Oh dear, Javy

It wasn't supposed to be like this, Javier Vazquez. Wasn't the whole point of you going to Florida was that you were going to relax and NOT suck?

I got on Vazquez all last season because I thought from the start he was ill fitting in New York. But I thought a trip to Florida would be like his time in Atlanta. Relaxed and without pressure, Vazquez would revert to his All Star stuff.

Instead he got smacked around by the Mets. Yeah it is only one game... but this isn't a good start.

I wonder if my Anonymous Javy Vazquez admirer will come back.

Vazquez won't flop as a fish

I’ve written some nasty things over the last few years about Javier Vazquez… and got an anonymous reader to lash out at me every time I did.

I got on his case when he was with the White Sox and I made the easy prediction that he was going to be a flop when he returned to the Yankees.

So you might think I am going to kill the Marlins for spending some of their revenue sharing by forking over $7 million to a guy who pitched himself out of a Yankees rotation that desperately needed an innings eater and off a playoff roster that screamed for bullpen depth.

It’s tough to get excited about someone who posted a 5.32 ERA for the season. A guy who posted a 5.96 ERA in August and a 8.84 ERA in September.

Yes, that first number was an 8… and yes he pitched in more than one game.

But truthfully, it is an ideal move for both the Marlins and Vazquez.

Florida should always be an ideal spot for pitchers to revive their reputations. Remember how Todd Jones became an All Star caliber closer in Miami?

Even the perennially awful Armando Benitez found his grove in the stadium formerly known as Joe Robbie.

Every once in a while, Vazquez puts together a terrific season that makes everyone think he is an ace. He’s not. He’s a .500 pitcher who throws a lot of innings and lets up a run about every other inning he throws.

He’ll probably go 16-5 next year… his ERA will be in the mid 3’s… he’ll be among the league leaders in innings pitched.

And his one year contract will be up and a team like the Mets or the Angels will overpay him and they’ll be stunned when he doesn’t post those numbers again.

And the back of his baseball card will get more and more cluttered… and he’ll have made over $100 million over his career.

$7 million will be well spent by the Marlins.
Good luck (and thanks again for both of Johnny Damon’s ALCS homers in 2004.)

Girardi and Vazquez talk on the mound

At one point during a typical Javier Vazquez start (less then 5 innings, more than 5 runs) he got hit by a line from Blue Jays' John Buck.

Joe Girardi and the training staff came running out to talk to him.

GIRARDI: Javy! Are you alright?

VAZQUEZ: I'm fine skip. Let's play ball.

GIRARDI: Man this looks bad. You could have been killed.

VAZQUEZ: What are you talking about? I picked it up, I threw the guy out at second.

GIRARDI: No. I think there's some real damage here. Can you even move your arm?

VAZQUEZ: What the hell? I'm fine. I'm ready to keep pitching.

(Girardi grinds his teeth as he talks to Vazquez real close face to face.)

GIRARDI: It would be a SHAME if this line drive took you not only out of the game but maybe even ends your season.

VAZQUEZ: Ends my season? I'm making my bid for a post season start.

(Girardi fumes.)

GIRARDI: Gee Javy... how AWFUL would it be for me to not include you on the playoff roster because of an INJURY. But I guess you would be looked at as a warrior who gave his body for the team as opposed to a bust of a starting pitcher whose ERA starts with a f*cking 5!!!

VAZQUEZ: (Standing his ground.) I'm fine.

GIRARDI: You know you being injured... it would be a shame but it would be a no brainer for me to have a healthy pitcher on the team and no loss of honor for you. Don't you agree Javy?

(The Umpire breaks it up.)

UMP: Hey, is he ready to pitch?


VAZQUEZ: You bet I am... and you'll see. Not only am I healthy but you are going to know EXACTLY where I fit on this playoff roster.

(Girardi glares at him and walks back to the dugout. Vazquez pitches to the next batter...)

(An inning later Vazquez lets up a 3 run homer to put the Yankees in a 7-0 hole. He finishes the game and probably his Yankee career with 4 2/3 innings, 7 runs, 10 hits, 2 walks and 0 strikeouts. His record is 10-10 and his ERA is 5.32.)

(Girardi takes him out.)

GIRARDI: You just COULDN'T play hurt, could you?

VAZQUEZ: (Shoulders slumped.) Does this affect my post season chances?

GIRARDI: Don't worry. I am sure we can get you tickets to the games.

A SULLY BASEBALL VIDEO - Red Sox fans... do the math

How bad are Joba Chamberlain and Javy Vazquez?

I know Joba and Javy have been pinatas for me all year... but let's face it, they've earned every single whack the way they've pitched.

Don't believe me? Just look at last night... a game where their supposed 8th inning stud and supposed new rotation workhorse were used in their playoff roles: Mop up men.

Actually Joba was given the role to get out of a 6th inning bases loaded jam and keep the game close at 4-3.

How did he do? Well not only did he let all three inherited runners to score but let up another run charged to himself. A close playoff feel game turned into a blow out where by the end I think Joe Girardi was asking Guiliani's son if he wanted an at bat.

But the actuality of Joba's futility could only be overshadowed by the disrespect the umpires gave to Javier Vazquez.

Keep in mind the scenario... the Yankees and Rays are neck and neck... they might meet up in the post season with the AL Pennant on the line... this is their LAST regular season meeting... the games, save for last night, were rife with emotion and posturing...

And with the Rays blowing the Yankees out of their own building and former supposed Cy Young candidate turned "use only in blow outs" mop up man Javier Vazquez hit Desmond Jennings.

No warning issued.

Then he hit Willy Aybar... no warning issued.

Then he hit Kelly Shoppach... THREE STRAIGHT HIT BATSMEN...
Nope. Nothing.

Even the umpires knew "He's not trying to hit them... it's Javy Vazquez. He sucks."

I like to think Javy WAS trying to hit them, just to show his teammates his toughness and to show them how much a team guy he really is.

Plunk.
PLUNK!
PLUNK!!!!

And the ump saying "Sorry Javy... I'm not buying that you are doing that intentionally!"

For those of you who think I am too tough on Javy Vazquez, take it up with home plate umpire Andy Fletcher.

He agrees with me.

It's to the point where the Yankees almost have to say "We can NOT put either Joba nor Javy on the post season roster."

The Yankees lose in an unusual way but with the usual pitchers

I mentioned last weekend that the Yankees hadn't lost game that they were leading in the 8th inning or later since July 10th... before the All Star Break.

Well now you can change July 10 to September 10 as the Yankees coughed up an early 4-1 lead, an 8th inning lead and an extra inning loss.

While the result was surprising, you can hardly say the culprits were.

The Yankees took a 4-1 lead after 3 innings. They handed that lead to starter Javier Vazquez... one of my reader's favorite pitchers.

Now I admit, he is more talented than me. But he is also making $11 million more than me a year to pitch. He's not pitching 11 million times better than me.

This big game horse couldn't get an out in the 6th inning and turned it over to the bullpen for at least 4 innings. (Remember... he EATS UP innings!)

FYI, if your average start is 4 runs in 5 innings, you would have a 7.20 ERA.
Vazquez's season ERA is only 5.09... which is still inexcusable.

Now the middle relief did a solid job keeping Texas off the board and keeping the lead for the Yankees.

Guess which reliever coughed it up.

YUP! Joba... the guy who the Yankees turned from a stud into a basket case lets up a game tying shot, once again showing that they can not use him in a big moment in an important game.

Now I give Joe Girardi some credit. He used struggling Phil Hughes out of the pen in the 9th, knowing that if he got them into the 10th the Yankees would have the heart of their order up and Rivera able to preserve the lead.

A sneaky way to get Hughes a confidence boosting win #17 and put him back on track to join the 20 win club.

It didn't work out, but it was clever.

Finally Chad Gaudin, who offers nothing and will only pitch in a mop up scenario, ended the game.

Now the Yankees remain the best team in baseball and they are still the champs and the team to beat.

But going into the playoffs they can rely on Sabathia, Rivera and remind me who else?

Burnett goes tomorrow. You either get an ace or a disaster from him.
Vazquez is a bust even though he's better than me.
Hughes needs confidence boosts as he has been a dumpster fire since the All Star break.
And Pettitte is having his pitches counted in Trenton.
And the middle relief is up and down and they don't have an 8th inning guy... and on nights Sabathia doesn't pitch, they need a 6th, 7th AND 8th inning guy.

The Yankees could very well repeat this year and they will be as tough a team as there is in the AL. But their feet are made of clay... and I am not talking KEN Clay.

I figured out who my anonymous Javier Vazquez fan is

My readership has been growing steadily over the last few years. I have some regular readers and commenters and I have a few people who don't always like what I type.

Pirate fans seemed to get ticked at me because I wouldn't praise the great work of Neal Huntington who in three short years transformed the Pirates from a bad team to the Worst Team in Baseball.

Some Twins fans wrote some nasty things to me when I wrote my tongue in cheek defense of the Metrodome. So much for Minnesota nice.

And there have been other instances... and frankly I find them to be funny.

But I've had a few posts from an anonymous reader that has attracted my attention. He brings up the classic lame argument when I criticize a pitcher which is "He's a better pitcher than YOU." Well yes... that's setting a very low bar.

Major League Baseball players are asked to perform at a high level and are paid as such... and when they do so on the highest stage, they are not immune to criticism.

But this poster only seems to come out of the woodwork when I pick on Javier Vazquez.

Now to be sure, I have written some bad stuff about Vazquez.

But I've also written bad stuff about other pitchers too.

Javier Lopez...

Trevor Hoffman...

Armando Benitez...

I've criticized Daisuke Matsuzaka...

Brad Lidge...

John Smoltz...

Joba Chamberlain...

No problem with any of those. But when I pick on a guy who is on every Yankee fan sh*t list and is in the doghouse on his own team and by any reasonable judging standard is having a lousy year in the Bronx, he shows up with the predictability of the sun rising.

And his defense of Vazquez is odd...

".And as for Vazquez, don't insult the guy. He has more wins the that Dice-K guy that you worship even though Dice-K is a starter and Javy is in the bullpen."

He's in the bullpen because he has been awful as a starter... and since when do I worship Dice-K?

"You clearly have a lot of time on your hands if you're complaining about someone who can pitch way better than you."

Again bringing up how Javy can pitch better than me... interesting.

"Sully is a fool who doesn't know what he's talking about. I don't know why I'm still reading his blog. Javy is a waaaaaaaaaaaayyyy better pitcher than Sully!!!!"

I figured it out with this post.

I don't know why it took me so long to figure out the mystery. It is as simple as a Scooby Doo mystery when you take 2 steps back and think about it.

The 12 "a's" on waaaaaaaaaaaay better gave it away.

The anonymous poster.... is none other... THAN JAVIER VAZQUEZ HIMSELF!

Who else could get THAT worked up over blog posts pointing out that he isn't an elite pitcher and that his complaining about being taken out of a game too early was bush league... and that he isn't a bust?

Javy was Googling his own name and stumbled across what I wrote and anonymously wants to set the record straight.

Well, let me just say Javy, I for one am glad you are reading my blog and you might be interested in knowing that you were included in my Home Grown vs. Acquired Roster for the Montreal Expos.

Keep reading the blog, Javy and I hope the Yankees trade you away this off season and you can have a stress free year putting up stats and getting another big contract.

Lord knows I can't pitch as well as you or make your dough.

Then again, you should aim higher than out pitching me!

Once again, I compare Javy Vazquez to a stand up comic

Back when Javy Vazquez was dealt to the Braves in 2009, I compared him to a stand up comic who had one good set and was coasting on this reputation.

Well, Vazquez brought back memories of my stand up comedy days this morning. I remember there were many times I would see a comic absolutely EATING it on stage.

I'm not just talking about not getting laughs. I am talking hostility from the crowd. People walking out. And the comic just... wouldn't... get... off... the... stage.

The MC would be blinking the light and waving their arms to get their attention. Sometimes they would turn music on. I saw one club owner shut the mike off.

And here's the thing that always blew my mind about those comics:
They would ALWAYS complain about being taken off the stage too soon.

"What the hell? I wasn't done with my set!"

They would bitch and moan like crazy. And I would always think "Why would you want to STAY on stage when you are bombing like that?"

I bombed plenty of times and guess what? When I was eating it, I was BEGGING for the MC to get me off the stage!

Which brings us back to Vazquez.
He was brutal this year... as he has tended to be all year.

He let up 5 runs and 8 baserunners in less than 5 innings. And remember he has been taken in and out of the rotation all year because instead of being a #2 starter, he's been a complete bust.

And according to the Daily News he was upset that Joe Girardi took him out of the game in the 5th inning.

"the fact that I got taken out early, that wasn't good."

Um... Javy. You were bombing. Why would you WANT to stay on and get bombed some more?
Girardi was doing you a favor.

Can pitchers with a 5.01 ERA really bitch and moan when they are taken out? As a starter he has a 5.23 ERA and averages less than 6 innings a start (he is a workhorse, remember?) can he really complain about when he is taken out?

You got the light, Javy. Get off the stage!

Really, A's?

Seriously... you put a 3 spot in the first inning on the Yankees with your best pitcher, Trevor Cahill on the hill, and you can't even hold the lead for ONE INNING?

You make a 10 game winner out of Javier Freaking Vazquez?

You call this being a spoiler and making a run at a winning season?

Seriously, A's... don't you know you serve at the pleasure of Red Sox fans?

Yes Joba... it's gone

Another day for Joba Chamberlain, another bomb let up.

Remember how he could have fetched the Yankees an ace? Now he is the biggest reason for why the Yankees might not repeat as World Champs.

Their two biggest weaknesses now? Lack of rotation depth and the unstable bridge to Rivera. (Don't believe the weak lineup now. When the leaves will turn brown, so will the shorts of opposing pitchers.)

Joba was supposed to fill one of those roles. Instead his ERA is now at 5.02 and he turned a 2 run game into the 9th into a 3 run game into the 9th. Just what you want from your middle relievers.

Of course Javy Vazquez didn't make the night much better.

While he LOWERED his ERA to 4.89, he threw 107 pitches in 4 innings. I didn't think that was possible.

This coupled with Pettitte's slow recovery makes for a very interesting last few months of the season as the Rays and Yankees jockey for position.

I wonder if Girardi will put Joba or Vazquez in a big game again...

I wonder if he has a choice.