To long toss or not to long toss…

Here’s an interesting read from Doug Miller of MLB.com in which he discusses long toss — throwing a baseball from extended distances with varying arcs — and whether or not it’s a practice that can benefit or hurt pitchers. Miller notes that the Yankees are one of several teams that have incorporated some form of [...]

A.J. will start Game 4 of the ALCS

Even after Cliffpocalypse, according to Joe Girardi, that’s still the plan…

Well, this was inevitable

Via ESPN New York: With A.J. Burnett on track to start Game 4 of the American League Championship Series, Jorge Posada could be on the bench for that game. Posada has only caught Burnett eight times this season, while Francisco Cervelli has been behind the plate for Burnett 25 times this season. For much of [...]

Yanks sweep Twins, ALCS bound

Thanks to Marcus Thames and Phil Hughes, the Yankees beat the Twins tonight, 6-1, sweeping them for the second straight year in the ALDS. The Yankees will now head to the ALCS to face either the Rangers or the Rays (the Rangers lead the series, 2-1). Start spreading the news, indeed…

Yanks beat Twins, 6-4

Thanks to Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira, the Yankees took game 1 against the Twins last night, 6-4. Photo by Getty Images

ALDS: Things That Scare Me The Most

Robinson Cano is kind of good

Consider this—in 2010, the average line for an American League second baseman was .264/.328/.391 (that’s a .719 OPS). Conversely, Robinson Cano, the Yankees’ second baseman, hit .319/.381/.534 (that’s a .915 OPS). I don’t think Robbie captured himself an MVP title this year – that honor probably belongs to Josh Hamilton – but he did establish [...]

Yanks set ALDS roster

Via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com: The Yankees have made their roster decisions for the American League Division Series, with outfielder Greg Golson and pitchers Sergio Mitre and Dustin Moseley selected for spots that were up for grabs.The Yankees are using an 11-man pitching staff for the ALDS, having already announced that CC Sabathia, Andy Pettitte [...]

Jayson Werth, a Red Sox or a Ray

Here’s an interesting bit of info to chew on for a bit. Via Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports: Few imagined that the Phillies would be willing to trade one of their most productive players before the July 31 non-waiver deadline. But the Phils’ seven-game homestand before the All-Star break could determine [...]

Quick Bits: Recap, A-Rod/Torre, Gardner

Here are a few quick items on the day (late start for me): The Yankees mounted a comeback against Jonathan Broxton last night. A Cano HR capped the 8-6 win. The relationship between A-Rod and Joe Torre was a big story over the weekend. They buried the hatchet. Brett Gardner will undergo X-Rays today after [...]

Brett Gardner is slap happy

If you’ve watched most of the Yankees’ games this year, the spray chart below probably isn’t much of a surprise. Whenever Gardner gets a hit, most of the time he finds a way to slap the ball to left field, just over the head of the third baseman, or he hits a knee-high pitch just [...]

Cervelli’s offense going forward

Lately, it seems like everyone is talking about the bat of catcher Francisco Cervelli, who has filled in admirably – an understatement, I know – for Jorge Posada during his recent absence (brought on by a mild calf strain). On the season, Cervelli has hit an absurd .429/.500/.500, with 12 RBI. Obviously, that’s a very [...]

Dallas Braden’s perplexing perfecto

Via Jack Moore of FanGraphs: At 3:12 PM local time on May 09, 2010, Dallas Braden of the Oakland Athletics retired Gabe Kapler to finish off only the 19th perfect game in major league history, defeating the Tampa Bay Rays. Braden struck out six batters in the process and only required 109 pitches to record the 27 [...]

Phil Hughes’ fastball confidence remains

Here’s something I wrote regarding Phil Hughes back in early February: In 2009, working primarily as Mariano Rivera’s setup man, Hughes’ fastball averaged 93.7 mph. In 2008, as a starter, Hughes’ velocity averaged nearly 3 mph less at 91.2 mph. The noticeable uptick in velocity can help to explain the changes in Hughes’ demeanor from [...]

Morning Bits: Recap, Braden, Burnett

Here are a few quick items on the morning: Due to an ineffective outing from A.J. Burnett, the Yankees lost to the Red Sox, 9-3. Believe it or not, but yesterday Dallas Braden tossed a perfect game against Tampa Bay. Back to Burnett—since joining NY, his ERA against the Red Sox at Fenway is 12.68. [...]

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