This blog is no longer just going to be about baseball and, more specifically, the Yankees. I am going to write about whatever piques my interest from now on. This means that, in the end, there will still be baseball posts, because baseball is always piquing my interest. However, I will be writing on other subjects as well. I'm keeping the name the same, as I think The Official Scorer as an image transcends sports, and helps fuel my ego-maniacal desire for my opinion to mean something to the rest of the world. Labeling myself as "official" at least creates the illusion for me, and helps me sleep at night.
This announcement will undoubtedly reverberate through the vast annuls of cyberspace, considering I get an average of about 2-3 page views per day. Really, though, I'm posting more as an archiving measure, so people can look back and see when things at this scattered corner of the Internet changed. In my dream scenario this blog will become: a)constantly updated and b) a hotbed for relevant and thought-provoking discussion of a myriad of things that interest me, so hopefully this shift is a step in that direction.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
We’re almost at the one-month watermark of the 2008 Hot Stove season, so there are some preliminary results available to try and gauge the successes and failures that have already occurred. This first installment will presumably be the thinnest on exciting trades and signings to obsess over, although activity has certainly picked up in the last week, and doesn’t seem ready to slow down until February. Without any further ado, time for my list:
5. Kansas City Royals Acquired OF Coco Crisp from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for RHP Ramon Ramirez.
I like this move for both teams, but more than anything I like the ideas Dayton Moore is throwing out there so far about rebuilding his team. He has been dealing, to me, the most combustible and unpredictable assets in the baseball market, relief pitchers, in order to fill needs on offense. Granted, he’s not getting overwhelming offensive talent in return—no one is confusing Coco Crisp and Mike Jacobs with Rickey Henderson and Mark McGwire, and K.C. fans (like this one over at Royals Review) are acknowledging that it’s a welcomed change but not a definitely-effective change. But, Crisp represents a great defensive center fielder that has the pedigree of a true leadoff hitter. Those are two qualities that none of the other outfielders on the Royals’ roster possess: Joey Gathright is fast but can’t hit a lick, DeJesus can hit but isn’t fast, below average defensively in center and not a true leadoff guy. Will this mean the Royals’ offense will be better in 2009? Maybe not, but it gives manager Trey Hillman more proven major league pieces to lean on. As for Boston, their middle relief was somewhat in tatters last season until Justin Masterson emerged, and since there are rumblings of stretching Masterson into a starter this was an area that GM Theo Epstein clearly had to address. In getting Ramon Ramirez he acquires arguably one of 2008’s best AL set-up men for an extra piece, but he also takes the risk of handing the CF/leadoff hitter job over to Jacoby Ellsbury, who underperformed expectations in 2008. It’s a logical move, though, considering Ellsbury is so many years younger and so many dollars cheaper to keep around than Coco. There is also risk in the fact that Ramirez’s performance may have peaked in 2008, and pitching in the unfriendly confines of Fenway against AL East lineups on a more regular basis may cause a spike in his ERA and stress levels in 2009. Still, more relievers like Ramirez means fewer Mike Timlin Sightings for the Sox in the coming season.
4. Colorado Rockies Acquired RHP Huston Street, LHP Greg Smith and OF Carlos Gonzalez from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for OF Matt Holliday
I looked at this trade in-depth as it happened a few weeks ago, and I still think the real victor through all this is the Rockies. There was much indecision (like Keith Law in this blog post) about how to score this deal for the Rockies. Most cite what they’ll ultimately do with Huston Street or the other 2 players received as the reason to grade this as Incomplete/Undecided, but to me that scenario alone is why I give the advantage to Colorado. The possibility of still finding a market for any of the three players again this winter gives Dan O’Dowd more flexibility and more chips useful in reorganizing a squad that made the World Series 2 years ago. On the other hand, the A’s and their ultra-wacky-eccentric-genius GM Billy Beane could hypothetically turn around and trade Matt Holliday again this winter, but no such speculation has emerged. Plus, I don’t know how the market would respond considering Holliday is truly a 1-year rental—suffice is to say that Beane would not get as much back for Holliday this winter as he paid. And, considering how run-starved the A’s were in ’08, acquiring Holliday makes immediate superficial sense. Looking deeper, though, Beane’s motives get a little murkier. Is he banking on some added pop in the middle of a pretty limp lineup, which he’ll transform this winter with further moves and signings? Or is he banking on his team still floundering in ’09, therefore trying to parlay some pieces that had lost their luster in his eyes into a shiny toy that can be exchanged (say, around July 31st) for yet more new pup prospects?
As it stands now, the ability to land a proven-to-be-adequate reliever, an extremely high-upside yet so far underperforming neophyte outfielder and a serviceable young lefty starter (whose stock drops since he’s coming off an injury and a not-great rookie year) for a player guaranteed to not resign with Colorado after ‘09 stands as a great achievement. I don’t think that they would have received as valuable a package, both in terms of immediate usability and potential for further flipping, from any other team in the running for Holliday’s services.
3. Florida Marlins Acquired RHP Jose Ceda from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for RHP Kevin Gregg
It’s been a Jekyll and Hyde performance for the Marlins so far this winter. An honorable mention for this list is due for their pick-up of reliever Leo Nunez from the Royals. In that trade, they successfully shed the dreadful no-walks, no-defense, soon-to-be-overpaid-because-of-his-power Mike Jacobs. I score that one out of the top 5 due to the relative ineffectiveness of only acquiring a relief pitcher in exchange for a power hitting first baseman—but then again, Mike Jacobs is pretty low on the totem pole of power hitting first baseman. Hence, a normally bad move for both teams becomes a slightly better move for the Fish. This trade, however, is their real coup so far. Kevin Gregg had been their closer during their period of surprising early-season success (43-39 through June, virtually the same record as the Yankees, who spent approximately $187 million more dollars on their roster), and he did a serviceable job. For the first half of 2008, his line was quite impressive—but the second half, not so much, as he dealt with a knee injury. Now, the Cubs undoubtedly wanted a proven relief pitcher with the departure of Kerry Wood, as it appears (unless they sign one) Carlos Marmol becomes their closer. But what I don’t get is how Kevin Gregg, due to make over $4 million in arbitration, is more valuable than a young, hard-throwing reliever who is both cheaper and projects better? In fact, Jose Ceda is a guy that Jim Hendry refused to trade for Brian Roberts during the Cubs/Orioles never-ending flirtation last winter; he was even referred to as “untouchable”! His year in the minors was mixed, featuring a good performance in AA but a mixed bag in high-A—for a reliever, he is still very young and his arm is still very lively. The Marlins in effect replace a decent but overpaid reliever with a cheaper, younger, more electric arm. Gregg moves from the pitcher-friendly cavern that is Dolphins Stadium to the wind-ravaged bandbox Wrigley. The Cubs will be glad to have him in their ‘pen, but the Marlins will be just as glad to get something of value for him and also not have to pay him. I think the Marlins get a great return on investment in this deal, especially in comparison to their next deal where, eh, not so much…
2. Washington Nationals Acquired LHP Scott Olsen and OF Josh Willingham from the Marlins in exchange for INF Emilio Bonifacio, RHP P.J. Dean and INF Jake Smolinski
This is a great move for the Nationals, which is rarely if ever been uttered in regards to their much-maligned, Segway-riding buffoon of a general manager, Snake-Oil-Salesman Jim Bowden. The Nats seem like a sure-fire candidate for a team reaping the benefits of a new stadium and ready to try and make a leap into spending more money and fielding a more competitive squad. There has been speculation that they will be targeting any of Manny Ramirez, Mark Teixeira, Adam Dunn or (gulp) Jason Giambi, so this move a precursor to the franchise’s attempt to run with the big boys this winter. It’s a solid one, as Olsen and Willingham at least slightly improve the team’s two most glaring weaknesses from 2008: their Odalis Perez and Tim Redding-heavy starting rotation and their woeful Cristian Guzman-led offense. For the Marlins, this is a garden variety salary dump, as Olsen and Willingham (along with the recently-departed Mike Jacobs) were due raises through arbitration this winter. Their return looks extremely underwhelming, as Bonifacio is an ADNO (All Defense No Offense) guy that probably ends up a bench player in the majors, and the other two prospects don’t really jump off any charts as blue-chippers or keepers. For Bowden, he has a contingency plan in place if he can’t manage to swindle any of those free agent hitters, and he’s got a starter who seems poised to continue to improve on the mound and will be, if nothing else, above average…which considering the Nats' rotation last year, is a huge plus.
1. New York Yankees Acquired INF/OF Nick Swisher and RHP Kanekoa Texeira from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for INF Wilson Betemit and RHPs Jeff Marquez and Jhonny Nunez
Nick Swisher had a terrible year with the White Sox in 2008, that much is a certainty by looking at his stat line (the .219 BA is unavoidable, even though no one takes BA seriously anymore). However, he had a couple of good-not-great years prior to that, and he seems as though he’s got a solid identity as a plus OBP/patience guy at the plate and an average-to-slightly-above-average defender (at least everywhere but center field). On the flip side, Wilson Betemit was mentioned by Brian Cashman as someone who could replace A-Rod at 3rd if he left the team after the 2007 season. He then proceeded to transform himself into the human strike out machine from the right side of the plate, seemingly killing his identity as a supposed “switch hitter”. As a lefty, he can hit some balls out of the yard and drive the gaps once in a while, but his swing is Great Wall of China-long from both sides and he does a terrible job recognizing off-speed pitches, particularly change-ups. For some reason the Yankees thought he’d make a good first baseman this year and played him there numerous times, to little positive effect offensively or defensively. His best position is probably 3rd, and apparently Kenny Williams envisions him being useful there as a safety net in case Josh Fields or Dayan Viciedo are not ready for prime time in ’09. Through that prism, as well as the money saved (and now relocated to signing Viciedo) by dealing Swisher, Betemit’s value to the Sox makes sense. For the Yankees, a position player for $22 million over 3 years is like chump change considering what they’re dishing out for their core offensive guys. And, the competent flexibility it gives them heading into the heart of the Hot Stove will be an extremely valuable bargaining chip.
First, apparently Swisher and Sabathia are friends, which always helps in recruiting (LeBron James can’t be expected to do it all, can he?). Second, Cashman can already tell the prospective free agent pitchers that he’s upgraded the offense and defense for 2009 by landing Swisher—even if they’re unimpressed by his down year in ’09, they’ll recognize Swisher’s name and probably remember him making fun of them or joking with them at some point in their careers, so it adds a little “hey maybe New York will be fun” idea to the back of their heads (as if it will be fun when they see their face plastered across the back page of the Post with the word BUM involved after a poor start). Finally, once Cashman lands his pitcher or pitchers, if Mark Teixeira hasn’t signed a contract, he can give good-old Scott Boras a call and check in, wondering out loud if there’s any chance Mark has now lowered his contract sights. Cashman has the leverage to not get sucked up into a gross bidding war between a few teams, as he can always fall back on Swisher and any other bats he may acquire through trades this winter. Plus, the Yankees offense in 2008 would not have been as bad were it not for an inordinate amount of injury and underperformance. So, all in all, I think this one is a slam-dunk for the Yankees. Swisher will benefit greatly from swinging to the short porch in right, and I think his patience and power will do a good job of replacing some of the walks and patience that are signing with other teams in the form of Bobby Abreu and Jason Giambi. Defensively, he’s immediately better than both of those players in each of their positions. As for the other players involved, Jeffrey Marquez is so low on the Yankees’ pitching prospect totem pole at this point that he’s best suited for a new start in another organization. And, swapping Jhonny Nunez for a non-hitting Texeira seems like a wash-out. Big time advantage for the Bronx Bombers on this one, but the move will ultimately judged for both teams on what else happens this offseason.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
The Washington Nationals and Florida Marlins orchestrated an inter-division deal yesterday, an opening salvo for two teams that could look a lot different come March. Florida sent Josh Willingham and Scott "Don't Tase Me, Bro" Olsen to the Nats in exchange for infielder Emilio Bonifacio and two low-level prospects, second baseman Jake Smolinski and right-handed pitcher P.J. Dean.
The Nats fill two needs: someone who may, possibly, drive in some runs. And, someone who isn't a total retread who can make some quality big league starts.
The Marlins...apparently they once again need to reduce salary? I don't get it, aren't they
For the Nats I think the deal makes a lot of sense, but they are adding another huge injury question mark to their offensive mix that includes the likes of Nick Johnson (38 games, apparently now trade bait), Elijah Dukes (81 games), Wily Mo Pena (64 games) and Austin Kearns (86 games). Willingham has never been a huge bat but he is serviceable, and I guess Jim Bowden's idea is to accumulate as many OFers who have talent but are always hurt and see who of the bunch can stick. It would be one of the first ideas that Bowden ever had.
Olsen's inclusion is the real coup for the Nats, and the real head-scratcher for the Fish. They play in a pitcher's park in Florida, and Olsen had a decent year in 2008, albeit an up-and-down one. But, according to this Keith Law post, he regained some of his velocity (he is a post-TJ guy) late in the season and his performance ticked up a bit. Law still finds problems with Olsen, but wouldn't this be the kind of guy the Marlins would hold on to in the off-chance that he might pitch even better early in 2009, thus making him even more valuable in a trade? Yes, you run the risk of him either pitching terribly or getting hurt or something along those lines. But I don't buy the argument that this is selling high on Scott Olsen, who is supposedly healthy and over his "personal demons" for the first time in a while. Granted, he never projected to be Mr. #1 Ace Type, but I still think you can get more value than what the Marlins got for an effective lefty starter.
This trade lands decisively in the advantage: Nationals column. I am interested to see if the Fish get more of a return on their other supposedly available commodities, reliever Kevin Gregg and outfielder Jeremy Hermida. If not, it is going to be a cellar-dwelling 2009 for the Marlins. As for Washington, I don't know if this trade means they are done trying to upgrade the offense and are no longer in the Mark Teixeira Sweepstakes, but only time will tell on that front.
So the earlier-discussed Matt Holliday trade has been somewhat clarified a day later, albeit with uncertainty still clouding the deal’s finalized specifics. The principals that have emerged going from Oakland to Colorado are the aforementioned Greg Smith, along with highly-touted outfielder Carlos Gonzalez and former Rookie of the Year turned flamed-out closer Huston Street.
As it stands, I think the deal makes sense for both teams, but I think there is a lot more risk from Billy Beane’s standpoint. Street was expendable after other (really, cheaper) internal options emerged for the back-end of the bullpen (see: Brad Ziegler, Joey Devine, and Santiago Casilla). However, he is a proven closer who struggled at points last year, lost his closer’s job, yet still ended up having a decent overall season out of the ‘pen. The risk in including him for Holliday, to me, is that you’re not maximizing his value. Street seems like the kind of player that this offseason could have netted Beane one of his 2-or-3-deep prospect platters that he’s consumed so eagerly since last winter. Instead, Beane had to combine Street with a terrible sell-low mistake/inexplicable “Billy Beane donating to the 2009 Rockies’ Chances” charity case: Carlos Gonzalez.
Gonzalez floundered badly in his debut in Oakland, putting up a putrid 100-points-lower-than-league-average .634 OPS in 300+ plate appearances. So, basically he never walked and he showed only doubles power, albeit in his first taste of big-league action. But, keep in mind he did this all while 22 and while calling home the notoriously-cavernous McAfee Coliseum in Oakland. Also keep in mind that he’s been fitted for that heavy label of a “five-tool” talent. With that said, I think this is the lowest possible point to sell him, and his prospects for 2009 can only improve with a move to Coors Field and the awful NL West.
From the Rockies perspective, I score this as a good haul with a still-TBD final verdict. Today there is speculation that they will spin Huston Street to another team, which in theory makes sense as a result of the presence of Manny Corpas and Taylor Buchholz as cheaper closer alternatives. There is also a big market for closers this winter, so perhaps a team that doesn’t want to pay the price on a hefty free agent like K-Rod would be hungry for Huston Street in exchange for prospects (one such logical match could be the Detroit Tigers, another could be the Milwaukee Brewers. Ken Rosenthal says the Indians are asking about him, apparently not impressed by Jensen Lewis' performance late in the year).
Even if they keep Street, though, the deal makes sense for Colorado. Holliday’s ship had sailed and he was getting dealt sooner or later. In this trade, they get 3 pieces that they can immediately use at the major league level in 2009. Yes, the Rockies have a lot of outfield talent in the minors (Dexter Fowler and Seth Smith) and still have Brad Hawpe, Wily Taveras and Ryan Spillborghs under contract even after removing Holliday. While that may sound like a glut, it isn’t, considering Tavares and Spillborghs have no business playing every day, and you can’t hand Smith or Fowler a guaranteed major league job to start 2009. Adding Gonzalez gives you another high-upside option that may flourish and earn the right to play all year in CF or RF, or may find himself plugging away for the Sky Sox while someone else gets a chance.
In Smith they have a serviceable fourth or fifth starter who is left handed and very cheap, which is an appealing commodity in today’s game. Starting pitching is what the Rox need if they’re going to improve, and adding Smith to the equation can’t really stunt their progress on that front, although it is by no means any sort of coup. Add that to the fact that they are still shopping Garret Atkins and Wily Taveras presumably in exchange for pitching, and I think this looks like it could be a successful reloading offseason for Dan O’Dowd (even though I expect him to get very little for Taveras, Atkins should fetch something useful).
Beane is rolling the dice on getting one really good year out of a hitter with noticeable-but-not-terrible Coors Field/away splits that is moving to a pitcher’s park. Oakland, too, has a surplus of young outfielders, but I think Gonzalez was the most valuable trade chip and had the most potential to breakout in 2009. The offensive gain that Beane is paying for for 2009 may well be undone once 2010 rolls around, unless Travis Buck or Ryan Sweeney make The Leap. Street, to me, could have netted Beane more of a return in a separate deal considering the fact that teams want closers, especially budget-conscious teams. With all that considered, I think this one scores as advantage: Rockies.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Hopes to bring face-plant sliding techniques to the Bay Area. Billy Beane already rumored to be shopping him now in advance of the July 31 2009 deadline.
In a move that seems completely out of left field (no pun intended), the Oakland Athletics are about to acquire Colorado Rockies outfielder Matt Holliday. The return for Colorado has not yet been announced, but Billy Beane has certainly stockpiled young talent recently via trades. So, it is conceivable that this move didn't put much of a dent in the A's surplus of young talent. The first name to emerge in early reports is Greg Smith, a lefty who made 32 starts for the A's last year and posted a decent (7-16, 4.16 ERA 169 hits in 190 IP, 111::87 K::BB, 1.35 WHIP) rookie campaign, although walking way too many people and giving up 21 home runs (which would translate terribly to Coors Field).
This removes one of the biggest names of the offseason's trade market very early in the game. It has also completely ruined Bill Madden's stupid Fantasy Baseball lineup for the 2009 Yankees already, a mere week deep into the offseason! The idea of the Yankees being hot for Holliday was flawed from the start, considering they refused to trade prospects and sign a huge extension to land that guy who now pitches for the Mets. Holliday would have required the same type of scenario, or he would have been a one-year rental, something the Yankees don't do.
So, from the Bronx perspective, this should be a non-story, although you can guarantee the local media will spin it as Brian Cashman being too slow to act and getting out-maneuvered by that genius Billy Beane. At least, that's what I'm predicting now before any stories are written. I'll be sure to update this post when the specifics are finalized.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Games 128-130
@ Baltimore Orioles
Pitching Match-ups
Tonight, Friday August 22
Mike Mussina (16-7, 3.35) vs. Radhames Liz (4-3, 7.47)
Saturday, August 23
Carl Pavano (0-0, 0.00) vs. Jeremy Guthrie (10-6, 3.15)
Sunday, August 24
Darrell Rasner (5-9, 4.93) vs. Daniel Cabrera (8-8, 4.98)
Series Analysis
So now the Yankees are in the precarious position of absolutely having to sweep the Baltimore Orioles this weekend in order to stay afloat. In New York, the Yankees have vanished from the back pages of the tabloids, which have mostly buried the team and turned their attention towards the Olympics and the Mets. The Post has engraved the tombstone and started the countdown until the Yankees are eliminated from playoff contention. And so the season has come and gone for the Yankees in the eyes of the daily papers and their lowest common denominator pandering. Still, there is a lot yet to be determined, and one of those things is if the Yankees are really totally dead or not. They have 1 and three-quarters feet in the grave, no doubt about it, but I think the series coming up against Boston, and what position the team is in when they start that series, is when you decide if the season is dead or not.
But, like I said, they pretty much need a sweep this weekend in Baltimore. They have to face two pitchers that have absolutely shut their offense down this year in Jeremy Guthrie and Daniel Cabrera, and they are subjecting themselves to a circus-like atmosphere by starting Carl Pavano on Saturday night. A sweep is not going to be easy to come by because of those factors. Any mis-steps by Yankees starting pitching will mean sure doom considering their offense has a glass jaw on par with a terrible team completely out of the race and playing out the stretch run in September. Meaning, they pack it in as soon as they fall behind by more than a run or two. Any four or five run deficit is insurmountable for this group of overpaid, underachieving, and aging one-time superstars.
So the weight of the “Yankees Universe” will fall on the shoulders of The Moose tonight in the park where he made his name. He’ll need to provide some sanity, and the offense will have to tattoo an erratic rookie, in order to set the stage for the return of the Plastic Pitcher.
My prediction for Saturday, I mean, I can’t even begin to predict that game. Pavano could come out and completely lay an egg and I wouldn’t be one bit surprised. He could throw a game like he threw on Opening Day 2007 when he gave up some runs but kept the game close into the 5th inning and gave way to the bullpen. He could also throw 6 or 7 shutout innings, and I wouldn’t be surprised. Nothing can ever surprise a Yankees fans anymore when it comes to Carl Pavano—he has re-written the book on surprising a fan base. And Guthrie is the Orioles’ best starter hands down, and he has pitched well against the Yankees in each of his starts against them this year. This to me is the hardest game of the series to predict a Yankees victory in. But, this year has been so bizarre that anything is possible—it’s not like the Orioles are a great team, but they have killed Yankees pitching all year, and I don’t see Pavano bucking that trend.
Sunday’s game could potentially be a high scoring one if the Yankees figure out how to hit Daniel Cabrera, a secret that the 13 other teams in the AL have picked up on this year. That combined with Rasner coming off an out-of-his-mind start against the Jays that I doubt he will recreate, means there should be some runs scored. The Yankees have not won many slugfests, but Camden Yards has been a friendly confines to them for many years, so I am guessing they end up taking 2 out of 3 in this series, winning tonight and Sunday.
Some random notes before I sign off for tonight.
--I am actually going to the Mets/Astros game tonight, in an effort to get there one last time before they turn the place into a parking lot, and because I need to see an actual baseball team that plays in New York in person (joking). It’s a great pitching match-up between Johan and Roy Oswalt, so I’m hoping for a great game. I still don’t regret not trading for and signing Santana, even as more and more fans clamor that the Yankees will end up paying more for Sabathia this offseason than they would have ended up paying for Santana. Those idiot fans don’t realize that they won’t have to both trade for AND sign Sabathia, though. Those same fans, however, have already decided that Phil Hughes is washed up and will never amount to anything so they should have just traded him last year.
--Speaking of the much-maligned Phil Hughes, he pitches again for Scranton/Wilkes Barre tonight. I will be curious to see if he overcomes his self-described dead arm and pitches more like he was in his first few rehab starts, as opposed to his outing last Sunday. A good performance by Phil and a poor one by Pavano on Saturday would increase some pressure to pull the plug on Carl’s starting gig and give Phil a shot. No concept of what the team’s leash will be like with Pavano, and I would be appalled if they gave him respect and actually ran him out there regardless of if he stinks it up or not.
I’ll be watching the out of town scoreboard from my seats at Shea tonight and hoping to see some crooked numbers next to NYY. Hopefully, there won’t be any crooked numbers popping up next to the BAL portion of the scoreboard.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Nothing has been made official as of yet, but it is looking like Carl Pavano will be the team’s choice to start Saturday night’s game in Baltimore. It seemed like his candidacy was in doubt when the Post’s George King, the man who has most reviled Pavano during his time as a complete waste of the Yankees’ money and dubbed him the “American Idle”, broke this story about Carl suffering from a stiff neck the day after his Sunday start in Trenton.
He skipped his bullpen session on Tuesday, which seemed to be another red flag. Was Pavano again asking out of major league duty due to a mysterious injury?
It would appear, however, that the severity of his stiff neck and his skipping a bullpen have been clarified. Not just by GM Brian Cashman’s quotes that he was “fine” and was experiencing normal stiffness. No, Carl Pavano declared himself ready, as hard as this may be to believe, through his actions, namely walking up the mound and throwing in Trenton on Wednesday. He threw a bullpen that was described in this story as being “perfect” by Trenton’s pitching coach. I can only speculate what his definition of perfect is: perfect because Carl didn’t tweak his left ear while compensating for his stiff neck? Perfect because Carl showed up not reeking of booze from an all-night binge session of boozing and shacking up with a random New Jersey floozy? Perfect because he didn’t crash his Lamborghini on the way to the ballpark and break every bone in his pitching hand?
All jokes aside, Carl is currently the hands-down best choice for Saturday’s start. Considering Phil Hughes’ struggles in his recent Scranton outing and, well, the other choice being Victor Zambrano, I’d much rather see what Carl has to offer. For some reason a rotation that includes Sidney Ponson, Darrell Rasner and Victor Zambrano seems like it should be featured in the International League playoff race, not the American League Wild Card chase.
My perception of Crash-Test Dummy Carl, however, is a little different even in spite of all those “injuries” and all those frustrating days spent doing something other than pitching for my team. The few moments he’s been healthy in his career, he hasn’t been a terrible pitcher. So the question will be how his still-recovering pitching arm and arsenal will adjust to again facing major leaguers on Saturday. Baltimore has an extremely potent offense, so it will be an extremely tough test for Pavano. My guess is he will have a short leash, both in Saturday’s game and in general in terms of having a rotation spot. No string of good starts can really erase the 3 years of unbelievable frustration he caused, but it really will be must-see television when he toes the rubber in Camden Yards Saturday night.
I don’t mean to draw undeserved and unnecessary levels of attention to one game, because honestly it may not mean anything in the long run of the season. The game’s importance and Carl’s potential impact on the season will first and foremost depend on what happens over the next two games.
The Yankees are facing one of their (and the entire American League’s) biggest antagonists this season in Roy Halladay, and they have been awful in the first games of series all year long, so Friday in Baltimore is no sure thing, even if the O’s are throwing an erratic and hittable young starter. That could get balanced out since Friday’s starter for the Yankees, The Moose, has been knocked around by his former team this year. Granted, most Yankees starting pitchers have gotten knocked around by the Orioles this year, but hopefully that trend ends in Charm City this weekend.
So, by the time Carl takes the mound on Saturday, a lot of bad could be swirling around the team…and I don’t know how that is a good environment for one of the central harbingers of Yankees fans’ sorrows in recent years to make his triumphant return. But, then again, a lot of good could have happened once Pavano returns. A win tonight against Halladay would be a dream come true considering how easily he’s throttled the Bronx “Bombers” this year. That, following the tidy, clean win last night would be the perfect way to erase the bad taste left from Tuesday night’s fiasco, and it would give the team a lot of confidence as they head south to a ballpark where, historically, they’ve hit well and won a lot of games.
I’m excited by this wondrously bizarre development, but I can’t really get myself to focus totally on it until I see some more good results tonight and tomorrow. Suffice is to say, I’ve circled Saturday in red on my calendar.
