New York, NY (WFAN) -- The Yankees started the September stretch drive with a win in Detroit. Good way to start, especially with the ugly month of August behind them.
The Yanks finished August 13-15, their first losing record in August since 1996. That team had a 10-game lead going into August, whittled down to 4 by the end of the month, trimmed to 2½ two weeks later, but never lower. They went on to win the World Series.
This team began August 4½ games out of first place and 1½ games behind the wild card leader. They finished August 12½ games out of first and 7 behind the wild card.
Why did things fall apart so badly this month?
They were outscored 148-135.
Alex Rodriguez hit .243 in August, struck out 30 times, and hit into 11 double plays (4 of them in the 7th inning or later). A-Rod went 10 straight games without driving in a runner from scoring position.
Andy Pettitte was 6-0 last August with a 2.36 ERA. This August he was 1-3 (with two no-decisions, both Yankee losses) with a 5.89 ERA.
Jason Giambi hit 8 home runs in August, but batted just .232.
Derek Jeter reached base 47 times (his best month this season, .388 OBP). But he scored only 12 runs.
Ivan Rodriguez hit just .196. Pudge and Jose Molina combined for 6 RBIs. Last August Jorge Posada had 18 RBIs.
ERA for 4 relievers who combined to make 50 appearances in August: Edwar Ramirez 6.94, Jose Veras 5.54, David Robertson 8.18, Damaso Marte 7.71.
August is like Moving Day at the Masters. This was when the Yankees were supposed to shrug off their problems and move into the hunt. You can blame whatever injuries you want to. But the healthy players, all of them All-Stars, haven't produced like they needed to. And that's why the Yankees will in all likelihood watch the playoffs on TV.
As noted above, Andy Pettitte is usually brilliant in the second half. This year he's a little more ordinary. One theory I got from a player is that Pettitte's strange off-season may finally be catching up to him.
Pettitte admitted to us in spring training that the fallout from the Mitchell Report disrupted his usual preparation for the season. He felt ready when the season started and has not complained of any physical problems during the season, but now we're into the part of the year where Pettitte usually turns things up a notch. So far, no other explanations.
Want to know the secret to Mike Mussina's success this year? He's hit 8 batters this year. How is that the secret? That's the highest number of batters Mussina has EVER hit in one season. That number by itself means very little actually, but it's a clear indication that he's pitching inside more than ever before.
If Mussina's contract had been up after 2007 (11-10, 5.15 ERA), the Yankees would not have brought him back and there's a really good chance he would have just retired. Now Mussina has given himself the ability to pitch effectively for a couple more years.
On May 20ththe Orioles knocked out Mussina in the first inning. In 18 starts since then Mussina is 10-3 with a 3.10 ERA, a 1.164 WHIP, 90 strikeouts and 15 walks.
Darrell Rasner and Sidney Ponson have combined for just 2 wins since the All-Star break, both by Ponson. Rasner has pitched badly at times, but has also left each of his last 3 starts with the lead, getting a win in none of them.
Johnny Damon's favorite cause is The Wounded Warrior Project. Damon is a big supporter of the vets returning home. Last trip to Baltimore he made a special trip to Walter Reed Army Hospital in D.C. on a morale boosting visit. Check out the videos on the Wounded Warrior site by
clicking here. It's powerful stuff.
Special thanks to Darryl and Tracy Strawberry for inviting me to play in their second annual golf outing last week at Bethpage. I managed to hit 4 or 5 good shots on the day. More importantly, money was raised for Darryl's foundation, which supports The Center for Autism Education. You can read about the foundation and make donations at
www.darrylstrawberry.net.
Thanks for reading. Send comments and questions to
yankees@wfan.com.
Sweeny
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