GETTING THE YANKEE EXPERIENCE FIRST HAND

A lot of different names being thrown around in this piece, but it all goes back to 1 thing; the youngsters and the Yankee experience.First off is Jesus Montero who's been hitting and in a rhythm. Girardi moved him up the 5th spot in last night's game against Anaheim. He's usually in the 6 to 9 hole. That's expected because he's a rookie, but because of his consistent hitting, and injury to Swisher and Alex Rodriguez, Joe moved him up. I mean, I know it's early, but Montero is batting .348. Gotta love it.

The Yankees have now called up a total of 36 players this September and it was revealed by Joel Sherman that Dellin Betances is in Anaheim to hang with the Yankees. This move is done for 1 reason and 1 reason only, bonding and experience. Although I have a hunch Dellin Betances will be pitching at some point. According to Bryan Hoch, Joe Girardi said “If we need him, we’re going to use him.” I like that thinking... all hands on deck, and if that means the kids get to play, do it. It's the best way to get experience. It can't hurt. It's not like Betances is going to be thrown into a situation where they make him throw 123 pitches, no. They will monitor him and track everything he does. I say that's the way to go.

And speaking of Yankee experience. Lance Pendleton was been claimed by the Astros and is no longer with the Yankees. I was always a fan of Pendleton since his debut where he struck out the first 2 batters he faced. To me, that showed guts. In 11 games for the Yankees, Pendleton had a 3.21 ERA, struck out 8, walked 10 and gave up 5 earned runs in 14 innings. He'll improve over time with his new team in Houston, I wish him well.

Josh Norris tweeted the Yankees will bring up Manny Banuelos, David Phelps and Adam Warren and they'll be most likely called up closer to or during the Red Sox series. Norris says this is a move to workout with the team and get "Bigs" experience which, let's face it, it doesn't get better than the Yankees/Red Sox... am I right? These are the games you want to be at and witness first hand, and if Betances was say to, get into a game, his peers will be there to root him on.

While it’s exciting for these kids, I’d really love to see Manny Banuelos come into a game. No, it probably won’t happen, but I can dream can’t I?

Finally, a quick note about rookies and the Yankee experience. Not sure if you realized it last night but due to the fact that Swisher was out with elbow tendinitis and is day to day, Eduardo Nunez got the start in right field last night. Read about it HERE. Clearly, Girardi wanted Nunez's bat in the lineup. Nunez said, "That's the only time I've played right field in my life."

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THE YANKEES GANG OF 6

I wanted to just break down the September call-ups for you. These guys have a great opportunity here and will help energize and already hot Yankees team:



Raul Valdes: Finally, my wish has come true. Another lefty in the pen to help out Boone Logan on consecutive days. Many don't see the reason for this because the bullpen is so hot, but to me, it makes sense, sometimes you need to play the odds with lefty hitters and lefty pitchers and Valdes could prove helpful. In 7 appearances last year for the Cardinals he had a 3.38 ERA.Scott Proctor: He's back and older and wiser, we hope. In the four years with the Yankees, Proctor had a 4.29 ERA in 190 appearances. To me, Scott Proctor was the early 2000's David Robertson, before we knew how great David Robertson could be. While in Scranton this year, after 7 innings, he posted a 2.57 ERA. Welcome Back Scott Proctor.



Lance Pendleton: I like this kid and I'm glad he's back. In 14 innings pitched this season in Scranton, Pendleton has a 3.21 ERA with 8 strikeouts.Chris Dickerson: He provides the speed and has a decent bat and good defense. He's a perfect late inning bench guy and I love the kids energy.



Brandon Laird: He had a shot earlier this year and did well getting his first hit and first RBI in the Bronx. What a way to start. Another guy that can be a good addition to the bench, plus he can play 3rd base and outfield. Utility is good.Jesus Montero: What can I say that hasn't already been said. The rising of Jesus is all over Yankeeland and we are happy to have him. Slow start in his major league debut although he did get a big run off of Russell Martin's triple against the Sox the other night. I believe that his presence will be an asset to the Yankee team. Youth can bring energy and the hype surrounding this kid is incredible.



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WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE YANKEES?

Now that the All-Star break is over, what should the Yankees do to bring them to the next level?
Our Crosstown Rival, The Mets just traded away their closer Francisco Rodriguez for prospects to make the first deadline deal. The Mets are clearly in a rebuilding stage, and are trying to dump salary, but our Yankees are trying to figure out what it will take to bring them to the next championship.Let's take a look at which areas we need help with, and which possible candidates could be used to fill these voids:

• RELIEF: We are missing a solid 6th inning reliever. Joba Chamberlain went down with an injury earlier in the year, and David Robertson stepped up to take the 8th inning spot until RaSo comes back. Then, I think DRob will probably be moved back to the 7th inning spot, but who will be used to pitch in the 6th inning? I say call up someone from AAA or AA such as, Andrew Brackman, Lance Pendleton, or maybe even Mark Prior among others.

• TOP FLIGHT PITCHER: We are it and it could carry us through the playoffs if we had one. I say trade for someone such as Mark Buehrle or "Pretty Boy" CJ Wilson.

• EXTRA HITTING: Any team could always need another bat. I think having another person for some power or average is a threat in the lineup could really spice things up. I say trade for a 3 month rental and see how it pays out. My few candidates to trade for are Lance Berkman, Prince Fielder, Carlos Pena, or if a miracle were to happen, Albert Pujols.
  

IMAGINE this lineup:

1. Jeter SS
2. Granderson CF
3. Pujols/ Prince Fielder DH
4. A-Rod 3B
5. Cano 2B
6. Teixeira 1B
7. Swisher RF
8. Martin C
9. Gardner LF

seems like Murderers Row 2.0, right?

Let me know what you think by commenting on this post or hitting me on Facebook. Or, if you have a blackberry you can add the Bleeding Yankee Blue group on BBM and we can converse in there. Thanks.



--Will Cohen, BYB Staff Writer

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WHY HUGHES COMES, NOVA GOES

Breaking News for Yankee fans, Phil Hughes is back and will move to Ivan Nova's spot in the rotation, according to ESPN. That means the Ivan Nova will be optioned to Scranton before the game today. Read it HERE.

The Yankees have also recalled Lance Pendleton from Scranton for extra help in the bullpen.

Nova is 8-4 in 2011 with a 4.12 ERA. I'm sure this was a tough decision for the Yankees considering Nova was getting into a rhythm. Welcome back Phil. Good Luck.

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WHY WE WENT FROM CHAMPS TO CHUMPS

"I was just trying to get out of there before I broke down, I shed a couple tears. (But) you can't let it beat you. You gotta get stronger and get better."
--Joba Chamberlain to ESPN

4 days ago, all I heard about and read about was just how great the Yankee bullpen was. Joba Chamberlain, D-Rob and Mariano, and no one had a cared about Rafael Soriano because we were doing just fine without him. Plus, we had Ayala and Pendleton and Logan who, on occasion, was able to give us an a solid outing. Plus, our starting pitching looked incredible coming into the Bronx after a terrific 6-3 West coast road trip. It was all coming together. Life was good in Yankeeland.

Today, it’s like Armageddon in New York. The last 2 nights our starters couldn't get out of the 2nd inning and now, the latest is a blow to the Yankees bullpen is that will probably put Joba Chamberlain on the shelf for the rest of the year because he has a torn ligament in his right elbow. Many are suspecting...Tommy John Surgery. Damn.(Photo: Daily News)
There are names in baseball I hate to hear. I never want to hear a player when to go see
Dr. James Andrews. That usually means a Disabled List stint is coming or even worse, surgery. I also never like to hear the name Tommy John, unless of course, the actual Tommy John is going to drop by the clubhouse and maybe throw out the first pitch.

Suddenly, Ladies and Gentlemen the New York Yankees need pitching help and while plenty were annoyed with RaSo moving to the DL, many are much more concerned about Joba Chamberlain. Mostly because he’s been solid all year and we all, or at least many of us, root for this guy and we have for a while now. Personally, I’ve been rooting for Joba since Bug-gate in Cleveland. It seems to me that that evening defined Joba’s bad luck run. Since then, he’s been jerked around from relief to starter and back to relief, never complaining by the way, and finally, this kid came all the way back and just dominated so far this year leading our bullpen to whatever victory was needed. Between he and D-Rob lately, it was all coming together nicely. It was the end of the "starting pitching debate" for Joba, he was our relief guy now, and our bridge was sound with him there.

Now, with Joba hurt, D-Rob needs to pick up even more slack, which to me is dangerous because we need him healthy or we’re really in a world of hurt. The last thing you want to do is over work his young arm.

So what does this mean for us in Yankeeland? Put it this way, if Joba needs surgery, Cashman’s got to be thinking maybe getting both a lefty and righty for our bullpen and we’ll probably roll the dice on what we have for the DH Role… Jorge Posada against righties, Andruw Jones against lefties and the occasional Alex Rodriguez when he needs a break from the field. There is no question though, Cashman is on the prowl. Yes, a starter is probably a priority, but with Joba on the shelf, expect relief help too. The question is, who's out there?

Look guys, I hate writing about how tragic this is, but it kind of is. I know the Yankees will survive, but it's not going to be easy. But let me lighten the mood a bit, we have the pitching help in the farm system don't we? What if we need a quick fix, we call up Dellin Betances and Manny Banuelos? Nice idea, yes, but some of you are probably thinking a trade is the smarter way to go, right? Or, Should we just deal with what we have in the pen and concentrate on a starter? How about We look for a righty and a lefty reliever for the pen? What about forming a new Three Headed Monster consisting of Lance Pendleton, David Robertson and Mariano Rivera? Check out the poll on the home page of Bleeding Yankee Blue and vote. All are tough choices so choose wisely and while your at it, cross your fingers, put on your favorite Yankees jersey and pray to the baseball Gods, the Yankees need a win tonight, big time.

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WHY IT'S A DAMN SHAME

“I made good pitches, The balls found places.” --Mariano Rivera

There is no doubt that this road trip is important. So when the Yankees took an early lead in last night's game against a not too sharp King Felix, it was clear to me that the Yankees were taking it very seriously. Even when Ivan Nova ran into some trouble in the fourth and the Yankees lost their lead and needed to climb back, they did. But what do you do when your closer comes in to close the door in a visiting park and blows the lead? Nothing, when that happens, it's game over.

The Yankees lost 2 in a row last night and this time it was because of Mariano Rivera. Now I'm not going to sit here and tell you I know how to manage a bullpen, I'm not sure I can, but I do understand what a closer is. A closer closes games. 1-0 or 3-1, even 4-3... the options are unlimited. Strangely, Joe Girardi is in this unusual tie game "closing" frenzy. That's right, bringing in a closer in a tie game. I understand the mentality...you're being the closer in, you idea is to shut down the competition and then your team will come back in the next half inning. One problem with this formula, while it may work wonferfully at home, it doesn't work too well in an away ballpark, especially if you don't have last licks.

Mariano Rivera entered the game in the 12th and while the bullpen was terrfic all night, he wasn't. Rivera gave up the winning run and the Mariners’ 5-4 won. This time, it was Adam Kennedy who's playing like he did in his Anaheim Angel days. It was a hit on a bases-loaded blooper which put the Mariners ahead for good.(photo: AP)
So, just out of curiousity, Not that I doubt Mo, but just asking; If we have our young stud Lance Pendtleton on the bullpen bench, whose assigned job is long man, Why wouldn't you give him a shot? He's a long man and he can pitch multiple innings. In my scenerio, hopefully the Yankees build a lead in the top of the 13th and then Mo can close the door in the bottom of the 13th. Why bring him in in a tie. Again, I am NOT suggesting Mo ISN'T our guy, I'm just asking why in a tie game and why not use Pendtleton in that spot? I love this kid and just wrote about him in WHY PENDLETON IS OUR GOLDEN BOY. I think he could have handled it, but it is what it is and now the Yankees are down 2 games to none in this West Coast Series that was supposed to be important. But what do I know, I'm just a blogger.

This was what Girardi said about not bringing in Lance. Apparently I'm not the only one asking: “If you go to Lance and you take the lead and they tie it up, I’ve got nobody else, So you’ve got to have somebody to back up Mo. You just can’t leave Mo being the last pitcher out there.”

Right, so if you put a long man in, and he lasts 5 innings and holds the Mariners, a none good hitting team, the Yankees would have several chances to take the lead, then Mo can close the door. That's my thinking at least. Pendleton is our long man, Mo is not. That statement by Girardi sounds like he doesn't trust Mo, doesn't it? It really doesn't matter at this point though. We can't beat ourselves up over it. The game is over and the Yankees lost.(photo: AP)
A few highlights though. Robinson Cano started off the runs with a solo homer in the first inning and in the 3rd, Tex cranked out a 2 run home run. His 15th and he's been on fire lately.

Our Captain and leader, Derek Jeter was on base a lot this game. 3 times and that shows you the importance of his winning mentality. His run scored and knotted the game at 4 when Granderson knocked him home on a triple. Again... Bravo Grandy, Bravo.

The rest of the bullpen was awesome last night. David Robertson is a bad bad man. The guy is truly becoming a dominant leader on the mound. He goes out there balls out and shuts down the competition. You have to tip your hat to him. Who's Soriano anyway... who needs him? Overall, Hector Noesi, D-Rob, Joba, Logan and Luis Ayala kept the Mariners scoreless and they looked amazing.

One more thing, on the interruptions on the field last night. There were at least 4 people who ran out on the field holding up the games and at least one was a streaker. Ken Singleton and David Cone did a great job trying to explain to the audience the reason why the broadcasts don't show the people running out onto the field saying it was because it will just encourage others to do it. I say just show it all. When games are intense, break it up with alittle humor. We could all use a laugh especially last night.

Final Score: Mariners 5 - Yankees 4.

We deserately need a win today. CC Monster is on the mound. Let's at least leave Seattle with a win and turn this ship around. OK?

WHY PENDLETON IS OUR GOLDEN BOY

Say what you will about moves the Yankees have made over the years. Some are horrendous, others are gems. We've dealt away farm hands that have turned into bright stars and we've kept ones that shit the bed. The Yanks go through the numbers, look over physical records and determine who goes and who stays. So the night Lance Pendlteton debuted with the Yankees and struck out the first 2 batters he faced, I knew right then that we had a new golden boy, and he made me smile.

Pendleton has impressed me in his few appearances this year. He's got good stuff, he's a confident young guy on the mound and doesn't seemed phased by the pinstripes, he just wants to do a good job, and he has.

So far, Lance Pendleton has tossed 7.1 shutout innings for the Yanks. He's struck out 3 and walked 2.

To me, this kid has something special. He was sent down recently by the Yankees and I guess Girardi missed him because they called him back up and send down Amauri Sanit. Read the story HERE. This year Sanit has compiled a 8.53 ERA. He’s given up 8 hits and 6 runs. To me, that screams "work in progress.". It's good to see the Yanks taking notice and making some key moves to strengthen our already great bullpen. I'm happy with Pendleton, are you? Comment and let us know.

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WHY I'M CRANKY ABOUT PITCHING

Waking up after the Yankee loss always sets me off. I'm never happy for the first 2 hours after I wake up, usually because it was the last thing I thought about when I went to bed. Couple that with a lot of pitching question marks and I may feel like this all day, unless the Yankees win today.

I'm not sure why this happens to me, my mind is constantly trying to puzzle together pitching ideas like I'm supposed to get a call from Brian Cashman at any moment and I need to be ready.(photo: The Star-Ledger)
The Yanks need to do some rejiggering. They need to think about lefty specialists, Phil Hughes dead arm issue and if pitchers like Bartolo Colon, while he deserves a shot at starting a game, will he be able to sustain a full season, or will he break down by June. Yes, Colon has been a life saver relieving Phil Hughes all three times Hughes had issues. Right now, if I were to take a BYB poll, the majority of you would say give Colon a shot. But what happens next? Say Colon is the starter and say Colon can't get past the 3rd? Now, Colon can't relieve Colon if Colon doesn't have a solid start. See what I mean? Who's the next long man "Colon"? Millwood? Garcia? Silva? Robertson? Noesi? I'm just asking, because that's going to happen once in a while.


Now, I have to say,Lance Pendleton impressed me last night, and while I rarely suggest going to the youngsters in that kind of role, I think the idea that it's April and we needed to rest some of the guys in the bullpen helped ease my concern. Handing the ball to Pendleton was a good move. He stopped the bleeding and the Yanks nearly came back in what I described as a sloppy game.



(photo: Daily News)
Also, there's Feliciano. I didn't want to get involved in the Pedro Feliciano conversation because it's just way too annoying to me. Cashman blames the Mets for Feliciano's "abuse" and Pedro says he was injured with the Yanks. I say, "The guys injured, let's get a lefty." You say: "There aren't many lefty specialists out there." I say: "Do you really want to trust Boone Logan in that role?" You get silent.

There really isn't a choice. Cashman needs to find someone and if he can't we're stuck with what we got. He needs to at least look around and see what he can find. That's what Cash is supposed to do.

And that brings me back Phil Hughes. Me, personally, I don't think we have to act like this is the end of our young phenom. Everyone else, for instance, like Bob Klapisch has done it again writing this doom and gloom headline:


Phil Hughes is someone the Yankees have wanted in their rotation for years. He was compared to Roger Clemens for a while. He is someone who they love and want to see blossom and last year, they took the training wheels off and he won 18 games. He is clearly the Yankees "Golden Boy". I don't think they're about to give up on him that's why they acted so quickly this season. I, once again, hate the way the sports writers are portraying this "dead arm" issue like it's the end of the youngster's career. He can and will get fixed. The Yankees have taken baby steps with Hughes for years and they have a lot invested in the lad. They will continue to guide him, as long as it takes. So to the Hughes fans out there, don't listen to negative sports writers who act like they have it all figured out. It's simple logic and anyone can see the Yanks continued interest in the kids well being, to put it simply, helping Hughes helps them.

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WHY THAT'S NO WAY TO HONOR JACKIE

Tonight was no way to remember the first black player in Major League Baseball. Jackie Robinson was something truly great for many years in baseball and it was because of him that players like Robinson Cano, Elvia Andrus and Curtis Granderson are able to play in the Major Leagues today. It's special, it's unforgettable and it's bittersweet to feel so good for Jackie, but then lose a game wearing his retired #42 on your back.(In photo: Lance Pendleton)
Let's face it. The highlight of the night tonight was seeing Lance Pendleton, the kid no one knows, strike out the first 2 batters he has ever faced in the Major leagues. I found the rest of the game to be slow and sloppy and the bats seemed totally flat for New York. Yes, the Yanks had more hits than the Rangers, but the Rangers didn't hit into 6 double plays, the Yankees did.
(photo: Getty)
I never like to come off a win with a loss like tonight. Ivan Nova looked like he was having trouble from the get go and when I say trouble, I mean walks. You can't walk people and expect them to not score. And it wasn't just Nova tonight, the pitching before the Yanks handed the ball to Pendleton was not great and that's how you lose ball games.
Between walks and wild pitches, past balls and double plays, the Yankees looked like the Bad News Bears, before Kelly Leak joined the team.

A few highlights: Give credit to the kid, Lance Pendleton. There's nothing better than handing a ball to a rookie and letting him chuck it with the pressure of Yankee Stadium and what does he do? Strikes out 2 and gets the third batter to pop out in his first inning of work ever. I'd say, you get to come back tomorrow kid. Tonight he retired 9 straight. Way to go.

The 8th inning was nice, although playing catch up is never good, although pie is good, so that is always a highlight. Granderson had that monster solo shot and if you follow him on Twitter @cgrand14, you know that he likes tweeting baseball history. Well, I'll tweet this to Grandy tonight: "@cgrand14 You should send that 42 jersey to Cooperstown with your bat. You honored Jackie wonderfully tonight!"
Derek Jeter had 2 hits tonight. Remember when every writer in New York had him hanging it up? Right. More rooting, less writing gentlemen.

The 9th was magical, but I didn't have that "pie" feeling I had last night, not sure why. Tonight just seemed tougher, I guess.

The down side for me tonight may be Boone Logan. Logan has absolutely no command of his slider and I can't figure out why that happens. The camera showed Rothschild about 3 different times while Logan pitched. He rolled his eyes, he looked serious talking to Joe. Clearly the Zen master is about to player teacher to Mr. Logan. Good. Let the Master work.

Let's tip our cap to Matt Harrison tonight, he pitched a great ball game and the Rangers were able to get him runs. Funny, that's the formula I suggested would happen with Nova and the Yankees tonight. I guess you won't be taking me to Vegas any time soon, I made a bad prediction.

Luckily, it's not a 1 game series and tomorrow the Yanks and Rangers will play again. I look forward to that. Tonight's score Rangers 5 - Yankees 3. Let's get one back tomorrow boys, it's the Yankee way.

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