I am, of course, using "perfect game" in Pavano terms - I'd consider 6 innings and 4 ER to be pretty damn perfect from him.

Generally speaking, I'd say that approximately 87% of my blog posts contain at least one or two cogent thoughts, whether I'm explaining the consequences of some sort of devastating injury or my thoughts on an awesome trade (sorry, Farnsworthless). Today, though... no such luck. The season has spiraled downhill in such a ridiculous fashion (it actually has the potential to be comical, if it weren't so sickening) that I find myself incapable of retaining any semblance of rationale, calm, or writing ability (do you like how I imply that I usually DO possess some ability? Ha!).

That said, let's take this post in a direction more akin to free-floating hostility and stream of consciousness reporting...

...I know that lamenting the fact that the Yanks may not make the playoffs sounds very spoiled, but what fan doesn't want their team to make the post-season - regardless of how many times they've been there before? What, am I just supposed to sit back and console myself with the fact that they DID indeed win a lot over the past 15 years and be happy for other teams? The YCBF (a dirty dirty Mets fan) seems to think so. False.

...I guess I am sort of happy for the Rays. They're a fun team to watch and they've been working on their roster for years, sans big bucks. No such love for the Angels or Red Sox.

...Has anyone else noticed that this team has essentially become the Braves, making the playoffs every year and FAILING? The hell?

...At least the Jeet has returned to good form. As usual, he's doing his best to carry his team through tough times.

...Johnny Damon in center is driving me absolutely batty. I don't even hold his disgusting defense against him personally. He shouldn't be out there in the first place. I understand that Matsui has to be the DH, leaving no other place for JD but in the field, but that doesn't make it any easier to watch. Tis a sad state of affairs.

...I am so disappointed in Cano. He is so much better than this. Did he just give up? Was his performance over the past couple years due solely to the hugs of Joe Torre?

...The fate of Joba seems like a cruel joke. How often is it that a reliever turns into a starter with essentially ZERO adjustment time - no pathetic outings, the ability to go deep in the game, etc?

...Speaking of cruel jokes, what the F is wrong with Hughes and I-Ken? I know it's rare that even a top prospect ends up living up to his hype, but we were led to believe these dudes were sure things. I honestly expected at least ONE of them to contribute SOMETHING this year. I don't think there's a Yanks fan amongst us that didn't think exackle the same thing. The fact that neither of them was even seriously considered to pitch on Saturday speaks volumes about the lack of confidence the Girardino et al have in them.

...While I'm not exactly thrilled about the great C-Pav making a return to the mound, I'm trying to remain positive - I've even brought back the seldom-used "Pavano Must LIVE" tag. We have zero other options. He's worked hard (allegedly). I'd say there's a decent chance he pitches well. Plenty of pitchers come back from Tommy John surg raring to go, no?

...Does anyone else find themselves rooting for the Dodgers a bit now that Torre and Mattingly are at the helm of that ship?

...Perhaps I'm just living in a state of denial, but I'm not ready to give up just yet. Let's give them a couple more weeks. They might still have it in them.

"This is as much my failure as anything else. I take full responsibility. I'm the one who hired Marty. At end of the day, this is a result-driven sport and a result-driven industry," Cashman explained, and we are all thankful that he enlightened us on the fact that this sport is result-driven.

First and foremost, I'd like to extend my very deepest and most sincere gratitude to Mr. Phil Hughes for helping the Yankees achieve a much needed win on Tuesday and allowing the bullpen to rest for the first time in 2007.

Having said that, I have a bone to pick with now ex-strength coach Marty Miller. Clearly Cashman and the rest of the front office gang share my sentiment, as he was let go yesterday, largely due to the exorbitant number of goddamn HAMSTRING INJURIES the Yanks have collectively endured this season. In addition to Phil Hughes, the list of soldiers wounded by hammy strains includes Mike Mussina, Chien-Ming Wang, Hideki Matsui, and perhaps we can even blame Pavano's forearm troubles on Marty, too (although if the dear chap wasn't sidelined with the arm issue he would most likely have injured himself in some other way by now, even despite my "Pavano Must LIVE" change of heart).

While the pessimistic side of me fears that ditching Marty may be too little too late after all the injuries and subsequent April losses, I am glad that Cash and the gang finally seem to be realizing that the "hope things will get better" method of dealing with the plethora of injuries sure isn't working. Marty's assistant, Dana Cavalea (I am unsure if that is a dude or a chick at this point) is going to take over the training duties for the time being, and we can only hope that he is a strong proponent of a solid stretching regimen.

A-Rod had a truly splendid April, with 14 homers, 34 RBI (9 more than Francoeur, who was in 2nd place), .355 average and the best slugging percentage (.882) of any player with 5+ at-bats. Sure, his handiwork did not push the Yankees' record over to that lovely winning side of the spectrum, but at least he started the season to some cheers rather than boos. (Also, Gibson has a custom A-Rod guitar [right]. No, I don't get it either.)

Doug Mientkicantspellhisname has hit 2 homers and knocked in 5 runs! Sure, his average is just .154 and the Yanks would likely be better off letting Phelps and Giambi manage first base and using the roster spot for another pitcher, but who doesn't get a nice warm feeling in their heart when an offensively-challenged player gets to round the bases?

We got to see what Phil Hughes has to offer the Yanks much sooner than anyone had anticipated (or desired, if we're being honest here). Sure, his call-up came under truly dire circumstances and the incredible pressure he is likely feeling can't be helping his performance (see left), but the very fact that the Yankees have a cache of viable players in the farm system is encouraging for our future.

The "Torre will/should be fired" stories being perpetuated by the media have forced Big Stein to defend old Joe for once. Sure, Stein had essentially no other option than to defend his team and staff when faced with such scrutiny, but i'm confident the support boosted Torre's spirits by a good 0.5%.

All the injuries and poor pitching have made dear Carl Pavano quite the desired gentleman. Never before have Yanks fans so eagerly anticipated his return to good health or so valued the short time he has been alive enough to pitch. Sure, pretty much anyone starts to look good when the alternatives are a 12-year-old with no experience or 2 innings of Farnsworthless, but my "Pavano must LIVE" campaign must be working!



See, folks? The state of affairs is really not all that bad. With any luck, the off-day was spent boosting morale and strategizing and the Yanks will be raring to go when they get to the Texas for tomorrow's game against the Rangers. Hughes might fare better away from the expectations of the fans at home, and the probable pitcher for the Rangers is Kameron Loe, who has a 1-3 record and 7.62 ERA in 4 games that he's pitched against the Yanks. My fingers are crossed for a turn of the tide....

It is with a heavy heart that I sit down to craft this post, and I must admit that updating Yankees Chick is a task I've been dreading all weekend for lack of anything non-A-Rod-related to say. After today's game, I have finally progressed from frustrated about the pitching to downright sickened and some bitching is therefore in order.

My delightful friends, it is a sad state of affairs when a team's offense can consistently score 6+ runs, has seven starting position players that are hitting at least .300, and gets on base with with supreme consistency but still cannot win a goddamn game. Every single one of the Yankees embarrassing 10 losses can be attributed to their pitching woes, which range from injuries to inconsistency to the apparent inability for the starters to last longer than 5 innings. It is the latter two that concern me most, as injuries leave the hope of a return while inconsistency and that horrendous "I will spontaneously combust the moment this game gets into the 6th inning and henceforth my life quite literally hinges upon me not pitching well enough to convince Torre to keep me in any longer" condition afflicting the starting rotation do not appear to have any sort of remedy.

At the risk of burning your retinas, take note of the following:

• The Yankees have racked up 75 appearances from their bullpen, the most in the MLB (and in just 18 games, surely some sort of mathematical improbability).
• After tonight, the collective ERA of the starting pitchers is a dismal 5.64.

Despite the unfortunate overuse of the bullpen, they have actually been pretty effective as a whole - their ERA is 3.51. The inevitable burnout and blowout of all their arms is going to come much too soon at this rate, though, and there are over 140 games to go in this marathon. Proctor was a savior of sorts last season, but the workload he's been shouldering spells doom to me; the same goes for Bruney, who is one of my favorites but is way too young and unseasoned to handle so much work (and such intense pressure!).

The good news - and there is some! - is that there is help on the way on the starting pitching front. Wang has recovered from the hamstring trouble that has had him sidelined since before the start of the season and will be pitching tomorrow, hopefully a solid 6+ innings to let the poor bullpen take a little nap. Finally, the one and only Philip Hughes, Prospect Extraordinaire, will be joining the roster this week for an emergency Thursday start. This is obviously a bit sooner than anyone would really like, but the Yanks are out of alternative options (I'm sorry, Chase Wright) and Phil seems up to the job. The return of Wang and the excitement of seeing Hughes so early in the season makes your Yankees Chick cautiously optimistic for a turnaround on the mound...

...And if the pitching implosion continues, give A-Rod the ball and send him out there. He's on a roll.

The season has only been in full swing for two weeks, but the Bronx Bombers have already managed to amaze me. No, I'm not talking about their offense, which has been solid and a joy to watch; I'm also not talking about their pitching, because if you consider heart palpitations amazing, then this too has been a thrill so far. Nay, it is the obscene numbr of Yankees that have already managed to harm themselves that so fires up the Yankees Chick. Luckily, I am a board-ceritifed MD, and I'm generous enough to volunteer my medical recommendations free of charge.

Chien-Ming Wang: Strained right hamstring. My medical advice is to ice that sucker down, pop two vicodin and wash it down with some Gatorade, because Carl Pavano can't lead this team on his own. Oh shit, he's injured too?

Carl Pavano: Soreness in forearm and elbow. It doesn't look too serious, so don't give up hope. He's a fragile man, and all he needs is a big (GENTLE) hug, and some encouraging words. You can do it Carl!

Hideki Matsui: Strained hamstring. Not that the Yanks are hurting for offensive power, but we need our four solid outfielders. Sorry Kevin Reese.

Jeff Karstens: Elbow stiffness. Our pitchers are dropping like flies, making Karsten's return as a viable backup starter even more critical. Wrap his arm up in an Ace bandage, and give him one of Wang's Vicodins.

Even though many fans will say it's still early in the season, the games in April count the same as the games in the fall. Luckily, none of these injuries seem like season-enders (hopefully...I can't guarantee anything), so we should (again, hopefully) see the Yankees back to full health soon.

Folks, I think you all owe me a debt of gratitude.


Carl Pavano's performance yesterday, during which he allowed a mere 6 hits and 2 runs and required just 79 pitches to get through 7 complete innings, was something of a miraculous event. Not only was this his first regular season win in nearly 2 years (his last win came on May 22, 2005 against the Mets, a game that the Yankees Chick was at!), but with his 7-inning win he became the first Yankees pitcher of the year to last past the 5th inning, an accomplishment the worn-out bullpen surely appreciated. Factors like the controlled atmosphere (no cold, snow or wind in that dome, much to the Yanks' collective delight) and the morale-boost of the 8 runs the Yankees offense put up over the first 6 innings may have contributed to his success, but the bottom line is that Pavano was dialed-in yesterday and, for the first time in his career as a Yank, did not disappoint his team or the fans.

The reason I believe the fans and the team owe me a hearty "thank you!" (and perhaps some tickets to see Pavano's next home start, that would certainly indicate gratitude) is because, if you recall, the Yankees Chick took it upon herself to let bygones be bygones and made a concentrated effort to support Pavano 100% during his comeback. I even went so far as to replace the label I usually use to mark Pavano-related posts ("pavano must die") with one that more accurately describes my newfound CP support: "pavano must LIVE". My unwavering support for dear Carl got him through his first rocky start of the year (when he lasted just 4+ innings and gave up a run per inning), and I feel it was my dedication to reign in the Pavano puns that gave him the confidence to get out there yesterday and give it his all without worrying about his past or the pressure to perform well. Imagine Carl Pavano getting ready for the game in the clubhouse, feeling very anxious and alone, because no one believes in him and everyone is annoyed with this endless injuries. Then, like a lightbulb going off above his head, he remembers that there is one person that believes in him, the Yankees Chick! He jumps out of his depression and runs to the mound and pitches decently for the first time in years.

After seeing such positive results from my "I Support Carl Pavano" attitude after just 1 week, I am eager to see what the kid can do if I keep supporting him. Another start where he gets past the 6th inning? A couple month stretch without a missed start? I'm pulling for you, Carl!!!

I'm assuming you all took the day off from work/school/indentured servitude/volunteer work with bed-ridden senior citizens to watch the game this afternoon, but if you missed it or just want to relive the glory, lets run down what went down in Yankeesville today:

Pitching: As I mentioned yesterday, I have turned a new leaf and am dedicated to supporting Carl Pavano as much as humanly possible during his return to the working world (kind of like offering extra moral support to a woman coming back from a long maternity leave). My boy performed adequately today, going 4 2/3 innings, striking out 2 and allowing 4 earned runs. The fact that he went almost 5 innings is very promising: he had to jog out to the mound several times and did not trip once! Brian Bruney, who did an absolutely brilliant job bailing the Yanks out of many games in 2006, came in after Carl was kicked off the mound, and faced just 2 batters (he let 1 pick up a hit and struck out the other); his short outing was followed by an equally brief and fortunately uneventful outing by Sean Henn. We got our first peak at Luis Vizcaino, one of the spoils the Yanks enjoyed from the Randy Johnson trade, and he pitched a very efficient 3-up 3-down 7th inning. Kyle Farnsworthless surprised me by not looking like a moron or blowing the lead in the 8th - - he consistently hit 100 mph and only gave up 1 hit! Even though it was not a save situation by the 9th inning thanks to the efforts of A-Rod, Mariano pitched anyway and did a glorious job, striking out 3 in a row with just 13 pitches to finish the game.

Defense: Apparently the Yankees' Spring Training workouts did not include defensive drills... In all honesty, I really don't think A-Rod's "error" was an error at all - - he wasn't able to get to a high fly in foul territory, but there was really no clear reason to believe that the ball was his to miss in the first place - - and I must admit that my poor little heart sank a bit upon seeing that E-5 up on the screen, since as we are well aware the dear boy takes such failures to heart. Jeter's and Phelps's respective throwing errors, though, were just plain sloppy. Jeter, Cano, and Phelps did bust out 2 double plays during the game, so I'll chalk those bad throws up to nervous energy.

Offense: I doubt there were many people surprised by the performance of the Yanks' offense today. As a team, they were 12 for 33 with 4 walks and 5 strike outs, very solid numbers for game 1. 7 of the 9 starters had at least 1 hit (Matsui and Phelps were not in the mood for hitting today), and even Mientkiewizc managed to squeak out a hit once he took over for Phelps! Jeter, Giambi, Abreu, Posada and A-Rod all had RBIs, with Posada's and A-Rod's coming via homers. Especially after his aforementioned nerve-wracking "error", I was thrilled to see A-Rod come up with 2 hits (a line drive single in the 7th and that 2-run homer in the 8th) and a stolen base later in the game, and I wasn't the only one - - the homer elicited a rarely-seen (for him...) standing ovation from the fans!


Thank you to all of you that participated in the inaugural Yankees Chick live gameday chat, even if you just popped in for a moment to say hi. I had a lot of fun "watching" the game with my fellow fans and I plan on doing additional gameday chats throughout the season :)


Finally, a bit of shameless self-promotion: The Yankees Chick will be on 1240 am radio during the NY Baseball Online show again tonight offering a few minutes of Yankees talk at about 11:20 EST. I'll be giving my 2 cents on the show weekly, and I would love for you all to listen!!

Carl Pavano has been the punchline of many jokes here on Yankees Chick since its inception, and while I applaud my continued hilarity and cleverness (Pavano as a verb?! I'm a goddamn genius), I fear it may be time to scale back the bullying - deserved as it may be - and offer up a few well-wishes for the poor chap. Some ill-timed injuries and scheduling issues have defaulted Mr. CP into the starting role on opening day, and I am hereby pledging my full support to the accident-prone man in hopes that my good Yankees Chick vibes will traverse the mountains, plains, deserts and valleys all the way to the pitching mound in Yankees Stadium tomorrow afternoon. This week's news that his gorgeous girlfriend kicked him to the curb (reportedly due to some cheat-tastic behavior on Carl's part... these ladies are clearly not familiar with our boy CP) has me worried, as that sort of distraction cannot be good for someone who needs assistance walking from the couch to the refrigerator, meaning he needs our support now more than ever.

It's not going to be easy, my friends, but everyone deserves a second chance, and people who have exhausted their 2nd through 16th chances deserve an 17th chance when he is logistically the only available option. Pavano has made every effort to prove his commitment this Spring, showing up to almost every game (it's kind of like a small child, where we have to reward him for making an effort), taking his teammates' skepticism in stride, and running away from swarms of bees just as fast as his little legs would carry him. Easy as it is to scoff at his chances of succeeding on opening day or in 2007 at all, I am choosing to cast aside my cynicism for a brief moment and hope for the best, and I invite you to do the same.

...And if he blows it, don't worry: we can get right back to hating him after the game.