The Yankees Unobstructed — July 19

The Yankees are in first place with just over 71 games to play, 17 of which are set to be played against the second place Tampa Bay Rays and third place Boston Red Sox (who trail New York by three and 6 1/2 games, respectively).

Here are some things to watch out for as baseball heads into its home stretch:

Nick Swisher: Since Swisher was announced as a candidate for the final spot on the American League All-Star team on July 4, he's hit .381 with a .435 OBP, 3 home runs, 8 runs scored and a walk-off game-winning hit. Swish showed us last year that when he gets hot he can carry an offense....unfortunately, we also learned last year that he can also go dead cold at the plate for long stretches of time.

As the #2 hitter, when Swisher's hitting well and getting on base, it creates opportunities for the Yankees' power front to see hittable pitches. If Swisher can carry his career-year through the second half, we could see the Yankees offense become even more potent. But, if his bat goes dead, it'll put extra pressure on Mark Teixeira and Álex Rodriguez, who have already had struggles this year.

Speaking of Mark Teixeira: It's no coincidence that he's suddenly become the Tex the Yankees paid for. Since July 4, the first baseman has been on a rampage. He's hit five home runs for 11 RBI (in 10 games!), while improving his average from .243 to .253, and his OBP from .352 to .363 (neither is by any means good, but improvement should be noted).

Derek Jeter: On June 1, the Captain's batting average was .307....it now stands at a very un-Jeter .271. During that period, he's hit .228 and at one point he went 19 games without an RBI. In the past, when Jeter has had slumps like this he's recovered in grand fashion, which is why he's never finished a season with an average below .291.

Those Starting Pitchers: Each month this season, one of the Yankee starters has gone through a terrible slump. But when four pitchers are rocking it, it doesn't matter much how the fifth guy is faring. However, things could start getting rocky soon. A.J. Burnett still can't quite figure out how to avoid devastating innings, and Andy Pettitte will be out for the next month or so with a strained groin. The pressure's going to be on C.C. Sabathia, Phil Hughes and Javier Vazquez to produce quality starts, so the bullpen doesn't get too strained.

Oh Yeah, the Bullpen: It's gonna be a fight (in a good way)! Joba Chamberlain's been inconsistent, while David Robertson's in recovery mode and Jonathan Albaladejo's been lighting up triple-A opponents of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees, and manager Joe Girardi has taken notice. He might just be trying to add extra motivation for Chamberlain to turn things around, but Girardi hinted this weekend that his role as primary setup man might be in jeopardy. Girardi told the Daily News:

"I'm not saying on a daily basis I am going to change our eighth-inning guy, but you have to earn your roles here," Girardi said. "And we evaluate on a daily basis."

Note: Make sure to check back every week for The Yankees, Unobstructed BxNN's Yankees opinion column.

The Yankees Unobstructed — July 12

It's All-Star week, which can only mean two things — 1. A hefty chunk of Yankees are playing for a national audience, and 2. It's time for the BxNN Mid-Summer Yankee awards!

Let's start with the good stuff....

MVP: Robinson Cano may very well be the American League's MVP, and he's certainly the best player on the Yankees. He's at or near the top of several statistical indicators of greatness, including (but not limited to) Gracefulness (11.83 GPS), the Nice Hair Index (98th percentile) and Brightest Smile.

Best Run Campaign: When the race for the final American League All-Star spot came down to Yankee outfielder Nick Swisher and Red Sox first baseman Kevin Youkilis, you knew things would get dirty. Swisher took the lead after he released a campaign video (if anyone can find a link to this, please let me know), but you knew Swisher was a lock when Kevin Youkilis got an unexpected campaign plea from John Kerry.

Most Exciting Contributor: Out of nowhere, Francisco Cervelli has become everyone's favorite sparkplug. Thrust into the spotlight when Jorge Posada was injured early on, Cervelli has become one of the most reliable hitters in the lineup.

Ageless Glory: Nothing feels more like 1998 than watching Andy Pettitte start a game and Mariano Rivera close it out. And that's been happening a lot this year. Sure, they're balding and they need to walk around almost all day long with ice on their arms, but those guys are holding this team together.

Now it's time for the not so good stuff....

Biggest Disappointment: Seriously, Joba Chamberlain has sucked. The setup man leads the team in several statistical indicators of terribleness, including Cowardliness and Awkward Smiles. Oh, and he's also given up two or more runs in a single inning six times this season.

LVP: When Chan Ho Park is summoned from the bullpen, you can hear the entire stadium groan. At one point this season, the $1.2 million reliever surrendered runs in five straight outings. In fact, he's had fewer scoreless appearances (10) than ones in which he's given up runs (11).

The Apology: Once again, I'm sorry David Robertson. I really am. After I told everyone I know that Robertson was the second coming of Mariano, he proceeded to blow every single close game he could get his hands on.

NOTE: Make sure to check back every week for The Yankees, Unobstructed, BNN's Yankees opinion column.

The Yankees, Unobstructed

First, I think it's important to start off by apologizing to David Robertson. I have a long history of jinxing things, and poor Robertson never stood a chance. Just two days after I hailed the young reliever for giving up just one run since August, he fell victim to a grand slam.

I'm sorry, Dave.

But, if mentioning how good someone is in this column ruins them, maybe we can make it work the other way. So, the two Nicks — Johnson and Swisher — are struggling to come by hits. Johnson's pulling down a .158 average, and Swisher is hitting a clean .200. They just look bad.

If the world of baseball production really does revolve around me (and c'mon, it so obviously does), then the Nicks should start kicking into high gear pretty soon.

Time for a Yankees, Unobstructed first — talking about stuff that has nothing to do with the Yankees, at all.

Normally we don't talk about other teams on the Bronx News Network. But today an exception needs to be made. Last night the Mets and Cardinals played a 6 hour 53 minute, 20 inning, 120 out game. There are so many great numbers to pull from the affair.
Here are some good ones (courtesy of the sporting news):

• 11: Number of consecutive innings Francisco Rodriguez warmed up before entering the game in the 19th and blowing a save. Look, I said the Castillo bunt may have been Manuel's nadir.
• 110: Number of outs recorded before Jose Reyes became the first runner to score, on a Jeff Francoeur sacrifice fly in the 19th inning.
• 0: Number of times on base, combined, by Francoeur and Jason Bay in 14 at-bats.
• 2: Number of entire NBA playoff games (Hawks-Bucks and Celtics-Heat) played during Cardinals-Mets.

A Recap of the Ridiculous 20-Inning Cardinals-Mets Epic, By the Numbers

Today's completely useless trivia — courtesy of ESPN, who was obviously just trying to kill an extra three seconds — last night's Ubaldo Jimenez no-hitter was the first by anyone whose name starts with "U."

Back to the Yankees

This week the Yankees are heading to Oakland and Anaheim. I don't know if it's the Pacific air, the sushi snobbery or maybe distraction from being so near In-n-Out, but for the last couple of years the Yankees have been less than great on West coast roadtrips. Consider this a good test of their mettle. If they can pull two of three from both Oakland and Anaheim, then we can really feel comfortable with this April success.

NOTE: Make sure to check back every weekend for The Yankees, Unobstructed, BNN's weekly Yankees opinion column.

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

The Yankees, Unobstructed - Oct. 23

Be afraid, be very afraid

The Yankees are returning to the Bronx this weekend, without the pennant. Although they are ahead of the Angels 3-2, there are a lot of reasons the Yankees and their fans ought to be uncomfortable….

• The Angels starter tomorrow, Joe Saunders, has given up three earned runs only once since August 6^th — that’s nine consecutive strong starts for Saunders.

• If this thing goes to game seven, the Yankees will pitch C.C. Sabathia for the third time this series. While the Big Man has been nothing short of dominating in his first two starts, the Angels are one of baseball’s elite offensive teams and there’s no telling how their hitters will handle facing the same starter three times in nine days. It could be hard for C.C. to avoid predictability.
  

• Nick Swisher’s occasional cold-streaks were tolerable all season long, because the man was a walk-machine. Swisher was second in the American League in walks during the regular season and 20^th in on-base percentage, but he has become an easy out this postseason. The Yankees need Mr. Twitch to anchor down the second half the batting order this weekend.

• We will not be able to rely on Alex Rodriguez this weekend. With a man on base or in many two out situations, the Angels will choose to take their chances against Hideki Matsui.
  

• Joe Girardi does not seem to have any concrete game-plan for the Yankee bullpen. If there is one guy who seems to be having difficulty handling the pressure of this stage, it’s Girardi. His decision-making has been erratic and reflects over-analysis. Some games he sticks with the starters too long (yesterday) and gives the bullpen too short of a leash (also Yesterday). Other times his starters have been given too short of a leash (Games two and three). Criticizing managers for their bull-pen decisions can often be unfair….but Girardi used four pitchers (three for just one out) through 7.1 innings in game three.

• The Yankees have been through worse than losing a 3-1 League Championship Series. Let's not relive that in this column — Tim McCarver mentions it every five minutes during his broadcasts. That’s enough of a reminder.

NOTE: Make sure to check back on Fridays for The Yankees, Unobstructed, BNN's weekly Yankees opinion column.

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

The Yankees, Unobstructed - May 1

Remember the Team, as They Were Before A-Rod

For the last six weeks, the Yankees have almost been like a normal team. Other than all the hoopla surrounding the new Stadium, the team has had no off-the-field distractions. That ended yesterday with the Daily News' feature on Selena Roberts' new book, A-Rod. As we prepare to spend the rest of the season talking about Alex Rodriguez and how corrosive his influence is on the Yankees, Major League Baseball, America's youth, baseball statistics for the last fifteen years and Alex's everywhere, we should make sure to honor the Yankees as they are now, a real team. So, without further ado, I present the April '09 "Yankees as an Almost-Real Team" Awards.

Hitting MVP: Nick Swisher, of course

Swish leads the Yankees in runs (21), doubles (8), home runs (7), runs batted in (19), touched bases (55), on-base percentage (.430), and slugging (.714). He's also third in total hits (24), behind Robinson Cano (34) and Derek Jeter (27) and second in walks, behind Mark Teixera . April has been great for Swisher, but it's fair to assume that he will cool off eventually. He also leads the team with nineteen strikeouts and guys who get fanned almost as often as they get hits rarely have incredibly high on-base percentages.

Pitching MVP: Andy Pettitte

At the end of a month in which the Yankees had the second worst earned run average in the majors (5.79 era), Pettitte stood out as a beacon of consistency. Pettitte has pitched at least six innings in each of his four starts, and has yet to surrender more than three earned runs in an appearance.

Hitting LVP: Mark Teixera

Teixera's slump won't go on forever; he is too good of a baseball player. Hitters who want to prove their worth when they first sign with the Yankees, have a tendency to swing too hard (reference the first months of Jason Giambi and Alex Rodriguez's tenures in the Bronx), but eventually Tex will settle in and hit naturally.

Pitching LVP: Chien Ming Wang, obviously

34.50 era, 'nuff said. Wang will get better as he builds up arm strength and fixes his mechanics, but he may have lost his starting spot, at least temporarily. With both Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain putting up solid starts, the Yankees might want to consider making Wang a long-relief option from the bullpen, until (or in case) one of their young starters cools off.

Biggest Letdown: Tie - Yankees Front Office, City Hall and the new Yankee Stadium

The old Stadium is still standing and the Bronx is still awaiting its replacement parks. Meanwhile, the new Stadium has had far more downs than ups: obstructed views, over-priced seats and a jet-stream to right field are just a few of the drawbacks to the $1.5 billion Baseball Basilica.

Biggest Chump: Me

Anyone who has talked sports with me even a few times, knows one thing for sure: my predictions curse worse than the Madden and Sports Illustrated covers combined. So far, this baseball season has been no different. Last week, I predicted that "the Yankees should be able to squeeze out two wins this weekend" against the Red Sox. The Yankees were, of course, swept by Boston.

At the beginning of the season, I declared (the now benched) Brett Gardner to be the Yankees "speedy savior."

In addition, while hanging out at a bar with friends in early April, I also confidently declared that "there's no way Seattle can compete with the Angels!" Seattle is currently in first place in the American League West Division, with a 13-9 record, and the Angels are 9-12. Seattle's favorite Bronx journalist, Alex Kratz, is most likely quite happy.

Got some of your own April awards? Feel free to leave them in the comment section below.

Also, be sure to check back every Friday for "The Yankees, Unobstructed" and every Wednesday for "Pinstripe Politics," your weekly source for Yankees Stadium replacement parks news.

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."