Bomber Links: Duck!

by Lord Duggan on Sep 25, 2010 9:00 AM EDT

Mood Music - Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd

Well, it's been a while since I've chatted about plunking, so let's revisit some good old fashioned beanball. The other day, in three Magnificent acts of failure, Javier Vazquez tied a major league record for consecutive plunks. That's somewhat impressive, and got me to thinking about where the Yankees stand in the hit batsman department:

Yankees pitchers have hit 57 batters so far this year (tied for 6th most in the league) and are anchored by the extreme wildness of A.J. Burnett and his 16 hit batsmen. Yes, A.J. Burnett accounts for over one quarter of all hit batsmen by our pitchers (and throw in 15 wild pitches just for fun).

On the other end, Yankee batters have been hit by a pitch 70 times so far this year (3rd most in the league) with Mark Teixeira being the most plunkable with a total of 12. Most shockingly, Alex Rodriguez, a master of plunk accumulation (152 career "accidents"), has only been hit three times this year in 552 plate appearances.

And speaking of hit batsman, how many batters would you reckon Phil Hughes has hit in his 169.1 innings this season? Zero. Blew my mind.

And now that you have more information than you ever wanted or needed about the hit by pitch, let's get back to Javier Vazquez. In the article that I linked to above, here is a quote from the MB:

"I want to be in the postseason, obviously, but that's not for me to decide. I don't feel like I have to put more pressure on myself to be in the playoffs. I know I have to pitch well. If they put me on, that's great, but I have to pitch well."

I don't want to damn him with faint praise, but I trust Javy in long relief a lot more than I trust Chad Gaudin, Dustin Moseley, and Jonathan Albaladejo, and at about the same level that I trust Sergio Mitre. Come along for more fun and hastily drawing conclusions after the jump!

I've openly said that I wouldn't vote for CC Sabathia for the American League Cy Young Award. I think Felix Hernandez has had an absolutely dominant season, that CC, while fantastic, has not matched. However, when I see a title like CC Sabathia's Cy Young Chances Wiped Away by One Start For the Yankees, I have to scratch my head and question the methodology going on here.

The big man has pitched 229.1 innings this year and put together quite an impressive season. We're going to decide whether or not he has been the best or most valuable pitcher in the league based on one inning where things got away from him? Turn that swinging bunt infield single into a ground ball double play, and CC Sabathia quite possibly gets another "statement" win.

MVP and Cy Young voting is a joke because the majority of people who vote on these things are fickle and simple minded in their analysis. Yeah, I said it.

Finally, Phil Hughes (Fill Use, if Michael Kay is reading), will be skipped in his next start due to innings limitation. The start will go to Dustin Moseley instead.

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Comments

Couldn't skip Hughes at a worse time

but, they have to do it I guess.

Something you didn’t mention- the Centaur now has 27 home runs this season, and he’s put himself in decent position to extend his 30 HR, 100 RBI record another season. I’ve believed he would do it all season and now he’s really close. He’s also on a tear, and at just the right time. Hopefully he gets hot into the playoffs again.

I hate all Boston sports teams

by nyyrocks29 on Sep 25, 2010 9:12 AM EDT reply actions

The HBP thing and Cy Young

That’s really not a good thing that Hughes hasn’t hit anyone. It suggests that he’s not throwing inside which is a problem.

C.C. Sabathia is a great and dominant pitcher and he is worth every cent of his $23 mil salary. However, he is 8th in the AL in ERA and 11th in WHIP. I don’t think there is a reasonable justification for giving him the Cy Young award. Now I agree that the 30+ extra innings he’s thrown put him ahead of Buchholz, Price and Cahill. 30 fewer innings of middle relief translate to a lot fewer runs allowed over the course of the game. But Felix Hernandez leads the league in innings pitched and ERA and he is 2nd in WHIP. He is not only the best pitcher in the AL this season, but the best pitcher in baseball. C.C. only leads Felix in the entirely superficial wins category. That’s not good enough.

by Let's Talk About Tex Baby on Sep 25, 2010 9:41 AM EDT reply actions

Totally agree with you

CC wasn’t the CY before that last start, so what he did there didn’t really matter much. King Felix has been so dominant this year, he’s been the best pitcher. It’s not his fault his team doesn’t score any runs for him.

by Wraithpk on Sep 25, 2010 3:47 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

I agree.

Felix is my front runner for Cy young, but CC should def. be in the hunt. I’d say hes at least the 2nd or 3rd best pitcher in the AL. He eats innings and like you said one bad one ruins his chances? No.

"Individuals don't win Championships, Teams do."

by Jeterian 2 on Sep 25, 2010 9:57 AM EDT reply actions

Hughes not hitting people

shows he ain’t scaring anyone. And that’s most likely why they hit so many HRs off of him. I’d throw a cutter inside and hit someone on the wrist just on principal.

And still say…best pitcher, best team. I don’t care about his # of wins, I don’t care about any of his stats. Without CC, the Yankees are battling the Red Sox for tee times. Sometimes being the best pitcher doesn’t accumulate in any stats, so take your FIP and stick it in your duodenum.

Felix isn’t even in the consideration. The only reason Grienke won it last year is cuz there really weren’t any other deserving candidates on any good teams. This year you got CC and David Price. And CC to me gets it over Price

Winning cures all...even stupid

by FreeBradshaw on Sep 25, 2010 10:27 AM EDT reply actions

I agree to some extent Free.

CC is better than Price. Felix has been better than CC. Do you believe the MVP has to be on a playoff team though? Cy Young is the best pitcher award. MVP is most valuable to that team. Thats what I think.

"Individuals don't win Championships, Teams do."

by Jeterian 2 on Sep 25, 2010 11:04 AM EDT up reply actions

The only reason a player on a non-playoff team should win any award

is if there’s not a clear cut winner.

Take the Yankees and Rays. The Rays don’t have really one hitter that sticks out against the rest of the league as an MVP, so they don’t have an MVP candidate as a hitter.

The Yankees have Cano, who deserves a lot of votes.

Pitching, the Yankees have CC who if you look at the rest of their pitching staff, this team wouldn’t be close to as good if they didn’t have him in their rotation.

The Rays have Price, but the rest of their pitching staff has largely been solid all year, or at least better then the Yankees for the most part.

Winning cures all...even stupid

by FreeBradshaw on Sep 25, 2010 12:30 PM EDT up reply actions

I completely disagree about Hughes

Excepting his performance in the bullpen last season, Hughes is posting his highest K/9 and his lowest BB/9 in his MLB career.
Not every pitcher needs to headhunt like Pedro.

I’ll try to track now some data one how often Hughes comes inside.

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

by jscape2000 on Sep 25, 2010 12:22 PM EDT up reply actions

head hunter is completely different from pitching inside and making the hitters off balance

Not ever pitcher needs to be Pedro, but every pitcher, if he wants to be any good, must throw strikes inside.

Winning cures all...even stupid

by FreeBradshaw on Sep 25, 2010 12:25 PM EDT up reply actions

and I dunno how K and walk rate even matter here

it has pretty much nothing to do with what I said.

Winning cures all...even stupid

by FreeBradshaw on Sep 25, 2010 12:31 PM EDT up reply actions

You’re commenting on Hughes’ effectiveness, aren’t you? He shows great control and a great ability to strike out batters.

19 of 24 HR allowed have come at Yankee Stadium. Of those 19, 9 have been “just enough” to clear the fence.
12 lefty, 7 righty- I think the HR are just the result of a flyball pitcher in a small stadium.

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

by jscape2000 on Sep 25, 2010 12:58 PM EDT up reply actions

talking about the fact he doesn't pitch inside enough

which is something that if hitter don’t feel they have to worry about leaning over the plate and “jerking” the ball out to their pull field, something that can lead to HR’s being “just enough” to clear the fence.

Not his overall effectiveness.

Just the fact he lets up a lot of HRs and his lack of HBPs. No one is that accurate. All pitchers who use the inside of the plate hit a couple of batters.

Winning cures all...even stupid

by FreeBradshaw on Sep 25, 2010 1:07 PM EDT up reply actions

Doesn't all this debate

center on what kind of player deserves which award? The pitcher having the best year (Felix) vs the best year on a division winner (Price) vs the most important pitcher to his team (Sabathia)?

They’ve revised the award in the past. Maybe it’s time to scrap the CY and MVP as we know them, and give awards that match our modern evaluations of the game.

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

by jscape2000 on Sep 25, 2010 11:36 AM EDT reply actions

well MVP is easy

There is MVP, which should go to the Most Valuable Player in each league, or player which had most an impact on his teams success.

Then there should be an award for the best player in each league, regardless of their teams success. That award already exists- the Hank Aaron Award. Sometimes the MVP winner and Hank Aaron Award go to the same person, sometimes it doesn’t. But I think there already are two awards to distinguish the best position players in the league. Writers who vote for these things need to get it right though.

Pitching is different. They don’t have another award, but maybe they should add one.

I hate all Boston sports teams

by nyyrocks29 on Sep 25, 2010 12:37 PM EDT up reply actions

what is up with SBN?

does everyone else have to log in everytime they come to SBN? sometimes it logs me out while im reading an article.

by Cup Noodles on Sep 25, 2010 12:51 PM EDT reply actions

Yeah I've had that same problem

by Yankees10 on Sep 25, 2010 12:57 PM EDT up reply actions

I’ll send a note to support.

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

by jscape2000 on Sep 25, 2010 12:59 PM EDT up reply actions

yup

I press “remember” when I sign in, and then it signs me out anyways. It’s annoying

I hate all Boston sports teams

by nyyrocks29 on Sep 25, 2010 1:08 PM EDT up reply actions

i thought it was just my dumbass computer

All the people you love in a river of blood...

by Nine Inch Nails on Sep 25, 2010 1:08 PM EDT up reply actions

lolol

by Cup Noodles on Sep 25, 2010 1:15 PM EDT up reply actions

yep, it's been doing that to me for the last 3 or 4 days

by pastor2b on Sep 25, 2010 2:08 PM EDT up reply actions

ugh...fox broadcast today

i’ll be listening to music during the game

All the people you love in a river of blood...

by Nine Inch Nails on Sep 25, 2010 1:11 PM EDT reply actions

nice. fav band?

by Cup Noodles on Sep 25, 2010 1:16 PM EDT up reply actions

Is that a serious question?

UT is playing at the same time, so I may be watching football and listening to Sterling. It all depends on how much media my family will let me monopolize during that time period.

Usqueadbaugham! Anam muck an dhoul ! Did ye drink me doornail?

by Q-TDSK on Sep 25, 2010 1:39 PM EDT up reply actions