AP MFY IGT - 2006

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Saw the first few innings last nite, and the MFYs are just gonna suck at D this year. The A's got a gift in the 3rd when balls hit to Giambi's right and Cano's left, respectively, couldn't be handled (Cano got the E, Giambi didn't -- and didn;t deserve to -- even though it was just as funny, because he is terrible at first base).

[Frayed Knot]

"A-Rod went 2-5, but he struck out twice in key spots, and got thrown out trying to stretch one of his singles into a double. "

The throw out was more Bowa's fault than ARod's.
He started to wave Sheffield home then appeared to change his mind at the last minute. Rodriguez figured he'd go to 2nd on the throw - either getting the free base or, at worst, drawing a throw to assure that the run scores. When Sheff stopped suddenly, Alex was cooked.
All of which reminds me why most fans think their own 3rd base coach suxx. He never does anything wrong until he's on YOUR team.

Farnsworth blew the A's away in a 10-pitch 8th inning ... then Torre went to Proctor for the 9th?!?
A Walk, a Bunt (Yes, the A's sac-ed!), an IW, and Scutaro's single later (actually a one-hopper off the wall beyond Matsui but he never bothered running to 2nd) and the home fans left the park happy.

[Guest rpackrat]

]Farnsworth blew the A's away in a 10-pitch 8th inning ... then Torre went to Proctor for the 9th?!? A Walk, a Bunt (Yes, the A's sac-ed!),

But that's exactly the situation where statheads say you SHOULD bunt. Sacrificing increases the likelihood of scoring ONE run in the ining, but decreases the likelihood of scoring MORE THAN ONE run. In that situation, one run was all that counted. Thus, a sacrifice is called for.

[Guest silverdsl]

Johnny Dickshot wrote: Saw the first few innings last nite, and the MFYs are just gonna suck at D this year. The A's got a gift in the 3rd when balls hit to Giambi's right and Cano's left, respectively, couldn't be handled (Cano got the E, Giambi didn't -- and didn;t deserve to -- even though it was just as funny, because he is terrible at first base).

One of my biggest criticisms of the Yankee teams of the past couple of years has been that there seems to be very little emphasis on defense. I guess they figure that the offense will beat up on so many teams that it won't matter but sometime this season I expect the iffy defense to really bite them. (as well as having two fragile as glass pitchers in Jaret Wright and Carl Pavano).

[MFS62]

They don't need greatdefensive players atthe other three infield positions because of all the ground Jeter covers. (high SC score)

Later

[Frayed Knot]

]But that's exactly the situation where statheads say you SHOULD bunt. Sacrificing increases the likelihood of scoring ONE run in the ining

Actually it doesn't even do that; at best it's pretty much a wash.
Yeah the runner's closer to home and you erase the logical GiDP, but now you've only got 2 shots at getting him in rather than 3.

The results from '99 - '02 show that starting from:
Runner on 1st/no outs = scoreless 56.3% of the time
Runner on 2nd/1 out = scoreless 59.4% of the time

You do increase the 'one-and-only-one' run odds (17.6% jumps to 23.0%) but that increase is at the expense of the '2-or-more' run outcomes (26.1% vs 17.5%) not from the scoreless innings.

So it's still best to pick and choose who you're sacrificing with rather than just do it knee-jerk like even when it's a winning run situation (I forget now who was up for Oakland). I was just commenting on the sac because the A's so rarely do it - less than 20 all year last year I think I heard - even though it's certainly justifiable in that case.

[Guest Rotblatt]

Seeing that the Yankees lost last night turned my frown upside down this morning.

Seeing that golden boys Jeter, Cano & Wang imploded got me giggling like a little school girl.

4th inning, NYY up 4-0, 1 out
- E. Chavez singled to center
- F. Thomas reached on fielder's choice, E. Chavez to second on D. Jeter's fielding error
- D. Johnson walked, E. Chavez to third, F. Thomas to second
- M. Bradley singled to left, F. Thomas and E. Chavez scored, D. Johnson to second
- J. Payton singled to right, D. Johnson to third, M. Bradley to second
- J. Kendall grounded into fielder's choice, D. Johnson scored, M. Bradley to third, J. Payton out at second

5th inning, NYY up 4-3
- M. Kotsay singled to right
- M. Ellis grounded into fielder's choice, M. Kotsay out at second
- E. Chavez singled to right, M. Ellis to third
- F. Thomas struck out swinging
- D. Johnson walked, E. Chavez to second
- M. Bradley walked, M. Ellis scored, E. Chavez to third, D. Johnson to second
- T. Sturtze relieved C. Wang

8th inning, OAK, NYY tied at 4's (J. Wright pitching)
- M. Bradley tripled to deep center
- J. Payton safe at first on second baseman R. Cano's fielding error, M. Bradley scored
- J. Kendall singled to right, J. Payton to third
- M. Scutaro singled to center, J. Payton scored, J. Kendall to second
- M. Myers relieved J. Wright
- M. Kotsay struck out swinging
- K. Farnsworth relieved M. Myers
- J. Kendall to third on wild pitch
- M. Ellis walked, M. Scutaro to second
- E. Chavez popped out to first
- F. Thomas doubled to deep left center, M. Scutaro, M. Ellis and J. Kendall scored
- N. Swisher ran for F. Thomas
- R. Villone relieved K. Farnsworth

Jeter went only 1-4 with a K
A-Rod went 0-3 with 2 K and a HBP
Bernie went 0-4 with 3 K

Good times.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

MFYs by the way also coughed up a 4-0 lead and were humiliated last nite. I stayed up only long enough to see it tied (3 runs coming as a result of Jeter & Cano f-ing up an EZ DP ball). The rest came in the 8th thanks in part to Cano booting a Jay Payton grounder.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Milton Bradley, American hero.

[Frayed Knot]

Several more cases of shaky defense.

* The Jeter/Cano non-DP was mentioned: Jeter bobbled a sure DP ball, then picked it up in time to still get the force but Cano dropped the flip (I think only Jeter got an error).
* Bradley's triple to lead off the 8th would have been a great play if Damon came up with it but he didn't look real smooth chasing it (kinda like Matsui chasing Scutaro's the night before). Since the middle of last year Johnny Angel hasn't looked like the great ball hawk from previous seasons.
* So then the infield's in and Payton hits a chopper to Cano, Bradley holds ... until Cano mis-plays it and MB trots home.

Then the roof fell in on Wright & Farnsworth; kinda like Julio.

[metirish]

Torre should hold a team meeting to remind them that they are Yankees.

[Guest Edgy DC]

It's because Jaret Wright had the gall to come out of the bullpen to "Edgy's Heart."

Which is amazing considering he got to pick his entrance music on the road.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Thuh-uhhhhh Yankees lose! Shawn Cahcon surrenders a double & homer to the first 2 batters he faces and it was all over.

Anggels 4. MFYs 1

MFYs 1-3
Mets 3-1

[Willets Point]

San Francisco needs to rally and give us H3.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

MFY's muster all of 5 hits and lose again, this time 3-2.

They're 1-4 and in last place.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

Very nice, but I remember their slow start last year, and getting excited at the thought that they'd finally miss the playoffs.

Maybe this will be the year.

[Elster88]

That lineup has to wake up at some point.

[Guest Bret Sabermetric]

Johnny Dickshot wrote: MFY's muster all of 5 hits and lose again, this time 3-2. They're 1-4 and in last place.

Could you include Big Stein's BP reading with those current stats, please?

[Elster88]

Yankee game on in a radio in my office today. I hate Suzyn's voice. Whoever first put her on the radio should be shot and hanged.

3-0 Yanx.

[Guest Rotblatt]

Giambi loves that short porch.

[Elster88]

Minetkiewicz singles raising his batting average to .200.

[Guest Rotblatt]

Oh, Dougie . . . I can't believe I thought you'd have a good 2005 for us.

Teahen doubles in Mientkiewicz to make it 3-1.

[Guest Rotblatt]

Matsui walks with the bases drunk to make it 4-1.

Wang imploding in the 4th:

- M. Sweeney grounded out to shortstop
- R. Sanders homered to deep left
- D. Mientkiewicz grounded out to first
- E. Brown doubled to deep center
- E. Brown to third on wild pitch
- M. Teahen walked
- A. Berroa singled to center, E. Brown scored, M. Teahen to third
- J. Buck singled to deep right, M. Teahen scored, A. Berroa to third
- S. Costa lined out to center
- End of Inning (3 Runs, 4 Hits, 0 Errors)

4-4

edited for update

[Guest sharpie]

4-4 now.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

Nice.

[Guest Rotblatt]

Unpossible!

- R. Cano singled to pitcher
- B. Williams singled to right, R. Cano to second
- J. Damon sacrificed to third, R. Cano to third, B. Williams to second
- D. Jeter walked
- G. Sheffield popped into double play shortstop to second, B. Williams out at second
- End of Inning (0 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors)

Still 4-4

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

Popped into a double play?

Did Bernie screw up somehow?

[Guest Rotblatt]

I'm not sure--I'm operating off of Yahoo! Sports.

What I AM sure of, however, is that Torre left Wang in there too long.

- D. Mientkiewicz walked
- E. Brown singled to third, D. Mientkiewicz to second
- M. Teahen reached on bunt single to pitcher, D. Mientkiewicz to third, E. Brown to second
- A. Berroa grounded into double play shortstop to first, D. Mientkiewicz scored, E. Brown to third, M. Teahen out at second

[Elster88]

I'm cool with that.

[Guest Rotblatt]

Wang STILL pitching in the seventh.

Maybe Torre thinks he's managing the Mets game.