“We’re damn lucky to put on these pinstripes. We definitely need to set a better example of what putting on these pinstripes means.”

It is a testament to his talent that Damon was able to say this while Hank was drinking a glass of water.

Hmmm... a succinct and clear-headed post by kevin on the Yankees. The Yankees are indeed in trouble if they're so non-threatening that kevin doesn't even bother to take a gratuitous cheap shot at them.

The only guy on the team you could say isn't playing up to expectations is Cano.

I think Jeter, even with an expected age related decline, it not performing as projected/expected.

I think Jeter, even with an expected age related decline, it not performing as projected/expected.

While Jeter is underperforming his career line, his walk rate is in-line with last season, and he's only seen a mild decrease in isolated power. So, basically, his singles aren't dropping in, and he's still within (although on the low side) the reasonable range of expectations, given the relative volatility of batting average.

To rephrase kevin's comment, Cano is the only one who is significantly underperforming his expectations.

While Jeter is underperforming his career line, his walk rate is in-line with last season, and he's only seen a mild decrease in isolated power. So, basically, his singles aren't dropping in, and he's still within (although on the low side) the reasonable range of expectations, given the relative volatility of batting average.

That's probably what Johnny Damon was thinking.

The Yankees also missed significant time from ARod and Posada due to injuries. I'd have to think they'd have a better record than 45-41 if those guys hadn't gone down, or had missed less time.

They are an older club and dropoffs in performance can be expected, much like the Sox are seeing with the ex-Jason Varitek. I'd never count them out because every year they seem to have a late run in them, but it shouldn't shock folks that some of their players are declining. A younger Damon gets that ball to home from LF on 12 hops, for example, not 36.

To rephrase kevin's comment, Cano is the only one who is significantly underperforming his expectations.

Maybe so, but then if you project the even the best possible year end totals of Matsui, Hughes, Kennedy and (yes) Wang, you'll see that it's not just Cano who's failed to live up to Opening Day expectations.

You can blame this on God, or you can blame it on poor pitching (or baserunning) mechanics, but wherever the blame lies, it's put a ton of pressure on an offense that is, as Kevin says, a bit long in the tooth. There's not even the faintest semblance of a real ace in the rotation any more, only a series of former and future aces whose present command varies wildly from one start to the next.

A younger Damon gets that ball to home from LF on 12 hops, for example, not 36.

Now that's just nasty and uncalled for. I watched all the replays, and it was only 23 hops before it started rolling. Don't exaggerate.

Given the age of their team you would expect someone to miss time with injuries. And they also have a few players, like Giambi and Mussina, who are overperforming.

That's probably what Johnny Damon was thinking.

Well, what he was probably thinking is that Jeter is still hitting for a pretty good average, and doing a decent job of scoring and driving in runs. I'm sure he's also thinking that it would be a very poor career decision to call out Derek Jeter in the NY press.

"Well, just because The Steinbrenners are dumbasses doesn't mean they aren't playing up to expectations. I think they've shown exactly what they're made of.

Look, the Yankees just aren't that good. Their rotation is just fair and they can't catch the ball. Plus, the big boppers they are counting on to throw up all kinds of runs on the4 board are all a little long in the tooth. The only guy on the team you could say isn't playing up to expectations is Cano."


I'm sure a completely unbiased assessment from the biggest Red Sox slurper this side of Gammo.

Are they old? Sure. But Giambi is having a good year, and much better than Ortiz, I might add - before his injury. Matsui was strong as well. Damon's been terrific.
The played without Posada, the best offensive catcher in the league next to Mauer, for a month and A-Rod for about two weeks. Wang, who for the Yankees cause, is their ace - is out for the season, essentially.

Jeter has been mediocre this year, there's no way around it. He had been the most consistent shortstop offensively in the league for the last several years, with Young the only comp. Jeter has had a precipitious dropoff in numbers this year. Whether it due to age, injury... who knows.

Cano has been terrible, but is starting to pick it up. Their bullpen, really hasn't been bad at all. Their biggest problem, as it has been over the last several years, is their failure to hit with RISP.

I confess I do not know how to look up the team's BA with RISP. Anyone know how to do that? I would be surprised if that was genuinely their biggest problem, but who knows? (I mean, really, who knows? I'm sure someone here knows how to get that information.)

Also, it seems like the Yankees biggest problem "over the last several years" has been a failure to win in the playoffs. They've been pretty good in the regular season. But maybe those playoff losses were a matter of BA with RISP: again, my research skills fail me.

PJ, the 2008 team BA / RISP figures for the Yanks are on this page. They're not good compared to their BA as a whole. But I'll let you see that for yourself.

EDIT:

Sorry, the overall RISP average is what I was referring to, which is listed under "Bases Occupied." But if you go down two categories to "Clutch Situations," you'll get the figures for "2 outs, RISP." which is closer to normal. So it depends on how you pose the question.

Damon should look at the mirror. His throw on the play where Manny scored from second on a single to left was absolutely pitiful. It was rolling when the catcher picked it up and it barely had enough steam to get to home at all, much less on the fly or on one hop.

“We’re not playing up to our expectations. That’s never good,” Damon said.
"But we're still collecting our $200m salaries. That's always good."

at July 4 last year, the Yankees were 2 games under .500 (40-42), and they ended up winning 94 games.

granted, that's a little misleading since their July/August was pretty soft, but it's still July. Plenty more baseball to be played.

Damon should look at the mirror.

I hear that this is bad advice to give to baseball players.

Thanks, Andy!

.257 is indeed pretty bad, and it's on a .292 BABIP, which is close to normal, isn't it? Does this mean these Yankees are just weak-willed? Johnny Damon is right!!

By the way, the last few years (in descending order), the Yanks have hit .293, .286, .272, .272, and .263. So I stand by my other point, at least (.263 is kind of mediocre, but they only his .271 as a team that year).

Edit: I agree with #17. No sleep till October.

The Yanks are 5 games back of Boston and if Tampa stays ahead of those two they deserve it.

Tampa's last 38

6 each against NY, Bos, Balt and Tor
4 each vs Detroit, Minnesota
3 each vs Anaheim and Chicago

The Yankees haven't played well consistently but nothing is necessarily lost yet.

Isn't it a little early for Damon to be sucking around Hank for an extension?

“We’re damn lucky to put on these pinstripes. We definitely need to set a better example of what putting on these pinstripes means.”

This stuff is always funny. We can also associate putting on the pinstripes with alcoholism, wife-swapping (and family swapping for that matter), illegal campaign contributions, record-setting boorishness, various felonies, far too many misdemeanors to count, mannish strippers, and Mariah Carey. It's a neverending pageant of dysfunction and weirdness.

The Yankees also missed significant time from ARod and Posada due to injuries. I'd have to think they'd have a better record than 45-41 if those guys hadn't gone down, or had missed less time.

All teams have injuries....which is why you need depth. The Red Sox seemed to have been weathering their injuries, notably Ortiz, Dice K, and of course Schilling, better than the Yankees have weathered theirs.

It's a neverending pageant of dysfunction and weirdness.

Kind of like putting together any 25 individuals for a single purpose that weights other factors not related to the mission less.

The Red Sox seemed to have been weathering their injuries, notably Ortiz, Dice K, and of course Schilling, better than the Yankees have weathered theirs.

I think Hughes, Kennedy, Wang, Matsui, A-rod, Posada, and Bruney have all been out for an extended period of time (Jeter and Damon have missed a bit of time too and Damon just hurt himself again) and it is quite a bit of talent to lose. 3/5 of the starting rotation, the DH, their two best players, and their setup man. I'm not complaining, it happens (especially to old teams), it happened to the Sox in 05, but to pretend the Yanks haven't had more than their fair share of injuries isn't really accurate.

and doing a decent job of scoring

If there is one thing we should all agree on, Jeter is well above average when scoring.

I'm not complaining, it happens (especially to old teams), it happened to the Sox in 05, but to pretend the Yanks haven't had more than their fair share of injuries isn't really accurate.

Given the team's age, it's no shock they've had as many injuries as they've had. It's the distribution of those injuries that's unfair. They have a lot of old players, but the majority of injuries you listed off are to their younger players.

His throw on the play where Manny scored from second on a single to left was absolutely pitiful. It was rolling when the catcher picked it up and it barely had enough steam to get to home at all, much less on the fly or on one hop.

It's a bad sign when Manny Ramirez is outrunning the ball you threw.

To pretend that Shoewizard's post was trying to say that the Yankees haven't had more than their fair share of injuries isn't really accurate.

Fixed. ;)

If there is one thing we should all agree on, Jeter is well above average when scoring.

While you may have knowledge here I don't, are you sure you didn't mean
"Jeter is well above average at scoring"? ;)

If there is one thing we should all agree on, Jeter is well above average when scoring.

Still not scoring at his peak levels. Where are the new Scarlett Johansons?

#28, touche

Where are the new Scarlett Johansons?

Yes, but his range is actually underrated.

Still not scoring at his peak levels. Where are the new Scarlett Johansons?

There's a different biracial man in Scarlett Johansson's life.

Damon should look at the mirror.

I hear that this is bad advice to give to baseball players.

Yep. Shawn Chacon started with the man in the mirror. He thought about asking him to change his ways. But then shoving Ed Wade seemed more cathartic.

But seriously, the Yankees have been a just above-average team for the past few years. They've managed to have MVP seasons or hot streaks or they've had Aaron Smalls come along to help. But they haven't been the best team in baseball for a while. People have said "this is the year they don't make the playoffs" the last few years after rough starts, but I think it'll be true this time. They're just not good enough.

The issues with the Yankees to me are that have not gotten anything out of Hughes and Kennedy, and Wang got hurt. Other than that, nothing has been too "bad" or surprising IMO and several guys have played well.

I still think they should have made the--or at least a--Santana deal.

They do still have a shot at postseason, but, ironically, I think TB's sweep of Bos hurt the Yankees more than it hurt the Red Sox.

I think Hughes, Kennedy, Wang, Matsui, A-rod, Posada, and Bruney have all been out for an extended period of time (Jeter and Damon have missed a bit of time too and Damon just hurt himself again)

The shoulder injury Damon suffered today looks like the annual one he tries to play through when he shouldn't, leading to 6 weeks of .180/.240/.280 production.

Are you the biggest idiot ever?

Are you? Is this suggesting that "But Giambi is having a good year, and much better than Ortiz, I might add - before his injury" contains some sort of factual error?

"Are you the biggest idiot ever?"

I think you might fit that description a little bit better. I know you are not a big fan of logic and reasoning, given your posts.

On May 31, Ortiz .839 OPS. Giambi .908. Now Giambi, as of July 4, is at .947.

Listen lil' fella, maybe you'd be better off just sticking to SOSH, and maybe let the grown ups talk here.

kevin, don't take this the wrong way, but you sound remarkably stupid. Giambi IS having a better season than Ortiz, even before Ortiz's injury. Why on earth would you have a problem with that?

It's terribly ironic that you're one directing others away from BBTF for being too much of a fanboy.

"Rconn, I think you're lost.

The site you're looking for is called "NYYfans.com". They need a 4th for another Jeter circle-jerk."

Nah, I'm at the right place. I pointed out a fact, backed up by something called statistics. Just because you have a Big Papi poster on your wall and kiss it at night ever so lovingly doesn't mean I'm wrong.

The important thing is that Giambi's half-assed cryptic pseudoquasihemidemi steroid admission was far more heartfelt than Ortiz's half-assed cryptic pseudoquasihemidemi steroid admission.

The important thing is that Giambi's half-assed cryptic pseudoquasihemidemi steroid admission was far more heartfelt than Ortiz's half-assed cryptic pseudoquasihemidemi steroid admission.

What Ortiz admission are you talking about? When he said he doesn't know what he took in the DR? It was not an admission, it was mere idle speculation.

That's ridiculous. This is what Ortiz hit in May right before he injured his wrist: .318 /.409 /.617. This is what Ortiz hit in 2007: .332 /.445 /.621. Do any of you really think Ortiz start was somehow representative of his true ability?

This is what Giambi has hit this year: .259 /.395 /.543. This is what he hit last year: .236/.356/.433. And let's not even go there about Giambi's defense. Every starter the Yankees have except Mussina has an ERA+ below 100. Duh.

Well done with the cherry picking! Giving Ortiz's numbers in May only, but comparing them to Giambi's full season!

Here's what Giambi hit in May: .315/.446/.644. That's better than Ortiz.

He's implying Giambi was going to outhit Ortiz all year, and that Giambi is a better player than Ortiz. How much of a buttfucking fanboy do you have to be to think something so ridiculous? Giambi can't lick Ortiz' jockstrap.

How much of a buttfucking fanboy do you have to be to think .259/.395/.543 is worse than .252/.354/.486?

Zing! Got me good, there, troll.

No offense Kevin, but you seem like a dumb guy. I mean really dumb. Do you honestly not see that you're incapable of having a reasonable discussion? You also seem like an incredibly angry, irrational guy. Seek counseling.

Whatever the reason, whether it was Ortiz recovering from his knee surgery, or part of an inevitable decline, Giambi was having a better season than Ortiz THIS YEAR. That's a fact.

The comments I made about Damon and Matsui were about their offensive output, which was clear in my earlier post. Damon has put up some of the best offensive numbers of his career so far this year. That's also a fact.

You're so absent of any objectivity, you're probably the type of guy who would try to say that Lugo has had a better career than Derek Jeter. But then again, you're probably the type of guy who has "Jeter Swallows" T-Shirt, and wears it proudly like the knuckle-dragging galoot that you are.

The important thing is that Giambi's half-assed cryptic pseudoquasihemidemi steroid admission was far more heartfelt than Ortiz's half-assed cryptic pseudoquasihemidemi steroid admission.

What Ortiz admission are you talking about? When he said he doesn't know what he took in the DR? It was not an admission, it was mere idle speculation.

Oh, naturally. It was just boy talk.

Put Ortiz's words into fellow Dominican Sammy Sosa's mouth, verbatim. Think he'd get the identical understanding manhug from fans and media?

Do you honestly not see you've mispelled...
Do they not teach spelling and grammer...

Lead us not into temptation.