David Phelps Archives

Hello and Goodbye

December 19, 2014

Wasn’t Martin Prado supposed to be the Yankees’ second baseman now that Chase Headley is back? Wasn’t David Phelps supposed to be either a back-end starter or the long man out of the bullpen? They were both pretty good, so I’m still scratching my head over the trade today that sent them to the Marlins for a bunch of guys I’ve never heard of. Not that my knowledge of the Marlins or any National League team is anything to brag about, but why? Was Nathan Eovaldi really worth shipping out Prado and Phelps? He’s young and durable but his numbers aren’t great and I’d rather have Scherzer in the rotation (duh).

As for the other two we got, fine. Whatever. I hope Cashman knows what he’s doing. Domingo German sounds like a very interesting prospect, but I wouldn’t mind winning a few games in the near term, as in 2015.

Esmil Rogers to the Rescue?

August 3, 2014

Why is it that victories for the Yankees inevitably come with an injury, usually to a pitcher? In tonight’s finale at Fenway, Phelps was struggling and I was pissed off that he was serving up fat ones to the Red Sox – until I heard he was injured. Rogers, our latest pickup off somebody’s scrap heap, saved the day with three scoreless innings and it’s possible he’ll take Phelps’ spot in the rotation. Kind of scary, but I’m used to the game of musical chairs the Yanks have been forced to play this season.

Scarier still was Clay Buchholz, who kept giving back the leads the Sox hitters handed him and was eventually lifted. Our offense looked determined to take advantage and we actually scored more than a few runs for a change – just enough to get the win. Gardner continues to be our Babe Ruth. What a season he’s having. Beltran and McCann looked good at the plate too.

Dave Robertson nearly blew the save on that almost homer by Pedroia, speaking of scary, but recovered just in time. Tense!

Can the Yankees continue to win series down the stretch? They’ll have to if they want to get into the postseason. Everybody’s bunched up in the standings right now and I have no idea which teams (Blue Jays? Orioles? Mariners? Angels? Us?) will emerge with playoff berths. The only guarantees in the AL at the moment are the A’s and Tigers, and I’m not looking forward to playing the latter starting tomorrow. Gulp.

Nicely Done, Boys

June 19, 2014

It’s always sweet to sweep. It’s especially sweet to sweep the team that’s in first place, a spot ahead of you, and that’s what the Yanks did against the Blue Jays. I admit that going into this series I was worried. The Jays had looked invincible. Clearly, they aren’t. The Yankees pitched well and got tremendous production from the 1-2-3 trio of Gardner, Jeter and Ellsbury, and saw guys who’d been struggling at the plate, like Beltran and McCann, come to life. Are there still holes to fill? Definitely. We need a reliable starter to replace Nuno. We need a bona fide long man in the pen. And we need a better reinforcement for Warren, Betances and Robertson than Shawn Kelley, who hasn’t bounced back from his long injury rehab. But this sweep was a great way to kick off the upcoming games against division rivals – a real confidence booster for the team and Phelps in particular.

What a Nightmare

May 5, 2014

If I lived back east, I would have been thrilled to sleep through tonight’s atrocity at Angels Stadium. Instead, I had to witness Yankees’ relief pitchers walk six batters – the Angels actually batted around without a hit – and blow what had been a tense pitchers’ duel between Phelps and Weaver.

Home plate ump Laz Diaz didn’t help. With bases loaded with Yankees and nobody out, Gardner stepped in and was the beneficiary of a couple of truly bad calls. Girardi came out to argue, got tossed and hung around to have what looked like an aneurism. He and Diaz have history and Diaz has ejected him before, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen Joe go nuts like he did tonight. Sheesh.

So yeah, Diaz is a lousy ump, but that doesn’t excuse the parade of grotesqueness that was Shawn Kelley, Matt Thornton and Preston Claiborne. The game had been tied at 1-1 and what did they do? Lose the game. How do you not throw strikes? Ever?

Lost in all this was Phelps’ terrific performance. Just great. Ichiro laid down the most beautiful bunt; I hope the other players were taking notes. And Jeter’s bat had life after all, although he did hit into a double play and kill a rally.

I’ll try to swallow this bitter pill, but it’ll be hard.

The Yanks Celebrated A Happy 4th

July 4, 2013

The sweep was sweet. I didn’t see the game, as I was enjoying the holiday with my family, but I read enough about it to know that that the offense was there, Phelps bounced back from his disastrous last start and we won again.

Now it’ll get tough again against the O’s. I sure hope there’s a carryover from the series in Minny.

And They're Streaking

June 9, 2013

(I love that this guy is on the phone while he’s getting tackled.)

The Yankees won the series today by eeking out another close game against the Mariners. It was especially satisfying because it was Phelps versus King Felix and Phelps turned out to be the more kingly of the two. He’s been great his last couple of times out there.

Brett Gardner, always a streaky hitter, is on a hot streak at the moment. And Chris Stewart, after I badmouthed him in a previous post, earned his keep with a big RBI single. Dave Robertson is wearing me out with his Houdini act. Yes, he ended up pitching scoreless baseball, but must he always put men on and then get out of trouble? At least when Mo does it – and he did allow baserunners today – it’s a fluke.

Bottom line: the Yankees are playing to win right now. The Mariners aren’t exactly a powerhouse offensively, but in order to be there in October you have to beat the teams you’re supposed to beat and the Yanks did that in this series. Well done.

And They’re Streaking

June 9, 2013

(I love that this guy is on the phone while he’s getting tackled.)

Tex Is Texting Again

June 4, 2013

Two homers in two days. I like it. Is Teixeira back for good? Sure looks like it.

The other nice bounceback in tonight’s win over the Indians was Phelps. After that last outing, I was worried that he might not be able to put his awfulness behind him, but that’s exactly what he did. We need him, so a big Whew.

I did hope the Yankees would score in the late innings to give the relievers some breathing room, but they seem to have run out of gas offensively, especially Cano, who was up in an important spot and couldn’t deliver. I wonder if he was distracted by the Biogenesis stuff, but more on that in a sec.

I couldn’t believe what jinxes Michael Kay and Al Leiter were. They were going on and on about how great Joba looked and then – bam – three-run homer. Maybe they should button it next time.

OK. Biogenesis. The ESPN report. A-Rod. Cervelli. Etc. Yes, it’s explosive stuff. And yes, even Cano was ensnared in the whole business for awhile today until sources told the Yankees he was off the hook. And yes, the suspensions would be the most punitive in sports. But here’s the thing: A-Rod denies involvement with the clinic so the whole case could come down to a he-said/he-said situation pitting him against Bosch. Which sounds all too familiar (Clemens/McNamee). Ugliness for baseball all around.

This Is Alarming

May 29, 2013

I listened to most of the game on my At Bat app and I’m glad I didn’t have to actually watch the debacle. I didn’t need to see Phelps morph into a Bad Pitcher. I didn’t need to see the listless Yankees offense either. Good for Nova for pitching well, but this has been a very trying Subway Series.

With Tex and Youkilis due back for the weekend, I have to wonder….Have the injuries finally caught up with this team? Were the fill-ins playing over their heads and have they come back down to earth? Or are these four losses in a row just a fluke of the schedule, a natural lull over the course of a long season? Is it really up to Vidal Nuno to be our stopper tomorrow night?

Let’s just say I much prefer writing these posts after wins. This losing stuff isn’t a lot of fun.

No Words

May 24, 2013

It was breathtaking in its awfulness when Granderson was hit by a pitch and broke himself yet again – this time the pinky knuckle. How unlucky does a guy have to be? He worked so hard to come back from the last injury and now this?

Thank God Phelps is OK after taking a ball in the forearm, but raise your hand if you’re not liking the Rays very much right now.

It’s hard to celebrate the win tonight at the Trop when the Yankees are stuck with Boesch and Francisco platooning with Ichiro again, but such is life. The team somehow keeps going – and winning – so we’ll see how they handle things this time around.

Another Win And A Visit From Hal

May 18, 2013

Hal steinbrenner12_576 — Photo: Debby Wong/USA TODAY Sports

Hal looks like a hilarious guy, doesn’t he? Seriously stiff, but maybe he loosens up at home.

Anyhow, he showed up to greet fans and talk to the media before today’s win over the Jays, and he said, as if it were obvious, “Of course the Yankees are in first place. I knew all along that Travis Hafner would lead us to a world championship.”

No, he didn’t really say that, but he did express early confidence in this Yankees team.

And why not? They just keep beating up on the Blue Jays and I wish we played them every game. They looked pathetic on defense, really dreadful. As Paul O’Neill said during the YES broadcast, “Somebody – the manager or one of their players – needs to get angry in the clubhouse.”

As for our side, what a day for Cano. Hal can sound all business-as-usual about the contract talks with Cano’s agent, but how do you not pay this guy.

Phelps did a great job for the second game in a row.

Either this team of oldsters and youngsters is really gelling or the other teams we’ve been playing aren’t very good.

Welcome, Chris Nelson, Whoever You Are

May 1, 2013

I’ve been whining about how the Yankees need an infielder, and now we have one. Nelson’s another cast off – the Rockies DFA-ed him – but since the other cast offs have done well I’m hoping he’ll follow suit and help the team with his glove and his bat.

Now what we need is a starting pitcher; Phelps has been weirdly disappointing. I say “weirdly” because he was cruising through those first three innings and I was thinking how he was probably more comfortable as a starter than as a reliever, but then suddenly he lost it. Just like that. Can’t we find somebody who can throw strikes and get people out if Nova’s not the guy? Okay, I’ll give him another chance. I just hate when pitchers give back leads, and the Yanks had one at 4-0.

In the end, they managed to dispense with the Astros. Cano’s homer tied him with O’Neill on the Yankees homer list, which I thought was cool. Overbay just keeps proving what a good first baseman he is. And the previously unhelpful Francisco actually hit one out. (Loved Sterling’s call: “It’s a Ben Francisco treat” as in San Francisco treat as in Rice-a- Roni. Well, Suzyn laughed.)

Our latest injury victim is Robertson. Not a day goes by when somebody doesn’t have something that hurts and now it’s D-Rob’s turn, although it doesn’t sound serious.

Mo, on the other hand, just chugs along as if he’s 20. Lucky us.

Oopsie, Phelpsie

April 18, 2013

Phelps oops — Photo: Christopher Pasatieri/NYPost

He was not good. From the minute he came into the game it was obvious that the normally reliable Phelps was keeping the ball up – and hittable.

Not that he was the only goat in tonight’s extra-innings loss that denied the Yanks a sweep of the D-Backs. The offense was mostly handcuffed against yet another young pitcher they hadn’t faced, and it was only the solo shots – especially the dramatic homer by Cervelli that tied the game – that made it interesting.

Hughes was much better than previous outings and I couldn’t have asked for more, but the defense was sloppy. My attention wavered throughout; I had YES on the computer and CNN on the TV and was going back and forth between the game and all the developing news. A lot’s happening in our world right now, and sports isn’t high on my list of priorities in the evenings when I can finally sit down and take everything in.

That said, the announcement earlier today about Jeter made my heart sink. I had a feeling he wasn’t coming back any time soon and had almost made peace with Nunez as our substitute everyday shortstop (I said almost), but to actually hear Cashman say that the ankle was broken again was just awful. Was the ankle so weak from wear and tear that it cracked in a different spot? From all those foul balls? From getting back on the field too soon?

Who knows. Maybe the Captain will be okay after the All-Star break and maybe he won’t. What I do know is that no one is more frustrated and disappointed than he is. Joel Sherman tweeted that A-Rod will probably be back before Jeter, and everybody jumped on him for saying it. I really hope it’s not true.

Phil Hughes. Ugh.

April 13, 2013

hughes-4_3_r536_c534 — Photo: Brad Penner/ USA TODAY Sports

As I’ve said over and over, I don’t understand – well, I understand but don’t approve of – Yankee fans booing their own players. So when Hughes walked off the mound after another disappointing start and the boo birds came out, I wasn’t thrilled. But silently I was booing.

While I know he’s still finding his way this season after being injured and not getting the benefit of a full spring training regimen, I’m endlessly frustrated by him, by his inability to work efficiently, go deep into games, avoid giving up the long ball, live up to the early hype. I hope he turns it around, I really do. I just….

Phelps, on the other hand, was great in relief. I fully expect him to jump into the rotation if either Hughes or Nova falls out.

Otherwise, it was a lackluster game offensively, and the Yankees couldn’t sustain the momentum from last night’s win against the O’s. Too bad.

Rauul Is So Coool

October 2, 2012

Well.

Where do I begin? It’s a good thing I’m only writing this post instead of speaking it, because I’m totally hoarse right now. What a game. I may never recover.

Things were looking so bleak for so many innings. Phelps was very good, but the offense? It was back to its old tricks of stranding runners. Tex was a terrible cleanup hitter (Girardi played the binder instead of putting Cano in the #4 spot) and the RISP fails were painful to watch – almost as painful as watching Gardner get picked off when he came in to pinch run.

But the pen, like Phelps, was spectacular. Except for Soriano, who had a dismal 9th before recovering in the 10th. (I doubt we’ll see him tomorrow.)

Every extra innings game is tense, but this one carried such significance. I was grateful for that little bird that hopped onto the field, probably looking for some hot dog bun crumbs to eat, because it provided a little levity. Maybe it was a Rally Bird, judging by the way things turned out.

Did anyone think, in a million years, that Cervelli would score the winning run, let alone catch for the first time all year? But there he was in the 12th.

The hero of the game, of course, was Ibanez, who hit the bomb that got us into extras. Girardi had that move right, didn’t he? And then for him to knock in Cervelli with the game winner? If AJ were still around, Raul’s bald head would have been covered in shaving cream instead of a bucket of cold water, but I’m sure the hugs he got from everybody were good enough.

I’m breathless. Wow. Just wow.

One more tomorrow night. Please, Yankees.

Limping But Still In First

September 12, 2012

jeter-hurt — Photo: Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

I shouldn’t be surprised that a Yankees-Red Sox game would be so fraught with drama – not after all these years – but tonight’s nail biting win made my blood pressure go off the charts. Where do I start?

With Phelps. He was great. I hope his outing doesn’t get lost in all the hubbub because he was the one who kept the Red Sox bats quiet.

It was so nice to see us score first – and then to pad the lead. But no game at Fenway is ever in the bag, especially when things haven’t been going our way lately, so I was hoping for a few more runs. Instead, it was the battle of the pens as the Sox crept closer…and closer.

By the way, was Cody Ross a maniac or what? He had a legitimate beef about the strike call, but to hold the bat over his head facing the umpire and then go off like that? It almost rose to the level of Mr. Pine Tar.

Soriano was terrifying too, but in an entirely different way. He turned the ninth into a near horror show. But it was Jeter leaving the game that was the worst. (I’m beginning to think nobody should ever run to first base. It’s a health hazard.) He was gimpy even before tonight, but having re-aggravated the bone bruise in his ankle I can’t imagine he’ll be at full strength. Will he DH? I’m sure he’ll say he’s up to it. But – listen to me, Girardi – don’t use Nunez at short or you’ll have me to deal with.

And yes, of course, the O’s beat the Rays. It was Kyle Farnsworth on the mound, and he’s never helped us out.

Scratching Out Runs

September 1, 2012

What a relief today’s win was. Things were looking bleak for awhile, but thanks to some tenacious at bats, especially Jeter’s walk in the seventh inning, Eduardo Scissorhands’ single (yes, he’s back and I like him as the DH) and Hardy’s error on Swisher’s grounder, the Yankees edged out the O’s. It wasn’t pretty but I’ll take it – gladly.

Phelps was clearly out of sorts. I figured he’d be gone by the third inning and wondered who our long man would be, since he used to fill that spot, but a cobbled-together pen did the job well.

And then there’s Granderson. I couldn’t believe it when he came out of the game since there was no visible sign of an injury. The strain in his hamstring doesn’t sound serious but it’s hard to tell how his will go. It’s just nuts the way these toned and fit athletes keep going down with this strain and that pull. They’re supposed to be supermen, aren’t they?