Yankee Stadium's Misfits of Row X

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Cano's indignant attitude, lack of concentration a microcosm of his 2008 season

Cano made an errant toss to Derek Jeter yesterday on a potential double play ball. To everyone who has watched this team, and Cano, all season long, it looked like a realy weak effort - there was no conviction to execute. The play was a sure-fire double play that instead turned into ZERO outs, and eventually 3 more runs by Toronto. That closed the gap to 6-5 and seemingly popped the Yankees balloon.

All year we have watched this prima donna mentally shit the bed in classic fashion.  He gave up on so many at bats early in the year you wondered if he was trying to keep up - or rather, down,  with Melky's feeble output. At bat after at bat of swinging at the first pitch, regardless of location, regardless of how the pitcher had been throwing to the previous hitters. It was as if he was just kicking it around for a pick up game back in the D.R.  

His lack of concentration and attention to detail in the field is downright embarrassing when there is a player like Dustin Pedroia playing up the pike in Boston.

But Baby Cano has a persecution complex, woe is he.

"I should have taken it, straightened up and then threw it," Cano said. "People always watch the bad things. I don't want to make an error. I would like to be perfect and be the best guy out there. But I'm human and I'm going to make mistakes."

There is an expression that Girardi has inserted into assessing player mistakes this year. Recently when Arod tried to stretch a blooper into a double and was thrown out, and again with this unsuccessful flip by Cano. Girardi's expression was ,"You have to be sure" - You have to be sure you are going to make it to second base - or in Cano's situation, get the ball there.

Cano acts as if thats the only time that he was mentally vacant and physically careless.  Did he forget about the times he forgot to cover second base. What about the times he didn't bend all the way over the get to a groundball up the middle. YES - he did that - on several occasions.  This guy has some balls on him to act indignantly about being criticized when he cannot be counted on to lay down a crucial bunt. There is another example - we understand you can go into a slump - but a player who really cares about winning - I mean REALLY cares - will give himself the weapon of a bunt by practicing it.

The way that the Yankees lost to the Blue Jays yesterday is a perfect microcosm of why, throughout the season, you really were never convinced that this team had what it takes to go a long way.   There are just too many "little things" that our key players do not execute.

Kevin Kernan hit the nail on the head with CARELESS CANO IS REAL CULPRIT in his NYPOST piece.  Click his name to read the article.

As Kernan mentioned, Cano made sure to hurry out the door after the game instead of hanging around to face the music. Another terribly weak show of character, I guess he is from the Carlos Delgado school of taking postgame responsibilities with the press.

Today all Cano could offer up was something about being human, and making mistakes. He implored us to recognize that he works hard. "That's the same way that I played in the Minor Leagues," Cano said. "It's not that I want to be like that. You see I'm getting here early every day and I work hard. It's not like I'm going to work hard and then be smooth. That's the way I play."

You want to work on something Robbie - work on your mental toughness. Get a shrink. Learn the English language if that helps.  Respect our culture the way you ask us to respect yours. Our money is good enough - how about speaking our language? 

If anyone doesn't like my overt statement on respecting America, let me remind you that when immigrants came here in the 20's they were mocked and kept out of jobs if they couldn't speak English.  If you expect me to hold my tongue for some priveliged and seemingly carefree ballplayer from the Dominican Republic clearly you need to reassess.

Focus on execution Robbie. Do things the right way.

If Robbie played College baseball at a top flight program - as opposed to learning ball in the D.R. and the minor leagues I'd be willing to be that he would not often be such an anathema to watch in the field .

Be purposeful when you make a flip.  Have a plan when you go to the plate.

We can accept errors here and there, but as much as a publically protective Girardi said Cano's error yesterday was physical anyone who has watched him all year knows better.

Moose keeps it close, Giambi provides all the "O", as Yanks beat Papelbon again

Murderer's Row beaten again by a Bum Byrd

Misfit of Row X playing Schedule's Advocate in the A.L. East

The AL EAST division race looks lost for the Yankees - not mathematically, but in my mind I just haven't seen enough from this Yankee team to envision them overcoming a team that has been as consistently hot and resourceful as the Tampa Rays. Those revenue sharing grubbing expansion basteards - and their nazi manager!

Really - this is a fundamentally bereft 2008 Yankee squad for the most part - and for the first time in a long while I am forced into "being realistic". There are too many "games within the game' which they do not execute. I hate the expression "small ball" - because you can't expect a team comprised mostly of star sluggers to sacrafice bunt as frequently as a NL pitcher would - but the bunting skill is useful if you are in a one run game and the opposing pitcher is throwing fastballs that hiss, scream, or as AROD said of AJ Burnett's, "snake" at you.  You know, the kind of games you see in the playoffs when all the teams have good pitching.

So how is guy like Johnny Damon, who relies on speed batting leadoff and has never hit over 24 home runs in a season - simply is content to say, that he is "just not a good bunter". Honestly, that level of professional apathy is inexcusable - especially when you have the otherwise useless Bobby Meacham around. He lead the league in sacrafice bunts twice in the mid 80's.

One quick thing to consider about those Devil Rays, however, and their ability to win in the postseason is that they haven't really been pressured at the top since they took it over. The Red Sox have been resilient through injuries and absconding stars, but mostly they have sputtered along in front of the broken down Buick Yankees.  They have an excellent manager who is a decendant of Scioscia and his Lasorda upbringing, but as players they are not battle tested as favorites - and their ACE Sonnanstine is a "feel pitcher", that doesn't always translate to postseason success.

But I digress....to A.L. THE WILD CARD.

There are the Twins, Red Sox, White Sox and Yankees basically fighting for 2 playoff spots. We will focus on the Yankees and Red Sox.

Now I am gonna crawl out to some limbs...

Conventional wisdon has been telling us all season that the Red Sox, whom like the Rays, have been monsters at home, have the easiest schedule going through the season ending stretch run. 20 of their final 32 games will be played at home where they currently are riding a .705 winning percentage.  The Yankees on the other hand play 16 of their final 32 at home, where they sport a .584 winning percentage. Both teams have 32 wins on the road but the Red Sox have 4 more losses in playing 4 more away games, so thats a wash.

Playing at home obviously is a huge boon for the Bosox. But lets look more closely at the breakdown of the Red Sox schedule. For starters I'd like to note the peril of the "4 game series". Its not like 4 playoff games with the same team because there are no days off. "4 gamers" are dreaded because it is terribly rare to win all 4, and very difficult to win 3. Starting September 8 Boston plays rival Tampa Bay at home for 3 games, then after a day off Thursday they start 4 game home series with Toronto over the course of 44 hours, barely 2 days. The series includes a Saturday doubleheader. "Difficulty of Schedule"?  I gotta think its awfully hard to even win 3 games in under 2 days let alone sweep all 4 against the same team. The next day they begin a 6 game road trip, first through Tampa Bay and then onto Toronto.  

They follow that up and close their season with 7 games at home, including a 4 gamer with Cleveland and then in classic fashion the final 3 against the Yankees.

Over the course of 14 days - Sep 8 through Sep 21 - the Red Sox will see the Devil Rays for 6 games and the Blue Jays for 7 games.  Maddon's Rays are gonna want homefield throughout the playoffs, they will still be in the hunt for that at this time so they will be playing all out in those 6 games.

When I look at that 14 day stretch of 13 games the Red Sox with the " BLUE-RAYS" I am gonna give Boston 7 wins. I bank on the Yanks bats continuing to awake and taking 9 of 13 over the same span.

The Yanks then go into Boston for the final weekend of the season one game behind Boston for the wild card. 

Tiebreaker at Yankee Stadium for the final "regular season" game.

Who sends the Yankees into postseason play with a walkoff? 

Cano tie breaking HR in 7th wins gives Yanks sweep over O's, Outfielders needs to communicate

This IS cause for celebration! YES it is!  A sweep at any time, but especially when the Yankees struggle to even 'have' a stretch run, it was a huge win. You win a bunch in a row and you can get used to it, you expect to get hits so you swing the bat differently, you relax and focus on execution instead of not failing.

The O's had taken 7 of 12 from NYY this year before this weekend sweep by the Bombers. O's starter Daniel Cabrera had 3 of those wins without a loss going into the game, with his arm seemingly falling off the Yanks touched him for 7 runs in 3.2 innings of work. The most accurate pitch that he threw was the one that hit Arod, otherwise he looked sloppy and was all over the place.

In a game that quickly tightened after Derek Jeter misplayed a bad bounce, the Yankees found a way to win, yesterday it was Robinson Cano blasting a bomb to CF in the 7th inning to break a tie at 7. 

Thats it - they found a way to win on a day when they started bottom of the rotation battler Darrel Rasner who had nothing and gave up 5 in 3.1 innings. 

One thing that does continue to alarm me is the tendency of Yankee pitchers to throw pitches low and inside to left handed hitters. it was Edwar Ramirez' turn yesterday - Pudge was clearly set up middle-away for Brian Roberts but Edwar's pitch grooved right back into the happy zone and Roberts bombed it - I hate to say it, but when I saw Roberts step the plate and Ramirez out there on the mound I had a bad feeling.

Another bone to pick is the seeming lack of communication - or, simply, poor decision making in the outfield. If I am Johnny Damon and there is a runner tagging on a fly ball I am going to let Xavier Nady make the play if he is close to it. It is possible that Nady wasn't assertive and didn't call Damon off, but those two humps need to get it together and play some smart fucking baseball.  They are supposed to be Pros - there is no reason why they cannot have the presence of mind and athletic dexterity to manage such plays. Damon can't throw, if there is going to be a runner tagging and Nady can make a play on a throw you let him catch the ball.

Pavano provides solid outing and gets win

Is Arod someone's voodoo doll?

The last 3 balls that AROD has hit each missed being a home run by less than 3 feet.

Box Score shows Bobby Abreu 5 for 5 - 20/20 Vision across the season exposes Roberta Abreu

The Yankees hammered the Orioles 9-4 last night. Abreu's performance offered some interesting perspective.

On the one hand he made a running catch* , and went 5 for 5 at the plate. The asterisk was intentional, will get to that later. The fifth hit was a gift from the official scorer, rather than an error on the 2B Brian Roberts for a feeble "let the ball play me off the lip of the grass" attempt.  But 5 hits is 5 hits, so I will grant him that.

On the other hand he was a careless baserunner as the tying run on third and there was yet another sampling of his trademark creampuff defense as he let a ball drop between him and Johnny Damon in right center field.

Now, on a slight tangent, much ado was made before, and during parts of the game, about the Little League World Series team from Venezuela being at the game, courtesy of 25 tickets from Native Venezuelan Bobby Abreu.  He made some time before the game to say hello and speak with the little fellas near the Yankee dugout.  As the game wore on you could tell that Bobby had a little spring in his step and likely wanted to put on a good show for the kids.  Maybe if those kids could go to all the games Bobby would give a shit like that EVERY NIGHT.

YES announcer Ken Singleton would later elaborate a little more on these Little Leaguers and mention how each and every one of them said Bobby Abreu was their favorite player.   Ken also mentioned that Orioles TV voice Gary Thorne, who also works the Little W.S., noted that each of the Venezuelan players took the first pitch in - in every at bat, just like Abreu often does.

Interesting and amusing, eh? Not if you are a paying die hard fan watching him every night.

I wonder if Thorne also noticed the Venezuelans employing the same passive and demure style of defense employed by Abreu on a nightly basis. I doubt it - most little leaguers play with a spirit like Derek Jeter - reckless hungry abandon. Those are not words associated with Bobby Abreu. Last night, however, almost as if trying to put out his best for the Little Leaguers, Abreu actually busted it for the most part. He really busted it hard with some purpose going after a fly ball very deep down the right field line and made the play.  I wondered what had gotten into him to play with such urgency on defense until I then saw him disappear behind the end of the wall.

Now, here is the asterisk - apparently the wall along the right field line ends about 30 feet shy of the outfield fence and provides a sort of tunnel area where Abreu could safely allow his momentum to take him sans fear of colliding with a padded wall.  We all know what a "SISSY MARY" Abreu is about running hard and going all out near any wall.  Nonetheless, he made the play last night. Of course, we knew better than to get greedy, as later in the game Abreu would reaffirm what a pansy he truly is in the outfield when he backed off on a ball that dropped in between him and Damon later inthe contest.

Further notice of Abreu keeping us honest, as the potential tying run in the 8th inning he was nearly picked off of third base by O's catcher Ramon Hernandez. Every replay showed that the ump missed the call - Abreu and his empty coconut head was out. I can't believe the O's didn't argue. I guess Roberta had most of the night off, last night was all BOBBY.

Mussina started but gave the game back several times.  Maybe he can work on another book during the season next year, and write about how he 'didn't get 20 wins'  this year.  As the violins play for him in the background...

The reader likely feels that this post has a negative over - and under - tone.  Good call Einstein. I'd prefer to call it observant and demanding,  but extremely fair.

There is no reason that from top to bottom a major league team cannot give a solid fundamental effort night in and night out.  Needing to turn it up a notch because kids from his home country are watching should not be a pre-requisite for Bobby Abreu to go all out - everywhere on the field. There are AMERICAN kids who deserve to see that effort every night. AMERICAN KIDS who's parents pay good money for tickets for their families to watch games. Bobby always runs hard to first, always runs hard around the bases - but thats not the whole game.  He is a candy ass in the outfield it costs games.  Last night they scored 9 runs, but thats a rarity - painfully true this season especially.  If you've watched him since 2006 you don't need me to elaborate on his defensive gaffes.

Am I asking too much of Bobby?

Does anyone remember what Joe DiMaggio said when asked why he played so hard on every single play?  He said, "Some kid out there might be watching me for the first time".  He didn't say "some Italian Kid" - he said "some kid".

Play the game the right way Roberta Abreu. Play it the right way every night.

My rule is a simple one - if a play can cost you a game, its important enough to do it right.

Jeter one hit away from 2500 for his career