412 replies to this topic

[Jas0nMacIsaac]

I'd rank the Yankees' top four with the Sox top four. Lester/Beckett/Lackey/Matsuzaka and Sabathia/Burnett/Pettitte/Vasquez. The Yanks' fifth starter could be a poorly trained chimp that sniffs glue and it would still be a damn good rotation.

Plus the Yanks have a way better batting lineup. Boston's just hasn't been the same since Manny left and Big Poopy stopped juicing. And now Bay's gone too. Yikes.

Start spreading the news ......

Burnett - 4.36 TERA, 4.29 XFIP and 4.33 FIP, those are numbers suitable for an average #4 in the league.
Pettitte - 4.32 TERO, 4.38 XFIP and 4.14 FIP, you have two average #4 pitchers at the front of the rotation.
Vasquez - Very nice stat line but last time he was in the AL he sucked. A flyball pitcher in a homerun park.
Sabathia - An ace

[nmigliore]

Vasquez - Very nice stat line but last time he was in the AL he sucked. A flyball pitcher in a homerun park.

I think you are cutting Javier Vazquez really short. He was terrific in the AL with the White Sox from 2006-2008, and that was pitching in a ballpark that was consistently ranked in the top 4 HR-friendly parks in that 3 year time period (based on MLB Park Factors):

tERA, xFIP, WAR
2006: 4.09, 4.05, +4.8
2007: 3.66, 3.72, +5.1
2008: 4.01, 3.85, +4.8


As for the Yankees rotation vs Red Sox rotation, I'd say they are fairly even.

Yankees Rotation CHONE-Projected WAR
Sabathia: +5.6
Vazquez: +4.7
Pettitte: +3.4
Burnett: +3.1
Hughes: +2.5
TOTAL: +19.3

Red Sox Rotation CHONE-Projected WAR
Lester: +4.5
Beckett: +4.1
Lackey: +3.6
Buchholz: +2.3
Matsuzaka: +2.2
TOTAL: +16.7

Edited by nmigliore, 21 March 2010 - 09:42 PM.

[thefiestygoat]

The drive for #28 begins tonight!!!! Lets go Yankees!!!! Insanely pumped up for this!!! Can't believe how fast the offseason went.

[PeteyNice]

2010 is shaping up a lot like 2009 with the Yankees on national TV a lot!

Tonight: @ Boston 8:00PM ESPN2
Tuesday: @ Boston 7:10PM MLB Network
Wednesday: @ Boston 7:10PM ESPN2
Saturday: @ Tampa 3:10PM Fox
Sunday 4/11: @ Tampa 1:40PM TBS
Home Opener 4/13: vs Anaheim 1:05PM MLB Network


I think this is going to be a great season. On paper this team is better than last year's.

[thefiestygoat]

I think this is going to be a great season. On paper this team is better than last year's.

Exactly, I love what Cashman did this offseason, it's all a matter of staying healthy. Replacement Level made a breakdown of some statistical projections...

Yankees

Average Projected Wins: 96
Division Title Percentage: 40.7%
Wild Card Percentage: 22.3%
Playoff Percentage: 63.0%

[DaneykoIsGod]

I friggin love it.

http://sports.espn.g...tory?id=5062881

BOSTON -- After going hitless for a second straight game Tuesday to start the season, Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz lashed out at reporters when reminded that his struggles last April and May would be a hot topic if he was slow at the start of this season as well.

"Good," he said, turning to face the reporters encircling him. "You guys wait till [expletive] happens, then you can talk [expletive]. Two [expletive] games, and already you [expletives] are going crazy.

"What's up with that, man? [Expletive]. [Expletive] 160 games left. That's a [expletive]. One of you [expletives] got to go ahead and hit for me."

[nyrsuck26]

I friggin love it.

http://sports.espn.g...tory?id=5062881

BOSTON -- After going hitless for a second straight game Tuesday to start the season, Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz lashed out at reporters when reminded that his struggles last April and May would be a hot topic if he was slow at the start of this season as well.

"Good," he said, turning to face the reporters encircling him. "You guys wait till [expletive] happens, then you can talk [expletive]. Two [expletive] games, and already you [expletives] are going crazy.

"What's up with that, man? [Expletive]. [Expletive] 160 games left. That's a [expletive]. One of you [expletives] got to go ahead and hit for me."

LOL That is great.

But seriously, I can't blame him for thinking that. I would be pissed too if a reporter was asking me that after TWO games in a ONE-HUNDRED SIXTY-TWO game season. That said, he could've worded it a little better obviously.

[PeteyNice]

The ring is the thing....

[PeteyNice]

Unlike a certain hockey team which will remain nameless, the Yankees know what to do when they face a team they are clearly better than....beat them.

I saw this on a blog and thought it was interesting.

On average, the Yankees’ 2009 gate receipts for a seven game home series were greater than the Pirates’ gate receipts for the entire year.

http://itsaboutthemo...o-our-uccess-2/

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Unlike a certain hockey team which will remain nameless, the Yankees know what to do when they face a team they are clearly better than....beat them.

I saw this on a blog and thought it was interesting.



http://itsaboutthemo...o-our-uccess-2/

Well, duh. One team is clearly committed to putting the best possible product on the field and using all of its resources to do so...even when that commitment doesn't culminate in a World Series championship, the on-field product is star-studded and entertaining to its fanbase. The other team doesn't spend and probably won't anytime soon, so until they're able to build a product from within that fans would actually want to see, things won't be changing in Pittsburgh anytime soon.

[nmigliore]

The Pirates may not spend on free agency, but I think they are under the right direction now with GM Neal Huntington. They spent a ton on the draft the past 2 years, and I think its safe to presume they will to do so again this year (they have the #2 overall pick too). They are building from within, and I think the results will begin to show in a few years.

Edited by nmigliore, 20 April 2010 - 12:05 PM.

[DH26]

The Pirates may not spend on free agency, but I think they are under the right direction now with GM Neal Huntington. They spent a ton on the draft the past 2 years, and I think its safe to presume they will to do so again this year (they have the #2 overall pick too). They are building from within, and I think the results will begin to show in a few years.

that catcher they took last year was supposed to be for signability but they spent on Alvarez and guys later in the draft. People were against Huntington last year for trading half his roster and saying he hurt the fans, but god forbid he actually traded a bunch of losers and got something for them. I know from the yankees he got ohlendorf who's actually pretty good now and gave up basically nothing in return except half a year of the X man and 3 good weeks of Demaso Marte

[Steadevils]

http://www.pinstripe...is-all-star-bid


everyone get in on the cause.. vote early vote often and lets get cervelli into the allstar game

[nyrsuck26]

http://www.pinstripealley.com/2010/4/28/1449799/cervellis-all-star-bid


everyone get in on the cause.. vote early vote often and lets get cervelli into the allstar game

voted.

[DaneykoIsGod]

Speaking of Cervelli, is it just me or does his new batting helmet make him look like The Great Gazoo?

[thefiestygoat]

Agreed, I'm pretty sure that's been his new nickname since he started wearing it. Sucks hockey ended the way it did but damn, am I glad to have the Yankees! Really the only big downside this season to me has been the Granderson injury which isn't that bad. I know people hate Vazquez but I still have faith in him. I've been meaning to learn more about the Pitch F/X data and try to see what that can tell me about his season so far but I've been too tired from work. If anyone else wants to take a stab at it that'd be sweet.

I think my three favorite things about this young season is the play of Cano, Gardner, and Hughes. Really enjoyable to watch those guys get off to hot starts and get some confidence.

[nmigliore]

I've been meaning to learn more about the Pitch F/X data and try to see what that can tell me about his season so far but I've been too tired from work. If anyone else wants to take a stab at it that'd be sweet.

I mostly focus on the Mets' pitchers pitch f/x, but I took a look at Vazquez for the hell of it (first the numbers, not the actual charts) and noticed right off the bat:

- His fastball velocity is down 2 mph.
- His pitch type percentages are a little different than last year -- decrease in using his 4-seam FB and slider while hes increased the use of his 2-seam FB, change-up, and curveball -- though bare in mind these are still sample sizes.
- Both the vertical and horizontal movement on his curveball, his out pitch, are down from last year.

As for the charts, here is a comparison (velocity and horizontal movement) from a start in 2009 and his last start (vs Chicago) this year:


You can see that all of his offspeed pitches -- the slider, curveball, and change-up -- all lacked the consistency in horizontal movement and velocity compared to that start in 2009. Not a huge difference in the movement with the fastball, but the velocity really fluctuated in the 210 start.

Edited by nmigliore, 03 May 2010 - 09:03 PM.

[DaneykoIsGod]

Jonathan ROFLbon.

[Hi, I'm VALUE!]

Was at Saturday's game, pretty much seated where Tex belted his homer. Was all kinds of awesome to watch.

As an aside, Thames might be playing himself into a DH role when Granderson comes back and Posada is catching, since who knows when Johnson is coming back.

[thefiestygoat]

Last night's game was one of the reasons I love watching baseball. Especially Yankee-Red Sox games, since anything can happen and no lead is safe. In a way it reminded me of that July 1, 2004 game (Jeter catch, Cairo and Flaherty stepping up) that the Yankees won in extras since you just had that "feeling" they were going to come back and win. Fun times.