NYY @ Texas 5/2/07: Pre-Game Discussion

[sweet_lou_14]

Hey, I know I can't do this nearly as well as BamTino, but I felt like we needed a looking-forward thread about tonight's game. We need something to feel good about and let's face it, last night was a good night in the standings (everyone else in the division lost). Phil Hughes' injury won't have an on-field impact for four more days, so in the meantime hopefully the team can build upon last night's convincing win.

Tonight Andy Pettitte (1-1, 3.00) takes the mound against Robinson Tejeda (3-1, 3.82) at the Ballpark at Arlington. After a great effort at Fenway that was ulimately blown by the bullpen the week before, Andy started strong against Boston last Friday, but then couldn't hold a lead and took the loss. He's been the one reliable horse in the rotation since Opening Day and has easily pitched well enough to be 3-1. Tejeda has been good over his last couple of starts, but has the same problem as the rest of the Rangers' staff: lefties kill him. (According to yankees.com, left-handed hitters are batting .322 off him and right-handers are hitting .175.)

Last night Joe Torre set a modern Yankees record by using only three pitchers in a 9-inning game. This should mean a rested pen tonight. Still, it would be great to get length out of Pettitte. The bats looked good last night and the Yankees always seem to hit the ball well in Texas. Frankly this is one of those teams the Yankees need to make hay against. I'm too lazy to look it up, but I believe the Yanks have put up better records against Texas than Boston has pretty consistently over the past few years.

Weather is an issue tonight, as the forecast calls for a 30-40% chance of thunderstorms. A stop-and-start night would be a real mess ... hopefully they get the game in without having to take Pettitte out after three innings.

Finally a word about the standings ... as horrific a week as the Yankees had last week, they are not in such bad shape. Looking just at the loss column, they are already ahead of two division rivals and just one behind Toronto for second place; three in the loss column behind the wild-card leaders (don't yell at me for mentioning the WC on May 2, I'm just sayin'); and five in the loss column behind Boston for the division lead.

Go Yankees!

[BRNXBMRS]

Pettitte needs to rebound from last Friday. Hopefully Abreu snaps out of his funk.

[LeapsNbounds]

Hey, I know I can't do this nearly as well as BamTino, but I felt like we needed a looking-forward thread about tonight's game. We need something to feel good about and let's face it, last night was a good night in the standings (everyone else in the division lost). Phil Hughes' injury won't have an on-field impact for four more days, so in the meantime hopefully the team can build upon last night's convincing win.

Tonight Andy Pettitte (1-1, 3.00) takes the mound against Robinson Tejeda (3-1, 3.82) at the Ballpark at Arlington. After a great effort at Fenway that was ulimately blown by the bullpen the week before, Andy started strong against Boston last Friday, but then couldn't hold a lead and took the loss. He's been the one reliable horse in the rotation since Opening Day and has easily pitched well enough to be 3-1. Tejeda has been good over his last couple of starts, but has the same problem as the rest of the Rangers' staff: lefties kill him. (According to yankees.com, left-handed hitters are batting .322 off him and right-handers are hitting .175.)

Last night Joe Torre set a modern Yankees record by using only three pitchers in a 9-inning game. This should mean a rested pen tonight. Still, it would be great to get length out of Pettitte. The bats looked good last night and the Yankees always seem to hit the ball well in Texas. Frankly this is one of those teams the Yankees need to make hay against. I'm too lazy to look it up, but I believe the Yanks have put up better records against Texas than Boston has pretty consistently over the past few years.

Weather is an issue tonight, as the forecast calls for a 30-40% chance of thunderstorms. A stop-and-start night would be a real mess ... hopefully they get the game in without having to take Pettitte out after three innings.

Finally a word about the standings ... as horrific a week as the Yankees had last week, they are not in such bad shape. Looking just at the loss column, they are already ahead of two division rivals and just one behind Toronto for second place; three in the loss column behind the wild-card leaders (don't yell at me for mentioning the WC on May 2, I'm just sayin'); and five in the loss column behind Boston for the division lead.

Go Yankees!

I certainly have been looking at the wild card standings to calm myself down. A sweep would do wonders for the confidence of this team and hopefully Pettitte follows the strong outing by Phil last night and Moose returns to some form of his former self tomorrow.

I would LOVE to see the yanks Sweep this series and win the rest making 10-3 possible against 2 of the lesser teams in the West.

20-17 wouldn't be so bad by the 14th

[LeapsNbounds]

Pettitte needs to rebound from last Friday. Hopefully Abreu snaps out of his funk.

Abreu looked a lot better yesterday at the plate. Hopefully it is the beginning of his bat waking up

[TheBamTino24]

I didn't even see your thread til now, sweet lou. My bad.

Nicely done; greatly line about the modern Yankee record, LOL!

[RIYankee23]

Hey, I know I can't do this nearly as well as BamTino, but I felt like we needed a looking-forward thread about tonight's game. We need something to feel good about and let's face it, last night was a good night in the standings (everyone else in the division lost). Phil Hughes' injury won't have an on-field impact for four more days, so in the meantime hopefully the team can build upon last night's convincing win.

Tonight Andy Pettitte (1-1, 3.00) takes the mound against Robinson Tejeda (3-1, 3.82) at the Ballpark at Arlington. After a great effort at Fenway that was ulimately blown by the bullpen the week before, Andy started strong against Boston last Friday, but then couldn't hold a lead and took the loss. He's been the one reliable horse in the rotation since Opening Day and has easily pitched well enough to be 3-1. Tejeda has been good over his last couple of starts, but has the same problem as the rest of the Rangers' staff: lefties kill him. (According to yankees.com, left-handed hitters are batting .322 off him and right-handers are hitting .175.)

Last night Joe Torre set a modern Yankees record by using only three pitchers in a 9-inning game. This should mean a rested pen tonight. Still, it would be great to get length out of Pettitte. The bats looked good last night and the Yankees always seem to hit the ball well in Texas. Frankly this is one of those teams the Yankees need to make hay against. I'm too lazy to look it up, but I believe the Yanks have put up better records against Texas than Boston has pretty consistently over the past few years.

Weather is an issue tonight, as the forecast calls for a 30-40% chance of thunderstorms. A stop-and-start night would be a real mess ... hopefully they get the game in without having to take Pettitte out after three innings.

Finally a word about the standings ... as horrific a week as the Yankees had last week, they are not in such bad shape. Looking just at the loss column, they are already ahead of two division rivals and just one behind Toronto for second place; three in the loss column behind the wild-card leaders (don't yell at me for mentioning the WC on May 2, I'm just sayin'); and five in the loss column behind Boston for the division lead.

Go Yankees!

Please don't mention the WC again.

It's all about the division and we WILL win it again.

[sweet_lou_14]

Please don't mention the WC again.

It's all about the division and we WILL win it again.

I agree.

But the same way that Joe Torre likes to talk about every 5 games over .500 as a milestone, I like to count teams in the Yankees' rear view mirror. The East is a strong enough division that usually the Yankees can say their record beats the other WC contenders before it tops their own division. So I look at it as a stepping stone.

But first, let's get to .500 ...

[TinoFan84]

I, too, enjoyed the line about a modern Yankees record ... that made me laugh ... and that's what we need right now.

And I'll admit it, I look at the wild card standings every day ...

*runs from RIYankee23 for mentioning the "WC"*

[TheBamTino24]

Robinson Tejada showed some promise with Philadelphia. Given the fact that Texas is 10-16, it says something to be 3-1.

Tejada's 3.82 ERA looks respectable, but most of that comes from the 7 shutout innings he threw opening day in shutting down Boston on 2 hits. Over the 4 starts since, he's allowed 13 ER in just 23.2 IP (4.94 ERA), allowing 27 hits. Tejada is also a flyball pitcher (GO:AO mark is 23:48) with a 6.16 K/9 rate and and 2.64 BB/9.

[BonusCantos]

Robinson Tejada showed some promise with Philadelphia. Given the fact that Texas is 10-16, it says something to be 3-1.

Tejada's 3.82 ERA looks respectable, but most of that comes from the 7 shutout innings he threw opening day in shutting down Boston on 2 hits. Over the 4 starts since, he's allowed 13 ER in just 23.2 IP (4.94 ERA), allowing 27 hits. Tejada is also a flyball pitcher (GO:AO mark is 23:48) with a 6.16 K/9 rate and and 2.64 BB/9.

Also consider Tejeda's career numbers at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington:

1-4, 39.2 IP, 53 H, 26 ER, 5.90 ERA, 1.71 WHIP, .317 BAA

Also, only 2 of Tejeda's 12 career wins took place at his home stadium.

[TheBamTino24]

Weather is an issue tonight, as the forecast calls for a 30-40% chance of thunderstorms. A stop-and-start night would be a real mess ... hopefully they get the game in without having to take Pettitte out after three innings.

Seems like that's the forecast down there daily. Anyone in that area right now?

Nice avatar, sweet lou. LMAO. Mussina certainly makes his annual trip to the DL as well.

[FingersCrossed]

Tejada is also a flyball pitcher (GO:AO mark is 23:48) with a 6.16 K/9 rate and and 2.64 BB/9.

Homerun derby...
Back to back to back to back to back...
13-0...

[CallOfTheCrow]

here we go andy!

[yankeefreak04]

Detroit completed the sweep of Baltimore today so the Orioles rapid descent in the standings continues... Hopefully the Yankees can do their job tonight and begin the climb from the cellar...

[spyglass]

Excellent. The ascent from the cellar starts tonight!

[sweet_lou_14]

Seems like that's the forecast down there daily. Anyone in that area right now?

Nice avatar, sweet lou. LMAO. Mussina certainly makes his annual trip to the DL as well.

Thanks ... I swiped that from a pic somebody posted from Moose's annual hometown banquet. The night when he wears his Walter Payton jersey.

[hardrain]

STRETCH Guys...........STRETCH

[RIYankee23]

I, too, enjoyed the line about a modern Yankees record ... that made me laugh ... and that's what we need right now.

And I'll admit it, I look at the wild card standings every day ...

*runs from RIYankee23 for mentioning the "WC"*

You'd better run.

The second we as Yankee fans start talking about the WC the greater the impression we give that we don't think we'll win the East.

That's not what Yankee fans are supposed to expect. We're supposed to demand that our team not only wins the East yet again, but wins it all. As Matsui once said: "No wild card."

[Toaderly]

Not that I count on other teams to create the Yankee's destiny, but it would be really nice if Boston, Toronto, Baltimore, and Tampa Bay would lose again tonight (Baltimore already did this afternoon).

[Maynerd]

The second we as Yankee fans start talking about the WC the greater the impression we give that we don't think we'll win the East.

I watch the WC this early, but only to see who has a chance to be the fourth team in the playoffs (anybody but Boston!). Never to compute the Yankees' opportunities.

[jbauer2485]

Hows the weather tonight? Last I heard the game probably won't be played.

[WebsterMulligan]

Torre set a new "modern Yankee" pitching record ...

[hardrain]

Damon back in leadoff tonight

Damon
Jeter
Abreu
A-Rod
Giambi
Matsui
Posada
Cano
Eye Chart

[JDPNYY]

Damon back in leadoff tonight

Damon
Jeter
Abreu
A-Rod
Giambi
Matsui
Posada
Cano
Eye Chart

Why do they call him Eye Chart?

[bucky]

Damon back in leadoff tonight

Damon
Jeter
Abreu
A-Rod
Giambi
Matsui
Posada
Cano
Eye Chart

Do you know about Johnny's back? It must be OK because he is in the line up but he plays hurt. I heard he went to a chiro the day off and yesterday.

Why call Doug - Eye Chart? I don't feel he has an eye problem he just can't hit. Never has. Phelps is like a Big Foot sighting (too bad I'd play him more).

Bucky