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FucKTE the Yanx

Frayed Knot Jun 14 2007 08:42 PM

A weekend intra-city tilt in the Boogie-Down represents the June Swoon versus the June Boom. These two teams are playing mirror images of each other over the last 6 weeks now, first one up and the other down, now totally flipped around. The Skanks are riding a 9 game winning streak which is enough to nudge themselves above .500 for the first time since early May. During that time, their starters are suddenly pitching both well and deep into games; their hitters are all hitting; and their pen is improved due to having to shoulder a smaller portion of the load. Friday: 7:00 -- (Channels 9 & 11 in NYC) Oliver Perez (held the Yanx to 2 runs over 8 last time) - vs Roger Clemens Asshead's first start was good - though hardly as great as some of the breathless press clips depicted. The Yanx (and therefore the YES cameras) are going to great lengths to show Roger every 10 seconds or so in games where he's NOT pitching in an attempt to prove he's not skipped out to go golfing ... I mean attend his kids games. And even if he does leave for a while he's going to use the story that he wasn't really leaving the team, but rather that he had simply retired and unretired in the intervening 4 days since his last start. Apparently he's not only trying to match Nolan's record for strikeouts but also Cher's for comebacks. Saturday: 1:00 -- (Channel 11 & YES) NOT part of the national TV package Tom Glavine - coming off his worst start in nearly a decade - vs Tyler Clippard Clippard skunked us in his first ML start: 6 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 2 BB, 6 K. but has been much more pedestrian since. Sunday 8:00 -- (ESPN National Broadcast) Orlando Hernandez vs Chien-Ming Wang Ch-ch-ch-changes since we last saw them: * Jason Giambi is out with foot problems which may sideline him for a few more weeks or even the season. Of course rumor has it that Bud Selig is going to sideline him for a while anyway. * Doug Meintkiewicz got kicked in the head by a passing runner, then broke his wrist on the way down. Out until August. * Johnny Damon, nursing various injuries, is spending most of the time DH-ing these days as Melky Cabrera takes over in CF * brief-Met (yeah I know, I try to forget it too) Miguel Cairo is filling in at 1st base since they discovered Meintkiewicz's other half, Josh Phelps, is every bit as bad defensively as Giambi. The additions of Cairo & Cabrera are predictably getting far too much credit for the recent turn-around from those eager to paint the Yanx as some kind of gritty small-ball team that would actually improve if only they'd get rid of all those pesky super-stars they're paying so much for ... y'know, like that Rodriguez fellow. They've improved the defense at CF & 1B but, as usual, it's the big boys who were supposed to carry this offense all along who are most responsible for the sudden spate of runs scored as the team is hitting .315/.395/.512 in June and averaging over 7 runs per game. Month-to-date stats: > Pos. AB H XBH RBI BA OBA SLG 1B Cairo 31 9 2 2 .290 .281 .355 2B Cano 48 15 7 6 .313 .365 .542 SS Jeter 49 13 5 3 .265 .357 .408 3B Rodriguez 42 15 8 21 .357 .481 .833 LF Matsui 44 14 4 11 .318 .407 .500 CF Cabrera 41 14 4 4 .341 .404 .512 RF Abreu 46 21 9 12 .457 .561 .761 C Posada 38 13 7 11 .342 .413 .642 DH Damon 50 11 3 3 .220 .291 .280 First Series Review: * Game 1: Perez v Pettitte: Mets 3 - Yanx 2 Matsui's 2R HR erases an early 1-0 Met lead, until Endy's fake-bunt/HR in the 5th puts the Mets ahead to stay. Perez goes 7.2 innings before Smith & Wagner get the final 4 outs. * Game 2: Glavine vs Rasner: Mets 10 - Yanx 7 Rasner is knocked out by a comebacker (broken finger) by the 2nd batter he faces. Then Wright (2 HRs) and the Met bats batter the replacements enough to withstand 5 late NYY runs. * Game 3: Maine vs Clippard: Yanx 6 - Mets 2 Clippard, in his ML debut, outduels Maine (5 IP, 5 ER, 8 H, 3 BB)

cooby Jun 14 2007 08:49 PM

May I ask, whatever happened to Bernie Williams? I know I could look it up

Nymr83 Jun 14 2007 08:52 PM

retired. refused a spring training invite that didnt gaurantee a roster spot. would be playing regularly now if he weren't stubborn about it then.

Willets Point Jun 14 2007 08:53 PM

Since Clippard clipped the Mets: Mets 8-14 Yankees 15-8 That game was big momentum shift for both teams.

Johnny Dickshot Jun 14 2007 08:54 PM

I count Game 2 of the MFY Series to be the actual starting point of all this suck were drowning in now. We played like crap in the second half of that game and other than a good weekend in Florida haven't done anything right since. It's like we caught their disease. I turned off my radio in disgust hearing Michael Kay and his idiot sidekick compete to give Miguel Cairo the most head the other day. Sidekick eventually won when he suggested sabermetricians (he spit the word out like Cairo's manjuice) were too dumb to realize the hidden costs of guys who don't make outs.

Willets Point Jun 14 2007 08:55 PM

cooby wrote: May I ask, whatever happened to Bernie Williams? I know I could look it up The Mets will be adding him soon.

Frayed Knot Jun 14 2007 08:55 PM

]May I ask, whatever happened to Bernie Williams? Bernie is actually a big source of controversy in Yanqui fan camps this year. Basically he was only meant to be a backup last season but wound up getting a lot of playing time when both Matsui & Sheffield got hurt. But Matsui is back, Sheffield was replaced by Abreu, and Cabrera is 21 not 38 like Bernie. So the Yanx invited him to Spring Training but wouldn't guarantee him a job. Bernie wanted more than that but didn't want to go to another team to get it. So both he and GM Cashman dug in their heels and the result is that Bernie is sitting home not playing this year. When the team was going bad earlier, a large pct of fans were clamoring that "Bernie magic" was just what the team needed. Problem is that he's had no training and would need at least a month to come back even if the team suddenly did an about-face. That was a long way of saying: 'Unoffically retired"

iramets Jun 14 2007 09:01 PM

Also the conventional wisdom is that the Yanks have added to their wins by subtracting Giambi, who not only rhymes with "zombie" but supposedly resembles one on the basepaths. By the great good fortune of his injuring his foot (on a HR trot, nischbesser) the Yankees have unshackled themselves and are now running wild on the basepaths, playing little ball, bunting and naturally winning. A more offensive load of BS I haven't heard in a long time. As if Joe couldn't have just benched Giambi if he was cluttering the basepaths so destructively. It's hard to see how a guy who gets on base as often as Giambi does could hurt the team, no matter how slow he is. In the case of a low-OBP slugger like Kingman, you might argue (and I did) that when he's not hitting HRs, he's a useless piece of dung, but Giambi walks enough to justify his presence in anyone's lineup. This is pure effect-and-cause reasoning. Giambi gets hurt + the Yankees start winning= Giambi caused them to lose. If he hadn't gotten hurt but Joe's sister the nun had sprouted a goiter, some idiot would be arguing that it's the goiter that allowed the Yankees to play winning baseball.

Benjamin Grimm Jun 15 2007 06:38 AM

Huh! I'm surprised that FOX isn't making Mets-Yankees its Saturday Game of the Week. I know that most of the country doesn't care about New York vs. New York, but I don't think FOX has ever snubbed a Subway Series before. You'd think that they'd at least carry it as an alternate game so they could air it in the New York market. They probably would have carried it if Clemens was pitching on Saturday. I sense impending disaster this weekend. Perez, Glavine, and Hernandez need to step up this weekend. And so do Beltran, Delgado, Reyes, etc.

Willets Point Jun 15 2007 06:57 AM

Really the whole team has to step up.

sharpie Jun 15 2007 07:06 AM

Hopefully Sele and Schoeneweis don't have to step up. Also, would be nice if Ledee didn't have to step up but he might.

Benjamin Grimm Jun 15 2007 07:06 AM

Well, Maine and Sosa don't have to for this series. But yes, everyone else does. (David Wright and Reyes are the only one who haven't been underperforming this month.) http://www.ultimatemets.com/metannual.php?ThisYear=2007&tabno=2&month=06&bsortby=h&psortby=

iramets Jun 15 2007 07:11 AM

I understand (from Mike Incessant, so this may be wrong) that Reyes has scored only 3 runs in the past 10 games, which is obviously less than sufficient. So if he's one of the few going good, that spells trouble.

Frayed Knot Jun 15 2007 07:11 AM

]Huh! I'm surprised that FOX isn't making Mets-Yankees its Saturday Game of the Week Three words: Bonds in Fenway

metirish Jun 15 2007 07:25 AM

] The additions of Cairo & Cabrera are predictably getting far too much credit for the recent turn-around from those eager to paint the Yanx as some kind of gritty small-ball team that would actually improve if only they'd get rid of all those pesky super-stars they're paying so much for ... y'know, like that Rodriguez fellow. They've improved the defense at CF & 1B but, as usual, it's the big boys who were supposed to carry this offense all along who are most responsible for the sudden spate of runs scored as the team is hitting .315/.395/.512 in June and averaging over 7 runs per game. You are going to love this article.... ] Buscema: Cabrera provides Yankees with fun-factor New York Am I really going to credit the Yankees' turnaround to a 22-year-old kid who nearly hit himself in the head with a bat last night? Even after Bobby Abreu, the veteran right fielder who's now streaking instead of slumping, hit a huge home run? Even after Derek Jeter showed just what he meant about things going as well when you're winning as they are poorly when you're losing — by knocking a single to a spot that should have been an out thanks to a hit-and-run he admitted worked out due to luck rather than execution? And even after the 22-year-old kid mentioned above, Melky Cabrera, added nothing to the Yankees' seventh straight win other than a chuckle at his clumsiness? Yep, I do believe I am. Matter of fact, I'm even going to say such a comically clumsy move by Cabrera adds to his worth. Because Cabrera is giving the Yankees exactly what he did last year — a young, speedy, hungry player who also adds one more essential element that is too often missing from a roster full of high-priced, high-profile stars: Fun. Look at the smile that landed on Jeter's face when Cabrera's bat got stuck to his hands on the way to first during last night's 4-1 win over Arizona. Watch Jeter laugh as he approached Cabrera after the center fielder flipped the bat forward, nearly knocking himself in the head with it. Cabrera is as important a part of the Yankees' winning streak as anything else — on and off the field. "The defense, the energy that Melky has given us has really given us a shot in the arm and it seems to be catching," Joe Torre said. "Guys are running all over the place, stealing bases." You can say it's a coincidence that the Yankees are 10-2 since Cabrera moved to center and Johnny Damon became the DH after Jason Giambi was injured. You can say Abreu's bat is the big difference or the rotation has righted itself. All of those factors are important, but the Yankees can't afford to minimize Cabrera's contributions. Not again. Not after the Yankees failed to heed a season's worth of lessons when Cabrera added versatility, athleticism and a youthful spark when Gary Sheffield and Hideki Matsui went out last year — only to be replaced in October. No, the Yankees can't afford to let the same thing happen when Giambi returns. Cabrera needs to stay in center and the aging duet of Giambi and Damon can duke it out for the DH spot. Cabrera gives the Yankees a center fielder who can go after the ball — and even throw it a little. He gives them balance in the lineup instead of a base-clogging slugger like Giambi — just as Cabrera did the same thing when Sheffield went down. He gives them a peppy little sparkplug who was hitting .390 in his last 11 starts before last night. Most importantly, he gives them fun and innocence. You need that to play this game. The Yankees get starved for it more and more as time goes on and they add more superstars who demand high expectations along with their huge profiles and paychecks. Look, the Yankees are not back just yet, though the run has been impressive enough to make me wonder if I might need to erase some of the links in my column archive. Even Jeter will admit while he thinks the worst is over, they can't be too thrilled just yet. "It's good," Jeter said of finally reaching the .500 mark. "It's better than being under .500. But we've still got a long way to go." They'll need Cabrera to help get them there because he did so last year and You need to that injection of youth and innocence to help everyone remember this is a game. To take some of the pressure off. To add some versatility and balance. "When we lost Matsui and Sheffield last year I think everyone stepped up and we realized Melky could be a solid, every day player," Damon admitted. The Yankees still have a lot of questions if they want to make it all the way back. But they can't forget just how much of an answer Cabrera has been. [url=http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070613/SPORTS/706130360]Melky means fun[/url]

soupcan Jun 15 2007 07:50 AM

When the Mets are going bad I don't like reading the papers or listening to the radio. In general I don't like people telling me what I already know. Prolly why I haven't posted anything in a few days. Anyway - for some strange reason I feel pretty good about them going into this series. There is no rational for this. The games are in the Boogie-Down, The Yankees are white-fucking-hot and the Mets are cold as Leona Helmsley in an igloo. But you know what? I think the Mets are the better team, they've simply had a bad two weeks and this could be just the tonic to turn them around. A high-profile series where everyone is basically expecting them to get their clocks cleaned. The Mets have hit Clemens in the past, and should really be able to hit Clippard this time around. On the other side - Ollie just had his once in 5 starts bad outing so that's out of the way, Glavine is pissed and has something to prove and you know El Duque probably can't wait to face them. Bring it on Skanks!

Benjamin Grimm Jun 15 2007 07:54 AM

iramets wrote: I understand (from Mike Incessant, so this may be wrong) that Reyes has scored only 3 runs in the past 10 games, which is obviously less than sufficient. So if he's one of the few going good, that spells trouble. Well, Reyes hasn't been scoring runs, but he has been getting on base. His lack of scoring is more the fault of his teammates than of himself. But you don't need to microanalyze Jose Reyes' stats to know that there's been trouble. The ten losses in twelve games is a much more obvious sign. Name G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO HBP SB CS Avg. TB Slg. OBP José Reyes 12 48 3 15 0 1 0 3 6 4 0 3 2 .313 17 .354 .389

Centerfield Jun 15 2007 08:40 AM

soupcan wrote: When the Mets are going bad I don't like reading the papers or listening to the radio. In general I don't like people telling me what I already know. Prolly why I haven't posted anything in a few days. Anyway - for some strange reason I feel pretty good about them going into this series. There is no rational for this. The games are in the Boogie-Down, The Yankees are white-fucking-hot and the Mets are cold as Leona Helmsley in an igloo. But you know what? I think the Mets are the better team, they've simply had a bad two weeks and this could be just the tonic to turn them around. A high-profile series where everyone is basically expecting them to get their clocks cleaned. The Mets have hit Clemens in the past, and should really be able to hit Clippard this time around. On the other side - Ollie just had his once in 5 starts bad outing so that's out of the way, Glavine is pissed and has something to prove and you know El Duque probably can't wait to face them. Bring it on Skanks! This is what I needed to hear. We're gonna fucking win.

Vic Sage Jun 15 2007 09:37 AM

could you fellas speak up? I'm a trifle deaf in my left ear...

Frayed Knot Jun 15 2007 10:22 AM

]Well, Reyes hasn't been scoring runs, but he has been getting on base. His lack of scoring is more the fault of his teammates than of himself. His own lack of XBHs are a factor too. Almost all of his recent getting on base is as a result of singles & walks and the guy many predicted 25 or even 30 HRs for is now on pace for 5. I can't remember the last time we saw him really sting the ball.

Edgy DC Jun 15 2007 10:29 AM

Frayed Knot wrote: Almost all of his recent getting on base is as a result of singles & walks and the guy many predicted 25 or even 30 HRs for is now on pace for 5. Thems were crazy people.

Rotblatt Jun 15 2007 10:40 AM

]Fun. Look at the smile that landed on Jeter's face when Cabrera's bat got stuck to his hands on the way to first during last night's 4-1 win over Arizona. Watch Jeter laugh as he approached Cabrera after the center fielder flipped the bat forward, nearly knocking himself in the head with it. Awesome. I hope the Yankees take this to heart and start filling their rosters with expert prat-fallers. Like Chevy Chase, for example! I bet he could crack Jeter up nobody's business. Plus, he's old and washed up, which would allow him to fit right in with the rest of the Yankees. Sure, he probably won't be able to hit or field much, but he certainly would be fun, right? Which is the most important thing on a ballfiend, obviously. And who really cares about tangibles, anyway, aside from those fat, egg-headed momma's boys who sit at home all day in their pajamas, glasses held together by carcked and fading Scotch tape?

Frayed Knot Jun 15 2007 10:43 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jun 15 2007 11:57 AM

]Thems were crazy people Fine, but that's still a drop from 19 last year to a projected 5 or so. Put another way, his Isolated Power numbers in 2006 = .187 In 2007 it's .136, and most of that was from April. 18 XBHs in April (that's an IsoP of .240) vs only 8 from May + June combined (.069) Not that it's too late for things to pick up but, just for reference, those IsoP stats are akin to going from Vlad territory in April to Eckstein-ville since.

Benjamin Grimm Jun 15 2007 10:53 AM

Yeah, Jose had a terrific April, but while he hasn't been bad since then, he hasn't been all that good either. He does need to show some extra-base ability again. I've been trying to remind myself of the adage that says, in part, that you're never as bad as you look when you're losing. Because the Mets have been looking plenty bad. Like 1979 or 1993 bad.

soupcan Jun 15 2007 11:15 AM

But didn't Reyes start out pretty slow last year before he turned it WAAAAY up?

Willets Point Jun 15 2007 11:23 AM

soupcan wrote: But didn't Reyes start out pretty slow last year before he turned it WAAAAY up? I remember waiting weeks and weeks for Reyes first base on balls last season, so there's a big change.

metirish Jun 15 2007 11:36 AM

I like soupcan's attitude,usually I look to any series with the MFY's with dread,hoping not to get swept,which is really stupid from me,it's a must that the Mets make Rajah work tonight,I'd like to see Wright moved to the two hole for tonights game...might that benefit Reyes?

iramets Jun 15 2007 11:51 AM

WWSB on FAN just now: The #1 and #2 batters don't make a big difference, don't expect changes out of me anytime soon (paraphrased).

Benjamin Grimm Jun 15 2007 11:59 AM

I don't know why you bother paying any attention to what he says, when everything he says is a lie.

iramets Jun 15 2007 01:40 PM

That's just not so. Some of what he is lies, that's true. But sometimes he embarrasses himself by stating what he thinks is true. I spend my days trying to distinguish the two, whereas most CPFers adjust their beach chairs depending on where Willie tells them the sun will rise from.

Edgy DC Jun 15 2007 02:49 PM

That's just not so.

Willets Point Jun 15 2007 03:33 PM

Of course it's not so. We all know that the sun rises from between Willie's eyes. We all hold this to be true.

iramets Jun 15 2007 04:55 PM

Edgy DC wrote: That's just not so. Is, too.

Edgy DC Jun 15 2007 05:18 PM

Don't even have a beach chair.