Rotoworld has already said this best about Joe Torre's flagrant abuse of reliever Scott Proctor, but it bears mentioning again in a different context. In addition to firstbase and outfield depth, the Yankees are going to need a bullpen arm if they are going to succeed later this season. Of course, splitting series with bad teams like the Giants may make that seem implausible. For those who won't click through, here is the dead-on quote:
A's rookie reliever Santiago Casilla had his first bad appearance yesterday in the 9th inning of a 0-0 game. Given his previous success, the fact he was used in the 9th says more than the bad appearance. Unlike James Hoey who made his 2007 debut in the 9th for the Orioles, bombed, and was sent right back to AAA.
Nationals' CF Brandon Watson went 2-3 with a walk and a stolen base to bring his 2007 AVG to .400 (4-10). Is he going to be everything the Natspos thought Nook Logan (or Peter Bergeron or Endy Chavez) was going to be?
Believe it or not, Seattle rookie reliever Brandon Morrow's one scoreless inning yesterday brought his innings-pitched just one out behind his number of walks for the season - 26.2 to 27. His strikeouts trail this bizarre statisitical race by one with 26 punchouts.
The Angels recalled 1B Kendry Morales yesterday and started him at 1B. Is this a signal that starting firstbaseman and 2007 breakout hitter Casey Kotchman (333/411/556) is suffering a much more serious concussion than is indicated by the decision not to disable him? Could this be the time Morales succeeds or is it just another stop on the AAAA Shuttle?
With his 9th victory, the Tigers Justin Verlander is firmly entrenched in the 2007 CY Young race. He is also locked into the elite levels of starting pitchers in fantasy baseball. The boost in Ks did that. (This season's 85 in 97 IP versus last year's 124 in 186.)