(Photo courtesy of Mike Ashmore)

At 6’5″ and 230 pounds, righty Zach McAllister is an imposing figure on the mound. Yet the big right-hander  from Chillicothe, IL (just outside Peoria) is more known as a ground-ball pitcher than a strikeout artist. Drafted by the Yankees in the third round of the 2006 draft, the twenty-two year-old McAllister, the son of Arizona Diamondbacks scout Steve McAllister, has steadily progressed through the minor leagues ever year, and figures to begin 2010 in Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre’s starting rotation.

After an impressive stint in the Gulf Coast League in 2006 primarily as a reliever (5-2, 3.09 ERA in 11 games, 1 start), McAllister moved upward to Low-A Staten Island in 2007, where is struggled a bit as a starter and with his command, posting a 4-6 record with a 5.17 ERA in 16 appearances/15 starts. Yet despite walking 28 in 71 innings, he showed sufficient promise as a 19 year-old, fanning an impressive 75 in just 71 1/3 innings in Staten Island, and allowing just 3 homers. Utilizing a sinking two-seam fastball, a four-seamer, slider and change-up, McAllister moved through A-ball in 2008 primarily because he exhibited terrific control, going 14-9 with a crisp 2.09 ERA and just 21 walks in 151 combined innings between Charleston and Tampa.

This brought McAllister a promotion to AA Trenton in 2009, where McAllister went 7-5 with a 2.23 ERA, with a 1.083 WHIP, 96 K’s, and just 4 homers allowed in 22 starts and 121 innings. His excellent work earned him a start in the Eastern League All-Star game before the Thunder fans. However, he missed four weeks due to arm soreness and, according to Mike Ashmore at his very good Thunder Thoughts blog, only two of McAllister’s next six starts went five or more innings. (Whether or not this was by design as he returned from injury, I do not know.)

Interestingly, according to Ashmore, the injury and Ashmore’s coverage of it for The Hunterdon County Democrat “led to a few issues, and we didn’t particularly get along too well afterwards.” Ashmore was quick to dispel any possible controversy, however, urging readers not to infer too much; rather, he insisted that McAllister was “interesting to cover” and implied that McAllister was more shy and quiet than cantankerous. This appears to be the case, for the youngster exhibited some nervous, “aw-shucks” shyness in a YES Network “Down on the Farm” interview last season, so McAllister may just need to hone some public relations skills and become a little more comfortable dealing with the media; something perhaps to watch down the road as he develops.

Develop McAllister has indeed, earning the praise of Yankees manager Joe Girardi for his “very good sinker” and “very good command of his fastball,” as well as the distinction by Baseball America as possessing the best control among the organization’s young pitchers. He has impressed this Spring, having thrown three hitless innings with just a walk in two ST appearances.

For 2010: McAllister’s career is clearly on the rise, providing the Yankees with considerable organizational depth among the starters as a reliable strike thrower who keeps the ball in the park and induces ground balls, and a potential fill-in option should other starters get injured or pitch ineffectively. He should begin the year in SWB as part of a good rotation, having adjusted well to each level of the minors year-by-year. With a fastball in the low 90s, a sinker as his primary pitch that he routinely throws for strikes, and above-average off-speed pitches, McAllister has positioned himself as one of the organization’s premier young arms, one whom the Yankees would be wise to retain and develop. Should he continue to post the strong numbers and low ERA and BB/9 totals at SWB that he has thus far, McAllister might earn a spot start in The Bronx this year, and it wouldn’t shock me if he earned a place on their 40-man roster coming out of Spring Training.

Whether or not Yankees fans see him in The Bronx this season, expect McAllister to himself challenge for a spot at the back end of the rotation in 2011 if he again impresses in the minors this season. Based upon his consistent improvement thus far, that is far from a fanciful thought.

Similar to an Anthony McCarron article in the Daily News that prompted a piece I wrote a couple weeks ago about Yankees catching prospect Jesus Montero, Ben Shpigel of The New York Times wrote his own good profile of the young catching phenom yesterday that is worth a look. In it, Yankees GM Brian Cashman both raved about Montero’s bat, and expressed a determination that outside speculation about switching Montero to another position would not dissuade the organization from honing his catching skills:

“Every year you hear: ‘When are the Yankees going to move him off catcher? He’s not this, he’s not this,’ ” General Manager Brian Cashman said. “I don’t care what anyone else thinks. We’re going to do what we think. All the tools are there, all the ability is there. With that bat, if he can stay behind home plate? Wow.”

It would be tremendous indeed should Montero develop into a good enough major-league catcher to be the Yankees’ regular backstop, with his Grade-A bat in the lineup every day. Shpigel pinpointed a couple items on which the Yankees have focused to improve Montero’s catching. One is making his body major-league ready. Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long did not divulge details, but spoke in somewhat pointed terms about this and especially the expectations he and the organization have about matching Montero’s physical maturity with his bat, which Cashman and Long acknowledge is mature beyond his 20 years.

Cashman recalled an instance from last Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Twins, when Montero, after falling behind to Jesse Crain, 0-2, sensed that an outside breaking ball was coming. It did, and Montero poked it down the right-field line for a double.

“It’s amazing that at 20 years old he’s a .320 lifetime hitter,” Long said. (Montero’s career average is actually .325.) “But he’s got to get his body in shape and turn from being a soft kid to a hard-nosed man. He’s got to do it in a hurry because he owes it to the organization. He owes it to everybody around him.” [Shpigel's parenthetical insertion]

It’s important to pause for a moment on this. The reminder of Montero’s hitting prowess is worthwhile in its own right. But the savvy and wisdom to sense the next pitch, especially by a budding catcher who appears attuned to pitch selection as part of his job, is what impressed me most. Crain is not a bad reliever, a guy going on his seventh season in the majors, sporting a 32-20 career record with a 3.50 ERA. A hard throwing with good breaking pitches, Crain is no slouch, yet Montero, just 20, bested him not just in a good at-bat, but by thinking like a mature professional hitter. That’s impressive, as Cashman and Long rightly acknowledge.

On Montero’s physicality, I would have liked to see a few more details here. For one, was Long implying that Montero has not labored or focused hard enough on weight and cardio training to be an everyday catcher in the pros? Long’s phrase that Montero must change “from…a soft kid to a hard-nosed man…in a hurry because he owes it to the organization” almost implies an impatience with, or perhaps a program of rapid acceleration for, Montero.  With the absence of details, I certainly hope it’s the latter. Plus, having seen just a little of Montero, he certainly doesn’t appear to wear much baby fat. The kid already appears to be in pretty good shape.

I think another possible explanation for Long’s disquisition on Montero’s development, which also underscores Cashman’s plan to develop Montero as a catcher, is the catching situation overall.  Jorge Posada will turn 39 in August, and while his productivity has remained excellent–against the grain of history for players, much less catchers, his age–he can’t catch forever. Joe Girardi has already said that he expects Posada to catch no more than 120 games this year, steering at least 25% of the catching workload to the young and emerging backstop Francisco Cervelli. However, what the Yankees can expect out of the athletic and hard-working Cervelli remains a mystery. A converted middle infielder, Cervelli impressed the Yanks last season when he was called up in May to replace the injured Posada and, despite hitting an anemic .190 in Trenton to that point, proceeded to hit .298 with 1 homer and 11 RBI in 42 games in The Bronx. Perhaps more importantly, Cervelli nailed an impressive 43% of the base runners trying to steal and, combined with his nice hitting last year, eventually displaced the strong defensive but weak-hitting Jose Molina as the Yankees’ backup. Yet Cervelli might not possess the type of bat that the Yankees need to succeed Posada.

Montero, on the other hand, has more than enough offense to replace Posada. What the Yankees are pushing Montero to improve upon is his quickness, particularly in reducing his catch-and-throw times to second base. Shpigel has a good segment in which he says that, according to the Yankees, Montero requires “1.9 to 2.0 seconds to catch and throw the ball to second base, whereas an elite catcher, like Yadier Molina of the St. Louis Cardinals, can do it in about 1.7.” While Montero has what Tony Pena characterizes as “a very strong arm,” he is still developing his throwing mechanics. Right now, it would be a stretch to imagine Montero pegging out 43% of base stealers, and the task of continuing Montero’s defensive improvement will fall to Butch Wynegar in SWB.

Implicit in the quote from Long above, I believe, is a desire for Montero to develop as a person, too. The “hard-nosed man” might allude not just to preparing Montero physically but psychologically, especially given the role that Posada has had for years as team leader and emotional barometer for the team–as I’ve characterized him, the guts of the team. The ’08 Yankees appeared to lack a certain urgency after Posada went down, and while the Yankees did a great job by adding mature veteran leadership in C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Mark Teixeira, and Nick Swisher last off-season, Posada’s crucial role on the Yankees is similar to that of Tino Martinez on the great late 1990s teams, providing vocal leadership, accountability, and a serious demeanor. Termed by minor-league catching coordinator Julio Mosquera as “an outgoing guy” and [n]ot timid,” Montero will have big shoes to fill indeed should he eventually develop into the Yankees’ everyday catcher.  Posada as a player and leader has become ensconced, with Bill Dickey, Yogi Berra, Elston Howard, and Thurman Munson, as part of the greatest lineage of catchers that any team in the history of the game has ever had. They had different personalities and styles as players, but none were wallflowers.

I for one like that the Yankees are pushing Montero while at the same time not presuming that he will immediately succeed Posada and/or make it to The Bronx. Cashman illustrates this balance the Yankees are negotiating between high expectations for Montero and the remaining development necessary for the majors by saying, “My job is to put the best team on the field that will help us win games,” Cashman said. “If a guy turns out to show us that he’s better than what we have, then we have to make it work. If that guy is Montero, then that’s what we’re hoping for.” They want Montero to be that guy, but are not automatically granting it to him. It’s a similar approach to how the Yankees have handled Joba Chamberlain, whom the Yankees have protected with innings limits while also expecting him to handle those rules and his altered pitching schedule last year with maturity. The Yankees in the process appear to be grooming their young players, particularly Montero, both physically and emotionally for the high expectations inherently connected with playing in The Bronx.

Time will tell how Montero handles all this but, should his defensive development parallel his offensive prowess, he will get the chance to show us sooner rather than later.

Readers of mine know that I hold Mariano Rivera in the highest regard as a player. As a reliever, he has no peer and his success is both unparalleled and prolonged. He also comports himself with grace, humility, and decency as a player and person in public, representing himself and the organization with an unwavering positive presence. He also maintains a disciplined regimen that has abetted his tremendous success as he has turned 40. At this point in his illustrious career, Mariano is at a point at which he can start to throw just before Spring Training begins, quickly get into playing shape, and pitch several innings before declaring himself ready come April. It has become somewhat hackneyed, but is nonetheless worth saying: we as Yankees fans have been blessed to have watched Mariano don and grace the pinstripes. He is beyond special.

Kevin Kernan had a good piece in yesterday’s New York Post probing some details of Mariano’s background and persona in Panama, a relatively impoverished nation (for those who might not know). In it, Mariano says that much of his determination and discipline to win stems from playing baseball as a child for pocket change against other kids, winner take all. Each team put up 25 cents, which might not seem like much to us, even for those of us growing up in the late 1970s as Mariano did. However, this tidy sum proved well worth a full effort from Mariano and his friends and teammates:

Are you kidding me, 50 cents, that was gold for us! And we fight to the end. It was beautiful. It don’t matter what we have to do, we fight to the end. Most of the time we came up winners…

These games, and doubtless his rather modest upbringing, cultivated a deep passion, determination, and competitiveness in Mariano that allowed him to hone his craft to a level of mastery rarely seen in major league history. He says it better than I ever could:

“I always had that determination to win,” Rivera said. “I was disciplined to win. I hated to lose. I hate to lose at anything, with my cousins, anything. I was very, very competitive. That’s the point. We didn’t want to let that 25 cents get away without fighting.”

“You have to fight for that goal — it ain’t going to be given to you, no one is going to hand you anything,” he said with passion. “You have to fight for it. You have to earn it.”

What did they do with those hard-fought winnings, you might ask?

If we won, we all went to the little store to buy a big liter of soda and oatmeal cookies and we share.

Anyone who thinks they have it tough should heed the words of Mariano, a guy who emerged from Panama with plenty of athletic skill and a determination to become far and away the greatest closer in the history of baseball. Here is a guy who literally asked for no quarter, and gave none. He just went ahead and won them.  Best of all, revealed in this piece is an unselfishness that sheds crucial light on one of the greatest athletes of our times. They won as a team, lost as a team, and celebrated as one with the spoils when they won.

These may seem like trivial tidbits. Readers might shrug at such anecdotes, thinking such incidents more commonplace than they are. I contend they’re more fundamental to understanding how Mariano got to be who and where he is, literally playing his way out of poverty by using makeshift equipment, and avoiding a life of dangerous work as a fisherman, with Mariano avoiding peril by abandoning a capsized fishing vessel as a young man.  As much as Kernan’s good article reveals about the genesis of Mariano’s competitive, focused demeanor, I appreciate as much as anything the unselfishness and appreciation that he displays.  As great as Mariano has been, he ensconces himself within, rather than setting himself above, others, never forgetting from where he came.

We’ve been lucky to have Mariano, people. The likes of him just don’t sashay through the door every day.

The Yankees rode a strong offensive start, battering Jeremy Guthrie for three runs in the first on their way to a 5-3 victory over the Baltimore Orioles in a split-squad game. The top of the Yankees’ starting order was as hot as a pistol, with Brett Gardner, Nick Johnson, Jorge Posada, and Robinson Cano going a combined 8-12 with 5 runs and 4 RBI. After Gardner led off the bottom of the first with a walk, Johnson doubled him in, followed by three consecutive singles by Jorge, RC, and Curtis Granderson to make it 2-0. After Randy Winn popped out, Juan Miranda hit a long sac fly for the third run.

Johnson himself had a stolen base, apparently rediscovering his Spring legs. He also executed a picture-perfect hit-and-run with Brett the Jet, singling crisply through the hole on the right side with Gardner running, and The Jet was steaming into third by the time Johnson rounded first; brilliant. I have admittedly had my reservations about Johnson hitting second, primarily because his dearth of speed makes me wary that the Yanks might experience certain limitations in the strongest part of their order. I’ve feared that he might be a part of too many DPs as either a base runner or batter, that combined with a rather athletic but not exactly speedy Mark Teixeira, Johnson might drag down the top of the lineup a bit. However, today was an object lesson in the upside of Johnson, who by the way is batting .455 after his 2-3 day. His bat in this lineup can be very dangerous, especially hitting behind Derek Jeter. His power is good and, even if that doesn’t result in a year that JD had in ’09 (24 HR, 82 RBI), Johnson can approach those RBI totals while providing strong gap power. His patience is a tremendous asset and, given the potent 3-4 combo behind him in Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez, Johnson will see pitches. Thus far, he has impressed me quite a bit.

Ramiro Pena made two slick plays at short, including one in the top of the eighth to start a DP. That’s a guy that, to me, must stay in the majors. His glove is first rate, he is versatile defensively, can bunt, run, and pinch-run offensively, and adds the kind of defensively depth the Yankees need for a run at repeating.

Javier Vazquez was overall good, fanning two but allowing a two-run homer to Ty Wiggington to cut the lead to 3-2. His off-speed pitchers were sharp, throwing a nasty change and curve. Alfredo Aceves was again terrific, allowing a solo homer on a clear mistake fastball (letter-high) to start the fourth. Otherwise, Ace was tremendous, allowing just two singles and no walks. I’d be shocked if Aceves threw more than 55 pitches in those 4 IP. I would still be surprised if Ace or another pitcher outside Joba and Hughes were the fifth starter; at the same time, Ace is making this a debate, for he has an ERA of 0.90 this ST in very efficient work, and will undoubtedly have a valuable spot on the team.

David Robertson worked around a pop-up that should have been caught in shallow center, striking out two to close out the top of the ninth. The Yanks and O’s agreed beforehand to play the bottom of the ninth regardless of the score, with the bottom of the ninth stats rendered meaningless. Nonetheless, Jesus Montero banged a single up the middle in the bottom of the ninth, and will be Butch Wynegar’s pet project in AAA SWB this season as he hones his catching skills. That kid can flat-out hit.

Good win in one of the two games the Yankees had today.

A hard-throwing righty, Kevin Whelan began his professional career in the Detroit Tigers organization. Drafted in the fourth round of the 2005 draft, the Texas A & M product and college catcher was sent to the Yankees with pitchers Anthony Claggett and Humberto Sanchez in exchange for outfielder Gary Sheffield. Whelan spent much of 2007 in AA Trenton, compiling a respectable 2.98 ERA in 31 games (30 relief appearances), as well as a strong K/IP ratio of 68 in just 54 1/3 innings because of his sharp low to mid-90s fastball and a nasty splitter. Yet control problems resulted in the 6’, 200 lb. righty being sent down to high-A Tampa to improve command over his fastball, having walked a whopping 42 batters in Trenton in 2007.

(Photo by: Mike Ashmore).

Whelan experienced an elbow injury during Winter ball before the 2008 season, and found himself on the DL midway through the 2008 campaign. Back and healthy in 2009, Whelan thrived at both Trenton and later AAA Scranton Wilkes-Barre, overwhelming batters to rack up 85 K’s in 67 1/3 innings, a combined 2.67 ERA, 1.277 WHIP, and just one home run in 44 games between Trenton and SWB. While he still has to harness his power and further reduce his walks, Whelan’s BB/9 dropped from 6.9 in 2008 to 5.5 in 2009, and it is encouraging that he shows the capability to throw multiple innings.

In two appearances this Spring, Whelan has allowed two hits, two walks, and an earned run with a K in 2/3 of an inning.

For 2010: Given the Yankees’ considerable bullpen depth, especially after the acquisition of Chan Ho Park, it appears likely that Whelan will begin 2010 where he finished 2009—in AAA SWB. Right now, Whelan appears to be cut from a hybrid mold of Mark Melancon, a fastball-off-speed righty with good strikeout ability whom the Yankees have groomed for middle and late innings relief, and the recently departed lefty Mike Dunn (in the trade with Atlanta for Javier Vazquez) who throws very hard but walks too many. Should others falter ahead of him or suffer injuries, the Yankees might well turn to Whelan during the 2010 season. Until that happens, however, and until he harnesses his powerful right arm, Whelan may not see The Bronx until September call-ups.

Crucially, while the Yankees have stockpiled considerable pitching talent and depth throughout the system, 2010 might serve as a make-or-break year for the 26-year-old Whelan. The clock may be ticking for him.  While the Yankees have done rather well for themselves in right field after dealing Sheffield, with Bobby Abreu and Nick Swisher productive offensively and decent defensively, the team might not realize any benefit from the Sheffield trade at the major-league level unless Whelan soon shows that his excellent if sometimes unsteady pitching in the minors can eventually translate into major-league success. In sum, Whelan is currently caught between the rock of the Yankees’ bullpen depth, and the hard place of his own sporadic development punctuated by vast strikeout potential on the one hand, and control problems and some injuries on the other. What he accomplishes in 2010 might determine what, if any, place he has at the top levels of the Yankees’ organization.

Jesus Montero apparently clubbed a monstrous homer off the “M” on the sign for the George M. Steinbrenner field in Tampa yesterday during batting practice, leaving most bystanders agape and impressed. Montero, however, downplayed the tater, stating that it was “probably the fourth- or fifth-longest ball he’s hit,” according to Mark Feinsand of The New York Daily News, and expressing a desire to continue working on his swing which, Montero declares, is “not there yet.”

On the one hand, I’m impressed with Montero’s display of maturity by focusing on the need for more work, more than the homer itself. On the other, one can only surmise where his homers will land once his swing is there. My guess is outside PNC field in SWB, then somewhere in the upper deck of Yankee Stadium in the not-too-distant future. I know, a really radical prediction. For my next trick, ladies and gentlemen, I’ll require some gum and my walking shoes.

Dovetailing neatly with Sunday’s post about the durability, work ethic, and arm of C.C. Sabathia, The Big Guy has started off ST very well. According to Chad Jennings of LoHud, Sabathia was playing darts with his slider near the end of his bullpen session with Francisco Cervelli.  Posted Jennings:

Cervelli practically put his glove flat on the ground to give Sabathia a target, and Sabathia was nailing his spot, perfectly to the ghost hitter’s back foot. “No one can hit that pitch,” Cervelli said.

[Sitting back in the chair, remembering the 2009 World Series run fondly, smiling] Yeah, that’s the guy the Yankees have locked up until 2015. STUD. Stay healthy, Big Guy.

In the same post, Jennings mentioned that David Robertson is working on a change-up to complement his crisp fastball and sharp curve. Count me in favor of this. I know that in the past, Yankee coaches have stressed relievers’ using two primary pitches, with little time to use and keep sharp a third (or fourth) pitch. I understand the reasoning behind this, especially for relievers with good fastballs who might not have honed more than two solid pitches. At the same time, I’ve always had misgivings about this and, when thrown well, the change-up can be a valuable weapon to off-set a good fastball. If he can develop it, a change would accentuate Robertson’s low 90s fastball, which already sneaks up on batters with late life. Jennings did a very good job pointing out that Robertson isn’t just working on it, but working on his mechanics to not give it away, and not to push the ball by letting his release lag. This is also another thing I love about C.C. His throwing motion entails hiding the ball very well behind his back leg, making it difficult to pick up his pitches. Something to watch with Robertson.

Oh yeah, position players are in Tampa now, too. Life is good.

Benjamin Kabak‘s typically strong post at RAB on Joba Chamberlain and the to-start-or-relieve conundrum, which addresses a John Harper piece at The New York Daily News, spurred some thinking about a couple aspects of the fifth-starter race. I think Kabak did a very good job analyzing that Harper’s article didn’t prove his own point–that the Yankees are considering moving Joba to the bullpen. That isn’t to say that they aren’t, but rather that Harper’s quotes of pitching coach Dave Eiland didn’t substantiate that. This is, after all, an open competition that Joba may well win.

At the same time, there is an aspect of the upcoming competition for the fifth starter spot that has largely been unaddressed, yet to me may be crucial to how the Yankees deal with the aftermath of the fifth starter competition. It harks back to what I’ve said in the past about Joba and Phil Hughes, their youth, how the Yankees handle them, but also relates to managing. That is, the outcome of the contest between the two young pitchers will likely require as much direction and finessing for the pitcher who doesn’t begin the season starting as it will for the pitcher who does.

That I consciously avoided using the terms “winner” and “loser” thus far is pertinent, for I believe the Yankees should adopt a similar approach. The pitcher likely moved to the bullpen will need to hear from Joe Girardi, Eiland, and Brian Cashman that he still plays a vital role in the team’s fortunes and its future, at the same time that he realizes from the outcome that he needs to do more to become a full-time starter for the defending World Series champions. This two-pronged approach served the Yankees well last year, for it was similar to how they handled Melky Cabrera after he lost the competition to be the starting center fielder to Brett Gardner. This prompted Melky to redouble his efforts and, when he got the chance to play, regained the CF job for the rest of the season. Girardi handled the situation well by complimenting both players, indicating their importance to the team, and signaling that, when Gardner was initially chosen, he would not need to look over his shoulder for the situation would not be “day by day.”

I believe they need to handle the fifth starter competition as diplomatically, if not more so. Both pitchers have been labeled for some time not just starters but future stars, shouldering high expectations from the organization and fans alike. They have shown some mental toughness with their vast talent, especially when setting up. The Yankees need to ensure that whoever (presumably) moves to the bullpen is mentally ready to do important work and gets over the blow of losing the competition. They need to remember, as do fans, that the pitchers are still young–Joba turns 25 in September, Hughes 24 in June. They need time to mature and, for one of these pitchers, their maturity as a starter may be delayed for a time at the same time that their mental maturity will be tested.

In the last few days, a phrase has turned over and over in my mind–we ask a lot of athletes, often things we would not ask of ourselves. It isn’t to say that we necessarily shouldn’t, or that part of being a top-notch athlete shouldn’t involve facing challenges. I am also not saying that there isn’t some real value in this impending competition, for Joba and Hughes both see the seriousness and stakes of this and are proceeding accordingly, which is encouraging to see. However, we as fans at times demand that athletes act in a way that we would find difficult. For whoever isn’t the fifth starter, many fans will likely insist that the loser keep a stiff upper lip, shrug off the setback, and embrace a different but still crucial role on the team. For those who might downplay the significance of this, consider how we might react if we were subjected to a competition for jobs we already had or had prepared long and hard for, then lost and were in essence demoted.  If a bit older, think also about how we might have reacted if faced with such a scenario in our early to mid-20s, if we would react to the outcome as well as one of these young, highly touted athletes probably will after one of them comes up short in a very public competition for the fifth spot–and, not to be overlooked, probably being billed as the most talented young pitcher in the organization as a result.

The Yankees will need to manage the outcome of the competition as judiciously as they have the youngsters’ careers to this point.

(hat tip to regular reader Michael Fierman to drawing my attention to this)

Inspired by Buster Olney‘s blog at ESPN.com, iYankees has a post worth seeing as well as discussing here. In it, Mariano Rivera has his own list of do’s and don’ts that one might want to consider to combat the ongoing battle with age–which only Mariano seems to be staving off.

Personally, I don’t subscribe to Mo’s #2, for I simply love good beer–although I will try to enjoy it with more moderation than I have my rather intemperate past. That doesn’t necessarily mean drinking a lot but, rather, drinking something good when doing so.

Also, while I already run a few days a week, stretching is a very good thing to do. My father frequently sends me stories on the other side of the stretching coin, advocating not stretching before running and using a brisk walk or light run in lieu of stretching. No way in my book. I stretch a few minutes a day before running, so Mariano is onto something here.

People really ought to try stretching–stretching well–a few minutes a day: touching one’s toes and holding them for 15 seconds, bending at the waist to touch toes, holding one’s legs behind the torso and stretching the legs and back, then turning the upper torso to each side. It will hurt, and it does me–and again, I run frequently. I don’t mean that as braggadocio, but rather to say that a good stretch should test one a bit.

I love fried foods, but eat them sparingly. I try to make time for others, but probably could do a better job of that. Then again, few actually seek me out for advice. I have my own ideas about higher powers, and respect those who differ, but I do pray to my own God in my own form. Just as importantly, I meditate daily. It’s a great and peaceful exercise–not unlike prayer.

This again confirms what I have said about Mariano, something that might sound trite but is unquestionably true: there is Mariano, and there is everyone else.

Via Mr. Olney:

Following up on my comparison between the terrific 2009 rotation with those of the late 1990s, this post assesses the sterling 2009 bullpen and gauges its performance along side the late 1990s dynasty. As with the rotation, the 2009 bullpen compares rather favorably with most years, including the tremendous 1998 team. As with last week’s post, I maintained a similar criteria with a couple important addenda: saves, which to a degree are overrated (see Joe Borowski’s and Todd Jones’s respective numbers for further elucidation, two players for whom sabermetricians ought to invent a category I’ve dubbed the NBS, the Nearly-Blown Save); and batting average against (BAA). The latter especially complements the seminal WHIP statistic to illustrate bullpen effectiveness in keeping batters faced off the bases, for relievers, unlike starters, frequently start stints with inherited runners. They’re not just trying to get batters out but often to stanch rallies.

Why 2009’s bullpen is the best of the bunch: Based on the above criteria, the 2009 Yankees stand out as the strongest, most consistent bullpen. They did the best job keeping batters off the bases (WHIP and BAA), had strong strikeout ability, played a bigger role in the decisions than their predecessors with 40 wins, and had a good ERA (fifth-best in the AL) despite logging 515 innings—far more than any of the rest except the 1996 championship team. In sum, they delivered great results despite the fact that more was asked of them than most other teams. Stocked with the steadily great Mariano Rivera (3-3, 1.76 ERA, 66 1/3 IP, 0.905 WHIP, 9.8 K/9, 44 saves), the 2009 Yankees also sported a top-notch set-up man in Phil Hughes who, after starting 7 games, shifted to the bullpen and blew batters away at a rate reminiscent of Joba Chamberlain in 2007 (12.8 K/9). Realizing a precipitous jump in his fastball’s velocity into the 95-96 range, Hughes fanned batters at a rate of 11.4 K/9 with a WHIP of 0.857 in 51 1/3 IP as a reliever, proving unhittable for long stretches (31 hits allowed).  Particularly tough on righties (.184 BAA/.235 OBP), Hughes at times struggled against lefties, allowing a considerably higher batting (.257) and OBP (.348). He was hard hit in the playoffs as well. But overall, he made Yankees fans quickly forget injured and often inconsistent set-up man Brian Bruney with his outstanding work.

In addition to the dynamic duo of Mariano and Hughes, the Yankees had a deep bullpen last season. Phil Coke was traded to Detroit in the three-way deal that brought Curtis Granderson to The Bronx, and had his struggles down the stretch, limping into post-season baseball with a 4-3 record but an inflated 4.50 ERA with 10 homers allowed, tied for the most among Yankee relievers. Yet it is important to remember that, for several months, Coke was not just the only viable lefty bullpen option, but a very good one at that. With Damaso Marte shelved with a sore shoulder, Coke was very good through June and July before struggling through a brutal August (2-0, 11.17 ERA, 1.655 WHIP, .308 BAA), the one reliable lefty reliever for most of the year. Marte will need to fill Coke’s shoes to round out the 2010 bullpen. Coke was aggressive, challenging batters on both sides of the plate by using both sides of the plate to keep them off the bases.

As I discussed in his 2010 preview, Alfredo Aceves was tremendous, going 10-1 with a good 3.54 ERA and an outstanding 1.012 WHIP. Crucially, Ace was excellent against both lefties (.212) and righties (.228), and his capacity to work multiple innings was reminiscent of Ramiro Mendoza. David Robertson also provided solid relief (2-1, 3.30 ERA, 1.351 WHIP), and his sneaky-fast fastball and sick yakker allowed him to fan a phenomenal 63 in just 43 2/3 IP (13.0 K/9). Robertson was never more clutch than his amazing escape act in the top of the 11^th of Game 2 of the ALDS. After allowing a single to Cuddyer to load the bases with no outs, Robertson set down Young, Gomez, and Harris to keep the game tied at three, before Mark Teixeira crushed a laser to left for the game-winner homer to lead off the bottom of the 11^th.  He has lots of promise, and should see considerable action setting up for Mariano.

It is important to remember the particular conditions under which the ’09 pen labored—an entirely ineffective and eventually injured Chien-Ming Wang, two young starters in Chamberlain and Hughes, and at times brief stints from fill-ins Sergio Mitre and Chad Gaudin—all of whom combined to leave the back end of the rotation in a state of flux for most of the season. The result, from ineffectiveness, injury, and innings caps, was a much heavier workload than one would wish. Yet they thrived under such conditions—for the second year in a row, for the ’08 bullpen was also a strength of the underachieving ’08 Yanks (logging an astronomical 543 1/3 IP, second in the AL, sporting an AL-best 8.7 K/9, a 3.79 ERA, the third-best BAA at .235 and WHIP at 1.270). That certainly carried over to last season, albeit with some players in more prominent roles, especially Hughes, Robertson, and Coke.

Why 1997 ranks second: Anchored by Mariano (6-4, 1.88 ERA, 43 saves, 1.186 WHIP)—as the Yankees’ bullpens have been since 1996—the ’97 Yankees also had the ever-flexible Mendoza (8-6, 4.24 ERA, 1.384 WHIP in 133 2/3 IP starting and relieving), and a tough slew of set-up men in sidewinder Jeff Nelson (3-7, 2.86 ERA, 1.144 WHIP, 9.3 K/9 in 77 games), and the lefty tandem of Mike Stanton (6-1, 2.56 ERA, 1.260 WHIP, 9.5 K/9 in 64 games) and Graeme (“The Albatross,” courtesy of my boy Frank the Sage) Lloyd (1-1, 3.31 ERA, 1.531 WHIP). Although they sported the worst winning percentage of the lot (.500), they had the best ERA (3.22), the second-best BAA (.243), and the third-best K/9 ratio (7.8). They were a tough, well-rounded group that didn’t yield much to opponents.

Commonalities of Greatness

Mariano: It is simply impossible to over-estimate how central Mariano has been to the Yankees’ success by anchoring the bullpen; all else flows from him. Good set-up work means all the more for the Yankees, for Mariano is as close to a sure thing among closers as there has ever been, or will be. He has for the most part remained healthy, and has been consistently great year in and year out—actually lowering his career ERA and WHIP with great and efficient work in the last decade. Thus, the essential ingredient of the bullpen for the Yankees hasn’t changed one whit for 15 seasons now. That’s an incredible privilege.

The K: Unlike with my comparative assessment of the rotations, in which I somewhat diverged from Tom Verducci’s emphasis on the K from alpha starters, the ability of relievers to fan batters in late innings has been fundamental to the Yankees’ success—and I wholeheartedly approve. While regular reader smurfy made a very good comment on the prior (starters) post about ground balls and double-plays over the K with which I agreed, there is a particular value to having good-morning, good-afternoon, and good-night hardball throwers out of the pen, especially since they often enter and must escape jams. The K is a great solution, the ultimate equalizer for relievers. Many of these championship teams, and the best bullpens from those years, could do just that and at a prodigious rate.

Preventing Overwork: This is important for particular players but also for the unit. Joe Girardi has proven far more adept at apportioning relief work than his eventual Hall-of-Fame predecessor, Joe Torre. Girardi has illustrated his gift for detailed preparation for games and players by employing a system with Dave Eiland in which each reliever’s work is charted on index cards, preventing pitchers from being worked into the ground.  This also has its roots in Girardi displaying trust in more and younger relievers than Torre did, with the beneficial result of cultivating and utilizing the considerable depth the Yankees have stockpiled in recent years.

Depth and Flexibility: Related to this approach and the organization’s wealth of pitching talent, this has rendered parts of middle relief interchangeable, with middle relievers who did not perform, such as Jose Veras, Edwar Ramirez, and Jonathan Albaladejo shifted out in favor of Hughes, Robertson, and Coke last year. Despite his renowned reticence about young relievers, Torre too sported and used his depth, with Nelson, Mendoza, Stanton, and for a couple years Lloyd proving very reliable as well as durable. The ability to shorten games has been a Yankees formula for success in no small part because of Torre and how he used his bullpen talent.

They also had players who could work multiple innings (Aceves more recently, Mendoza during the dynasty), and at least one effective lefty who wasn’t just a LOOGY (Coke in ’09, Stanton and Lloyd in the late 1990s).

For 2010, the Yankees’ bullpen would be well served by having its innings cut considerably from the last two years which, combined, saw them log 1,058 1/3 IP. That’s a lot, has ranked the Yanks second and fifth in 2008 and 2009, respectively, and is pushing the envelope of the unit regardless of Girardi’s workload management and overall trust. It would also stay strong should Marte fill Coke’s shoes, especially with a comparable WHIP to Coke’s stellar 1.067—an illustration of the importance of WHIP, which helps explain his effectiveness despite a somewhat high 4.50 ERA. Robertson’s continued development into a strong set-up man with strikeout ability would also put the Yanks in good stead, as would Mark Melancon doing in ’10 what Robertson did in ’09—add depth in middle relief and fan batters with a good fastball and curve. Whoever is not the fifth starter between Hughes and Joba, presumably the primary set-up man for Mariano, needs to keep up the good, aggressive work. With these developments, good health, and of course the greatest of all time lurking and waiting for his Metallica serenade, the Yankees should continue to sport one of the best bullpens in the majors.

Pitchers and catchers today! YES!!

2009: Alfredo Aceves followed a strong 2008 debut (1-0, 2.40 ERA, 1.167 WHIP) with a terrific 2009 season that was comparable to Ramiro Mendoza’s brilliant 1998 campaign (10-2, 3.25 ERA, 1.235 WHIP in 130 1/3 IP). Used mainly as a reliever in ’09, the right-hander from Mexico offered the Yankees innings length and flexibility with his background as a starter, working more than an inning in 27 of his 42 relief appearances and even making a spot start July 9 against the Twins.  Even before Phil Hughes became a standout set-up man, “Ace” served a vital role as part of a bridge to Mariano Rivera, solidifying what may have been the best bullpen in the American League. His low-90s fastball and diving sinker added to the bullpen’s excellent strikeout ability, which led the AL at 8.44 K/9. Aceves at times gave the rest of the bullpen a breather with his multi-inning capability. His outstanding work was crucial in several victories, most notably 3 shutout innings in a May 29 win over Cleveland, holding Tampa Bay scoreless for 2 innings on June 7 before the Yankees scored 3 in the bottom of the 8th for the victory, 3 shutout innings for the win August 30 against Chicago, and 3 sterling innings against Boston in the 2-0, 15-inning classic August 7.  Aceves also helped the Yankees by relieving for Joba Chamberlain as the Yankees labored to limit Joba’s innings later in the year.

However, Aceves’s capacity to work multiple innings eventually wore him down, and in late July he acknowledged that he had a sore shoulder. It immediately showed for, while continuing to pitch, Aceves suffered his worst stretch of the season. In 8 appearances between July 25 and August 22, Aceves surrendered 21 hits and 17 runs (all earned), with his ERA swelling from a crisp 2.53 to a more mediocre 4.12 as a result. While he finished strong, Aceves saw little post-season action–though good starting pitching had much to do with that. Aceves fared well against the Twins and Phillies in brief stints, but struggled against the Angels–punctuated by Joe Girardi‘s inexplicably inserting Aceves for an efficient David Robertson in the 11th inning of the Game 3 loss, when Aceves gave up a single to Kendrick and the RBI double to Aybar.

• 2009 Statistics: 10-1 record, 3.54 ERA, 43 appearances (1 start), 1.012 WHIP, 7.4 K/9, 1.7 BB/9.

2010: Ace bears watching in 2010, both for what success he will have and, importantly and in relation, what role he will have this season in the bullpen. While capable of pitching multiple innings, Aceves might be better suited for more frequent, shorter stints, especially if Chad Gaudin and/or Sergio Mitre are in the bullpen for long relief work. If Girardi manages Ace’s innings well, the 27-year-old righty may well help maintain a strong Yankees bullpen. Expecting another 10-1 season from him is in all likelihood too much to ask. However, should he stay healthy and exhibit good control, Aceves should have another good season.

• 2010 Prediction: 6-4 record, 3.80 ERA, 56 appearances, 1.234 WHIP, 6.9 K/9, 2.1 BB/9.