I spend much of my space at FCP bashing the YES Network and their giant headed mascot Michael Kay over everything from their commercials to their trivia questions. It’s only fair that I direct some of my ire at the cross town wannabes at SportsNet New York, or SNY as the kids are calling it. I know already that I am going to hear from Mets fans who don’t want a Yankee fan talking about their team, their network, or their players.

Deal with it! I am a legitimate journalist now and my objectivity is beyond reproach.

Wait, wait…let me get it out of my system first. Jose Reyes is arrogant and immature, Carlos Delgado should be ashamed that he tanked it while Willie was managing, signing Luis Castillo for four years was the worst move since Carl Pavano, if your starting outfielder came from Double-A or the Mexican League your Triple-A team should be disbanded, Carlos Beltran is streaky and overpaid so get over it and support him for what he is, and you’re second fiddle in New York and it will be that way for years to come.

Ok, spirit cleansed, objectivity begins. All teams, networks, and players are equal and we can all move on.

SNY has marketed itself as a network that all New York fans can turn to, not just those who root for the blue and orange. In an effort to further that agenda they have produced numerous shows intended to engage fans of all teams and sports. I decided to evaluate their success by watching Daily News Live! and Beer Money. I will return with another installment to cover Loud Mouths and the Wheelhouse another time.

Looks like I picked a good day to watch Daily News Live! (The exclamation point is not mine, it’s in the title. I am required by my newfound journalistic integrity to include the proper name of the program whenever I type it.) Guests today include Chris “Mad Dog” Russo, who is hyping his LUDICROUS $15 million deal with Sirius XM, and Omar Minaya, who presumably will discuss the Billy Wagner injury.

The show opens with host Joe Benigno doing a little shtick where he pretends to have an arm injury that makes him unable to pick up a bundle of the Daily News. Get it? Like Billy Wagner! High comedy!

In the process of acting out the poorly scripted skit, Joe utters the word “bro” 3 times in 15 seconds! I once kept a “bro” count during Benigno’s 3 hour show on WFAN. Total: 7,231.

The show begins with the “Daily Three”, which is a brief discussion of the top 3 stories in the sports news today. Today those stories are Wagner’s injury, the New York Giants defense, and Russo’s contract.

During the Giants segment, Russo takes a shot at Michael Strahan for being at the Giants first home preseason game in order to get “cheap” applause. Russo attacking Strahan when he isn’t there…new platform, same cowardice.

Citi is plastered all over the screen and scenery and it makes one wonder how they are able to pad Fred Wilpon’s pockets yet lay off employees left and right.

Omar Minaya appears in segment #2, not only without a tie, but with a button undone and a white undershirt showing! Despite what many Mets fans thought when he was hired, there is no sign of a giant S.

Benigno resists calling Minaya bro. Instead he urinates on himself.

Omar calls Sirius Radio “Cyrus” and Russo has to correct him. There may not be two worse public speakers in sports than Minaya and Russo. They should be the next big a talk radio duo. Marble Mouth and Spittles in the Morning!

Russo says the biggest reason he signed with satellite radio was because, “I love challenges”. Is there any bigger challenge than keeping Mike Francesa away from a buffet?

The show closes with The Editor’s Picks where they cover three different stories. I don’t see how it is any different than the Daily Three except that it comes at the end of the show.  The hosts all frown upon the Cincinnati Bengals for re-signing Chris Henry. Russo is down on the Cowboys because they signed Pacman Jones. Then, the man, who just signed a $15 million contract to discuss sports on his very own channel that goes all across the country, asks if the commissioner of football has ruled on the Pacman Jones case yet. Luckily football isn’t important enough to be discussed on satellite radio, so Russo doesn’t have to bone up on it too much.

Beer Money is a quiz show hosted by the ubiquitous Chris Carlin and a generic, moderately attractive, energetic, gal who loves sports and giving guys a hard time!

…Ugh…

You earn money by answering sports questions correctly while on the streets of New York. The questions get harder, but the money gets bigger as you answer the three Beer Money questions. Here is the best part: the prize money begins at $10, rises to $30, and tops out at $130!

…Crickets…

This is less money than Monty Hall gave away for a safety pin on Let’s Make a Deal 35 years ago. Can’t they take some of Citigroup’s money and give it to some poor schlep on the street?

On this particular episode Carlin is finding people at Columbus Circle and generic, moderately attractive, energetic, gal who loves sports and giving guys a hard time is at Madison Square Garden. The questions range from laughably easy to why in the world would anyone know that. Little of note happens, except:

• Chris Carlin is a bit overweight, but still insists on tucking his t-shirt into his shorts.
• A woman called her son in Long Island City so he could come to the Upper West Side to win $10.
• In her open, generic, moderately attractive, energetic, gal who loves sports and giving guys a hard time says that if people get questions wrong, “I’m going to make fun of them.” This girl is sassy. I’m going to rename her generic, moderately attractive, energetic, gal who loves sports and giving guys a hard time and acting sassy.
• One guy won $10 and quit. He was not homeless, as far I as could tell.
• Only one guy won $130. All others have to give back their money once they got a question wrong. Between the big winner and the guy who kept the 10 spot, this show cost $140 to produce. Admittedly, Chris Carlin’s daily food stipend would rival the GDP of most industrialized nations.

I am unimpressed with the program offerings of SNY. So far I just see WFAN personalities, a legit reporter here and there, an exclamation point too many, and a generic, moderately attractive, energetic, gal who loves sports and giving guys a hard time and acting sassy.

Unless they’re hiring bloggers to be a part of these shows.

FullCountPitch Live! Sponsored by Citi, of course.

Some pending free agents are simply good. Others simply have good timing. In the case of C.C. Sabathia, he has both. First, he’s the best pitcher to hit the free agent market in years (and, he’s closer to Johan Santana than you think if Santana had hit the market) and he is in the midst of an incredible run that will make teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, White Sox, Rangers, Cubs, Dodgers, and Phillies reach deep into their pockets. If Santana received $150 million from the Mets, then Sabathia could be looking at a $200 million dollar deal (or in that general neighborhood). Sound crazy? Well, in the real world it is crazy, but in the baseball world, it would seem to be the norm for the best pitcher in the game. Yes, who wouldn’t want to be C.C. Sabathia right about now?

C.C. Sabathia, the Milwaukee Brewer, is dominant. Since being acquired, Sabathia has started 9 games, going 8-0 during those starts. In an age where pitchers go the “five and fly” route, Sabathia has finished 5 of those 9 starts (giving him 8 complete games on the year out of his 27 starts). In 73 innings, he’s given up 60 hits, walked just 15 and has struck out 69. All of this is capped off by his dominant 1.60 ERA and his 1.027 WHIP.  Even with his horrible start to the season (1-4, 7.88 ERA through April), Sabathia’s season numbers are beginning to look like that Cy Young Award winner from a season ago. For the season, he is 14-8 with a 2.95 ERA and a 1.157 WHIP. To compare, he won the Cy Young Award in 2007 with a 19-7 record and a 3.21 ERA and a 1.141 WHIP.

So, he’s good, but he has even better timing. With Johan Santana out of the mix, Sabathia is the only premier free agent pitcher for teams to battle over this winter. With the New York Yankees set to open a new ballpark and struggling with the pitching staff, look for Hank Steinbrenner to write a big check. The Red Sox will feign interest, but most likely bail out as they have a deep staff already. Look for the Texas Rangers to surprise everyone with a big bid. Texas has never landed a big pitcher and with that offense, they could contend for the Wild Card in 2009. The C.C. tour will begin just minutes after the last out of the World Series. If he continues this run and becomes this generation’s Rick Sutcliffe (he was traded from the Indians to the Cubs in 1984 and went 16-1 for the Cubbies to lead them to a division championship and winning the NL Cy Young Award despite making just 20 starts), he may be the most sought ought free agent ever. Perhaps that was slight hyperbole, but you get the idea.

Now, the price tag of $200 million was brought up earlier. Well, that is a realistic figure based on Santana’s salary. Sabathia (27) is two years younger than Santana (29 in case you can’t do math), but has pitched just one less season than Santana. Sabathia has pitched 120 more innings in his career as Santana was brought along slowly at the beginning of his career. Sabathia was immediately inserted in the Indians’ rotation at the age of 20. He’s made less than 30 starts only once in those 8 seasons which was in 2006 when he pulled his oblique muscle on opening day. With no history of arm troubles, Sabathia seems to be getting more durable as he progresses. He has completed 18 games over the past three seasons (including this one). In comparison, Sabathia’s 8 complete games for 2008 match Santana’s career total. While Johan Santana has a better strikeout rate, a better ERA, and a better WHIP, the difference is not great. Because Sabathia will hit the open market after a dominant stretch, he will cause a bidding war that may surpass Santana’s contract.

Detractors will say that Sabathia spit the bit during the 2007 post season. It’s true, he had close to a 9.00 ERA in his 15.1 innings. But, even Santana had a hard time during his first couple of post season starts (12 runs allowed during his first 14 post season innings). Others will say that Sabathia is out of shape and at risk to get worse with a long term contract. This is also true, but he is a pitcher who has never had an arm injury or even worry. This is a pitcher who’s ERA and WHIP has gone down in each of his last 5 seasons.  Not even Johan Santana can say that. In fact his WHIP has increased in each of the last 4 seasons. Santana is still technically the better pitcher, but the gap is not so great.

If Sabathia can pitch the Brewers into the playoffs and pitch representative baseball in the post season, he will many options. Best guess-Hank Steinbrenner convinces Sabathia to sign at $200 million dollars because he’ll be the first pitcher to throw a pitch at the New Yankee Stadium and that pinstripes are quite slimming. Before that happens, however, Sabathia will be in everyone’s rumor section, spoken about on every sports show and at every water cooler. Enjoy the simplicity of just pitching C.C.; you have no idea how crazy it’s going to get in three months.  

It’s been awhile since we’ve done a Fungos column. As baseball is midway through the “Dog Days” of August, pennant races are heating up. The NL East, AL Central, and the NL West leaders are seperated by just one game. Fans are watching in amazement at CC Sabathia (see above article), the Rays staying in first despite losing the core of their team, and the Yankees offense just absolutely tanking when it counts most. Yes, the 2008 season has been good to the fans thus far with the promise of more drama to come. Let’s take a quick look around the world of baseball

• The Dodgers are in full “win now” mode. This time, they added future Hall of Famer Greg Maddux to their rotation. The crafty righty will take the spot vacated by Brad Penny who has been ruled out as a starter for the remainder of the season. The 42 year old is just 6-9 this season, but that is a result of pitching for the Padres. In 153.1 innings, he’s thrown to a 3.99 ERA and a solid 1.220 WHIP. He averages close to 6 innings a start so the Dodgers’ bullpen will need to give innings on most nights. Maddux represents stability to the Dodgers and will start this Friday. Manager Joe Torre said that Maddux will have a spot in the rotation for the rest of the season (no surprise here). Although he has a 5.77 ERA outside of PETCO Park, look for Maddux to be rejuvinated by gaining 16 games in the standings. The Dodgers are streaking and let’s give credit to GM Ned Colletti for addressing the weaknesses of the team when they were languishing below .500 for most of the season. With Manny Ramirez, Casey Blake, and now Maddux, the Dodgers have reinforced their already talented, albeit inconsistent lineup.
• That scream you heard was the shouts from Queens when Mets fans are coming to grips with the reality that Billy Wagner will not be coming back any time soon. His rehab has been shut down and he is out indefinitely. The Mets lead the NL East by one game over the Phillies, but have blown numerous leads over the past two weeks. As we’ve discussed previously, they are toying with the idea of taking one of their starters and putting them in the closers role. If that happens, look for John Maine to fill that spot. However, with the bullpen reinforced with the undervalued Luis Ayala (who got two big outs last night), manager Jerry Manuel can mix and match as he has done over the past few games. If that stays the course, look for Pedro Feliciano and Joe Smith to get ninth innings duties based on matchups. The Mets have the horses to win in the regular season, but will need Wagner back if they want to go deep into the playoffs. We’ll keep you posted on the happenings.
•  Staying in New York, the Yankees better hope that they are at rock bottom. With an opportunity to beat their nemesis, AJ Burnett, the Yanks fell 2-1, moving 11 games out of first in the East and 6 games behind the Wild Card leading Red Sox. To rub salt in the wounds, they had their opportunity late when Alex Rodriguez failed to run hard out of the box and was thrown out at second when attempting to get the double. Johnny Damon dropped a somewhat routine flyball in centerfield, which will have all of New York buzzing about the return of Melky Cabrera. Listen, Damon is no longer a great outfielder, but he will make that catch 9 out of 10 times. They need his offense. Hideki Matsui is attempting to come back and help the team rather than have surgery. Kudos to Matsui for caring that much when nobody would have thought less of him if he had the surgery. He’ll DH the rest of the way which will force Jason Giambi and Damon to play the field more often.
• The Red Sox are having a scare of their own with their inconsistent ace, Josh Beckett. They have pushed his start back to next Tuesday (against the Yankees) because of lingering numbness in his hand. While this could be minor, Beckett has been relatively healthy over the past three seasons after gaining the reputation of injury prone in Florida. The Red Sox have recovered well from the Manny Ramirez fiasco, but losing Beckett for an extended period of time will put a ton of strain on Diasuke Matsuzaka and Jon Lester. If they do lose Beckett, they can still make the playoffs because of their depth, but a post season run is unlikely without the ace who steps up during important games.
• The Rays are having problems besides the injury bug. BJ Upton, the talented centerfielder, failed to run hard to second and was tagged out by a hustling Mark Teixeira when Upton thought he hit a homerun. This is not the first time Upton has exhibited this type of behavior, as Upton has been benched two other times for similar behavior. Upton is talented but with a .269/.380/.398 line, he is no superstar. With the Rays losing their best two players, Upton needs to pick up the slack. Sunday was not a good start. Manager Joe Madden left him in the game this time, but that is more of a product of necessity than anything else. It is mistakes and behavior like that which causes teams to collapse during September.
•  While the Brewers are riding the CC train, their most important offensive player, Ryan Braun, has sat out the last couple of games with a recurrence of his rib injury. The club has stated that it is just tightness, but it could possibly be worse. Braun is the team leader in homeruns, RBI, batting average and slugging percentage. If Braun cannot heal the Brewers will have trouble scoring runs.
• The Royals signed Kip Wells, who was recently released by the Rockies. Why? I don’t know. In all seriousness, he’ll be used out of the bullpen and help eat some garbage innings for the Royals young pitchers. It’s a useless signing really. Small market teams cannot waste money like this, even if it’s just $90 thousand dollars.
• The Texas Rangers announced that Chris Davis, the powerful rookie with 12 homeruns, will now move to third base on a full-time basis. Davis has played third during his minor league career, but had been the starting first baseman since his call up. Moving Davis to third not only gives him a boost in value, considering his position, but also signals the end of Hank Blalock at third base (at least for the Rangers). Perhaps Blalock can be a first baseman or a designated hitter as he still can swing a bat well.

That’s it for today. Have a great day. Enjoy the baseball.

The word inept is defined as without skill or aptitude for a particular task; maladroit. If one were to look up that word, the Washington Nationals’ logo would be next to that particular definition. Besides the fact that the Nationals have the worst record in the major leagues at 44-81, they are an organization with no blueprint, no direction, and no identity. General Manager Jim Bowden takes most of the heat, but this is an organization-wide issue. From the ownership acting as if it were a small market team (they play in the Nation’s capitol, how small of a market can that be?) even when they have a brand new stadium, to the transactions made every day, to the product on the field, the Washington Nationals are in need of serious help. The lack of on-field results is a direct relation to the lack of direction and poor decision making by management. This is not just a case of a team having a bad season. This is a case of a team being so bad that they are irrelevant. Remember, teams can have bad seasons, even historically bad like the 2003 Tigers. The difference is that the Tigers were discussed. The Nationals are simply three wins on everyone’s schedule. Just how bad is it? It’s worse than bad; it’s forgettable.

2008 Ineptitude

OK, so you saw the poor record, but this stat that is about to be thrown out is mind boggling. You may want to brace yourself. The Nationals’ run differential this season is minus-162. Yes, that is correct, negative one hundred and sixty two runs. For people unfamiliar to the run differential statistic, it means that they have given up 162 more runs than they have scored. With that type of differential, the Nationals are lucky to have 44 wins. But wait, it gets worse. They are currently on a 10 game losing streak and have lost 22 of their last 30 games.

The Nationals rank 16^th  (out of 16 teams) in the National League in runs scored, batting average, and slugging percentage. They rank 15^th in the NL in homeruns and on base percentage. Their team leader in slugging percentage is second baseman turned first baseman Ronnie Belliard with a .452 percentage. Only two players, Belliard and Lastings Milledge have more than 10 homeruns this year. No player who qualifies has an on base percentage over .324. The pitching is only slightly better. The Nationals’ team ERA of 4.55 ranks 12^th in the league. Only one member of their starting rotation (John Lannan) has an ERA under 4.00.

While all of these statistics are mind numbing, little else could be expected. The construction of this team could only lead them to this point. With no discernable plan, the team was poorly constructed, leaving it little opportunity to win.

The Transactions

The following is a list of the major transactions made by the Washington Nationals since the Red Sox closed out the World Series. And, for the record, none of this is fabricated.

Acquired a player to be named (Anderson Hernandez) for Luis Ayala

Acquired Alberto Gonzalez for Jhonny Nunez

Acquired Emilio Bonifacio for Jon Rauch

Acquired Lastings Milledge for Ryan Church and Brian Schneider

Acquired Tyler Clippard for Jonathan Albaladejo.

Acquired OF Elijah Dukes from the Rays in exchange for LHP Glenn Gibson

1/31/08Signed Johnny Estrada

12/11/07 Signed Paul LoDuca

First let’s take care of the easy one-the two catchers signed. Jim Bowden traded his starting catcher, Brian Schneider in the Milledge deal. But, he had 23 year old Jesus Flores waiting to take the job. Instead Bowden signed both Johnny Estrada and Paul LoDuca. With Wil Nieves also in the mix, the Nationals carried four catchers on its roster. Yes, the adage is, “You can never have enough catching”.

Predictably, those two moves failed as both were released a week ago. But, the fact remains that out of 25 men, four were catchers, leaving manager Manny Acta with just two bench players who did not catch for much of the season.

Now let’s get to these trades. The first one was the acquisition of Elijah Dukes from the Tampa Rays. Dukes got off to a decent start in 2007, but fell out of favor in Tampa because of attitude issues. Bowden traded one of his top 10 pitching prospects in Glenn Gibson, a left hander who struck out a batter an inning as a 20 year old. There’s no doubt that Dukes is talented, but given his track record and the already crowded outfield situation (Wily Mo Pena, Austin Kerns, and then Ryan Church), the price Bowden paid for Dukes was way too steep. A successful franchise does not trade away a solid left handed pitching prospect for a troubled outfielder who has not proven a thing on a major league field. For the record, Dukes has only 185 at bats and a batting line of .264/.364/.434 with 6 homeruns and 23 RBI. Gibson is pitching in single-A ball and is struggling (a 1.84 WHIP in 78.2 innings).

The acquisition of Tyler Clippard, a one-time Yankees prospect would’ve been fine if Jonathan Albaladejo had not been the one sent to New York. Albaladejo is a big, hard throwing right handed reliever. Clippard projects to be a back end of the rotation type starter while Albaladejo could be a late inning reliever. Clippard, just 23 years old, was recently called up. It is too early to evaluate his performance, but he does have a 1.839 WHIP in his 10.2 major league innings in 2008. Albaladejo has been hurt most of the season, appearing in only seven games.

Bowden traded away outfielder Ryan Church and catcher Brian Schneider for the Mets’ once top prospect, Lasting Milledge. At first, this looked like a slam dunk win for the Nationals, but it once again illustrated their ineptitude. Church was labeled as a part-time player, someone who can thrive in a platoon situation. Before he got hurt (post concussion syndrome), Church was one of the Mets best every day hitters. Milledge has played quite a bit, posting Elijah Dukes’ type numbers with a line of .261/.323/.407 with a team leading 12 homeruns. Acquiring the 23 year old Milledge is not the issue. The problem is that the Nationals just got someone so similar to Milledge that it seemed unnecessary.

Where the Nationals really lose is their in-season transactions. First, the Nats traded their closer (and former setup man extraordinaire Jon Rauch to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The D-Backs needed to strengthen their bullpen and have a group of young players to deal. The Nationals selected the speedy Emilio Bonifacio. Bonifacio is a speedster (40 or more stolen bases over the past few years. He is not a person to carry a team or even a highly rated prospect. Trading away arguably the best reliever on the marker and just receiving one mid-level prospect is a complete failure. Bowden had the opportunity to restock his farm system like Billy Beane did. It is trades like this that set organizations back for years.

The last two trades are quite similar. First they acquired utility fielder Alberto Gonzalez for hard throwing right hander Jhonny Nunez. Gonzalez projects to be nothing more than a utility man. Meanwhile Nunez is a hard throwing right hander who averages over one strikeout per inning. As we said when breaking down the trade, trading hard throwing pitchers for utility infielders is never, ever good.  Over the past weekend, the Nats send reliever Luis Ayala to the Mets for the famed player to be named later. The earliest rumor has that player being light hitting middle infielder Anderson Hernandez. Wait, didn’t they just get a light hitting middle infielder? Yes, and that is why the Nationals are not rebuilding. Relief pitching is a commodity this late into the season. Although Ayala is having a poor year, contenders tend to overpay for relief help. Getting a young, hard throwing arm for Ayala was needed, not another utility man.

Now What?

This may seem like one of those “kick ‘em while they are down” articles, but it is not. When a poor organization is stamped as irrelevant, their flaws need to be discussed. And, the flaws are plentiful as we didn’t even mention the poor move to extend shortstop Christian Guzman another two seasons, the fact that Aaron Boone gets playing time. While the Nationals are currently the worst franchise in baseball, all is not lost. With just a few simple solutions, the Nationals could be back on the long road (they are very far away) to respectability.

First and foremost, the Nationals need to start over. Their front office needs to be completely re-done, from the General Manager to the assistant to the travelling secretary. The new executives need to come in with a plan and follow that plan.

The plan must include developing players who can get on base, take a walk, and limit strikeouts.  It also must include drafting hard throwing pitchers. A staff of soft-tossers cannot win (right, Pittsburgh?).

Roster construction must also give the manager more options. Two catchers on the roster are sufficient. Having five outfielders should do the trick. Be sure that the bench is balanced with bats from each side of the plate, players who can play multiple positions, and some speed.

Finally, it is time for the Nationals to forget Montreal. They are no longer the poor small market team. They can afford to sign a marquee free agent, although they will have to overpay initially. Building a team in Washington D.C. on a budget is a slap in the face to the fans. It is not a small market and should not act like one.

The New York Yankees have received a ton of negative press and fan reaction as they have followed up an eight game winning streak after the All Star break with a record of 7-13 (as of August 16). You can point to any number of reasons; age, poor hitting, or Hank Steinbrenner’s favorite excuse, injuries. The point is, their ills are deep rooted and won’t be corrected easily. But one aspect of their futility has stood out recently and that is the curious decision making of Joe Girardi. I am very aware that Joe Girardi is not the cause of the Yankees’ failures, nor do I think he is a bad manager. It does, however, need to be addressed when he continually makes the same poor decisions. I know his hands are tied with the injuries the team has to withstand ad the bench he has been given, but he’s just not making the best of the hand dealt to him.

Mistake #1: Not putting the best line up on the field every day.

Jason Giambi has routinely sat against left handed pitchers all season. Recently, Wilson Betemit and Richie Sexson have taken his spot in the lineup. Giambi has a .244 average and a .909 OPS vs. LHP, not far from his .262 and .916 against RHP. That is not nearly enough of a difference to take such a threat out of the lineup, especially when his replacements have far less talent than him. Giambi is not the hitter he used to be, but he gets on base at an almost .400 clip and has shown more pop than most of the Yankee hitters this year.

On August 11, Johnny Damon sat against the immortal LHP Glen Perkins of the Minnesota Twins. Damon is sporting a .291 average and a .790 OPS against lefties and was batting .371 with a .443 OBP in the 16 games leading up to his benching. Girardi started Justin Christian in his place, citing his success against lefties, which amounted to 23 ABs.

There is absolutely no reason to sit your main cogs because an inexperienced LHP is on the mound. There is also no reason to find ways to get Betemit, Christian, or Sexson more ABs when the team is struggling. This is especially ponderous in the case of Damon who is one of the few Yankees who have been hitting all year, and has shown any kind of guts, determination, and awareness during the recent stretch of poor play.

Mistake #2: Damaso Marte

On August 4, Girardi brought in Marte in the 8^th inning against the Texas Rangers. After a scare, Marte got out of the inning and the score remained tied at 5. Marte came out for the 9^th and walked three batters and recorded two outs. At no point did Girardi take out Marte, who then, on his 42^nd pitch of the evening, gave up a grand slam to Marlon Byrd.

Marte came in to the game in the 8^th inning against the Angels on August 10 and recorded three outs, preserving a 3-3 tie. He again pitched the 9^th and allowed two base runners. Mariano Rivera relieved him and allowed a bleeder through the infield for the Angels to win the game.

Each time Marte went a few batters too long and let the game get away. Marte is a valuable asset when used properly, but allowing him to throw the most pitches in a game since 2002 is not the proper way to use him.

Mistake #3: Late Game Substitution Patterns

The Yankees entered the 9^th inning tied against the Angels in the aforementioned  August 10 game with Sexson, Christian, and Jose Molina due up. Girardi substitutes Betemit for Sexson, leaving Giambi and his .400 OBP on the bench for a bit more. With little suspense, Betemit strikes out against Francisco Rdriguez. Girardi allows Christian to bat, who not surprisingly also K’s. Then, Girardi bats Giambi for Jose Molina. Ivan Rodriguez will take over at catcher and Betemit will play first in the bottom of the inning.

Try to follow this: These moves use five players in total and puts Betemit, a poor fielder by any measure, at first base for the 9^th. As mentioned before, the game ended on a slow roller through the right side that Robinson Cano didn’t dive for, and Betemit didn’t try for because he went back to first to receive Cano’s throw that never came.

You may ask, what should have happened? Giambi should have batted for Sexson because he gives you the best opportunity to hit it out, or at least work a walk to allow Christian to bunt runner. If he makes out, at least you have an experienced first baseman on the field. Giambi is no Mattingly, but his defense has been unfairly maligned for a long time. The knock on him is his arm, not his glove. He has saved Jeter numerous errors this year.

Not a believer in Giambi? Fine, I understand. Let’s look at Betemit’s fielding at first. He has started 29 career games there, 20 of which have come this year. Is he a defensive replacement for a guy who has started 1115 at first?

But I digress. Pudge should then bat for Molina and Betemit’s bat never sees the light of day. You save him for extra innings or pinch running duties, and you give a future Hall of Famer a chance to bat in a big spot.

Would this have worked any better than the three strike outs to end the game? Maybe not. But it does give the team the best chance to win by letting the players who can make a difference a chance to do just that.

Mistake #3: No Small Ball

On August 16, the Yankees were locked in a tie game with the Kansas City Royals. The impotent Yankee offense had produced only two runs as the game dragged into extra innings. In the 9^th inning, Johnny Damon came up with no outs and runners on first and second and Girardi elected to have Damon swing away. Many feel that giving up an out is waste, but with the Yankees’ inability to score, giving them the chance to have two men in scoring position with one out to win the game is an opportunity you cannot pass up. After the game Girardi explained, “That was something we tried (Friday) night and it didn’t work. Johnny just wasn’t comfortable doing it and that’s just that way it is.”

I am a big Damon guy (see above), but as a leadoff hitter with speed he has to be able to lay down a bunt, even if it is only in an emergency. I bemoan the lack of small ball, but if Damon isn’t expected to get a bunt down, who on this team can be counted on to do that?

Mistake #4: Not Penalizing Poor Play

It’s hard for me to accept that major league players are not giving their all. I cringe when people claim someone is dogging it. But Robinson Cano has played so poorly and so mindlessly so often that he needs to be taken to task for it. Now that the Yankees have a legit middle infielder on the roster with the addition of Cody Ransom, Cano can sit more frequently without subjecting children to the monster that it is Wilson Betemit.

Again, I am not blaming Girardi for the mess that is the New York Yankees. Much of the expectations for this team relied on aging veterens living up to their prior success. Giambi, Jeter, Abreu, and Pudge are all past their primes and showing declining skills. Losing A-Rod, Posada, Matsui, Chamberlain, Hughes, Kennedy, Damon, and Giese for various periods throughout the year has really hurt. In the end, this team is lacking heart, talent, depth, and youth, but I still do not blame Brian Cashman. He has been hamstrung by long term contracts and a deteriorating farm system that only recently has seen improvement. The real test of Girardi’s (and Cashman’s) skills will come when this team is restocked in the offseason.

As discussed many times on this site, the Oakland A’s and their General Manager, Billy Beane are an interesting study in baseball management. On one hand, they are a team who generally competes with a limited payroll using the famed Moneyball approach, which is finding undervalued talent who possess good on base skills. On the other hand, they are a team who has never gotten to the World Series and one that is fading fast off the radar in the American League West. After a surprising start to the season, the A’s are 5-25 in their last 30 games. That’s right, they’ve won exactly five games in a month’s time. To put that into perspective, the Brewers C.C. Sabathia has won four games in the past month. With a pathetic offense and uncharacteristically weak performing pitching staff (they are -8 in run differential), the A’s are suffering through a horrendous and potentially damaging (for the long-term) season. With that, the once lauded Billy Beane is coming under fire for failing to produce a winning, entertaining team like he had in the past. Quite simply, there is trouble in Oakland. Is this a team in the midst of a simple rebuilding rebuilding year or is this a team that will never win the big one? The San Francisco Chronicle’s long-time sports columnist, Ray Ratto, will help FCP break down the situation in Oakland.

Is ‘Moneyball’ no longer Money?

The Michael Lewis work that detailed Beane’s then unique approach to evaluating talent was groundbreaking. It gave the baseball world another option for player evaluation. The A’s, because of limited resources, were forced to look for that undervalued player as they were never able to outbid the big market clubs in New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago. Beane seemed successful with the approach for looking for players who drew walks, had high on base percentages, and had a high OPS (on base percentage plus slugging percentage). From 2000 to 2003, the A’s made the playoffs each season while winning over 100 games twice during that stretch. From 2004-2006, the A’s made the playoffs just once, but they won at least 88 games in each of those seasons. The media darlings were proof that with creative management, a small market team could succeed. The 2007 and the current 2008 season have seen the A’s fall from their once proud perches. They no longer live at the top of the on base, walks, or OPS categories. Is Moneyball failing? Ray Ratto says no.

“The Moneyball approach is about maximizing value in areas that bigger spending teams don’t pay as much attention to. The problem is that everyone is on to the value of OPS, walks, OBP etc. This is to my mind a bit like how teams caught up to the Raiders in the ’80s by using a lot of Al Davis’ scouting and development methods, thereby evening the philosophical field, and then being more willing to refine the ideas they took from him. There is no longer a team that doesn’t value OPS, OBP and walks so the opportunity to get such players in bulk that other teams don’t value is dramatically limited. And that’s when a $40 million payroll kills you; because if everyone is looking for what you’re looking for and is willing to outspend you to get it, you’re in trouble.”

Mr. Ratto makes a tremendous point here. The A’s seemingly brought this landmark scouting and team building strategy, but now everyone is using it (well except for the Nationals-they don’t seem to have a plan at all). The champion Boston Red Sox values it. The Yankees talk about on base percentage. Now that teams are putting emphasis on these skills, the A’s are essentially beaten at their own game because they are back to square one. They seemingly can’t compete financially with the “big boys” of baseball.

Billy Beane: Hype or Genius?

Awhile back, there was an FCP piece that compared Billy Beane to the character, Big Brother in the George Orwell classic, 1984. Essentially, Beane has purged his roster twice since the glory days of Jason Giambi, Miguel Tejada, and the famed trio of Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder, and Barry Zito. Because of economics, Beane has implied that he must stay ahead of the game by trading away his future high cost talent to bring in another group of young players. It seemed to work on the first purge as Mulder netted Dan Haren. Hudson netted Juan Cruz, Dan Meyer, and Charles Thomas (in retrospect a poor deal, but at the time it was praised). On the second and more serious purge, Haren, Nick Swisher, Rich Harden, and Joe Blanton were all dealt for many prospects. Now, the A’s are a young, struggling, and often boring team. Beane’s luster seems to have worn off as the A’s are in the middle of the second consecutive losing season. However, Beane is generally regarded as the genius who revolutionized baseball.  

“I think it’s somewhere in the middle. I think he is over-praised because people like to redefine success as some sliding scale dependent upon how much money you are saving for your employer; I think we are raising a generation of efficiency experts, which leads me pray for a meteor.”, says Ratto. The idea of praising someone because they have some success without money is ludicrous, especially when that success seems to be fading. Ratto goes on to discuss the Billy Beane regime, “Beane’s positives include thinking about old problems in new ways, and in providing winning baseball with a lower payroll, although he isn’t the only one or even the best one to have done so… I think his shortcomings include the fact that his way of constructing a team does not take into account the fact that baseball is entertainment, and a steady stream of unfamiliar/young/untested players  with no useful veteran core  is not the best way to  win, or to  generate interest in a team beyond the hardcore fan.”

Beane has, indeed, changed the way that the majority of teams construct their rosters. He laid the plan for the next way of doing business, much like Tony LaRussa laid the plan for the one inning closer. Once baseball sees that something works, it is a copycat business. However, Mr. Ratto’s take on his shortcomings is correct. The A’s are the most boring team in baseball to watch. With most of the roster having little or no experience (and possibly talent), there is no chance for true competition. Getting a gaggle of prospects for one player is great, but only time will tell whether or not that prospect is going to be serviceable.

Is it a Money Issue?

Even the most hardcore baseball fan acknowledges the inherent disadvantages that franchises like the A’s, Royals, Twins, and Pirates face. Money is always a factor when considering their competition can have a payroll over $150 million more than they have. Competing is hard. However, is this perception really reality? Don’t all teams have billionaire owners who can put more money into their team instead of pocketing the revenue sharing money? Mr. Ratto offers a different perspective on the A’s. He asserts that money is not a problem for the A’s and this under-spending culture is something that is vastly overrated.

“Under-spending for talent is no more a virtue than overspending for it, and that is an ownership issue. The A’s have never hurt for money, but they have chosen a model that needlessly restricts their options.” He goes on to say that it is the ownership’s choice to work under this model. “The A’s have all the money they need; the Fisher family, Schott and Hofmann and the Haases all had assets of well over a billion dollars. The Haases spent a lot of money relative to their competitors and became a dominant team. Schott/Hofmann and John Fisher have not. I have never understood the fetish for wins per dollar spent, because the only thing that matters is the wins. I believe Billy Beane can spend money well (he has done it often), so why deprive him of that asset?”

Perhaps the baseball fan, even the well-educated one, puts far too much emphasis on the “Small Market” team doesn’t have the financial resources to compete. A team can choose whether or not to invest in the team. As we’ve stated before on FCP (read here), teams who do not invest in themselves are the biggest crooks in the sport.

The 2008 A’s

The 2008 version is young, with the average age being 27 years old. The young prospects received for the aforementioned Haren, Swisher, Blanton, and Harden have begun to make their appearances in the major leagues. Young starters, Gio Gonzalez, Sean Gallagher, Dana Eveland (who’s at triple-A), and Greg Smith have all made starts. With each of these pitchers 24 years of age or younger, one would think that Beane has reloaded for another run reminiscent of the Hudson, Mulder, and Zito days. Ratto, having seen all of these guys make their starts has a different take.

“I don’t think anyone on the current staff (and yes, I include Duchscherer because he has only been an elite pitcher for four months now) rises to that Zito/Mulder/Hudson level – at least not based on any current mathematics. Maybe one will emerge, but Zito, Hudson, and Mulder were all home grown, while most of the A’s pitching prospects now actually came through other organizations and were found either wanting or not sufficiently valued. That isn’t necessarily a red flag, but it should cause at least a measure of concern when trying to evaluate a player — you not only have to see him, but try and figure out why someone else didn’t like him enough to keep him.”

If Mr. Ratto’s logic is correct, this is a huge red flag for Oakland fans. As previously stated earlier, trading for prospects is a risky proposition as one never knows how they will develop or, as Mr. Ratto rationalized, they weren’t good enough to stay on their original teams as all teams are looking for young, cheap pitching that they can control for as many years as possible.

With an offense that ranks 14^th, 13^th, and 14^th in batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage, the A’s are not only a poor team (56-67), but they are borderline unwatchable. Only 24 year old catcher Kurt Suzuki is having a solid season for the young A’s (.292/.358/.389). Daric Barton and Carlos Gonzalez have both shown little thus far (they’re both 22 years old so time is still on their sides). If Beane is a talented offensive guru, then perhaps he should be judged harshly for this lackluster team. Ratto states, “The current A’s are a bland, unaccomplished, deeply flawed team which happened in part because Beane had to dump useful players and assets to rebuild a bereft farm system, which is odd for a guy who believes so much in development. This is not a good team upon which to evaluate him as a general manager, but it does highlight his flaws, in the same way that the ‘08 Yankees are highlighting Brian Cashman’s flaws. These seasons happen to any general manager, but he had better hope a healthy number of these prospects he has traded for hit it big, because he has spent a lot of good will in the fan base without much return lately.”

Closing Thoughts

The 2008 A’s are indicative of a climate change in baseball. As more teams utilize the same methods for player evaluation, there will be fewer, if any, undervalued players. But, Beane must still build a winner. His task as a General Manager of a team is not long-term competitiveness. Instead, the task is to build a pennant winner. Fans deserve as much. Beane should be commended for affecting change, but either he or the A’s ownership (likely a combination of both) needs to commit resources to get the A’s in the right direction. The 2008 version is proof that the success of the early 2000’s is not longer in sight. The fans deserve better.

 ”The fans are tired of this season, and they should be. It’s plainly awful to watch. This is a team that doesn’t hit, strikes out a lot, is no longer loaded with good young pitching, and in general leaves you to think that wins are surprises rather than hints of a grand plan unfolding.”

With that statement, it is obvious that the upcoming offseason is crucial to the A’s and their fans. Without significant improvements (and quickly), the A’s will find themselves without wins and more importantly, fans. If that happens, Beane could be next without something…his job.  

Ray Ratto has been a sports writer/columnist for 30 years. In that time, Mr. Ratto has worked in the San Francisco area for most of his career after spending time with the short-lived sports newspaper, The National, and San Francisco Examiner. In his career he has written for ESPN.com. Currently, he writes for the San Francisco Chronicle as well as for CBS Sportsline. He has seen the evolution of the sports media coverage from a strictly newspaper business to a millions of websites business. With that in mind, let’s ask Mr. Ratto to give us some background on the sports media.

FCP: In your career, what story/person was a pleasure to cover?

 Ratto: Dave Stewart. Phil Francis, the old Stanford running back who once said he wished after graduation to be a stray dog. Dusty Baker. Ellis Burks. Lots, really.

FCP: The National was my favorite newspaper during the brief 18 month run. Why would that paper fail in a sports crazed society? With so many sports blog sites out there today, it seems as if it would be a “can’t miss”.

Ratto: Because it blew through $100 million in those 18 months. Because it thought that selling a lot of papers in a few towns without a distribution network like the one USA Today had was a smart way to get your product out. Because while the product was largely excellent, the nuts and bolts that get a newspaper to your doorstep or coffee shop were pretty well considered an afterthought. And now, as people are being convinced to their detriment that newspapers don’t have a place, nobody is going to try such a thing again, especially when ESPN is trying to fill some of those niches now. That and it hired mopes like me.  

FCP:  You’ve been in the business of covering sports for over 20 years. What has changed about the way you cover sports today from when you started?

Ratto: The baseline stuff — interviews, research, source cultivation, sitting down and actually typing the words — hasn’t changed at all. What has changed is the method of delivery, which is self-explanatory. The 24.7 cycle and the reactions of the people we cover to that cycle is a new development, carried to its illogical extreme in the Favre story that lasted as long as it did because both the Packers and Favre’s people leaked like crazy throughout the story to give it a life far beyond its importance or shelf life. The idea that we as news consumers are too stupid to absorb anything but short takes on subjects that often require some detailed analysis; less is never more, it’s less. And finally, the idea that loud argument is the best way to learn something. The popular screaming head format has replaced actual discourse and convinced consumers to doubt the media’s expertise and concomitantly hate all sides of a discussion.

 FCP: I could not agree more about the screaming head format. For the most part, fans are intelligent and want more than the 1 minute sound bite.  Finally, Do you think an athlete’s personal life is “newsworthy” in a sports column?

Ratto: It depends on whether (a) what they do is illegal or unjust; (b) whether it impacts their ability to perform. A player with a drug problem is news. An official with a gambling problem is news. An owner with a history of mistreating his workers in his other companies is relevant when a work stoppage happens is news. Matt Leinart drinking beer at a party and not driving home is not news.

FCP: Any advice for covering sports today?

Ratto:  I think the only thing that makes a site worthwhile is the content of the ideas presented within. Then again, I’m not a design guy. Your ideas are what will carry you. Go with your brain, and your gut.

Fullcountpitch.com’s goal has been to provide a place where baseball can be discussed intelligently. As the founder of this site, I am extremely pleased with the growth of our site. With that, today marks another step in our growth.

On Monday August 18, 2008 Fullcountpitch.com will have an article where we interview Mr. Ray Ratto, long-time columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle.

In our interview, we will discuss Mr. Ratto’s career and get his thoughts on the Oakland A’s, and the performance of Billy Beane. I hope you’ll join us on Monday for our very first interview article. He has some very interesting things to say.

Additionally, Bill Campione, Mr. Harry Doyle to you, is also working on an interview with a New York media personality. I also have another one coming as well. Yes, FCP is growing and gaining some more credibility.

I sincerely thank my writers and most importantly the readers of this site for all of the support. Have a great weekend and we’ll see you here on Monday.

What follows is the very first article ever published on fullcountpitch.com. Because it was the first one, there wasn’t the readership that we have today. With Major League Baseball’s decision to use instant replay by the end of the season, this article is as timely as the day it was published. After the original text, I have some current thoughts to add. So, to all that missed this the first time (which was practically all of you considering this got viewed 10 times the first day), here’s the first FCP article, in its original form.

Orginally Published on November 7, 2007

Tradition. Baseball is a game built on honoring its past greatness. Fans know what numbers 61, 56, and 755 all mean. It is what makes the game great. While other sports have changed major rules and scoring options, baseball is essentially the same game that it was 100 years ago (well, with the addition of 500 foot homeruns). Whenever a change is brought up, the so-called baseball purists scream from the mountain tops-IT WILL RUIN TRADITION! Well, today is quite possibly a traditionalist’s worst nightmare. The general managers of baseball voted 25-5 to approve the use of instant replay on controversial homerun calls (this still needs Bud Selig’s approval).

“The games are long enough!” “We love the human element!”  “That’s how it has always been!”

Yup, those are the “arguments” of the traditional baseball purist. They make a lot of sense, right? I guess with that attitude batters should still be going up to the plate without helmets or catchers going behind the plate without any gear. Wouldn’t want to get in the way of tradition now, do we? Progress in these areas saved lives despite ruining a grand tradition.

Innovations such as the designated hitter, inter-league play, the wildcard, and the even the all-star game counting towards home field advantage are all changes that spit in the face of tradition. Yet, while still debated, each change has added intrigue to the game. Changes that were once scoffed at are now universally accepted in baseball. The sport of baseball is better because of these changes. Some of today’s biggest stars are designated hitters, inter-league play is for many teams their biggest draw, and the wildcard round has added some of the most exciting moments of the post season. The all-star game…well, ok, the all-star game thing is pretty lame.

Instant replay would ensure that the homerun is called properly. Don’t we want the game to be decided by the players and not one of the million conferences by the men in blue with their arms folded and clueless looks? In what area of life, is sometimes making a mistake acceptable? Think about all of the close calls over the years or even just in the past playoff series; Grady Sizemore’s shot at Fenway ring a bell? Or look back to 1996 with Derek Jeter’s infamous homerun against the Orioles. Instant replay could have given the Orioles a trip to the World Series. Why stop there? Replay can be used at close calls at the plate. A certain player from this postseason, who shall remain nameless, still hasn’t touched the plate.

Let’s face it, baseball is a big business. It has enough problems dealing with steroids scandals. It cannot afford to have its game tainted by bad calls. With the constant media attention, mistakes are magnified, dissected on talk radio, played over and over on ESPN. It is not like it was in the 1960’s or even the 1980’s (Couldn’t the Cardinals use a few replays from the 1985 series?).  Mistakes were discussed and then largely discarded. There was no sports radio or 24 hour sports network covering this. Games are often isolated to the newspapers where fans could only read about it. The debates, so I am told, would last a few days, but were soon forgotten. Today’s age doesn’t allow for such things. Today, the fans get 100 replays from 10,000 angles. Does it make sense that the umpires can’t get that second look? No it does not. Getting the call right is needed. The National Football League has used replay quite successfully. Games, for the most part, are not decided by the zebras. If a player doesn’t get his feet in bounds, the replay shows that. Baseball would benefit.

While the purists have a point about games being long, the technology is there so that a call could be made within 20 seconds. All that would be needed is an official sitting in a booth. Once the homerun occurs, he should already be reviewing in case of a challenge. Within 20 seconds, the usual duration of a hitter’s walk-up music, the call can be confirmed or changed. 20 seconds is a small price to pay for the proper call. Umpires will still have plenty of influence on the game with the various strike zones, close calls, and bang-bang plays on the base-paths (although the latter two could be reviewable as well).

So, Commissioner Selig, make the right choice. Choose to have the game’s integrity be the most important thing. Choose to have a game decided by a player’s performance and not the judgment of a human being who quite often did not see the whole play. Progressing with the times is what will keep baseball at the forefront. Falling behind and allowing humans to make an increasing amount of mistakes will ruin what little faith is left in this great game. Instant replay is not hurting the integrity of the sport nor is it ruining the backbone (tradition) of the game. It will give fans a great sense of confidence that the game’s outcome was honest and fair.

August 15, 2008 Update

If the argument was not compelling enough for instant replay in November, surely baseball fans must want it now. There have been so many blown calls this year, seemingly more than in years past. From blown homerun calls to flat out horrible calls on the base paths, the sport is in need of replay.

The rumored Major League Baseball plan is to just use it for homerun calls. Supposedly, there will be a central review booth in New York where an umpire would radio to the central office to have the play reviewed which is similar to the system that the NHL utilizes. It is a start. That system is not perfect nor is it desirable. The homerun is just one aspect that impacts the game today.  Plays at the plate are just as important, if not more impactful on the game. They can be reviewed just as quickly.

Some detractors will ask, “Where does it end”. Yes, if done improperly, instant replay could really hinder the game’s progress in terms of time. But, if it is limited to homeruns and plays at the plate, it can be an effective tool. One could even argue that it would be useful for defensive catches and plays on the base paths, but, for now, homeruns and plays at the plate are a great start.

 Additionally, the idea of calling a person in New York (could you imagine if he couldn’t get a signal?) who is not in the stadium could lead to delays. An umpire should be stationed in a booth at the stadium to make the process quicker. The replay official could already be reviewing a play before the field umpires ask. As stated in the original, this process would take 20 seconds or so. The Major League Baseball plan seems to take up more time. Again, it’s a start. Hopefully, the powers that be realize that on-site officials are quicker, more reliable, and don’t need any context like a person a couple of hundred miles away would need.

While baseball is very slow to change (its best and worst quality), the time has come for instant replay. Commissioner Selig should be congratulated for relenting on keeping this new technology out of the game. He’s realized that with all of the exposure, getting the calls right outweighs the weak argument of keeping tradition. In this case, the tradition of the human element is not important. Hopefully, instant replay will make its appearance before the postseason. If so, baseball joins the other major sports in making sure that the games are more authentic. Then, a new tradition of having correct results 100 percent of the time can be started.

Last week, the YES Network premiered the latest in their series of Yankeeographies, this one starring Yankee great, Alex Rodriguez. Some have bristled at the notion that A-Rod is worthy of such a distinction, as he has only been a Yankee for five seasons, has yet to win a World Series, and performs poorly in the clutch. Some history: YES has produced two Yankeeographies for those still in uniform (Jorge Posada and Hideki Matsui) and has profiled three Yankees who have not won rings (Don Mattingly, Bobby Murcer, and again, Matsui). Supposedly this show was produced last year, but was held off because of the contentious negotiations that were to come once A-Rod opted out of his contract. Also, Cynthia Rodriguez makes no appearances here, nor do any strippers, mistresses, or Kabala followers.

I understand that A-Rod may not YET be the ideal subject of this biographical treatment, but the Yankees have produced many of these, and eventually you are going to have to dig deeper and be a little less selective than you were in the past. FullCountPitch.com has obtained YES’s list for the 2009 Yankeeography season, and you may agree that Joba and Phil had better live up to expectations, because the bottom of the barrel is clearly visible.

2009 Yankeeography Schedule (subject to change)

Best Credit Card Giveaways

“I really need a 21 thread count towel for the beach this summer.”
“Hey, it might rain…I wish I had an umbrella.”
“I need a backpack to carry all of my Yankee souvenirs.”

We’ve all walked past the MBNA (now Bank of America) tent at Yankee Stadium and salivated over the great gifts you get just for signing up for their credit card. Join YES as we look back at the best giveaways a 25% interest rate can buy!

Kevin Maas

Watch all of Kevin’s 65 career home runs and spend the rest of the program sitting in the dark, wondering what the hell happened.

Wilson Betemit

Hosted by Joe Girardi and Satan

Kimberly Jones

Hear Kim Jones’ best questions from the post game show! (Note: this program has a running time of four minutes.)

First Name First…and Last: Players with Two First Names

So many great Yankees had the distinction of having two first names. These players finally get their due as we pay homage to Gene Michael, Shane Spencer, Tommy John, Chad Curtis, and Graeme Lloyd.

The Outlaws

From the immortals like Doc Gooden to the eight timers like Steve Howe to the illicit sexual exploits of Luis Polonia and Mel Hall, this episode covers all of the illegal activities of past Yankee greats!

Wayne Tolleson

From a group that includes Andre Robertson, Fred “Chicken” Stanley, Robert Eenhorn, Mike Gallego, and Bobby Meacham, Wayne Tolleson stands out as one of the best light hitting shortstops in Yankee history.

Freddy Sez!

Freddy Schuman is man with a pan! Our cameras follow Freddy around as he asks fans to take a spoon and bang it on the pan he wears around his waist in front of his crotch!

You Can Pick Your Friends, But…

Watch as all time great Yankees manager Joe Torre picks his nose for sixty straight minutes.

Pinstripes are Slimming

Join the YES Network as we pay tribute to those who needed an XXXL jersey and help climbing the dugout steps. David Wells, Chris Britton, and Hideki Irabu share the best big league buffets, how to repair a shattered button in between innings, and how to hide foreign substances in your rolls of fat.

The Turn Two Foundation

This Yankeeography does not discuss Derek Jeter’s charitable organization. It does, however, show all of his record breaking double plays from the 2008 season.