Bugs ruin Yanks

[JasonEvans]

Anyone buy the excuse that the bugs made the Yankees pitchers wild?

http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/sp/getty/9b/fullj.getty-77090595cc084_alds_new_york.jpg

As an aside, I think it is sad that A-Rod is again in a post-season slump. I am sure the always classy Yankee fans will boo him when he comes home, especially if he strikes out again, cementing his decision to become a free agent and get the heck out of pinstripes.

http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/sp/getty/55/fullj.getty-77090595cc071_alds_new_york.jpg

--Jason "where will A-Rod play next?" Evans

[Duvall]

Anyone buy the excuse that the bugs made the Yankees pitchers wild?

It really is a shame that the gnats only attacked Yankee pitchers, and didn't approach the Indians pitchers.

[wiscodevil]

It really is a shame that the gnats only attacked Yankee pitchers, and didn't approach the Indians pitchers.

who has made that excuse?

[tombrady]

who has made that excuse?

Yankees fans, in general.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

who has made that excuse?

They bugged the heck out of me just watching them, and unfortunately they seemed to get to Joba Chamberlain - maybe the bug spray got on his hands?

But I haven't heard any of the players blame the bugs for the loss. Just that they were an irritant and they had to be dealt with.

And no, I'm not happy with last night's results. Plural, because why in the world would you walk Big Papi to pitch to Manny, instead of walking him too? Dumb. Very dumb. Double :mad:

[captmojo]

The First Mate had the answer for last night. The parks should install slow speed fans around the inside stadium walls. Turn the air over just enough to keep the critters out, yet have no effect on the flight of the ball. Wow. She should have been an engineer.

[Channing]

If the Yankee fans do boo A-Rod, they will rue the day. Its not like he is the only one on that team slumping right now. With a total of 4 runs in 2 games, the entire lineup is struggling. Having to face Sebathia and Carmona its pretty understandable.

[devildeac]

who has made that excuse?

What a great ideas for CIS! Get a few jars of the insects and let them loose around the kerlina and twerps bench when they visit. (does this now make it on topic:rolleyes: ?)

[rthomas]

From the title of this thread, I thought you meant this.

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/210704/bugs_bunny_baseball_bugs/

[Channing]

as an aside - is it not also possible that the reason the Indian hitters couldnt make contact (Hafner and the guy before Hafner) was because they had bugs in their eyes?

[wiscodevil]

Yankees fans, in general.

yawn.

[YmoBeThere]

As an aside, I think it is sad that A-Rod is again in a post-season slump. I am sure the always classy Yankee fans will boo him when he comes home, especially if he strikes out again, cementing his decision to become a free agent and get the heck out of pinstripes.



As a Dodger fan, I would love for A-Rod to move out to LA-LA Land...

[mr. synellinden]

I buy the explanation, but it is not meant as an excuse nor have any of the Yankees used it as an excuse. If you've watched every pitch Joba Chamberlain has thrown in the Major Leagues as I have, you know without question that he would not have been so wild if there were no bugs. You saw his 7th inning - that's the way he's pitched all season. The 8th inning, where he had absolutely no command of his slider, was a complete aberration from the way he's pitched in every other appearance this season so you have to believe it was due to the swarming bugs. It's not like you can say he was affected by the pressure of the situation because he came in in the 7th and put out the fire relatively easily.

Again, it's not an explanation - Carmona had to pitch under the same conditions - but it is nonetheless disappointing that it had a direct impact on the outcome of the game.

I think the Yankees can win the next two but I'm not sure they can go back to Cleveland and win a game 5. Their biggest problem is the fact that they only have two reliable relievers. I would have felt much more comfortable with Hughes in the 11th even though he has no relief experience. If he is on the roster, what other situation is right for him? When Mussina gets pulled in the third inning? What's the difference? Don't be surprised if Wang pitches game 4 at home. He is a completely different pitcher at home.

On a separate note, Carmona was spectacular last night. He would scare me more in a potential game 5 than Sabathia.

[Duke4Ever32]

Maybe the bugs had nothing to do with it, and Cleveland is just the better team??

Go Red Sox!

[TheGodfather]

If you've watched every pitch Joba Chamberlain has thrown in the Major Leagues as I have, you know without question that he would not have been so wild if there were no bugs.

Entering last night, Chamberlain had only thrown 24 innings in the bigs and had already been suspended for being wild. Not exactly a good track record.

[Bostondevil]

Not that I want the Yankees to win but if the fans boo A-Rod, well, I feel for the guy. The Yankees wouldn't even be in the playoffs this year without him.

If he does go free agent, I'd love to see him move the National League. Then I can start rooting for him again cause he is a big Duke fan.

[Duvall]

who has made that excuse?

At least one Yankee has (http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkxMTMmZmdi ZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTcyMDQ5NzEmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZU VFeXk2).


But with his team teetering on the brink of a knockout, the old Steinbrenner came out swinging on Saturday night, putting Torre on immediate notice and ripping into umpire Bruce Froemming, the veteran crew chief from Friday night's Game 2 who declined to stop play despite an infestation of Lake Erie gnats.

"The umpire was full of [expletive]," Steinbrenner said of the retiring Froemming. "He won't umpire our games anymore."

In the wake of that Game 2 defeat, Steinbrenner said the Yankees had complained to baseball commissioner Bud Selig about the decision to play on. "[Selig] just said, 'That's in the umpires' hands,' " Steinbrenner said. "But Jesus Christ, it was terrible. It messed up the whole team, [Derek] Jeter, all of them."

[captmojo]

I never thought of Steinbrenner as an insect.

[YmoBeThere]

Looks like poor starting pitching is ruining the Yankees tonight...still early but down 4-0 in the top of the 4th with 2 people on.

[dukie8]

Entering last night, Chamberlain had only thrown 24 innings in the bigs and had already been suspended for being wild. Not exactly a good track record.

he was suspended for throwing at the greek god of walks -- not for being wild. his era in the regular season was 0.38, batters hit 0.145 against him and he averaged 5.67k/bb. can you name anyone who had BETTER control this year? if he did, it wasn't by much.

[Deslok]

Since Chamberlain was an impressive strikeout pitcher, K/BB isn't necessarily the best measure of wildness. While I wouldn't assert that he was in fact wild, nor was he anywhere near the top of the control list. His walks per 9 innings was a decidedly average 2.25. I think CC Sabathia had the best rate(among starters anyway) at 1.38 walks per 9 innings. Chamberlain wouldn't even be tops on his team, as Mussina was right at 2 per 9 innings. But he wouldn't be towards the bottom either, as a guy like Pettite - not known for wildness - was at 2.88.

[dukie8]

Since Chamberlain was an impressive strikeout pitcher, K/BB isn't necessarily the best measure of wildness. While I wouldn't assert that he was in fact wild, nor was he anywhere near the top of the control list. His walks per 9 innings was a decidedly average 2.25. I think CC Sabathia had the best rate(among starters anyway) at 1.38 walks per 9 innings. Chamberlain wouldn't even be tops on his team, as Mussina was right at 2 per 9 innings. But he wouldn't be towards the bottom either, as a guy like Pettite - not known for wildness - was at 2.88.

he was 36th in the american league amongst pitchers with at least 300 pitches thrown:

http://mlb.mlb.com/stats/sortable_player_stats.jsp?teamPosCode=all&statType=2&timeFrame=1&c_id=mlb&section2=1&sitSplit=&venueID=&statSet2=3&subScope=teamCode&baseballScope=AL&timeSubFrame=2007&&sortByStat=BB9

that's mighty fine control in my book -- particularly for a rookie who was asked to pitch almost exclusively in high pressure situations.

[DevilAlumna]

So, is Joe Torre really gone as manager?

[devildeac]

Don't think it was the bugs. Looks like the Indians just ruined the Yanks, 6-4.

[dukie8]

So, is Joe Torre really gone as manager?

either george fires him or his words mean nothing going forward.

[Karl Beem]

WahooWahooWahoo!

[DevilAlumna]

either george fires him or his words mean nothing going forward.

He's live on SportsCenter right now; it sounds like he's making his farewells even now.

That's too bad, I don't really follow the yankees, much less their internal politics, but I like Joe. He strikes me as a very decent, straight-up kind of guy, and he's clearly someone who can handle pressure and egos and larger-than-life caricatures.

[EarlJam]

either george fires him or his words mean nothing going forward.

Torre must go, if for no other reason than to maintain his dignity. My boss goes public with a "threat" like that, I'm out of there no matter what.

Even if I win the World Series, I tell George to take the trophy and shove it - then quit and go elsewhere. What a classless move by George.

-EarlJam

[Deslok]

Torre needs to go, if for no other reason that to make the Yankees more interesting. I mean, he's all classy, and smooth with the press, never saying the wrong thing, etc. And with George having been reclusive the last few years, the Yankees haven't been nearly as entertaining as they should have been having not won the World Series this millenium. Now maybe we can get back to the days of having 3 managers in one season, and other things to amuse us Red Sox fans(though winning the World Series would of course, do nicely) ;) .

[TillyGalore]

I heard somewhere that his contract is up. I'm with EarlJam re telling George where to go.