7 Reasons for Hope on May 7th

by jscape2000 on May 7, 2009 7:00 AM EDT in Analysis Comment 23 comments

1. The Yankees have on of the best offenses in the game right now. Despite missing their best hitter, and often fielding 3 players who OPS+ below 70, the Yanks are 4th in the AL in OBP and OPS. And it's a pretty wide drop off to number 5.

2. The Yanks are aggressive on the base-paths. Their 91.3 SB% is best in the game, and they have been running- their 21 SB is tied for 4th in baseball.

3. Arod's rehab is going very well. Rumors continue to swirl of his eminent return.

4. Robbie Cano (.333/.369/.518) and Melky Cabrera (.328/.400/.537) shared a big plate of shame this offseason and have started 2009 better for it. Small sample sizes, I know, but imagine if Cano had repeated last April.

5. The Yankees' starters have combined to allow fewer hits than innings pitched (133-136). Only Joba's WHIP is above 1.38. This means the Yanks are getting beat in the pen and by some bad luck.

6. Speaking of the pen, damn it's scary out there. But Mariano's shoulder seems to be ok- 10.2IP, 13H, 16K, 0BB.

7. Phil Hughes has a long way to go to usurp one of the spots in the starting rotation, but after a couple of starts he has put the shine back on his star. Too many walks (6) and a small sample size (10IP), but I like what I see.

0 recs | Comment 23 comments | Share

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Hope?

Hate to disagree with you but the bottom line is wins vs loses. We’re losing games. What’s worse is we’re losing games we could have won. All the numbers don’t mean anything. The final score – that’s what matters.

by jimwarren on May 7, 2009 9:30 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

He is pointing out

that these are signs that wins will be coming. The numbers do give us insight into the fact that the offense is actually doing pretty well without its biggest weapon, our starters are doing ok and will only get better, and that if the bullpen can get fixed (which I still think it can), the final scores will be much more in our favor.

by potroast on May 7, 2009 9:44 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

135 games

that’s how many we have left. I hate the fact that year after year the Yanks seem to stumble out of the gate, but we should know by now that a slow start doesn’t mean the season is a total loss. Let’s not throw in the towel yet. There is a lot of baseball to be played.

by Ed Valentine on May 7, 2009 11:11 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

3-9 vs. the division

with zero games against the leader (Blue Jays) makes it hard for me to be hopeful.

by SBakerTheTouchdownMaker on May 7, 2009 10:35 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Thoughts on Pettite

He doesn’t look the same post Stolen Home Base Incident.

Thoughts?

by Woogie526 on May 7, 2009 10:36 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

How can we have hope

The bottom lines are wins and losses. Not good record. Our bullpen is a mess, the starters are inconsistent, the offense (what offense) Posada Bruney Wang A-Fraud, Nady and Marte all on the DL. Girardi is still the managers, Cashman is still the GM. AND WORST OF ALL WE CAN’T BEAT BOSTON! Where’s the hope in all that?

by Blazer Fan From Ohio on May 7, 2009 10:56 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Like I said earlier

You have hope because this team is better than it has played, and there are 135 games left to play. Come back off the ledge, Blazer.

by Ed Valentine on May 7, 2009 11:13 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Good lord.

You guys are sure a ray of sunshine this morning!

by .ryan on May 7, 2009 11:09 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I would like to know

how you can say we are just being grumpy or whatever. I would love to know how you can look at this team the way it is right and see anything positive. Maybe I’m completely missing something because I’m so emotional about this club. But I can’t see any reason to be positive about this club right now. I guess Robbie is havin a good year but that’s about the only positive thing I can think of

by Blazer Fan From Ohio on May 7, 2009 11:13 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Long season

You know how the players always say you can’t get too high or too low? We know things haven’t gone well, but that’s where you’re at right now. Too low. Remember, there are 5 months to go. A lot can happen. Just hang in there and let it play out.

by Ed Valentine on May 7, 2009 11:15 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Its all about the 'pen

The offense has to be better than this. We all know that. And even I don’t like A-Fraud he will make this lineup better. Wang can’t be that bad. I’m just so concerned that if the bullpen isn’t fixed, and I really don’t trust Cashman and management to do anything drastic, this team is not going very far. Of course there’s all the injuries that take a toll as well so that’s why I’m so concerned. I know I should take a look ahead but I’m just so emotional I go on a game-by-game basis. And last night again was very painful. This bullpen needs to fixed or all the other fixes I don’t think will be enough.

by Blazer Fan From Ohio on May 7, 2009 11:24 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

things can only get better

A-Rod is coming back, Posada will come back….the bullpen will get healthy and improve. I’m sure the SP’s can’t get worse and will only improve. This team is at the bottom right now…..

let’s hold off on doomsday report cards till at least July.

by Ragnar808 on May 7, 2009 12:19 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Excuses

Bottom line, it is excuses. This year the AL East has the four best teams in the League. No one can afford a slow start. Boston is going through issues as well but still manage to win their games. You cannot win when you have a great comeback in the eighth, have Mo strike out the side. Fail to score with 1 out and man on 3rd in bottom of 9th. Have your next reliever give up a solo home run, first batter. Sorry you are not gonna win the East if you cannot figure how to get your relievers to throw quality innings and your hitters cannot get those stake-in-the-heart hits. Oh and I am gonna say something, I believe the Yanks can and will rebound, but where has Jeter been? I am the biggest fan of Derek but he looks like lately he is just phoning it in. Ground ball out after ground ball out. Smiling and joking with the opposing players when he does get on base when the team is down late in the game. Smiling while watching his manager argue with the ump. I want Derek to get a little more fire in his belly and start being a Captain again. I don’t like what I am seeing from him past 3-4 weeks. There I said it. Phew I feel better now.

by HappyLuckyGoldenDragonNumber1! on May 7, 2009 12:59 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

WTF?!

That might be 1 of the most ridiculous things I have ever heard. Derek Jeter would be the last guy to mail it in. Is he struggling? Absolutely. But does that mean he quit? No. I don’t like what I’m seeing either. I don’t think he shuold be doing the joking around crap late in games like you said, but I’m not gonna call Jeet a quitter. Excuses reason whatever you wanna call them it’s why this team isn’t playing very well. I’ve ripped the team apart on here. But to call Derek Jeter a quitter is just so wrong. I would love to see this team get a fire lit under their butts too. Maybe Girardi should ban them from the clubhouse for a day so they don’t go in and sleep on their comfy chairs. I don’t know maybe I’m being a little sarcastic but something has to be done. Jeter needs to step and be a captain you are right on with that statement. But he is not a quitter and I hope that if someone wasn’t trying hard enough their butts would be on the bench

by Blazer Fan From Ohio on May 7, 2009 2:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

First off Blazer

Calm the Eff down. Second of all, calm the eff down. Where in my post did I say he was a quitter? Please, copy and paste it? Oh you can’t? Because you didn’t read it did you. Now do me a favor, go have a cup of decaf, get a foot massage and chill out. When your blood pressure returns to normal you maybe able to actually understand what I wrote. Derek as a captain is not showing me leadership. Does he hustle, yeah he always does. So do a lot of players. Does he play hard, sure, he always has. But I am NOT seeing a spark in the Captain. Sorry. Don’t see it. I have seen more from Swisher and Cano and Melky THUS far this season. As a Jeter fan I will be the first one to say, NO PLAYER is above reproach. This is HIS team. Well HE needs to do something to motivate. Is he still my favorite Yankee? Yup. Is he perfect? No. I want him to do more now because he needs to. Oh and Blazer, calm the eff down.

by HappyLuckyGoldenDragonNumber1! on May 7, 2009 3:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

What?

Jeter’s demeanor is the same as it has always been. If you want to say he’s not the player he was 5 years ago that’s a different argument. But, c’mon, Happy, let’s not get silly. You gonna rip Damon for joking w/Gabe Gross last night when he got that double?

by Ed Valentine on May 7, 2009 4:32 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

By the way

Can a Captain who plays SS help the bullpen? Nope. Can he help Mark Teixeira break his slump? Nope. Can he stop CMW from stinking it up? Nope. Sorry, that’s silly. Besides which, we have no idea what happens in the locker room and off the field. It’s not Jeter’s job to motivate guys.

by Ed Valentine on May 7, 2009 4:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

It’s not Jeter’s job to motivate guys

That little C next to his name makes it his job, yes.

by HappyLuckyGoldenDragonNumber1! on May 7, 2009 7:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Where am I ripping?

Sorry. This is one of those moments when Jeter needs to pick up the rest of the team. He needs to be the one with the clutch hits. BECAUSE the pitching is so bad the captain needs to get everyone else in line. I love Derek and if you think I don’t , well I don’t particularly care. But the role of Yankees Captain comes with a price. I see Swish doing more to spark the team than anyone else. Jeter is the consummate professional. But honestly, what we need is a little more fire like our hated rivals seem to have right now.

by HappyLuckyGoldenDragonNumber1! on May 7, 2009 7:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Un-Clutch hitting

Yanks offense may be good overall, but their hitting with RISP is absolutely horrific. Can’t win many ball games that way.

Also, it’s “imminent return”, not “eminent return”, though that is a good pun, perhaps:

From Dictionary.com:

“em⋅i⋅nent /ˈɛmənənt/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [em-uh-nuhnt] Show IPA
–adjective 1. high in station, rank, or repute; prominent; distinguished: eminent statesmen.
2. conspicuous, signal, or noteworthy: eminent fairness.
3. lofty; high: eminent peaks.
4. prominent; projecting; protruding: an eminent nose. "

by sherwooa on May 7, 2009 5:12 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs