339 replies to this topic

[jon abbey]

TB has started a pitcher in their 20s for 764 consecutive regular-season games, the longest streak in baseball history. That streak ends today.

The last time TB started a pitcher in his 30s, it was Jae Seo, who had just turned 30 that day. That was his last week pitching in the bigs, he was out of baseball after one more start.

The last season TB used an SP over 30, TB finished the season 66-96.

When historians look back at the end of this run of success that TB has had in recent years, hopefully they'll point to today as the beginning of the end.

May Shields go the way of Seo, may TB go the way of 2007 TB, and may CC set the tone for another successful season. Put us on your shoulders, big man.

[jon abbey]

YANKEES

Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Robinson Cano 2B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Mark Teixeira 1B
Nick Swisher RF
Raul Ibanez DH
Russell Martin C
Brett Gardner LF

CC Sabathia LHP

RAYS

Desmond Jennings CF
Ben Zobrist RF
Evan Longoria 3B
Jeff Keppinger DH
Sean Rodriguez SS
Elliot Johnson 2B
Carlos Pena 1B
Jose Molina C
Matt Joyce LF

James Shields RHP

Cano and A-Rod hit Shields very well (1.161 and .953 OPS respectively), but he kills Tex, Granderson, Swisher and Ibanez, who are a combined 14 for 124 lifetime, for a whopping .113 BA (Swisher does have 3 HRs in 29 ABs at least).

Of those starters, CC has trouble with Longoria (4 HRs in 30 ABs and a 1.333 OPS), Keppinger, Rodriguez and Johnson, and kills Pena and Molina. I guess BJ Upton is hurt?

[jon abbey]

Ah, yeah, Upton is on the DL along with Kyle Farnsworth, so not clear who TB's closer is currently:

"RHPs Joel Peralta and Fernando Rodney and LHP J.P. Howell will take turns based on matchups replacing Farnsworth."

http://www2.tbo.com/...n-dl-ar-389112/

[ThePrideofShiner]

I'm hoping this is on TV, but my local guide has it as an either/or game.

I'm hoping Teixeira can get off to a good start this year, as that could take some pressure off the offense.

[derekson]

That's not a very impressive TB lineup. Losing Upton really thins them out, especially against a left-handed starter.

[Toe Nash]

That's not a very impressive TB lineup. Losing Upton really thins them out, especially against a left-handed starter.

I'd make fun of Jeff Keppinger as their opening day DH and cleanup hitter, but he'll probably go all Casey Kotchman on us.

edit: Though I guess he does kill lefties.

Edited by Toe Nash, 06 April 2012 - 09:41 AM.

[Doctor G]

Tampa Bay migt have impressive starters but they are in real trouble offensively if either Zobrist or Longoria is injured. look at their depth chart.

http://mlb.mlb.com/t...dex.jsp?c_id=tb

They are a lot closer to the Mariners than they are to the Yankees.

[InsideTheParker]

I'm hoping this is on TV, but my local guide has it as an either/or game.

I'm hoping Teixeira can get off to a good start this year, as that could take some pressure off the offense.

Extra Innings is free on Directv, if you have that.

[jon abbey]

I'd make fun of Jeff Keppinger as their opening day DH and cleanup hitter, but he'll probably go all Casey Kotchman on us.

edit: Though I guess he does kill lefties.

6-14 career lifetime against CC, you know how Maddon is.

[Wingack]

Tampa Bay migt have impressive starters but they are in real trouble offensively if either Zobrist or Longoria is injured. look at their depth chart.

http://mlb.mlb.com/t...dex.jsp?c_id=tb

They are a lot closer to the Mariners than they are to the Yankees.

And let's see if Longoria decides to hit more than .244 this year.

[Meff Nelton]

Is new Kim Jones fresh out of Fargo?

[strek1]

Again with the dramatic fanfare! So what is this trend of "Terminator" type techno music during the opening day intros this year?

[FenwayFrenzy]

I completely missed that Lou Pinella is doing color during the regular season, thought his spring training appearance was just a cameo.

Are Yankee fans happy about this addition to the booth?

Also, it looks like Kay got a treadmill over the winter.

[jon abbey]

My research in the first post is better than YES's, Jae Sao in 2007 is correct, not Mark Hendrickson in 2006.

[jon abbey]

My research in the first post is better than YES's, Jae Sao in 2007 is correct, not Mark Hendrickson in 2006.

Are Yankee fans happy about this addition to the booth?

He's only going to do a few dozen games, I think. Maybe he lives in Tampa? We talked about it a bit in preseason, I'm not a fan but am open-minded. Cone is head and shoulders above anyone else they have currently.

[ThePrideofShiner]

As I suspected, I'm stuck with the Rangers-White Sox here. I did find a feed at firstrowsports.eu, though.

[Wingack]

I don't really like Pinella though. My head my explode with both Singleton and Pinella there at the same time.

[jon abbey]

Damn shift.

[derekson]

Granderson really should've bunted on that shift.

[derekson]

Sabathia doesn't look especially sharp.

[derekson]

Audible "Yankees suck" chants in the stands in St. Pete.

[DeJesus Built My Hotrod]

Do you Yankee fans hate Kay as much as we do? I don't wish death upon him but I do wish something terrible like hemorrhoids or getting choked out by ARod's girl or something.

[strek1]

Audible "Yankees suck" chants in the stands in St. Pete.

Even as a Sox Fan I'm sick of this. Fans need to Come up with something new.

[Wingack]

Do you Yankee fans hate Kay as much as we do? I don't wish death upon him but I do wish something terrible like hemorrhoids or getting choked out by ARod's girl or something.

I hate Singleton more. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

[derekson]

Do you Yankee fans hate Kay as much as we do? I don't wish death upon him but I do wish something terrible like hemorrhoids or getting choked out by ARod's girl or something.

As a Red Sox fan, I don't wish him death or getting choked.

I'd rather that he caught some kind of chronic laryngitis so that we'd never have to hear him again, but no real harm would come to him.

[Meff Nelton]

Are you serious, Joe?

Girardi must fap to Bonds videos he loves the IBB so much.

[rembrat]

Even as a Sox Fan I'm sick of this. Fans need to Come up with something new.

What? I personally hope a thousand years from now archaeologists unearth "Yankees Suck" graffiti every-fucking-where.

[jon abbey]

Do you Yankee fans hate Kay as much as we do? I don't wish death upon him but I do wish something terrible like hemorrhoids or getting choked out by ARod's girl or something.

I did for a long time, but he's grown on me a bit. At least he's enthusiastic and actually pays attention to the team, I prefer him to Singleton or any of the national teams that do NY games sometimes.

I do still wish death on John Sterling, though. I still think he's got a job in part to make Kay sound 'good' by comparison.

[derekson]

The intentional walk after CC's already walked a guy in the inning seemed like an awfully risky move.

[jon abbey]

Um.

[derekson]

Ah hshahahahahaha suck on that, Girardi. Go cry into your binder.

[Wingack]

CC is like one of those closers that you need a bunch of anti-acids for but (usually) gets the job done.

[strek1]

Now THIS is a great start to my Day!

[Meff Nelton]

I doubt Sean Rodriguez would have done that.

[jon abbey]

God, I wish NY had signed Pena.

[strek1]

Hell of a way for PENA to return to TB

[derekson]

I doubt Sean Rodriguez would have done that.

Would've been quite impressive if he had. Would've been the first grand slam ever hit with 2 men on base!

[rembrat]

Um, explain to me how Carlos Pena takes CC Sabathia deep? Isn't Pena SLGing something like -.150 vs LHP?

[SemperFidelisSox]

A-Rod is moving like he's 23 again. Damn those Germans.

[jon abbey]

Um, explain to me how Carlos Pena takes CC Sabathia deep? Isn't Pena SLGing something like -.150 vs LHP?

Bases loaded, 3-2 count, tight strike zone, fastball on a tee, poof.

[DeJesus Built My Hotrod]

That was a fucking no-doubter. It was an overthink by Joe G but choosing to face a guy who is 4 for 35 lifetime is the right decision. Good for Pena...

[TheYellowDart5]

That's pretty much what you deserve for intentionally walking Sean Rodriguez.

[God's Cop]

anyone have a link?

[jon abbey]

That's pretty much what you deserve for intentionally walking Sean Rodriguez.

In the first inning on Opening Day with your ace on the mound, no less.

[jon abbey]

Wow, Joel Sherman says that was only the second grand slam CC has given up in his whole career, first was to Edgar Renteria.

[DeJesus Built My Hotrod]

Shields smells like regression

[derekson]

That was a fucking no-doubter. It was an overthink by Joe G but choosing to face a guy who is 4 for 35 lifetime is the right decision. Good for Pena...

Bullshit. It was Sean Rodriguez at the plate, a guy you should trust your ACE to face. And when you load the bases, you take away Sabathia's margin for error, and his command was already clearly not at its best, since he had walked Jennings to open the game. So you get a situation where he goes to 3 balls on Peña and has to basically chuck it in there and hope for the best. Peña might not have good numbers against Sabathia or lefties in general, but he has a good eye and he can hit a fastball very, very far. The intentional walk that early in the game is almost never the right call, unless you've got a pitcher on deck.

[jon abbey]

Embedded Yankee, yay.

[Meff Nelton]

Giving each other runs as Opening Day gifts I see.

[jon abbey]

Might be time to update that sig, Meff.