People Who Think People Who Blame A-Rod are Idiots are Idiots

What I'm trying to say in that convoluted title up there is that the contrarian position is not always the right one. Despite what this article and other blogs and experts are saying today to prove their intelligence over the drooling masses Last night, A-rod by all definitions sucked. Whether this was due to nagging effects from his multitude of injuries this season (read: after effects of steroids use) or just his usual postseason suckiness, the fact remains that Alex Rodriguez shit the bed this ALDS. Much like he did in 05, 06, 07 and every season besides the 09 run when I'm convinced that either A-Rod was hypnotized by Kate Hudson's magical vagina or he upped his steroids dosage. Yes, Girardi's overmanaging style was again partly to blame and there was a whole list of other players who were awful this series, but a great deal of the blame falls on A-Rod's broad, useless shoulders. That might be unfair to judge him because of his contract and celebrity status, but there's a reason he garners all that attention and money: he's a supremely talented player who's put up monstrous career numbers. We expect great things out of him in the playoffs and the guy just hasn't produced in the big spots outside of that one season. Break down all the sabermetrics you want, debate the existence of "clutch", however you look at it he's failed in big moments. I nicknamed him "smoke break" a couple years ago because once he came up to bat you knew that you weren't going to miss anything if you stepped out for a Newport. Obviously baseball is a team sport and more than any other sport the final score relies on factors that an individual can't control like pitching and defense that one player can't overcome. I understand that, Joe Posnanski. But if we give out MVP awards (of which A-Rod's won a couple) based partly on team success, then the individual should also take some heat when the team is unsuccessful.

Yankees' playoff series always seem to end with A-Rod striking out, and this is because they actually do end that way more often than not. Sportscenter ran a graphic about all of the past playoff series that have ended with Rodriguez at the plate. Last night was no different as he struck out swinging in every big moment last night and the one time he was on base he failed to score despite what looked like a deep enough base hit to drive in a run (Rob Thomson held him up there and he seemed to be laboring a little while running so he gets a pass I suppose). But this doesn't excuse the rest of the series when he got precisely zero hits besides one when the game was already out of reach on Tuesday. Even the Tigers were cracking jokes.

So obviously the entire team is to blame (not to mention there is another team that is playing, wants to win and doesn't know that we have to win the World Series every year). I understand an article or blog post that says "A Rod sucks" isn't all that interesting and But, let us vent some frustration on the most famous player on the team and the one who we have signed for an astronomical price for the next 6 years of our lives. He was not good. In fact, he sucked. And I don't feel like an idiot for saying that.

Yankees vs. Tigers ALDS Preview

Seems like just yesterday I was writing about Yankees and CC Sabathia's opening day against The Tigers and Justin Verlander. Here we are 5 months, 162 games, and countless Milwaukee's Bests and utz pretzel sticks later and we've come full circle. CC vs. Bottle's pick for MVP tonight at Yankee Stadium. Tomorrow is officially the beginning of October, but the first baseball playoff game always means September's done and it's time to get serious.

Although this is a rematch of the 06 ALDS, not too much remains the same from that forgettable (for the Yankees) series. Gary Sheffield still hung out in right field, MVP candidate Curtis Granderson played was in the other uniform, Chien Ming-Wang was still considered an ace (picking up the Yanks only win of the series) and Justin Verlander was but a fresh faced albeit very good rookie. What the series is probably best remembered for in New York is Joe Torre's odd decision to bat the struggling A-Rod 8th in the elimination game 4. To be fair to Joe, A-Rod played about as bad as a baseball player could in that series (this was before his great 09 run erased all of this from our memories) and he probably deserved a demotion but that was probably not the time or place to sit your MVP. Anyway, these days Hater J's least favorite human being is an afterthought as he's barely played over the last few months. Any production out of him should be considered a bonus by the Yanks.

The big story this series will be the big, bad, scary Justin Verlander who has dominated the league this year, leading the AL in wins, strikeouts, innings pitched, ERA, winning percentage, WHIP, hits per 9 innings, national anthems sung, and bags of peanuts sold. Every outing is a possible no-hitter and/or complete game. He's kind of a throwback to an era when pitchers were expected to go 8 every start before Girardi's clip boards and La Russa's over-managing. The prevailing theory around NY and the rest of baseball was you want to avoid Detroit at all costs so you don't have to see Verlander twice in a 5 game series. He's this year's version of Cliff Lee. But, despite the gaudy numbers against everyone else, the Yanks should be able to take a little bit of comfort in the fact that they were 2-0 against Verlander this season and in both outings, he couldn't make it out of the 6th inning, something that isn't so bad for most mere mortal pitchers, but is practically unheard of in his case. If the Bombers can keep that same pressure on him during this series, they should be in good shape. And if Sabathia can recapture some of his midseason form (when he was almost as dominant as Verlander) then it could be a short series. CC seemed to struggle on extended rest this season as the Yankees experimented with a 6 man rotation in search of solid corps. But now that everything's settled, AJ Burnett is thankfully relegated to the bullpen where he can do minimal damage and Freddy Garcia is being thrown out there in game 3, CC should be back in his comfort zone. The pitching rotation has been the big question mark all season and it will be interesting to see how the Yankee's rookie sensation (Nova) and resurrected veteran (Garcia) perform in the spotlight.

As far as the offenses stack up, the Yankees have an advantage with their two MVP candidates (Granderson and Cano) leading the way. Mark Teixiera needs to improve his postseason offensive play, which thus far outside of one memorable home run against the Twins in 09 has been very dissapointing. As I mentioned before, A-Rod has gone from the focus to a bit of an unknown for this playoffs, and who knows, that might actually work in his and the Yankees benefit. Even with his monster 09 numbers, A-Rod has seemed to be affected by the attention and pressure in years past. Now that some of the burden has been shifted to other players, maybe number 13 can relax and let his talent speak for itself. As for the Tigers, they're led by a rejuvenated PTU keeping it real hero (we won't take complete credit for his resurgence) Miguel Cabrera, the Tigers have a somewhat overlooked potent offense. I say this since the spectacular play of Verlander can overshadow the rest of the team. But beware, Yankee fans, the Tigers are not a one man team. In fact, as Hater J pointed out, they were 4th in runs scored so we should expect some high scoring games over the next week and a half. I give the Yankees an edge here, though, as they have the more experienced and talented lineup.

All in all, these teams are more evenly matched than some media outlets and fans are portraying them. The Yankees cruise to a division title was really more a by product of Boston's crappyness then anything they did, so fans shouldn't be lulled into a false sense of security and smugness (something I'll sadly admit Yankee fans do better than anyone else). Hell, if Boston had played a little over .500 ball in September we might not even be talking about this today and would instead be posting about Octoberfest or something. That being said, I expect a closely contested series with the Yankees getting to Verlander tonight and then doing enough in the next 4 games to win in 5 at home next Friday.

Note: I'll be at the game tonight and will attempt to capture some magic moments in pictures for PTU. Let's go Yanks!

Can Mariano Rivera Get Some Love?

Last night, a little past 1 in the morning Eastern time, Russell Martin threw Ichiro out attempting to steal second base and Mariano Rivera had completed his 600th save of his career. And over the next week or so, he will pass Trevor Hoffman for the most career saves in history. This is a tremendous achievement by the universally acknowledged greatest closer of all time, so why is it being met with the same excitement as the season finale of Rizzoli & Isles? Ok, maybe that's exaggerating a bit, but in comparison to the unbelievable hype and excitement surrounding Derek Jeter's 3,000th hit, there's barely been a ripple in the media.

Part of this is probably because it's so inevitable that he would achieve this record (or stateau as some blogger types dub these kind of things). As I mentioned before, even the biggest Yankee hater douche bag has to admit that Mo is the greatest to ever be called a "closer". He's revolutionized the position with one pitch and is one of the main reasons that the Yanks have been so dominant since the mid 90s. Part of the reason this achievement is maybe being a little overlooked is the same reason that we don't really get too excited about Mariano's exploits during the season; We take him for granted. He's like airport security: The only time you hear about him is if he messes up.

I know football season is upon us, but I think we owe it to Mo to give him at least a fraction of the hoopla that surrounded DJ3K. When Enter Sandman starts up over these next couple of days, let's stop what we're doing and salute the only number 42 still playing. Let's get some MO602 t-shirts, and honor the greatest closer dead or alive.

Hip Hip: The Sad Last Days of Jorge Posada

Jorge Posada was the back page story after another Yankees Red Sox game this past weekend. Earlier in the season, the cranky old Yankee overshadowed anemic Yankee offense as well as Snoot's brush with high society, when he threw a hissy fit over being dropped in the batting order (this despite his truly awful numbers at the time). Sunday, Jorge behaved himself, but his removal from the lineup entirely dominated the back pages, and once again got the heat off of a miserable Yankee loss (Eduardo Nunez should be particularly grateful). I defended Georgie back in the Spring, and I'm still a huge fan of the guy. Unfortunately, it appears that time has claimed another victim, kicking and screaming his way to mediocrity or worse.

Posada has always been a bit of the grumpy type. Even when things were going so well for the Yankees, there were stories about his occasional grumbling. Just ask A.J. Burnett about Jorge's temperament. But he's also been part of that core 4 (now 3 and soon to be 2) that is so legendary around here. He's a pretty classy guy, who goes about his business with little fanfare, never showing anyone up. Totally fits the mold of the 90s Yankee, the business like winner. But now it looks like his final season or 2 will be endless games of tug of war between Girardi and Posada. As I've mentioned before, the two have kind of a contentious relationship. Girardi still sees Posada as the snot nosed kid who took his job and Posada can't get past the fact that he's taking orders from a former equal (I'm speculating here, but it's probably true). So, instead of the glorious ride into the sunset that was the last seasons of Bernie Williams, Paul O'Neill, Andy Pettite and soon to be Derek Jeter (Mr. D not withstanding) and Mariano Rivera, we'll be treated to endless shots of the moping Posada on the bench while newcomers like Russell Martin and Eric Chavez replace him in nationally televised games against Boston. Frankly, it's a sad product of being a catcher that they don't usually age too gracefully. Even all time greats like Ivan Rodriguez and Mike Piazza were (or are) shells of their former selves, either barely batting above .200 or awkwardly playing first base. Posada's not being mistreated here (although Girardi has to be aware that scheduling his lineup changes around Red Sox series might draw a little attention) since he's been awful lately. It's a little sad, though, to see one of the important pieces of the Yankees dynasty reduced to an unproductive old man sitting on the bench, especially amidst the love fest that Jeter's experienced this season. Posada's always been a fairly dignified guy, and let's hope his last games as a player will see him retain a little of that dignity.

RIP Hideki Irabu

One-time Yankee pitcher Hideki Irabu was found dead today in his home in California. Details are still sketchy, but suicide is suspected.

A bunch of us from PTU were just talking about him at Snootfest the other day and this comes as a bit of a shock. Unfortunately, he'll probably be best remembered for being called a "fat toad" by George Steinbrenner, and truth be told, that was the exact context in which we were discussing him on Saturday. Irabu got a ring that season though, and was apparently as big a star in Japan as that other Hideki who played for the Yankees before and since his short stint as a Major Leaguer. In any case, it's sad to see anyone go before their time.

RIP Hideki.

Is This Guy Honorable or Stupid?

Derek Jeter reached Yankee immortality as only he could Saturday afternoon (or he's just lucky to have been able to stick around for this long, depending on who you ask)and being that it was a dramatic home run to the left field bleachers, this meant that some lucky soul was faced with the enviable task of choosing between keeping the ball and testing the collector's market or giving it back to Jeter for whatever he asked. As everyone knows, he chose the latter, sparking debate amongst Yankee and non Yankee fans over whether this dude is an honorable soul who personifies the class that Jeter has been known to represent through out his career, or just a plain old idiot?

There seems to be two camps here (judging by my own informal polling of friends and facebook statuses, and media reaction): the one faction says this guy, Christian Lopez, is a virtuous and saintly person, who has put his love for Jeter and the Yankee organization above greed. Numerous articles have been written the past 2 days shouting out the class that Lopez has shown as being the perfect representation of Jeter and Yankee like nobility and an antidote to the greed that has ruined our society. And then there's the other group who thinks this guy is just stupid for not saving that ball for the highest bidder. I'm a part of the second group. Don't get me wrong, I think the ball belonged with Jeter and I like the fact that this kid is such a huge Yankee fan that he didn't even consider another option (to hear the Yankees tell it, at least), but let's be honest with ourselves here: this isn't some kind of a charity organization we're talking about. It's the New York Yankees. The richest franchise in sports and basically the logo for capitalism. The trading of seats that they couldn't sell because they're so ridiculously priced to begin with isn't a fair value for that baseball. Unless they worked out some kind of deal behind closed doors where Lopez could sell off the seats he can't use, this is more of a punishment than anything else. Hank Steinbrenner looks down from his suite and sees some other schmucks sitting where the patron saint of baseball memorabilia should be and there will be a problem.

I'm not really knocking this guy (even if I am basically calling him an idiot) since I think he really doesn't know any better. But, if he knew what was best for him he'd sell that ball to Todd McFarlane or the Hall of Fame or Jeter himself after some negotiating. He's a Verizon employee who is admittedly 100k in debt in college loans. I imagine he wasn't an economics major, since sitting and watching the Yankees play the White Sox in August isn't going to pay those loans back. The idea of not getting your money's worth for a collectible isn't really a noble cause when you take into account that the entity who you're basically donating it to takes every opportunity they can get to milk some cash out of their loyal fans. The second that ball hit Lopez's eager mitts, the Yankees website and Modell's, etc. began shilling whatever they could with a 3000 and Jeter's name on it. If they could package the air that was breathed in the stadium that day, you better believe Steiner collectibles would have "Jeter 3k Carbon Dioxide" sales in a few years. Maybe there were some deals made behind the scenes in which Lopez is now the richest fan in the building, and all his debts have been paid. Maybe the seats are a front to hide the type of absurd dollars that changed hands. I doubt it though. No one's making money off Jeter's 3000th but the Yankees themselves. That's the Yankee way. Most likely, Christian Lopez is still a 23 year old Verizon employee in massive debt, albeit much more famous than he was 3 days ago, and with evening plans for 3 days a week for the rest of the summer. It might be an honorable, classy act like some would have you believe, but it is definitely stupid.

How great is Jeter?

You're going to hear a lot of Jeter ass-kissing over the next couple days now that hes reached 3000 hits - and rightfully so - but this now begs the question: how truly great of a player is Derek Jeter? I'll try to answer this objectively although (1) I'm a Yankee fan, (2) Jeter is my favorite player, and (3) PTU is a blog run by some assholes from New York.

So where does he fall among the all-time greats? He is the best of the 2nd tier all-time greats.

Examples:

Considering the great players of the last 20 - 30 years (I'm not going back to like 1911 and mentioning all these guys that even your great-grandfather is too young to remember), the first tier would include guys like: Bonds, Pujols, A-Rod, Griffey, Frank Thomas, Manny, etc. The main thing that separates these guys from guys like Jeter is their ability to hit for power. When Jeter retires, each of these guys will have 300+ more home runs than Jeter, and also a shitload more RBI's. Of course, it's important to note that many of these guys have been linked to roids.

The second tier, where Jeter falls, would consists of guys like Derek, Gwynn, Boggs, George Brett, and Paul Molitor. Guys with 3000+ hits, tons of runs, a high average, great clutch play... aka everything except tremendous power numbers. I would put Jeter a nod above the other guys in this category, including a player like George Brett, who is probably the most comparable statistically. Jeter's offensive stats, his Gold Gloves, his clutch play, and his championships (5) make him probably the best tier 2 player of all-time.

Tier 3 would include some really, really good players, though not quite all-time great. As an example, Craig Biggio would arguably fall into this category.

Among the 28 players to reach 3000 hits, Jeter is one of the least talented - though that's not much of a criticism, considering how great the rest of the players are. In that group, he's somewhere in the bottom 25%.

Projecting the rest of his career, Jeter will probably retire with roughly the following numbers:

.305 average
3340 hits
2000 runs
250 homers
1275 RBI's
5 Gold Gloves
5 Championships

No doubt first ballot Hall of Famer.