Happy Birthday & Happy Re-Birth?
I must start out this latest edition of The Blob by wishing my sister, Jeanne, a very Happy Birthday. She’s turning 29 … AGAIN! Um, well, she’s actually celebrating an anniversary of her 29th birthday, let’s just leave it at that!
And here’s something I bet she never thought she’d get for her birthday: a correlation between her and Yankees pitcher Javier Vazquez. It was either I get her that or a new car, and gosh darn it, wouldn’t ya know, I had the PERFECT car picked out, but it didn’t have the PERFECT kind of cup holders I was looking for, so Jeanne gets what’s behind Door #2!
So the correlation between the two, in case you are wondering, is that they are front-page news in this particular Blob. But more than that, while Jeanne celebrates a birthday, it is my hope that, when Javier makes his next start, it’s the beginning of something good. So good, in fact, that he gets the chance to party like my sister! (And that girl knows how to paaar-tay!)
The news came down today that the Yankees will skip Javy’s scheduled start in Boston on Friday and push his next start to Monday vs. Detroit. People wonder aloud, especially on sports talk radio if this will forever crush Vazquez’s pride and spirit and confidence and ability and…whatever. That’s what I say…whatever.
First of all, it’s good to know that we all got our degrees in Dime Store Psychology from different schools. I didn’t realize so many fine institutions had those. But seriously, put yourself in his place. If your boss walked up to you and said, “Hey, we’re gonna give you a quick break, get your mind right and put you right back in there, we’re not gonna stop using you or make you disappear, just give you a chance to get yourself right” … wouldn’t you be more appreciative than crushed?
Now, it’s an entirely different story if they just removed Vazquez from the rotation and banished him to slop-duty in the bullpen, but that’s not the case. Even Al Leiter, during one of the weekend broadcasts, said he wouldn’t take offense to that if his team told him to sit one out to fix some things.
What I wonder is this: Delete the name Javier Vazquez from the No. 4 spot in the Yankees’ rotation and add the name Joba Chamberlain. If Joba were off to the same start, would people be clamoring for his removal and exile? In fact, if it were just about any other pitcher in the Majors?! But just because it’s Javier Vazquez, he gets NO fan support.
Here’s MY dime store psychology: I wish we lived in a world where we actually gave somebody a chance. Remember when new TV shows got at least 10-15 episodes for fans to warm up to them? Now, it’s one or two episodes before execs pull the plug, or they get such bad reviews from test audiences that they NEVER MAKE IT to air.
Same concept for Javy now. Five starts in, he’s 1-3, and people have given up on him. I find it remarkable that EVERYONE remembers his 4-5, 6.92 ERA second half in 2004 with the Yankees, but conveniently FORGET his 10-5, 3.56 ERA in the first half, which got him to the All-Star Game.
Bottom line, I’m not sugar-coating Javier’s start to the season. He’s got the ability to be far better than he is right now. But just give him a chance to breathe before jumping down his throat. Don’t let 5 starts make you stop rooting for a guy that’s on YOUR TEAM — let me repeat that, YOUR TEAM. Support all 25, not 24. That makes no sense.
And BELIEVE. His consistent numbers through the years are proof that folks should all believe in him more, and if fans do that, maybe Javy will start to believe in himself more.
And if THAT happens, maybe we’ll ALL be partying like my sister Jeanne is tonight!
(And tonight…and the next day…and…)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JEANNE & HAPPY RE-BIRTH JAVIER!
The Blob 
Bob I enjoy your column very much, good insite. I have to disgree on the Vasquez column.
Are you not seeing the body language and lack of agressiveness and not trusting his stuff.
I refer to Jim Kaats comments. High and hard low and slow up and in down and away. Trust your stuff. Havey has no concept of those principles when pitching. Did it just go away suddenly or was it doing it with smoke and mirrors.
He was much more agressive as a Brave.
Bob, your great on the postgame show but sorry, your the bad luck charm in the booth. Hopefully, your not in the booth in Baltimore or this could get ugly.
Bob,
I heard the other night that you covered the Humbolt Crabs and I was wondering during what years as my son pitched there for two seasons in the early 2000’s, for Ned, a great man by the way.
Regards,
BOB! You haven’t posted in over a month. Tsk tsk. I’m going to post this to Chris’ blog as well, but I think you guys should really have a farm system show. Whether it be a half-hour or an hour, on the weekend or once a day to recap all the scores. There are a lot of fans out there who would really appreciate to see more about our prospects. When Chris talked about Montero and Romine on the BP show a couple weeks ago I thought that was great. You should especially have something every time the draft comes around and it’s very disappointing that you don’t (by “you” I don’t mean you personally. I mean YES). You should have the show before the BP show. Cut into Francesa’s show. It won’t kill us. Really. And considering Mike knows next to nothing about this farm system it would do him some good to watch it.
Bob, i have acouple of quetions but didnt know how to ask you so here they are
1) do you think that the yankees an trade curtis granderson and get carl crawford to play left field and move brett gardner back to his orginal postion at center field.
2) or an alternite to that can maybe trade swisher and try granderson at right field. and put carl at left field and brett an center feild.
3) or lastly can they just trade swisher and granderson and maybe bring up greg golson.
my point of this is maybe they would like a speed more athletic outfiled with carl crawford therer they have that but you can bench brett or curtis. and niether can play right field so what can you do.