[quote name='n8rockerasu']Thank you Bruce. I didn't want to have to do that myself, haha
Today's loss was a tough one. I think Girardi is THIS close to having the pen straightened out though. As John Sterling said, he's given people every opportunity to prove that they're big leaguers, and some guys are just blowing it. Veras is likely gone, Coke is likely gone, and who knows what happens with the Hughes/Joba/Wang triangle. Somebody will be in the pen (unless Andy's back gets worse).
I also expect to see Melancon back soon, and depending on how many guys the Yanks feel like cutting loose altogether, Kroenke, Claggett, and possibly even Kontos could get called up (none of whom are on the 40 man roster). I don't think Girardi has much patience with relievers who can't throw strikes, and that's a good thing.[/QUOTE]
The bullpen, as it has been since the departure/aging of guys like Nelson, Stanton, and Mendoza, is a rickety bridge to Mo, at best. Fortunately, a lot of those issues have been covered up this month thanks to deep outings by the starters, which we really haven't seen a lot of in awhile. I'm most happy about some of the games where Andy just grinds it out. He doesn't have great stuff, but he still finds a way to go seven and give up like two or three runs, even though he ends up getting a bit whacked around a bit.
If Andy is healthy, and I hate, hate, hate to beat a dead horse, but Joba needs to be in the 'pen. That is where a) he's at his best and b) the Yankees need him most. Sorry, but when it comes to the Yankees, a team that spends $200 millon+ on their payroll, you need to win, win, and win. The Yankees have very little chance of winning a pennant this year with that crappy bullpen. Playoff teams will simply wait out the starters and rip apart the 'pen in the 7th and 8th. When Joba is the 'pen, it's like '96 all over again: two innings of the set-up guy and the closer shuts the door.
Joba might be a great starter some day, but it ain't happening right now, for whatever reason. The Yankees don't need him in the rotation, anyway. You have CC and AJ, who looked much better his last start. There are your aces. In any playoff series, you're seeing them four times. Wang definitely looks like he found whatever he lost...or he is finally healthy...take your pick. The last two games, his sinker has been nasty, and he's getting his velocity back up. I saw a number of pitches hit like 93/94 today. Most interesting, he's got 5 punchouts in the last 5 innings. He's never been a big swing and miss guy, but there seems to be some extra sink when he gets the pitch down. He also seems to be getting more faith in the slider. So, if he's good, that's another two games right there in a series. Then, whoever is healthy or pitching well, you plug Andy or Hughes in for a start. No need for Joba.
One last note on Wang. When it comes to this debate, I've heard a lot of people bring up Wang's postseason failures. Well, I can't argue with you there. He has stunk in the playoffs, except for that one start against the Tigers in '05. But the difference now is, no one is looking at Wang as the ace, a role he was forced to fill in the past, especially in that '07 series against the Indians. He can hover in under the radar. Besides, as bad as Wang has been in the playoffs, does anyone really want to see Joba start a playoff game? Against the Angels? Or Tigers? Or Rangers? Or whoever ends up in the playoffs? Holy shit. Four runs in the first, he's gone by the forth, and the game is over. No thanks. I'll take my chances with Wang.
ing Swisher out of the lineup. Then, you're looking at the deepest 1 through 9 in baseball...easily. You're gonna have guys like Matsui and Nady batting 7 and 8. Then, you either have Melky, who looks to finally be getting it, or Gardner, who is a pitcher's nightmare when he gets on, batting ninth.
