Around the Yankee Universe: Derek, Joba, Lou Gehrig

by Ed Valentine on Sep 5, 2009 7:53 AM EDT in News Comment 11 comments

Here is a quick look around the Yankee Universe as you -- and I -- prepare for the Labor Day Weekend.

ESPN has a feature running in which you can rank your all-time Yankees. How high does Derek Jeter go on that list?
Speaking of Jeter, Bob Klapisch looks at Jeter's future with the Yankees. He comes to the obvious conclusion -- no way the Yankees can let Jeter finish his career in a different uniform.
Jeter is about to pass Lou Gehrig as the team's all-time hits leader. The New York Times has a wonderful look back at the final days of Gehrig's playing career.
Whether the Joba Rules have anything to do with it, Joba Chamberlain has not been pitching well. Mark Feinsand wonders if Chamberlain will pitch his way out of the post-season rotation. Pete Abe has the ugly numbers, and a quote from Manager Joe Girardi.

He is 1-3 with a 7.96 ERA in his last six starts. Opponents have hit .330 against him.

"I still really believe in him and I think at the end of September you’re going to see a guy throwing the ball well," Girardi said. "We have to get him back to where he was and we believe what we’re doing is going to get him back there. What we’re doing right now isn’t going to last forever."

Alfredo Aceves thankful for opportunity with Yankees.

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“I still really believe in him and I think at the end of September you’re going to see a guy throwing the ball well,” Girardi said. “We have to get him back to where he was and we believe what we’re doing is going to get him back there. What we’re doing right now isn’t going to last forever.”

So you have to get him back to where he was, which was only done by screwing with him in the first place.

I know, innings limit is why he’s only throwing this many innings and he’s starting cuz he’s gonna be a starter in teh playoffs, but this should have been done in April. They shoulda left him in AAA in April, May or however long and did this crap down there.

Lucky were where we’re at cuz this is a total screw up.

GODZZIIIIIRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!

by FreeBradshaw on Sep 5, 2009 8:56 AM EDT reply actions

Through 20 starts at the end of July, Joba was 7-2, 3.58, before the Yankees started messing with him. His main problem was that he needed to keep his pitch counts down and go deeper into games. Still 7-2, 3.58 is pretty good for a first full year as a start. To me that’s where Joba’s season ended. Hopefully he can give us 4 or 5 quality innings in game 4’s but it’s hard to expect much considering how he’s being used.

by Let's Talk About Tex Baby on Sep 5, 2009 4:47 PM EDT up reply actions

Whatever. It's probably more important

to get A.J. back to what he was then Joba anyway. People seem to be worried about the wrong things.

by garp on Sep 5, 2009 10:36 AM EDT reply actions

Your right he should have stayed in AAA.

What goes through his mind every time he throws a pitch?
Does he think he has to make every pitch count since he can only throw 30 or so pitches?
Or does he think maybe the next pitch will ruin my arm and be my last?
How does a guy pitch like that and keep his mind on playing the game.
Maybe that’s his problem.
Whatever it is the circus needs to travel to AAA.

by Tricon11 on Sep 5, 2009 11:09 AM EDT reply actions

That's what it is

its in his head….

But going to AAA now is useless, especially since their season is almost over.

GODZZIIIIIRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!

by FreeBradshaw on Sep 5, 2009 11:19 AM EDT up reply actions

Man, that ESPN poll was fun

Took me an hour.

I decided my rankings using the following stats (during their years as Yankees only):

WS Win- 5
HOF (or likely, for Jeter, Mo and A-Rod)- 10
Start or Pitch in an All-Star Game- 1
Top-10 MVP finish – 1
MVP – 4
Top-10 OPS Finish Pre-1930 (Award voting was wonky; no AS Game)- 2

Then there were subjective factors:
Majority of Career Pre-1940 (the “Legend” Era)- +20
Majority of Career 1940-1960 (the “Inflation Era”)- 10
Still Playing +5 for Jeter/Mo/Posada (1 more WS), +10 for A-Rod (2 more WS)
Intangibles: Luckiest Man/Streak; 61*; Mr. October; the 56 Game Streak- +10; The Flip +10

The Scores:

1A Ruth 110
1B Gehrig 106
3 DiMaggio 96
4 Berra 80
5 Mantle 69
6 Jeter 57
7 Rivera 48
8A Dickey 46
8B Rizzuto 44
10 Ford 43
11 A-Rod 36
12 Jackson 30
13A Howard 28
13B Maris 28
15A Posada 24
15B Williams 23
17 Guidry 22
18 Munson 17
19 Nettles 14
20 Mattingly 9

by PortlandYankee on Sep 5, 2009 11:19 AM EDT reply actions

I forgot about Ruth’s “Called Shot,” and I only gave 61* +5. Jeter maybe deserves another 5-10 for “Mr. November.”

The big question for me is where A-Rod will eventually fall. The CC/Tex/A-Rod team looks like it could win a couple of world series…what if they go on a tear like the late 90s Yanks? A Rod might end up spending 12-15 seasons with the Yanks, win 2-3 MVPs, and break the HR record as a Yankee. Does that put him at 8, behind Jeter and Rivera?

by PortlandYankee on Sep 5, 2009 5:11 PM EDT up reply actions

I found that thing hard

so many yankee greats. took me forever to decide.

by GTWYankee on Sep 5, 2009 11:32 AM EDT reply actions

The Funniest thing...well, not funniest but

the most ironic thing is A-Rod is the only one who has never won a World Series.

by Mondoas on Sep 5, 2009 10:09 PM EDT reply actions

Uhhh...Mattingly?

by PortlandYankee on Sep 5, 2009 10:46 PM EDT reply actions

good thoughts cuz

Hey Ed, your perhaps cousin Al Valentine here, in Michigan, also known as sports graveyard. Except for the Red Wings, and this year the Tigers, Michigan teams leave lots to be desired. Having grown up in the NYC area (Jersey City), I am used to a much better quality of sports to watch. So enter MLB, thank God, so I can follow the Yankees this awesome year! As for where Jeter falls as a Yankee, I agree we are very lucky to have lived in his time as a Yankee, but so much of the debate is comparing apples to oranges.
Most of the Yankee greats were restricted in putting up the same numbers by the length of their seasons, or as in Joe D.’s case, duty to country. But that aside, Jeter is most definitely top ten!

by AlStar9111 on Sep 6, 2009 5:31 AM EDT reply actions