The All-Stars and Senate Hardball

The Yankees, Unobstructed - July 10

Breaking: I'm just getting word from Albany, it seems that Dean Skelos (R - Rockville Centre), the State Senate's Republican Majority Leader, is offering Pedro Espada (D - Bromaroneck) the position of manager of the Tri-City ValleyCats, the Albany-area class-A minor league affiliate of the Houston Astros. If accepted, Republicans would claim this as a victory on two fronts - they will have regained control of the Senate, and they say that this move would serve as a tacit commitment by Espada to the Republican party, since the ValleyCats play at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium.

More on this later....

With just three games before the All-Star break, the Yankees are tied for first place with the Red Sox. Unfortunately, the Yankees are playing the Angels this weekend. Raise your hand if you feel even remotely comfortable?

Me neither.

On paper the Yankees are a better team than the L.A. Angels of A. The teams have similar starting rotations and comparably decent relief squads, but the Yankees swing much bigger bats. The Yankees even took two out of three from the Angels when they met earlier this year. However, not only do the Angels have Christopher Lloyd on their side, but for the better part of this decade the Angels have treated the Bronx like it's their personal back-country privy. So you'll have to forgive my pessimism.

I'd love to see two out of three (and I crave a sweep), but I'll take just one if L.A. will provide it.

Speaking of the All-Star break, as per tradition, the Yankees are over-represented:

• At first base, Mark Teixeira should be a reserve and Justin Morneau should be starting.
  
• At shortstop, Jeter should be a reserve and Jason Bartlett should be starting.
• In the bullpen, well, Rivera doesn't belong in the All-Star game this year. I'm sorry, but someone had to say it. There are too many relievers on the roster this year as it is, and Mariano has been the least consistent of all of them.
• At second base, Robinson Cano should have been invited as a reserve, and Boston's Dustin Pedroia has no business being anywhere near the Mid-Summer Classic this season.
  

For more of my whining about the All-Star game - click here for the American League and here for the National League.

After the All-Star break, if Chien-Ming Wang is not ready to come back, I want to see Sergio Mitre pitch in his place. The former Marlin, who has not made a Major League appearance in about two seasons, has been lighting up Triple-A. While Alfredo Aceves contributed a perfectly respectable spot-start in Wang's place, this is a good opportunity for the Yankees to see what they've got in Mitre.

Breaking (again): I've just received more information from Albany. Dean Skelos has upped the ante. It seems Skelos is offering Pedro Espada the position of "Honorary Bench Coach of the National League All-Star Team," if he'll rejoin the Republican caucus. No official response has been issued by Espada's people, but he is rumored to be holding out for the soon-to-be vacant Mets managerial position.

What, you don't think a State Senator from Bromaroneck can manage a baseball team from Queens? That's just close-mindedness.

NOTE: Make sure to check back every Wednesday for Pinstripe Politics, your source for that gray area where the Yankees and society converge. Also, check in with the BNN on Fridays for The Yankees, Unobstructed, our weekly Yankee opinion column.

For more of Graham Kates' sports writing, check out his True/Slant blog "Coaches in the Crosshairs" (www.trueslant.com/grahamkates).

The Yankees, Unobstructed June 19

Mediocrity Awards

Watching the Yankees everyday is a lot like eating Burger King's infamous meat'normous breakfast sandwich (pictured on right). Sure, before you dive in, what sits before you is a beautiful and spectacular monument to the wonders of joyful gluttony. But by the fourth inning, as the offense stalls and the starting pitching tires, you begin to fatigue. That sandwich, once alluring, with its three full slices of crispy bacon, two slices of smokey ham, sluggers, ace pitchers, and a sizzling sausage patty between two omelet eggs, two slices of American cheese and a toasted specialty bun, has begun to feel gross and look gratuitous.

Despite their copious "talent", the Yankees have gone on yet another mediocrity binge. As the Yankee blog WasWatching.com pointed out yesterday, the Yankees have gone 13-12 in their last 25 games, including losing two of three to the historically awful Washington Nationals.

At a time like this, we can sit and stare at the Yankees incredibly disappointing team stats for the last month. We can talk about their unreliable starting pitching and their base-running errors. We can even talk about Joe Girardi's in-game decision making. But what I find best soothes my soul when there's little good to say about the Yankees, is to hand out fake awards. So, without further adieu....


Speculatee of the Month: Tie - Joba Chamberlain, Chien-Ming Wang, Yankee Stadium

You're covering the Yankees and it's a slow day. Quick, what do you do? Easy: "Joba could recover his fastball if...." Or, "Wang needs to set up regular meetings with Dr. Leo Marvin..." Or, "the barometric pressure inside the new Stadium is irregular on days when President Obama...."

Most Thankful For: Mark Teixera

Tex's numbers for the last thirty days - 20 runs (tied-2nd on team), 11 doubles (first), 9 home runs (first), 25 rbis (first), .424 on-base percentage (first), .709 slugging (first by a mile), .340 (second). Also, Texeira has not committed a single error in the last month. He has also saved other people's errors (note Jeter and Cano have combined for just one during this span).

Second Most Thankful For: At least they're not these guys

Last weekend's Subway Series was a battle of ne'er-do-wells. In game one, neither team wanted to win, but the Mets proved more adept at handing even the least deserving of opponents a victory.

Most secretly productive: Brett Gardner

The man can score runs. In fact, he has eleven runs and eight steals, while getting just 48 at-bats in the last month. Much of that production, however, is due to his frequent pinch-running.

Most likely to make me cry: Hideki Matsui

Godzilla's decline has been precipitous. While Hideki has not lost his power (in the last month he's hit six round-trippers), he has lost all semblance of speed. Any time Matsui makes contact and the ball fails to leave the park, he has to run. Watching this once solid outfielder struggle with each step he takes down the first-base line is tough enough. But when he's chugging from first to third, it's like watching the first five minutes of "Up." Just try and choke back the waterworks.

Most disturbing facial hair: Brian Bruney

Anyone who watched last fall's Vice-Presidential Debate knows Scranton is a hard-scrabble town, so perhaps Bruney was just trying to fit in when he grew that 1980s face-mop while rehabbing. I've been looking for a good picture of it, if anyone finds one, let me know.

NOTE: Make sure to check back every Wednesday for Pinstripe Politics, your source for that gray area where the Yankees and society converge. Also, check in with the BNN on Fridays for The Yankees, Unobstructed, our weekly Yankee opinion column.

For more of Graham Kates' sports writing, check out his True/Slant blog "Coaches in the Crosshairs" (www.trueslant.com/grahamkates).

The Yankees, Unobstructed

April Baseball is Not Important

One of the toughest aspects of being a baseball fan, is keeping April in its proper context. Some players and teams start hot, other slump from the get-go. Judging from what we have seen so far, Mark Teixera is a bust, Andy Pettitte is unstoppable, Chien-Ming Wang has become the worst pitcher ever, Melky Cabrera is ready to bat clean-up and of course, 700 home runs will be hit at the new Stadium this season.

Undoubtedly, the most striking set-back that the Yankees have had so far, has been the pitching of Wang. A 34.50 era in three starts is unsettling, no matter what time of year it is. While the Yankees say they saw improvement during Wang's extended spring training game yesterday, they also thought he was good enough to pitch at the beginning of the season. Despite Wang's performance of late, even if he ends up on the disabled list with (a totally real and not made up condition, such as) arm fatigue, the Yankees have some solid #5 starters in the minors. Phil Hughes, for instance, has a 1.86 era through three games for the Scranton-Wilkes Barre Yankees (12-1).

Despite Wang, if the Yankees' outfielders keeps producing at the rate they have, the Yankees will be unstoppable. Center field alone, must make Joe Girardi giddy. Each day, Girardi gets to choose between Brett Gardner (who is not hitting well, but has steals on four of his nine singles) and Melky Cabrera, whose .826 slugging leads the team. And of course, flanking the center fielders are Johnny Damon (.407 on-base percentage and three steals) in left field and Nick Swisher, who leads the team or is tied for the lead in home runs (4), runs batted in (12), touched bases (35), walks (10) and on-base percentage (.433), in right field.

This weekend, the Yankees head to Boston for their first meeting of the season. Expect these games to be billed as "Both Team's Most Important Games this month." Although the Red Sox have won seven straight games, the Yankees should be able to squeeze out two wins this weekend. Tonight's starters are Joba Chamberlain (5.06 era) and Jon Lester (5.50 era). Despite Lester's poor start to the season, this might prove to be the Yankees' toughest game. Last season, the Yankees absolutely could not touch Lester. In two starts against the Yanks, he was 2-0 with a 1.79 era. It gets better for the Yankees after Lester though.

In game two A.J. Burnett faces off against Josh Beckett. Against the Yankees, you never know which Beckett will show up, the one who can't be hit, or the one who stomps around on the mound and screams into his mitt all day. Even if the unhittable Becket shows up on Saturday, I like the Yankees' chances, because of Burnett. In eight career starts against Boston, Burnett is 5-0 with a 2.56 era.

For Sunday's match-up, the Yankees have a solid advantage coming in. Andy Pettitte has been the team's best pitcher so far this year and he's facing off against Justin Masterson, who has not had great success against the Yankees (a 4.82 era in five starts).

No matter how this first Boston-New York meeting goes, expect to hear dire predictions for what this series means to both teams....until they meet again in less than two weeks.

Make sure to check back every Wednesday for Pinstripe Politics, your #1 source for news about the Yankees as they relate to the Bronx community, and every Friday for this column, newly titled, "The Yankees, Unobstructed."