Don't think Neimann is right. Rays want to win this league, I think Hellickson is going to have to start in the playoffs. My guess is he is the third best starter on the team after Price and Garza, and ahead of Shields.

Summer’s almost over. NTNgod is back with a vengeance.

Don't think Neimann is right. Rays want to win this league, I think Hellickson is going to have to start in the playoffs. My guess is he is the third best starter on the team after Price and Garza, and ahead of Shields.

The Rays have the best rotation situation of any of the leaders right now. But that's sort of damning with faint praise. The Yanks have basically one reliable starter right now until Pettitte returns. Hughes has morphed back into a 5-inning inefficient rookie. Javy can't throw above 90. Burnett is the definition of unreliable. Meanwhile, what's wrong with Cliff Lee? Beyond him Texas is relying on guys with no track records. Boston is finished, I think. And Minnesota has Pavano and a tiring Liriano.

[3] The HELL you say!

NOVA! is exploding onto the scene!!!

!!!

But yes, the Yankees' SP situation right now is "(Carsten) Charles in charge ... and the rest worse than DeBarge ...)"

Sigh.

I had no idea before he came up that Nova threw this hard. I doubt he'll be a superstar, but I think he will be useful.

I for one welcome our new St. Petersburgian overlords.

I love that Nova's Wikipedia photo is from when he was on a team he never played an official Major League or Minor League game with.

Summer’s almost over. NTNgod is back with a vengeance.

He could've come back in like June. That's when the Brewers officially became irrelevant this year, right?

Hughes has morphed back into a 5-inning inefficient rookie.

I was listening to Sterling and Waldman while driving up I-95 this evening, and during the first or second inning Waldman said that through his last start, Hughes had given up 272 foul balls, second in the league. I had no idea anyone kept that statistic, but the number for Hughes wasn't exactly a shock.

The Yanks have basically one reliable starter right now until Pettitte returns. Hughes has morphed back into a 5-inning inefficient rookie. Javy can't throw above 90. Burnett is the definition of unreliable.

I think Hughes is probably gassed. Luckily it looks like Boston is toast, so they should be able to give him 7-10 days off mid-month, and then give him a couple of 5 IP tuneup starts. I think that will do wonders for him.

Pettitte is getting healthy, which is critical. He needs 2-3 starts to get ready.

The playoff rotation is looking to be CC, Pettitte, Hughes and AJ/Javy/Nova (pick 'em). Not great, but not any worse than last year.

The big improvement is the pen. You've got Rivera, Joba, Robertson, Wood and Logan all pitching well.

The big improvement is the pen. You've got Rivera, Joba, Robertson, Wood and Logan all pitching well.

I'm not sure how much credit deserves to go to Mr. Giradi for bullpen management, but I think we can all agree that his handling of relievers is significantly better and more egalitarian than Joe Torre's. Even Boone Logan, an absolute afterthought, has been used effectively.

I was listening to Sterling and Waldman while driving up I-95 this evening, and during the first or second inning Waldman said that through his last start, Hughes had given up 272 foul balls, second in the league. I had no idea anyone kept that statistic, but the number for Hughes wasn't exactly a shock.

I don't know where you would check that, but I would be Scott Baker leads the league.

I'm not sure how much credit deserves to go to Mr. Giradi for bullpen management, but I think we can all agree that his handling of relievers is significantly better and more egalitarian than Joe Torre's. Even Boone Logan, an absolute afterthought, has been used effectively.

Well, given the volatility of RPs, if you bury them based on a couple of poor outings, you're going to miss a lot of good ones. The key seems to be to get guys in lower leverage spots where they can suceed, and then move them up. Girardi has done a good job of this with Logan and Roberston in particular.

Nice to see Joba throwing in the 98-100 MPH range vs. Chi.

The playoff rotation is looking to be CC, Pettitte, Hughes and AJ/Javy/Nova (pick 'em). Not great, but not any worse than last year.

The big improvement is the pen. You've got Rivera, Joba, Robertson, Wood and Logan all pitching well.

Yeah, it seems a bit better than last year, where the 4th option was Gaudin in the WS, it seemed. If Hughes gets some rest I think it could be a good rotation.

Yeah, it seems a bit better than last year, where the 4th option was Gaudin in the WS, it seemed. If Hughes gets some rest I think it could be a good rotation.

And Burnett and Vazquez give you a lot of depth, and at least have upside; even if it's a crap shoot, they might give you a great game.

Nice to see Joba throwing in the 98-100 MPH range vs. Chi.

The gun in Chicago was almost certainly fast. It had pretty much everybody 2-3 mph too high.

The gun in Chicago was almost certainly fast. It had pretty much everybody 2-3 mph too high.

Well, 95-98 MPH is still an improvement.

Well, 95-98 MPH is still an improvement.

Oh, I agree. But let's not go nuts and suggest Chamberlain is running it up there like Joel Zumaya. He's pitched rather well lately. I'm optimistic.

I don't know where you would check that, but I would be Scott Baker leads the league.

You are not correct. I listened to the TV broadcasters, who recited this stat, saying that it's second in the league to Justin Verlander. Another fastball guy.

Oh, I agree. But let's not go nuts and suggest Chamberlain is running it up there like Joel Zumaya.

Zumaya has to literally run the ball to the catcher and hand it to him, Joba can certainly do better than that.

The playoff rotation is looking to be CC, Pettitte, Hughes and AJ/Javy/Nova (pick 'em). Not great, but not any worse than last year.

The big improvement is the pen. You've got Rivera, Joba, Robertson, Wood and Logan all pitching well.

All that's true, but don't get ahead of yourself. The Yanks still have to drive a stake through this evil child's heart.

All that's true, but don't get ahead of yourself. The Yanks still have to drive a stake through this evil child's heart.

8 game lead with 30 to play. Looks like it's heading to 9 tonight. I'm not too worried.

My concerns now are injury recoveries (Andy and ARod), and Hughes getting some rest and getting straightened out.

Mark Teixeira is on some kind of roll right now, 8-for-10 with 2 doubles and 2 homers in the series thus far bringing his season line up to .268/.372/.514 after an awful start. The bullpen held the line against last night too, even if a few dribblers made it more interesting than it needed to be. Boy does Mariano make it look easy.

"Mark Teixeira is on some kind of roll right now, 8-for-10 with 2 doubles and 2 homers in the series thus far bringing his season line up to .268/.372/.514 after an awful start."

When Tex said he lives on his hot streaks, he wasn't kidding. I never would have thought in June, when he had a lower slugging percentage than Brett Gardner, that he would be rapidly approaching a .900 OPS.

His slow starts are maddeningly frustrating, but he always gets his numbers.



"All that's true, but don't get ahead of yourself. The Yanks still have to drive a stake through this evil child's heart."

I'm the last one to count the Red Sox out of anything, but I think they're cooked with 30 left to play.

My concerns now are injury recoveries (Andy and ARod), and Hughes getting some rest and getting straightened out.

To that I'd add Jeter's horrific slump, and Burnett's and Vazquez's horrific inconsistency. All three of those starter (including Hughes) are absolutely maddening, because they're all healthy and yet they run as hot and cold as a menopausal diva. The saving grace is that the bullpen seems to have (finally) gotten itself all in place, but the bullpen can't pitch 4 or 5 innings every night that Sabathia or Pettitte isn't pitching.