Sloopy45
Pimp Minister Sinister
Probably out of place here, but what the hey. Here's where I'd grade the '05 Yanks at midseason:
A+: A-Rod. Still has a lot to prove when it counts, but at midseason, you can't ask for more production than .317-23-72.
A+: The Great Mariano. 1.01 ERA with 20 saves. 'Nuff said.
A: Matsui. Always great in the clutch. .320-14-70.
A: Jeter. On pace for another 200 hits-.300+-20 HR-100 Run season with stellar defense & leadership. Expect nothing less from the Captain.
A: Sheffield. Great first half, will be better in the 2nd half.
A-: Chien-Mien Wang. The unsuspecting ACE of the Yankees staff. Has been an absolute god-send for this team. Seemed like the only pitcher on the team with enough guts to take the mound against the Red Sox during the last series at the Stadium. As Al Cervik once said, "This is Mr. Wang .. no offense!"
B: Mussina. Has probably had the biggest wins for the team this year, coming up with gems to end long losing streaks when the team desperately needed it the most. However, has been maddingly inconsistent and also came up with some clunkers in big spots.
B: Flash Gordon. Shook off early season failures to put up a very solid season as a set-up man to the Great 'Mo. If the Yanks do make the Playoffs, it should be interesting to see if he can shake off a history of post-season failures.
B-: Randy Johnson. If his name was Joe Blow, you'd give him this grade. He hasn't been dominant, but he has kept the team in games, has shown flashes of brilliance (albeit few and far between), has given the team the lefty starter that it desperately needed, and has gotten better as the season has went on. However, his name isn't Joe Blow, its Randy Johnson, and therfore most people will give him a lower grade than this. I expect him to be much better in the 2nd half now that his feet are wet in New York. Is there a bigger shock in baseball this season than Tampa Bay absolutely OWNING this guy??
B-: Posada. Offensive production is down from previous years, but he's still on pace for 20 HR & 70+ RBI, which is much more than most Catchers. Has been steady behind the plate & is a welcome presence in the clubhouse.
B-: Robinson Cano. Has injected desperately needed youth into the team and has a very sweet swing with solid defense. On pace for 30+ Doubles, and will be in the running for ROY. Very hard to believe no one wanted this kid a few short months ago.
B-: Tanyon Sturtze. Has become an incredibly valuable member of this team as a reliable set-up man & swing 5th starter in a pinch.
C+: The Giambino. If I told you a month ago that Giambi would be hitting .278 with 10 Homers & .426 OBP at the break, you'd probably have me committed. He's revived his career, and his numbers are rising. Giambi can take this team from a very good offensive team to a great one, as we've seen the last few weeks. This grade would've been a D- a month ago. If he can continue to revive his career, I'll give this guy all the credit in the world. He was left for dead, and it took balls to crawl out of it like he did. Even gaining some confidence defensively at 1B. I have a feeling that this grade will be much higher at the end of the season.
C+: Bernie. Numbers are way down & defense has been horrendous. But, he's made the most of his hits in clutch situations, namely the triple vs. Tampa Bay in the infamous 20-11 game, the grand slam vs. Seattle, and his GW RBI against the Mets. Also has taken his demotion with a lot of class & professionalism. This franchise will miss Bernie when he's gone.
C-: The Bam Tino. He's filled his role, got hot when the team needed it earlier in the year, and was a nice fill-in until Giambi got his stroke back. This grade would be much higher if he'd given the team any production whatsoever the last few months.
C-: Ruben Sierra. Injuries have held him back, but he's hot now. Always a valuable commodity off the bench. Has made a complete 180 from his 'Village Idiot' days. I expect this grade to be higher by the end of the season.
D+: Kevin Brown. Has pulled his regular routine: always hurt, shows no heart on the mound, etc. but has also mixed in a few quality starts. If he could EVER stay healthy, I think he could actually be a decent 5th starter for this team.
D: Carl Pavano. Has been overweight all season, and has recently come up lame. Hopefully the injury will be a blessing in disguise, as maybe the rehab will get him back in shape.
F: Jaret Wright. This grade should actually be given to Cashman for signing a guy with a bad shoulder who failed his physical right before signing the contract.
F: Tony Womack. .276 OBP from a lead-off type hitter. Has contributed absolutely nothing to the team, save for 2 games where he stole 4 bases in each.
A+: A-Rod. Still has a lot to prove when it counts, but at midseason, you can't ask for more production than .317-23-72.
A+: The Great Mariano. 1.01 ERA with 20 saves. 'Nuff said.
A: Matsui. Always great in the clutch. .320-14-70.
A: Jeter. On pace for another 200 hits-.300+-20 HR-100 Run season with stellar defense & leadership. Expect nothing less from the Captain.
A: Sheffield. Great first half, will be better in the 2nd half.
A-: Chien-Mien Wang. The unsuspecting ACE of the Yankees staff. Has been an absolute god-send for this team. Seemed like the only pitcher on the team with enough guts to take the mound against the Red Sox during the last series at the Stadium. As Al Cervik once said, "This is Mr. Wang .. no offense!"
B: Mussina. Has probably had the biggest wins for the team this year, coming up with gems to end long losing streaks when the team desperately needed it the most. However, has been maddingly inconsistent and also came up with some clunkers in big spots.
B: Flash Gordon. Shook off early season failures to put up a very solid season as a set-up man to the Great 'Mo. If the Yanks do make the Playoffs, it should be interesting to see if he can shake off a history of post-season failures.
B-: Randy Johnson. If his name was Joe Blow, you'd give him this grade. He hasn't been dominant, but he has kept the team in games, has shown flashes of brilliance (albeit few and far between), has given the team the lefty starter that it desperately needed, and has gotten better as the season has went on. However, his name isn't Joe Blow, its Randy Johnson, and therfore most people will give him a lower grade than this. I expect him to be much better in the 2nd half now that his feet are wet in New York. Is there a bigger shock in baseball this season than Tampa Bay absolutely OWNING this guy??
B-: Posada. Offensive production is down from previous years, but he's still on pace for 20 HR & 70+ RBI, which is much more than most Catchers. Has been steady behind the plate & is a welcome presence in the clubhouse.
B-: Robinson Cano. Has injected desperately needed youth into the team and has a very sweet swing with solid defense. On pace for 30+ Doubles, and will be in the running for ROY. Very hard to believe no one wanted this kid a few short months ago.
B-: Tanyon Sturtze. Has become an incredibly valuable member of this team as a reliable set-up man & swing 5th starter in a pinch.
C+: The Giambino. If I told you a month ago that Giambi would be hitting .278 with 10 Homers & .426 OBP at the break, you'd probably have me committed. He's revived his career, and his numbers are rising. Giambi can take this team from a very good offensive team to a great one, as we've seen the last few weeks. This grade would've been a D- a month ago. If he can continue to revive his career, I'll give this guy all the credit in the world. He was left for dead, and it took balls to crawl out of it like he did. Even gaining some confidence defensively at 1B. I have a feeling that this grade will be much higher at the end of the season.
C+: Bernie. Numbers are way down & defense has been horrendous. But, he's made the most of his hits in clutch situations, namely the triple vs. Tampa Bay in the infamous 20-11 game, the grand slam vs. Seattle, and his GW RBI against the Mets. Also has taken his demotion with a lot of class & professionalism. This franchise will miss Bernie when he's gone.
C-: The Bam Tino. He's filled his role, got hot when the team needed it earlier in the year, and was a nice fill-in until Giambi got his stroke back. This grade would be much higher if he'd given the team any production whatsoever the last few months.
C-: Ruben Sierra. Injuries have held him back, but he's hot now. Always a valuable commodity off the bench. Has made a complete 180 from his 'Village Idiot' days. I expect this grade to be higher by the end of the season.
D+: Kevin Brown. Has pulled his regular routine: always hurt, shows no heart on the mound, etc. but has also mixed in a few quality starts. If he could EVER stay healthy, I think he could actually be a decent 5th starter for this team.
D: Carl Pavano. Has been overweight all season, and has recently come up lame. Hopefully the injury will be a blessing in disguise, as maybe the rehab will get him back in shape.
F: Jaret Wright. This grade should actually be given to Cashman for signing a guy with a bad shoulder who failed his physical right before signing the contract.
F: Tony Womack. .276 OBP from a lead-off type hitter. Has contributed absolutely nothing to the team, save for 2 games where he stole 4 bases in each.
