Tagged: Nick Johnson
Things Are Looking Up
Well, they were never really looking down. I mean the Yankees have been in first place for awhile now, but after tonight’s win they’re all alone at the top. Plus, most of the players’ ailing body parts are better.
Berkman’s ankle: Healed.
A-Rod’s calf: Probably fine.
Pettitte’s groin: Getting there.
Aceves’s back: Sounds okay.
Johnson’s wrist: Never mind.
Anyhow, Tex, Swisher, Posada stayed hot at the plate, and Granderson joined the party. Jeter? Am I the only one who thinks he’s not having a good time this season? He’s making the plays at short as gracefully as ever, but he’s missing that spark and I’m wondering if there’s something going on in his personal life. Or maybe he just needs a prescription for this.
As for Huuuughes, he got the “W,” thanks to his teammates’ offensive barrage, but it pains me to see him walk batters and pile up a lot of pitches. Doesn’t he remember that nibbling gets people in trouble?
Where Have You Been All My Life, Dustin Moseley?
The big news from today’s thrashing of the Jays was Brett Gardner’s slam, the Yankees’ 11-run third inning and Andy Pettitte’s continuing success. But what really got me going was the relief pitching by our most recent call-up, Dustin Moseley. Did you see that guy? He set the Jays down in the seventh and eighth as if he actually knew what he was doing. What a concept, given the state of our pen lately – and what a break if he can repeat his impressive performance over the second half of the season. I just had to find out more about him….
Yanks’ Moseley wants to forget 2009
Published: March 13, 2010
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TAMPA, Fla. – All Dustin Moseley can do about 2009 is shake his head, shrug and offer a laugh.
It was more frustrating than funny, though.
“It was a tough year, man,” Moseley said, smiling through the harsher reality. “But it definitely makes you thankful for the good or bad when you do go out there, and you come off the field still healthy.”
Walking off the field healthy is something Moseley has been able to do throughout this spring training, as he hopes to earn a spot in the big leagues with the Yankees and erase the memories of a rocky 2009 with the Angels.
It started off in the big leagues, and essentially, it ended on a trainer’s table in Arizona, with the former first-round draft pick surrounded by players who didn’t speak his language, himself facing an uncertain future and hoping a new treatment would get him back on the field before he had lost too much time.
In between, he battled health problems – hip soreness that led to a sore right arm and a lost season that ended with surgery and a series of experimental Platelet Rich Plasma injections to repair a torn labrum in his hip. He also battled tragedy – the death of his friend and fellow Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart in a car accident after making his first regular season start last April.
That pain hasn’t subsided.
Luckily for Moseley, the physical pain did.
The 6-foot-4, 190-pound right-hander spent parts of the last four seasons with the Angels, posting an 8-7 record and 5.41 ERA in 64 career games. After struggling to a 6.79 ERA in 2008, last season started off like it was going to be his best: He allowed three earned runs in six innings in his season debut against Oakland on April 7, then beat the Red Sox five days later when he surrendered only two runs in 5 ²/³ innings.
He’d leave his next start against Minnesota after three innings with a sore arm, though, and that would be the extent of his season. A lingering hip problem altered his mechanics, which caused the arm soreness. And even when the arm stopped bothering him, the hip didn’t.
“I’d think I’d be over it, and then I’d get out there and start going, and it would bother me again,” Moseley said.
By August, he settled on the inevitable. Surgery was necessary. But even after the surgery – the same one Alex Rodriguez went through last spring – the pain persisted.
Never mind staying in decent shape, Moseley’s hip ached after short jogs. He could throw well enough, but th
e mere physical process of doing so caused just about every other joint in his body to ache. To make a start every five days would have been impossible.
That’s why, even as the offers rolled in from interested organizations, Moseley wouldn’t entertain them.
“I signed the day before camp started, and it was because I told my agent, ‘I can’t have you tell them I’m ready when I’m not,'” Moseley said. “I would never have someone question my honesty or integrity. I finally got healthy, and I called him and said, ‘Dude, I can run sprints. I can run bleachers. I can throw. I can do everything now – finally.'”
His hope is that he can earn a spot on the Yankees’ opening-day roster. If not, he’ll go to Triple-A “with a smile on my face.”
This spring, he says he feels as healthy as ever, looking forward to life in a new organization and facing a new start.
“After these last two years,” he said, “I’ve got to be destined for a good one soon.”
***
Oy. Not wild about his injury history. Another one with a bum hip, never mind an arm? He says he’s healthy now. But that’s what Nick Johnson said.
Rocky Road
I wish I meant the ice cream. What a putrid trip to Detroit. Except for the outing by Hughes and Vazquez’s improved performance, what’s a Yankee fan to talk about? The boys looked flat and tired and just-plain eager to get home and sleep in their own beds.
CC labored today and the bottom of the order was overmatched (I actually laughed watching Golson’s knees buckle on those swings and misses at Verlander’s curve balls). And I won’t be sorry not to see Miguel Cabrera for awhile. Total Yankee Killer.
Bad trip aside, here’s the truth of the matter – the Yanks continued to win series for over a month, even with all the injuries piling up, and the party had to end sometime.
So let’s look on the bright side. Mo is fine now. Posada’s back. Swisher’s injury doesn’t sound serious. Chan Ho is getting ready to return to the team. Gardner and Cervelli have been revelations. Joba is where he belongs in the pen. Tex is coming around. And, of course, Cano is off to his best start in, like, ever. What I really, really want is for Granderson and Aceves to get healthy. Nick Johnson too, although I haven’t heard a word about him since he left the Yanks in Boston. Is he still breathing? Anyone?
As Clint Eastwood Would Say: “Get. Off. My. Yankees.”
I can’t pretend to be inside Josh Beckett’s head. (The thought of going anywhere near his head is highly unappealing.) So I can’t say with any certainty that he hit anybody on purpose in tonight’s 10-3 massacre at Fenway. But here’s what I think. He was cruising along with pinpoint control, striking out batter after batter. Then Swisher drove one out of the park for three runs. And the Beckster wasn’t amused. Or, as MLB’s Bryan Hoch put it, he became unhinged.
He pitched inside to Cano, hit him on the knee and knocked him out of the game. Just what we needed: another injury. Actually, not just another injury but an injury to our hottest hitter. The Beckster threw in the vicinity of Cervelli’s head twice, including once after Cisco had the nerve to step out of the batter’s box. And then we get to Jeter, who was plunked squarely on the #2 on his back. I was watching via the NESN feed (thanks, MLB Network), but it was easy to see how angry some of the Yankees were — CC, A-Rod, even Mo. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Mo mad, because normally he looks like this.
Anyhow, the Beckster basically handed the Yankees the ball game, but we did get timely hits too. (You go, Randy Winn.) And even better, we got another great performance by Huuughes. He got into trouble here and there but always managed to get himself out of it, and gave us seven strong innings. Kudos. I wish D-Rob would recapture his 2009 form, but maybe he needs some time in Scranton to work things out. Dunno. What I also don’t know is why the ump didn’t warn Beckett….and whether the Yankees will retaliate tomorrow with CC on the mound. If I were a Red Sock and CC plunked me, I sure wouldn’t charge the mound and risk looking at this.
On one hand, I want to see the Yankees send a message. On the other, we don’t need any ejections or suspensions, and we certainly don’t need more injuries. I mean, Nick Johnson. Wow. When I heard he had a sore wrist and was on his way to NY for an MRI, all I could think of was that he’s becoming this guy, only with a better attitude.
To sum up, in yesterday’s post I speculated that The Rivalry might be getting a little stale. Now? Not so much.
Big Win For The Yanks = Great Birthday For Me
Life was sweet on Sunday afternoon. My husband took me for a sail on the Pacific Ocean on a gorgeous California afternoon. He even let me steer the boat, which was a little crazy on his part; I have almost no sailing sense and there were seals, pelicans and other boats on either side of us.
It was really fun. The best part? While he was tacking or coming about or whatever sailors call it when they change direction, I whipped out my iPhone just in time to hear John Sterling say the Yankees were up 12-0. I stood up in the boat and yelled, “Woohoo!” No, it didn’t tip over and nobody got hurt. And yes, Melancon gave up the three-run homer about two seconds later, but who cared; I got the birthday present I asked for.
Apparently, I wasn’t the only one celebrating. What a day for Gardner and Swisher. Cano too. And Tex – wow. Even Nick Johnson woke up, and Thames made a web gem-worthy catch. I watched a replay of the game after I got home and saw it all – including, of course, the spectacular performance by Hughes. Number five pitcher? No way. So confident. Such command. And he kept the pressure on the White Sox, even though his offense gave him one of these.
(The cushion, not the kid.)
I’m concerned that Granderson will be out for awhile, that A-Rod may or may not have a sore knee and that the bullpen needs some tweaking, never mind Vazquez. But the good news is that the 2010 version of the Yankees is reminding me of the 2009 version — i.e. when somebody goes down, somebody else steps up. The only thing we’re missing so far is this.
No walk-off hero yet. But it’s still early. And speaking of food, my birthday involved a really good dinner at one of Santa Barbara’s most scenic restaurants, the Boathouse.
This place isn’t just near the beach. It’s on it. Take a look at the view from our table, about a half hour before sunset.
Thanks to all for the lovely birthday wishes — here and on Twitter and Facebook. They were much appreciated. Back to business on Monday. The O’s have to be feeling pretty good about themselves after their sweep of the Red Sox. It’ll be up to CC to squash their hopes and dreams — and to the hitters to stay out of Jeremy Guthrie’s way. If I were facing Guthrie, I’d step up to the plate wearing this.
An Open Letter To The Yankees
Dear Yankees,
It’s my birthday tomorrow (Sunday, May 2nd), so I’ll be taking the day off from blogging, tweeting and watching/listening to the finale against the White Sox. While I’m out celebrating, here’s what I’d like to happen on your end.
* Heal Curtis Granderson’s groin. (Chan Ho Park’s hammy too.)
* Insist that Kevin Long fix Nick Johnson’s swing.
* Make Dave Eiland figure out what’s wrong with Robertson, Marte and, yes, Vazquez. (More on him in a sec.)
* Give Sergio Mitre a raise.
* Let A-Rod know that no one will mind if he passes Frank Robinson on the home run list.
* Remind Cano that April streaks are nice, but it’s good to hit in May too.
* Congratulate Swisher for busting out of his Yankee Stadium slump.
* If you must call up Melancon, tell him not to plunk anybody.
* Instead of using Thames/Winn in left, how about calling up Jon Weber or Colin Curtis.
* Tell Javy I didn’t boo him today. Well, not out loud. Sure, I want him to pitch better, but it’s not as if he’s screwing up on purpose. So tell him I support him…for now.
* Please win on my birthday. You hardly ever do, but try.
Love and xxoo, She-Fan
P.S. I got birthday flowers from Mike Fierman, Friend of the Blog and all-around great guy. Take a look!
P.P.S. I also got a cake from Melissa!!!
How Do You Spell Relief?
Not this way…
Or this way…
Or even this way…
Not tonight in Baltimore anyway. What a putrid game for the Yankees, wasn’t it? Especially after Hughes gave yet another gutsy performance? I was working while the game was on, so I had the TV on in the background. Every time the Yanks would do something stupid (walk a batter, hit a batter, make a throwing error, kill a rally), I would turn around to look and then do this.
Well, I felt like it. Maybe the players were tired from all their parading around Washington. Or maybe they ate some bad crab cakes in Baltimore. On the other hand, maybe the O’s were just due for a win, poor darlings. All I know is that it was as if the real Yankees had been taken over by little league Yankees.
I also know that we need Chan Ho Park to come off the DL…And for Nick Johnson to stop walking and start hitting…And for A-Rod, Tex and Grandy to be the mashers we know they are…And for Cano to ride this beautiful streak of his until the end of the season when he will surely win the AL Batting Crown.
Things will be better with CC on the mound tomorrow. How do I know that? Because there’s not much for the players to do in Baltimore, so they’ll get a good night’s sleep.
Before I sign off, I’d like to give a shout out to she-fans extraordinaire and friends of this blog, Serena and Lisa, whose own Traveling Baseball Babes is one of my favorite blogs. They’re organizing a terrific fundraising event in Hicksville, LI in June called “Fred K’s Cancer.” Both of their fathers are named Fred and both men are cancer survivors (and big baseball fans), so Serena and Lisa decided to educate people about their diseases in a very special way. They created a Fred K’s Cancer blog, so please check it out and read about their fab event!
Has Pettitte Been Drinking From The Fountain Of Youth?
He was absolutely spectacular today in the Yanks’ 7-1 win over the Angels. I mean, eight innings with eight K’s and zero walks? So what if he’s showing a few gray hairs. OK, more than a few. Maybe someone will get him a box of this.
All I know is that he pitched like an ageless wonder and it couldn’t have come at a better time, given the Yankees’ modest two-game losing streak and the prospect of facing the same Pineiro who stymied our offense recently. The good news there was that it wasn’t the same Pineiro. This version got hit early and often.
Everybody (almost) contributed offensively, with Cano, Swisher and Cervelli deserving special mention. And then there was Brett Gardner, batting second in place of the injured Nick Johnson. (I was snarky on Twitter; I said Johnson hurt his back because he finally swung at a pitch. Bad me.) Gardner was a revelation, not only playing his running game but spanking the ball. Would it be a stretch to hope he develops into the kind of #2 hitter some of us have been missing?
Well? He’s got more speed. He has a better arm in left field. And he slaps hits around, like Damon does. He doesn’t have Damon’s power, but maybe that’ll come. In the meantime, he was fun to watch today. Doesn’t he kind of look like Damon here?
Also worth a mention was Marte. Nice job, Maso or whatever nickname Girardi has given you. Up next? Vazquez. I’d really like the Yankees to win this series, which means that Javy will have to hold up his end. Or, if he falters, it’s possible we could see Mitre…unless he really has gone missing.
Huuuuuuuuughes!
What a difference a day makes. Tuesday night’s game was kind of a snooze, but tonight’s? I was on the edge of my seat every second.
From the first inning, it was clear that Phil Hughes had it going. He worked quickly, threw strikes, had good velocity, looked determined. The A’s batters went down, one after the other (well, except for a walk), and before I knew it, it was the seventh inning – and Hughes hadn’t given up a hit. Would he throw a no-hitter? Would he? My heart was racing and my palms were sweaty.
Into the eighth we went. Hughes got out #1. Big sigh. Then up came Eric Chavez, Oh, no! His stupid chopper back to the mound bounced off Hughes’ chest and he made it to first for an infield single. What a way to break up the no-no! Bummer!
The Yankees offense, by the way, wasn’t exactly teeing off on Ben Sheets. He gave up back to back triples to A-Rod and Cano (yes, triples!), and an RBI ground out to Posada, but that was it. So when Hughes started to falter in the eighth, the Yanks were only up 2-0. Joba allowed one of Hughes’ base runners to score for 2-1. I felt my throat close up at that point.
But the inning ended without further damage and the Yanks provided some insurance in the ninth (huge single for Gardner, scoring Granderson to put us up 3-1). Then came Mo.
Normally, I figure “game over.” But Mo – shockingly – gave up a single to Sweeney, then he hit Suzuki. He looked sort of annoyed by the whole thing and promptly got down to business. The A’s didn’t score, the win was preserved for Hughes and the Yankees’ consecutive series streak is now at five – which hasn’t been matched for the franchise since 1926.
Nick Johnson and Mark Teixeira still aren’t hitting, Randy Winn may never get a hit, and the A’s fans and their “Yankees suck” chant were obnoxious, but who cares. The night belonged to Hughes. He was brilliant.
The Yankees Are Doing It All
When I lived in Florida, there was a guy who came around after hurricanes and hauled off downed tree branches, repaired leaky roofs, fixed whatever needed fixing. The name on his business card? Johnny Do It All. Today, the Yankees filled that job description with their second consecutive win against the Rangers. How?
* Fantastic starting pitching by A.J.
* Killer speed and timely hitting by Gardner.
* Home run power from Jeter and A-Rod (congrats to Alex on #584).
* Offense by Posada (congrats to JoPo on career hit #1500).
* Terrific plate discipline by Swisher and Johnson.
* Excellent relief work by Marte and Joba.
The win was a total team effort and a pleasure to watch, because it really did have a little of everything. Sure, I wish Tex would get hot already, as I wrote yesterday. And it wasn’t a pretty outing for Aceves. But Texas came into town sizzling and now they’ve already lost the series. I don’t really know what a buzz saw is, but I bet the Rangers are feeling like they’ve run into one.
Will the Yankees sweep on Sunday? Better get the broom out just in case.
Confessions of a She-Fan 