The 2013 New York Yankees

[weams]

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=25941399

I hate the Yankees. You can't make me feel sorry for them.

[hallmt18]

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=25941399

I'm not an expert in what qualifies/what doesn't qualify as a save, but... the caption on this video says that Hanrahan worked the 9th for his first save as a Red Sock.

He doesn't really get a save for working one inning with a six run lead, right?

[Il BuonO]

I'm not an expert in what qualifies/what doesn't qualify as a save, but... the caption on this video says that Hanrahan worked the 9th for his first save as a Red Sock.

He doesn't really get a save for working one inning with a six run lead, right?

No, he doesn't.

[ShoelesJoe]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it looked to me like Sabathia's fastball was running 88-90 mph today, or about 5 mph slower than a couple years ago. If that's all their stud $25 million a year #1 starter is capable of these days I think the Yankees are well and truly cooked. I doubt that particular Bosox lineup will average four and a half runs a game this year and they still laid a touchdown plus on NY in their home park on opening day.

Good times.

[25 Nuggets]

The crows are circling.

Watch out for Boston in 2014, I believe.

[DrungoHazewood]

Here's one thing I'm slightly (and only very slightly) concerned about: Yankee fans thinking this gives them street cred.

After they were kind of down for a handful of years in the late 80s and early 90s that became the knowing glance, the brotherhood thing, the "we lived through the down years" fist-bump kind of thing among Yankee fans. Joe Sheehan and the legions of Yankee fan writers still refer to the bleak, dark years when Alvaro Espinoza and Pascual Perez were Yankees, and how they lived through the horror, and came out the other side. You know, just like being a Senators fan or a St. Louis Browns fan. "My God, I actually spent my teenage years without multiple World Series Championships!!!!!!" Then they have a group hug, and pour out a 40 for Don Mattingly.

My fear is that in 2019, on the heels of three straight titles and a $500M payroll, they all huddle around and shed a tear for the two consecutive years in '13-14 where they didn't win 90 games and had Ben Francisco starting at DH on opening day, and how they're all die hards and real men for the experience.

[SeaBird]

Was the bottom of the 9th.

The Yankees announced the largest Opening Day crowd for the new stadium (49,514). By the seventh, with the Yankees down three runs and the temperature dropping, about half (at least) had left. By the ninth, they were almost all gone.

The Yankees down 6 runs in the 9th with wind and heavy rain falling. Throw in some lousy baseball being played, and it's no wonder the fans were leaving.

[SeaBird]

Yankees fans have some things to worry about this year but Sabathia is not one of them. He was signed as, and is still the Yankees Ace. But after yesterday's loss his OD ERA is now up to 5.80. He's just not good on OD starts for whatever reason. Girardi still gives him the starts, however.

In his last 5 OD starts for NY, including yesterday, he has 2 losses and 3 ND's and the Yankes record for those 5 games is 1-4.

Overall, only four of his 10 Opening Day outings have been quality starts, including just one out of the last six, a six-inning, three-run effort for the Yankees against the Tigers in 2011. After the loss yesterday, his teams are 3-7 in those starts. When he was with the Indians, he picked up 1 win and 4 ND's. The Yankees are now 1-4 in his OD starts.

So he's a slow starter and as the weather warms up he'll improve.

[NewMarketSean]

I don't care how bad the weather was, that picture of an empty stadium is embarrassing. How many 9th inning comebacks have the Yankees had over the years? Even down by 6? It was opening day. Against the Red Sox. If this happened in a week against the Astros, I can see it.

[Can_of_corn]

Yankees fans have some things to worry about this year but Sabathia is not one of them. He was signed as, and is still the Yankees Ace. But after yesterday's loss his OD ERA is now up to 5.80. He's just not good on OD starts for whatever reason. Girardi still gives him the starts, however.

In his last 5 OD starts for NY, including yesterday, he has 2 losses and 3 ND's and the Yankes record for those 5 games is 1-4.

Overall, only four of his 10 Opening Day outings have been quality starts, including just one out of the last six, a six-inning, three-run effort for the Yankees against the Tigers in 2011. After the loss yesterday, his teams are 3-7 in those starts. When he was with the Indians, he picked up 1 win and 4 ND's. The Yankees are now 1-4 in his OD starts.

So he's a slow starter and as the weather warms up he'll improve.

He was throwing significantly harder last opening day.

[SeaBird]

I don't care how bad the weather was, that picture of an empty stadium is embarrassing. How many 9th inning comebacks have the Yankees had over the years? Even down by 6? It was opening day. Against the Red Sox. If this happened in a week against the Astros, I can see it.

Embarrassing? Really?

“At the end, it was ugly out there, on the field and off,’’ Yankees newbie Vernon Wells said. “I don’t blame them for leaving a little early.’’

[Can_of_corn]

Embarrassing? Really?

“At the end, it was ugly out there, on the field and off,’’ Yankees newbie Vernon Wells said. “I don’t blame them for leaving a little early.’’

What else would you expect him to say?

"It was ugly out there but I was really disappointed that the fans didn't stay and root us on. There in the ninth there were more Sox caps then Yankee caps in the stands. Pretty sad really, I expected better."

Wells gave the only acceptable answer.

[SeaBird]

All pitching arms have dubious life expectancies. Sabathia insisted his felt great. But in five innings, he mainly pitched at 88-90 mph, hitting 91 nine times and 92 twice. Both Girardi and Sabathia said it fit with his April readings from previous seasons. But even while getting beat up in the season opener by Tampa Bay last year, Sabathia averaged 92 mph with his fastball and maxed out at 94.

“I am sure my velocity will keep coming back the more I throw,” Sabathia said. “But health-wise, I am fine.”

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/yankees/with_unloaded_lineup_alarms_not_fhSKo9Dzp7jYisWpWzdPjK

[Can_of_corn]

All pitching arms have dubious life expectancies. Sabathia insisted his felt great. But in five innings, he mainly pitched at 88-90 mph, hitting 91 nine times and 92 twice. Both Girardi and Sabathia said it fit with his April readings from previous seasons. But even while getting beat up in the season opener by Tampa Bay last year, Sabathia averaged 92 mph with his fastball and maxed out at 94.

“I am sure my velocity will keep coming back the more I throw,” Sabathia said. “But health-wise, I am fine.”

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/yankees/with_unloaded_lineup_alarms_not_fhSKo9Dzp7jYisWpWzdPjK

Sitting 88-90 is a significant velocity drop from sitting 92. Three mph in the course of one season will be very significant if it continues.

I think CC can still get batters out throwing 90 but he won't be a #1.

[SeaBird]

I don't care how bad the weather was, that picture of an empty stadium is embarrassing. How many 9th inning comebacks have the Yankees had over the years? Even down by 6? It was opening day. Against the Red Sox. If this happened in a week against the Astros, I can see it.

You tell me. How many times in the 9th inning down by 6 runs have they come back?

It was cold, rainy and windy. If my team is down by 6 I'm heading to the car. If they rally and come back, shame on me. But spreading 6 hits over 9 innings while striking out 10 times is a pretty good indicator they weren't pulling that one out of the flames.