The sky isn’t falling
Another Red Sox game, another loss, another night for Yankees fans to panic.
I know how it works. Games against the Red Sox count for more than one for fans, even if they still count for one in the standings. The Yankees have lost four of five to the Sox so far this year, so clearly New York is in serious trouble, right?
Come on, folks.
It’s May 22. Check out the following stats:
2005: 4-5 in first nine games vs. Boston. Yankees win East.
2004: 1-6 in first seven games vs. Boston. Yankees win East.
2003: 4-4 in first eight games vs. Boston. Yankees win East.
2002: 1-5 in first six games vs. Boston. Yankees win East.
Is anybody seeing the trend here?
Yes, these early-season games mean something. After all, the Yankees only won the division last year because they took the season series, 10-9. But it’s not like these games are the deciding factor on May 22.
The Yankees have been crushed by injury. Boston hasn’t seen Sheffield yet, but he’ll be back on Tuesday. Boston hasn’t seen Randy Johnson pitch well yet. Will he? Who knows, but I’m still giving him the benefit of the doubt that he will figure it out.
Wang’s game wasn’t great tonight, but he’s been good enough in his last three or four starts to not be concerned. Chacon’s injury will basically cost him one more start, so that’s not the end of the world. Mussina is still pitching well, and while many people refuse to acknowledge it, Wright has pitched pretty well once he was inserted into the rotation on a regular basis.
Things aren’t so bad. I know that isn’t the conception out there for Yankees fans (and please, please stop calling yourselves "Yankee Nation" … the last thing you need to do is to rip off the Red Sox), but it’s true.
Given the absence of Matsui, Sheffield, Crosby, Sturtze and Chacon, as well as day to day injuries to Giambi and Posada, I think the Yankees have been playing pretty well. Not up to the caliber that they expect to play, but if they can hold themselves above water until some guys get healthy, they’ll be right where they want to be in October.
Now, I have to get to bed. The New York-Boston media game is at Fenway on Tuesday morning. New York is riding an eight-game winning streak, and T-Kep of the Times will try to extend that to nine, making his third straight media game start. Wish us luck.
Mark it Down 
Is it just me, or has Alex Rodriguez just really become comical. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a person worse under pressure. I would love to see some incredibly broken down stats for A-Rod in different situations. All I know is that seemingly everytime I look A-Rod is homering down/up 8 runs, and hitting into a double play when it matters.
ps. I thought the Klap was the best pitcher for the NY Media?
Yankee fans should panic! GO SOX! http://theballhawk.mlblogs.com
Earlier today, there were some people saying that A-Rod performs better when the game doesn’t matter (i.e. leading/losing a blowout game, as opposed to close games). Some people actually accused him of stat-padding. Can you give some insights to this?
Amen Mark.
if i ever met a yankee fan who said he was a member of some “yankee nation” i’d punch him in the face.
Hi Mark, i am a yankees fan from the UK, i am not concerned yet as the yankees like you pointed out have injurys to key players, hopefully sheffield will be back tonight and this will take some of the pressure of A-rod and Giambi. they are trying to hard to get that big hit at the moment, plus hopefully with the return of sheffield it will also take the pressure from the pitching staff as they will have one more big bat in the line-up, to help the offensely
Crushed by injury? Stop whining. You’ve still got Jeter, Posada, Damon, Rodriguez, Giambi, and Williams. Not to mention Mussina, Rivera, and Johnson. Last I counted, that’s at least 9 All-Star players still playing. Every team has injuries. Just because the Yankees and their $190 Million payroll has an All-star at every position, you think you’re crushed by injuries. Maybe you should stop trading all your prospects so you have substitutes for the inevitable injuries.
Its early and the teams still putting it together. The only thing I will mention is that A-Rod needs to be removed from the 4 spot, especially now that Sheffield’s back in the lineup. He’s just not performing, and you can’t have a guy batting forth whose so inconsistant. Giambi’s been slumping but at least he draws walks, and will pop out instead of grounding into a double play whenever you need him to get a hit. Sheffield should be the three guy, Giambi forth, Posada fifth, and A-Rod sixth.
dmoses,
You can get a breakdown of ARod’s stats by viewing Splits at:
http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/stats/mlb_individual_player_splits.jsp?playerID=121347&statType=1
Keep clicking on “Next Splits” until you have had your fill.
In the “Late Inning of Close Games” stat A-Rod hits .125 in 16 AB’s. American League, here’s your MVP.
I actually feel bad for A-Rod. You can tell the guy wants to win and get that big hit, make that clutch play, but he is just flat out bad when it matters. I just hope as the season goes on, he proves me wrong.
Good luck, Mark! Let us know how it goes!
Contributing to the ongoing A-Rod scrutiny (I hope he doesn’t read this blog), I checked the batting averages and RBIs for the Yankees’ last two postseason series:
2004 LCS:
ARod .258, 5 RBI
Giambi n/a, n/a
Jeter .200, 5 RBI
Matsui .412, 10 RBI
Posada .259, 2 RBI
Sheffield .333, 5 RBI
2005 DS:
ARod .133, 0 RBI
Giambi .421, 2 RBI
Jeter .333, 5 RBI
Matsui .200, 1 RBI
Posada .231, 2 RBI
Sheffield .286, 2 RBI
Overall, they all did a decent job in the 2004 LCS. A-Rod did have a lousy DS in 2005, but Matsui and Posada (and I love both of them) didn’t exactly light things up either. In fact, everyone’s production was down in 2005, except Giambi and Jeter.
Amen.
A guy who actually thinks things out.
yankeetradition.com
Lets all hope the players don’t read this blog. Every person on the team would want to kick boseef’s ***…haha
I have a good feeling about tonight’s game and I think Arod is going to have a good game. Knock on wood I think that “meaningful” home run in the 9th last night might have possibly given him some confidence at the plate.
You were right Adam. Good for you. Even better, good for A-Rod. We need him.
Speaking of the sky not falling, I compared the Yankees’ and Red Sox five starting pitchers’ combined win-loss records and ERAs and the Yanks’ stats are better. Including tonight’s game:
Yankees 21-11, 4.40
Red Sox 21-14, 4.70
Wins are the same. Sox have lost more games and have a higher era.
We are only a game and a half out and we are not even at full strength. Just my two cents.
i dont know how everyone else here feels, but i wish Randy Johnson RE-grows a pair and puts a 95 mph fastball under Manny’s chin tomorrow for that showboating he did after he hit that 3 run bomb tonight off Proctor.
Yes, yes ,yes. Somebody please bean Ramirez. That sort of showboating is completely uncalled for and totally warrants a beaning. Though, I hope it is Farnsworth who does it because he can throw harder and is built enough to drop Manny on his fat *** when he charges the mound. Randy flailing those long limbs could be pretty ugly. Then again, you have a point when you say Randy needs to re-grow a pair of stugats and maybe this kind of adrenaline pumping incident is the thing to do it.