I posted just yesterday about the footwork of Robbie Cano and Morgan Ensberg in the batters' box.  I thought they were aquitting themselves nicely in the early going of last night's loss to the Tigers.  Cano kept his bottom half a little more in balance and lined a home run in his first at bat.  Ensberg got his front foot off the ground and hit a ridiculously loud out to the wall.  Then they both returned to the error of their ways:  Robbie had too much untimed movement and Ensberg had zero lower half movement going a combined 0-7 and stranding a handful of baserunners the rest of the way...Oh well.

ARod to the DL, eeesh.  Ensberg will have to pick it up...when I think of anything more obvious to state I'll be back.

Go Yanks!

Carlos Delgado didnt feel a curtain call was necessary after hitting a seventh inning solo shot when the Mets were already ahead by 2 runs...Good.  It's about time.  It's one thing when your teammates are shoving you up the steps, but the self-adulatory grandstanding in baseball is over done.  I credit Delgado with knowing the difference.  We can all think of players and or plays involving some over the top celebration and to me it's played and it's tired.  On this cold rainy day I am having little trouble thinking of other baseball related issues that I am tired of.

Roger Clemens.  Tired.  If this egomaniacal lunatic had just kept his mouth shut and gone the way of EVERY OTHER NIT-WIT NAMED IN THE MITCHELL REPORT he'd still be going to the hall of fame, first ballot, married, with his assets in check.  After the dog and pony show he's dragged us thru he'll be lucky to manage any of that at this point.  A more likely scenario now for the Rocket appears to be prison, no ballot required, divorce & losing 'half" his cash.  Mindy McCreedy was only the tip of the iceberg as two others have apparently surfaced...Mrs Clemens was helpful talking Roger's way out of Boston, I wonder how helpful she'll be now. 

Speaking of people who love hearing themselves talk, Curt Schilling popped back up on my radar this morning but in an unexpected way.  I love the guy as a competitor, but being trapped in New England with him is unbearable - he's everywhere, does commercials for everything, constantly commenting on everything, etc.  But today he got my attention in a good way:  I was unaware until this morning that he is working to restructure his contract to AVOID COLLECTING bonuses due to him based solely on fitness.  He has come in a little heavy in recent years so he had incentives for meeting certain weight requirements...Given his preseason injury he doesnt want to collect on those bonuses unless he is healthy and actively helping the team win from the mound.  Good on you, Curt.  That's about as rare a thing as you'll see in professional sports.

What could be more rare?  How about those pesky 1st place Tampa Bay Rays!?  Getting to see them 18+ times a year I have had time to become a fan of some of their players and have enjoyed watching them turn the corner.  Now dont get me wrong, the Rays wont win the AL East or make the playoffs, lets not get crazy, but they have some top notch talent down there, just ask a Red Sox fan after the weekend sweep the Rays threw down on them.  They can hit, they can run and they are actually beginning to muster some starting pitching which will only improve when Kazmir returns.  I am biased because he came from my home state, but just imagine this team with a healthy 5 tooler like Rocco Baldelli, his injuries were a shame.

Equally as shameful was my selection of Mike Lowell on my fantasy team.  The pick in and of itself wasnt shameful as much as the injury that dumped him on the DL from which he is expected to return today.  He basically went down to all fours to make a play at third and strained the thumb on his glove hand, the thumb on the bottom hand of the bat, making him infinitely useless in the field, at the plate or in my fantasy league.  One interesting thing that was infinitely clear from his injury, however, was how versatile Kevin Youkilis is.  Every team wants a guy like Youkilis.  My stud third baseman will be down for a bit as his right quad recovers and Morgan Ensberg will be more than servicable as a defensive replacement, but Youkilis' offensive production out matches Ensberg.  I understand we arent exactly comparing bench players here because Youk plays everyday.  Moreover he was able to play third in Lowell's absence because The Mayor was able to step in at first.  My beloved Bombers have more DH's and first basemen than you can count, but if Sean Casey and Youk can cover a loss like Mike Lowell and the Sox dont skip a beat then who really has a better bench?  Now that bothers me.

Well, that's all for now...Go Yanks!

Back to back above solid starts from Moose, the last backing up a gem by Wang in an instant classic and the best news is my beloved Bombers are headed back to the Bronx.  No team played more on the road this April, and thankfully, the long strange trip is over.

Since my Pitching 101 rant Moose has been moving the ball much better, purely coincidental no doubt, but all I care about is the results.  Changing arm angles, throwing some crazy slow off speed junk...Moose is clearly making the adjustment.  If you had a chance to see the ridiculous 68 mph change up he thru to Casey Blake you know what I mean.

The injury bug is proving to be as nasty as midges in October.  Jorge on the DL - what?  I thought it was some sort of Yankee by law that those words were to never be phrased in that order, ever.  But it has to happen I guess.  I know Dr. Andrews is the best in the business but I get a little uptight whenever his name comes up in a Yankee discussion.  Right now Molina is pulling his weight but the "what ifs" are starting to pile up.

Speaking of piling up, so are the number of games missed by ARod who apparently wont play tonight in the Bronx against Detroit.  I know its preventative: sit him now to get him back sooner than later, I get it.  But this is New York, no one is that patient.  Girardi will have to protect ARod and Ensberg will have to produce.  Production from some of the still conspicuously quiet bats brings me to my final point, footwork in the batters box.

I wrote a few posts back that Robbie Cano was "stuck in the middle" or off balance at the plate...Paul O'Neill later referred to it as "drifting."  I am noticing the same thing from Ensberg to a lesser extent.  The two have completely contrasting styles at the plate.  Cano is all about timed movement while Ensberg is basically statuesque.  Regardless, the common thread of all hitters is their footwork.  What Ensberg lacks in footwork is what Cano has too much of.  I understand these guys are big leaguers for a reason, and I am not talking about any drastic changes being required, just pointing out the subtleties of the game.  Both of these guys, as examples, need to simplify things to increase their production.  I know Cano will do it, and I think Ensberg can too.

Back to the Bronx, bring on the Tigers - Go Yanks!

Ahhhhh. Finally, a day off.  I hated it.  I hated every second of it, aside from knowing that my beloved Bombers needed a day.  It's awful tough watching the BoSox winning with their bench and starting lineup playing reverse roles, especially when the Yankees need to get healthy.

Looking back to Sunday, Pettitte was excellent.  He was perfect into the fifth until a swinging bunt broke that up but continued right along.  It was great to see him dealing.  NOTE TO PITCHERS EVERYWHERE:  Get the ball, get your sign, pitch & repeat.  See Andy Pettitte.

ARod...was yesterday enough of a breather or will I be rooting on Morgan Ensberg tonight?  I am hearing mixed reports that it is day to day and then simultaneously that a stint on the DL isnt out of the picture...I prefer bad news early and often, but as a seasoned New England Patriots fan I understand certain intelligence is not always forthcoming. (Update:  The Yanks' homepage is reporting ARod will rejoin the team in Chicago tonight and be re-evaluated prior to game time.)

It was nice to see Joba back and given the time he'll need to shake off the rust I am sure he was happy to see the rain close in on Sunday afternoon.  He'll be fine.  It's so hard to remember he is still only a kid.  Speaking of children, Hank, please pipe down.  Joba stays in the pen.  Period.

My reasoning may be simplistic, but I believe it to be logical:  Why hope your (other than Mo' and Joba) shaky bullpen can get Joba one win every 5 days when he can get you 3 or 4 wins every 5 days once your offense wake's up...?  From a different angle, Joba can not just wake up and start, he's not stretched out right for that, even given the efforts in spring training.  So do you weaken the bullpen temporarily while Joba gets stretched out in the minors?  I guess you do if you want to go 11-19 for April again. 

If the '90's taught us anything it's that turning 9 inning games into 6 or 7 inning games is paramount when you have a lights out backend of your pen.  Given the youth of Hughes & Kennedy and the ever adjusting Moose, all three barely capable of giving you 5 innings on a consistent basis, the Yanks need to be making games as short as possible.  Making Joba a starter only weakens that opportunity.  I just dont understand Hank, even given his lineage.  You want to add a spark to your currently .500 team, fine, but say something that makes some sort of baseball sense without labeling your manager and GM "idiots" by inference.

What a pleasant surprise Chad Moeller has been...a career .220 something guy giving you a .350 stint while both of your catchers are on the mend.  I wouldnt expect it to last for on and on, but it certainly is comforting for the moment.  Hopefully Jorge will be back behind the dish this week and we can get back to normal.

Finally, I leave you with this:  How come the only people you ever hear sing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" are already at a ball game?  How come you never hear anyone singing it, let's say, at the supermarket.  I was at the supermarket yesterday with my wife, and I would much rather have been at the ball game...so I broke into song.  My wife hates off days too.

Off to Chicago, go Yanks! 

Gather 'round kids.  Now hear this, commit it to memory and take it to the grave with you:  You do not have to throw the ball 90+ miles per hour to be a successful big league pitcher.  The only key to success with sub 90+ MPH "stuff" is changing the eye level of the hitter.

The slower the pitch, the more movement it should have.  That said, movement in and of itself is seldom enough if pitches are always down, or always up, or always in, or always away.  There in lies the key:  The slower the "stuff" the more variety is required in location, up, down, inside and away.  That's it.  That's all you need to know to be a successful big league pitcher with sub 90 MPH stuff, change the eye level of the hitter.

Now let's apply it to some big league realities.  Let's take, for example, Manny Ramirez...let's just say he's facing, oh, I dont know, Mike Mussina for example.  Let's say Manny took Mussina deep in a prior at bat, and now Moose has turned the tables and jumped out to an early 0-2 count, both strikes down and on the outside corner.  Manny has two options, and only two options:  Look down and in, or look for a 3rd consecutive pitch down and away.  Why only those two options you ask?  Why doesnt Manny have to look up and in or up and away?  Because Mussina never gave him a worry he would throw there.  At no point in any at bat did Moose throw anything other than low and in, or low and away - HE NEVER CHANGED THE EYE LEVEL OF THE HITTER.

So what happens, you ask?  Manny was ready for low and in, but Moose tricked him up, throwing a 3rd consecutive pitch low and away, this time for a ball, bringing the count to 1-2.  How many options do you think Manny has now?  I'll give you hint, 1.  Manny decided to zone in on low and in and he got his wish, and he didnt waste the opportunity taking Moose deep to left.

The moral of the story is this, rather than being worried about Kyle Farnsworth throwing behind Manny later in the game, we should be concerned about why Moose didnt do it when he had Manny set up 0-2.  Change the eye level of the hitter, right?  0-2 after two low and away strikes, perfect time to throw one off the plate up and in.  Back him up a bit, change his eye levels, and most importantly not allow Manny to sit and focus in one zone and then give him his wish. 

I said early in posts that Moose appears to have matched his "stuff" with the right mental approach, throwing slow, slower and even slower to marginalize hitters' ability to stay balanced.  That's all well and good, but if he continues to avoid our simple lesson from today, he'll be in big trouble...especially against Manny Ramirez.

On to Baltimore, Go Yanks!

Unbelievable.  Last night we managed to play without any delays, in a lightning fast 4 hours and 8 minutes.  The Red Sox vs. Yankees games are epics unto themselves...Every one of them is like it's own Godfather sequel, and I love it.

Now, dont get me wrong - I dont mind a little 2 and 1/2 hour morsel on a Monday night in Tampa, or Baltimore, and given that there are 8 times more of these than day long Yankees vs Red Sox games I do get my rest, rest that is well used to survive these knock down, "drawn out" titan clashes.  The players and coaches will utter every cliche available to tell us Red Sox vs Yankees games are just like any other, and you have to take them one game at a time, etc...But the reason these games last forever is because they all know the truth:  This is the greatest rivalry in all of professional sports, a rivalry so intense from the owners down to the clubhouse guys that every pitch is magnified ten fold.

4 hours and 8 minutes...and I still can't get enough.

Go Yanks!

Thank god the Boston College Eagles won the Frozen Four men's hockey national championship - there was our second shining moment along side Chien-Ming Wang's gem Friday night.

The rest of the weekend was a bust.

Tiger...it's called a putter, I am fairly certain you have seen one before...In fact I believe you have even used a few, but you wouldnt know it by your performance on Sunday at Augusta.  Eeesh.  Shooting even par in those conditions was impressive, but the round should have been better by at least 5 shots (holes 4, 8, 10, 13 & 14 specifically).  Make sure Trevor Immelman takes care of your jacket.

Montreal appeared to be in control until they played down to the hapless Bruins on the road for a game 3 overtime loss (their first loss to Boston in the past 152 games head to head.)

And that brings us to my beloved Bombers...In Saturday's loss, after that ridiculously managed rain delay, I can understand ARod jumping on the first fastball he sees from Papelbon (and he fouled it straight back, just missed it) but in the next inning, Jason Giambi, what pitch were you looking for?  First and second pitch straight strike heat.  It's Jonathan Papelbon, good thing you took the fastballs to 0-2 so he could give his splitter a little practice.

And its not all on Giambi, when you get the walks the Yanks were given this weekend and stranded as many as they did its an epidemic.  THEY WILL HIT, I KNOW THIS, I AM ONLY ASKING WHEN?

Moose walked the tightrope on Saturday and I didnt think he was sub-par, I just dont understand leaving him in to pitch to Manny, although Bruney's inability to get Youkilis next seems to make the argument academic.  Was Hughes overthrowing?  It appeared to be the case to me, but it doesnt account for the pitch selection.  It seems those calls are coming from the bench, but it was at times predictable.  I still think Hughes will be fine eventually, but with a young gun you have to protect his psyche as much as his arm...He needs to right his own ship before he suffers a string of early hooks.

Well, off to Tampa Bay before returning briefly to the Bronx for revenge on the Sox.  Let's get a streak going.

Go Yanks!

Nine games down.  Here are some thoughts on what I have seen so far:

Defense: 

Giambi needs to keep working, but he made some great plays in some early games...The absence of his bat makes it harder and harder to keep playing him everyday, but doing exactly that is the only thing that'll bring him around.

Alberto Gonzalez can flat pick it, fortunately we wont be watching him for long with Jeter's return expected tomorrow.  Until Jeter does return, please leave ARod at third...that's all the NY Press needs during the first two weeks of the season, a "quarterback controversy."

Matsui was up against a tough wind play last night that made him look foolish, but that play was harder than he made it look, and is there any doubt he has the best arm from left?  Given the desire to play Giambi at first, I guess the left field Damon/Matsui platoon makes sense, but it isnt sitting well with me, although I cant exactly put my finger on the reason why.

Melky will win a gold glove in his career, if the voters ever stop making it an offensive/popularity contest...Speaking of, how did ARod not win it last year?

Backups:  Jose Molina & Wilson Betemit have been more than serviceable defensive replacements, especially with Molina's relatively consistent contributions with the bat.  Given that the Yankees have 65 outfielders, it only made sense to make the Duncan/Gonzalez roster moves to keep Betemit on the bench for security.  Duncan will be back soon.

Starting Pitching:

Moose - slow, slower and even-slower - I love it.  Pettitte's first start was the one start I didnt see all of, so I am reserving judgement.  Hughes has stuff, mental and physical, and I am betting it will come around.  Kennedy's two "starts" have been a little bizarre and I think this is a kid who will benefit from a regular flow of the season as things normalize.  Wang, 2-0.

Bullpen:

Joba to Mo - I love it.  If the offense can get right these guys will start making 6 inning games and I am begging management doesnt tweek it. 

Billy Traber has been surprisingly solid for a non-roster invitee, let's not wake him up.

Bruney looked solid last night but his heat is so straight that if he doesnt change speeds or at least be constantly changing the hitters' eye levels he gets killed, ie Kyle Farnsworth.

The rest of the bullpen just has me shaking my head.

Pray we get out of KC tonight and thankfully we wont have to go back in 2008.

Go Yanks!

Well, that was interesting...

A 5-2 road loss to KC on the first day of a long road trip, a loss in shoddy weather that was chuck full of shoddy pitching and shoddy offense as well.  Eeeesh.

I keep reminding myself they have only been playing for one week...but some things are starting to become clear:

No one likes pitching in Kauffman the second week of April.  I felt for both of the starters yesterday, that sort of weather makes it feel like you're trying to wrap your fingers around a softball...and the results looked liked that's what they did.  That weather is expected to continue throughout this series.

Robinson Cano:  You're drifting at the plate.  I love this guy's stroke...At this point in his career I am convinced he's batting title worthy someday, but for right now he's flawed.  He starts very open toward the pitcher, and as the pitcher begins his motion Cano closes to a more traditional stance timed with his swing.  Right now that timing is off.  On at least three separate occassions yesterday I watched KC's pitchers stall, making Cano move first rather than timing it to the pitchers motion...Cano should have called time.  He's generally off balance at the plate, as evidenced by the inconsistencies from one game to the next (Monday night he was killing some at'em balls, but the stroke was right on).

ARod:  You love that low outside strike, we get it.  So does every pitching coach in the American League.  It is odd to see a player with such a power stroke be so wide eyed by low pitches, but I guess that feeds into ARod opposite field power.  Yeah, he struck out 4 times...3 of them completely legitimate, and two of them on called inside strikes.  He seemed stuck in between, a terrible place for a hitter, either chasing balls low and away or looking for them, and having a B+ fastball thrown by him inside.  It's clearly an abboration, I am not concerned.

Ian Kennedy takes the bump tonight and if he elevates from his last performance I'll be enthused, even with a .500 team record one week in. 

Go Yanks!

Adda' boy, Moose.  Last week I had written that it appears Moose has made the commitment to matching his mental approach to his physical "stuff."  I prayed he would pitch slow-slower-and-even-slower and last night he did exactly that.  He has guts and guile and if he sticks to this new approach I think he'll not only be servicable but will prove to be an excellent role model to the young guns.

How about the middle of the Yanks' lineup?  Back to back games of combined 6 for 11 hitting and this time piling up 5 RBI.  Impressive.  Some other points of interest were Cano's at bats, as well as some flashes from Damon.  Both of them hit some balls dead on the screws for outs which is still promising, with Cano ultimately adding to the offensive total.

Today is the Sox home opener, so all the buzz in these parts is Red Sox Nation, ring ceremonies, etc...Hopefully the extra buzz will get them back on track, unless of course Detriot decides to start winning some games.  Something's got to give here, and at the same time my Bombers are going to find out who really beat Detriot in that opening series, KC or Detriot themselves?

So Kauffman Stadium here we come, go Yanks!

I saw it in, I believe, 2004 when my beloved Bombers did the Japan trip to start the season.  Their hangover was a month long, although ultimately they did manage to win the division.  Is the Japan trip fallout keeping the Red Sox down?  Probably, but not entirely.  We saw how good Toronto's pitching was last week in the Bronx, and the Red Sox just found out too.

Their own pitching wasnt exactly lights out against the Jays either but we cant expect them to stay down for long.  For me, if the Yanks & Sox dont meet in the playoffs then its a down year...That said, you wont catch me exactly rooting for the Sox to win a particular game or series, but I do always hope they stay near the top so I can enjoy the thrill of beating them in the playoffs (a thrill I have been missing for sometime now!).  That personal wish aside, an early April sweep gives me no confidence the Sox wont rebound eventually, rising back to battle my Bombers tooth and nail for the division.  It will happen.

The Sox were back in their own beds last night, and while the Yanks look to wrap up the Rays tonight and head off to Kansas City, the Sox are looking forward to their home opener tomorrow.  There's plenty happening between then and now, but I am sure we are all looking forward to Yanks-Sox this weekend.

Go Yanks!

It was nice to see Girardi back where he belongs, and even nicer to end the weekend with a victory.  What is it about these Rays?  They have really become a handful over the last three seasons.  The Rays can certainly hit and run and play defense, one more quality starter would really make them dangerous.  Regardless, Wang pulled the Yanks into the 7th and Joba was lights out again.

While the pitching was fantastic it appears the bats may be coming to life.  Despite scoring only two runs courtesy of Matsui, the line up totalled 9 hits for the second straight game and the middle of the order was a combined 6 for 11.  I am not exactly guaranteeing 1000 runs at this point, but it is certainly an improvement.  We all knew this lineup would hit, their bats will continue to warm with the weather.

Wilson Betemit looks like a fine defensive stand in as he did after his trade acquisition last year.  His base running gaff, however, doesnt make it easy for Girardi to call his number everyday.  It wasnt like it was a pure hustle play that came up short trying to stretch a base hit into a double - he committed the cardinal sin of making the first out of the inning at third base with the whole play in front of him.  When the ball arrived at third base, he wasnt even in the picture, and should have know when he rounded second and Upton, the Rays centerfielder, already had the ball that this was a bad decision to stretch for third.  Hey, it's April.

Hopes rest on Mussina for snaring a series split tonight...Let's hope the offense is there to back him up.

Go Yanks!

In 2004 was anyone else screaming for a bunt in the ALCS against what's his name with the bloody sock?

It wasnt the only time in the last dozen years that a bunt would have been nice, and it was certainly refreshing last night to see some small ball play a big factor in a Bombers win.

You hate to put it so bluntly, but winning series is huge.  The simple math means netting 2 out of every 3 games translates to 108 wins.  While that number is attainable, it is a bit unrealistic, but the point remains the same.  Winning series is a big deal.  You take the games one at a time, but after a loss the key is winning the series - seems to be the approach from Girardi and I love it already.  Manufacturing runs is the crux of managing, and small ball plays a huge part.

Phil Hughes looked solid through and through and the back end of the bullpen was great.  Is anyone else stumping for Joba to stay in the pen?  I like him right where he is.  Rivera to Wetland, Stanton to Rivera and now Joba to Rivera.  I like it a lot.

You wont ever hear a peep from me about the umpiring when the Yanks lose, however, Bill Miller, (last nights home plate umpire) they won so I have an earful for you.  Your strike zone is horrible.  Being bad is fine, but being inconsistently bad is unacceptable.  When your strike zone seems unidentifiable we can at least stomach it, but when it moves in addition to that it just makes for bad baseball and even worse TV.

And thats not all, Bill...On Opening Night you made two of the worst calls at second base I have ever seen.  One baserunner called out on a tag on the knee (foot clearly on the base) and another called safe when he was tagged 2 feet from the bag.  Years of umpiring on many levels has taught me this:  If umpires are remembered for any reason after a game, then their job was poorly executed.

Bring on the Rays...Go Yanks! 

Night two in the Bronx saw AJ Burnett silence a would be impressive Yankee lineup.  This is the perfect April game - white knuckles, cold bats and a guy throwing gas. 

Based on how deep Giambi's 9th inning fly out was to left, ARod's blast to the deepest part of the ballpark is doubly impressive...Giambi's fly out created some drama, angst even - will it go?  Is it deep enough?  ARod's was a no-doubter.  Impressive...And equally unimpressive was ARod's 9th inning strike out, but despite my beloved Patriots' efforts, I guess the Bombers werent destined to go 162-0.

Moose was ok.  The impressive thing for me was the mental approach.  I think last year his biggest struggle was not understanding he couldnt use the same approach with his current stuff.  Last night seemed to indicate he has accepted matching his approach with his stuff.  I will be a very happy maniacal fan if Moose gives me 30 starts of Slow-Slower-and-Slower.  He's proven he's smart enough to get hitters out without his A-Game, the more he adapts his approach to his stuff the better off the whole staff (and bullpen) will be.

Captain Jeter - I love you, always have, and always will - you have been the face of all things right with baseball for more than a decade.  That said, how did you run into that out with that whole play right infront of you?  A little mental rust in April?  I'll go with that.  All's forgiven, you can still be my shortstop.

Is Phil Hughes ready for tonight?  I am betting yes, at least mentally.  I havent heard of anything nagging him physically, but I am keeping my fingers crossed.  One full year of a healthy Hughes should be a lot of fun to watch.  I dont want to ship him to Cooperstown yet, but I think his tough mental approach will yield great results mixed with some good health and some good luck.

Go Yanks! 

Hello, all - welcome to The Bronx Bomb, a blog for all MLB fans, Yankees' fans or otherwise.

Thought last night's home opener was a fantastic way to start the season:  some solid expected defense, some surprisingly fantastic defense, timely hitting and solid pitching start to finish.

A perfect way to begin 81 games of saying goodbye to The Stadium.

I hope to hear from anyone who can never get enough baseball - be it current or historical.  Dissenting opinions welcome, debate is the spice of life.

Go Yanks.