Posts tagged JoeGirardi at FanHouse

The season is almost over, and we're finishing up with the Yankees and the Red Sox. And hey: I'm glad to be rid of at least one of them.

So begins our annual switchover to playoff-themed Dugouts. Or, if you want to be specific, "How Hard Is It To Do Four Dugouts A Week About The Angels."

Tonight's Dugout (chock full of new and seldomly used screen names) is after the jump.

Does Mariano Rivera need surgery? That's the buzz in the New York Times after the closer returned to New York to undergo an MRI on his right shoulder.

There is some fear that Rivera could need arthroscopic surgery, although the procedure would be minor and would not be expected to affect him next spring.

"The only way that would happen is if tests indicate that should happen," General Manager Brian Cashman said of the surgery. "I can't say at this point."

Of course, you wouldn't know any of this if it Joe Girardi had his way. When meeting with reporters last night, Girardi steadfastly denied that Rivera had any specific pain, suggesting Rivera was returning to New York for a mere physical. Cashman's account completely contradicts Girardi's story, which apparently is becoming quite common these days. From Peter Abraham of the LoHud Yankees:

Girardi got contentious when asked about his misleading statements, slamming his fist down on his desk. It's similar to what happened earlier this season when Phil Hughes, Brian Bruney, Chien-Ming Wang, Jorge Posada and Damaso Marte got hurt. Girardi'a first inclination is to be misleading.

It has gotten to the point where team officials now apologize to reporters for the manager's actions. Nobody is sure why he does it because he gets caught every time.

Girardi had a reputation of being a straight-shooter (perhaps to a fault) before taking the Yankees job, but it's possible the glare of the Big Apple has taken its toll. He's not a rookie manager, but one year with the Marlins couldn't possibly have prepared him for the daily media onslaught he's gone through in New York. Here's to hoping Rivera checks out clean this weekend and Girardi starts coming clean going forward.

When the Yankees are officially eliminated from the playoffs in a few weeks, there's going to be a lot of blame going around. Fans will blame Alex Rodriguez for never coming through in the clutch, Brian Cashman for never making the deal for Johan Santana, and Hank Steinbrenner for forcing Joe Girardi to move Joba Chamberlain to the starting rotation.

They'll also be blaming the Rays and Red Sox for having superior teams. Still, there's one person who probably deserves more credit for the Yankees demise than anybody else, it's just that most Yankees fans probably don't even realize it. That man is President of the United States, George Bush.

Are Yankees fans also Barack Obama supporters? The Yankees have won eight world championships during Democratic administrations in the past 50 years but haven't won a title with a Republican in office since Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1958. Since then, the Yankees have won titles during the terms of John F. Kennedy (1961-62), Jimmy Carter (1977-78) and Bill Clinton (1996, 1998-2000).

The Rocky Mountain News' Tracy Ringolsby also digs a little further and notices that the Red Sox haven't won a World Series with a Democrat in office since Woodrow Wilson in 1918. So it looks like Yankees fans will have a lot easier time figuring out who to vote for this November than I am.

Joba Chamberlain will make his long-awaited return to the mound today ... when he throws 30 pitches in a carefully-monitored bullpen session. He's only going to throw fastballs and change-ups, and even if things go perfectly, it's still not clear when he'll actually appear in a game.

As speculated last week, Joe Girardi does sound open to putting his young ace back in the bullpen, at least until Chamberlain builds up his arm strength. From Ed Price of the Star-Ledger:

"We've always thought of him as a starter," manager Joe Girardi said Friday. "That's how I still think of him.

"There's not a lot of time to build up, so we might have to be creative how we build him up. ... We're not exactly sure how we're going to do it."

As Price notes, it'd be one thing if Joba were trying to return in the middle of the summer, but with the Yankees' farm clubs approaching the end of their seasons, he simply won't be afforded the opportunity to make a handful of three-, four- and five-inning minor league rehab starts until he gets back into shape. Instead, once he's ready to test his shoulder in a game situation, he'll probably have to be thrown into the fire as a big league long reliever.

Yankees starter Chien-Ming Wang had the cast removed from his right leg earlier this week, and he was so happy about it that he began wondering if he'd be able to return in time to help the Bombers make a playoff push in September. Unfortunately for Wang, his manager Joe Girardi isn't much of an optimist when it comes to Wang's recovery time.

According to Girardi, he doesn't see any way that Wang will return before the playoffs.

"The chances of us getting him back Sept. 1 are zero," Girardi said. "Oct. 1? It's possible."

Still, the doctors haven't told Wang that a September return is out of the question, so it's still his goal. Of course, the real problem if Chien-Ming can't come back by then is that the minor league season will be over so he's not going to be able to go on a rehab assignment. Not that it would keep Girardi from throwing him right back in the rotation.

"As long as we felt he was healthy, strong and ready to go, I would not (have any hesitation)," Girardi said. "It will be like spring training again, and you don't have concerns when he's your Opening Day starter six weeks after doing his work. We have to make sure he's healthy."

All of which means Yankees fans will get a few more months worth of Darrell Rasner and Sidney Ponson, but some of them would probably tell you they prefer Wang on a broken leg over both of those two. Though somebody should probably tell Girardi that the Yankees have to get to the playoffs first. The Yankees streak of consecutive playoff appearances may have him thinking their berth is automatic.

The 2008 season has not been kind to Yankees catcher Jorge Posada. While Posada's labrum injury is most evident when he's trying to throw a runner out at second base (whether it's the painful grimace on Jorge's face while doing so, or the fact the throw is about three minutes late) it's also affected him at the plate.

After having one of the best years of his career in 2007--posting career highs in batting average (.338), OBP (.426), and slugging (.543)--Jorge's only hitting .268/.364/.411 with three homers and 22 runs driven in this season. Playing has become nearly impossible for Posada right now, and he's been placed back on the disabled list by the Yankees. Just don't be fooled by the fact it's the 15-day DL, because it's more likely Jorge is done for the season.

"Whatever the team wants me to do," Posada said after speaking with Manager Joe Girardi and General Manager Brian Cashman. "We're looking at some situations. I can't catch right now. I'm hurting and every throw hurts. It's been like that the whole year. We're looking at every scenario."

Posada said this surgery would be more intensive than his last surgery, which occurred after the 2001 season. He was ready for spring training the next February, but he said the surgery this time could carry a six-month recovery period. Having surgery now could be Posada's only option to start 2009 healthy.

Posada will be undergoing a magnetic resonance imaging test today to determine what route needs to be taken with his shoulder, and the results of that will determine whether or not he needs surgery.

When the Yankees signed Jorge Posada to a four-year deal in the offseason, the biggest drawback seemed to be the inevitable day when he couldn't be an everyday catcher. His bat has always been his main appeal, so there were other options, but the Yankees knew the day would come that Posada was playing first or DH more often than not.

They probably didn't expect it to happen this year, though. Jose Molina has started the last six games at catcher while Posada has shuffled between the other two positions. He's not at all happy about it, according to the Daily News.

"I like to catch. Okay?" Posada said. "I'm in the lineup and I'm happy that I'm in the lineup, but I like to catch. I'm a catcher. I'm not a first baseman and I'm not a DH. I like to catch, so I'm looking forward to catching (today)."

Posada's never been one to make waves and his frustration may have to do with the shoulder he hurt earlier this season. Posada makes it sound like he's been benched and the paper makes it seem like he's angry with Joe Girardi, but the former's a stretch and the latter's totally unjustifiable.

On Deck is FanHouse's look at the day's most intriguing baseball matchups.

Chicago Cubs (52-35) at St. Louis Cardinals (49-39) - 3:55 PM ET

It's sad to see a friendship go south as apparently the one between Tony La Russa and Jim Edmonds has now that Edmonds is with the Cubs and La Russa is playing ultra-sensitive. But in reality, La Russa and Edmonds are mere players in the larger war that is Cubs vs. Cardinals, with first place on the line and growing ever so further away from the Cardinals. Today, Kyle Lohse is going to have to continue his 2008 magic (remember when nobody wanted Lohse? Yeah, well now he's 10-2) against Ted Lilly.

On Deck is FanHouse's look at the day's most intriguing baseball matchups

New York Yankees (39-33) vs. San Diego Padres (31-42) - 1:05PM Est.

When Hank Steinbrenner came out earlier this season and basically demanded that Joba Chamberlain stopped being used out of the bullpen, and placed into the starting rotation, his general manager and manager kind of just ignored him. Hank was just doing anything in his power to try to be like his dad, and after dealing with George for all those years, Brian Cashman had become pretty adept at tuning his boss out.

Besides, the Yankees starters were just off to a rough start to the 2008 season, and things would turn around soon enough. Only they never did, as Phil Hughes struggled, Ian Kennedy got sent down, and Mike Mussina looked like a shell of a shell of his former self. So eventually Cashman and Joe Girardi had to cave, and move Joba into the starting rotation (and now that Chien-Ming Wang is out they're lucky they did).

His first start didn't go very well, but in the two starts since, Joba has improved each time out. This afternoon he'll be making his fourth start of the season, but will he finally pick up his first victory as a starter?

As is the case whenever he opens his mouth, Hank Steinbrenner made some headlines this week. His complaints about pitchers having to run the bases in the National League were oft-mocked as the rantings of a big baby who wanted to change the rules because something bad happened to his team. It's bad enough when those barbs are fired by nattering nabobs like me but when a guy he's paying, Joe Girardi, weighs in, it's even worse.

"Contrary to some people's belief, baseball players are athletes, and running should be a part of their athletic endeavor. I haven't seen [an injury while running the bases] happen to another pitcher.

How archaic to suggest pitchers are athletes! Steinbrenner was acting like a brat when he whined about Chien-Ming Wang's injury. Never had he uttered a word about pitchers pulling full duty in the NL until a freak happenstance cost the Yankees. And it had nothing to do with running but with an awkward landing.

That can happen just as easily on the mound, just ask Yankee pitcher Brian Bruney who is recovering from the same injury, or covering first base and landing wrong on the bag. That doesn't mean that his suggestion about protecting pitchers doesn't have a kernel of wisdom to it.