Cano to be in HR Derby

MLB announced today that Robinson Cano will participate in the 2010 version of the Home Run Derby.

The other five players who have already committed are: Miguel Cabrera, David Ortiz, Vernon Wells, Corey Hart and Matt Holliday.

Now I guess it's cool to have Cano in the Derby but I don't really like it. A lot of guys screw their swing up trying to hit homers and there stats suffer in the second half of the season. Cano's on pace for an MVP season, and I don't think he should screw it up for the HR Derby. Cano isn't a Ken Griffey, Jr. type player who has a natural home run swing. He's more of a line drive hitter who lifts homers out. If he tries to uppercut homers during the Derby, it could affect him during the regular season.

Read more...

Ump Ruins Perfection

So the Yankees won today, 9-1, answering back to John's concerns about their offense. But even though I'm a huge Yankee fan, that story doesn't even compare to the one that happened in Detroit.

Armando Gallaraga was on his way to pitching a perfect game when a grounder pulled first baseman Miguel Cabrera to his right. Gallaraga covered first and appeared to get the runner by a step but umpire Jim Joyce called him safe.

Here's the best YouTube video I could find:



There's also a very good video on ESPN's main page showing how blatantly wrong Joyce was. This monumental mistake is going to raise (or lower, I guess, depending on which way you look at it) Joyce to the level of Don Denkinger, who made a similarly poor call in Game 6 of the 1985 World Series. (Yup, as I was writing this, I found the Congrats on Throwing a Perfect Game LOL jk, I'm Jim Joyce page. This is the only one of those stupid "LOL jk" pages I've liked on Facebook besides the one hating on Bennys.)

You have to feel so bad for Galarraga. The range of emotions he went through in those tenths of a second between catching the ball and finding out the call would be enough to make some people break down in tears. There's only been 20 perfect games in the history of the game, and now Galarraga has the distinction of being the person to come closest to throwing one and not (basically because he did, and it was taken away from him).

Now, when something like this happens, inevitably people, like my Syracuse boy Jayson Stark, bring up the instant replay thing. I like instant replay the way it is, home runs and fair/foul. If we start moving onto every play it's going to get too much. I know this call blew, but they can't over react.



Also, in what I am sure will go down as one of the worst-timed retirements ever, Ken Griffey Jr. hung 'em up after 22 seasons in the Majors.


SEE YA!

Read more...

Game 33: Yankees at Tigers

YANKEES (21-11)
Derek Jeter DH
Brett Gardner CF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Marcus Thames LF
Francisco Cervelli C
Ramiro Pena 3B

RHP Phil Hughes (4-0, 1.69)

TIGERS (19-14)
Austin Jackson CF
Johnny Damon DH
Magglio Ordonez RF
Miguel Cabrera 1B
Brennan Boesch LF
Alex Avila C
Don Kelly 3B
Ramon Santiago SS
Scott Sizemore 2B

RHP Jeremy Bonderman (1-1, 5.74)

Let's Play Two: The Yanks and Tigers are gearing up for the second game of the day. Detroit took game one, but the Bombers send Hughes to the mound to try and split the day.

Sleeping bats: I guess the 1 PM start was a little early for the position players, with the two teams combining for 2 runs and 9 hits. Maybe they'll be awake for the 7 pm game.

Read more...