The Wild, Wild West

Happy 4th of July!

I’ll be heading out to the wild, wild west this weekend, but rest assured I will be following my beloved Yankees.  Too closely, some might say.  The Yanks will be in Anaheim to face the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of California of America of Planet Earth and I have tickets to check them out.  It will be the first time (I think) I’ve ever seen the Bronx Bombers outside of the Bronx, so I’m pretty excited.  Yes, I will bring and wear Yankee attire.

Anyway, I’ll report back on my experience at the big halo when I return.  Go Yanks!

The Best There Ever Was, Is, or Will Be

According to Joe Posnanski’s latest column for SI.com (a must read from a terrific writer), Mike Sweeney once referred to Mariano Rivera’s devastating cut-fastball:

“You know what’s coming,” Sweeney once said. “But you know what’s coming in horror movies, too. It still gets you.”

Mariano Rivera is the best closer in the history of baseball.  You can even argue (but I won’t… right now) that he is the best pitcher in the history of baseball.  Rivera throws one pitch, hitters know what they’ll be seeing, that no one can touch.  How many other pitchers can you say that about?  Starters throw 4-5 different pitches, they work hitters’ minds – ask Greg Maddux.  Even other relievers throw two, sometimes three pitches.  Not Mariano.  The Great Mariano Rivera throws just one.

A sure-bet, first ballot hall-of-famer, Rivera has a career 2.30 ERA IN THE STEROIDS ERA.  His ERA has been less than 2.00 in eight seasons.  This year, in 32.2 innings, he’s only walked three guys.  Three.  Here are his career post-season ERAs by playoff round: ALDS: 0.38, ALCS: 0.93, WS: 1.16.  That’s nasty.  To go with his 4 World Series rings, he’s got a World Series MVP trophy and an ALCS MVP trophy.

On Sunday, not only did Mariano get his first career RBI on a bases-loaded walk by Met closer Francisco Rodriguez, but Rivera saved his 500th career game, to become only the second pitcher to reach that total.

As a Yankee fan, I have been spoiled for 13 years watching Mo close out games the way closers are intended to operate.  After big losses (See 2001 World Series Game 7), Rivera bounces back.  You can never tell if Mo wins or loses, he’s always the same.  He’s 39, but you’d never be able to tell.  He’s only blown two saves in his last 50 chances.  He could probably pitch until he’s 50, as long as no one can hit the cutter.  His delivery has never changed.

Whenever there’s a discussion about the greatest player of a generation, rarely do pitchers get mentioned and even more rarely do relief pitchers get mentioned.  It’s time for that to change.  Mariano Rivera is right up there with the best players of this generation – if not the best.  Take a look at the numbers he put up in a time where a large portion of MLB players were taking performance-enhancing drugs.

Welcome to Trading Season

I think aside from the off-season “Hot Stove” this is my favorite time of year.  The trade deadline is a month away and the Yanks kicked off trading season by dealing a pair of socks to the Pirates for Eric Hinske. Well, it’s more than a pair of socks, the Yanks traded two low-level minor leaguers for Hinske.

I like this move a lot.  Neither of the prospects the Yanks gave up are highly touted prospects and Hinske does just what i suggested the Yanks do: bolster the bench.  Hinske, a member of the Rays last year and Red Sox in 2007, knows what  AL East and AL pennant races are like.  He plays 1B/3B/LF/RF and can DH or PH when needed.  He hits for power (20 bombs last year, only 1 in 106 at-bats this year) and stands in the left-handed batter’s box so if he hits a lazy pop-up to right field, it’s going out of the park.  With the Yanks admitting to needing to getting A-Rod more rest, Hinske’s bat provides more pop than Cody Ransom or Ramiro Pena, who will probably be sent down to AAA to make room for Hinske.

The Yanks also continue to collect past AL Rookies of the Year as Hinske won in 2002 and the recently DFA’d Angel Berroa won in 2003.