Home Run Derby

Sometimes the best trades are the ones you don’t make.  But don’t tell that to the New York Yankees.

Back in December, the Yankees and the Boston Red Sox were each trying to negotiate a trade with the Minnesota Twins for pitcher Johan Santana.  At the time, Minnesota wanted two of the top three young players from either the Sox or Yanks.

For the Yankees, that basically meant CF Melky Cabrera and young pitchers Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy.  The Yanks seemed satisfied with their offer of Cabrera/Hughes and when the Tiwns wanted more …  the Yanks wouldn’t add Kennedy to the mix.  

Santana ended up being traded to the crosstown New York Mets.  

For the Mets, Santana is 11-7 with 20 Quality Starts in 26 games with a 2.75 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP for the NL East-leading Mets.  He should be 17-7, but the Mets’ bullpen has blown six saves for Santana (five coming in the ninth inning).

Considering that the Yankees haven’t tasted World Series Champagne since 2000 … they wouldn’t have gotten unfavorable results by not pulling the trigger … would they?  The Yankees must be getting good results from the trio of players they refused to deal to the Twins for a two-time AL Cy Young Award winner, right?  

Not as such …
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God, I hate the Yankees.  This latest reason is courtesy of Hank Steinbrenner:

I think it’s very simple, we’ve been devastated by injuries. No team I’ve ever seen in baseball has been decimated like this. It would kill any team. Imagine the Red Sox without [Josh] Beckett and [Jon] Lester. Pitching is 70 percent of the game. Wang won 19 games two straight years. Chamberlain became the most dominating pitcher in baseball. You can’t lose two guys like that.”[emphasis added]

OK, we know what Erin Andrews thinks of Joba(/snark), but is there anyone who truly believes he is the “most dominating pitcher in baseball” with his 89 innings pitched this season and 113 innings in his career?

Really, He’s better than Cliff Lee and Brandon Webb? or CC Sabathia or Roy Halladay? or Carlos Zambrano or Jake Peavy? He’s not even better than two Red Sox pitchers mentioned by Hank himself. Hell, he’s not better than John Danks and about 30 other pitchers.

Yes, Hank…Joba is good. Really good. In fact, he may be an all-star one day, but can we save the hyperbole? You made your point, the Yankees had a lot of injuries. Problem was, they were having a hard time competing before the injuries. God forbid that the Yankees are….wait for it…..a mediocre team. *Gasp* That can’t be!

And, what’s with the name Joba anyway? Nice little story on wikipedia there, Justin! Boy, if I changed my name to one of my nicknames growing up, I would be Chewbacca the Greek!

Better yet, Chewy the Greek. My wife would love that! Gotta go, I heading to the courthouse right now.

Texas Rangers’ relief pitcher C.J. Wilson is headed to the Disabled List and possibly the DFA list.  Supposedly for “bone spurs in his left elbow.”

Bullshit.  It’s because Wilson’s not effective as a pitcher (recently removed from the closer’s role) and even worse - he’s disrespectful towards his manager and his team.

Last night, Wilson entered the game in the top of the eighth inning with the Rangers holding a six-run lead over the visiting New York Yankees.

Wilson threw 22 pitches … and was not impressive.  He walked Bobby Abreu, hit Alex Rodriguez, struck out Xavier Nady, walked Robinson Cano, and then, with a 0-1 count, served up Richie Sexson’s 15th Career Grand Slam.

And then it got ugly. 

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During last night’s Orioles-Yankees game, the O’s put on the right field shift for Jason Giambi.

Baltimore Centerfielder Brian Roberts shifted towards Right Field to cut down on the lefty Giambi’s chances at getting a big hit (it worked earlier in the game) … and Giambi puts one through anyway.

And then, Giambi playfully lets Roberts know what he thinks of the shift.

Now if someone would do that after hitting a Home Run following an intentional walk, that’d be great.

Hat tip: Big League Stew

Okay, I really shouldn’t have even titled this a Jersey of the Week post.  I was looking for a good All-Star related jersey and simply couldn’t find one.

But it needed to be shared.  And since JotW is Home Run Derby’s showcase for baseball fans’ creativity in Jersey and T-Shirt art … I thought it belonged.

Check out the hair on this Beer Vendor at the 2008 All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium.

Awesome. 

That’s the famous Yankee Stadium frieze (in a modified 2008 All-Star Game Logo) and two stars with a 13 and a 2 inside of them for Yankee All-Stars Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter, respectively.  I’d guess there’s another star somewhere on that cranium with a 42 in it for Mariano Rivera.

All-Star Yankee Hair Rating

• Cleverness: 10
• Originality: 10
• Understandability: 8

I wonder how much time that took.  Does SuperCuts do that kind of work? 

If you know the name of this blog, you’ll know that we here at Home Run Derby LOVE the Home Run Derby.  It’s the most wonderful day of the year.

• The best thing about the MLB Home Run Derby is that it’s all just fun. 
  No pretentiousness about the sanctity of the game. 
• No forced urgency about home-field advantage during the World Series. 
• Heck, even the incoherent ramblings of Chris Berman and Joe Morgan on ESPN can’t ruin Home Run Derby for me.

But if you can’t stand the ESPN telecast… maybe you need a little something to take the edge off … like Home Run Derby’s Second Annual Home Run Derby Drinking Game!! 

We did this last year for the Home Run Derby in San Francisco and it was so much fun I had to call in sick the next day.  My arm hurt from raising my glass so much. 

I’m always in need of a day off from work … so let’s do it again !! 

Short Version

• Put 911 on speed dial
• Take a drink every time Chris Berman says “Back” as in “Back-Back-Back”
• Take a drink every time Joe Morgan says something stupid.
• Wake up next week

Longer (and more fun) version

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Continuing Home Run Derby’s quest to find the most unique and creative personalized baseball Jerseys/shirts we can find … we’ll stay in Dodger Stadium for a second week with a slightly more disturbing Jersey of the Week.

Apparently … The Devil is a Dodgers fan.

Frankly, I’m a little surprised.  I totally had the Prince of Darkness pegged as a Yankee fan.  Maybe he’s a Joe Torre fan and followed him to LA.  Or maybe ol’ Satan got a little disenfranchised when the Tampa Bay Rays changed their name from “Devil Rays” and started winning baseball games.

I’m kinda even more surprised that MLB would allow “SATAN” as a name on a Customized Authentic (or Replica - I can’t tell) Jersey. 

But lo and behold, if you try to customize a Dodgers Jersey with “SATAN 66″ at MLB.com at MLB.com … it works.

Mind you, you can’t get “666” as a number through the MLB.com shop.  I guess you gotta know someone to be able to pull that off.  Or put it on.  Take your pick.

SATAN 66 Jersey Rating:

• Cleverness: 6
• Originality: 6
• Understandability: 6

The Jersey loses points because it’s missing the third 6.

This really shouldn’t shock anyone, seeing as how fundamentalist preachers have been telling us that Los Angeles is a pit of sin for years.  And Dodgers uber-fan Alyssa Milano once played a Vampire in a movie, didn’t she?

David Dellucci, take a bow. 

Pinch-hitting is hard enough.  Sit on your duff for 7+ innings, get the notice that you are probably going to get at bat if the situation is right, go take a couple swings in the cage behind the dugout, swing the donut a bit, and go out there down by 1 run and 2 runners on and 2 out.

Oh, and you get to face Hank Steinbrenner’s favorite Yankee (but not Erin Andrews), Joba Chamberlain.  A single ties the game, but why not over-deliver?  Second pitch he sees … ding dong, the pitch is dead.  

And while Joba had a bad night last night, “his” team in the HRD, The Joba Rules, is building a nice cushion in our contest.  Through May 5th,  The Joba Rules had a seven Home Run cushion in the contest and was on the doorstep of breaking 100 Home Runs to date.

I think we might have found a new HRD whipping boy.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Ryan Howard untied a 2-2 ballgame with one swing and the Phillies went on to beat the visiting San Diego Padres. 

The win put the Phillies in sole possession of first place in the NL East.

Around the League:

Brewers 4  Cubs 3

The “Kerry Wood as closer” experiment might be just about over for the Chicago Cubs. 

Wood blew a 3-1 ninth inning lead and his third save in seven opportunities and visiting Milwaukee beat the Cubs 4-3 - wasting another great start by Carlos Zambrano.  Wood now has an ERA of 18.00 against the Brewers in three games at Wrigley. 

You get the sense that it’s only a matter of time until Carlos Marmol is the closer for the Northsiders.

Rays 4  Orioles 2

They’re on the cusp of history in Tampa Bay … as the AL East-leading Rays beat the  Orioles and moved to four games over .500 for only the third time in their 10+ year history. 

The Rays have never been five games over .500.

Maybe there was something to dropping the Devil.

Tigers 8  Yankees 4

The Tigers completed a three-game sweep of the the Yankees in New York.

Don’t look now, but since the Tigers started 0-7, they’ve gone on a 14-8 run.  And they’re now in a three-way tie for second place in the AL Central, only 1 1/2 games behind the  Chicago White Sox.