: Sportstalk Radio And Joba

I listened to sportstalk radio in the hours after Joba Chamberlain's latest meltdown. I heard the usual things that are said when Joba has a bad outing. They can be summed up this way: The Yankees ruined Joba Chamberlain.  The Joba Rules messed with his mind and the poor guy is all screwed up. The Yankees ruined his career and ruined his life.

Of course, I'm exaggerating, but not by much. Fans and talkshow hosts alike seem to take delight in blaming the Yankees for the troubles Joba is having.  They're wrong. The Yankees are no longer to blame. The Joba Rules are a thing of the past. Unlike before, Joba knows what role he has with the team. He no longer is being jerked around. He is the eighth inning guy.

If anyone is to blame at this point it is Joba himself. He is the one making bad pitches, not the people in the organization who came up with the Joba Rules. He is the one making the mistakes, and he is the one who has to fix them.

A Smoak And A Sprain Leads To No Deal For Cliff Lee

The Cliff Lee trade to the Yankees didn't go down yesterday because of the sudden availability of Rangers 1B Justin Smoak. Would the Yankees have gotten Lee if Smoak hadn't become available?  Maybe not. Why? Because of the ankle sprain of Yankee prospect David Adams.

Adams is a 2B at AA Trenton. After the trade fell through yesterday he sat down for an exclusive interview with Bronx Baseball Daily's Rob Abruzzesse. In the interview Adams talks about the ankle sprain and reveals that it happened nearly 2 months ago, yet it's still not healed. Plus, MRIs of the ankle were not available to the Mariners. The Yankees did agree to give the Mariners an extra prospect because another prospects instead of Adams, but by then Smoak had become available.

So, no deal.

To read the interview with David Adams, click here.

Cliff Lee About To Become A Yankee?

Joel Sherman of the New York Post is reporting that the Yankees are on the verge of trading for Cliff Lee. Supposedly, they would give up catching prospect Jesus Montero and then, either trade Javier Vazquez or put Phil Hughes in the bullpen. 

Do the Yankees really need to do this? No. This team is already great. They have the best record in baseball, thanks in part to three starters with at least 10 wins a piece. They don't need Cliff Lee.

Or, do they? The Minnesota Twins, up until now, were considered the front runners in the Cliff Lee sweepstakes. The Twins can't beat the Yankees. If they acquire Lee, they can beat the Yankees. Looking at the picture from that angle, you can say that the Yankees do need Cliff Lee, to block the Twins from getting him.

I'm not a proponent of giving up prospects to get soon-to-be free agents, but in this case I wouldn't mind. Lee is a Yankee killer and that is putting it mildly. Plus, the Yankees have the ability to sign him at the end of the season. If I were Brian Cashman, I would go ahead and make this trade.

Reminder: It's Still Baseball Season

In case you forgot, it is the middle of the 2010 baseball season. Some guy from Akron, Ohio would have you believe otherwise, but he is wrong. The season is alive and well.

It's easy to forget, what with all the attention this guy is getting. Here are just a few things to help you remember: The Yankees have the best record in baseball at 53-31. There are races in every division. The baseball All-Star Game, the best one in sports, will be played next week. The trade deadline is just a few weeks after that.

Speaking of the All-Star Game, voting ends today at 4PM Eastern for the final spot on each team. Click here and vote for Nick Swisher!

This guy from Akron, who calls himself a king, goes on TV tonight to address his subjects. I won't be watching, because I'm not one of his subjects. I'm a baseball fan. I'd rather be tuned in to a Mets game than to an egomaniacal guy from Akron, Ohio.

Go baseball, go Yankees, and send Swish!