Posts Tagged ‘Freddy Garcia’

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Ugggggg

Tuesday, May 15th, 2012

And I’m not talking about these.

I’m talking about the Yankees and their peek-a-boo offense. Sometimes you see it and sometimes you don’t. Tonight was evidence of the latter. Where was it hiding? Was the O’s pitcher really that good or were our boys just in a hurry to get back to New York? So odd how meekly they went down one after the other.

And then there was CC. I was finishing my afternoon beach walk when the game started at 4 o’clock here, so I was listening to John and Suzyn on my iPhone for the first inning before switching to TV. John kept saying how CC had shaken off his slow start to the season and really come around. Oh yeah? He came around all right – throwing balls the Orioles hitters had no problem knocking around. He wasn’t bad, as in AJ bad, but he wasn’t very ace-like.

His valet catcher wasn’t helpful either, not when Sweaty Freddy was on the mound. I think the Chris Stewart Experiment might need a re-evaluation.

I know I sound crabby but with Robertson on the DL, along with those I need not mention, things are feeling a little precarious right now. Girardi seemed testy too, didn’t he? I think the injuries are getting to him, whether he admits it or not.

 

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CC, The Mood Elevator

Sunday, April 29th, 2012

He pitched like an ace today and made me forget all about the fact that Garcia’s going to the pen (I don’t really want him there any more than I want him in the rotation but whatever). He even made me forget that Swisher, following his big two-homer game yesterday, now has a strained hamstring. Well, he almost made me forget about that. Does it seem to anybody else that Swish has hammy issues a lot?

CC was efficient for the most part and exuded confidence, and I never felt like the game was in jeopardy even though the score was close much of the time.

Speaking of the score, I should have had my 10 run-er in this one. The Yankees offense had SO many chances to knock in runs and failed. But it was great to see Cano hitting the ball with more authority and Grandy and Jeter just keep showing what they can do and Chris Stewart has turned out to be a nice pickup; CC clearly likes pitching to him.

All in all, a very enjoyable win today. Always great to take a series, and taking one from the Tigers is especially sweet.

 

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Raise Your Hand…

Saturday, April 28th, 2012

…if you thought the Yankees’ starting pitching would be a problem.

I’m putting a finger up, not a whole hand. I thought we’d have a great rotation going into spring training, except for Garcia, last year’s reclamation project along with Colon, and Hughes, who has always struck me as being overrated. CC, Pineda and Nova would lead the staff, I figured, and Garcia and Hughes would pick up the back end until someone better came along.

So much for that plan. Pineda isn’t in the mix and CC and Nova have been okay so far but not dominant. Hughes has pitched about as well as I expected. It’s Garcia that’s a head scratcher for me. Why didn’t Cashman just say, after last season, “Well, we caught a break with Freddy. Let’s be grateful and move on.” Why push your luck and bring him back for an encore?

Yes, there are rumblings that he might be hurt, but more likely he’s just done.

And if he’s done, then who’s getting his spot? Phelps? I guess.

Today’s game did have its positives.

  1. The bullpen continues to be a revelation.
  2. Swisher is a beast. So is Granderson.
  3. Eduardo Scissorhands didn’t make an error.
  4. The Yankees keep showing a lot of heart with their comebacks – a very good thing.

But I’d be lying if I didn’t say to myself – somewhere around the fifth inning – “Andy Pettitte needs to be Andy Pettitte really badly.”

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Is “The Babe Curse” Baaack?

Saturday, April 21st, 2012

The reason I asked….Well, you know why I asked. Today’s game had a definite otherworldly quality to it – as if the ghosts of Fenway were stirred up by all the festivities yesterday. I know there have been wild comebacks over the course of The Rivalry – with both teams playing the part of the comebacker – but the onslaught mounted by the Yankees after being down 9-0 was seriously amazing.

Where to begin with this one? At the beginning, I guess.

Sweaty Freddy was horrible. I wanted him gone after the first minute. I wish Pettitte could get ready fast – especially now that Pineda is off the radar for the time being.

Phelps has been great, but even he looked over-matched.

Fortunately, the cast of characters that followed out of the pen were stellar, giving the offense a chance to do some damage.

How much damage? None that I could have predicted. I get that the Sox’s middle and late relievers haven’t been effective (poor Aceves), but how about the power of Swisher and Tex, in particular?

Fifteen unanswered runs. One after another after another. I don’t recall anything like it.

When the crowd booed Valentine as he walked to the mound to make a pitching change, I actually felt sorry for him. As Suzyn Waldman pointed out, “it’s not as if he had Goose Gossage out there.” Maybe they should have been booing their front office. (I wonder how Bobby V’s subtle tip of the cap was perceived.)

I saw a clip of his press conference after the game when he said the team had hit rock bottom. But isn’t it too early in the season to say that? The Sox got off to a slow start last year and they did just fine until the fateful collapse.

Who knows. I’d rather dwell on the euphoria I felt when the Yankees scored all those runs. Pure bliss.

Sounds like they’ll be rained out tomorrow, which would be a shame. I like the momentum they have going.

In other news, interesting about the perfecto by White Sox pitcher Phil Humber. I’d never heard of the guy but I read that he’d been traded a bunch of times and picked up on waivers. Not exactly a perfecto-type pedigree. But then the Mariners have been no-hit three times and if you’re going to throw a no-no they’re the team to be facing, no offense to Jesus Montero. Anyhow, congratulations to him.

 

 

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The Yankees Couldn’t Beat This Guy?

Monday, April 16th, 2012

How annoying. There really should be a law.

Still, the Twins were due, and with a healthy Morneau and Mauer in action they’re bound to win ballgames.

What’s disconcerting is the fact that Sweaty Freddy, like Hughes and even Nova, isn’t giving us innings. He was beaten up early, settled down, then lost it again – for good – and was gone before the end of the sixth. Justin Verlander threw a complete game for the Tigers tonight, so it’s not as if it’s impossible at this stage of the season to go the distance. It would be refreshing to see one of our guys do it. (I won’t even go into the failure of the bullpen in this one.)

I thought the offense was off to another 10-run-er when Jeter and Granderson went back to back in the first inning, but so much for that notion. At least we got to see a great catch by Granderson in what was an otherwise lackluster effort by the Yanks.

Boring.

 

 

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Poor Freddy

Wednesday, March 14th, 2012

It must be tough to get out of the way of those comebackers. Now Sweaty Freddy has a big fat swollen hand and will be bumped from the Starting Pitcher Sweepstakes for awhile. Figures. He was doing a nice job.

At least the Yankees scored a few runs today in their losing effort to the Jays. That’s progress.

Of course I wasn’t happy to read that Swisher has a hammy issue and that Banuelos isn’t showing his phenom-ness and that Ibanez is causing some heartburn (it’s not a good sign when your new DH can’t hit).

But no more negativity, Jane! It’s only March! There’s plenty of time for everybody to heal and get their timing back and be the best players the world has ever seen!

There. I feel better now.

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While I Was Absent From This Blog…

Sunday, January 1st, 2012

…There wasn’t much going on in Yankeeville. Not for the entire holiday season. I’m still waiting for my front-of-the-rotation starter to show up, but in the meantime here’s a recap the “big” end-of-the-year stories:

1) Sweaty Freddy was re-signed.

AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Frank Gunn)

2) Smiling Andruw was re-signed.

3) My-Left-Arm Okajima was brought on board.

Courtesy: yankeesdaily.com

4) A-Rod went to a doctor in Germany on the advice of his guitar hero friend.

5) A-Rod and his freshly injected blood platelets jetted to Cabo with his new girlfriend.

5a) A former wrestler, Cameron Diaz’s replacement is rather….muscular.

6) Jeter and Minka said, “Oui oui,” and went to Paris for New Year’s.

Photo: splashnews/nypost

6a) Pssst, Derek. You took her to one of the most romantic places on earth. I hope you gave her one of these.

Photo: Tiffany

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No Offense, But I Don’t Want Sweaty Freddy Back

Thursday, November 3rd, 2011

Photo: Us Presswire

According to various reports today, the Yankees and Garcia have “mutual interest” in each other. While it’s heartwarming to know everybody’s buddy-buddy and while Freddy did a great job for the Yanks last season, relative to expectations, my message to Brian Cashman is this: Don’t get carried away.

Yes, Cashman caught the proverbial “lightning in a bottle” with both Garcia and Colon, but come on. Lightning doesn’t usually strike twice in the same place, does it? Garcia wouldn’t cost much, especially compared to Wilson or Buerhle, but do we really want him in the rotation again?

No. At least I don’t. I thank him for his service and wish him well, but I’d prefer an upgrade. Please.

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ALDS Game 2: Max Scherzer? Really?

Sunday, October 2nd, 2011

Photo: Nick Laham/Getty Images North America

According to Friend of the Blog Nadine, “Scherzer” means “joke” in German. (See what you learn on twitter?)

Unfortunately, I wasn’t laughing at the way the Tigers’ starter was no-hitting the Yankees for much of today’s game. In  fact, it made me downright mental. I reverted back to my old superstitious ways – from changing positions on the couch to yelling “No-Hitter! No-Hitter! No Hitter!” in an attempt to lay a jinx on the guy.

Nothing worked until Cano’s bloop single. And our offense couldn’t really get anything going after that, homers by Grandy and Swisher and Jorge’s triple aside.

Some in the crowd at the Stadium booed A-Rod. And while I was frustrated with his at-bats too, I wanted to strangle every person in the Bronx who calls himself/herself a fan. My God. He’s playing hurt, plus he had plenty of company in the rally killing department.

I didn’t have huge expectations for Garcia and actually thought he pitched pretty well after the first inning, although I didn’t understand the wisdom of pitching to Cabrera. It was Jeter’s error that opened the door for the later runs and perhaps Girardi left Sweaty Freddy in too long.

What I don’t get was the use of Ayala. I’ve made no secret of my lack of faith in him so I wasn’t happy to see him – even though the Yankees did have a hill to climb (which they almost did climb against Valverde). Girardi defended his choice of reliever by saying, “We have to play back to back games.” Or something like that. So the skipper was, what, saving the good relievers? Isn’t this the postseason when every game is do-or-die? When you worry about tomorrow tomorrow? When you really, truly try to win now? They can all rest in November.

Having Chavez pinch-hit for Gardner was also a headscratcher, but Joe said he was going by the numbers. *Shrug*

Oh, and one other thing. I won’t do a full-on rant about the TBS/TNT broadcasters; they’re inept but they’re not as obnoxious as the guys on FOX/ESPN. My issue is with the network’s camera choices. Did we really need a shot of Leyland in the dugout every six seconds? Was I watching a Tigers telecast instead of the ALDS? What was all that about?

Yes, I’m grouchy. And I felt sorry for the Yanks that they had to play in the rain yet again. I don’t exactly think of Detroit as Sunnyville, USA, but maybe the weather will be better there. We can hope.

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What Was Not To Love About That Game?

Saturday, September 24th, 2011

Things went so much better than I could have imagined. On paper, Lester versus Sweaty Freddy looked like a mismatch, but here’s what we know about paper.

It means nothing. Lester didn’t have it and Garcia did and there was a moment when Lester was standing on the mound, after giving up the homer to Jeter, when I thought he might burst into tears. He was so tough in the first inning, wasn’t he? After that, not so much.

Here’s what else was great:

  1. Jesus Montero’s hitting theatrics.
  2. Boone Logan’s mastery of Ortiz.
  3. Watching Andruw Jones run the bases.
  4. The fact that a Yankees-Red Sox game only took THREE HOURS.
  5. The fact that we scored 9 runs without any production from A-Rod, Grandy or Tex.
  6. The fact that Joe Buck wasn’t around for the broadcast.

Here’s what wasn’t great:

  1. A-Rod’s rust; I’m concerned.
  2. Tex’s continued slump; I’m concerned. (What’s he batting? Like .230? If that?)
  3. The fact that FOX didn’t show us the pre-game ceremonies with the Maris family except for a tiny clip. (I couldn’t get over how much one of the sons looks like his dad.)

Anyhow, it was a terrific win for the Yanks after all the beatdowns this year at the hands of the Sox and a very reassuring performance by Sweaty Freddy.

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