WHY THE 2012 YANKEES WILL LOOK DIFFERENT: PART 1

Should he stay or should he go? That is the question. Here is one man’s bitter opinion:
Brian Cashman: 13 Playoff appearances, 11 Division winners, 6 AL Pennants, 4 World Titles in 14 years. Well, you can’t argue with success. Cash seems to do well under the New York pressure and even though the checkbook is huge it's often the cheaper, less publicized
moves that pay off. Cash stays as long as he’s willing to master the circus.

Joe Girardi: The Yanks are 384-264 with 1 World Title in Girardi’s 4 seasons at the helm. Joe has done a decent job but there are times where he seems to over-manage. He seems to rely more on his binder and less on the flow of the game; which is strange for a former catcher. Girardi has shown he can handle the New York media but I wonder who is handling the egos in the clubhouse. Maybe it's time for a change…Luis Ayala: 2-2, 2.09 ERA in 52 games. Ayala was wasn’t too bad. He’s serviceable out of the bullpen; a place where good pitching is hard to come by. My gut was to let him go, it seemed like runners were always scoring on him, but after analyzing the numbers he fared quite well
with runners in scoring position. I have little doubt but to bring him back.

AJ Burnett: 11-11, 5.15 ERA, 173 Ks in 33 games. Do I really need to say it? As inconsistent as he was this year, it was actually an improvement over 2010. He’s the victim of his own mind. He can throw good stuff when he wants. It's all mental for this guy. Maybe the pressure is too much. He’s signed through 2013 so it doesn’t matter that I’d dump him quicker than it takes to say AJ.
(Photo: Getty)
Joba Chamberlain: 2-0, 2.83 ERA in 27 games. He was just starting to get it together before he got hurt. Clearly the Joba rules messed this kid up. I say trade him while he still get some value. He’s probably only worth a few prospects, but maybe he could have the same success
as his buddy Ian Kennedy is having elsewhere.

Bartolo Colon: 8-10, 4.00 ERA, 135 Ks in 29 games. At 38, Bartolo pitched better than anyone would have expected, and I thank him for his service and everything he did for the Yanks this year, but if the last 2 months are any indication, I wonder if there’s any gas left in the tank or is it time to head off to the scrap yard.Pedro Feliciano: He lost the entire season to injury. He’s signed for 2012 with a team option for 2013. Right now there’s no guarantee he’ll throw next year either. Looks like Hal will be eating this $8 million.

Freddy Garcia: 12-8, 3.62 ERA, 96 Ks in 26 games. Another guy with zero expectations but delivered mightily. While he is less overpowering than he used to be, he knows how to pitch and still be effective. The Yanks would be crazy not to give him another chance. He was quite the bargain at $1.5 million. Maybe he gets a bump next year!

Phil Hughes: 5-5, 5.79 ERA, 47 Ks in 17 games. While 2011 was another year of highs, lows, and injury; Hughes may not be the starter the Yanks thought he’d be. But as he showed late in the season he might be a bullpen threat. Casey even wrote about it with WHY THE PEN IS WHERE HUGHES BELONGS. I say trade him while he still has some value or
keep him and leave him in the pen.

Boone Logan: 5-3, 3.46 ERA in 64 games. I’m sorry but to be the only lefty in the bullpen you need to be a little more dominating. He gave up more hits than innings pitched and lefties had an OPS of .789. That’s way too high for the only lefty in the bullpen. There’s got to
be something better out there.
Damaso Marte: Marte is 2-6 with a 6.02 ERA in the 4 years he’s been here. He continues to be hampered by the injury bug, there’s nothing that says he’ll ever get back and be effective. The team holds an option for 2012 which should be declined without question.

Sergio Mitre: 11.81 ERA in 4 games. Why did he come back? And what is Girardi’s love affair with this guy. I wouldn’t even trust him to pitch peanuts in the stands. Get rid of him...now.

Hector Noesi: 2-2, 4.47 ERA in 30 games. I see a lot of promise in this guy. Over the last 2 seasons he’s been quite effective at Trenton and Scranton. Even at the major league level he had glimpses of effectiveness. If given the chance he could turn out to be a great # 2
or #3 starter in the rotation.

Ivan Nova: 16-4, 3.70 ERA, 98 Ks in 28 games. What a future this kid will have if he keeps this up. He definitely stepped it up this year. He was a big reason why the Yanks won the division this year. Nova was 12-0 in 16 starts from June 10th on. It's clear this kid will be here
for years to come.
Mariano Rivera: 1-2, 1.91 ERA, 44 Saves. He’s 41 and still doing it with just one pitch. The greatest closer ever can stay as long as he wants.

David Robertson: 4-0, 1.08 ERA, 100 Ks in 70 games. How many times did he come in with a runner on 3rd and nobody out and got out of it without giving up a run? He is the bonafide setup guy to Mariano and the heir-apparent for the closer role.CC Sabathia: 19-8, 3.00 ERA, 230 Ks in 33 starts. CC is the ace of this staff and was a workhorse. Maybe he tired during the stretch which led to his less than stellar performance in the playoffs. He’s owed $92 mil over the next 4 years but can opt-out now. After the
A-Rod drama from a few years back, I fully believe CC is opting out. The big question is, then what? I’m thinking with few viable #1 starter options out there, the Yanks will pay and pay big for Sabathia to come back.

Rafael Soriano: 2-3, 4.12 ERA in 42 games. I never liked this signing. Soriano is selfish and does not seem to be happy in the setup role. Bruised egos are a clubhouse cancer. He’s signed through 2013, but has an opt-out clause and I sure hope he uses it.
(Photo: Getty)
Cory Wade: 6-1, 2.04 ERA in 40 games. Wade signed with the Yanks midway through the season after being released by the Rays AAA team. He joined the bullpen and was an instant success. Hopefully Girardi didn’t overuse him and his arm holds up next year and he can become a cornerstone of the Yanks pen.

More is coming... look for Part 2 soon.

-- Lem Allen, BYB Freelance Writer
bybcurmudgeon@gmail.com




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WHY BYB YANKEE NEWS IS GOOD FOR YOU

A few notes about some of the Yankees that are such brief updates, I wanted to just let you know about them and didn’t want to waste your time with an entire post. I added alittle of my opinion as well... so sue me. Check it out:

Joba Chamberlain: Joba sent about a tweet earlier today to let all of Yankeeland know that he started catch today. It is important for 1 important reason, Joba Chamberlain is on schedule. That’s good, especially after Tommy John Surgery, it takes several weeks to get back on track. Joba's up to his 14th week. I know, everyone’s forgotten about good ol’ Joba. With the bullpen we have right now, who needs him, right? I like the kid and I'm looking forward to him returning. No doubt if Joba Chamberlain was healthy he’d be contributing in that amazing pen too. It just so happens he got hurt... that’s life and that’s baseball. By the way, speaking of our awesome pen, be sure to read WHY THE YANKEES PEN IS THE BEST IN BASEBALL.

Francisco Cervelli: Cervelli has been battling concussion symptoms for a few weeks now and it was revealed today by Joe Girardi that Cervelli will not be on the postseason roster. Read HERE. This is Cervelli’s 3^rd concussion. Well, look, my only point is, do we really need Cervelli anyway at this point? We have Russell Martin as our primary catcher and kids like Austin Romine and Jesus Montero anyway. Plus, Jorge Posada is on the bench and I’m sure ready to pounce if needed. The other underlying question are of those three guys, which of them will make the postseason roster to back up Martin. With Cervelli now on the shelf and normally the backup catcher, the Yankees will clearly need to bring 1 backup and 1 bench guy, I would guess. I suspect if the Yankees had to choose, they would pick Jorge Posada for bench help as well as for veteran experience. I suspect they’d bring Jesus Montero because of his power bat as well as his back up catching abilities. Who knows, maybe they can bring Romine too. I'd love to see Romine and Montero both on the postseason rosters.

Phil Hughes: Phil was supposed to pitch today but due to back spasms, they scratched him at the last minute for Hector Noesi. What a year for Hughes, he’s had plenty of problems this year. It seems the back spasms have been bothering him for about a week and started when the team was in Toronto. This is the first time in Hughes career that he’s experienced back issues. Read HERE.

When more Yankees notes come about, I’ll be sure to bring them to you here at Bleeding Yankee Blue. Promise.

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WHY BYB YANKEE NOTES ARE AWESOME

Lots of Yankee name dropping and lots of information coming out of Yankeeland, take a look:Mariano Rivera: The New York Times has a story about how Mariano Rivera saying he’d like to play center field at least 1 time before the end of his career. Sure after 600 saves, that’s the logical next step, but let’s be honest, even though I’m curious about how he’d do, why are we talking about this? We in sports are constantly talking about how we hate old guys in the outfield, right? Even when Johnny Damon was here, many thought he just couldn't hack centerfield, and he was younger than Mo and a trained outfielder. When the discussion came about about Derek Jeter eventually moving to the outfield (Read it HERE), sports writers were suggesting how silly it was. Outfield is about youth and speed out there. I will say this though, Mo is one of the most athletic pitchers out there and he’s got some speed in him. I bet if anyone was to do it, Mo could. Read about it HERE.

Francisco Cervelli: If you didn’t know, you know now; Cervelli was put on the 15 day DL because of concussion symptoms. Read about it HERE. The Yankees also have a lot of catchers right now, so what’s the rush, right? Between Russell Martin, Austin Romine, Jesus Montero and maybe Jorge Posada, we got home plate covered. According to Billy Eppler, a Yankee scout, this was done so there is a record of it. I can see it now, they’ll give Cervelli a clean bill of health…and he’ll fist pump.

Pedro Feliciano: With rotator cuff surgery just completed for Feliciano, you can kiss this lefty goodbye. I just read Dan Barbarisi’s piece HERE and it pretty much maps out the fact that Feliciano will never pitch as a New York Yankee. I was fun while it lasted. Actually, no it wasn’t, this was a silly signing because it was suggested he was hurt when he came to the Yankees. Pedro pitched a lot for the Mets and it’s clear, they killed this poor guy's career. Maybe one day he’ll get back out there, but not in New York, that’s for sure.

Ian Kennedy: Anyone notice one of our old babies is “All groweds up” as Vince Vaughn famously said in Swingers. Ian Kennedy is 19-4 with the Arizona Diamondbacks this year. Good for him. I never really cared for Kennedy because I probably bought into all the hype of Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes at the time. One things for sure though, Kennedy is surging and he’s the only one having a good season out of the three. It makes you think, that’s all. Read about Kennedy HERE.

When more names and more info is available on anything Yankees, we'll give it to you. Keep it here on Bleeding Yankee Blue.

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THE RISE OF NOVA, THE FALL OF BURNETT

(Photo: Getty)

The idea that Ivan Nova has 13 wins is unbelievable to me. This is a guy that I was ripping on last season and suddenly, with all the commotion of Joba Chamberlain having Tommy John surgery, Phil Hughes getting his mystery dead arm issue and AJ Burnett imploding right in front of our eyes, Ivan Nova has emerged and has made an announcement without his voice, but instead his arm. "I am here to stay and I will help lead the New York Yankees."

(Photo: Getty/2010)

Last season, Ivan Nova was brand spanking new with the Yankees big club, and his numbers reflect that, 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA in 10 games. He walked 17 and struck out 26 in 42 innings. Not outstanding by any means but for a new kid, not horrible. The biggest thing for me last season was the way he handled himself on the mound. It was clear that he was unsure of himself, had no confidence and he appeared nervous. When men got on base, he fell apart and didn't know how to handle the batter, always thinking about the men on base. Those men usually came around to score. It bothered the crap out of me. Ironically, it sounds very familiar to veteran AJ Burnett these days, doesn't it?But something happened to Ivan Nova, he matured. When he went down to Scranton, he transformed and even though he probably shouldn't have gone, be came back stronger and in turn had nudged his way into where AJ Burnett currently calls home, the number 2 spot. This season, Nova is 13-4 wit ha 3.97 ERA. in 124.2 innings pitched, he has 74 strikeouts and 43 walks. He's allowed 129 hits and his WHIP is 1.380. He's managed prove to everyone, he's on a mission.



Bottom line, If CC Sabathia can become the dominant CC he has been all season and get out of his recent funk and if Nova continues to pitch well, that to me is a great start going into the playoffs. Then we need to hope Freddy Garcia comes back healthy, which he should and Bartolo Colon needs to stay durable and not breakdown. Finally, will Phil Hughes continue his 18 win days like last year finally? We hope so, his last few outings have looked real good. All this needs to happen and it will give us a shot.

(Photo: Getty)

Sadly, no one, and I mean no one is expecting much from AJ Burnett these days and it's sad the way it's unfolding but the bottom line is you have to deliver if you're in the Yankees rotation. He's not... Ivan Nova is. Let's hope it continues for Nova or we're about to have a serious problem going into the playoffs.



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WHY DELLIN BETANCES IS A YANKEE BRIGHT SPOT

Everyone loves a homegrown player. There's something about the Jeters and Marianos of the world that just endear themselves to their adoring fans. Well for Yankees fans, at least part of it is the feeling of being able to watch them come through in the clutch, say "SEE! SEE! We don't pay for all our good players!" and smile smugly in the face of your Mets fan friend (Who is most likely imaginary, I mean, a Mets fan? Come on.) More generally, it's knowing that the young man has never known another team and that he journeyed all the way from the Rk leagues to make the big leagues.



There's no denying it, homegrown players are the closest to the fans' hearts. But how often do you get a chance to look at a player and say that he's literally playing right at home?Dellin Betances took one huge step towards becoming that guy, the hometown hero, last Thursday when he made his AAA debut. It was no easy task facing the IL 1st place Durham Bulls, and early on it looked like Betances would fold under the pressure. However, he settled down to put together a phenomenal start. As is usual with young pitchers, the numbers don't tell the whole story. Nevertheless, here they are: 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 7 H, 8 K, 0 BB



Two numbers immediately jump out from that line. The 8 strikeouts and 0 walks. Dellin has had command issues all year long. For a while I suspected he needed to pitch to contact a bit more, but apparently I know nothing. In Dellin's last 3 starts, he's struck out a whopping 20 while walking only 2. Obviously a K/BB ratio of 10 isn't something you'd expect to last, not even with Mariano Rivera, but such a marked improvement over the rest of his season is a huge accomplishment, regardless of longevity. I always say his potential is somewhere between AJ Burnett and Felix Hernandez, but he's making a case for me to move that floor up a good bit.



After those two numbers, you probably noticed that he just managed to put together a quality start. However, as I said, the numbers don't tell the story at all, so here's a quick recap of his outing:



Betances immediately went on cruise control, retiring the side 1-2-3 in his first ever work in AAA. I think he got a bit too comfortable up there because come the 2nd inning he couldn't miss a bat. Dellin allowed 3 hits, scoring 2 runs for the Bulls before escaping further danger. The 3rd inning didn't start off much better, as a he yielded his 3rd run of the game on a Tim Beckham lead off home run. After getting the 1st out of the inning, he gave up a 1 out double to put himself in danger again. I'll be perfectly honest, I started making excuses like "Well, his stuff looks good, it's his first AAA start, Durham's a great team..." Dellin would have none of my BS.Betances quickly struck out 2010 IL MVP Dan Johnson and Russ Canzler to strand Stephen Vogt in scoring position. He would not allow another hit until a 2 out Canzler single in the 6th inning. At one point he retired 7 straight, a streak which would've been extended to 10 if not for Luis Nuñez's fielding error in the 4th.



Dellin got into a mini jam in the 6th, allowing back to back 2 out singles, one of which nailed him in the leg, but he got Daniel Mayora to strike out swinging to end his impressive AAA debut.



What I saw from the 3rd inning on was honestly one of the most impressive performances I've ever seen from a minor league pitcher. Nobody could touch him. His 95-96 fastball was popping Montero's glove, his biting curve ball was making hitters look foolish, and he even appeared to flash the occasional change-up. It was hard to get a detailed view of his pitches because of the absolutely awful lone camera angle displayed throughout the entire broadcast, but it didn't take much to see that after he gave up that early 3rd run, he was in control.



If Dellin can repeat Thursday's performance every 5 days for the rest of the season, I see no reason he won't be a front runner to land a spot in the rotation for 2012. Some scouting reports say he's still a bit of a thrower rather than a pitcher, similar to what Joba Chamberlain was initially like. However his declining walk totals and increasingly economic pitching tell me that he's really starting to harness his potential. With such rapid improvement, we may be getting our very own hometown hero soon. And unlike David Cone, he can't ditch his hometown team and go to the Yankees, he's already here!



On an interesting side note, Andrew Brackman relieved Betances in the 7th inning. Much to my surprise, he looked very, very good. His outing was spoiled by a 2 run homer in the 8th inning, but for the most part he looked completely in control. His season numbers still sit at an unspectacular, to say the least, 6.83, 2-6.

(In Photo: Andrew Brackman)

However, since being moved from long relief to short relief, Brackman's found much more success. In his last 10 games he has not had a decision, but has maintained a 4.13 ERA and perhaps most importantly held batters to a measly .152 average. Those numbers are even better excluding some long relief appearances, such as when he walked 9 batters in 3.1 innings on July 29th. Since the beginning of August, his ERA is 2.89. Look for a more in depth analysis in a retrospective Killer Bs update article coming later this week.







--Grant Cederquist, BYB Staff Writer

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WHY CASHMAN HAS 1 MAJOR FLAW

Look, don't get me wrong, Brian Cashman has done a good job for the Yankees as GM since 1998, if he hadn't he would be gone by now. But, there is one major flaw that Cashman has and that's his inability to develop elite starting pitching through the system.

Before we look at some pitchers that were drafted and developed in the Cashman era ask yourself this question: Since Andy Pettitte, how many starting pitchers have the Yankees built through their system and have become elite? Answer: Not very many, in fact, none. So, let's look at some of the top starting pitching prospects the Yankees have had.
(Photo: Getty)
Joba Chamberlain: In 2008 Joba was ranked #3 overall in the Baseball America Top 100 prospect list after a 0.38 ERA in 19 games. Joba was ahead of current aces on that list from Clayton Kershaw, David Price, and Clay Buchholz, so obviously, everyone around baseball believed he would be an elite starter. But, the Yankees had bullpen issues in 2007, so he needed to come up and be a reliever. In 2008, he continued as a reliever, then transitioned to a starter, then went back to a reliever all in one season. In 2009, he was a starter for the entire year, and then shifted to the bullpen going into the postseason, and he's been a reliever ever since. Now, he's currently on the shelf due to Tommy John surgery earlier this season. In his career, Chamberlain has started 43 games and has a 12-7 record with a 4.18 ERA, not exactly “ace” like.

As a reliever he has an 8-6 record in 150 career outings with a 3.03 ERA. Clearly he's a better reliever, and flip flopping back and forth from the rotation to the bullpen has screwed up his development as an elite starting pitcher. Believe me, Cashman didn't want Chamberlain to be a seventh or eighth inning pitcher considering he was the #3 prospect in 2008. You can read that prospect list HERE.
(Photo: Getty)
Phil Hughes: Like Chamberlain, Phil Hughes had to be rushed to the majors because of pitching issues. He came up in May 2007 because the Yankees needed a starter and he pitched pretty well for a 21 year old, going 5-3 with a 4.46 ERA. In 2008 he was terrible, going 0-4 with a 6.62 ERA. In 2009, he was a starter for the first part of the season going 3-2 with a 5.45 ERA. Just like 2007 and 2008, the Yankees had bullpen issues, and he was used there instead of being sent down to AAA to continue his development. However, he flourished in the bullpen going 5-1 with a 1.40 ERA. That's nice, but for the #4 ranked prospect in the 2007 Baseball America's top prospect list, I'm sure Cashman thought he'd be like aces Tim Lincecum, Clayton Kershaw, Clay Buchholz, and Ubaldo Jimenez who Phil was ahead of that year. Sure Hughes went 18-8 last season, with his first career All-Star game, but he fizzled out in the second half going 7-6 with a 4.90 ERA. We all know about his issues this season with an ERA over 13.00 in three starts to begin the season before going on the DL with a dead arm and shoulder inflammation.. Since his return from the DL his velocity hasn't come back, and he's 1-2 with a 5.48 ERA.

Others: Here's some names you that most of you don't know that were top starting pitching prospects for the Yanks:
(In Photo: Ryan Bradley)
Ryan Bradley #25 in 1999
Adrian Hernandez #66 in 2001
Brandon Claussen #37 in 2002

There wasn't even a top 100 pitching prospect until Phil Hughes in 2006 when he was ranked 39th that year. You can read the entire list HERE.
(Photo: New York Daily News)
Currently the Yankees have two starting pitching prospects in the 2011 Baseball America Top 50 prospect list with Manny Banuelos at #13 and Dellin Betances at #26. We'll see soon enough if Banuelos and Betances can meet expectations, but based on the last 13 years I wouldn't be surprised if both of them didn't meet those expectations.



--Jesse Schindler, BYB Staff Writer






--Jeana Bellezza, BYB Associate Editor




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WHY WORRY? MY YANKEES RELIEVER SOLUTION

The Yankees are definitely in need of another middle reliever to go along with the fabulous DRob, the unknown RaSo, and the GOAT...Mariano Rivera. Joba Chamberlain would have been mentioned along with these 3 except for the fact that he is out for the season, and the Bombers need a replacement for him. Here are a few possible candidates to fill his void.

• Adam Warren: Warren has pitched well this year in AAA, posting a 6-3 record with a respectable 3.29 ERA. He is a strikeout pitcher that has a career high 15 strikeouts in one game on August 17, 2010. Could he become the next Joba story, with a better ending? Let's find out. Read about Warren HERE.

• JC Romero: Romero is a former proven big time pitcher with the Phillies. The Yankees signed him last week to a minor league contract, and maybe this lefty could resurrect his career. Read it HERE.

• Brandon League: His name has been coming up as the Mariners are once again sellers at the trade deadline. Read about League HERE. Too bad it seems they won't be selling King Felix. Maybe League could convince his buddy Felix to ask for a trade to the Yankees.
  

These are my reliever ideas. What do you think? Is there anyone I left off of this list? Let me know, and also be sure to add Bleeding Yankee Blue on Blackberry Messenger!



--Will Cohen, BYB Staff Writer

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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 ROBERTSON MAKES US PROUD

When David Robertson started the 2011 season, he was just another guy in the Yankee bullpen, someone capable of contributing but in the shadows of Joba Chamberlain and Rafael Soriano and Mariano Rivera… The 3 Headed Monster… remember that?

Well, David Robertson pitched in the All-Star Game in Phoenix and it’s a well deserved invitation and an even better performance. Why? Because with guys like Joba Chamberlain and Rafael Soriano out with injury, DRob stepped up to keep the bullpen on track and leading the pen to Mo, and you know what? He’s been a huge success.

It was never the intention to use Robertson that way, but because of his talent and dedication to his team, this young man deserves this honor. Robertson is just so damn likable and to see him out there representing in the 2^nd inning of the All-Star Game was awesome. I know someone else who loved every minute of it, my son, David’s biggest fan. Read WHY ROBERTSON'S AN INSPIRATION.

Check out DRob's line this year: 2-0 with a 1.27 ERA in 38 games. He has 35.1 IPs, allowed 5 ER and has struck out 56 while only walking 23.

Yes, it’s true, many Yankees were voted in and chosen to go to the All-Star game this year, but this one sticks with me as bigger than the others, probably because it’s well deserved and not expected. Yes, Robinson Cano was there and won the Home Run Derby and Curtis Granderson was there and that must have been exciting to represent the Yankees for the first time in his career, but David Robertson’s appearance just made it real. Maybe it’s because the regular stars weren’t all in or maybe because my son loves to watch him pitch. Not sure, It was a really great moment.

Congrats David, thanks for representing. Great job.

By the way, For information about David and Erin Robertson’s charity High Socks for Hope, click, or see their logo on the left side of the Bleeding Yankee Homepage and click there.

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WHY ROBERTSON DESERVES AN ALL-STAR BID

This season David Robertson has easily became the second most valuable member out of the Yankee bullpen. He's behind Mariano Rivera of course. But, at the start of the season when Joba Chamberlain and Rafael Soriano were healthy, Robertson was stuck as the sixth inning pitcher, with Joba pitching the seventh, and Soriano in the eighth. With injuries to both of those guys, Robertson has emerged as the teams main setup man, and he may remain the setup man due in part to Joba being out all year and Soriano having elbow issues, and being ineffective thus far.

Despite the setup role being handed to him by default, Robertson has earned it. In 37 games this season he has a sparkling 1.05 ERA. What's even more impressive is that in his 34.1 innings pitched, he's punched out 55 batters! That's 14.4 K's per nine innings pitched. He's been beyond dominant this season. Here's some more perspective on his dominance. Last season DRob struck out 71 batters in 61.1 innings pitched, and the year prior he punched out 63 in 43.2 innings. We're right past the halfway point of the season, and DRob is on pace to punch out more than 100 batters, and not to mention, Robertson has yet to allow a home run this year. He deserves a bid to the Mid-Summer classic, no doubt. My opinion, Robertson was left out in the dark on this one.

Now, some people may think, "Don't only closers make it to the All Star Game?" Wrong. Here is the 2010 All-Star Roster HERE. Middle Relievers have made the All Star game before. Evan Meek of the Pirates? Matt Thornton of the White Sox? This season in the American League, only one middle reliever has made it, in Aaron Crow of the Kansas City Royals.

Also, not only is Robertson great overall statistically, but, he has become the Houdini, as Joba likes to call him, for the Yanks in the bullpen.
(In Photo: Harry Houdini)
Joe Girardi has complete confidence in DRob to come into a tough spot late in the game to get out of huge jams. Those kinda things don't always show in the box score, but I've seen just about every pitch of every Yankee game this season, and whenever Joe calls on him, DRob gets out of it just about every time. He's been so valuable this season, and without him--to go along with the injuries--the Yankees pen would be in shambles.

With that being said, it's a disgrace to Ron Washington--the manager of the AL All Stars--his staff, and the rest of the players around the American League who help in deciding on who should make the All Star team, for not picking this guy. I personally believe that baseball writers across America should decide who makes the All-Star team. Those guys know who everyone is around Major League Baseball, unlike the managers, coaches, and players who only focus mostly on their team and the big name guys. And sure, some writers may be biased, but I think it would be a good move for Major League Baseball to change the way in the voting for the reserves. It's a complete joke that DRob is off the AL squad. Heck, he could close for more than half the teams in the majors this season, and that's just a fact.



--Jesse Schindler, BYB Staff Writer




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