High and Tight.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Cashman Restores Balance to Universe

Ok, so maybe that's a little bit of hyperbole, but the Yankees have optioned Sean Henn to Scranton and recalled Chris Britton.

Now since it's Red Sox-Yankees, we'll hear about how Torre wants to "find the right spot" to bring him in and "not throw him into the fire" all the while forgetting that he pitched in the AL East last year.

Labels: brian cashman, chris britton, joe torre, roster moves, scranton, sean henn

posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 2:17 PM 0 comments

Monday, August 27, 2007

Are You Intentionally Trying to Throw the Season?

Cashman. Torre.

I've been posting about this for seemingly forever. I have sent you personal emails.

Enough is enough.

If Sean Henn's 79 pitches in 2+ innings with 8 hits, 7 runs and 5 walks - yes, that's 13 baserunners in 2.2 innings - isn't enough to convince you that he should NOT be a major leaguer and that Chris Britton should, there's really no other explanation other than you're intentionally tanking the season.

I'm out of other theories.

Labels: brian cashman, chris britton, joe torre, roster moves, scranton, sean henn

posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 7:52 PM 3 comments

Friday, August 24, 2007

"Mild Lower Back Strain" My Ass

So Bruney's been recalled and Villone is going to the DL because of a "minor lower back strain."

My take: phony injury, created in order to keep Villone on the DL past Sept 1, so that once rosters expand they can keep both and wait to decide whether to put either Bruney or Villone on the postseason roster.

Analysis: Crafty move if you want to keep Villone as an option, but still wrong if Britton is left to rot in AAA.

Labels: brian bruney, chris britton, ron villone, roster moves, scranton

posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 2:54 PM 8 comments

Chris Britton another victim of Torre's "Circle of Trust"?

Rumors persist that something happened in Spring Training that caused Torre to lose faith in Britton. The guy's been tearing it up in AAA, and during his brief visit to the Bronx this season gave up 1 ER in 5 IP.

Rather than getting promoted again, Britton has been forced to watch as Henn, Karstens, Ramirez, Bruney, Brower, Chamberlain, Bean, Rasner, Villone (and I'm sure someone I'm forgetting) have been promoted instead of him to the Yankees' bullpen.

I know Torre wants "a lefty." But there's no reason to have "a lefty" if said "lefty" (Henn) is only used as your long reliever.

Free Chris Britton!

Labels: bullpen, chris britton, scranton

posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 11:47 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Wrapping Up the Deadline Deals

Lots of smoke, very little fire. As opposed to every analyst on ESPN who is going completely apeshit for Boston's aquisition of Gagne, I'm glad the Yankees didn't mortgage the future for a guy who will throw at best 18-20 innings for the rest of the year. Now I know Boston is probably more interested in using Gagne in the post season, but they already had a good bullpen, and all Gagne does is take away opportunities from Delcarmen and Okajima. I don't think Boston improved all that much. Gagne would have been much more valuable to the Yankees, Brewers, or Mets, which makes this deal all the more strange.

Trading for Wilson Betemit is a good move. It's not splashy, and Torre probably won't play him very much, but at least now there's a better option than Miguel Cairo. Cairo needs to go. I know Torre will object, but with Betemit and Phillips, you have two guys who can play every IF position. Duncan can play first if needed, as can Giambi when he's back. The Torre loyalty needs to no longer extend to the bench, and Cairo needs to be DFA when Giambi is back. He can't hit and isn't needed defensively anymore.

Speaking of Torre blind loyalty, does anyone else get the feeling that maybe Cashman made the deal in order to take away Torre's favorite toy? Besides the fact that the abused arm of Proctor is likely to have a breakdown, Torre was using Proctor in ridiculous and unneccesary situations all season (and last as well) at the expense of other relievers who were not getting any work and then would be thrown into the fire once every two weeks and relegated to rot in the 'pen again when they (surprise!) didn't perform well after the layoff.

Having Proctor gone allows Chamberlain to get some more opportunities, so he doesn't turn into another Edwar Ramirez or Chris Britton or Sean Henn. I remember Torre saying they were "looking for an opportunity" to use Ramirez, and the following game he used proctor with a 5 or 6 run lead. If you won't trust a kid there, you never will. Same with his statement about using Duncan as the DH as long as he keeps mashing and then benching him for nearly an entire road trip.

I'm hoping Cashman recognized this and made the move in order to protect Torre (and the Yankees) from himself.

This should be evidence enough that Torre is unfit to manage this team, or any team without "veterans with pre-defined roles." Bring on Girardi or Mattingly in 2008. Something in my gut tells me that's been the plan all along, and a possible reason why Girardi turned down the Orioles.

Labels: brian cashman, bullpen, chris britton, don mattingly, edwar ramirez, eric gagne, joba chamberlain, joe girardi, joe torre, redsox, scott proctor, sean henn, trades, trading deadline, wilson betemit