11.16.2005 Pedreki Matsui gets his "RE$PECT"
Hideki Matsui on his free agency: "...I want to feel that the Yankees really need me. I want to be respected." (Source)
Pedro
Martinez on his free agency: "I want respect, affection and the
best possible treatment." (Source)
11.16.2005 So much for efficiency
(New York) Apparently wanting to waste more money on below-average veterans, the New York Yankees decided to pick up the $1.5 million option on RP Tanyon Sturtze. After all, he did have an 94 ERA+, 4.73 ERA, 5.19 K/9 (lowest since 2001), .744 OPS Against and a trip to the DL. He also is 35 which equates to more dollars in Yankeeland.
What
happened to minimum salaried minor leaguers?
11.14.2005 A-Rod wins MVP, wins bet
Alex Rodriguez won the 2005 American League MVP award and deservedly so. Not only did he play the field and steal 21 bases, but he also was better than Shrek in OPS+, VORP, EqA, and just normal OPS even with Ortiz's home park being a little league field.
However, Alex Rodriguez did not just win the MVP. He won a bet. According to a NoMaas source inside one of Alex's underground poker clubs, Alex placed a $500,000 bet on himself to win the MVP.
Alex
and some lady who has flowers on her shirt.
11.14.2005Gammons wrong again
Gammons
picked Ortiz to win MVP.
11.14.2005 Congrats Chone Figgins...
Not because you received 6 total points in the MVP Award voting (seriously), but because your favorite actor is Sylvester Stallone.
The
Greatest of All-Time
11.13.2005 New feature added
If
you scroll down towards the bottom of the site, you will notice that we've
added a Yankees news feed. It will update automatically with the
latest Yankees-related articles found on the net. It is the most
comprehensive Yankees feed that we've found. Now, you can come to
NoMaas and get all the links you need to Yankee news.
11.13.2005 That's a whole lot of yen
"According to reports from Newsday on Sunday, the New York Yankees are considering an offer to free agent outfielder Hideki Matsui that would make him the highest-paid Japanese player, exceeding the salary given to the Seattle Mariners' Ichiro Suzuki.
"According to people familiar with their thinking, the Yankees will offer Matsui $50 million over four years, a significant increase over their initial proposal and not that far below some of Matsui's suggestions during spring training," the article said. (Source)
From
humble baseball player to cut-throat tycoon
11.12.2005 Matsui: "I am a multi-millionaire, but that isn't enough for me."
Despite the Yankees paying him $21 million over the last 3 years, Hideki Matsui apparently has been hanging out with Pedro Martinez. The "always classy" Matsui sounded like a spoiled little brat when he made the following comments:
"Absolutely, staying with the Yankees is my top priority," Matsui said. "I wish it would happen, but I want to feel that the Yankees really need me. I want to be respected. If I feel the Yankees do not need me anymore, I am ready [to talk to another team]."
"I'm satisfied I can live in any American cities because of my experience the last three years," Matsui said. "I do not care if it is a popular team or not a popular team. If the team is winning, a lot of fans are going to come to the stadium." (Source)
Diva.
11.09.2005 If you're cool, you'll wear one
Be the most popular kid in school. Be captain of the football team. Get that job promotion. Marry a supermodel. Win the lottery. Become a movie star. Achieve that dream body. Run a mile in under four minutes. Bite the head off a chicken.
All these things are possible when you're wearing a NoMaas shirt.
11.09.2005 Da Pen, cont.
NoMaas offseason idea #7:
About a month ago, we targeted the bullpen as an area where the Yankees could cut costs, get younger, and become more efficient. We recommended utilizing cheap minor league talent (i.e. Colter Bean, Jason Anderson, etc) to fill certain spots, rather than signing higher-priced mediocre veterans.
We still want to see that. However, there are some free-agent veterans who could be sprinkled in that would make sense for the Yankees, both economically and otherwise.
1. Octavio Dotel - coming off an injury, his annual salary would probably be low and might sign to an incentive-heavy deal. Career 125 ERA+, .562 OPS Against vs. righties over the past 3 years, averaged at least 10 K/9 from 2002-2004.
2. Mike Myers - made $600k this season in Boston. Devastating vs. lefties with a .409 OPS Against (.198 OBP) in 2005. From 2002-2004, he held lefties to a .595 OPS Against. Great value if signed to a 1 year, $600k-$900k deal. Left-handed specialist.
3. Bobby Howry - made $900k last year in Cleveland. Very solid since being injured in 2003. 166 ERA+ in both 2004 & 2005. OPS Against righties over the past 3 years was .558. OPS Against lefties over the past 3 years was .658. Effective overall.
For the right price and contract length, these veterans could be very useful in addition to the younger guys in the pen.
Mo,
BJ Ryan, Dotel/Myers/Howry, Bean, Anderson...solid pen, cost-effective.
11.09.2005 Cash: "I run a business here, not a god-damn soup kitchen."
"At this stage, I'm trying to reduce payroll," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said at the GM meetings in Indian Wells, Calif. "We have a young player who's knocking on the door, Andy Phillips, who's a right-handed bat and provides flexibility to Joe Torre. We're gravitating toward that concept." (Source)
ANDY
PHILLIPS! Now, what has NoMaas been telling you?
11.09.2005 Starting to clean house
"The
Bombers declined the $3 million option on Martinez yesterday, buying out
the fan favorite for $250,000. Martinez, in turn, filed for free agency."
(Source)
11.06.2005 The Giles Watch
"I've had a conversation with Brian (Cashman)," said Joe Bick, Giles' agent. "He said they are assessing what they are going to do and, obviously, Brian is an attractive guy to them and they are interested in talking about him. We have nothing specifically set up, but I'm sure we'll have another conversation."
In the past, Giles has had a no-trade clause covering every team except the five in California plus Colorado and Atlanta, where his brother, Marcus, plays. Bick said Giles would consider everything now, though.
"That won't be an issue," Bick said. "Brian wants to win." (Source)
Brian
Giles has the 11th
highest career OPS+ (146) among all active players. Also, he
won the Kumite in 1988.
11.04.2005 Do you come here often?
Are Nomaas' offseason ideas beginning to penetrate the national media?
George King in today's New York Post:
"That brings us to the Dodgers' Bradley, a talented 27-year-old switch-hitter with power and above average defensive tools that are packed in a suitcase with a lot of emotional baggage.
The Yankees have internally discussed acquiring Bradley, but every time his name is brought up, his problems usually scare Yankee brass in a different direction.
Still, throughout the Joe Torre era, problem players have come to The Bronx and turned into solid citizens. The Yankees were so convinced Torre could handle problems they were on the verge of signing Albert Belle in 1998.
The
Dodgers, who are without a GM or a manager, will try to trade Bradley before
Dec. 20. If they don't, there is a strong chance he won't be tendered a
contract and will become a free agent. "
Steve Goldman in the YES Network's Pinstriped Blog:
"Another
interesting choice would be Brian Giles, who is already rumored to be on
his way to St. Louis. Giles will be 35 in 2006, he's not a great glove,
just an average one, but he can still hit — a lot. His .301/.423/.483
percentages are plenty good on the surface, but they look even better when
the hit he took for playing in San Diego's Petco. The "PET" in "Petco"
stands for "Pitchers' EnvironmenT." Giles hit .267/.378/.417 at home, .333/.463/.545
on the road. He also saw 3.92 pitches per plate appearance.."
11.04.2005 The days of their lives
11.02.2005 Best hitter in the Arizona Fall League
Yankee prospect, Eric Duncan, leads the Arizona Fall League in OPS with a whopping 1.244.
This puts him ahead of Brandon Wood, Lastings Milledge, Ian Stewart, Daric Barton, Stephen Drew, Howie Kendrick, Kendry Morales, Billy Butler, Ryan Garko, Brendan Harris, Matt Kemp, Josh Anderson, Matt Murton, Andy LaRoche, Nick Markakis, Michael Johnson, Jarred Ball, Dan Uggla, Chris Denorfia, Reggie Abercrombie, Jarred Saltalamacchia, Brandon Moss, and Alex Gordon.
But
then again, the Yankees have no farm system, right?
11.02.2005 Redsox.com Special Offer: Buy 1 DVD, Get 1 DVD Free
Buy "Front Officespace" and get Peter Gammons' debut film for free (ages 18+).
11.02.2005 Boston begins to interview for GM vacancy
With Theo Epstein gone, Red Sox executives began the process of interviewing candidates for the team's general manager position. NoMaas has obtained a secret recording of one of these interviews. The transcript is listed below:
Lucchino: You see, what we're trying to do is get a feeling for how people spend their time at work so if you would, would you walk us through a typical day, for you?
Peter Gibbons: Sure.
Lucchino: Great.
Peter Gibbons: Well, I generally come in at least fifteen minutes late, ah, I use the side door - that way Lumbergh can't see me, heh - after that I sorta space out for an hour.
Henry: Da-uh? Space out?
Peter Gibbons: Yeah, I just stare at my desk, but it looks like I'm working. I do that for probably another hour after lunch too, I'd say in a given week I probably only do about fifteen minutes of real, actual, work.
Lucchino:
I have to say, you're certainly meeting my, er, OUR qualifications to a
tee so far!
11.02.2005 It feels good to be a gangsta
11.01.2005 Worse than Steinbrenner
"Sunday’s Boston Globe...revealed too much inside information about the relationship between Epstein and Larry Lucchino, and slanted the coverage in the team president’s favor. Epstein, according to these sources, had several reasons to believe Lucchino was a primary source behind the column..." (Source)
Red
Sox team patriarch Larry Lucchino
11.01.2005 Panic in Beantown
10.31.2005 A huge mess in Boston
And people say that the Yankees have internal problems...
Goodbye
Boy Wonder.
10.30.2005 If this is a dream, please don't wake us up
"Along those lines, Joe Kerrigan - who was hired by Cashman as a scout last season - is under serious consideration to be part of the on-field staff next year, according to sources."
Cashman
wouldn't comment on specifics regarding the staff, but said Kerrigan "is
definitely in the mix in terms of the coaches. Time will tell." (Source)
10.30.2005 Hire DePo as Cashman's assistant
NoMaas offseason idea #6
"Twenty months after hiring a general manager who was the standard-bearer for an innovative approach to player evaluation and team building and giving him a five-year contract to implement his philosophy, the Dodgers aborted that plan.
GM Paul DePodesta was fired Saturday by owner Frank McCourt, who called it "a difficult decision" but one he had to make." (Source)
A
great baseball mind
10.27.2005 "I'm Ca$hMoney, b*tch!"
Cashman during a WFAN interview on Thursday:
"God
help the rest of the 29 other clubs out there."
10.26.2005 Cashman: "Today, I settled all family business."
10.25.2005 Yankee nepotism?
"Ron Guidry's attorney yesterday confirmed the Yankees have approached him about becoming pitching coach." (Source)
Since finishing his pitching career in 1988, Yankee great Ron Guidry has been out of baseball and hanging out in the bayous of Louisiana. Now, he is on the brink of becoming the Yankees next pitching coach, despite having zero coaching experience. Although the Yankees have a highly-qualified Joe Kerrigan in their organization, Steinbrenner & Co. will most likely employ the unproven Guidry to a very critical coaching position. When interviewed by NoMaas about Louisiana Lightning, Yankee manager Joe Torre stated, "I like Ron. We know what he brings to the table and that is great asspatting. A good asspat really makes a difference to our pitchers when they're struggling."
Let's
hope Guidry studied pitching mechanics and statistics during his 16-year
absence.
10.22.2005 Trade Sheff for a CF? Scratch that idea.
A week ago, NoMaas advocated the idea of signing Brian Giles and then trading Gary Sheffield for a position of need, particularly CF. Forgetaboutit. A better option may have presented itself.
We still are 100% behind a Brian Giles signing. He is simply a beast, one of the best hitters in all of baseball. However, if we acquire Giles, there may not be a need to trade Sheff for a CF. Why? We like problem-child Milton Bradley.
The Dodgers appear to be fed up with his antics and "that almost certainly is going to lead to Bradley being traded or non-tendered this winter." (Source) Bradley is arbitration-eligible this year.
Before you call the NoMaas staff poo-poo heads for suggesting such an idea, look at the numbers:
Age
27
OPS+*
over the past 3 years: 151, 108, 121
OBP
over the past 3 years: .421, .362, .350
Zone
Rating over the past 3 years (CF defense): .897, .907, .881
2005
salary: $2,500,000 and not likely to increase that much in arbitration
*OPS+ is OPS that is league and park adjusted, 100 being average, the higher the number the better
Yet, he does have injury history and he is supposedly a maniac. If the Yankees sign Brian Giles, the injury problem can be avoided by moving Matsui to CF, Giles to LF, and Sheff to RF. In regards to his alleged instability, I think Joe "The Don" Torre would handle him just fine. As much as NoMaas critiques Torre, he does command respect among the players.
The
Dodgers appear to be dumping Bradley and if the Yankees could acquire him
on the cheap, he could be a signficant addition and Sheffield would not
need to be traded. The Yankees could have one of the best lineups
in MLB history.
10.22.2005 Sojo gets whacked
10.22.2005 Thanks Mel
"Here's
what White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper, himself a Yankee reject (albeit
a lifetime ago), had to say yesterday about the Great Contreras Conversion
that has resulted in eight consecutive victories to end the season and
a 2-1 postseason record in which he's yielded just two walks and 20 hits
in 25 innings: "Basically, we had to remake him. We worked on his delivery
to speed him up and get him to hold runners better. He was also tipping
his pitches. But most of all we needed to instill confidence in him."
(Source)
10.22.2005 Cano turns 23
10.20.2005 Pray that Cashman returns
Robinson
Cano
-
turns 23 on October 22
-
OPS+ 102
-
likely to improve
-
salary: MLB minimum
Torii
Hunter
-
age 30
-
career OPS+ 100
-
played only 98 games in 2005 and 138 games in 2004
-
fielding may decline due to his recent injuries
-
salary: $10,250,000
in 2006
10.20.2005 Randy Levine's Art of Negotiation
In 2002, Yankees president Randy Levine was interviewed by George Washington University Magazine. In this article, Levine spoke about the art of negotiation:
"Levine
explains his three rules for negotiating contracts:
1.
Listen more than you talk.
2.
Don’t promise what you can’t deliver.
3.
Never go back on your word."
During his reign with the Yankees, Levine has added a fourth rule.
4.
Overpay for low quality & penny-pinch on high quality.
10.19.2005 Mazzone puts horse's head in Randy Levine's bed
Leo Mazzone cut off talks with Yankee team president, Randy Levine. He is no longer a candidate to be the Yankees next pitching coach.
When
asked why he stopped discussions with Levine, Mazzone replied, "It's not
personal. It's strictly business."
10.19.2005 Let Gordon walk, take draft picks
NoMaas off-season idea #4:
Tom Gordon has done an excellent job for the Yankees during his service time. One could argue that Gordon to Rivera was the best 1-2 punch in baseball over the past two seasons. In 2004, Flash registered an ERA of 2.21 and had an ERA+ of 204. In this past year, he put up a 2.57 ERA with an ERA+ of 173.
(From Hardball Times: ERA+ = ERA measured against the league average, and adjusted for ballpark factors. An ERA+ over 100 is better than average, less than 100 is below average)
Flash is now a free agent. With him turning 38, a declining K/9, and BJ Ryan on the market, it would be in the Yankees best interest to let Gordon be acquired by another team. In doing so, the Yankees would acquire 2 picks for the next MLB draft. Here is how it works:
"Teams receive compensation in the form of draft picks based on the free agents they lose, according to the rating system established by Elias Sports Bureau: a Type A free agent ranked among the top 30 percent of major leaguers at his position, a Type B free agent ranked among the top half (but not the top 30 percent) of major leaguers at his position, and a Type C free agent ranked among the next 10 percent of major leaguers at his position.
A team that loses a Type A free agent gets the first-round pick of the team that signs the free agent and a supplemental pick after the first round. A team that loses a Type B free agent receives only the signing team's top pick.
In both cases, a team selecting in the first half of the draft rotation cannot lose its first-round pick. Such a team would instead lose its second-round pick." (Source)
Due to Gordon's excellent performance over the past two years, it is safe to assume that he would be a Type A free agent. Thus, the Yankees would acquire two early draft picks.
With
David Stern's new dress code, Gordon will not be able to cover his entire
face with his hat.
10.19.2005 Email Umpire Joe West
His
website: http://www.umpirejoewest.com
10.17.2005 Look at the minors to fill bullpen
NoMass off-season idea #3:
One of the biggest problems with the Yankees is fiscal inefficiency. George and Co. have developed a reputation for overpaying mediocre, replacement level, and sub-replacement level talent. To name a few, just look at Paul Quantrill, Felix Heredia, Tony Womack, Jaret Wright, and Ruben Sierra. The list could continue.
The Yankees need to run their organization like a corporation. They need to eliminate waste and run a tighter book. By allocating resources properly, the Yankees can become the dominant machine that they should be.
One of the areas that we believe could be streamlined is the bullpen. Nearly the entire bullpen is up for free agency. Instead of re-signing or acquiring higher-priced veteran players who will provide average or below-average production, the Yankees should look to their farm system for cheap alternatives that will offer equal or better performance.
Why pay Felix Heredia $1.8 million a year when you can call up Colter Bean, who has put up ridiculous minor league numbers, and pay him the major league minimum.
What about Jason Anderson, who had a 2.66 ERA at Columbus this year?
Plus, if minor league starters aren't going to crack the rotation, what about converting those starters to relievers? Try Sean Henn as a left-handed specialist if he isn't going to get a chance to start at the major league level.
It makes no sense paying veterans million dollar contracts when the Yankees can get similar or better production from cheap minor league talent.
This
will allow the Yankees to allocate more money to other areas and/or competitive
situations like BJ Ryan.
10.17.2005 Let these guys go
NoMaas off-season idea #2:
Tino
Martinez (FA) - $2.75 million for a .767 OPS
John
Flaherty (FA) - $800,000 for a .458 OPS
Tony
Womack (trade or release) - $2,000,000 for a .556 OPS
Ruben
Sierra (FA) - $1.5 million for a .636 OPS
10.17.2005 Yanks get permission to talk to God of Pitching
"The Yankees have received permission to speak with Braves pitching coach Leo Mazzone, targeting him as their top choice to replace Mel Stottlemyre." (Source)
According to Sabernomics, Mazzone "shaves off between .55 and .85 points of a pitcher’s ERA."
Open
up the wallet, George.
10.17.2005 NoMaas Telethon
"To replace Stottlemyre, the Yankees have set their sights on the Braves' Leo Mazzone...
Mazzone figures to be the most difficult to pry away, but one person who has spoken with him recently said, "If they throw a lot of money at him, he'll go there."
Mazzone's contract expires sometime next month according to his agent, Todd Thrasher." (Source)
To
donate, please call 1-800-IWOULDDOCARTWHEELSIFWEGOTMAZZONE
10.17.2005 Ruben sniffs glue?
"If Sierra is forced to leave, he said he can be a full-time starter again somewhere, capable of 30 homers and 100 RBIs." (Source)
Uh, ok.
Note:
This is not a doctored picture. This is for real?!?!
10.15.2005 Trade Sheff for a CF, sign Brian Giles
NoMaas' first of several off-season ideas:
Gary Sheffield is a NoMaas favorite. However, there are glaring weaknesses that the Yankees have that Sheffield could be used to address. Sheff is entering the last year of his 3yr-$39 million deal, with some of the money being deferred until a future date. Although he will be 37, Sheffield remains one of the game's superior hitters (132 OPS+ in 2005). With one year left on his deal and still being a very productive hitter, he is probably one of the team's most tradeable assets.
With the Yankees possessing a gaping hole in CF, Sheff could be used to solidfy that position for the next few years, or at least until Melky Cabrera is ready. Names mentioned recently have been Toronto's Vernon Wells (age 27) and Chicago's Aaron Rowland (age 28).
Vernon Wells would be our choice, only if the Yankees do not have to part with a top prospect.
Wells only has two years left on his deal for a total of $9.9 million. He plays excellent defense and has a decent bat (108 career OPS+, .811 OPS).
Trading Sheff would create a hole in RF and also weaken the offense. Thus, the Yankees should target free-agent Brian Giles, who is a beast at the plate. In fact, one could argue that he would be more productive than Sheffield.
Giles vs. Sheffield in 2005:
148
OPS+ vs. 132 OPS+
.326
EqA vs. .314 EqA
65.1
VORP vs. 56.6 VORP
.423
OBP vs. .379 OBP
Giles also led the NL in BB and is nearly 3 years younger than Sheffield. If the Yankees can acquire Giles, Sheffield should become expendable.
Even if the Yankees can't find a fair deal for Sheff, Giles should still be a target. Sheff & Giles could split time at DH/OF.
Hopefully
Sheff doesn't look at NoMaas.
10.13.2005 Bob Klapisch: "You don't need to do any research or have any qualifications to be a baseball writer."
Yankee "expert" Bob Klapisch revealed in an October 13th piece that it doesn't take much effort to write ridiculous articles about the Yankees and pass yourself off as a serious journalist.
"That's the way one American League executive summarized A-Rod's disturbingly uneven performance: good enough for MVP-like numbers in the regular season, but an abysmal failure in October, just like Winfield. "George is stuck with him," is what the executive said of Rodriguez."
"Stuck" with a player who this season tied a career-high for OPS+ (167)* and an overall OPS of 1.031. "Stuck" with a player who created 151 runs*. "Stuck" with a player who plays solid defense. "Stuck" with a player that has successfully stolen bases at an 80% clip throughout his career.
*according to Baseball-Reference.com
Klapisch continues:
Five more years, $131 million, to be exact.
Bob must have forgotten that Texas is picking up a signficant chunk of that deal. It's ok. Just an oversight.
10.13.2005 NoMaas' Marvin the Marvelous Mormon vs. Newsday's Jon Heyman
Jon
Heyman's article "Meet the 2006 Yankees": Click
Marvin
the Marvelous Mormon's response: Click
Jon
Heyman and his crabs
10.13.2005 The Italian Stallion
On Joe Girardi and his interview with Tampa:
The description of a manager laid out by the new Rays officials - bright, energetic, egoless, values statistical data, open to new ideas - fits Girardi so well it almost seems they were talking about him.
For example, the Rays plan to put an emphasis on things such as statistics, trends and computerized scouting data. Girardi, who studied engineering at Northwestern, said he can't spend enough time looking over that kind of stuff.
"I do it a lot," he said. "I love tendencies. I love numbers." (Source)
Fire
Torre and eat his remaining contract, hire Girardi, and pay him with this.
10.13.2005 Baby Bomber: Eric Duncan
Through six games in the Arizona Fall League, Yankee prospect Eric Duncan has the following statline:
.536
OBP / 1.185 SLG / 1.721 OPS
5
HRs in 27 ABs
Wow.
10.12.2005 NoMaas plans for the off-season
NoMaas was launched on May 30, 2005 and as of 6pm on October 12th, the site had received 1.84 million hits with 16,972 unique visitors. The NoMaas staff would like to thank you for your support and we hope that you continue to visit.
Even though the season is over, NoMaas will still be up and running. Due to the absence of games, there will probably be times throughout the fall and winter when NoMaas slows down. However, we do have many things planned for the coming months. We will be following off-season transactions, front office changes, coaching changes, and other Yankee news.
However, you will also see more commentary and analysis from the NoMaas writers. We will tell you what we would do with $200 million.
We
also plan on distributing fresh fruit to every 100th visitor to the site.
If you believe you are entitled to fresh fruit, please contact
NoMaas.
10.12.2005 One down
Mel
Stottlemyre: "It's time for me to go." (Source)
10.12.2005 Teach your children to...
Don't even let them get the idea in their head. It isn't good for you.
Career:
OPS+ 87 (can't hit), OPS .730, Stolen Base Success Rate 73% (only that
% for his speed?)
10.11.2005 Don't let the door hit you on the way out
Mel Stottlemyre's status with the Yankees has fallen under much speculation during the past several seasons. His signature "patting of the buttocks" has not been effective in correcting mechanical issues, particular with young pitchers. Mel defiantly addressed that speculation in an interview:
"I'm not sure I'm going to retire; that's all I'm going to say," Stottlemyre said.
"I'm reasonably sure I'm not going to be back here," he added. "After all, I almost got fired in midseason. I'm surprised to last this long." (Source)
In
his first fullyear post-Mel, Contreras had an 123 ERA+, 3.61 ERA, 1.23
WHIP, .678 OPS Against, & 2.05 K/BB.
10.11.2005 Why does A-Rod get all the blame?
A-Rod's
ALDS On-Base Percentage: .435
A-Rod
ALDS Men-Left-On-Base: 6
Gary
Sheffield ALDS Men-Left-On-Base: 17
Hideki
Matsui ALDS Men-Left-On-Base: 14
Joe Sheehan of Baseball Prospectus makes another great point:
Derek Jeter hit a home run Friday with the Yankees down four runs. He hit one last night with the team down three. The one last night was pointed to, by the game broadcasters as well as the ones on "SportsCenter," as evidence of his "clutchness."
Not for nothing, but why is it if Alex Rodriguez hits a solo homer with the Yankees down by a bunch, it's evidence that he's a stat-padding loser, but when Jeter does it, it's clutch?
It's just another example of the double standard in place for the two players. Neither covered themsleves in glory in the series--the statistical difference between the two is those two Jeter home runs, whose value seems to be entirely in who hit them--yet Jeter comes out as Captain Intangible while Rodriguez, whose back is still a bit sore from carrying the team in the '04 Division Series, for which he got no credit, is the choke artist.
It
ain't right.
10.11.2005 God help us all
The
eye of the storm is approaching.
10.11.2005 Thanks
for the memories
Career:
127 OPS+, .864 OPS, .384 OBP, .480 SLG, homegrown, and a class act.
10.11.05 Our only hope
Cashman
quotes during the season:
"We have to get back to doing what made the Yankees so good for such a long period beginning in the '90s," said Cashman. "We're in the position we're in because we stopped developing our own young players."
"... storm clouds are on the horizon if we keep just staying old," Cashman said. "You've got to reinvent yourself with youth and mix them in with the veterans, instead of going all veterans."
"I'm
not looking to trade these guys [Cano & Wang], because we do have to
be younger, and trading them for some quick fix is contrary to the long-term
goal that's necessary here," Cashman said. "But we take every decision
at that moment in time and weigh it. I'm not interested in moving these
guys, but at the same time, they don't have any no-trades, and I don't
make all the decisions."
10.09.05 Speed kills
10.09.05 Saint Mo
Patron
Saint of Castrating Hitters
10.09.05 Missing
Going into Game 4, the Yankees had a .772 OPS in the ALDS. It is probably lower after Game 5.
10.09.05 It beats Colorado, doesn't it?
6.1 innings, 5K, 4H, 2R, flight to California
(AP
Photo/Kathy Willens)
10.09.05 Sorry
2005
Our
apologies, Rube. You're our idol.
10.09.2005 How are we losing?
Chone
Figgins - .749 OPS
Orlando
Cabrera - .674 OPS
Garrett
Anderson - .743 OPS
Juan
Rivera - .770 OPS
Darin
Erstad - .696 OPS
Adam
Kennedy - .724 OPS
Angels
2005 Team OPS - .733
Torre-san,
does Ruben Sierra have naked pictures of you or something?
10.08.2005 Disappointing
Don't
worry, he only has $32 million left on his deal.
10.07.2005 Torre expecting Unit to throw perfect game with 27Ks
Joe Torre is extremely confident going into tonight's playoff game with Randy Johnson on the mound. So confident is Torre that he will likely include two automatic outs in the Yankee batting order and will also be putting a "Hit It Here" sign in CF.
Torre revealed on a conference call today that John Flaherty (.458 OPS) will catch for Johnson and Ruben Sierra (.636 OPS) will serve as designated hitter. Additionally, Bernie Williams will be occupying the centerfield position while superior defender Bubba Crosby picks splinters out of his buttocks. Jorge Posada will also remain on the bench and not even serve as designated hitter because Ruben Sierra has more experience as a DH.
Direct quotes from Torre:
"I'm not discounting [Posada as a DH]," Torre said on a conference call Thursday. "But we'll look and decide what our options are against [Angels starter Paul] Byrd and go from there. Right now, the first five guys will stay the same and then we'll arrange it from there on out. I'm not saying [Posada] won't be the DH, but I think it's doubtful."
Sierra is likely, Torre said, "because he's probably the most adept at it. He's had the most experience. You know, he loves the pressure and all that. He certainly would be a consideration. I think he would be the first consideration, and then you work out and match them up from there."
"But
again, we want to get [Sierra] involved because we know what he can
bring to the table, especially being a switch-hitter, and they don't
have a left-hander coming out of the bullpen. The fact that Ruben has
been down this road before, he would probably be the No. 1 guy we would
look at."
(Source)
10.07.2005 The Greatest Show on Earth
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, people of all ages...welcome to the Boston Red Sox Circus!
In the outside rings, we have Johnny Damon complaining about his contract, Keith Foulke insulting Boston fans, Kevin Millar doing Kentucky Fried Chicken commercials, the front office taking cheap shots at departed players, and Curt Schilling whining over a teammate.
And now, please direct your attention to the center ring. Back by popular demand, the Boston Red Sox Circus is proud to present Manny Ramirez with another trade demand! (Source)
10.07.2005 Red
Sox return to Fenway, try to avoid sweep
The
Red Sox board their bus as they leave Chicago's US Cellular Field.
10.05.2005 Yankees take the night off
According to NoMaas sources, the Yankees forgot that there was a game on Wednesday night. It showed as they dropped Game 2 to the Sacramento Fresno Oakland San Diego San Fransisco Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
Instead
of playing in Game 2, Alex Rodriguez went to DisneyLand.
10.04.2005 Thank you, Mike Scioscia
Hitting
2nd for the Angels: Orlando Cabrera, .309 OBP
Hitting
3rd for the Angels: Garret Anderson, .308 OBP
Not
down with OBP
10.04.2005 Which Mussina will show up?
10.04.05 Bubba
In a move to upgrade the outfield's most important position, Torre is starting Bubba Crosby in CF while Bernie DHs. Yankees fans can now return from church.
10.04.05 The "experts" love Small Balls.
Due to their raging love affair with Mike Scioscia, ESPN "experts" have overwhelmingly picked the Angels to win the ALDS with the Yankees.
Nice
tie.
10.03.05 ALDS Preview
Bartolo
Colon sports an ERA of 8.44 versus the Yankees this year.
10.04.05 Schilling: A Historical Perspective
Despite standing ovations from the Fenway frat kids after he has let up 5 runs, Curt Schilling has had a horrendous year. The NoMaas research department has discovered that, when adjusting for ERA. Schilling's 2005 is right up there with Gene Bearden's 1949, Bob Friend's 1954, Les Sweetland's 1931, and Joe Coleman's 1975.
Gene Bearden, 5.10 ERA in 127 IP, 1949 Cleveland Indians
Bob Friend, 5.07 ERA in 170.1 IP, 1954 Pittsburgh Pirates
Les Sweetland, 5.04 ERA in 130.1 IP, 1931 Chicago Cubs
Joe Coleman, 5.55 ERA in 201 IP, 1975 Detroit Tigers
Schilling
has pitched like crap this year.
10.03.05 NoMaas Limited Time Offer
Attention
Red Sox fans! In addition to wearing corny red bracelets which somehow
verify your fandom, NoMaas is offering these very special cards that you
can keep in your wallet. Next time you are arrested for flipping
over cars or setting trash cans on fire, just show the officer that you
are a member of Wild Card Nation. Everything should be OK.
10.03.2005 Wooo!! We finished in second!
Red Sox celebrate blowing division lead and finishing in second place.
(Reuters)
10.03.2005 Red Sox fans in state of denial
Shouldn't
they be holding up two fingers?
10.02.05 Finish them off, don't rest the regulars
During an interview last week of WFAN, Joe Torre stated that he would still use his regular players on the series finale even if the Yankees had already clinched the division. His reasoning was sound. The Red Sox are far too explosive and if one has a chance to eliminate them from the playoffs, it is a path that should be pursued.
However, during an post-game interview on Fox, Torre answered "Yeah, probably" when asked if he would give the regulars a day off.
As Sensei John Kreese told Johnny Lawrence in Karate Kid, "an enemy deserves no mercy."
Off
with their heads, Joe!!
10.01.05 Things are back to normal, Red Flops blow division again
YANKEES WIN THE AL EAST!!
Peter
Gammons jumps off Tobin Bridge.
ESPN
employees put on suicide watch.
New
York Times in a state of panic.
Yankee
rookies make Baseball America look like the National Enquirer.
Varitek
starts a fight with a girl and keeps his mask on this time too.
David
Ortiz drinks a milkshake while Red Sox play the field.
Rejects.
10.01.05 Unit dominant despite getting squeezed
Randy Johnson went 7 innings and struck out 8 while battling against Red Sox hitters and umpire Gary Darling. Even with assistance from Darling, Boston hitters were ineffective against the Big Unit. Even Most Valuable Designated Hitter, David Ortiz, looked helpless at times during his at-bats.
Gary,
did you bet money on this game?
10.01.05 Red Sox go grocery shopping after the game
09.30.2005 Dear Joe Torre
09.30.2005 Yanks bend over for Boston
09.30.2005 Bring it
09.30.2005 Sox have difficult time beating sub-.500 team
The
Sox bring poor starting pitching, a horrifc bullpen, and a struggling offense
to the final series
09.28.2005 Advantage: Yankees
09.28.2005 Canada conquers Fenway Park
On Wednesday, Canadian Mounties stormed down Lansdowne Street and took control of Fenway Park. The conquering Canadians were commanded by Corporal Ted Lilly and Sergeant Frank Catalanotto. The Red Sox resistance was led by lead gunner Bronson Arroyo, but he kept missing his targets. It was a lopsided victory for our neighbors from the North, however, it did not prevent David Ortiz from eating 15 Fenway franks.
09.28.2005 Cue the violin
From the Boston Globe:
''Purely on a professional level, this year has been by far the hardest for me of my career," Schilling said. ''It has been very, very painful."
''My heart is hurting because he's not the same person and I don't know how to help him," Shonda Schilling said yesterday from the family's home in Medfield. ''I don't ever remember feeling as happy for him as I feel badly for him now. It's a horrible feeling."
''He looked like a kid who has chicken pox," Shonda [Schilling] said, ''and has to sit at the window and watch everybody playing outside."
09.27.05 Phew!
09.27.05 Hunting season
Bad
Moose
09.27.05 Madness
1. The relief pitching was terrible, but Torre let every situation get out of hand.
2. As soon as Leiter walked the leadoff man in the 4th inning, the bullpen should have been up and a visit should have been made to the mound.
3. Torre on Al Leiter in a post-game interview: "We know he's capable."
4. Down four runs in the 5th, Torre concedes the game by putting in Wayne Franklin.
5. When you only "trust" 2-3 pitchers in your bullpen all year, what do you expect will happen you finally decide to use the other relievers?
6. Torre has completely cooked Tanyon Sturtze.
7. Here are some of Felix Rodriguez's career numbers:
8.00
K/9
0.683
OPS Agains
122
ERA+
Yet,
he has been rendered useless due to Torre's unwillingness to pitch him
on any regular basis.
09.27.2005 EA reissues video game with new cover
Alex
Rodriguez: 2-3, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 1 SB, 1 excellent play at 3B
Seriously,
how can you even argue?
09.27.2005 Be afraid. Be very afraid.
Randy
Johnson's last 7 starts: 44 innings, 36 K, 24 hits, 1.63 ERA
09.27.2005 Are you kidding me?
Giambi's
OBP
09.26.2005 Summoning the ghosts of Blue Jays past
Be
good again, like you once were. Lift the spirits of your beloved
Canadians. Your country needs you.
09.25.2005 Birds lay an egg
09.24.2005 Captain Intangibles?
Quotes from Red Sox fans on various message boards. These are EXACT quotes.
"Let us not forget about the intangibles in the clubhouse where anyone Ortiz comes in contact with loves him. Ortiz is part of the glue that holds the Red Sox together inside the clubhouse and on the field."
"For once in baseball, numbers will not give you the answer. No, don't look at numbers, look at everything else. Look at the personality Mr. Ortiz brings to the game. His leisurely saunter to the plate makes it look like he is approaching his mailbox for the daily mail. And the smile, that alone should win the title. I have yet to see another MLB player with such a smile."
"I'm going to go one step further and pronounce Papi as the Greatest Cluch Hitter Ever! "
"Arod has gotten the 1st runs on the board to get an early lead, not as important as a game winning hit."
"A-Rod
is not a good person or a model professional athlete."
09.22.2005 Now available in your local supermarket
09.22.2005 Day off for Boston
On
Thursday, Trot caught some sun at Boston's Revere Beach
09.22.2005 Wells: "Ortiz should win the MVP because he is funny."
David Wells on David Ortiz: "There's no (expletive) question what he means to this team. (The MVP) is David Ortiz...He makes people laugh on the bus and at the park." (Source)
09.21.2005 Save the women and children first
9.21.2005 Pole position
09.21.2005 Lower your flags
8
innings, 1 run, first place
1
09.19.2005 Just
like the ones we used to know...
09.19.2005 Welcome back, Wang
8
innings, 2 earned runs
09.19.2005 Shrek campaigns for MVP
Instead of letting his game speak for itself, David Ortiz has officially announced his candidacy for Most Valuable Player and has hit the campaign trail.
Making a speech from his campaign HQ at McDonalds in Boston's Kenmore Square, Ortiz proclaimed, "What's the toughest thing to do in this game? Hit, right? [Voters] don't think about that. That's all I do. If I don't hit, I lose my job." He continued, "they don't think a DH can win the MVP." (Source)
Ortiz had no comment on rising gas prices.
Ortiz
at McDonalds with his campaign director
09.16.2005 The
most important meal of the day
Rookie
sensation blasts grand slam on Thursday and hits two more HRs Friday night.
09.16.2005 "And they're not taking 'no' for an answer."
Rays DH Johnny Gomes: "...they're the Yankees and they're here now. They mean business. And they're not taking no for an answer." (Source)
09.15.2005 Eye of the tiger
1.5
games behind Boston, .5 games behind Cleveland
09.15.2005 Here's to you, Mr. Robinson
Robinson
Cano: 3-5, Grand Slam, 3B, 2B, 5 RBIs
09.15.2005 NoMaas Poster of the Month
This month's winner:
Red Sox troll with IP address of 208.46.128.82
Silly quotes by this month's winner taken from the NoMaas comments board:
"heck even tino has won more games then arod."
"arod will hit 3 Hrs in a game and then do nothing for the next 2 weeks. i've seen it."
"if the yankees didnt have arod they would have about 2 or 3 less wins. the sox without ortiz...well they would prob be in 4th place in the division. think about it arod hits into double plays and is one of the least clutch hitters in the game today. "
Never allow a child to operate a computer without parental supervision.
Honorable mention: IP address 66.11.2.58, 66-11-2-58.orf.contbb.net:
"The cheater of the year award goes hands down to G-roid, his only compatition is Raf-roid ."
Check out how he spells "competition."
IP addresses of other Red Sox trolls:
66.65.70.8,
cpe-66-65-70-8.nyc.res.rr.com
70.161.72.50,
ip70-161-72-50.hr.hr.cox.net
99.68.65.225,
tx-node2.gmacm.com
09.14.2005 Flash
One
huge
out in the 7th, perfect 8th
09.13.2005 Hallelujah!!
Torre puts the Yankees'
best 5 hitters in the first 5 spots in the batting order!!
09.12.2005 Yet he signed with Boston?
On September 9th, Red Sox pitcher Keith Foulke conducted an on-air interview for WEEI Boston and made the following comments about New York City:
"I still hate it. It's busy, loud, and obnoxious." (Source)
09.12.2005 Coming of age
Robinson
Cano in September: .500 OBP / .571 SLG / 1.071 OPS
09.11.2005 A Nightmare at Tropicana?
Can
we please beat Tampa?
09.11.2005 95 North
The
I-95 North New England Throughway toll. Picture taken from Kevin
Millar's camera after the Yankees took 2 out of 3 from Boston.
09.11.2005 Patriots win season opener, fans chant "Yankees suck"
With a victory over the Oakland Raiders in the season opener, Patriots fans celebrated by not cheering for their own football team, but rather, erupted in a "Yankees Suck" chant. This continues a Boston area tradition of fixating on the Yankees at non-baseball events.
From
left to right: Sully, Smitty, O'Malley, McNamara, & McFadden
09.08.2005 Who's your daddy?
09.08.2005 Vegas
NoMaas has returned from Las Vegas and we brought back some interesting information.
Odds on winning the World Series (as of 9/2/05):
St.
Louis 9/5
Boston
7/2
ChiSox
4/1
Yankees
9/2
Oakland
5/1
Braves
6/1
Angels
8/1
Astros
10/1
Marlins
15/1
Indians
20/1
Mets
30/1
Tampa
Bay 9999/1
08.31.2005 Hurricane Katrina
At NoMaas, we tend to get worked up about things like Torre's lineup construction, Tony Womack, and the mismanagement of the bullpen. However, in all reality, these things are meaningless.
Right now, we are witnessing one of the worst disasters in the history of the United States. One of America's greatest cities is underwater. Families have been destroyed. Many have lost all of their possessions. People are trapped without food and drinking water. The death toll continues to rise.
These are the things that we should get worked up about. These are the things that we should get upset over. We should all take a moment and try to digest the severity of the damage that Hurricane Katrina has caused. Just because this may not be in your backyard, you should still deeply care about this. We are all Americans.
We ask you to help in any way that you can. Pray. Donate money. Even if you can only donate $1.00, do it. If you work, see if your company matches donations. Many firms do. Do whatever you can. Don't ignore this. Imagine your city completely underwater. If it happened to you, would you want people to help?
These are some organizations that accept online donations:
American
Red Cross - http://www.redcross.org
Operation
Blessing - http://www.ob.org
America's
Second Harvest - http://www.secondharvest.org
08.31.2005 Cashman to the rest of the league: "I'm your worst nightmare."
It isn't that Matt Lawton and Mark Bellhorn are great players. No one expects the Yankees to be carried by these two guys. Rather, Ca$hMoney is fine-tuning this team and addressing its weaknesses.
Matt Lawton moves Bernie Williams out of the outfield and into a DH role. This will save runs. Lawton also takes away at-bats from Bubba Crosby and also Tony Womack, who is the worst offensive player in the American League.
Mark Bellhorn takes away at-bats from Felix Escalona.
These
are good things.
08.31.2005 Moose, did you show them your knuckle-curve?
08.31.2005Jason Giambi and the Lineup of Doom
08.30.2005 A shave and a haircut
Before
you go crazy, examine this move for what it is. Who would you rather
have hitting: Mark Bellhorn or Felix Escalona?
08.28.2005 Jason
08.28.2005 And people say that the Yankees pitching is bad...
08.28.2005 Closing in
Sox
blow 6-run lead, Yanks 1.5 games back.
08.27.2005 Just like the old days
3-4,
2 HRs, 4 RBI
