Ken Davidoff's baseball insider

Joel Sherman wrote in the Post today that Bud Selig should have investigated wheither Manny antics led to him being traded to the Dodgers. Bud would be wasting his time by doing what Joel Sherman said because even if he did investigated the matter and some how suspended Manny, the players union would then step in and appeal any suspension to Manny and won.
Ken, when a pitching coach like Rick Peterson got fired by the Mets, would you describe the pitching coach as a scapegoat too?

No, Dennis, I believe that pitching coaches can have a real impact. It's interesting that Peterson was fired largely because the Mets had tired of his personality, rather than as a punishment for the pitching results, per se.

It's easy to say you rushed a guy, screwed with his mechanics and ruined his development after you dump him off on another team.

Theo was making excuses for Hansen not pitching well. Theo saw Chad Cordero and Huston Street go from college to the Majors and thought Hansen can do the same thing. But Hansen struggled when he pitch for the Red Sox and so now were see if Hansen can develop with the Pirates.

Out of deep respect for our leader and in the spirit of the Beijing Olympics, I will enthusiastically obey the censorship edict and never mention BK's name in the same sentence with the HOF.

Met meltown last night was painful. The bullpen has borked at least 4 games for Johan this year.

Wagner will blow a few save opps each year but Heilman's gutless performance was inexcusable. He should be relegated to mop-up duty during blow-outs.

Let's see what Maine can do today.

Agreed Cano had been hitting "decently" before his late July surge. However, even those "decent" monthly averages were below his lifetime average. Then he went home and worked with his dad and lo and behold, he went on a tear. Coincidence? Is it Kevin Long's fault he hadn't been hitting? Does he miss Bowa? I have no idea as to the answers to any of these questions. What I do know is that Cano isn't the same hitter this season that he was in 2007. The players respect Kevin Long and think he is a good hitting coach. That's good enough for me. Maybe Father Knows Best.

Gerry: Maine isn't pitching today. He was forced to miss a start. Perez is on the mound.

Gerry, Heillman isn't gutless. He's just not that good.

Last Saturday, the Mets played a 14 ininng game against the Cardinals at home which they lost. In that game, the Mets used everybody in the pen including Wagner for 2 and Helman for 3. Since that game, the Mets bullpen has been god awful. Last night, Santana could have pitch deeper into the game if didn't have to work hard to get out of a bases loaded situation in the 4th ininng in which the Astros score 1 run. Wagner spits the bit as usual and Heilman and Feliciano combined to lose the game. The set-up men for Wagner has benn terrible of late.
On the last play of the game, Tatis on the fly ball off the bat of Estrad, drove for the ball and made the catch. But his momentum carry him down to the turf allowing Berkman to score and Tatis couldn't make a throw to the plate. A better outfielder would not have dive for the ball so that he can make a throw to the plate. Tatis should have run to the ball and then prepare to throw the ball to the plate.

Need more proof that Kyle Farnsworth stinks?

8th inning, Detroit ahead of Tampa Bay, 3-1. Enter Farnsworth. Three hits and two homeruns later and all of a sudden the Tigers are losing 4-3. He threw 28 pitches IN ONE INNING. Poor Jim Leyland.

Jim I dont understand why you ask if Cano misses Bowa when he was the 3rd base coach. If anything he misses Mattingley. I dont think he misses anyone and I think he just can't hit in cold weather. Leyland still has Curtis Granderson and the Rays still have a questionable Percival so here we are tied up. Oops, Tigers are winning 5-4 in the 10th.

Sandy, Bowa worked with Cano very closely. He talked about it all the time. It was/is well known. Cano was one of his "pet projects." Granted, he was working with him primarily as a fielder, but I believe the mentoring transcended all areas of the game.

There is no question in my mind that the Yankees miss Bowa and Mattingly this year.
I think Girardi is doing a great job inspite of being handicapped by Meacham and Long.

Meacham is a second guess waiting to happen coaching 3rd base. He has been tentative when he should have been aggressive and agressive when he should have prudent.
I can only surmise what Bowa's influence was on Cano, but all I know is NO ONE talks about Meacham having any kind of influence on Cano or anyone else.

What can I say about Kevin Long?
Am I the only guy in America that sees Melky consistently uppercutting from the right side? HELLO!!! Coach? anyone home?
Shall we talk about the Yankees rather abysmal RISP this year?
Can I borrow everyone's hands so I can count up the number of times I have seen Yankees swinging for the fences with 2 strikes?
I gotta wonder if it was Kevin Long's sage advice that made Giambi grow a moustache earlier in the year.

I am not impressed with either Meacham or Long.
This was a much smarter hitting team last year with Mattingly and just a smarter team with Bowa.

Just my opinion, I could be wrong.

505 I agree with you in a general sense, but don't forget that Mattingly wasn't the hitting coach last year. Long was. Mattingly was the bench coach.

For one of the only times this season I really have to question Girardi's managing. It was obvious to me and probably thousands of others that Ramirez was off today. Why he was left in to load the bases and then serve up a grand slam is beyond me. He couldn't locate his change up at all and couldn't really spot his fastball either. He was struggling. What happened was the logical ending to the sequence. Girardi blew it, but because the Yankees came back again, it will be lost in the haze of victory.

Just a reminder, guys - Long was the hitting coach last year. Mattingly was the bench coach.

Does Cano miss Bowa? Probably, a little. Bowa is a great coach.

Fair point about Farnsworth's performance today, Jim. But I also see that the Yankees won despite, not because of, their new eighth-inning relievers.

Didn't I just say that about Long?

Missing the point of the last paragraph. It's merely stating the obvious. They won because of their hitting, not their pitching.

I think Kennedy has now earned a start and Rasner has earned a demotion.

Go figure out the Mets. They were awful the first 2 1/2 mouths of the season.Then they fired Willie and replace him with Manuel. Then they go on a 10 game winning streak. And now the Mets just finish a 1-5 road trip where they lost 2 out of 3 to the Marlins and got swept by the Astros. There bullpen since the 14 inning game against the Cardinals, has been a mess.
Some how the Yanks were able to split a 4 game series with the Angels. They lost the first 2 games, but won the last 2 games including a crazy game today. Rasner has to be replace now.
Isn't Kevin Long buddies with A-Rod? I believe Long works with A-Rod on his swing during the off-season.

Carlos pena bases loaded walk in 10th inning--Rays win. Pena screws another of his ex-teams.
Jim Cano's batting average drop may be this simple--Rays team e.r.a. is at least one run less than last season, I don't have figures but the A.L's league e.r.a. is probably at least .4 runs less than last season. The league's leading hitter isn't hitting .360 like Joe Mauer, he is hitting .324. The pitching is way better. I never expected Cano to be a .340 hitter and I don't think the Yankees ever expected it either. But if he can do .290 he's producing--the problem is he doesn't do .290 early in the season he does .150.

In Robinson Cano's first full three seasons he batted .297, .342 and .306. This year he is batting .262 after today's game. Each season features cold weather during the early weeks. I can't see how better pitching is the reason his average has dropped 46 points from 2007 and even more significatly from his career avearge prior to this season. His OPS+ has dropped from 120 last year to 82!

The weather this spring wasn't any worse than it has been in the past few years. If anything, it was better. It's obvious he isn't driving the ball like he has done in the past. His swing has been off. His OBP has significantly fallen.

Sandy you were close on league ERA. The AL ERA last year was 4.50 and this year it is 4.20 according to BP. But, has this caused Cano's mammoth drop in average or have errors been a culprit, too? Hits per 9 innings last year were 9.39 and this year it is 9.03. WHIP last year was 1.41 and this year is 1.37. (HRs per 9 are up in both leagues.)

Despite the DH, the AL pitching is superior to the NL this year.

Has everyone enjoyed their Sunday? I was at Nationals Park this afternoon and got a first-hand look at Adam Dunn misplay a line-drive single. (The ball hit by Pete Orr bounced in front of Dunn and then somehow went OVER HIS HEAD, no easy task for a guy his size.)

Jim, you will be overjoyed to learn that Alberto Gonzalez (right, not the old AG!) made a sensational diving stop at short on a hard-hit ground ball and threw to first for the out.

Dennis, the Rays aren't wilting under the pressure -- at least not yet. The team went into the tenth inning down a run and somehow emerged with a victory. They play the next three at home against Cleveland, then go on the road for three games apiece against Seattle, Oakland, and Texas.

Just to finish the prior thought: assuming that neither the Yankees nor Red Sox promptly go on a 10-game winning streak, I will be plenty surprised if the Rays are not still in the first place after their long road trip.

JE without getting in specifics the Tigers newest closer Fernando Rodney showed why he shouldn't be a closer.
Jim--when you play a team like Tampa 19 times and a team like Toronto 19 times and both pitching staffs are good, batting averages will have to go down, then you add in the Red Sox to the equation. I know for a fact Tampa's team e.r.a. is way down this season, I think Boston's might be down .3 per game and Toronto is about the same. Baltimore I think is up. Remember Cano is a second half demon, he may make it to .300 yet, but he's not the real problem. Jeter is down significantly, Posada didnt play much, Matsui got hurt, Melky isn't much. It all adds up in the end.

Jim,

"... but don't forget that Mattingly wasn't the hitting coach last year. Long was."

Sometimes I wonder.

"But I also see that the Yankees won despite, not because of, their new eighth-inning relievers."

I put that 8th inning on Pudge and the pitch selection (which is a combination of bench and Pudge). The walk to the guy ahead of Tex was horrible. Too many change ups, not enough fast balls.
Why were they nibbling on that guy?

And then the fastball that Tex went deep with was exactly where Pudge lined up and asked for the ball to be.

Where was Marte to pitch to Tex with the bases loaded?
Turn Tex around to the right side for the 1st time all game?
(I suspect- I HOPE-Marte did not have enough time to get ready).

Pudge clearly needs time to learn this staff. Top to bottom.
In the meantime we are gonna have games like Pettite's on Thursday (I didn't think he was comfortable at all with Pudge) and today's 8th inning.

The Committee will be fine in the 8th.

In time

And from the FWIW column Ken, Farns lost an 8th inning lead for Detroit today.

Baseball has a way sometimes of making every trade wrong from time to time.

I didn't see or hear anything about today's Met game...what happened....?

Nothing good, Gerry, you can be assured. The Amazins squandered two bases-loaded, one-out opportunities in a 4-0 shutout. To add insult to injury, Cancel tried to steal third with two out and David Wright at the plate.

Sandy, the Rays victory counts as much as the Yankees', which was only made possible by four Halo errors in the seventh and eighth innings. How often are you going to see that?

Suzyn Waldman said on the radio that Teixeira was a lifetime 5 for 6 against Marte. Maybe that's why Girardi didn't bring in Marte to face Teixeira. Still, Girardi should have bought in Marte to face Teixeira. Thankfully for Girardi, the Yanks were able to score 6 runs in the bottom of the 8th.
Farnsworth was going to spit the bit sooner or later. Thank god it didn't happen with the Yanks.
Starting from August 7 to August 24, the Rays will play 13 of their next 16 on the road. And in September, the Rays play 17 of their final 27 games on the road. So the Rays better have a good lead over the Yanks and Red Sox when they play on the road. If the Rays are going to make the playoffs, they need to win some road games.
Gerry, the Mets bullpen is a mess right now. Ever since the 14 ininng game against the Cardinals last saturday, the bullpen has not look the same. Now all of a sudden Wagner will have a MRI on his left forearm on Tuesday. Not a good sign.

Sandy, you are right about the guys you mentioned contributing to the Yankees offensive problems, but for Cano to end at .300 he would have to go on a legendary tear after batting .262 through the first 4+ months. At least Jeter is batting in the .280's. Cano has looked lost at times this year.

JE, TB couldn't have entered the 10th inning down by a run. If that was the case, they would have lost in 9 innings.

I-505 - I was wondering the same thing about Marte. I thought at the time that Girardi should have had him up after the second man reached base. Why wasn't Girardi looking ahead to the possibility of Teixeira getting up with the bases loaded? That's a spot where Billy Martin was fantastic. Always looking one or two moves ahead. Girardi has some things to learn.

Ken, the censorship thing is really rubbing me the wrong way. What's the next topic that can't be discussed?

Agreed that the Rays will have to start doing better on the road, Dennis. However, there is nothing on the schedule that ought to scare them too much until that early September roadtrip to Toronto, Boston, and the Bronx. The Sox appear to have the most favorable schedule remaining.

Meanwhile, Dennis, your favorite web site, Baseball Prospectus, still lists the Rays as the likely winner of the division and 90% certain of a playoff birth.

Right you are, Jim: I left out "bottom of" in my comment. Thanks for pointing it out.

Regarding censorship, I promise not to discuss the Falun Gong movement on this site. There is only one China. The Dalai Lama is a bully and a subversive....

JE - I am Taiwan lover.

I think the Yankees are playing over their heads right now. OK Dennis, let me have it.

Be careful, Jim, on your next trip to Beijing. Don't wear (Falun Gong) yellow! ;-)

I am worried about the Mets bullpen but more concerned about the lack of run support. Scoring seven runs in three games against a team that only Ed Wade thinks is capable of a run at the postseason is pathetic.

I think we are seeing the Mets problems run a lot deeper than Willie R. Can you imagine what the outcry would have been if Willie was still the manager and the team had a weekend like this?

I need to acknowledge that the Mets put runners on base today. When the first four hitters in the lineup get on base an aggregate of 10 times, yet no runs score, that result may be chalked up to bad luck, the Cancel stolen base attempt notwithstanding. However, I will say this repeatedly: this team should not be relying on its bullpen to pitch three scoreless innings every night. The Mets have to stop playing small ball when David Wright is on deck and start putting together some multi-run innings.

Am I watching way too much television, or is the Heineken commercial ("Share the Good") on during just about every ESPN commercial break?

JE, I just saw it on AMC during Mad Men.

Jim, your guy Dan Giese pitched 3 scoreless ininngs coming in for Rasner. Giese's 3 scoreless ininngs allow the Yanks to get back in the game. It would not surprise me if Giese replaces Rasner in the rotation. We got less than 2 mouths to go in the season. Just remember what happen to the Mets last year. And what the Rockies did in the last mouth of the season and onto the playoffs and all the way to the World Series before they ran into the Red Sox.
JE, baseball prospectus is my least favorite web site.

It may have been on Friday night that I caught a bit of Airport '79 (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078740/), undoubtedly one of the worst action films ever -- unless you think that it's so bad, it's funny. If there was ever a time to have a six-pack of Heinekens within reach of the sofa....

The inconsistent Yankees hitting worries me more than the team's pitching. I'm not sure they want to move Giese back into a starting role. I wouldn't be surprised if Kennedy doesn't re-emerge.

Jim, I really didn't intend this to be "censorship." As I said, you can post 1,000 comments on the Kuhn item from last week. And really, it's not like I'm going to threaten you if you bring up the Kuhn-HOF issue again. I was just trying to make the point that I was tired of it, that's all. I would put up an item about the Mets' bullpen, and you and Bob would steer it to the injustice of Kuhn getting into the HOF. I felt like we were beating a dead horse.

But forget the whole thing. I don't want it to be an issue. All I was trying to do was move the blog away from a topic that I thought we had discussed sufficiently. And, as you know, I AGREE with you and Bob on the issue. But if you're still bothered by it, then go right ahead and bring it up.

"In July, we essentially doubled our record for unique visitors."

Am I supposed to take that to mean than in 4 short days my status has gone from "legendary" to simply "unique"?

My Hindenburg has fallen.

Oh the pain.....
Oh the humanity..

I'm gonna have to go check out The Final Score.
And Kat's better looking than you.
When does hockey season start?

Jim,

"The inconsistent Yankees hitting worries me more than the team's pitching."

ABSOLUTELY.

"I'm not sure they want to move Giese back into a starting role. I wouldn't be surprised if Kennedy doesn't re-emerge."

I have a feeling that Rasner may have pitched himself out of the rotation today. Can't have 3 out of 5 batters (it seemed that way) stepping into the box with a 2-0 count.
Giese has been solid as a long reliever.
I smell another Kennedy term on the way as well.

If Larry Bowa is so great helping players, then how come Andruw Jones and Juan Pierre are having terrible years?
If Bowa helped Robinson Cano so much, how come his batting average lost 40 points from 2006 to 2007 and his OPS+ went down from 126 to 120? Bowa was still on the team
If Robinson Cano's father helped him so much that he started after the All-Star break 18 for 35, then how come Cano followed that with a 3 for 26 skid? Did Kevin Long hypnotize him into resuming his old "Long taught" bad habits?

I think Bowa is very good at what he does. But I also wonder if this "Yoda Bowa to Robinson Skywalker" is a reward spread by some writers who get scoops from Bowa. I also think there are a lot of other possible reasons besides Bowa following Joe Torre west.

But what do I know?

Jim Clark: Why do you think Cano has turned into a .260 hitter, more than 40 points below his lifetime average?

My best guess is these things just happen. Ted Williams was one of the greatest hitters who ever lived. Lifetime BA of .344 Yet in 1950 he hit .317 and 1951 he hit .318. He was 32 at the time and missed most of the second half of 1950 after an All star game injury. But after he served in Korea he returned to hit .345, .356, .345 and .388 at age 38. I don't think a .40 point drop frpm your career average is that unusual.
Al Kaline hit .340 at age 20 in 1955 Never hit higher than .327 in his first ballot HOF career after. Some guys just peak early. Cano could be one of them. I don't think he has had any serious injuries playing second, an often dangerous position when you have your back to a runner on a 6-4-3. But there are
a number of second basemen: Mike Andrews, Jake Wood,
Juan Samuel (I'm trying to remember a list from a Bill James baseball Abstract 20 years ago. He cited moving Pete Rose from second to the outfield as a wise move). that start off playing well but fade early.

Or to use another example, take Lou Gehrig. Becomes a regular in 1925 at age 22 hitting .295. Improves to .313 the next year. Then come two monster years hitting .373 and .374. But in 1929 at age 26 he falls to .300 But rebounds to hit.379, .341 and .349 ending as a lifetime .340 hitter. I don't know why Gehrig did so poorly in 1929. Playing hurt with his consecutive game streak is probably it. But he did have one year where he hit 40 points lower than his lifetime BA

OK. Interesting. Cano just looks like he isn't having good at-bats and/or good swings. He seems uncomfortable. I really do believe it is just a coincidence it followed the winter he signed a big new contract.