The Official 2012 Major League Baseball Thread

[Doc Holliday]

Beckett rumored to have been golfing prior to missing pitching start

Two days before he missed a start because of stiffness in his right lat muscle, Boston Red Sox starter Josh Beckett was playing golf, according to 98.5 The Sports Hub.

Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine addressed the report before Wednesday night's game against the Kansas City Royals.

"I haven't talked to Josh about this yet, so I'm not sure I can really comment on it other than I can say physical issues, I guess, he had a sore lat," Valentine said. "He wasn't an injured player. I know that. And we'll take it from there. But I'm sure Josh wouldn't do anything that's going to jeopardize his team or his season. I know that."

Beckett flew back to Boston on Wednesday and was unavailable to meet with the media. He is scheduled to start on Thursday.

According to the report, teammate Clay Buchholz was golfing with Beckett on Boston's off day. Buchholz declined to comment before Wednesday's game.

Beckett hasn't pitched since April 29, when he threw 126 pitches against Chicago. Last Wednesday, the day before Beckett reportedly was spotted on the links, Valentine announced the right-hander would miss his start -- scheduled for Saturday -- with stiffness in his lat muscle. Beckett later admitted that the injury existed before the start against the White Sox.

When asked about the report during his appearance Wednesday on WEEI sports radio in Boston, Valentine said he'd heard about it but seemed undecided on how to handle it.

"I'm aware of the story being out there. ... No, I haven't gotten to Josh about that yet and I'm trying to sort out my feelings," he said. "Golf is as much a part of the pitching culture as a curveball; I know that for sure."

Valentine told WEEI he wouldn't comment further until he received more information, but noted that Beckett hadn't been shut down with an injury but was merely missing a start because of the tightness.

"When we decided for Josh not to make his start, it wasn't because he was injured," Valentine said. "It was a precautionary situation because his lat was a little tight."

But he indicated he wouldn't condone his pitcher playing a full round of golf if he's trying to rest.

"Again, I don't know the specifics of the situation," Valentine said. "I don't know if he was out at a charity match, just putting, or if he was whaling away and felt that might have loosened things up. I have no idea what the situation actually is, so it's hard for me to comment on it. ... If that was the case (that he played golf), I would say that was less than the best thing to do on that day off."

http://espn.go.com/boston/mlb/story...oston-red-sox-played-golf-2-days-missed-start

 

[Doc Holliday]

Rays pound David Robertson in 9th, rally past Yankees

NEW YORK -- The reality of life without Mariano Rivera set in for the New York Yankees on Wednesday night.

Matt Joyce hit a three-run homer off fill-in closer David Robertson in the ninth inning, falling down on a twisted ankle as he finished his swing, and the Tampa Bay Rays rallied to beat the Yankees 4-1.

In his first chance since taking over for the injured Rivera, Robertson escaped a bases-loaded jam to save Tuesday's 5-3 victory over the Rays. But one night later, New York got a chilling dose of what other teams deal with as they search for that reliable closer.

"It's the worst feeling in the world," Robertson said. "You watch when Mo does it, he comes back the next day and he's the same guy. He goes right back out there, takes the mound and does his thing. I'm going to have to do that tomorrow."

With the Yankees clinging to a 1-0 lead, Sean Rodriguez singled through the left side on Robertson's first pitch and went to third when pinch hitter Brandon Allen singled to right on the next delivery.

Ben Zobrist walked and Carlos Pena, called out on strikes with the bases full to end Tuesday night's game, went down looking again. B.J. Upton, however, lifted a sacrifice fly to right and Rodriguez scored with a nifty slide to tie it.

That was the first run charged to Robertson (0-1) in 27 outings since Aug. 29 last year in Baltimore.

"Eventually, I'm not going to be able to get out of all my messes that I create. It was really tough, just a sad way to end the game," he said. "You're not always going to be perfect out there. I had a good stretch. It just stinks when you do give up the runs."

Joyce, who struck out earlier with the bases loaded, drove a 1-2 pitch into the first row of seats beyond the short porch in right, giving Tampa Bay a 4-1 lead and snapping the club's 0-for-20 drought with runners in scoring position.

It was a painful swing, too. Joyce rolled his left ankle and fell down across the plate, then got up and trotted gingerly around the bases.

"I kind of told myself I had to," he said. "You can't really have somebody else pinch run for you there. There's really no other option."

When he returned to the dugout, Joyce took plenty of ribbing from his teammates. He taped up his ankle and stayed in on defense but said he's not sure yet if it's sprained.

"It was the best and worst feelings that you could possibly have in the span of a minute," Joyce said. "It's always great to come up with a big hit like that, especially against the Yankees. It's just hard to celebrate when you're laying on the ground."

Fernando Rodney (2-0) pitched two scoreless innings for the win.

Robertson was an All-Star setup man before Rivera tore a knee ligament shagging fly balls in batting practice last Thursday in Kansas City. Now, he has a pressure-packed role in trying to replace baseball's career saves leader and the greatest closer the game has ever known.

"Let's give the kid a chance," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "Anytime you move up in a role it's an adjustment, but I have a ton of confidence that he's going to do a good job for us and he'll bounce back.

"This could be tough for him, but as I said, this is a pretty resilient kid. This is a kid that's done special things for us and you can't forget that."

Even Rivera isn't perfect: Remember, he blew three of his first six save chances when he replaced John Wetteland as the closer in 1997.

Robinson Cano hit an RBI double in the first and Rafael Soriano escaped an eighth-inning jam against his former team, but the Yankees couldn't hang on.

Earlier in the day, Rivera announced he's receiving treatment for a blood clot in his right calf. The 42-year-old reliever, expected to miss the rest of the season, said he's still determined to return next year.

He also said he was sweating and screaming at the television while watching Robertson labor to close out Tuesday night's victory. This one must have been even tougher to take.

"I think he threw 25 or 26 pitches last night and it may have spilled over into tonight a little bit," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "The ninth inning is a different inning than the seventh or eighth inning. It's a different inning based on emotion. The passion that inning possesses is just different. He's going to be fine, he's good. We just happened to get to him tonight."

http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=320509110&teams=tampa-bay-rays-vs-new-york-yankees

 

[Doc Holliday]

Sub .400 Boston Red Sox LOSE again!

BOSTON -- Embattled starter Josh Beckett did nothing to help restore his reputation Thursday night, getting booed off the field at Fenway Park in the third inning of Boston's 8-3 loss to the Cleveland Indians.

Jack Hannahan hit a two-run homer and Jason Kipnis had a solo shot off Beckett, who was already in hot water with Red Sox fans for playing golf last week a day after he was scratched from his scheduled start with a sore lat muscle in his back.

His return to the rotation couldn't have gone much worse. Beckett (2-4) gave up seven runs on seven hits and walked two in 2 1/3 innings as Cleveland built a 7-1 lead.

Michael Brantley went 4 for 5 with two RBIs for the Indians.

http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=320510102

 

[Doc Holliday]

Toronto Blue Jays sign Vladimir Guerrero

MINNEAPOLIS - In an effort to kick-start their struggling offence, the Blue Jays on Thursday signed 37-year-old free agent Vladimir Guerrero.

Guerrero, a nine-time all-star and former Montreal Expos outfielder, will play himself into shape at extended spring training.

Where he eventually will fit into the Jays lineup remains to be seen as Guerrero was strictly a designated hitter last year with the Baltimore Orioles. In 2010 with the Texas Rangers he was the DH in 129 games and made 18 appearances in the outfield.

For most of his 16-year career Guerrero was a right fielder, but those days are behind him.

The Jays primarily have used Edwin Encarnacion as their DH with Adam Lind getting three starts there.

If Guerrero ends up as the DH, then Encarnacion -- who leads the team with 10 home runs with 10 and 26 RBI -- would have to play the field. He could either bump Lind at first, which is not likely, or take over left field from Eric Thames who has been a clank defensively and in 29 games has not produced offensively, driving in just four runs in 93 at-bats, entering the game Thursday night against the Minnesota Twins.

Guerrero has 2,590 career hits and 449 home runs.

Last year with the Orioles he had 562 at-bats and hit .290 with 13 homers and 63 RBI. In 2010 with Texas, he hit .300 with 29 homers and 115 RBI.

Guerrero will earn the prorated portion of $1.3 million based on his day of arrival with the Jays.

After their opening 31 games, the Jays sit 12th in the league in batting with a collective .237 average. They are fourth in the league in runs with 146.

Key members of their offence in Lind and Jose Bautista have not delivered as expected.

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Baseball/MLB/Toronto/2012/05/10/19743056.html

 

[lgna69xxx]

Clueless Bobby

Fans cheered when Valentine came out of the dugout and immediately signalled to the bullpen for lefty Andrew Miller.

"It's challenging every night," Valentine said. "The guys are doing a great job and I tip my cap to them and the offence. We were a bloop away from getting back into this game four different times."


Really Bobby V? ....REALLY???? Great job of being 7 games UNDER .500..... I think bobby v has lost his mind

 

[Doc Holliday]

Cleveland Indians pound Josh Beckett again; Beckett booed off the field by angry Red Sox fans

BOSTON -- For Josh Beckett and the Boston Red Sox, getting jeered at Fenway Park has become par for the course.

The embattled starter did nothing to help restore his reputation Thursday night, getting booed off the field in the third inning of Boston's 8-3 loss to the Cleveland Indians.

It was Boston's 11th loss in its past 12 home games and it happened to come a day after word surfaced that Beckett was playing golf last week a day after he was scratched from his scheduled start with a sore lat muscle in his back.

That angered Red Sox fans, who got in plenty of taunts before Beckett was pulled after 2 1/3 innings with Cleveland leading 7-1.

"I think it was directed at me," Beckett said. "Smart fans."

Beckett was unrepentant about his golf outing, saying what he does on his day off is his business. But what he failed to understand, it seemed, was that fans were upset about him golfing when he was supposedly too sore to pitch rather than about him simply hitting the links on a normal off day.

Jack Hannahan hit a two-run homer, and Jason Kipnis had a solo shot off Beckett (2-4), who gave up seven runs on seven hits and walked two.

"You never want to get booed at your home stadium," said Indians left fielder Johnny Damon, a former Red Sox star very familiar with being booed at Fenway Park. "He's a great pitcher. Had a bad night. He helped bring another championship here, but as we all know that can get lost in time."

Derek Lowe (5-1) pitched six effective innings against his former team, allowing two runs and nine hits with one walk and three strikeouts. He was as solid as he needed to be with the Indians' offense taking full advantage of Beckett's struggles.

Dustin Pedroia extended his hitting streak to 11 with a leadoff homer in the seventh, cutting Cleveland's lead to 7-3. But that did little to lift the somber mood at Fenway Park. Boston, last in the AL East at 12-19, has dropped eight of nine overall.

Beckett, who has a 5.97 ERA, was booed just a few hours after manager Bobby Valentine downplayed the uproar over the pitcher's golf outing.

In his postgame interview, Beckett grew more terse each time his golf outing was mentioned.

"We get 18 off days a year," he said. "I think we deserve a little bit of time to ourselves."

It's not the first time Beckett's off-the-field decisions and commitment to the team have come into question.

After last season, it was revealed he was among a group of pitchers who ate fried chicken and drank beer in the clubhouse during games on days they didn't pitch.

The first homer was Hannahan's two-run shot into the Boston bullpen, where a few relievers got up and started stretching their arms as it became apparent Beckett would not be out there for long.

It got worse in the fourth when Kipnis led off with a homer, Asdrubal Cabrera singled and Travis Hafner walked. Beckett got a mock cheer when Carlos Santana flied out for the first out of the inning, but the boos came right back when Shin-Soo Choo followed with a double.

Brantley was up next and one fan yelled "FORE!" when he lined a foul ball down the right-field line, but all the chuckles quickly subsided when Brantley doubled to left-center. It was the second straight double for the Indians, ending Beckett's night.

Fans cheered when Valentine came out of the dugout and immediately signaled to the bullpen for lefty Andrew Miller.

"It's challenging every night," Valentine said. "The guys are doing a great job and I tip my cap to them and the offense. We were a bloop away from getting back into this game four different times."

http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/mlb/recap?gameId=320510102

 

[Doc Holliday]

Doc's thoughts:

"It's rather obvious that Josh Beckett has become a cancer on the Red Sox team. He's extremely detrimental to the team. It's obvious he doesn't care anymore (has he ever?) and that he'll do whatever Josh Beckett wants to do.

One thing that could be interested in trading for Beckett are the Toronto Blue Jays, led by John Farrell, who was Beckett's pitching coach in Boston during his successful years. Toronto is still looking for a 5th starter, so Beckett could fit right in if an agreement between both teams could be reached.

With the Sox going nowhere other than trying to avoid the basement, it might be time to unload some of the bigger contracts. Toronto badly needs a first-basemen who can hit, so David Ortiz could be sent to the Jays in a package.

One player that the Red Sox could be interested into is Jays prized catcher J.P. Arencibia, who hits from the right side and could terrorize opposing teams at Fenway Park. He's a true leader, a possible future all-star, and he is very well liked by his teammates & the coaching staff. Along with Arencibia, the Jays could send the Red Sox Adam Lind, who would help fill the void with Ortiz' departure.

This would be a fair trade for both teams, with the Red Sox possibly winning the deal in the near future with the addition of Arencibia alone.

 

[lgna69xxx]

Josh Becketts Star Quickly Falling

Alas, Josh Beckett. Sigh. Where to begin?


Amid the worried citizens of Red Sox Nation, you have an image problem the size of Rhode Island, and somehow still miss the value of perception.

And to the rest of us, your picture is now in the dictionary next to the phrase, ``Professional athletes who don't get it.''

MORE: Beckett faces Boston backlash
Or maybe you just don't care. Jury still out on that one.

Let's review your most famous diversions the past few months.

Chicken, beer, golf. Weekend outings at the country club aren't this much fun. Life in Boston would be so good, if you just didn't have to pitch.

So you miss a start last week with a tender lat muscle - a sore back to anyone who doesn't speak trainer-ese - and the next day you play 18 holes on your day off.

Now, when it comes to injury risk, golf does not quite rise to the same level as, say, going out to look for land mines. And plenty of players relax on the course on their off days. Nothing wrong with that. But being held out to protect a muscle one day, and swinging full with the 3-wood the next doesn't quite pass the smell test, does it?

Then the next time you show up on the mound, Thursday night, you throw batting practice against the Cleveland Indians and are gone in the third inning, having given up seven runs.

And all this comes after last September, when the Red Sox fell apart like wet tissue paper and the news came out you were one of the guys having a picnic in the clubhouse, while the season burned down.

So now there's no beer in the clubhouse. It doesn't seem to have helped.

The Red Sox are in last place and the 12-19 record after Thursday was a half-game better than the Kansas City Royals. In the stands are customers not only renowned for their eternal passion, but also saddled with some of the highest ticket prices in the game.

The family budget must be massaged to watch the Red Sox, and all they want to see is a team that cares as deeply as they do, which doesn't seem like too much to ask. And you're worried about flying a fairway bunker the day after you did not answer the proverbial bell. You and your $15.75 million contract - which in an average year comes out to about $463,235 a start. That's if you make them all.

See where there might be a teensy-weensy issue with the fans? And it's not your right to work on your handicap.

You didn't seem to see after Thursday's game, with words that must have given every public relations damage control specialist who read them indigestion.

Your basic message to the world: It's nobody's damn business what I do on my day off.

Or more precisely, your quote to reporters: ``We get 18 off days a year . . . I think we deserve a little time to ourselves.''

No way to put this softly. You sounded so tone deaf to public sensitivity on that one, you couldn't have heard the Boston Pops in the next room. There are working stiffs in the grandstands who will surely note that November, December and January are pretty light for major league baseball players. And during the season, you pitch only every fifth day. Not even that last week.

These are the basic, gut-level facts.

You missed a work day, but played golf.

You had a drumstick, as last season's lead melted.

You can claim the salary of a star pitcher, but lately, not the performance.

That's what the world sees, not your tee time.

It is now up to you to prove everyone wrong. The Red Sox are a mess, and the guess from afar is that Bobby Valentine is no longer public enemy No. 1.

Guys with All-Star earned run averages don't have to worry much about perception. Yours at the moment is 5.97.

Starting to understand?

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/colu...tt-boston-red-sox-golf-controversy/54904356/1

 

[Doc Holliday]

Beckett's golf outing hot topic as Red Sox return

Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine on Thursday downplayed the uproar over pitcher Josh Beckett's golf outing after he was taken out of the rotation because of stiffness.

Beckett, who was suffering from a sore lat last week, was scheduled to start Thursday night against Cleveland.

“I've never seen a pitcher get hurt playing golf,” Valentine said.

Valentine said Beckett was scratched from a start last week with stiffness, which he didn't think would be made worse by golfing. Had Beckett been sidelined with an actual injury, Valentine may have felt differently.

“I didn't think he was injured when he was skipped,” Valentine said.

Fans haven't been so forgiving since the story surfaced earlier this week. The Red Sox are off to a 12-18 start and sit in dead last in the American League East.

Valentine, speaking before the Red Sox opened a homestand against the Indians, said he understands why fans were outraged Beckett was golfing instead of resting for his return to the rotation.

“I understand the frustration for sure,” he said. “I understand the desire for excellence. I have the same frustration and anger at myself for not meeting the standard.”

The sour mood in Boston still lingers over the collapse at the end of last season, when the Red Sox slumped through September and were knocked out of playoff contention in the final game.

“I was told there was a lot negative feelings about last year. The first month of play, we haven't done anything to erase those feelings,” Valentine said. “We have to play better and I think it will get better.”

As for Beckett, a few good outings will restore a positive outlook among the fans who are angered by his golf outing. A few bad starts, however, and the pressure on him is only going to increase.

Beckett's off-the-field decisions have come up before. After last season, it was discovered that he was among a group that ate fried chicken and drank beer in the clubhouse during games. It is common for players to golf during the season, but typically not when one is recovering from an injury.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/spor...g-hot-topic-as-red-sox-return/article2428674/

 

[daydreamer41]

Can Rangers Josh Hamilton earn the Triple Crown HR, RBI, AVG?

Only 13 players have achieved baseball's coveted Triple Crown, leading either the National League or American League in HR, RBI, and AVG.

The last player to achieve this feat was Carl Yastrzemski in 1967, a year after Frank Robinson did it in 1966.

Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers is on a tear. Hamilton has 17 HRs, 40 RBI's and is batting .407 in 33 games his team has played. The #2 in each category is 11 HR (3 players), 29 RBI (Edward Encarnacion), and .372 (Derek Jeter). Hamilton hit 8 HR's this past week.

Of course, the season is young, and it's a long season, but Hamilton certainly has the tools to be the first player in 39 years to achieve the Triple Crown accomplishment.

 

[lgna69xxx]

IF and thats a HUGE "IF" he can stay healthy, I say yes, he has a great shot at it. Imagine him playing a healthy 15-20 years in the Majors, with his talent?

 

[Doc Holliday]

Oh-Oh! Yankees put closer David Robertson on 15-DL

BALTIMORE -- The New York Yankees have placed closer David Robertson on the 15-day disabled list after tests revealed the right-hander suffered a strained left oblique while pitching against the Seattle Mariners on May 11.

The Yankees announced the move roughly three hours before Tuesday's game against the Baltimore Orioles, but did not reveal how much time Robertson will miss.

"We don't think it's too severe but it's hard to tell. Obliques can be tricky," manager Joe Girardi said. "We expect him not to pick up a baseball for probably seven to 10 days and then we'll see where we are after that." Robertson suffered the injury in his first appearance after that loss, when he pitched in a non-save situation against the Mariners on Friday. He felt pain the next day and was unavailable to the Yankees over the next three games, including Monday night's 8-5 victory over the Orioles at Camden Yards.

Robertson was sent back to New York on Monday night and underwent tests Tuesday morning. The Yankees said he'll rejoin the team in Baltimore and accompany them to Toronto, where he'll begin to receive treatment.

Rafael Soriano, who came on to close on Monday and earned his second save of the year, will likely handle the majority of the save opportunities in Robertson's absence.

"Everybody I think knows what I can do in the ninth," Soriano said Tuesday. "I know what I got, and everybody knows what I have, what I can do. And I'm looking forward to it."

Robertson's injury comes only eight days after he was handed the closer role after Mariano Rivera's season-ending torn ACL on May 3 in Kansas City. In Rivera's absence, Robertson had been brought in to close two games. He saved the first one, on May 8 against the Tampa Bay Rays, but took the loss the following night when he allowed four ninth-inning runs in a 4-1 Tampa Bay victory.

"We lost Mariano first. The bullpen will do whatever we have to do," Soriano said. "Now with two guys down, it's not easy for us."

Robertson finished five games this season and was 0-1 with a 2.51 ERA and one save. To take his place on the roster, the Yankees recalled right-handed reliever Cody Eppley from their Triple-A farm club at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Despite losing Rivera and Robertson, Girardi was confident the Yankees' bullpen would be effective.

"They have been used a lot lately, but we think we have the guys that can get it done," the manager said. "Guys' roles have just increased a little bit, but we're not going to abuse them and ask too much."

http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/sto...ankees-place-closer-david-robertson-15-day-dl

 

[lgna69xxx]

Looks like Brett Lawrie will get a suspension. That called third strike was a joke as it was clearly high for ball four, but when he threw his helmet in disgust it bounced up and hit the homeplate umpire. Then the ump took a beer bath from a fan as he was heading to the dugout after the game.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Looks like Brett Lawrie will get a suspension. That called third strike was a joke as it was clearly high for ball four, but when he threw his helmet in disgust it bounced up and hit the homeplate umpire. Then the ump took a beer bath from a fan as he was heading to the dugout after the game.

True. He did get a 4-game suspension, which was announced to him a couple of hours prior to gametime. He decided to appeal the suspension, no doubt in order to be able to play against the Yankees. He likely will be serving his suspension this weekend.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Jays fans are right: The Yanks stink

Hapless Bombers, punchless in pinstripes, lose again and fall to fourth place

by Andrew Marchand

TORONTO -- Forget the names. Forget the paychecks. Forget that they are the New York Yankees.

Why exactly should we think these Yankees are better than they have played?

Nearly a quarter of the way through the season, they are 20-18 -- and they have earned that record. Right now, they are a classic two-games-above-.500, fourth-place club.

When they hit, they don't pitch. When they pitch, they don't hit.

Man, they don't hit. Especially in the clutch. In the past five games, they have three hits in 41 at-bats with runners in scoring position.

Alex Rodriguez was off Thursday and so the sickly Mark Teixeira again was the front man for this tired act.

Not once. Not twice. But three times, Teixeira came up with men in scoring position.

Strikeout. Flyout. Popout.

It helped cement the Blue Jays' two-game sweep.

So what exactly is this team? Why should anyone think these Yankees are going to survive in baseball's best division?

"I think we know who we are," manager Joe Girardi said before the Yankees left another eight men on base in their 4-1 loss to the Blue Jays. "I don't think we have played up to our ability."

Teixeira doesn't look like a $180 million player. He looks like Keith Hernandez on defense and Dave Kingman on offense. He sounds like he should be filming a cold-and-flu commercial.

Teixeira's voice is raspy and his cough is incessant. During the sixth inning, he looked as though he might fall over he was hacking so hard at first base.

Teixeira said he and Girardi will talk over what to do about his respiratory issues that have lingered for more than a month. Girardi said he would give Teixeira a day off if he thought it would help. After four checkups and just nine hits in 44 at-bats with runners in scoring position (.205), it is time to tell Teixeira to take a break.

Maybe the Yankees should have Teixeira rest the whole weekend, stay in bed, eat some chicken noodle soup and come back on Monday. That may be extreme, but Teixeira is not right -- at the plate or with his health.

"If you could guarantee me it would make me feel better, I would love that guarantee," said Teixeira, who is hitting .228 with five homers and 20 RBIs. "I just don't know if it is going to help. So we'll see."

As a way to defend Teixeira, Girardi pointed out that his first baseman isn't the only Yankees batter who has stunk when it has mattered most.

"Tex seems to be the focus today," Girardi said. "We have a lot of guys hitting around .200 with runners in scoring position. It is not just Tex. As a team, collectively, we are not getting it done."

That is what might be most alarming about this club. A-Rod is not hitting with authority, which is shortening the Yankees' lineup and making them miss Brett Gardner and the defensively challenged Eduardo Nunez even more. Gardner, who will pick up a bat this weekend, is still on the DL with his elbow strain. There is no timetable for his return.

So just like what killed them last year in the playoffs, the Yankees are an all-or-nothing team, a home run or an out.

The pitching is improving, but it is still not inspiring. The bullpen has been amazingly good, but how long will that last with Mariano Rivera and David Robertson out?

The starting pitching has been better of late, but who can dominate besides CC Sabathia? Hiroki Kuroda is having a seesaw season -- one good start, one bad. Ivan Nova gives up too many hits. Andy Pettitte, who starts Friday, is still a mystery with his 40th birthday next week. And Phil Hughes is a No. 5 starter.

Hughes had his third pretty good start against the Jays, but he is not what the Yankees projected him to be when he was an All-Star in 2010. On Thursday, he had only his fastball, so his pitch count rose as he allowed just two runs in 5 1/3 innings. There is still no proof that Hughes is more than a No. 5, maybe a No. 4. After giving up a two-run homer to Joey Bautista, Hughes is the first Yankee ever to give up a home run in each of his first eight starts, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

The Rays, Orioles and Jays are all hungry, young teams. The Red Sox have had problems since the gun went off and are just two games worse than the Yankees. Granted, the season is still young.

"You would drive yourself crazy if you started looking at the scoreboard in the middle of May," captain Derek Jeter said. "I don't see anybody popping Champagne in the middle of May. Just like I don't see anyone hanging their heads in the middle of May."

After seeing every team in the division, does Girardi think his club has the best roster?

"I think we can compete with anyone," he said, not really answering the question. "Saying it and going out and doing it are always two different things."

That is true. The Yankees' 20-18 record is a half-game better than the A's. Oakland was supposed to be one of the worst teams in baseball. That is the company the Yankees are keeping these days.

On Thursday at the Rogers Centre, toward the end of the game, the Blue Jays fans sang that very popular out-of-town chant, "The Yankees [stink]! The Yankees [stink]! The Yankees [stink]!"

And right now, they are right.

http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_/id/7944000/new-york-yankees-punchless-pinstripes

 

[Doc Holliday]

David Ortiz unleashes postgame rant

Fondly referred to as Big Papi, David Ortiz became a beloved figure in Boston for his prodigious power during the Boston Red Sox's two World Series runs. However, in the past couple of years, Ortiz and Boston have been a lightning rod for criticism due to some slow starts.

That criticism has taken a toll on Ortiz, as the team has often been cited as a squad without a true clubhouse leader. Following Boston's Monday night win, which got the team to .500 for the first time this month, Ortiz took umbrage with that assertion.

"I'm the kind of [expletive] who worries about winning games," Ortiz told ESPNBoston.com's Gordon Edes after Monday's 8-6 win in Baltimore. "I'm a winner. I hate losing. But what I do, I don't do for everybody to know. I do it for us to get better and the trash talking out there to stop."

Ortiz was set off by a question about a team meeting he called May 11 in the wake of a golf outing pitcher Josh Beckett took while nursing an injured shoulder.

"Who told you about that meeting?" Ortiz asked reporters Monday night.

"Somebody wrote, 'Why didn't he do it earlier?' Earlier? When am I going to do it, in spring training? What did I do wrong? Seriously, what did I do wrong?

"You hit 54 home runs, then hit 35, it's not good enough. How many people hit 35? Never good enough, bro. That's why I don't care."

With the retirements of Tim Wakefield and Jason Varitek, the Red Sox have been viewed as devoid of any leadership presence. Ortiz hasn't attempted to be a public leader but claims everything he does is for his team.

"Well, let me tell you, I was reading an article [that] talked about the leaders people call 'leaders' in this town," he said following a night in which he hit his 10th homer of the season. "Basically, it seems like no matter what you do, it's not good enough.

"And you can only call leaders the guys who are out diving for balls on the field or calling pitches behind the plate?"

Ortiz also turned his ire on his own front office, claiming he's not respected by the team's executives.

"I don't get no respect," he said. "Not from the media. Not from the front office. What I do is never the right thing. It's always hiding, for somebody to find out."

Leader or not, Ortiz said he thinks his meeting has had a positive effect on the team.

"We're playing better, we're winning, everybody is going about their business. And it's still May. Not late, like [some critics] want to say."

http://espn.go.com/boston/mlb/story...ston-red-sox-says-gets-no-respect-team-leader

 

[Doc Holliday]

Yankees sink to last place in AL East

With every out the New York Yankees made and every run they gave up, the boos from the sparse crowd got louder.

New York’s 6-0 defeat to the Kansas City Royals on a misty, dreary Monday night was the Yankees’ sixth loss in seven games, dropping them into last place in the AL East this late in the season for the first time since 2008.

“At times, it looks like there’s 20 people out there playing defence,” Yankees captain Derek Jeter said. “It happens every year. It happens to every team. It doesn’t look good when you’re going through it, but you’ve got to have confidence.”

Felipe Paulino blanked New York for the second time in a month, and Mike Moustakas and Jeff Francoeur hit two-run homers.

New York’s bats fizzled once again, going 0 for 13 with runners in scoring position with five strikeouts and a foulout — the Yankees’ most hitless at-bats with RISP since July 1990. Jeered repeatedly by their increasingly impatient fans, the Yankees dropped to 21-21, their worst record at this point in the season since they started 20-25 in 2008 — the only time since 1994 that New York failed to make the playoffs. They’re tied with Boston for the division cellar.

“You’re going to hear it on the road, and you’re going to hear it at home when you don’t play well,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “It’s because our fans are passionate and they want us to win. And I understand that. So do the guys in that room. If they’re unhappy with us, believe me, we’re probably unhappier.”

New York stranded runners at the corners in the first, then wasted a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the third when Robinson Cano took a slider for a called third strike, Alex Rodriguez struck out swinging on a fastball and Raul Ibanez flied out to the left-field warning track. The Yankees stranded runners at third in the fourth and sixth innings, left two on in the seventh and another in the ninth,

New York is 7 for 37 (.189) with the bases loaded this season and .222 with runners in scoring position, including 6 for 72 (.083) in its last nine games. The Yankees are 0-10 when they fail to hit a home run.

“It’s very frustrating,” Rodriguez said. “We’ve talked about it over and over again. You can’t really describe it. It’s not a lot of fun obviously going out and not getting the job done. But at this point, nobody’s going to feel sorry for us.”

Hideki Kuroda (3-6) allowed three runs, seven hits and three walks in 5 1/3 innings, failing to retire the side in order in an inning and raising his ERA to 4.56. After adding Andy Pettitte to the rotation and sending Garcia to the bullpen, pressure may increase on New York to make another move, such as signing free agent Roy Oswalt.

Paulino (2-1) became the first starter to pitch shutout ball against the Yankees in consecutive outings since Boston’s Josh Beckett on April 10 and May 14 last year, according to STATS LLC. Following up on his six innings of four-hit ball on May 5, Paulino allowed six hits in 6 2-3 innings, struck out eight and walked two.

“Bases loaded, nobody out against the meat of their order and got through it. A runner on third, one out and got through it. So, he’s pitching really, really well,” Royals manager Ned Yost said.

Kansas City opened a nine-game trip by beating the Yankees for the third time in five meetings this year, and Yost got his 600th win as a manger — earning a beer shower from his players.

Batting cleanup for the first time in his big league career, Moustakas homered in the first inning with a drive that clanked high off the right-field foul pole.

“It’s really cool,” Moustakas said. “Coming into this park, you know all the history behind old Yankee Stadium and the kind of things they brought. Just to play in this stadium is awesome.”

Eric Hosmer added an RBI double in the third, and Francoeur homered into the visitor’s bullpen in the seventh on Freddy Garcia’s second pitch of the night.

In a sign of the Yankees’ frustration, Garcia threw a run-scoring wild pitch in the eighth, then spiked the ball in disgust. In the sixth, Mark Teixeira put both hands on his head incredulously after throwing late to third on Irving Falu’s grounder instead of taking the sure out at first.

By the time Jeter hit a game-ending lineout, completing a seven-hitter, only a few thousand fans remained.

“We have a lot of baseball to be played,” Rodriguez said.

But as Yogi Berra famously said, it gets late early.

“Obviously, there’s a lot of frustration in here,” A-Rod said. “We know we’re capable of doing a lot more, and I think we will. Tomorrow would be a great day to start.”

Notes: The Yankees were 0 for 14 RISP on July 6, 1990, in a 2-0, 12-inning loss to Minnesota in a doubleheader opener — when Andy Hawkins pitched 11 shutout innings and lost in the 12th. ... After missing three starts because of a bronchial illness, Teixeira was dropped as low as seventh in the batting order for the first time since May 2004 and went 1 for 4 with a ninth-inning double. ... Kansas City 2B Chris Getz left in the fifth after aggravating a bruised rib on his left side. He was tagged out at second in the fourth inning trying to stretch a single. ... Rodriguez hit his 500th double. ... Kansas City has three shutouts. ... The Yankees were blanked for the fourth time. ... New York’s Phil Hughes (3-5) starts against Luke Hochevar (3-4) on Tuesday.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/baseball/yankees-sink-to-al-east-cellar/article2439566/

 

[Doc Holliday]

Red Sox outfielder Cody Ross out for two months with broken foot

BALTIMORE -- Boston Red Sox outfielder Cody Ross is expected to miss six to eight weeks with a nondisplaced fractured bone in his left foot, general manager Ben Cherington said Monday night.

The injury, which occurred when Ross fouled a pitch off the foot Friday night in Philadelphia, was revealed in an MRI taken in Boston on Monday after initial X-rays were negative.

With the loss of the right-handed hitting Ross, Cherington said the Red Sox are discussing keeping rookie third baseman Will Middlebrooks when Kevin Youkilis rejoins the team, which is expected to happen Tuesday. Youkilis was in Norfolk, Va., Monday night, making his fourth rehab start for Triple-A Pawtucket.

"We have talked about it," Cherington said. "We lost a good right-handed hitter today for a while. It's hard to lose more right-handed hitters, so it's a consideration in light of that."

The fracture is in the navicular bone, which is the same bone in which Dustin Pedroia sustained a nondisplaced fracture on June 25, 2010. Pedroia eventually required surgery after an aborted comeback effort and missed a total of 85 games.

Cherington said that the Red Sox medical staff is confident that Ross will be able to avoid surgery, but that the outfielder, who was returning to Baltimore Monday night, was planning to seek a second opinion.

"It's the same bone" as Pedroia's break, Cherington said, "but it's a different (injury) from what I gather from our medical staff. It's in a slightly different spot, a slightly smaller line, so our medical staff is confident it will heal without surgery."

Asked to estimate how long Ross would be out, Cherington said, "It's hard to say, but six to eight weeks is a general framework. Let him heal, see how he does. He'll be checked again in two weeks. We'll see where he is and go from there."

Ross will be placed on the disabled list Tuesday, opening a roster spot for Youkilis, who is scheduled to be evaluated Tuesday before being activated. Ross will become the sixth Red Sox outfielder on the DL, joining Carl Crawford, Jacoby Ellsbury, Darnell McDonald, Ryan Kalish and Jason Repko.

Ross will become the 15th Red Sox player to be placed on the DL this season. Entering Monday night's game, the Sox had lost a combined 438 games to players on the DL.

With Ryan Sweeney also unavailable Monday night while the Red Sox awaited results from an MLB-mandated concussion exam, manager Bobby Valentine's outfield consisted of three players who were not on the Opening Day roster: Daniel Nava, Marlon Byrd and Che-Hsuan Lin.

They hit at the bottom of the Red Sox order, the first time since Aug. 20, 2010 (J.D. Drew, Bill Hall and McDonald) that Boston outfielders had batted 7-8-9.

Cherington said that both Ellsbury (partially dislocated shoulder) and Crawford (wrist surgery, sprained elbow) are progressing well in their rehabs, but mentioned early July as a rough timetable for Ellsbury to return, with "early to mid-July" for Crawford. Neither player has begun baseball-specific activity.

Valentine said he elected to keep Sweeney out Monday night after trainers told him the outfielder felt some fatigue after taking swings in the batting cage. Sweeney was diagnosed with what he called a mild concussion after making a diving catch Saturday night in Philadelphia. Afterward, he said he experienced a whiplash-like jolt to his neck.

Valentine said after the game that Sweeney did not pass the concussion tests administered Monday, and said that there was a chance he would have to go on the seven-day disabled list MLB has created for players with concussions.

"I don't know how bad it is,'' Sweeney said after the game. "I did some of the tests on the computer and did OK on the reaction stuff, but I guess they said when you have something like this and you over-exert yourself and try to do too much, you've got to let your head heal.

"I did some hitting and some bike, and just felt a little tired. I have to come in tomorrow and see how I feel.''

"It feels like a lot of guys are banged up at once," Cherington said. "Our options are to keep playing. Our guys in the lineup are our guys in the lineup tonight. We've got to keep looking for reinforcements. We'll likely have a move, if not more, for tomorrow. We've got to keep looking, but guys have already persevered through some tough times and played through injuries. We've got to keep playing and hang in tough."

Ross was batting .271 with eight home runs, second on the team to David Ortiz's 10, and his 28 RBIs also ranked second to Ortiz's 30. Friday night against the Phillies, Ross doubled and homered before fouling a pitch off the foot during his eighth-inning at-bat, which ended with a strikeout.

He was struck by the foul ball even though he wears a shin guard that covers the top of his foot. The foul ball struck him at the top of his instep, according to Valentine.

Scouts from the Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves were all in Norfolk on Saturday night to watch Youkilis play, and were expected to be in attendance Monday. Youkilis was 3 for 9 with a double in Pawtucket entering Monday night.

Rookie Middlebrooks, meanwhile, has hit safely in 14 of 18 games since his call-up on May 2, entering Monday night's game with a .275 average, five home runs, 15 RBIs and .886 OPS. Valentine has entrusted him with the fifth spot in the batting order, where he has been batting behind Adrian Gonzalez and Ortiz. He also has shown outstanding skills at third base.

Even before Ross' injury, the decision on what to do with Middlebrooks upon Youkilis' return was not an easy one. Without Ross, it seems a virtual certainty that the Sox will keep Middlebrooks, although Cherington said no final decision has been made.

"We're still talking about it to make sure we see how it would work," he said. "At a time like this, it's important to kind of slow things down and try to make decisions for the right reasons. We want to do what's best for the team, but also best for the players. It is something we discussed. We've talked about what it would look like if we did.

"At a time when you have a lot of injuries in one spot, sometimes you've got to come up with solutions you might not have thought of two months ago. We're talking about all sorts of things."

One scenario under consideration is playing Gonzalez in right field, which would free up first base for Youkilis while keeping Middlebrooks at third. Gonzalez, who has played the outfield in winter league ball and made a good accounting of himself in right field in weekend games in Philly, said he is comfortable in the outfield and willing to play there. His lack of speed, however, would make that problematic in a large right field, like the one in Fenway.

"If Ben and I decided that was something we should pursue I think there is a way of trying to make it work,'' Valentine said of retaining Middlebrooks.

"It's all a balancing thing. What's right for (Middlebrooks), what's right for us, what's right for Youk, what's right for the rest of the guys. It's a tough situation, a lot of these things have a way of working their way out."

Valentine said that playing third base is more demanding than first base, especially for a player as oft-injured as Youkilis.

"That would be up to Youk," he said when asked how much he thinks Youkilis can play. "If he says he's comfortable, I'd be comfortable. There's no way I can put a number of ground balls, at-bats, innings. I have no idea."

 

[lgna69xxx]

Vintage Pettitte, again

Andy Pettitte (2-1, 2.53 ERA) had another strong outing, throwing seven innings of two-run ball.

"Wins are a good medicine for a team that is struggling and playing on its heals a little bit," Pettitte said.

 

[lgna69xxx]

Schilling, not the Video King

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Former Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling's faltering video game company, which received a $75 million loan guarantee to move to Rhode Island in 2010, laid off its entire staff on Thursday.

An email sent by the 38 Studios company to workers and obtained by The Associated Press says they were notified of the "non-voluntary and non-disciplinary" layoffs on Thursday.

38 Studios moved from Massachusetts after Rhode Island agreed to back the loan. Officials said the deal would bring hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars of tax revenue. The company was more than two weeks late this month on a $1.1 million payment to the state's Economic Development Corp. State officials said the company wasn't able to make its payroll.

Gov. Lincoln Chafee said the company was facing "grim times" but he wasn't abandoning efforts to salvage the company and protect the state's investment. The state would likely be responsible for some of 38 Studios' debts should it collapse.

The company had 300 employees in Providence, Chafee said. It also has an office in Maryland. It released its much-anticipated first game, "Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning," to strong reviews in February. Schilling, who also pitched for Baltimore, Houston, Philadelphia and Arizona, has said the game performed well, but Chafee has said it was a flop.

Attempts to reach Schilling and company executives on Thursday were unsuccessful.

Chafee opposed the loan guarantee deal in 2010 while he was running for governor but has since said he wants to find a way to help make 38 Studios successful without giving it additional taxpayer assistance. But he has acknowledged the state is "in deep."

Despite the layoffs, Chafee said he is continuing his efforts to salvage the company and the state's investment in it.

"I'm still continuing to work for 38 Studios," he said.

Chafee spokeswoman Christine Hunsinger said Thursday state officials were trying to determine whether 38 Studios is incorporated out of state, making it ineligible for millions of dollars in tax incentives it has applied for.

WPRI-TV reported Wednesday that Schilling's company isn't incorporated in Rhode Island but in Delaware as a limited liability company. It must be incorporated in Rhode Island to be eligible for tax credits under an incentive program for film companies and video game studios.

38 Studios applied for $2.1 million in film tax credits last year and sought over $6 million more last week. Chafee wants to cap at $5 million the amount of tax credits available to any project.

The political fallout from the state's involvement with 38 Studios continued to play out as two members of the 12-member Economic Development Corp. board, which approved the loan guarantee in 2010, stepped down.

Board Vice Chairwoman Helena Foulkes said in a statement Thursday she spoke with Chafee and decided it was best that she resign. She said she wished him luck "in this very difficult challenge."

Board member Stephen Lane has also decided to resign, Chafee announced Thursday afternoon.

Two other board members, Timothy Babineau and Daniel Sullivan, asked not to be reappointed to the board, Chafee said. The board members had been serving past the expiration of their term, Chafee said.

Last week, the EDC's executive director, Keith Stokes, submitted his resignation to Chafee, and Chafee accepted it.

Chafee, asked if he was seeking the resignation of other board members who supported the 38 Studios loan guarantee, said "yes, we're having those discussions."


http://tsn.ca/mlb/story/?id=396777