The headline makes Yost sound like the potentially abusive boyfriend.

Yost: Sabathia's pitching arm walked into a door

Baby, why you make me hurt you like that?

I'd say this media attention is going to make it less likely that Yost uses Sabathia this way.

Sabathia: He hurts me because he loves me.

130 pitches for CC is the Yankees problem.

If Ned Yost thinks CC can handle 130 pitches, then when CC goes to 130 pitches, it won't be abuse by Yost's reasoning. And maybe it won't be abuse in fact.

It's one thing to have Sabathia throwing 130 pitches in a close game during the pennant race, but it's another when you're sending him to the 9th to protect a 7-run lead.

Sabathia really hasn't been that abused otherwise. Only one of his complete games went 120 pitches and that was a tie game until the Brewers came up in the bottom of the 9th. He's generally been quite efficient with his other CGs with the Brewers being 110, 106, and 113 pitches.

I actually wouldn't blame Yost and Melvin for overworking CC. As long as they aren't intentionally asking him to pitch through an injury and he says he "feels good" why wouldn't they have him out there for as long as possible? Same with Sheets. Neither pitcher will be back next year and Yost and Melvin's 2009 employment may rest on the Brewers making the playoffs.

Speaking of, uh, pitchers, this is in a San Diego Union-Tribune article about the Maddux trade:

-- Towers said the club will choose from among three Triple-A pitchers -- Dirk Hayhurst, Josh Geer and Cesar Ramos -- to assume Maddux's start Saturday against the Giants.

Neither pitcher will be back next year and Yost and Melvin's 2009 employment may rest on the Brewers making the playoffs.

Yeah, but again, the Astros game in particular, keeping Sabathia out there didn't do anything to help the Brewers make the playoffs in the way some of the other games did. There's no 2008 immunity, either - he could run out of gas in 10/08, which wouldn't be good for the Brew Crew. Small sample, but he looked pretty listless in the playoffs last year.

Hayhurst. Hell yeah. He'd be facing Zito too. I might make the 50 mile drive to see Dirk get his first win.

Somebody needs to go to DePodesta's blog and ask him to convince Towers to call Hayhurst up.

I did it right after I posted. I think it is awaiting approval or something. The more the merrier, I suppose.

My fingers are crossed, Dirk.

Not sure I understand the Hayhurst reference.

CC has a whole lotta loving to give to the entire clubhouse
Yost couldn't use and abuse all of him even if the season went into December

"Not sure I understand the Hayhurst reference."

Ask, and ye shall receive.

This one, in particular, is a good piece of work.

Ask, and ye shall receive.

And also.

I actually wouldn't blame Yost and Melvin for overworking CC. As long as they aren't intentionally asking him to pitch through an injury and he says he "feels good" why wouldn't they have him out there for as long as possible?

Do the Brewers really gain that much by having CC throw pitches #111-130 instead of turning it over to the bullpen? The risk they take is not that CC will be worn out after he signs with the Yankees, but that he'll be worn out in the playoffs.

Compare CC's regular season workload and his playoff performance in 2007 to that of Josh Beckett.

The Brewers will hurt themselves by overworking Sabathia, the risk for short-term problems must be much larger than the risk fór long-term problems.

Yost: I wouldn't abuse Sabathia.
Bush: We don't torture.

his other CGs with the Brewers being 110, 106, and 113 pitches.

Yes, but he also threw 124 pitches in 6.2 IP on 7/28.

The Brewers are, as usual, being complete idiots about this. And people who say things like "It's the Yankees' problem" don't even deserve to be baseball fans. Torn labrums fly forever.

OK, now I read the whole article, and Yost actually says some smart things in it. Assuming he's being sincere, I take back what I said about the team.

"I'm not saying my plan is 100% right. But my plan is well thought-out and makes sense, and we're trying it. I have to do what I think is best. I want to make darn sure this team has the best opportunity to win. I know everything there is to know in the equation."

Whether a pitcher is a "rental" or not, Yost said he would never put his healthy in jeopardy.

"What those people don't know is my attitude toward our players," said Yost. "I would much rather lose a game than take a chance of hurting anybody. That's not the type of person I am.

"I respect him as a player. I respect him as a person. He's got a family. I know how this business works. He has to provide for his family. I would never do anything that would take away from that ability. I just couldn't live with myself.

Teams do owe a moral responsibility to all of their players, regardless of contract status. I hope he really means it.

Bush: We don't torture.

I missed that. Who is David Bush torturing?

Who is David Bush torturing?

His agent.

Continued Yost "I've really been getting into sabermetrics lately. Do you know what you get when you calculate the added risk from a 130 pitch start? It's zero! Lost in the noise, baby. The ghost in the darkness."

BTW, I just checked up on this, and Hayhurst is going to be starting tomorrow for the Padres*, according to a newspaper report**.

*Unfortunately, my grandfather started another near-death episode with pneumonia today, so I won't be able to go to SF and check it out as I had hoped.

**I've decided that as long as newspapers cite "the internet" when news is broken by a particular website, I will now only cite a "newspaper" when I learn something from a specific rag.

**I've decided that as long as newspapers cite "the internet" when news is broken by a particular website, I will now only cite a "newspaper" when I learn something from a specific rag.

I tried citing "Books" in a paper in college. I did better when I took the class again the next semester.