Wangomania

by John Amato on Aug 26, 2007 12:40 AM EDT in New York Yankees News

Quick Notes:

The Yanks needed a win badly after Torre almost went through the entire bullpen last night as Sean Henn gave away another heart breaker to the Tigers at like 3 am Saturday morning after a four hour rain delay. Why did they play again?

Chien-Ming came to the rescue as he went eight strong innings, giving up only two runs and reminded us that he is a top ML pitcher. Guidry said after the game that he told Wang to be more aggressive in his wind up which would make his sinker a bit more explosive. He explained that the ball comes out of his hands effortlessly at 92 mph , but he has the ability to reach back and pop it at 94-96 if he focuses on it, which forces the hitters to make an adjustment the second time around.

He was proved right and Wang sailed along to VICTORY! At 15-6 it's hard to believe that he has been struggling as much as he has, but numbers can be deceiving. Welcome back Mr. Wang, although he is 5-0 lifetime against the Tigers.

Johhny Damon continued his torrid hitting and is trying to force Torre to give him more playing time with a HR and a triple. Damon said afterwards that the team knows it's filled with talented players and nobody is being selfish like...let's say...a Gary Sheffield type. They want to win badly and do what it takes. Good for him. The Yanks are better with a productive Damon leading off and Melky batting ninth.

The Melkman broke the game open with a bases loaded triple in the sixth that turned a 3-2 lead into a 6-2 game.

Can you ever remember so many horrible losses before? I could barely turn the game on tonight after watching Anaheim and Detroit take two games off this road trip in excruciating fashion. The season has been filled with them, but the team keeps bouncing back somehow. Seattle lost 5-3, so the Yanks are now 3 back in the loss column.

I've never been a huge Matsui supporter, but he's really been Godzilla in the second half along with Bobby Abreu....And the overall team speed has been a big plus. Abreu has 20 steals now with 87 RBI's and Matsui has 90 RBI's.

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I love this quote from Yankees.com

General manager Brian Cashman inquired about stocking the Yankees with another pitcher from the Minor Leagues, Torre said, but the early-morning telephone offer was rejected.

Pride, Power, Cocktease

by ReLaunch on Aug 26, 2007 1:58 AM EDT reply actions

I think

also on Friday, Clemens was focusing too much on this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKDTtZizc2o

Pride, Power, Cocktease

by ReLaunch on Aug 26, 2007 2:30 AM EDT reply actions

ouch

just ouch.

by beantownbosoxh8er on Aug 26, 2007 10:39 AM EDT up reply actions

Wang was huge last night

Should have a nice, relatively rested pen this afternoon.

Fear the Evil Empire

by pfistyunc on Aug 26, 2007 10:35 AM EDT reply actions

It was also

good to see him coming back to form

Pride, Power, Cocktease

by ReLaunch on Aug 26, 2007 11:12 AM EDT up reply actions

Good post...

But why are you not a Matsui supporter? He's got a .300 career average, along with a .375 OBP. He hits lefties (career .293) and righties (career .301). He's consistent--never hit below .287, and except for his brutal injury last year, doesn't miss games. Plus, he doesn't just feast on bad pitching (like others who will remain nameless). He's got a career .311 avg.(.365 OBP) in the playoffs.

I'll take him.

"God, I just love baseball." - Robert Redford in The Natural

by uflyibuy on Aug 26, 2007 12:03 PM EDT reply actions

Yeah,

I don't get that either. Now if it was Mussina we were talking about......

Pride, Power, Cocktease

by ReLaunch on Aug 26, 2007 12:50 PM EDT up reply actions

Matsui has been bad in the playoffs

the last two years so that's bugged me since ARod got all the blame.
I've thought he was a good player, but not quite the star they made him out to be...He played a horrible left field the year before he got hurt..
Playoffs:

LA in '05: 4-20, 1 RBI .200 BA
Detroit '06: 4-16, 1 RBI .250 BA

last three games against Boston '04: 3-14 and 0 RBI's. Overall 11-71, 2 RBIS's...

This year he's at another level...

by John Amato on Aug 26, 2007 1:27 PM EDT reply actions

Did you really

expect him to come here and hit 50Hrs? I didn't and I have been happy with his perfromance. Arod gets the attention because he makes the most money in baseball and is known as the best player in the game. Matsui is not.

Pride, Power, Cocktease

by ReLaunch on Aug 26, 2007 1:35 PM EDT up reply actions

I can understand both sides

I've fallen to a neutral point with Matsui. He's good enough offensively on the whole, but he gets pull happy (see: his long slumps rookie season, 2005, and this year).
As much as we knock Abreu's defense (rightfully), I think Matsui's defense is nearly as bad. His arm is bad even with the quick release, and his range has declined steadily. I'd rather see Damon in left at this point.

"Have faith in the Yankees, my son. Think of the great DiMaggio."

by jscape2000 on Aug 26, 2007 8:59 PM EDT up reply actions

Me too

That is a very good summary of Matsui. It is a shame that we can't have more than one DH since we have enough horrible defenders on our roster. If only we could DH Matsui, Damon, and Giambi.......

Fear the Evil Empire

by pfistyunc on Aug 26, 2007 10:04 PM EDT up reply actions