chrisc Blog Posts

What went wrong with the Yankees in 2008

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 12:06:57 PDT

While some will say the Yanks' lack of hits with runners in scoring position was their downfall this year, and they're right, there was also some bad decisions on the part of Brian Cashman and others who were involved in evaluating personnel. We had heard over and over that the Yankees were not going to rush Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy, Joba Chamberlain and other pitchers through the minors. Yet that's exactly what they did in 2007, and 2008. While Chamberlain has made the leap, Hughes and Kennedy have not. Clearly, they were not ready this year, and both could have used this year as a full season in Triple A. As a general manager who wanted control over the baseball operation, and got it, Cashman has to take responsibility for these decisions. A skilled talent evaluator knows when young play

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Goodbye Yankee Stadium

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 11:24:37 PDT

The place used to shake. That's one thing I'll always remember with great joy. During a rally, or in a close game, no matter where you were sitting...the whole place just shook. I never experienced anything like that before. And I probably never will again.

I'm going to miss that old place just like so many other people. So many memories, and fun experiences. I tend to prefer "new" places and things, but Yankee Stadium is the exception. I hope the plans to make the site into a beautiful park for that neighborhood are followed through.

Great speech by Derek Jeter at the end. And Bernie Williams may have summed it up best when he said, "It was more the people than the stadium. You talk about magic and the aura, but what really made the stadium was the fans. Concrete doesn't talk back to you. Chairs don't talk back to you. It's the people that are there, that root for you day in and day out. Tht's what makes this place magical."

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The Mets have been a joke for 46 years

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 07:40:33 PDT

Willie Randolph is better off to be rid of the Mets. This is an organziation that has been a joke for all 46 years of their existence, through different owners and management. From trading Tom Seaver and then losing him in the draft, to allowing drugs to permeate the clubhouse in the '80's, to the present, with letting Omar Minaya run the baseball end of things. Disarray, no leadership from management, no accountability at the top. Tony Bernazard is a fool as well. He was a scrub as a player, and not nearly the secondbaseman that Willie Randolph was. Was he jealous of Willie? Is that why he undermined him? Some director of player development - young players in the minors who are chubby and out of shape. Does he have any kind of conditioning program in place? They're eating too many burrito

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Mets fired the wrong guy

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 07:15:48 PDT

For years I've been wondering how people in major league baseball get their jobs. More and more it seems to me that it's not very different from the real world. It's just somebody's friend or someone who fills a quota. Omar Minaya has no organizational skills, based on how he handled the Willie Randolph firing - sending an e-mail at 3:00 a.m. New York time is so gutless, as well as a bush league move - and has little baseball acumen. He blew money on over-rated free agents like Carlos Beltran and Pedro Martinez, and paid no attention to other parts of the roster, parts that can make teams winners. Firing the manager is rarely the solution to a baseball team's problems. Minaya is just like so many others in baseball. A B.S. artist and a complete phony.

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Brad Childress should be a politician

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:40:34 PDT

Brad Childress has the "coachspeak" thing down. He was recently quoted as saying that he's not worried if left tackle Bryant McKinnie misses a few games due to a suspension because he's confident that the backups can get the job done. Oh really? Then how come they aren't starting for the Vikings, or another team? I hope I'm wrong, and that Artis Hicks, Chase Johnson, Marcus Johnson, or someone else can step in and do the job. If not, Tavaris Jackson better grow eyes in the back of his head, or make sure the premiums on his life insurance policy are up to date. Childress seems to have a bit of Dennis Green in him, in that he's said in the past that he prefers to take a "prospect" and "knock the edges off" and then in "two or three years you'll

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Whatever happened to former Vikings coach Dennis Green

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:02:19 PDT

So whatever happened to "expert" draft analyst Dennis Green? How could this guy be considered a draft expert with all those lousy drafts he directed while head coach of the Vikings? Most of the players he picked bombed out, and led to years of mediocrity for the Vikings in seasons after he was no longer the coach. Let's face it, the Vikings would have been better off keeping Brad Johnson instead of trading him and picking Culpepper. I guess most of the owners in the league who were looking for a head coach had enough sense to not hire Green. Hopefully he's better at bass fishing than drafting football players.

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A message for Rich Goose Gossage

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:52:21 PDT

Hey Rich Goosage - congrats on making it to the hall of fame. However, you didn't have much credibility when commenting on Joba Chamberlain's post-strikeout fist-pumping. I haven't forgotten that YOU let your teammates down back in 1979, when you got into a silly locker room brawl with Cliff Johnson, and ended up tearing a ligament in your thumb that led you to miss three months of the season, meaning the team was without their closer for much too long. Joba's fist pumping is nothing compared to what you did. Getting injured while pitching is one thing, but missing all that time because of a fight is inexcusable. By the way, if you're in the hall, Sparky Lyle should be too. You were good, but he would would have been a better closer for the Yankees back then.

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Give Justin Christian a chance

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:39:21 PDT

Now that Matsui is going to be out for a while, why not give Justin Christian a chance to play everyday in left field? Damon could be the DH and play LF whenever Christian gives Cabrera and Abreu a day off. He's got to play every day though, that's the only way to give him a fair evaluation. You can't send him back down if he happens to go 0 for 4 in one game. If he can hit major league pitching, let him play, as his speed brings an extra dimension to the offense. Damon, Abreu, and Matsui are all nearing the end of the line, so it's an opportunity to find out what they have in Christian and maybe CF Brett Gardner, currently at Scranton.

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Looks like the coaches and manager do some things right

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:27:50 PDT

Joba Chamberlain has been doing well; it almost got dicey there early on when he was on a pitch count. Opposing teams knew he was limited so they were waiting him out. Good thing someone told him to throw first pitch strikes and get ahead of the hitters. I have to give some credit where it's due, unless he figured things out on his own. Jose Veras looks like he'll be able to handle the 8th inning setup job, and maybe Brian Bruney will regain his early season form when he returns, which will help out the bullpen. No need to spend money on overpriced relievers - like Cashman did with Farnsworth and Hawkins.

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Joe Girardi is living in a fantasy world

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 06:22:32 PDT

Kyle Farnsworth might be Brian Cashman's worst free agent signing, even more than Carl Pavano. At least Pavano had the excuse of injuries.

Joe Girardi's comments about Farnsworth is making him seem a bit silly.

Girardi was quoted, “Kyle’s history gets brought up during the course of this year, where I feel he’s had a ton of good outings.”

Hmm. In his last seven games, Farnsworth has a 8.59 E.R.A. Opponents are hitting .414 and slugging .897 against him, with 4 home runs.

Get real Joe. Farnsworth was been awful for three years. He has no movement on his fastball, and would make a good batting practice pitcher. For a high school team. He chokes in important situations, so there's no way he's going to get this team through the 8th inning of a close game.

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