This is not close. Please see below. Also, I am not sure where you are getting your defensive numbers from, but any metric shows the Rays being light years better defensively. Anyone arguing for the yanks is going purely off reputation and not on the present reality.
Team Results Win Probability Added
W L RS RA RS-RA PWINS VAR Close Bat Start Pen Tot
NYA 15 16 134 142 -8 15 0 7 - 6 -1.15 -0.60 1.25 -0.50
TB 16 13 137 118 19 16 0 6 - 6 -0.11 0.00 1.61 1.50
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Team Pitching Stats
R/G ERA FIP DER LD% GB% IF/Fly K/G BB/G HR/G HR/Fly SLG LOB%
NYA 4.58 4.56 4.14 .690 21% 46% 9% 6.4 3.4 0.9 11% .398 70%
TB 4.07 3.75 4.01 .721 18% 43% 10% 6.0 3.4 0.8 9% .361 71%
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Wang is the only NYY starter who could crack the current TB DevilRay rotation.
Rivera and Chamberlin are only for sure competititors for DRays current bullpen.
It's been a long time coming for anti-YankeeFans, but this season's upcoming 84 win (at best) season should be quite satisfying to watch as Bombers annual September battle will this year be for third place in the AL East.
Rivera and Chamberlin are only for sure competititors for DRays current bullpen.
It's been a long time coming for anti-YankeeFans, but this season's upcoming 84 win (at best) season should be quite satisfying to watch as Bombers annual September battle will this year be for third place in the AL East.
They need to get healthy on offense which should be helped by return of Cliff Floyd in next week to ten days.
Then they need to let Kazmir demonstrate good health for 8 to 10 starts and trade him for a frontline 2B with big stick and relegate Iwamura to legit backup role as 3B/2B.
OR trade him for a frontline/big stick RF
Finish the second half of season with Shields, Jackson, Sonnanstine, Garza and Neimann.
Win MAYBE 85+ games, but definitely far more than their preseason Vegas TotalWin line of 73.5
DISCLOSURE...I currently have $30 invested on TB to win AL at 50x1 and am likely to add up to $100 more to that barring an unhealthy plunge in performance during month of May.
It's almost a moot expectation.
If Floyd can come back in final 125 games and play in 90+ games with 350+ plate appearances, he'll likely provide some much needed power punch.
But that said, even if he's not available, Hinske seems fairly able to fill the role of LH RBI bat in the 5th to 7th hole.
But in that event, it increases the urgency to get a more legit frontline RF.
Secondary trade notion on my end is to deal Kazmir for Reggie Willits, a strong middle reliever and at least one AAA starter in Angel organization that is slated to hit the bigs by 2009-2010.
Really need John Lackey to either come back with inconsistent health or not come back at all this season to see my vision take better shape.
If Floyd can come back in final 125 games and play in 90+ games with 350+ plate appearances, he'll likely provide some much needed power punch.
But that said, even if he's not available, Hinske seems fairly able to fill the role of LH RBI bat in the 5th to 7th hole.
But in that event, it increases the urgency to get a more legit frontline RF.
Secondary trade notion on my end is to deal Kazmir for Reggie Willits, a strong middle reliever and at least one AAA starter in Angel organization that is slated to hit the bigs by 2009-2010.
Really need John Lackey to either come back with inconsistent health or not come back at all this season to see my vision take better shape.
5-10-08:
<TABLE class=yspwhitebg cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR class=ysptblthbody2 align=right><TD class=yspdetailttl width="7%">IP</TD><TD class=yspdetailttl width="7%">H</TD><TD class=yspdetailttl width="7%">R</TD><TD class=yspdetailttl width="7%">ER</TD><TD class=yspdetailttl width="7%">BB</TD><TD class=yspdetailttl width="7%">K</TD><TD class=yspdetailttl width="7%"></TD><TD class=yspdetailttl width="19%" colSpan=2></TD></TR><TR class=ysprow1 align=right><TD align=left>S. Kazmir </TD><TD>6.0</TD><TD>3</TD><TD>0</TD><TD>0</TD><TD>3</TD><TD>6</TD><TD>0</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Nice outtong by KAZ, 6 IP 6 K's 0 ER's/R's
<TABLE class=yspwhitebg cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR class=ysptblthbody2 align=right><TD class=yspdetailttl width="7%">IP</TD><TD class=yspdetailttl width="7%">H</TD><TD class=yspdetailttl width="7%">R</TD><TD class=yspdetailttl width="7%">ER</TD><TD class=yspdetailttl width="7%">BB</TD><TD class=yspdetailttl width="7%">K</TD><TD class=yspdetailttl width="7%"></TD><TD class=yspdetailttl width="19%" colSpan=2></TD></TR><TR class=ysprow1 align=right><TD align=left>S. Kazmir </TD><TD>6.0</TD><TD>3</TD><TD>0</TD><TD>0</TD><TD>3</TD><TD>6</TD><TD>0</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Nice outtong by KAZ, 6 IP 6 K's 0 ER's/R's
