Kuzul

Courtesy of Yankees ‘n More

On the eve of the American League Championship Series between the New York Yankees and the Texas Rangers, Alex Rodriguez was answering questions from the media, which should come as no surprise. That he was answering questions about former Rangers owner Tom Hicks, however, might raise an eyebrow.

Reportedly, Tom Hicks, when asked about Alex Rodriguez’s trade away from Texas, replied with a curt “good riddance.”

#1 – How is Tom Hicks even a story, at this point?
#2 – Why does anybody care what he thinks?
#3 – Does Hicks’ hypocrisy know NO bounds?

Tom Hicks, you may or may not know, is the one who decided to give Rodriguez a $252 million contract to begin with. He did so without a gun to his head and after telling his general manager, Doug Melvin, that he could get the deal done for a around $125 million. Imagine what Melvin could have done with $252 mil had HE been allowed to invest it. Or even the $65 million Hicks wasted on Chan-Ho Park, for that matter.

But screw that. That’s all history, as is Hicks’ ownership of the team… FINALLY. There has never been a bigger curse on the Rangers than the ownership of Hicks, who was an anchor dragging this franchise down for more than a decade. Hicks ruined the best thing the Rangers ever had going—three division winners built before he owned the team—and he handcuffed the entire organization for all the years that followed.

And THIS is the jackass who is out there saying “good riddance” to a guy like Alex Rodriguez, who showed up and played hard and great every single day he put on a Rangers uniform, continuing to do so even after Hicks proved a liar on all the promises he made to Rodriguez before he agreed to sign.

Tom, you were never anything but an albatross around the neck of the Rangers organization. Do us all a favor and chug a great big cup of SHUT THE HELL UP! Thank God you and your idiot sons are FINALLY out of the baseball business. Now do is all one more great big favor and get your sorry ass out of the hockey business, as well!

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For The Latest Yankees News, Check Out Yankees ‘n More
According to a source close to Mark Teixeira, the All-Star first baseman will not be with the Yankees when they face the Rangers at the start of their next road trip in Texas on August 10 and 11. Teixeira’s wife is, according to the source, having a baby, and Mark will stay with her.

We can only assume, if the schedule is known this far in advance, that this is a planned birth. No word from our source on whether or not Teixeira will join the team for their four-game series in Kansas City—the second leg of the road trip.

By the way, think this wasn’t in the back (or perhaps front) of Brian Cashman’s mind when he made the deal that brought Lance Berkman to New York?

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By Larry Barnes | Yankees ‘n More
It might sound strange to say this on a night when Mariano Rivera just successfully closed out a 3-2 win in a shutout 9th inning on the road for his 21st save in 23 chances, but… I’m concerned about Mariano Rivera.

For the first time in God only knows how long, Mo was out there tonight with his cutter. He got by with basically sinkers (2-seamer) and 4-seam fastballs. He had good velocity (94 on some of the 4-seamers), but his command wasn’t nearly as sharp as normal.

We know Rivera has been fighting some sort of strain or pain in his side, which is why he chose to skip the All-Star game. We also know that’s been a lingering issue for Rivera this season.

Whether that or something else is an issue, there seems to be an issue. When is the last time Rivera didn’t have good cutting action on the ball and was forced to turn to other pitches? And, at least to these eyes, Rivera’s delivery did not appear NEARLY as smooth tonight as what we’ve we all become used to seeing.

Compound all of that with the multiple reports that say the Yankees have been pushing very hard in an attempt to get Joakim Soria away from Kansas City. In an ideal world, the Yankees would love to make Soria the setup man for Mo.

Perhaps, however, part of the reason (assuming the reports are accurate) that Brian Cashman is pushing so hard is because he believes he might need somebody else to close games before this season is over.

It’s just one game. But we know Rivera has been dealing with some issues throughout the season, and what we saw tonight is worthy of at least some concern.

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By Larry Barnes | Yankees ‘n More  and The Yankees Daily-Press

For years now we have been advocating the replacement of Jorge Posada at catcher. Until today, our sole point of contention has been Posada’s defense, which ranges anywhere from bad to ridiculous depending on the day.

Today, however, brought to light an entirely new reason to no longer risk playing Posada at catcher.

For the second time this season, Posada had to be removed from a game because of an injury suffered while playing defense. This time, it appears the Yankees dodged a bullet.

X-rays taken of one of Posada’s glove-hand fingers, which was hyperextended by yet another foul ball, were negative. He is listed on the injury report as day-to-day.

Earlier this season, Posada was forced to the disabled list thanks to a foot fractured by a foul ball. The 38-year-old would miss 15 games with that injury. He came back on June third and is still working to refind his swing.

The Yankees are struggling enough to score runs as it is. The last thing they need is to lose Posada’s bat because of an injury suffered while playing catcher. It’s not as if Posada contributes anything defensively anyway. Why even consider the significant injury risk that comes with the catcher’s position?

You only accept such risks when there is some sort of reward to counter balance it. In this case, there is none, especially with the DH spot open.

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By Larry Barnes | Yankees ‘n More  and The Yankees Daily-Press
Though he certainly wasn’t alone on the list of Yankees employees who screwed up big time during Sunday afternoon’s 7-6 win over the Toronto Blue Jays, third-base coach Rob Thomson was on top of the mountain.

For AT LEAST the fourth time this season, Thomson made the decision to send a runner to the plate only to have the runner, Nick Swisher in this case, turn into the first out of an inning. Unforgivable.

In fact, it’s unforgivable if it happens ONCE. If you send a runner from third with nobody out in an inning, he better score. No excuses. None of the crap about, ‘they made a perfect throw.’ … If you send a runner from third with nobody out, it better not be close. If a “perfect throw” has even a CHANCE to get him, you don’t send him. Period. The end!

Thomson’s eventful afternoon did not stop there. He had two additional runners thrown out at home plate, as well. The latter two were not as ridiculous as the first, but three runners thrown out at home in one game is a little more than outrageous.

You simply don’t take those risks when you’re already set up for a big inning. You don’t let the other team off the hook. While the Yankees have certainly blown their share of such golden scoring chances, at least then it’s on the players.

More importantly, there is a right way and a wrong way to play (or in this case coach) this game. Thomson is making a habit of choosing the wrong way.

Enough is enough.

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By Larry Barnes | Yankees ‘n More
and The Yankees Daily-Press

As I’m sure you know by now, Robinson Cano hit a rather significant home run, at least within the scheme of one game, on Sunday night. But the more I think about it, the more impressive it seems.

Not just because it ended up being the difference-maker after an amazing ninth-inning rally, which was helped along by a Cano RBI double. But there are also a few things about the home run itself that stand out.

1) Cano took a well-spotted, down-and-away fastball from a tough lefty in George Sherrill and hit a home run to left-center field. Think about that. Sherrill made the pitch he wanted to make, and Cano drove it 409 feet over the wall to the opposite field! At Dodger Stadium, no less, which, especially at night, is not an easy place to hit home runs. AMAZING!

2) If you think home runs overall are down in baseball (you are right, of course), watch for home runs hit the other way and see how long it takes to see another one. With the game getting back to something close to normal, the guys who can drive the ball out of the park to the opposite field, especially in a night game at a place like Dodger Stadium, are very few and very far between.

3) While righties hit Sherrill very well, lefties do not. In fact, coming into last night’s appearance, lefties were hitting .188 (6-for-32) against Sherrill this season with only two extra-base hits, both of them doubles. More impressive still, Cano’s is only the second homer to a lefty Sherrill has allowed since the start of the 2008 season. Sherrill allowed no homers to lefties in 2009.

What else can you say? It was an amazing hit by an amazing player, one who is having an amazing season.

Into Monday’s Off Day: Robbie Cano now leads all Yankees in hits (106 to 91 over Derek Jeter), in runs (55 to 51 over Mark Teixeira), in doubles (22 to 18 over Alex Rodriguez), in home runs (15 to 13 over Teixeira), in total bases (175 to 133 over Jeter), in slugging percentage (.593 to .503 over Jorge Posada), in batting average (.359 to .321 over Brett Gardner), and in OPS (1.002 to .880 over Posada).

“M-V-P!… M-V-P!… M-V-P!… M-V-P!…”

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By Larry Barnes | Yankees ‘n More  and The New York Yankees Daily-Press

New York Yankees pitching coach Dave Eiland has been gone from the team since the first week of June. Beyond saying that it’s not a health issue, the organization refuses to say why.

Tonight, we might finally have an answer as a source informs Yankees ‘n More that Dave Eiland is in rehab.

If the source we heard from tonight were the first person from which we’ve heard this, we would not be running this story. But that’s not the case. Almost from the day he left, we’ve heard multiple whispers from multiple sources, some more reliable than others, that Eiland is indeed in rehab.

Were this a newspaper, there is basically no chance this story would (or even should) run. However, this is not a newspaper. It’s a blog, which allows certain freedoms, for lack of a better term.

You could call this information a rumor and not be totally off-base. However, it’s a rumor that has been repeated to us numerous times from several completely different places. Moreover, the way some are reacting (or NOT reacting) to it is also suspicious.

One reporter, who shall remain nameless, but a guy who regularly covers the Yankees, happens to be a guy with whom we have contact on a semi-regular basis throughout the season. This particular reporter is always extremely responsive to questions, even if it’s to tell us how completely off our rocker we are.

And, in fact, Yankees ‘n More had a techno conversation flowing to and fro with this reporter tonight. The subject of the conversation was Dave Eiland, and it lasted right up until I told him what I had heard again this evening.

The conversation stopped immediately. No reply whatsoever. I cannot begin to tell you how completely out of character this is for this particular person.

We didn’t even ask for information. We just questioned whether or not an addiction would/should be considered a “health” issue, which the Yankees insist is not involved here. Still nothing but the sounds of silence.

Would I bet my life that Eiland has an addiction problem that forced him to leave the team for rehab? Absolutely not. I also wouldn’t bet my life that the sun comes up in the east tomorrow. But I can tell you this: The smoke is starting to get pretty damned thick around this issue, which usually means there’s some fire in there somewhere.

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By Larry Barnes | Yankees ‘n More and The New York Yankees Daily-Press
It is past time for the New York Yankees to have a fulltime pitching coach on staff – a benefit the Yankees haven’t enjoyed for a week and counting. That’s because Dave Eiland has some unnamed personal issue that has kept him away from the team.

Call it cold-hearted if you must, but the world doesn’t stop because Eiland can’t show up to work and doing his job. The Yankees have to keep playing, and many of their starting pitchers are suddenly struggling.

In fact, only two starters in the last six games (the time missed thus far by Eiland) have not experienced mechanical/command issues. Those would be Andy Pettitte and Javier Vazquez in their respective most recent starts.

Everybody else – A.J. Burnett (twice), Phil Hughes and CC Sabathia – has struggled mightily to command, among other things, their fastballs.

Such problems are almost always a sign of something a little off in the mechanics and noticing such things is one of the primary responsibilities of the pitching coach.

In fact, Sabathia struggled with mechanics a few starts back. It happened while Eiland was away to “attend his daughter’s graduation.”
SIDEBAR ISSUE: In light of recent events, it seems reasonable to question whether or not that was actually the reason for Eiland’s absence.

After Sabathia struggled through that previously mentioned game, there was no mention of anybody having spotted anything off with his mechanics. That is to say, nobody until the pitching coach returned and watched the tape.

Eiland said he “immediately noticed” a small flaw in Sabathia’s mechanics that was “easily correctible.”

One can only wonder how things might have been different were Eiland on the job to “immediately notice” this “easily correctible” flaw DURING the game.

Perhaps there were also little “easily correctible” things that went unnoticed during the Yankees road trip, which saw 67% of their starting pitchers used struggle with the same types of issues.

If only there were a real pitching coach around who might notice such things. Instead, the Yankees are trying to, in their words, “get by as best (they) can” with a bullpen coach serving as their pitching coach while Eiland’s absence continues with no end in sight.

General manager Brian Cashman, in fact, was specifically asked if Eiland might miss the rest of the season. His answer made it clear that the GM has no idea when or if Eiland might be ready to return.

“(Eiland) is taking some personal time and is expected to return as soon as practical,” Cashman said.

It is past time for the New York Yankees to once again have a fulltime and fully-invested pitching coach on staff. If Dave Eiland isn’t capable of showing up for work and/or doing his job, replace him with somebody who can.

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