Baseball Thread Rated X -- Mature Audiences Only

Santana's second-half stats:

2006 (current) -- 9-0, 2.42, 81.2 IP, 59 H, 22 ER, 19 BB, 92 K
2005 -- 9-2, 1.59, 107.1 IP, 75 H, 19 ER, 19 BB, 95 K
2004 -- 13-0, 1.21, 104.1 IP, 55 H, 14 ER, 23 BB, 123 K

Cumulative -- 31-2, 1.69 ERA, 293.1 IP, 189 H, 55 ER, 61 BB, 310 K

He's certainly the most dominating pitcher since Pedro's prime. He's having a run comparable to Gibby's. He might even be up there with Koufax, although let's give him two more years for that one.

 

During a radio interview, today, Joe Torre mentioned that his rotation would be Mussina, Johnson, then Wang.

 

That is not a very good playoff rotation if you ask me. One Johnson can blow up at any time, two Mussina has been overachieving and Wang is just plain lucky but soon it is going to run out.

 

Predicted sign in the Yankee Staudium bleachers:

Show us your Wang!

 

I disagree on Wang. The guy has really good stuff.

I'm thinking that Torre is looking at Johnson as a veteran lefty in Yankee Stadium. He values that over records and ERAs, apparently.

In addition to this Mussina is in his walk-year. We all know about players in their walk-years. He'll be just fine (as long as there isn't a rain-delay, long inning, borderline call go against him, a full moon, a half-moon, an extra verse of the Star Spangled Banner sung, a disruptive advertisement, the umpire's hat off center...).

Out of the three, Randy Johnson is the shakiest.

 

I can't disagree with Randy Johnson as being the shakiest. How is Mariano Rivera going to be is another question the Yankees are going to have to answer before they can advance because the bullpen is not that good.

 

Who's bullpen is better?

 

Hummm I don't know the Tigers pen is way better, the white sox and twins all have much better pens.

 

Touche.

But I'll take Cain's last six starts.

 

It does kinda fit the Torre way. Lucky for him, his GM bought enough talent to overcome shit like this. I'm not saying Wang should start game two ahead of Johnson because he is better (though this year, he is). I'm saying it is more important to put Wang in his comfort zone.

Also, say the Yanks lose the first two games at home. Who do you want on the mound with the team's playoff life on the line? Johnson or Wang, pitching in an environment (on the road) where he has struggled?

 

When is he going to stop being lucky? People, especially Red Sox fans, have been saying for the last year and a half that Wang can't keep this up and he is actually terrible. It is not like he was Aaron Small with a proven track record of non-success showing up. He is 25-10 in his first 47 starts with a 3.76 ERA in 316.1 innings pitched and at some point you have to stop calling it luck and say that he is one of the better young pitchers in baseball.

 

Really? You'd rather have Todd Jones and his bloated ERA closing games for you in the playoffs than Mariano Rivera?