Looney Contract Showdown: Yanks-Jays Gamer II

Some pitchers are worth huge dollars (see the post below). Others are not, but get that crazy cabbage anyway. Tonight we see two who most assuredly figure in the latter category: Jaret Wright (6-5, 4.29) and A.J. Burnett (1-3, 4.25) of the Jays. Together, they make enough in salary to repair the debt of a medium-sized Carribean nation. In pure dollar-per-performance terms, both will have an almost impossible time not living down to the "disappointment" billing. But don't blame them for getting paid. Or maybe only a little. Anyway, the Yanks need to stop the bleeding tonight, and if there's one man who really needs a break it's our sad-sack third baseman, who's taking more heat that Kitchen Stadium, most of it underserved. Let's hope he unleashes those frustrations with one of his monster nights of which he is more than capable. We'll be watching. And commenting here.

Comments

[Nick-YF]

How many looney pitchers' contracts are out there? Seems like every team has at least 1 pitcher they're overpaying.

[NeffSox]

Sox - Clement/Foulke

[yankeemonkey]

PAVANO!!!!

[NeffSox]

Big Ones
Braves - M. Hampton
Cubs - Kerry Wood
Phillies - Randy Wolf
Orioles - Russ Ortiz

Some smaller ones
LA Dodgers - Gagne, O. Perez
WSox - Vazquez, Garcia
Astros - Pettitte

just to name a few

Let's not even get started on the bad contract front.

As for Damon starting off.....man on first!

Jeets chops out to Burnett. Damon to 2nd.

[YF]

PB sends Damon to 3rd. Burnett crosses up Zaun.

Speaking of bad contracts. Zaun has been the better Jays catcher despite the big contract for Molina.

[YF]

Grr. Giambi ks on high inside heat. Clocked at 99. You be the judge on that..

[SF]

Foulke a loony contract? He was a key piece in the championship, so no matter what he did the rest of the way I bet he hasn't cost the Sox a huge amount in the big picture. Clement, on the other hand...

[yankeemonkey]

Giambino strikes out. He's been doing that a lot lately, hasn't he?

[SF]

I also think the "Loony Contract" title for this thread could probably be used for just about every Yanks game, but that's just me...

[YF]

Oy. Alex looks at a curve for strike 3. Tough pitch. This Burnett guy looks pretty good!

[SF]

Jeter with his feet anchored to the turf on that one. Nice range, Cap'n!

[YF]

Oy. Reed Johnson drills a double up the line past You-Know-Who. Makable? Perhaps.

And now Catalanotto puts one through the whole on the left past Jeter.

Two seeing eye hits on hard grounders. Jays set up with men on 1st and third, none out, for Wells.

[SF]

"hole on the left past Jeter"

Wow, that's an understatement. That hole started about 6 inches to his right and goes on for miles...

[SF]

I smell popout and double play. Sooth coming?

[YF]

Wells walks. DANGER!!!

[SF]

No sooth. Fine by me. Wells walks.

[Rob SF]

SF continues to needle this issue....LOL.

[Rob SF]

Not sure if Wright is going to make his usual 5 inning appearance.

[YF]

No comment.

[SF]

Jeter has no range. And you rag on A-Rod for Johnson's pea down the line? Again, unfair. Jeter shouldn't get a free pass - he's showed no range in this inning whatsoever.

Meanwhile, Kay blames the artificial turf...

[Rob SF]

Glaus hits the ball on the first pitch. Perhaps the Jays are a little dialed in right now.

[SF]

That gapper would NEVER have happened on grass...

[SF]

Trade Hughes! Trade Hughes!!!

[Rob SF]

Damon is getting run all over center now.

[YF]

Well, Jeter didn't have much shot with that one.

Apropos of nothing, nice that they have GameCast in the outfield wall over in the SkyDome. Yeesh.

[Rob SF]

Did Clement shave and get traded to the Yanks?

[Rob SF]

Wright...16 pitches, 4H, 4ER and 1BB

[YF]

An out! Awesome 26 to go....

[Rob SF]

from Boston.com regarding the Lowell trade. Notice the name on 1st:

ESPN's Buster Olney is reporting that the Padres are in talks with the Red Sox about Mike Lowell. The Red Sox would receive pitching in return. A deal would necessitate moving Kevin Youkilis to third base, likely putting someone like Hee-Seop Choi at first base. San Diego is desperate for a third baseman after releasing Vinny Castilla on Wednesday.

[SF]

Jeter didn't have much shot with that one

It looks like he's going to have to "Jenna Jameson" one to have a chance. In other words, the balls are going to have to hit him in the chest for him to make a play.

(Dude, you're walking into these...)

[YF]

2 down! rollin'.

[Rob SF]

I see we have stepped up from the random Ron Jeremy shots.

[YF]

A defensive GEM from the Captain! Take that SF.

(Your metahors are weaker than Keith Foulke's comeback attempt.)

[SF]

A gem? Are you nuts? That was a routine play.

(and come on, a Jenna Jameson reference woven into a comment on Jeter's fielding ability? Gold, I say!)

[SF]

Gueil getting his balls washed by Kay. Why do I even have the sound on?

[SF]

Glaus doing what A-Rod can't as he throws on target.

[SF]

"AJ Burnett is the kind of pitcher who has the chance to throw a no-hitter every time he takes the mound" sayeth Al Leiter (I think it's Leiter - or is it O'Neill?). Come on...

[attackgerbil]

Is the game on YES? It's blacked out in Portland for some reason.

[YF]

It's on WOR in NYC.

I wouldn't discout Leiter so quickly. He's not Orel Hershiser as an analyst, but he's not Bobby Murcer either. Burnett does have some nasty stuff. And an interesting debate between him and Singleton.

[SF]

I like Leiter. I think Singleton is a bozo. My opinion of Kay is as a Jekyll/Hyde guy.

[YF]

Another 2b for Johnson. Oy.

[attackgerbil]

Yuck.

[YF]

How can you not like SIngleton?! He's not Bill James, fine, but he's a perfectly decent fellah.

[SF]

Hey Gerb - you ever eaten at Higgins' (I think that's the name). Great place, if I remember correctly.

[attackgerbil]

106 degrees in the shade in Portland and I can't even watch the game. So far, it least it looks like a game worth missing.

[SF]

Well, he's better than Murcer, who is excruciatingly bad. Though neither guy quite hits the unattainable Hawk Harrelson level of "terminally painful hometown shill"ism.

[attackgerbil]

Higgins is fantastic. The owner is the chef, and he is absolutely devoted to food. Menus change weekly. It's a must-eat place when in town.

[attackgerbil]

SF: How was your dinner at Batali's new place?

[SF]

I love Portland - my sis lived there for several years (she is a writer, was friends with lots of other writers, artists, and tons of musicians). Loved visiting her - just a cool city, as far as I am concerned.

[attackgerbil]

Portland trivia: the name was decided on a coin toss by it's two founders. One was from Portland, Maine. If he had lost the toss, it would have been called Boston.

[YF]

I think you really sell SIngleton short. He's not a numbers cruncher, but he is a very smart guy; anyone who's listened to the YES telecasts for the last couple of years can appreciate that fact. He brings a breath of interest that's kind of surprising for a ballplayer. And his personal history is compelling, and he doesn't use it as a crutch. Black players who came up before 1969 deserve some serious respect.

[SF]

Del Posto: food brilliant. prices, not so. Insanely expensive for stellar grub - the food is incredibly refined and impeccably made. But we're talking WAY insanely expensive, such that I don't think I can go back for a while. Also, the scene has a really weird Jersey/Vegas vibe, that I am not used to. And a pianist playing jazz standards and show tunes. Weird.

[attackgerbil]

Glaus throws out Cairo. Cmon, Johnny.

[attackgerbil]

Attaboy, JD. Line drive single.

[SF]

Dude, this has nothing to do with his skin color, so I think that's a bit of BS, and it's kind of like pulling out a gun at a knife fight: I don't think it's relevant to the fact that I don't like listening to him and find his analysis often bone-headed and homerish. Respect for him as a person, which I have, and respect for his accomplishments as a player (I really liked him as a player) are independent of his abilities as an announcer. He was a much better player, I'll just leave it at that.

[SF]

Out at first. Another gift for the Yankees after the horrendous Posada call earlier this week.

[attackgerbil]

Did Glaus have a play on that single?

[SF]

A tough call, for sure, just to be clear. And really, really close. Benefit of the replay shows him to be out.

[attackgerbil]

Sounds like he did. Another blown call?

[attackgerbil]

I see.

[YF]

I'd take SF's thoughts on the food (not the price/decor) with a bit of a grain of salt. We dined together at another Batali joint (Babbo), and i thought it massively overrated. SF, to his credit, is a more adventurous eather than yourst truly. The Del Posto menu appeals to that kind of eater; I find it annoying. Fear Factor cuisine isn't my thing.Also worth noting that Batali is apparently a total dick, who has no compunction about picking trash out of his bins, and then reserving it. Not nice!

[attackgerbil]

Gameday audio sucks when you are on a Mac. Just doesn't effing work. i want my money back.

[YF]

ALEX!!!! Hit 2000, homer 450 is a monster bomb that makes this a ballgame again! GET OFF HIS BACK!

[SF]

Bang-bang at first, Gerb. He was probably out by about 1/24th of a second (one frame on the TV replay, right?), so it's hard to blame the ump. But he did get it wrong.

Kay made a good point about the aural aspect - the ump is listening for bang in the glove/bang on the bag.

And A-Rod jacks a 3-run bomb off the unhittable $13M man to make it 4-3 Jays.

[attackgerbil]

YF - those be strong words. But I have always had this gut feeling about Batali being a bit pretentious, albeit more or less as knowledgeable about food as anyone in the business.

[attackgerbil]

ARod buys himself 5-6 minutes of peace until he steps back on the field. I hope he has a quiet day at the hot corner so the papers will leave him alone for a minute.

[SF]

Del Posto is more "refined" than Babbo, but I'll take Babbo's atmosphere any day. The "adventure dining" aspect is there for the taking, but mostly it's just very serious, almost French-Italian food, if that makes any sense. The menu is very big, so it's not like you risk eating something weird just by showing up. I didn't eat any innards that night, just some straightforward stuff: a wonderful pasta tasting menu (there were some truffles, something with zucchini blossoms, and something with braised beef in it) and a superb veal chop, cleanly roasted. Great dessert too. Different than Babbo, by a long shot.

And YF is a foodie, but he also doesn't eat fish of any sort, in any kind preparation, so that either means he knows his meat and pasta quite well or he's got a really limited palate. No comment from me on this one! ;-)

[SF]

Read "Heat" by Bill Buford, and you'll see that Batali is probably insane. And an egomaniac. But also a great chef. One mediocre experience at someone's restaurant isn't really enough to dismiss a guy as overrated. Though not everyone has to like everything, that I grant. I've been to Babbo four times - three meals were just stellar, one was just average. Sometimes kitchens misfire, no doubt. The more you pay, the less they should misfire, obviously.

(DP also has a great wine list, and the sommelier recommended the least expensive wine off of my shortlist, it was fantastic, exactly like he described That's worth points.)

[attackgerbil]

I'm a foodie as well (and work in the biz). My girlfriend has never been to NYC. Next year our close friends, who live here in PDX, are having their wedding somewhere near Watertown. We are thinking of making a three-legged visit: a few days in Scottsville (outside of Rochester) to visit my Parents/GPs, the wedding, and then down to NYC for a game at the Stadium and a couple of days and nights in Manhattan. Might be tough with the baby girl (due this November) though. I'll definitely get a short list of eateries from you both before I go if we make it to the Apple.

[attackgerbil]

Wow, Zaun is having a really good at bat.

[SF]

Cool, AG. Let us know when you're in town. We can do a YFSF gathering at Alain Ducasse...

[attackgerbil]

Crap. Double.

[SF]

Is someone warming? Wright is struggling.

[attackgerbil]

Hinske scores Glaus on a single to Cairo? What, was it off the apron? Did he have a play?

[attackgerbil]

Two pickoff attempts with Hinske? The guy weighs 235. Where's he going to go?

[Rob SF]

Back to the bag.

[attackgerbil]

Worry about Hill, Jaret.

[Rob SF]

good K there

[attackgerbil]

Rob: *chuckle*

There you go, Wright. Good K.

[SF]

The foodie in me is right now very annoyed that my dinner, an order of nachos, is about 45 minutes in the making. How long does it take to make nachos?

[Rob SF]

Awhile....you have to roll out the corn and make the tortilla's. Don't even ask how long it takes to slaughter the cow.

[SF]

Wright plunks McDonald on a tailing fastball. Just a bad pitch, and Torre yanks Wright.

[Rob SF]

Now he hits a batter. Wright seems to be experiencing a whole wide range of issues tonight.

[SF]

And cheese - that stuff takes weeks, right?

[Rob SF]

You have to brush it and let it age properly.

[Rob SF]

Now the olives and onions....

[attackgerbil]

NWS in Portland: "Excessive heat warning in effect until Sunday." If you can't tell it's excessively hot when the thermometer reads 106 degrees and going outside feels like stepping into a walk-in clothes dryer, how is that warning going to help?

[Mayday Malone]

2.2ip, 7h, 5er, 2bb, 2k

Who does he think he is- Jason Johnson?

[attackgerbil]

Shawn Chacon as an upgrade from Wright. Shudder.

[SF]

Those warnings are for the elderly and infirm, mostly, or their caregivers. But I sort of hear you.

Meanwhile, the nachos are almost at the hour mark. I am getting a little scared, frankly. Are these things supposed to be aged?

[attackgerbil]

According to recent postings, SFs outnumber YFs 3 to 1. Not a good sign at all for this thread.

[Rob SF]

AG...I lived for a few years on the Long Beach peninsula across from Astoria. I talked to my Momther today who is suffering in that heat. I definately feel for all of you up there, not like that whole region is used to heat waves over 85.

[Rob SF]

Well when our gamethread starts at 1000 est we have nothing left to do. These west coast road trips suck.

[Rob SF]

Been meaning to ask this for about a week. Who in the hell is Guiel? A minor call up?

[attackgerbil]

Attackgerbil picks on the elderly and infirm, locks dog in car with windows up at mall. Story at 11.

Meanwhile, Yankee bats are wearing out Aaron Hill's glove.

[attackgerbil]

Guiel was claimed off waivers from KC.

[SF]

My nachos better be here by the first inning of the Sox' game...

[attackgerbil]

He was DFA'd from Omaha (I think).