I Don't Care About A-Rod Using Steroids...Seriously, I Don't

Starting 9: 5/1/09

 

1. So I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I don't care that Alex Rodriguez used steroids. Let's pretend for a second that none of the pitchers he faced took steroids or HGH and that none of the hitters on any other teams he faced used steroids. Let's call that the Red Sox Theorem (which is proven by the George Mitchell Corollary). Even with all those other factors in mind, I only care about one thing: production. A-Rod has a lot worse on his resume for the Yankees than steroids. Failure in the postseason and the big spot being a big one, especially in 2004. So forgive me for not worrying about steroids. As I said before, we all hate Carl Pavano now for not trying. If had taken steroids and HGH to recover from injuries and had been great for the Yankees, would there be any question we would have embraced him? If Alex Rodriguez leads the Yankees to the World Series this year, I won't give two shits about whether he stuck a needle in his butt a few years ago.

2. So after Brian Bruney went down, Phil Hughes pitched a gem (after some felt the pressure was on him), and Joba struggled for a start, the "Joba-to-the-'pen" talk ratcheted up again. Some people felt it was his fastball. Others felt now the pressure was on to perform. Rob Neyer acknowledged it as "The Discussion That Just Won't Die". And then he went out and threw a gem and, for now, some people shut up. I think Peter Abraham put it best (tongue-in-cheek at the end): Here is Joba’s line: 7 3 1 1 3 6. He is 4-1 with a 2.85 ERA as a starter. By all means, let’s return him to the bullpen.

3. Besides the Joba start, the Yankees had a few other pitching performances to hang their hats on this week: Phil Hughes and Mark Melancon. Tyler Kepner (who was interviewed this week by WasWatching) predicts they won't go back to the minors. They envision Hughes to fill the role he was supposed to fill last year and Melancon they view as a set up man for this year and a potential closer-in-waiting for when Rivera leaves.

4. My favorite part of the A-Rod situation is the ridiculous stuff that comes out of it. "He's a bad tipper at Hooters!" or "He's jealous of Derek Jeter" or "He brushes his teeth after every game". Just funny stuff in my mind. But let's hope everyone gets it out of their system now so that when he returns to the Bronx, he can go back to hitting homeruns in Coors Field East. But for some of the ridiculousness: ESPN.com on Selena Roberts' book, NBC Sports on assessing the allegations, Peter Abraham's thoughts on the matter, and Deadspin on today's New York Daily News "bombshells". Some of this stuff is just too funny.

5. I have to disagree with a few Yankee writers (including WFAN's Sweeny Murti) who criticize this team for not spending more on relievers. One of the teams BIGGEST problems, I think, has been spending too much money on mediocre relievers. This is the same team that threw oodles of dollars at Steve Karsay, Kyle Farnsworth, Paul Quantrill (who, to be fair, was good for a while before he just sucked the big one as well), and others. They did the same thing last offseason with Marte. The problem is that, except for a few notable exceptions, relievers are truly replaceable parts. They work at times. Other times, they fail miserably. So if you sign a mediocre guy to big money, you're stuck with them. That's what's happened to the Yanks: they've gotten stuck with bad relievers. And the problem is, they continue to use them. I rather have guys like Veras, JA, and Edwar Ramirez who can be disposed off pretty quickly and easily if they suck. And I much, much rather give the opportunity to young power arms like Dave Robertson and Mark Melancon. But just in case they want a veteran in their this summer, they can always go and trade for these guys (though I don't believe the Yankees have EVER acquired a reliever midseason who has been good...EVER)

6. A little more on the Yankees ticket price reduction. Darren Rovell tells us how we got to this point. Newsday says how they're still ridiculously unaffordable. Lastly, the New York Times says that other ticket holders deserve a break too. And I totally agree with this article. Though I enjoy getting $70 seats for $10 on Stubhub a few days before the game, I rather be able to buy them directly from the Yankees for a more reasonable price.

7. Other Yankee news: New Yankee Stadium's beer selection is subpar according to the New York Times, more on the Hideki Irabu era not being over yet from Deadspin, and, I never thought I'd say this, but the key to a Yankee win the past week was a patient, drawn-out Robinson Cano at bat according to the Detroit Free Press. The last part is a huge key for the Yankees. If Cano can continue to be patient and hit like he's hitting, they will have a ridiculously dangerous lineup once A-Rod is back. 

8. I am a convert to statistics and now I used them a lot in my posts. But some stats are just fun, mostly useless stats. Here are a few of those stats from the past week for the Yankees:

From Peter Abraham: According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the one combined earned run allowed on Tuesday by 22-year-old Phil Hughes (6.0 IP, 0 ER) and on Wednesday by 23-year-old Joba Chamberlain (7.0 IP, 1 ER) marked the first time the Yankees had starters that young allow one earned run or less in consecutive games since 5/29-30/1981, when 22- year-old Dave Righetti (8.0 IP, 1 ER) and 20-year-old Gene Nelson (5.2 IP, 0 ER) accomplished the feat in consecutive wins at Cleveland. (Thanks to the Yankees for that note).

More from Peter Abraham: According to SABR’s Trent McCotter (via the Yankees), Cano is one of only three Yankees over the last 50 years to record a hit in 30 of31 games with an official at-bat, joining Don Mattingly (31-of-32, 7/19-8/21/85) and Derek Jeter (39-of-40 twice, 4/8-5/25/07 and 8/20/06-4/6/07).

From Buster Olney: The Yankees became the second team in major league history to break a scoreless tie with a 10-run inning after the sixth inning. The first occurred during a Dodgers-Reds game in 1919.

9. Yesterday was a good day for NYaT. We got picked up by The Big Lead and Awful Announcing. Thank you David Cone and your dirty mind. Speaking of Coney, reading this bio on him, the man really did have an interesting career (to say the least)