Game 101: Yankees vs. Rays

vs. Wade Davis	PA	BA	OBP	SLG	HR	RBI
Derek Jeter SS	9	0.444	0.444	0.444	0	1
Nick Swisher RF	6	0.000	0.333	0.000	0	0
Mark Teixeira 1B	9	0.143	0.333	0.286	0	1
Alex Rodriguez 3B	9	0.500	0.556	1.250	2	4
Robinson Cano 2B	8	0.375	0.375	0.750	1	2
Jorge Posada C	0	0.000	0.000	0.000	0	0
Curtis Granderson CF	6	0.400	0.500	0.600	0	0
Colin Curtis DH	0	0.000	0.000	0.000	0	0
Brett Gardner LF	6	0.600	0.667	0.600	0	0
Total	53	0.370	0.453	0.609	3	8
vs. Phil Hughes	PA	BA	OBP	SLG	HR	RBI
John Jaso C	0	0.000	0.000	0.000	0	0
Carl Crawford LF	6	0.400	0.500	0.400	0	1
Evan Longoria 3B	2	0.000	0.000	0.000	0	0
Carlos Pena 1B	6	0.667	0.833	2.667	2	2
Matt Joyce RF	0	0.000	0.000	0.000	0	0
Willy Aybar DH	2	0.000	0.000	0.000	0	0
B.J. Upton CF	8	0.333	0.500	0.333	0	0
Reid Brignac 2B	1	1.000	1.000	2.000	0	1
Jason Bartlett SS	1	1.000	1.000	4.000	1	1
Total	26	0.400	0.500	0.900	3	5

Yankees vs. Rays
Season: 2010	Season: 2009	Season: 2008	All-Time
TIED: 4-4	NYY: 11-7	NYY: 11-7	NYY: 137-73

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	Last 10	Last 20	Last 30
Yankees	7-3	15-5	21-9
Rays	8-2	15-5	21-9

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	Road	vs. RHP
Yankees	31-20	43-22
	Home	vs. RHP
Rays	30-20	41-27

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Yanks Trade for Berkman, but How Does He Fit?

According to numerous published reports based upon even more anonymous sources, which presumably are more reliable than the ones who got the Cliff Lee trade wrong, the Yankees are on the verge of acquiring Lance Berkman from the Astros for a “non-prospect” and the right to pay Berkman the final $7.5 million owed on his contract.

Despite being hampered by an early season knee surgery, Berkman has bounced back to have a solid season, compiling a line of .245/.372/.436 in an Astros lineup with absolutely no protection. The Yankees are probably banking on Berkman being rejuvenated by joining a contender as well as a lineup with ample protection, but even if he were to remain at his early season level, Berkman would represent a significant improvement over the combined production of the “bench players” forced into duty by Joe Girardi’s rotating DH system.

“We’ve used it to rotate our guys and try to keep our guys fresh, but if we have an everyday guy, we have an everyday guy. I can’t tell you what’s going to happen, but it has helped giving Alex a half day, and Jeet a half day, and Tex, and Swish. But if you get an everyday guy that can swing it, that could help our club.” – Joe Girardi, as quoted on the LoHud Yankees Blog

Judging by Joe Girardi’s comments, it doesn’t seem as if he fully embraces the notion of bringing in a full-time DH. Then again, Lance Berkman probably should not be installed in that role. Although a switch hitter, Berkman’s splits have skewed heavily toward the left side, from which he has posted a line of .261/.395/.479. As a right handed hitter, however, Berkman’s line of .188/.278/.281 makes you wonder if the Yankees are really getting a platoon player. Other than his hefty price tag, there really wouldn’t be a compelling reason to play him every day, especially with Marcus Thames on the roster and Curtis Granderson already exerting a drag on the lineup against left handed pitchers.

Another potential problem with the Berkman acquisition is the health of Jorge Posada. If the Yankee catcher can’t take a majority of his starts behind the plate, it doesn’t benefit the Yankees to have Berkman effectively replace him as the DH. In fact, Berkman’s production has closely matched what the Yankees have gotten from their rotating DH, so the only way the Yankees will enjoy an upgrade is if it prevents the likes of Francisco Cervelli and Colin Curtis from playing regularly. With Posada’s health always a concern, that isn’t a given.

So, what exactly will Berkman’s role be? The $7.5 million price tag is not only relevant in that discussion, but also in revisiting Brian Cashman’s offseason decision to let Johnny Damon leave town. The Yankees are basically paying the same amount of money for two months of Lance Berkman as they would have had to pay for an entire year of Johnny Damon. At the time, Cashman’s decision, which he claimed was predicated on a need to cut payroll, seemed to be penny wise, but pound foolish. The acquisition of Berkman is a confirmation of that assessment, especially with Nick Johnson now collecting $5 million to rehab from his latest injury.

Over his 13 seasons as general manager, Brian Cashman has contributed greatly to the Yankees success. This off season, however, he had more than his fair share of missteps. Now, with Lance Berkman, he is seeking to right one of his wrongs. Hopefully, Hal Steinbrenner doesn’t mind writing the extra check.

Lance Berkman versus Yankee DHs, 2010 Peformance

	PA	R	HR	RBI	BA	OBP	SLG
Lance Berkman	358	39	13	49	0.245	0.372	0.436
Yankees DH	408	56	13	48	0.250	0.358	0.424

Source: Baseball-reference.com

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Doing the Math: Oswalt Makes Phillies Better, but Amaro’s Deals Don’t Add Up

After acquiring Roy Halladay from the Blue Jays last December, the Phillies had the chance to feature the best 1-2 punch in baseball. Instead, General Manager Ruben Amaro opted to trade Cliff Lee to the Mariners, citing both a concern over Lee’s impending free agency as well as the organization’s need to replenish its farm system. That line of reasoning was severely flawed at the time, but has since been proven to be even more short sighted.

If we had just acquired Roy and not moved Lee, we would have been in position to have lost seven of the best 10 prospects in our organization. That is not the way you do business in baseball.” – Phillies GM Rueben Amaro, quoted on ESPN.com

The Phillies acquired Roy Oswalt for the stretch run, but would be better off with Cliff Lee.

To get Cliff Lee from Cleveland, the Phillies parted with a quartet of prospects, including Carlos Carrasco, Jason Knapp, Lou Marson and Jason Donald. When they subsequently traded him to the Mariners, however, they received a lighter package of Phillippe Aumont, Tyson Gilles and Juan Ramirez. Still, assuming Amaro was really under a mandate to acquire prospects and trim payroll, you could justify the downgrade in talent as a necessary evil of getting Halladay as well as the cost of reaching the 2009 World Series. Unfortunately for Amaro, when Lee was traded yet again, it further exposed the foolishness of his earlier decision.

When Texas acquired Lee from the Mariners just before the All Star break, they parted with highly touted 1B Justin Smoak. What’s more, they also had their pick of another top prospect, the Yankees’ Jesus Montero. In other words, in the three deals involving Cliff Lee in one calendar year, the Phillies brought back the smallest return.

As you can see, it’s one thing to replenish the farm with quantity, but quality is what really matters. Besides, a veteran team like the Phillies should be concerned about winning now, not trying to cultivate middle-level prospects. After getting off to a slow start this season, Amaro finally came to that conclusion and pulled the trigger on a deal for Roy Oswalt. This time, the cost was J.A. Happ and prospects Anthony Gose (later traded by the Astros to the Blue Jays for Brett Wallace) and Jonathan Villar.

So, after an eventful seven months, the Phillies are back to where they started: a formidable 1-2 punch atop their rotation (really1-2-3 with Cole Hamels resurgence). To get there, however, they had to endure a bumpy road. What’s more, they are now on the hook for an additional $14 million in guaranteed money owed to Oswalt, and likely will not be in a position to offer him arbitration when he departs after 2011, meaning they will not recoup two draft picks, as they would have done with Lee.

The bottom line for the Phillies is they simply should have held onto Lee. Had they made that decision, they’d have wound up with a better pitcher (and a lefty at that), less of a financial commitment, potentially better prospects in their farm system, two draft picks in the 2011 draft and perhaps a lead, instead of a deficit, in the NL East. By anyone’s math, Amaro’s decision backfired, so now he has to hope Oswalt can help balance the equation.

Balancing the Ledger: The Net Cost/Benefit of the Phillies’ Lee and Oswalt Trades

From the Phillies:

• Cliff Lee (Could have traded for Justin Smoak [9], Jesus Montero [10])
• J.A. Happ
• Anthony Gose (Could have traded for Brett Wallace [20])
• Jonathan Villar
• Loss of 2011 draft picks
• Lee’s guaranteed $9 million salary removed from payroll

To the Phillies:

• Roy Oswalt
• Phillippe Aumont
• Tyson Gilles
• Juan Ramirez
• Oswalt’s guaranteed $14 million salary added to 2010-11 payroll

Note: Number in brackets is Keith Law’s Top-100 Preseason Prospect Ranking

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Burnett Closes Out Stormy July As Yankees’ Bats Provide the Thunder

Going into last night’s game, the Yankees starting lineup had an OPS of 1.011 against Fausto Carmona, so there was no cause for concern about a lack of familiarity. As a result, one day after sleeping walking against rookie Josh Tomlin, the Yankees’ lumber awoke from its slumber, scoring seven runs on 10 hits in two-plus innings against the Indians’ veteran.

Arod hangs on to 2B after a sixth inning double (Photo: AP).

Starting with Alex Rodriquez’ RBI single in the first and ending with Robinson Cano’s 19th homerun in the fourth, the Yankees quickly built an 8-0 lead in the game and dispelled all doubt about the eventual outcome. The Yankees’ large lead allowed the attention of the game to shift back toward Arod’s pursuit of 600 homeruns, but once again, history was denied. Despite failing to go deep, Arod still managed to have a productive evening, which in addition to his run scoring single also included a humorous line drive double in the sixth that required the Yankees’ third baseman to make a slide that left him holding second base like a teddy bear.

Even though Arod’s pursuit of a milestone was once again denied, the only disappointment on the evening was the continued struggles of Derek Jeter. While everyone else joined in on the hit parade, the captain was held hitless in five at bats, although one out was the result of a fine running catch by Shin-Soo Choo, who seems do something impressive in every game.

Over the last few starts, a dark cloud has seemed to be following AJ Burnett around…both figuratively and literally. In two starts since cutting his hand on a clubhouse wall, Burnett has encountered lengthy rain delays. Unlike the storm in his last start, which truncated his outing to five innings, this time around Burnett had to deal with a pre-game disruption and a revised start time that was off the mark. According to the broadcast, Burnett wound up warming up too early, leading to speculation about how he would cope. The concern was unwarranted, however, as Burnett battled through six-plus scoreless innings before calling it a night.

The most encouraging thing about Burnett’s outing was he did not have great stuff or command (although his curve ball was sharp), but still persevered. The Indians had at least one base runner in every inning and forced Burnett to throw a lot of pitches, but instead of giving into frustration, the Yankees mercurial righty navigated through each jam without suffering damage. In a season in which Burnett has either been lights out or blown out, the gritty performance was a welcomed middle ground.

After Burnett’s exit with one out in the seventh, Joe Girardi then used the remainder of the game to help rehabilitate two wayward pitchers. Girardi first called on Joba Chamberlain to get the final two outs of the seventh before going to Sergio Mitre for the last six outs. This time last week, Chamberlain and Mitre were the “eighth inning guy” and “fifth starter”, respectively, so being called upon for mop-up duty further highlights their declining roles on the team.

• A.J. Burnett’s victory was his first in five career starts at Progressive Field.
• After a horrendous June, A.J. Burnett is now 3-1 with an ERA of 2.00 in July.
• In the six games since hitting homerun 599, Arod is batting .280/.333/.360 with 4 RBIs.

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Game 100: Yankees vs. Indians

vs. Fausto Carmona	PA	BA	OBP	SLG	HR	RBI
Derek Jeter SS	19	0.353	0.421	0.353	0	3
Nick Swisher RF	23	0.333	0.435	0.778	2	6
Mark Teixeira 1B	19	0.375	0.474	0.563	1	3
Alex Rodriguez 3B	12	0.250	0.500	0.625	1	1
Robinson Cano 2B	18	0.389	0.389	0.389	0	3
Jorge Posada DH	7	0.286	0.286	0.714	1	1
Curtis Granderson CF	41	0.412	0.512	0.794	2	4
Francisco Cervelli C	0	0.000	0.000	0.000	0	0
Brett Gardner LF	8	0.000	0.125	0.000	0	1
Total	147	0.347	0.422	0.589	7	22
vs. AJ Burnett	PA	BA	OBP	SLG	HR	RBI
Trevor Crowe CF	4	0.500	0.500	0.750	0	1
Asdrubal Cabrera SS	6	0.250	0.500	1.000	1	2
Shin-Soo Choo RF	11	0.125	0.364	0.500	1	1
Carlos Santana C	0	0.000	0.000	0.000	0	0
Travis Hafner DH	7	7.000	0.400	0.556	1	4
Austin Kearns LF	20	0.333	0.400	0.556	1	5
Matt LaPorta 1B	0	0.000	0.000	0.000	0	0
Andy Marte 3B	0	0.000	0.000	0.000	0	0
Jason Donald 2B	3	0.500	0.500	1.500	0	1
Total	51	0.286	0.373	0.667	4	14

Yankees vs. Indians
Season: 2010	Season: 2009	Season: 2008	All-Time
NYY: 4-2	NYY: 5-3	CLE: 4-3	NYY: 1089-866

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	Last 10	Last 20	Last 30
Yankees	6-4	15-5	21-10
Indians	6-4	10-10	16-14

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	Road	vs. RHP
Yankees	29-20	41-22
	Home	vs. RHP
Indians	23-24	29-40

• Before the game the Indians traded Johnny Peralta to the Tigers for minor league pitcher Giovanni Soto.
• AJ Burnett has never won a game at Progressive Field/Jacobs Field. In four starts, Burnett is 0-4 with an ERA of 9.00.

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In Coming! It’s Duck and Cover for the Yanks When Facing a Debutant

Last night, the Yankees lost to a pitcher making his major league debut, an all too common occurrence as any Yankee fan can attest. In fact, the sight of a pitcher making his first start against the Yankees is enough to make those who follow the team let out with an audible groan. Based on the results that often follow, one wonders if those in the lineup do the same.

Sometimes, perceived trends emerge in baseball, but in reality, they are really myths. For example, the idea that Miguel Cairo is a clutch hitter who always comes up big can gain a life of its own. Despite evidence to the contrary, what sticks out in most people’s minds are events that defy expectations, so when a poor hitter like Cairo comes through, it becomes indelible. Similarly, the notion that the Yankees never hit new pitchers is prone to the same effect. Everyone expects the Yankees to pound the wide-eyed rookie, so when he turns in a strong outing, we all remember. The only problem with that theory is the evidence actually supports the myth, at least with regard to pitchers making their major league debut.

Listed below is a chart that displays every major league debut by a starting pitcher against the Yankees since 2000. In the 11 games the Yankees have played against pitchers making their debut, the Bronx Bombers are a paltry 3-8. And, it’s not just that the Yankees lose to their green mound opponents, but they seem to be dominated by them. In the 11 starts, the collective ERA is an astoundingly low 2.32. What’s more, only one pitcher from among the group, the Royals’ Eduardo Villacis, posted a game score lower than 52.

Yankees vs. Starters Making Their Major League Debuts, Since 2000

Pitcher	Date	Team	NY Rslt	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	HR	GSc	ERA
Josh Tomlin	7/27/10	CLE	L	7	3	1	0	2	0	69	1.29
Jake Arrieta	6/10/10	BAL	L	6	4	3	4	6	0	54	4.50
Koji Uehara	4/8/09	BAL	L	5	5	1	1	0	0	52	1.80
Daryl Thompson	6/21/08	CIN	L	5	4	0	4	2	0	57	0.00
Anibal Sanchez	6/25/06	FLA	L	5.3	7	0	0	2	0	57	0.00
Gustavo Chacin	9/20/04	TOR	L	7	4	3	3	2	0	56	3.86
Eduardo Villacis	5/1/04	KCR	W	3.7	6	5	4	0	1	24	13.5
Jake Peavy	6/22/02	SDP	W	6	3	1	2	4	0	64	1.50
Brian Sikorski	8/16/00	TEX	L	7	4	0	4	5	0	70	0.00
John Parrish	7/24/00	BAL	W	7	4	3	2	9	1	62	3.86
Paul Rigdon	5/21/00	CLE	L	7	2	0	4	2	0	71	0.00
Totals				66	46	17	28	34	2	57.8	2.32

Source: Baseball-reference.com

One of the theories advanced for this strange phenomenon is the Yankees are a veteran team that is used to using their familiarity with a pitcher to out think him while at the plate. Another reason put forth is the Yankees’ resources allow them to accumulate an inordinate amount of scouting materials, but that advantage becomes mitigated when their isn’t as much history upon which to draw. Of course, if both of those theories were true, you’d expect the team to also struggle when facing relievers who are making their major league debuts. Unfortunately, the data doesn’t cooperate. Even though it should be noted that in 20 of 35 appearances no earned runs were charged to the reliever, the analysis does not take into account inherited runners and leverage. Nonetheless, the chart below provides a snapshot of how the Yankees have performed in the particular situation.

Yankees vs. Relievers Making Their Major League Debuts, Since 2000

Relievers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
35	46 2/3	53	41	39	23	32	8	7.52

Source: Baseball-reference.com

Finally, it is entirely possible that if the Yankees struggle against debuting starters, then maybe everyone does.  Again, however, the numbers do not comply. Since 2000, 381 starters have made their major league debuts, but the results have been somewhat lackluster. In total, the team record in the aforementioned sample was 190-191, while the ERA of the pitchers involved was 5.29 and the average game score was 45.6 (see below for comparison to Yankees).

Relative Performance of Starters Making Their Major League Debuts, Since 2000

	W	L	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	Avg. GSc	ERA
vs. MLB	190	191	1964.3	2056	1231	1155	925	1317	302	45.6	5.29
vs. Yankees	8	3	66	46	18	17	28	34	2	57.8	2.32
vs. MLB – Yankees	182	188	1898.3	2010	1213	1138	897	1283	300	45.3	5.40

Source: Baseball-reference.com

Now that we have established that the Yankees’ lack of success against debuting starters is contrary to the general experience around the league, let’s take a look at how their own freshly minted pitchers have done. Well, maybe it would be better to look away? In the 16 starts made by Yankee pitchers just breaking into the big leagues, the team has managed to go 9-7 despite some absolutely horrendous outings. In total, the 16 pitchers have accounted for less than five innings per game to go along with an ERA of 6.54 and an abysmal average game score of 36.4. To be fair, the last three Yankees to make their major league debuts have had success, but otherwise the landscape has been littered with land mines.

Yankees Starters’ Performance in Their Major League Debut, Since 2000

Player	Date	Opp	Rslt	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	HR	GSc	ERA
Ian Kennedy	9/1/07	TBD	W	7	5	1	2	6	1	63	1.29
Tyler Clippard	5/20/07	NYM	W	6	3	1	3	6	1	65	1.50
Matt DeSalvo	5/7/07	SEA	L	7	3	1	3	0	0	64	1.29
Phil Hughes	4/26/07	TOR	L	4.3	7	4	1	5	0	37	8.31
Chase Wright	4/17/07	CLE	W	5	5	3	3	3	1	45	5.40
Kei Igawa	4/7/07	BAL	W	5	8	7	3	2	2	22	12.6
Jeff Karstens	8/22/06	SEA	L	5.7	6	3	2	2	2	45	4.76
Sean Henn	5/4/05	TBD	L	2.3	7	5	2	0	0	19	19.3
Chien-Ming Wang	4/30/05	TOR	W	7	6	2	2	0	0	55	2.57
Brad Halsey	6/19/04	LAD	W	5.7	5	2	1	3	1	53	3.18
Alex Graman	4/20/04	CHW	W	2.7	8	5	2	2	0	22	16.9
Brandon Claussen	6/28/03	NYM	W	6.3	8	1	1	5	1	55	1.42
Brett Jodie	7/20/01	TOR	L	2	7	6	1	0	3	17	27.0
Christian Parker	4/6/01	TOR	L	3	8	7	1	1	2	15	21.0
Randy Keisler	9/10/00	BOS	W	5	4	1	3	2	0	54	1.80
Jake Westbrook	6/17/00	CHW	L	1.7	7	6	2	0	1	15	32.4
Totals			9-7	75.7	97	55	32	37	15	36.4	6.54

Source: Baseball-reference.com

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Yanks Play Like Rookies, Lose to Another Starter Making His Major League Debut

C.C. Sabathia lost his first game since May 23, but the only real mistake that the big lefty made was allowing the Indians to put the ball in play.

Curtis Granderson and the ball both lay on the ground after the Yankees’ centerfielder could reel in Austin Kearns long drive in the sixth inning (Photo: Getty Images).

For most of the game, Sabathia was dealing one of his best fastballs of the season, consistently throwing in the mid-90s and topping out at 98mph, along with a devastating change. On most nights, that would have been enough to dominate the opposition lineup, but a comedy of errors in the fourth inning effectively scuttled Sabathia’s entire outing. After allowing a leadoff single to Asdrubal Cabrera and an “excuse me” opposite field double to Shin-Soo Choo, Sabathia induced a groundball to third off the bat of Austin Kearns. Arod fielded the ball quickly and fired home to Cervelli, but the excitable catcher lost control of the ball while attempting an easy tag. After a pop out by Shelley Duncan, Sabathia seemingly extracted himself from the mess by getting Johnny Peralta to hit into an inning ending double play. The only problems were Robinson Cano failed to touch second base and the umpire at first awarded a close call to the runner. So, instead of two outs, the Yankees got none. A sacrifice fly by Matt LaPorta plated the Indians second unearned run in the inning before Sabathia finally took matters into his own hands by striking out Jason Donald to end the frame.

Normally, allowing two runs wouldn’t be such a make or break event, but the Yankees lineup was once again dormant against a pitcher making his major league debut. Rookie Josh Tomlin kept the Yankees hitless until the fifth inning, and only allowed one run on three hits in his seven-plus innings. The truth is the stats don’t even tell the whole story. Tomlin kept the entire Yankees lineup off balance for his entire outing, which made him look like an accomplished veteran facing an offense of impatient rookies.

After needing 25 hard pitches to get through the fourth inning, Sabathia seemed to lose a bit of his command. Still, he battled for three more innings, but in the process encountered more shaky defense. In the bottom of the sixth, Kearns led off with a long drive to center that Curtis Granderson seemed to track well. Once again, however, a Yankee defender simply dropped the ball. Although it would have been a fine play, Granderson’s inability to make the grab resulted in a man on third with no outs and created a do or die situation that eventually consumed Sabathia. By the time the lefty extracted himself from this latest jam, the Indians had two more runs and the Yankees had what seemed like an insurmountable deficit to overcome.

The Yankees finally broke through against Tomlin in the eighth when Cano led off with a double that chased the rookie from the game. Cano eventually scored on a groundball by pinch hitter Colin Curtis, but no further damage was done. As they often do, the Yankees did manage to bring the heart  of their order to the plate as the tying run in the ninth, but Nick Swisher, Mark Teixeira and Arod all appropriately made weak outs to end what was a lackluster effort.

Later wins by the Rays and Red Sox added insult to the injury of last night’s loss, but the bigger concerns continue to be developing cracks in the Yankees’ defense along with an offense that melts at the sight of a rookie and falls off considerably on the road. As Brian Cashman wavers on possible trade scenarios, a night like yesterday might push him back toward looking for a bat.

C.C. Sabathia’s Pitch Breakdown

	Avg. Speed	Max Speed	Count	Strikes	Percentage
Changeup	88.2	90	27	18	66.7%
Curve	80.8	83.3	11	8	72.7%
Four Seam Fastball	95.9	98.1	61	43	70.5%
Slider	81.5	84.1	10	5	50.0%
Sinker	95.3	97	10	5	50.0%

Inning	Pitches	Strikes	Percentage
1	11	8	72.7%
2	9	7	77.8%
3	22	16	72.7%
4	25	16	64.0%
5	13	9	69.2%
6	23	12	52.2%
7	16	11	68.8%
Total	119	79	66.4%

• By failing to reach base, Mark Teixeira’s streak of reaching base in 42 consecutive games came to an end.
• Before the game, Jorge Posada was scratched from the lineup with a sore left knee. According to the Yankees, he is day-to-day.

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Game 99: Yankees vs. Indians

vs. Josh Tomlin	PA	BA	OBP	SLG	HR	RBI
Derek Jeter SS	0	0.000	0.000	0.000	0	0
Nick Swisher RF	0	0.000	0.000	0.000	0	0
Mark Teixeira DH	0	0.000	0.000	0.000	0	0
Alex Rodriguez 3B	0	0.000	0.000	0.000	0	0
Robinson Cano 2B	0	0.000	0.000	0.000	0	0
Jorge Posada C	0	0.000	0.000	0.000	0	0
Curtis Granderson CF	0	0.000	0.000	0.000	0	0
Juan Miranda 1B	0	0.000	0.000	0.000	0	0
Brett Gardner LF	0	0.000	0.000	0.000	0	0
Total	0	0.000	0.000	0.000	0	0
vs. CC Sabathia	PA	BA	OBP	SLG	HR	RBI
Trevor Crowe CF	5	0.200	0.200	0.200	0	0
Asdrubal Cabrera SS	4	0.000	0.000	0.000	0	0
Shin-Soo Choo RF	9	0.125	0.222	0.125	0	0
Austin Keanrs LF	18	0.222	0.222	0.278	0	1
Shelley Duncan DH	6	0.000	0.000	0.000	0	0
Johnny Peralta 3B	9	0.143	0.333	0.286	0	0
Matt LaPorta 1B	3	0.500	0.667	1.000	0	2
Jason Donald 2B	3	0.000	0.000	0.000	0	0
Chris Gimenez C	0	0.000	0.000	0.000	0	0
Total	57	0.151	0.211	0.208	0	3

Yankees vs. Indians
Season: 2010	Season: 2009	Season: 2008	All-Time
NYY: 4-1	NYY: 5-3	CLE: 4-3	NYY: 1089-865

.

	Last 10	Last 20	Last 30
Yankees	7-3	15-5	21-9
Indians	6-4	10-10	15-15

.

	Road	vs. RHP
Yankees	29-19	41-21
	Home	vs. LHP
Indians	22-24	12-18

• Alex Rodriguez is celebrating his 35th birthday as he continues his quest to 600 home runs.
• C.C. Sabathia is riding a nine game winning streak over a 10 game span in which the Yankees are undefeated. Sabathia’s last loss was against the Mets on May 23.
• Sabathia has not surrendered a home run in 66 innings dating back to June 3 against the Baltimore Orioles.
• Indians’ starter Josh Tomlin will be making his major league debut tonight. Tomlin, a former 19th round draft pick in 2006, was 8-4 with a 2.68 ERA at Triple-A Columbus.
• To make room for Tomlin on the roster, the Indians have optioned Michael Brantley back to Columbus.
• Derek Jeter’s batting average of .377 and on-base percentage of .442 at Progressive Field/Jacobs Field are his highest totals at any American League park except the newly opened Target Field in Minnesota.

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Mets, Padres Last to Have No “No-No”; Close Calls Foiled by Journeyman Doyle

After being denied a hit on two occasions in 2010, the Rays were finally on the celebratory end of the accomplishment when Matt Garza no hit the Tigers yesterday. Garza’s feat also removed the Rays from the dwindling list of teams that have never had a pitcher throw a no-hitter. Earlier in the season, Ubaldo Jiminez became the first Rockies’ pitcher to throw a no-no, so now the only two franchises without one are the Padres and Mets.

Denny Doyle is a big reason why the Mets and Padres have never had a no-hitter.

The Mets have famously gone over 48 seasons without a no-hitter, but they have had a couple of near misses. On both occasions, July 9, 1969 and July 4, 1972, Tom Seaver took a no-hitter into the ninth, but surrendered a single just two outs shy of glory. Seaver would eventually go on to record his no-hitter, but not with the Mets. Tom Terrific no-hit the Cardinals as a member of the Reds on June 16, 1978, almost one year from the day he was famously traded by the Mets.

In total, the Mets have had 33 one-hitters (34 including Bobby Jones’ gem against the Giants in the 2000 NLDS), 23 of which were complete games of at least nine innings. Included on that list was a kind of reverse near miss in which Nolan Ryan surrendered a lead off single to journeyman second baseman Denny Doyle (remember the name) and then kept the Phillies out of the hit column for the remainder of the game.

The Padres, who entered the National League seven years after the Mets, have also endured a long stretch of no-hitter futility. After only three-plus years in existence, however, they did come within one out of accomplishing the feat in a game against the Phillies on July 18, 1972. On that date, Steve Arlin took a no-hitter two outs into the ninth, but a single by our good friend Denny Doyle once again spoiled the effort. Arlin’s brush with immortality wasn’t a fluke, as his effort against the Phillies was the third time in four starts that he pitched at least nine innings while surrendering no more than two hits. He never could seal the deal, however, so the Padres still wait for their first no-hitter.

So, while the other 28 franchises enjoy their slices of baseball history, they’d be wise to cherish the accomplishments and have sympathy for the Mets and Padres because there, but for the grace of Denny Doyle, go them all.

Listed below is an updated chart that was originally posted on The Captain’s Blog back in April.

No Hitter History

Team	Total	Last	Opponent	Date	Times No-Hit
Dodgers	20	Hideo Nomo	Rockies	9/17/1996	15
Red Sox	18	Jon Lester	Royals	5/19/2008	12
White Sox	17	Mark Buehrle*	Rays	7/23/2009	14
Indians	15	Len Barker*	Blue Jays	5/15/1981	12
Reds	15	Tom Browning*	Dodgers	9/16/1988	9
Braves	14	Combined (3 pitchers)	Padres	9/11/1991	17
Cubs	13	Carlos Zambrano	Astros	9/14/2008	6
Giants	13	Jonathan Sanchez	Padres	7/10/2009	15
Yankees	11	David Cone*	Expos	7/18/1999	7
Astros	10	Combined (6 pitchers)	Yankees	6/11/2003	3
Athletics	11	Dallas Braden*	Rays	5/9/2010	14
Cardinals	9	Bud Smith	Padres	9/3/2001	7
Orioles	9	Combined (4 pitchers)	A’s	7/13/1991	13
Phillies	10	Roy Halladay*	Marlins	5/29/2010	17
Angels	8	Mark Langston (7)/      Mike Witt (2)	Mariners	4/11/1990	7
Pirates	7	Francisco Cordova (9)/ Ricardo Rincon (1)	Astros	7/12/1997	6
Tigers	6	Justin Verlander	Brewers	6/12/2007	13
Twins	6	Eric Milton	Angels	9/11/1999	9
Rangers	5	Kenny Rogers	Rangers	7/28/1994	4
Marlins	4	Anibal Sanchez	D-backs	9/6/2006	2
Nationals	4	Dennis Martinez*	Dodgers	7/28/1991	4
Royals	4	Bret Saberhagen	White Sox	8/26/1991	2
Mariners	2	Chris Bosio	Red Sox	4/22/1993	2
Bluejays	1	Dave Stieb	Indians	9/2/1990	3
Brewers	1	Juan Nieves	Orioles	4/15/1987	3
D-backs	2	Edwin Jackson	Rays	6/26/2010	2
Rockies	1	Ubaldo Jimenez	Braves	4/17/2010	2
Rays	1	Matt Garza	Tigers	7/26/2010	4
Mets	0	N/A	N/A	N/A	7
Padres	0	N/A	N/A	N/A	8
*Perfect Game

The record for most no-hitters by a pitcher is Nolan Ryan with 7, giving him more than 14 teams.

• Bobo Holloman is the only pitcher to throw a hitter in his first major league start. Holloman had previously pitched 4 games in relief before no-hitting the Philadelphia Athletics on May 6, 1953.
• There have been 20 perfect games (12 in the AL and 8 in the NL), including Don Larsen’s perfect game in the 1956 World Series. The Yankees’ three perfect games are the most by any franchise.
• The Cincinnati Reds Johnny Vander Meer is the only pitcher to throw two consecutive no-hitters. Vander Meer no hit the Boston Braves on June 11, 1938 and then four days later no hit the Brooklyn Dodgers in the first night game ever played at Ebbets Field.
• Thirteen pitchers have thrown nine no-hit innings before giving one up in extra innings.
• The only Opening Day no-hitter was thrown by the Cleveland Indians’ Bob Feller on April 16, 1940 against the Chicago White Sox.
• The Chicago Cubs haven’t been no hit in the last 44 seasons (since Sandy Koufax’ perfect game against them in 1965). The record for most consecutive season without being no-hit is 45, accomplished by the Yankees between 1958 and 2003.
• The Philadelphia Phillies hold the record for most consecutive seasons without a no-hitter. Jim Bunning’s perfect game against the Mets on June 21, 1964 broke the Phillies’ string of 57 years without a no hitter.
• The Los Angeles Dodgers had a no hitter in each season between 1962 and 1965, a record for most consecutive seasons. Sandy Koufax was responsible for all four of the Dodgers’ no-hitters.
• In 2010, the Rays became the 10th team to be no hit twice in one season, as well as the first team to be involved in three no hitters.

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New Voting Procedures Put Boss on Hall of Fame Fast Track

George M. Steinbrenner III may be headed to the Hall of Fame sooner than later thanks to changes being made to the museum’s election process.

Will the Hall of Fame soon be opening its doors to the Boss?

The Baseball Hall of Fame has once again amended its procedures for electing managers, umpires, executives and long-retired players, this time organizing the selection process by eras instead of contribution to the game. Instead of considering candidates in separate groups based on the roles for which they are being considered, a voting committee of 16 members selected by the Hall of Fame Board of Directors will consider all potential nominees that fall within one of three defined eras: Pre-Integration (1871-1946); Golden (1947-1972); and Expansion (1973-Present). A group of senior BBWAA members will act as a screening body for each year’s ballot, which will cover the three different eras on a rotating basis. The annual vote will take place during the winter meetings and all candidates receiving at least 12 votes from the committees will be enshrined the following July.

Our continual challenge is to provide a structure to ensure that all candidates who are worthy of consideration have a fair system of evaluation. In identifying candidates by era, as opposed to by category, the Board feels this change will allow for an equal review of all eligible candidates, while maintaining the high standards of earning election.”  – Jane Forbes Clark, chairman of the board for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, as reported on MLB.com

The first time period slated for consideration is the Expansion era, which means George Steinbrenner will get his first posthumous crack at the Hall of Fame on December 5, 2010. As a board member of the Hall of Fame until his death, Steinbrenner likely made many friends at the institution, so it wouldn’t be surprising if the new process (even if only the decision to consider the Expansion era first) was designed to fast track the Boss’ election. Under the previous system of having a 12-member electorate consider a slate of executives and pioneers on a bi-annual basis, Steinbrenner would not have been up for consideration until the winter of 2011.

In addition to recognizing Steinbrenner’s obvious contributions to the game, a 2011 induction would also help raise the profile of both the Hall of Fame and its annual induction Weekend, both of which have seen declining attendance over the past few years. In fact, 2009 was the first time the Hall of Fame recorded fewer than 300,000 visits since 1997, and 2010 attendance isn’t expected to be much better. The economy has likely been responsible for at least some of this decline, but the lack of big name inductees on Hall of Fame Weekend has also had an impact. That drought is likely to continue for at least the next two seasons (especially with the steroid cloud lingering), leaving open the strong possibility that no players will be elected. Should that occur, the resulting decline in attendance would put a further strain on the museum.

Having a weekend dedicated to the George Steinbrenner, however, would more than help fill that void and likely boost the numbers flocking to Cooperstown. Unfortunately, George Steinbrenner won’t be around to preside over his own induction ceremony, but the former Yankees’ owners was such a compelling figure that his story would still be riveting when told by third parties. What’s more, the electorate could right another wrong by inducting Marvin Miller along with the Boss, a gesture that would acknowledge each man’s undeniable impact on the game by once again tying their influences together. It’s time for the old guard of writers, players and executives who lament the era of free agency to step aside and allow history to be honored. Hopefully, the Hall of Fame’s new “era-focused” election approach will allow that to happen.

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