yankees228

CT scan was negative.

Nowhere did I advocate that Hughes should go back to the bullpen. I'm just wondering if the Yankees approached this entire situation wrong in Spring Training. It was a competition for the fifth starters spot, with the loser going to the bullpen. Maybe they should have been more concerned about finding the best man for the bullpen, instead of the best man for the starting rotation.

I'm not really sure if that guy is out there.

This is pretty much the short way of saying what I said. This Yankees' team appears to be pretty flawed, and the bullpen is probably the biggest one.

The interesting thing is that the Yankees have been applauded for making the correct decision about the fifth starters spot, but now I'm not really sure. As we watch Joba struggle game after game out of the setup the role, the case could be made that the setup role is more important than the fifth starters spot. We have to remember that the Yankees season didn't turn around last year until Phil Hughes took over the eighth inning role, and the Yankees were essentially able to shorten games to seven innings. I've been optimistic about Joba, but we now have to wonder if this is what Joba is, someone who is going to be incredibly inconsistent, sometimes going out there and dominating, and sometimes going out there with nothing.

And the bullpen sucks...

Classic idiot Yankees' fans booing Girardi. All these moves have been the right ones. Maybe they should do what they normally do and leave well before the game is over.

Game isn't over yet. This bullpen has some serious issues.

Great great win. The middle of the order is bound to heat up just in time for an easy part of the schedule. Scratching out these wins here is huge, and things should only get better over the next few weeks.

I have very little faith in Joba getting through Mauer and Morneau throwing 91-92. There are other options, which I hope Joe uses. EDIT: But I'm sure he won't.

Going to be a tough four outs for Joba, but I like the move.

This team does nothing with men on base.

Mauer really crushed the ball, but yeah, off Robertson and to A-Rod on a fly. It looked awful, but I guess it got him on a good spot, and he's still in the game.

Sometimes I just don't get Joe at all. Mauer and Morneau are starting off the bottom of the sixth inning. Why not go with Marte, and by the time that part of the order comes around again, it will be time to go to Joba (if the game is still in the balance). Instead he goes to Robertson.

They'll pick it up tomorrow in the top of the sixth inning.

The New York Giants and the New York Jets aren't hosting the game. Their stadium is. Their stadium's geographic location is New Jersey. The game is being played in New Jersey. New Jersey is hosting the game. Once again, this is fact. Regardless, I've been in some pointless debates, but this one probably tops the list.

I don't think the weather should play any role in what is supposed to be a completely neutral environment game.

Disappointed about this. So be it.

I'll copy and paste what I initially had said on the topic into this post... This is an unnecessary hyperbole, and one that continues to perpetuate a fallacy. Excluding close safe/out calls in non-crucial spots that benefitted both teams, and strike/ball calls that benefitted both teams, if memory serves, here were the bad calls during the postseason that occurred in crucial spots and/or directly influenced whether or not a run scored... Calls that benefitted the Yankees: -Joe Mauer's bloop down the left field line being called foul in the top of the 11th inning of game 2 of the ALDS. -The missed double play at third base during the run down in the top of the 5th inning of game 4 of the ALCS. -Chase Utley being called out on the back end of a double play in the top of the 8th inning of game 2 of the World Series. Calls that went against the Yankees: -Nick Swisher being called out for leaving too early from third base on a sacrifice fly in the top of the 4th inning of game 4 of the ALCS. -Johnny Damon's line drive to Ryan Howard being ruled a catch in the bottom of the 7th inning of game 2 of the World Series. -The home plate umpire ruling that Ryan Howard touched home plate in the bottom of the 4th inning of game 4 of the World Series.

Definitely excited for this series.

I remember responding to one of your posts in another thread where you said the same thing. The notion that the Yankees received a number of bad calls in their favor, and none against them, is completely false. Anyway, another tough loss. They're better than they're showing, and I'm sure they'll go on a run soon, but these cold stretches are quite frustrating. As for Sabathia, his April struggles are just coming in May this year. There are a number of things about this team that concern me, but he's not one of them. Got one more tough series coming up, and then a pretty easy stretch begins.