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No explanation necessary. As soon as we’re mathematically eliminated from the Division, I’ll start working on the matchups for a full blown playoff preview.
For now, I’m just going to savor another postseason.
Enjoy.
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I’ll leave the Blue Jays wild card chat for later; for now I’ll merely point you to Hankenstein’s latest verbal salvo. One that warms my heart, and is likely to horrify any serious Yankee fan.
What’s his plan for the offseason?
“Suffice to say, there’s not going to be any more, on my part, of trying to keep everybody happy. If I want somebody, I’m going to go after him,” Steinbrenner told The Record by phone this afternoon.
Treee-mendous. Nothing would make me happier than a repeat of the 80’s era Steinbrennian approach of signing a bunch of aged, high priced free agents. In that respect, Mussina’s resurgence may be the best thing that could have happened to us.
What’s his philosophy with respect to the value of prospects?
“I want more.”
Very sophisticated. Very nuanced. Volume will be key, as he’ll trade them at each and every opportunity for “established stars.”
His reactions to the Yankees season?
“Even besides injuries, certain players didn’t perform. Certain things didn’t get done. It was somewhat the result of things that had been done over the last five years, and now I plan on fixing them…I’m very disappointed in this team.”
Wonderful. Couple the above with the his intended “more opinions the better” approach, and I for one am looking forward to Hankenstein’s tenure.
I hope, for our sake, he’s able to keep his smarter brother Hal at bay.
I almost forgot: it’s been a while since I heard anything as classless as Ozzie Guillen’s comments following Michael Bowden’s start and win against the White Sox on Saturday. Responding to the 21 year old’s 5 inning, 7 hit, 2 run, 3K/1BB outing, Guillen said:
He got us on a bad day. He’s OK. He didn’t really impress me. He beat a team right now that is not swinging the bat well. The first inning he threw all fastballs. We’re a fastball-hitting team and we couldn’t get him. When you deserve credit, I’ll give you credit. He didn’t impress me. He was good enough to beat the White Sox tonight.
The point here is not to argue that Bowden is the second coming of Koufax: he is not. His likely ceiling, by most accounts, is as a #3 starter, and Keith Law in particular was unimpressed:
He was 88-91, below average command, flashed a plus curveball that has a chance to be an out pitch. Barely used his change, which Red Sox people have told me is his best pitch. Ugly delivery. Never saw the 94 mph I’d heard he was dealing this year, and the pro scout behind me told me he’d seen Bowden twice before (in 2008) and never had him above 88-92.
Nor would I argue that Bowden threw a gem. He was good, but not excellent.
But the fact is that in his first start at the major league level, at the age of 21, he beat a lineup that is contending for a playoff spot. Managed by the same person disparaging the performance.
Asked about Guillen’s comments, Tito had little to say, which is unsurprising given the differences between the two men.
Guillen has long regarded his outspokenness as a virtue, a point of pride. And perhaps at times it is. But what profit here? What possible good does it do Guillen, his players, or the Chicago White Sox organization he represents? Why attempt to diminish the effort of a kid that just beat your club? At best, it reeks of poor sportsmanship. More likely, Guillen and the White Sox just made some unnecessary enemies.
Doubtless, Guillen would chalk this up to him being honest, or perhaps telling it like it is. But he might do well to discover that there’s a third option between telling the truth and telling lies: keeping your mouth shut.
When one of the other patrons of Byrnes’ Irish Pub caught me swearing at Nick Cafardo midway through his performance on NESN’s afternoon trading deadline special, an explanation was asked for. Those of you who’ve been around here for more than, oh, a few days will know that I don’t think much of Nick Cafardo’s work at the Globe.
Making Gordon Edes’ migration to a more national platform at Yahoo all the more problematic.
But anyway, for the new people, here’s the scoop: it’s not that I have any personal distaste for the man. I don’t know him from Adam, and he’s never kicked a dog of mine. That I know of. I simply don’t think he’s terribly good at his job. He’s not Murray Chass, nor – thank Jebus – Dan Shaughnessy, but I think he’s well beyond the “slowing-down portion of his career” as Scott’s Shots calls it.
In the past, I’ve criticized him for:
And that’s just the last twelve months. Fire Joe Morgan has taken him apart in the past for a rather egregious error or two.
The errors, actually, I can live with. Those happen. I make them, you make them, and even Kevin Youkilis makes them. It’s more that he just doesn’t seem to understand today’s game, what with its newfangled “innings caps” and “statistics.”
Witness these two bits of pre-trading deadline speculation regarding Buchholz.
First, Nick Cafardo:
The Sox are still in on Colorado’s Brian Fuentes, Kansas City’s Ron Mahay, and Oakland’s Huston Street, and were interested in Marte…The Sox will likely not give up Clay Buchholz for Fuentes, but the Rockies may take less.
Next, Sean McAdam:
The Sox are one of many teams intrigued with Colorado lefty Brian Fuentes, but the Rockies have asked for Clay Buchholz in return — far too steep a price for a two-month rental. Fuentes can become a free agent at the end of the season.
To quote Mugatu, I feel like I’m taking crazy pills. I know, McAdam knows, and hopefully you know that you don’t cough up elite pitching prospects for the two month rental of a middle reliever. However desperately your bullpen needs one.
But not Cafardo. They “likely” won’t give up Buchholz? “Likely?” To judge from their behavior thus far, it’s reasonable to conclude that there was a less than zero chance that our front office would move Buchholz in a deal for Fuentes. Considerably less than zero, in fact. Or maybe you think the player that was untouchable in the Santana deal would be moved for a reliever?
As nearly as I can determine, Cafardo’s player evaluations consist of “what have you done for me lately?” Sure, you threw a no-hitter last year, Bucky, and your minor league 10.91 K/9 rate is borderline inhuman…but Masterson’s reeled off five or six quality starts. So thanks, but we need someone in the pen for two months.
How else to explain his belief that Masterson had climbed above Buchholz on the depth chart, in spite of minor – and major league, actually – numbers that indicate that the latter will be a star and the former, in all probability, a reliever.
So anyway, let this post serve as both a written record of my issues with Cafardo and my fervent hope that he not get the job of competing with the new ‘EEI web outlet. The Boston Globe has been my home page on every browser I’ve had since the original Netscape Navigator, but if it’s going to compete going forward it needs more help than Cafardo can provide.
If the Globe folks are looking for someone to fill a web spot, they’d do better to get someone who’s new media savvy, comfortable with the statistics that drive much of modern baseball’s decision making, and knows how to relate to their target audience.
Someone like their very own Chad Finn. Or one of the guys at Fire Brand. Anyone but Cafardo. Please. I want to keep reading the Globe.
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Yes, I got gang probed this morning just like you did. Worse, I’m betting.
First, I overslept for an inning and a half. My bad. But when I finally did wake up, DirecTV was giving me the now infamous bouncing logo rather than the game I expected. Some of you would probably just revert to the internet at that point, but you obviously aren’t occupying room 463 at the Palace where the wifi is non-existent and the HSDPA is crappy and inconsistent. I might as well be on the frigging moon here.
Which left my iPhone and good old wap.mlb.com. Seriously.
But you know what? I don’t care. Like Hutch, I’ll take anything. Anything with a W, that is.
The Sox played a real game for the first time since October, and won that game. Won ugly, maybe, but won. Meaning that they officially lead their division in games that matter. My personal misfortunes are nothing compared to that single, beautiful fact.
For all the good people out there that got up early with me and feel like telling DirecTV what they can do with their apology, I’m with you. I really am.
Yet I’m headed to bed now, because my team needs me – needs us – tomorrow morning earliest. So I’ll be there, and hope you will too.
wicked clevah 