Coincidence? Bullpen ERA leaders also lead their divisions

The Yankees didn't even get five innings out of their starter last night but still won. How? It's no secret: their bullpen has been untouchable.

No Mariano? No problem. David Robertson put an end to that discussion quickly, but then left for the White Sox and more money.

This year's dynamic duo is Dellin Betances & Andrew Miller, who've combined for 18.2 scoreless innings in 17 appearances. Betances had a "slow" start but has really looked sharp in his last few outings, and Miller has been as filthy as advertised. Esmil Rogers also deserves a shoutout as the go-to long reliever with a 2.84 ERA in 12.2 innings.

After last night's W, the Yankees sit atop the AL East tied with the Rays at 11-8. It turns out the Yankees aren't the only team benefiting from their bullpen. Sorted by bullpen ERA, the top six ranked teams also lead their division, except for the Royals who are a half game behind the Tigers.

But the Tigers are pretty to explain. First, their offense has been explosive in 2015 – I still can't get over how Miguel Cabrera has a .652 AVG against the Indians this year (15-for-23). The Tigers also lead the majors in innings pitched by starters, so they haven't had to rely on their 26th-ranked bullpen as much to win games.

For a bit of context, six of last year's 10 playoff teams had a bullpen ERA in the top 10, including the World Series champion Giants.

Fifty years ago, bullpens were barely even a thing. 

Talking points: Gardner's injury, Jeter's career, A-Rod's resurgence, Soriano's spark and the wild card

There's so much to talk about in Yankeeland right now I just want to jump right in.

Bye Bye, Brett

This just in: The Yankees leadoff hitter Brett Gardner has a Grade 1 left oblique strain and is likely out for the year. Putting the Yankees' 2013 injury epidemic in perspective, the Yankees have used 54 players this season. The most players used in a season by any team ever? 59.

Honestly, he hasn't had as good a season as I'd hoped for (.273 AVG, .344 OBP, 24/32 SB/CS), but it's still a crushing loss because the Yankees don't have a good replacement for him. Ichiro is the next closest thing to Gardner, but Joe Girardi has selected Curtis Granderson to hit leadoff—at least for tonight. 

Knowing When To Quit

Mike Mussina left the game on top with his first 20-win season. Was it too soon? Probably. Rickey Henderson swiped 11 bases in his final two seasons combined, adding to his comfortable all-time lead. Was 1,406 his lucky number growing up or something?

After Derek Jeter was recently declared out for the season, Brian Cashman said that no one has seen his last game. The Captain is 39 years old, and, following a season in which he led the league in hits and plate appearances, he'll end 2013 with just 17 games played.

My first homemade meme

Depending on your Internet tendencies, you may or may not have heard of a "meme" (pronounced meem). These memes are typically generated by slapping some humorous text to match a humorous image. Kinda.

It's easier to just show you rather than trying to explain. So, I present the first meme I created by using one of the many meme generators available online.

I guess you could replace Miguel Cabrera with anybody in the majors at this point, but I think it's worth stressing that the Yankees are really going to start regretting the decision to take on the most expensive player contract in all of sports.

In 2010, Alex Rodriguez completed a stretch of 13 consecutive seasons with at least 30 homers and 100 RBIs. In his last two years combined, he barely reached those two plateaus (34 HR, 119 RBI).

Staying on the field has been a problem for A-Rod during this two-year slide. Prior to 2011, his outstanding durability was one of his trademarks, and that certainly helped him secure his lucrative 10-year deal.

Is it time for a position-switch for A-Rod? Should the Yankees make him a primary DH next year and use him at third sparingly?

Hamilton wins AL MVP, no 1st-place votes for Cano

Josh Hamilton received 22 first-place votes and received his first AL MVP Award today, leaving Miguel Cabrera and Robinson Cano in the dust. Jose Bautista actually claimed one of the first-place votes, but received zero for second place and just four for third.

Cano had this to say about Hamilton (via LoHud):

“I would like to congratulate Josh Hamilton on winning the MVP. He is a great player and deserving of the award. I am very proud of my season and expect nothing less of myself. I will continue to work hard and play hard, and along with my teammates, do everything I can to help the Yankees get to and win the World Series.”

Class act.

I thought Cano would’ve received a few first-place votes. If you line up the numbers, Hamilton’s BA is the only thing that really stands out from the pack.

Player	HR	RBI	BA	OPS
Josh Hamilton	32	100	.359	1.044
Miguel Cabrera	38	126	.328	1.042
Robinson Cano	29	109	.319	.914

Cano also had a Gold Glove to add to his résumé.

Robbie Goes Boom! [Nike Video] Cano & Bo

Even though the NL MVP was announced today (Joey Votto almost unanimously, if you didn’t hear), it was a pretty slow news day in Yankeeland. With the AL MVP set to be announced tomorrow, I’m posting this fitting video of Robinson Cano and Bo Jackson in a Nike commercial.

Anyone think Cano has a shot to beat out Josh Hamilton or Miguel Cabrera for MVP? ESPN’s Wallace Matthews thinks so.

Cano honored with Silver Slugger

No surprise here; Robinson Cano won his second AL Silver Slugger Award earlier tonight. Cano had a .914 OPS and his nearest competitor was Howie Kendrick at .721.

He already picked up his first Gold Glove Award Tuesday, but he’ll have to wait until Nov. 23rd to see if he completes the trifecta with an MVP Award.

Josh Hamilton and Miguel Cabrera had better years offensively, but Cano’s defense and his key role for a playoff team may persuade some writers for at least a few first-place votes.

I’ll detail my take on this year’s MVP Award voting as we get closer to the announcement, but I am interested in your response to this question:

Should the success of the candidate’s team affect the MVP vote?

Cano more likely to win big award than CC

This post is in regards to my current poll on the left sidebar. Normally I’d wait until Monday for the new poll to discuss, but I noticed Robinson Cano has only received ONE vote for MVP.

I’m telling you now I sincerely believe Cano has a better chance at winning the MVP than CC Sabathia has at winning the Cy Young.

The Case for Cano:
Cano isn’t leading any major statistical categories, but he has a few things going for him that I factor into my MVP vote.

First, he’s the best player on one of the best teams in baseball. The Yankees are loaded, yes, but Cano plays a huge role into their success. For a while, he was the team’s only .300 hitter. Cano’s WAR (wins above replacement) beats Miguel Cabrera’s 6.5-6.1.

Second, he has the second best well-rounded hitting line (triple crown numbers) in the league. Only Cabrera tops him, but his team is 14 games out of the division lead right now.

Finally, Cano’s impact on defense is greater than Cabrera’s. For the record, I’ve ruled out Josh Hamilton because he’s been injured down the stretch. That’s a killer when it comes to MVP voting, I think.

The Case against CC:
Sabathia is really the real reason why Cano has a better chance to win a big award. I don’t think CC stands a chance against Felix Hernandez. This article from USA Today is why I’m writing this whole post right now, and this is when I started to realize this year’s Cy belongs to King Felix.

Bottom line: CC’s 20 wins don’t compare to Hernandez’s league-lead in strikeouts and ERA.

In Summary:
I don’t think either Yankee leaders have a great chance at winning a big award, but Cano has a better chance because of Hernandez’s dominant year.

Is A-Rod’s DL stint a blessing in disguise?

How could the most expensive ballplayer make his team better by going on the DL? Alex Rodriguez was placed on the 15-day DL Saturday, but the Yankees haven’t lost once in 12 games with their star third baseman out of the lineup.

First, let’s take a closer look at those 12 games. There’s no way the Yankees could actually be a better team without a perennial All-Star, right?

Date	Opponent	Opponent Games Back	Opponent Starter ERA	Yankees Starter ERA	RS	RA
5/2	White Sox	6	5.30	1.44	12	3
5/28	Indians	10	3.69	2.70	8	2
6/11	Astros	10	3.18	2.46	4	3
6/12	Astros	11	5.60	5.43	9	3
6/13	Astros	11	6.32	3.11	9	5
6/15	Phillies	3.5	2.36	4.00	8	3
8/7	Red Sox	6	4.60	3.14	5	2
8/17	Tigers	11	3.77	3.12	6	2
8/18	Tigers	12	5.37	4.76	9	5
8/19	Tigers	12	5.76	3.90	11	5
8/21	Mariners	19.5	3.43	5.05	9	5
8/22	Mariners	20.5	4.57	3.02	10	0

The ERA stats may have something to do with it, but I think the biggest factor contributing to this odd streak of wins is the opponent. If you take the average of games behind the opposing team is in its division, it comes out to 11.04.

This is evidence that the Yankees aren’t necessarily a better team without A-Rod, but the teams they’ve faced haven’t been very challenging.

Of course, if you look at the Yankees upcoming schedule there aren’t many challenging teams. If he returns as soon as he’s eligible, he’ll miss five vs. Toronto, four vs. Oakland, three vs. the Chicago and he’s already missed two against the Mariners. The White Sox are the only team within five games of first place.

The Benefits of A-Rod’s Absence
Now we know the Yankees haven’t, and won’t be, facing a lot of competitive teams without A-Rod, let’s look at the bright side of his DL stint.

Super Nova Experiment: The only thing set in stone for Ivan Nova, the Yankees’ best starter in Triple-A this year, is he’ll make tonight’s start against the Blue Jays. After that, the plan for Nova is uncertain. Nova made one relief appearance for the Yanks earlier this year and I really liked what I saw. I love when the Yankees bring up new pitchers, and I’ll definitely be rooting for Nova tonight.

Cano’s MVP Chase: Robinson Cano isn’t the frontrunner for the MVP anymore with Miguel Cabrera and Josh Hamilton having the years they’re having. No matter what, Cano’s chances at the MVP Award are hurt because he plays for a team filled with All-Stars. Now that A-Rod is gone for a couple weeks, Cano will have a chance to prove he can put a team on his back. Yesterday’s game was a statement.

Grading Eduardo: Eduardo Nunez has started both games at third base since A-Rod went on the shelf, and he’s been solid in both. Nunez will likely stay on the 25-man roster through Aug. 31, meaning he’ll be eligible for the playoffs. If he proves his bat is worth having off the bench, he could possibly find himself a spot on the playoff roster. If not, at least the Yankees will have a better idea of what they’re getting from Nunez.

What was going through Eric Cooper’s mind when Gonzalez threw behind Jeter?

I’ll be honest, when I was at the game last night it was hard for me to pick up on the altercations that went on between the managers and home plate umpire Eric Cooper. But now that I’ve seen replays and read the stories, I’ve reached a few conclusions.

When Enrique Gonzalez threw behind Derek Jeter in the eighth inning, it was as obvious as it gets. It came right after Jim Leyland was ejected for arguing why Chad Gaudin should’ve been tossed for hitting Miguel Cabrera. So why didn’t Cooper run Gonzalez out of the game? I think because he didn’t throw out Gaudin, he was scared he would’ve been ridiculed for throwing out a Tiger but not a Yankee (to answer the question in the post title).

You’re also probably thinking, why didn’t Joe Girardi come out of the dugout to talk to Cooper about ejecting Gonzalez like Leyland did for Gaudin? Because the Yankees were winning. It wouldn’t have done any good. In my history watching Girardi, he tends to pick fights with umps when his team is behind (rightfully so, in my opinion).

Bean balls are, and always have been, a part of this game. It’s probably my least favorite part of the sport, but it’s not going away. When warnings are issued, both catchers have to factor that into their pitch selections, especially when working with a wild pitcher.

What I dislike most about bean balls are the way umpires deal with them. They’re inconsistent. Some have short leashes, and others are too scared to make the right call (like Cooper last night).

Let me digress quickly. Umpires also have inconsistent strike zones. Some like low pitches, some like high. Some are tight, some give the veterans pitchers off the black. Ask any major leaguer and they’ll agree with me.

I remember when I played on my American Legion team last summer and I was asked by my coach, an ex-pitcher in the majors, to intentionally throw at a player if the other team threw at one of our players.

Thankfully, I never was put in a situation where I was told to throw at a batter, but, it’s real, as my coach would say. And I don’t doubt him for a second.

If it were up to me to revise the current ejection and suspension policies for this, mine would be a lot harsher.

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As I wrote this post, the Yankees dismantled the Tigers in the series finale, 11-5, to take the series.

Yankees-Tigers series preview, Nova promoted

The Yankees enter their first four-game series of the year a half-game behind the Rays for the division lead. Playing at Detroit, the Yankees will see a few old friends dressed up as Tigers, namely, outfielders Johnny Damon, Austin Jackson (league-leader in hitting) and reliever Phil Coke.

The Tigers are 9-3 at Comerica Park and are opening a nine-game homestand tonight. Monday and Wednesday’s affairs will be aired nationally on ESPN.

The Yankees have to be feeling good, winning six of their last seven despite losing Nick Johnson and Curtis Granderson to the DL. Winning is easy when you have five guys hitting over .360.

The only thing bothersome is Andy Pettitte missing this week’s start after leaving Wednesday’s game after 77 pitches.

The latest news out of Yankee camp is the promotion of Ivan Nova to the big leagues. He replaces Romulo Sanchez, who through 3 2/3 brilliant shutout innings last night against the Red Sox. As The Post reports, Nova will be a long reliever.

Pitching Matchups:

Date:	Yankees starters	Tigers starters
Mon., 7:05 p.m.	Sergio Mitre (0-0, 2.79)	Dontrelle Willis (1-1, 3.99)
Tues., 7:05 p.m.	J. Vazquez (1-3, 9.78)	Rick Porcello (2-3, 7.50)
Wed., 7:05 p.m.	Phil Hughes (4-0, 1.69)	J. Bonderman (1-1, 7.14)
Thurs., 1:05 p.m.	CC Sabathia (4-1, 3.04)	J. Verlander (3-2, 4.50)

Players to Watch:
Yankees: Javier Vazquez. Tuesday’s start may be the last straw. One more wretched start and I predict he’ll be placed on the disabled list. As Brian Cashman said, don’t expect a brilliant showing Tuesday night, but just putting the Yankees in a position to win. It’ll be imperative the Yankees get him some early run support off Rick Porcello.

Tigers: Miguel Cabrera. He’s the hottest player on either team, hitting .478 so far in May. He’s the league-leader in RBIs (33) and he’s always had success against the Bronx Bombers.

Prediction:
A realistic pace of wins has to set in soon. There’s no way the Yankees are going to win the 113 games they’re projected to win at this rate. With Sergio Mitre and Vazquez starting in the series, I expect a split.