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Wednesday, May 14, 2008

N.Y. Post: Kernan: BABY BOSS BASHES BUMBLING BOMBERS (RR)

and...Kevin Kernan keeps keister kissing.

“We’ve got to forget about all the injuries and start playing our butts off,” Steinbrenner told The Post. The Yankees were buried by the Rays on Monday. These are difficult days for Joe Girardi’s club.

“The bottom line is that the team is not playing the way it is capable of playing,” Steinbrenner said. “These players are being paid a lot of money and they had better decide for themselves to earn that money.”

...He then paid the much-improved Rays a compliment, saying, the Yankees have “got to start playing the way the Rays are playing. (The Yankees) need to start treating it like when they were younger players and going after that big contract, like they’re in (Triple-A) and trying to make the majors. That’s the kind of attitude and fire the players have to have.

“There’s no question we need to turn it around and we have the talent to turn it around. We’ve got the team in place, and now they just have to go out and do it.

“This is going to get turned around,” Steinbrenner said. “If it’s not turned around this year, then it will be turned around next year, by force if we have too.”

Repoz Posted: May 14, 2008 at 06:39 AM | 64 comment(s)
Related News: General, NY Yankees

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1. walt williams bobblehead Posted: May 14, 2008 at 07:41 AM (#2780118)

"If it's not turned around this year, then it will be turned around next year, by force if we have too."

Is that even legal?

2. kevin Posted: May 14, 2008 at 07:52 AM (#2780121)

That quote is for Answer Guy.

3. Sean McNally Posted: May 14, 2008 at 08:01 AM (#2780124)

For all of his bluster... Hankenstein is right that the team is playing well below its capabilities.

For the most part, the pitching has performed as expected... a lot of their problems are on the offensive side of the ball, which is not where anyone thought they'd be.

4. Sean McNally Posted: May 14, 2008 at 08:01 AM (#2780125)

Oh, and Tampa - they're pretty good.

5. cv2002 Posted: May 14, 2008 at 08:12 AM (#2780128)

He really is his father's son, isn't he? Those quotes could've been taken verbatim from the Sr. Steinbrenner in 1986.

6. Sheer Tim Foli Posted: May 14, 2008 at 08:48 AM (#2780148)

He really is his father's son, isn't he? Those quotes could've been taken verbatim from the Sr. Steinbrenner in 1986.

I was just thinking the same thing. I am sure I heard the same quotes from Sr. 20 years ago (except for the Rays references).

7. Toolsy McClutch Posted: May 14, 2008 at 08:55 AM (#2780155)

And I think this pretty much shuts up the people who claim Hank was posturing, when he went to the media in the past.

This isn't taking pressure off the club. It's adding to it. Now, along with the other crap questions, every player is going to be asked what they think of his comments. And Cash will have to field even more. It's just dumb.

Hank's point: I don't care about how much talent anyone has, or if they're hurt, or older. I paid my money, I wants me a shiny championship to show off at the yacht club! And get off my lawn!

8. Sometimes it Rains (sj) Posted: May 14, 2008 at 08:59 AM (#2780162)

They really need ARod back. To think 90% of Yankee fans thought they would be better off without him.

9. Sane Joe Bivens, Permanent Guardian Posted: May 14, 2008 at 09:08 AM (#2780165)

Tampa IS a pretty good team. This is beautiful. There are no Tampa fans here that I'm aware of, so it will be very easy to spot the bandwagon jumpers, should they appear.

10. RB in NYC (Now with an Plane Tickets!) Posted: May 14, 2008 at 09:10 AM (#2780169)

And I think this pretty much shuts up the people who claim Hank was posturing, when he went to the media in the past.

No, it's still posturing. Unless he actually does something, it's posturing. In fact, talking about how he's going to do something but not actually doing it is pretty much the definition of posturing.

Now, your larger point about the pressure on the team may or may not be valid, but at the moment Hank is still all sound and fury.

11. The Marksist Posted: May 14, 2008 at 09:12 AM (#2780172)

giggle

12. Cowboy Popup Posted: May 14, 2008 at 09:16 AM (#2780179)

There are no Tampa fans here that I'm aware of, so it will be very easy to spot the bandwagon jumpers, should they appear.

That's not fair. Wisinski (I may have spelled that wrong) has been a Rays fan posting here for years. And he's all I can think of. So, uh, to him that's not fair.

13. The Good Face Posted: May 14, 2008 at 09:16 AM (#2780180)

They really need ARod back. To think 90% of Yankee fans thought they would be better off without him.

14. Toolsy McClutch Posted: May 14, 2008 at 09:39 AM (#2780205)

Fair enough, I suppose I meant posturing that he was really upset, rather than trying to take the heat off the team.

I know everyone is down on Cano, but personally, I can't believe Abreu. He's got a 350 OBP with little to no power, that's got to be killing them. And I think he's below average defensively. He's supposed to be a "star" out there.

15. snapper Posted: May 14, 2008 at 09:39 AM (#2780207)

This. Shortly before the season started, there was a thread here where we opined on which Yankee player was the most irreplaceable. Opinion was split between A-Rod and Posada, and now here we are. Barring some of the other Yankees stepping up with a monstrous year, they probably are pretty close to a .500 team without those two.

Well, if they were a 94-96 win team before, A Rod is probably 8-9 wins above replacement, and Posada 6-7 wins above replacement.

The current replacements are a little bit above replacement, so I could see them as a .500 team w/o the 2 for the full season.

16. Sane Joe Bivens, Permanent Guardian Posted: May 14, 2008 at 09:44 AM (#2780213)

OK, Wisinski is exempt.

17. Sometimes it Rains (sj) Posted: May 14, 2008 at 09:47 AM (#2780218)

I know everyone is down on Cano, but personally, I can't believe Abreu. He's got a 350 OBP with little to no power, that's got to be killing them. And I think he's below average defensively. He's supposed to be a "star" out there.

Cano is going to be ok, but Abreu looks done. he started terribly last year, and this season looks no different.

He is a FA at the end of the year, and OF is one place I could see the Yankees signing someone. Therefore, Adam Dunn is going to get PAID. Maybe not by the Yankees, but if they Yankees are thought to be in the market, it just increases the bidding. Carl Crawford shouldn't have signed that extension, he would have gotten Vernon Wells money.

18. TerpNats Posted: May 14, 2008 at 09:49 AM (#2780220)

Brian Cashman is moving closer to Washington every day...much to the pleasure of many Nats fans.

19. Fred Garvin, Male Prostitute Posted: May 14, 2008 at 09:56 AM (#2780228)

There are no Tampa fans here that I'm aware of, so it will be very easy to spot the bandwagon jumpers, should they appear.

Hi.

20. scotto Posted: May 14, 2008 at 09:57 AM (#2780232)

There are no Tampa fans here that I'm aware of, so it will be very easy to spot the bandwagon jumpers, should they appear.

deJesus Freak aka Fred Garvin has had TB as his AL team for the last few years.

21. Lassus Posted: May 14, 2008 at 09:59 AM (#2780234)

I'll totally jump on the Tampa bandwagon, are you kidding?

I need an AL team to root for anyhow, and after a couple of things I may or may not remember happening in Ybor City, Tampa gets my vote.

22. scotto Posted: May 14, 2008 at 10:01 AM (#2780237)

That was unfortunate timing.

23. 1k5v3L Posted: May 14, 2008 at 10:01 AM (#2780238)

The Yankees need to get out of the rut and get back into the groove!

24. RB in NYC (Now with an Plane Tickets!) Posted: May 14, 2008 at 10:02 AM (#2780239)

Cano is going to be ok, but Abreu looks done. he started terribly last year, and this season looks no different.

I'm not totally down on Abreu yet, last year at this time he was putting up a .236/.312/.291 line. That's terrible. But last year from May 15 on he put up a .298/.388/.495 line, which dragged his total numbers back up to respectable. If he does that again this year, it'll put his season at a pretty decent point.

All of which is a long way of saying it's too soon to close the book on him.

25. Dan Szymborski Posted: May 14, 2008 at 10:07 AM (#2780245)

Cano is going to be ok, but Abreu looks done. he started terribly last year, and this season looks no different.

Abreu may be done as a star and overpaid for what he brings, but 287/355/427 still makes him at least an average rightfielder in a league that's only hitting 259/329/394.

I swear, some of you guys are really spoiled when it comes to offense. Come to Baltimore and watch Kevin Millar or Jay Payton and you'll see what "done" is.

26. The Good Face Posted: May 14, 2008 at 10:17 AM (#2780255)

Abreu may be done as a star and overpaid for what he brings, but 287/355/427 still makes him at least an average rightfielder in a league that's only hitting 259/329/394.

Yeah, Abreu isn't the problem... I'd be surprised if he isn't at least league average when it's all said and done. Wonder what the Yank's are planning with respect to RF for next year? None of the guys down the farm look ready for 09. Matsui can barely handle LF, and Damon's arm doesn't play in CF, let alone RF. A defensive outfield of Matsui in LF, Damon in CF, and Melky in RF is scary in 09. Not sure how adding Adam Dunn helps the situation.

27. Hack Wilson Posted: May 14, 2008 at 10:20 AM (#2780260)

Oh I just learned I have actually met Fred Garvin, Male Prostitute, I had no idea.

28. Cowboy Popup Posted: May 14, 2008 at 10:27 AM (#2780266)

Wonder what the Yank's are planning with respect to RF for next year?

Derek Jeter.

29. Edmundo(Erstwhile Master of Diagramming Sentences) Posted: May 14, 2008 at 11:09 AM (#2780322)

Yeah, Abreu isn't the problem... I'd be surprised if he isn't at least league average when it's all said and done.
he's got an OPS+ of 116 to date. Declaring that he'll be league average this year is a pretty weak prediction. :)
Sure he's been in slow decline since winning the AS HR contest, but he's not toasted yet.

30. Random Transaction Generator Posted: May 14, 2008 at 11:11 AM (#2780328)

As someone who has had Shields and Kazmir as his top pitchers on his Scoresheet team, I've been a closet Tampa Bay fan for the past two years.
Except when they play the Jays.

31. Sane Joe Bivens, Permanent Guardian Posted: May 14, 2008 at 11:11 AM (#2780329)

Ok, the male whore is on the exempt list, too. Any others? Speak now or...

32. The Good Face Posted: May 14, 2008 at 11:13 AM (#2780335)

Derek Jeter.

Does Jeter know yet? I could see this being a dramabomb of epic proportions.

33. Rich Posted: May 14, 2008 at 11:14 AM (#2780337)

If a writer wants to actually do his due diligence, any story that features a rant by Hank should also include at least a "no comment" from Hal, since he holds 50% of the power. Absent that, Hank's quotes are for amusement purposes only.

34. HowardMegdal Posted: May 14, 2008 at 11:17 AM (#2780342)

That's not fair. Wisinski (I may have spelled that wrong) has been a Rays fan posting here for years. And he's all I can think of. So, uh, to him that's not fair.

I think we also need to make allowances for:
Toby Hall's #1 Fan
Vince Naimoli's Ethics
BubbaTrammellBacker
Brian It's a Rekar
The Grieving Process
Toolsy McAbernathy

35. Swoboda is freedom Posted: May 14, 2008 at 11:18 AM (#2780345)

“These players are being paid a lot of money and they had better decide for themselves to earn that money.”

So should your mom.

36. Cowboy Popup Posted: May 14, 2008 at 11:21 AM (#2780352)

Does Jeter know yet? I could see this being a dramabomb of epic proportions.

My thought process is that Girardi was brought in to shake up the player first clubhouse Torre set up. His first big position move was to make Matsui a DH after he openly complained about it last year. I have to think moving Jeter is around the corner and that Girardi is the guy to do that and may have been brought in because of his willingness to do it.

I think we also need to make allowances for:
Toby Hall's #1 Fan
Vince Naimoli's Ethics
BubbaTrammellBacker
Brian It's a Rekar
The Grieving Process
Toolsy McAbernathy

Awesome Howard, nice work.

37. gef the talking mongoose Posted: May 14, 2008 at 11:25 AM (#2780361)

Ok, the male whore is on the exempt list, too. Any others? Speak now or...

Ummmm ... Every now & then I go & watch the AA team here in Montgomery. (Saw what was probably Kazmir's debut for the organization a few years ago after the infamous trade.) This is the 3rd year I've had Kazmir on my (non-keeper-league, I hasten to add) team, & Carlos Pena was a waiver-pickup godsend last year in my replication of the Miracle Braves' sprint from the midseason cellar to the championship.

Dunno if I qualify, but that's my case.

38. Sane Joe Bivens, Permanent Guardian Posted: May 14, 2008 at 11:27 AM (#2780364)

There's a run on Tampa fan applications!

39. APNY Posted: May 14, 2008 at 11:31 AM (#2780374)

Every Hank rant followed by inaction shows more and more that Hal is really in charge.

40. RB in NYC (Now with an Plane Tickets!) Posted: May 14, 2008 at 11:33 AM (#2780379)

There's a run on Tampa fan applications!

I love the Dev--uh, Rays! Always have! I remember the lean times with...that guy. And the other one, you know who I mean, he played...a position. I've certainly never rooted for an overpriced, mediocre squad like the Yankees. Yankees Suck!

Go Rays! Hooray for Kazmar and Karl Crawford and...whathisname, you know, the little Asian. I like him too.

41. Cowboy Popup Posted: May 14, 2008 at 11:36 AM (#2780383)

None of the guys down the farm look ready for 09. Matsui can barely handle LF, and Damon's arm doesn't play in CF, let alone RF. A defensive outfield of Matsui in LF, Damon in CF, and Melky in RF is scary in 09. Not sure how adding Adam Dunn helps the situation.

Oh, I'd be pissed at myself if I didn't mention that Brett Gardner is having a breakout season in AAA this year, .288/.381/.449. I don't know if that translates to average for center or not, but he might be capable of contributing next year if this power boost is real. He doesn't have the instincts to be a great defender, but he's got the foot speed and ability to be a good CFer. Melky in RF, Gardner in center, Damon in right would be low on power, but really good defensively and a good group of table setters. The Yanks would need a real first baseman though. And we'll have to see if Gardner can keep up the power surge for the entire year.

42. Smiling Joe Hesketh Posted: May 14, 2008 at 11:44 AM (#2780401)

That’s the kind of attitude and fire the players have to have.

As others have noted, this is right out of Big George's playbook, the old football analogies and the idea that the team is losing because they're not playing hard. They're playing hard, but they're banged up and Tampa's a pretty talented young team (not just trying hard, but they have real talent now).

43. 1k5v3L Posted: May 14, 2008 at 11:46 AM (#2780404)

I can't tell Brett Gardner and Jeff Duncan apart.
http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/D/Jeff-Duncan.shtml

44. Cowboy Popup Posted: May 14, 2008 at 11:56 AM (#2780410)

I can't tell Brett Gardner and Jeff Duncan apart.

I don't think Gardner is some great prospect or anything, but he got to AAA about a year quicker than Duncan. And in limited time, he's done better than Duncan ever did in AAA.

45. The Good Face Posted: May 14, 2008 at 11:57 AM (#2780411)

Oh, I'd be pissed at myself if I didn't mention that Brett Gardner is having a breakout season in AAA this year, .288/.381/.449. I don't know if that translates to average for center or not, but he might be capable of contributing next year if this power boost is real. He doesn't have the instincts to be a great defender, but he's got the foot speed and ability to be a good CFer. Melky in RF, Gardner in center, Damon in right would be low on power, but really good defensively and a good group of table setters. The Yanks would need a real first baseman though. And we'll have to see if Gardner can keep up the power surge for the entire year.

I'm not convinced Gardner is any better than replacement level in the bigs, but I could be wrong. Teixeira would be a fine fit at 1st, but I'm afraid he'll expect to be paid like the superstar he's not. I'd be shocked if he doesn't come out asking for at least 8 years/$160 million.

46. 1k5v3L Posted: May 14, 2008 at 12:06 PM (#2780426)

44, that may be true. But I still can't tell them apart.

47. Cowboy Popup Posted: May 14, 2008 at 12:12 PM (#2780431)

I'm not convinced Gardner is any better than replacement level in the bigs, but I could be wrong.

Nor am I, it's just something I thought I would throw out there, if he has a full season, or at least more than a month and a half, like that at AAA, it'll be worth revisiting.

I'd be shocked if he doesn't come out asking for at least 8 years/$160 million.

I'll be pretty surprised if a guy with one top ten MVP finish, one All-star appearance and a slow start to the season commands that much. I don't think he's perceived as being as great as statheads perceive his perception to be. Or something like that.

48. Jim Wisinski Posted: May 14, 2008 at 12:35 PM (#2780449)

That's not fair. Wisinski (I may have spelled that wrong) has been a Rays fan posting here for years. And he's all I can think of. So, uh, to him that's not fair.

You got it right.

Brickhaus, who posts occasionally (as Scott Spiezio's Fuschia Soulpatch) here, is a Rays fan. I had no idea that DJF was now Fred Garvin, I thought he vanished completely. There's also JoeRays though I don't think he really posts, just submits articles. I think buddaley is also a Rays fan.

49. jmurph Posted: May 14, 2008 at 12:41 PM (#2780454)

I'd be shocked if he doesn't come out asking for at least 8 years/$160 million.

The only way he's getting anywhere close to that is if a team throws out an extreme outlier offer (like the Angels did with Hunter last year). Unless I'm mistaken, Manny and A-Rod are still the only 20+ AAV guys, right?

50. Jim Wisinski Posted: May 14, 2008 at 12:42 PM (#2780457)

I'll be pretty surprised if a guy with one top ten MVP finish, one All-star appearance and a slow start to the season commands that much. I don't think he's perceived as being as great as statheads perceive his perception to be. Or something like that.

Sometimes it seems like Teixeira gets all kinds of love nationally for being great, sometimes it's almost like he doesn't exist. I'd say that he is actually a bit of a disappointment compared to his original hype though, he has generally been excellent but never really a superstar. Never slugged .600 and only one .400 OBP despite almost all of his career being in Arlington. Splitting hairs I guess but he's nowhere close to the level of someone like Pujols.

51. Petunia Posted: May 14, 2008 at 12:46 PM (#2780468)

Heyman said 10/$200m. Grain of salt for the source, I know, but with numbers that big there's a lot of room to come down and still hit a huge contract. I think statheads' perception of the perception of his value is dead on: it's too high (to be fair, with Boras involved it's possible that mainstream perception is at least partially created/fostered by the agent and not in fact a truly perceived perception on the part of the actual baseball decision makers). So in the end, who knows. But that's what Heyman thinks, and whatever you think about him as a writer, he does have a lot more inside information than most of us.

52. gps Posted: May 14, 2008 at 01:03 PM (#2780485)

I've been a Rays fan for a couple years (since I moved down here, basically), but I almost never post anything on here...but, wanted to get that out there while we're making a list!

53. Cowboy Popup Posted: May 14, 2008 at 01:04 PM (#2780486)

Holy cow, that's way more than I thought was reasonable. I totally value Heyman's insight into that situation more than mine, I was just wrong. I think Boras is aiming way high though, who is going to top the 8/140 offer Texas made?

54. AJM Posted: May 14, 2008 at 01:32 PM (#2780514)

I've been rooting for the D-Rays since they got Kazmir.

55. billyshears Posted: May 14, 2008 at 01:35 PM (#2780516)

The Rays play in the AL East. They are not the Yankees or Red Sox. They were built through good drafting and player development. And they have renounced Satan worship. If the bandwagon ever really gets moving, I'd imagine that you are going to have to beat people around here with a stick to keep them off.

56. Deadball Posted: May 14, 2008 at 01:42 PM (#2780521)

As long as we're naming names, put me down. I've been a backer since I could claim that my waiver wire closer Lance Carter was an all-star... not a loud backer, but a backer nonetheless.

57. Sometimes it Rains (sj) Posted: May 14, 2008 at 01:44 PM (#2780529)

If the bandwagon ever really gets moving, I'd imagine that you are going to have to beat people around here with a stick to keep them off.

Until the backlash, that is.

58. Shooty misses Bill King Posted: May 14, 2008 at 01:48 PM (#2780532)

Until the backlash, that is.

I did prefer the Satan worshipping version of the team. And as a SCUBA enthusiast, I was sad to see the Devil Ray logo go.

So...let me be the first counter-revolutionary. Eff the Rays!

59. bunyon Posted: May 14, 2008 at 01:54 PM (#2780535)

I've been a huge fan of the team ever since they were the Milwaukee Pilots.

And as a SCUBA enthusiast, I was sad to see the Devil Ray logo go.

SCUBA rocks.

If the Yanks sign Tex for 8/140, they won't win another division until the 2020s.

60. Hack Wilson Posted: May 14, 2008 at 02:23 PM (#2780581)

I used to post as St. Louis Browns Fan that's close enough to a Rays fan.

61. Smiling Joe Hesketh Posted: May 14, 2008 at 02:49 PM (#2780611)

I hate the Rays' new unis, though. I really liked the green and white scheme they had, but these new unis are terribly bland and derivative of SD's unis to boot.

62. A well respected Meat Posted: May 14, 2008 at 02:59 PM (#2780629)

i always pick a different al team to cheer for, this year its the rays because of how they were built

63. Sean Ransom Posted: May 14, 2008 at 03:14 PM (#2780652)

I was very rightly panned for my sloppy, stream-of-consciousness Rays preview, but I'm going to call vindication on myself for predicting that the Yankees rookie pitchers would not immediately work out, that New York had a high risk of injury to key players, that the Rays defense would show one of the all-time great turn-arounds and that they would have a historic number of year-over-year increased wins. Oh, yeah - I also predicted that the Rays' pitching staff, outfield, and first base performance would be better than New York's and that the Yankees would very soon be looking up at the Rays in the standings.

In any case, I'll put myself in the Rays fanhood category. I even wore a Devil Rays cap to Fenway a few years ago and watched Hideo Nomo give up a grand slam to Big Papi. Ah, the bad old days.

64. villageidiom Posted: May 14, 2008 at 03:45 PM (#2780710)

these new unis are terribly bland and derivative of SD's unis to boot.

...But not derivative of the Mariners?

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