You Ready, Floyd?

I can't speak for BWS, John, Meredith, or Janna (screenshot courtesy of her camera), but I still feel like I got my money's worth. Holy shit. Manny Pacquiao makes it look waaaaay too easy to punch people in face.

You've gotta feel for Ricky Hatton. He's a proud dude and a whole lot of people flew all the way from Manchester to Las Vegas, and brought their trumpets and drums to cheer him on. He has to feel like he let them down. Seeing the shot of his distraught fiancee while he was still lying motionless on the mat was heart-wrenching.

You knew someone had to lose this fight, but I don't think anyone aside from Freddie Roach thought it was going to end in a brutal knockout before the first three rounds were over:

"The fight was no surprise to me," Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, said. "We know he always pumps his hands before he throws a punch. He's a sucker for the right hook."

Hatton had a great run, but when he was matched up truly elite competiton, he got exposed. If it makes you feel any better, Ricky, Will is still going to buy your t-shirt.

Like Mike Tyson said in his documentary, "You should fear the happy fighter". Pacquiao walked down to the ring smiling ear to ear, extending glove bumps to whoever had their fists out. Boxing is a violent sport, but it's not inherently mean-spirited. Roach and Pacquiao go about things the right way, and you can see it in their results. If Floyd Mayweather Jr. beats Juan Manuel Marquez like he should on July 18th, it will set up a perfect Good vs. Evil storyline. Braggadocio, Materialism and Superficiality vs. Humility, Piousness and Virtue. Stay tuned.

Pacman vs. The Hitman

If you were one of the 8 people who were reading this site before the baseball season, you would know that here at Fack Youk, we are fans of sports in general, not just of baseball and not just of the Yankees. Those of us from Upstate New York grew up watching Mike Tyson, and were captivated by the vicious dominance of his early years. But like many boxing fans, we sort of lost interest in the sweet science when Lennox Lewis absconded with the heavyweight title, thereby submarining the division.

Boxing tends to live and die with the charisma of its heavyweights. History tells you that. For every Sugar Ray Robinson, there are ten Gene Tunneys, Jack Dempseys, Max Schmelings, Joe Louises, Rocky Marcianos, Floyd Pattersons, Muhammad Alis, George Foremans, Mike Tysons and Evander Holyfields. There is something inherently captivating about watching two of the biggest and baddest men on the planet determine who is smarter, stronger and tougher, playing by the same rules, using only their fists. It's sporting reduced to it's most basic elements: Strength and Strategy.

Between the Klitschko brothers refusing to fight each other and the 7 foot behemoth Nikolai Valuev refusing to throw a punch and still getting the decision, the heavyweight division is entirely unwatchable at the moment. If you bother to dig a little deeper, however, you'll find that sort of drama can exist at any weight class.

One gigantic reason for that is HBO's 24/7 documentaries. Typically four to six episodes leading up to major fights, the crew follows each fighter through their training regiment all the way to Vegas or whever the bout happens to be. They are incredibly entertaining and astonishingly well done. They are beautifully shot and the musical selections are spot on, something we clearly strive towards on our "Game: XX" posts. It's even more remarkable when you consider that they are aired less than a week after they are filmed. Watch the series and you will find a rooting interest based on the way the fighter's personalities come out through the episodes. I realize it's a little bit late for the heads up, but you can catch up on the episodes on HBO OnDemand or on their website.

I've been looking forward to tonight's junior welterweight (140lb) tilt ever since Manny Pacquiao, as Jim Lampley put it, "rearrang[ed] De La Hoya's beautiful face" and Ricky Hatton did the same to Paulie Malignaggi. As was masterfully portrayed in the episodes of 24/7, Pacman and The Hitman are ideal foils; Pacquiao a proud, humble, generous, religious Filipino and Hatton a brash, fun loving joker from Manchester, England. Both fighters are revered to epic proportions in their native lands, but you will undoubtedly notice the cheering section for Hatton serenading their hero if you order the fight.

Each is likable in their own way, but I'm rooting for Pacquiao. I love his trainer, Freddie Roach, and the fact that Manny keeps a tight-knit staff of 10 guys who all live in a 2 bedroom apartment leading up to his fights. I find it fascinating that he is a national icon, literally the most famous person in his country, and is called "the nation's fist". As the Phillipines prepares it's power grid for the surge resulting from almost every resident watching the fight, I will be heading over the la casa de Big Willie Style, pulling in the same direction.

Game 24: Roll It Over

So, how about that game last night??!?

No, seriously. I'm asking. 

I was watching up until it was 4-2, and Pettitte was standing on the white plastic cleat cleaner thing on the back of the mound as Danny Cunningham dispersed some drying agent on the front.

Life intervened, and by the time I got back to the TV, I had missed the collapse, the redemption, the climax and the denouement. They were leading when I left off, so in the grand scheme of things, I didn't really miss anything... right?

Today, CC Sabathia is matched up against a minor league journeyman named Matt Palmer, who has four career starts under his belt. I recall a similar pairing earlier this season, which ended well, but wasn't nearly the mismatch it appeared to be on paper. 

Let's see if the Yanks can take some of that momentum from last night and roll it over. 

Roll it over, let's take it from behind,

Roll it over, let's take it from behind, 

It's only love, God knows it ain't no crime.  

Game 23: Low Income (It's Friday)

The Yankees are red hot, folks! Well, not really, but a win tonight would establish their longest winning streak of the season at four games. Andy Pettitte takes the ball for the Bombers tonight against Jered Weaver.

Jered is of course the brother of Yankee legend Jeff Weaver. The Yanks have faced the 26 year old righty four times since August of 2006. Despite throwing 6 innings of one run ball his first time in the Bronx, he holds a 6.14 ERA and has given up 25 hits in 22 innings against the Yankees.

If you need further reason to be encouraged, Wyclef Jean would like to remind you what day of the week it is.

To my people who don't wanna go to work,
Thank God it's Friday...
To my people who don't got no job,
Everyday it's Friday.

April Progress Report: Bullpen

[21 games into the season represents roughly 1/8th of the schedule, and the end of the first month seems like a good time to analyze what has thus far occurred. Following a tradition started by Boston Bren, mid-term evaluations are called Progress Reports (not Report Cards). These ratings are somewhat subjective, as they attempt to balance expectations and salary with value contributed to the team.

We already tackled the starting rotation, the infield, and the outfield]

(Click to enlarge)

By dissecting results after 21 games, we are already trafficking in small sample sizes. The fact that relievers have seen the least action of any group of players only exacerbates this problem. As I mentioned going into yesterday's game, the Yanks had the 2nd worst bullpen in the majors. Let's just take an overview to see what has gone wrong so far, and how bad it really is.

First of all, the bullpen has pitched 71 innings this year and surrendered 51 earned runs, good for a 6.46 ERA. However, if you want to be a super-apologist you could take into account that 21 of those runs came in 14 innings after Chien Ming Wang had been pulled from his two worst starts, in games that were all but over. Removing those from the equation, their ERA is 4.74, good for 19th in the MLB. Again, not good, but certainly better.

Mariano's numbers don't tell the entire story because he allowed two of Jonathan Albaledjo's inherited runners to score on Wednesday night, deflating his ERA and inflating Albie's. (He does have a 13K/0BB ratio, however). Jose Veras has a solid WHIP and good strikeout numbers but a bloated ERA because of one performance against Cleveland (the 22-4 game) where he gave up 3 runs without getting an out.

The bullpen has been poor, but there is reason to be optimistic, I think. Hopefully Brain Bruney comes back from the DL and picks up where he left off. I like what I've seen from Mark Melancon so far and David Roberston's minor league numbers are fantastic. It hasn't been a bring been a bright spot so far, but I'm willing to bet that the 'pen will be significantly better in May than it was in April.

April Progress Report: Outfielders

[21 games into the season represents roughly 1/8th of the schedule, and the end of the first month seems like a good time to analyze what has thus far occurred. Following a tradition started by Boston Bren, mid-term evaluations are called Progress Reports (not Report Cards). These ratings are somewhat subjective, as they attempt to balance expectations and salary with value contributed to the team.

We already tackled the starting rotation and the infield, and later today we will weigh in on the bullpen.]

(Click to enlarge)

Nick Swisher - A+
Comments: Nick is one of my very favorite students and is very well liked by his classmates.

Swish broke onto the scene in New York like no one else I can remember. He hit .219 and had an OPS+ of 92 (below league average) last year. Cashman picked him up for spare parts (Wilson Betemit, Jeff Marquez and Jhonny Nunez) during the offseason, and I don't think even Cash could have expected how well this has worked out so far. Swish has smashed home runs, made great catches, and even pitched an inning in relief. The guy always has a smile on his face, and it's basically impossible not to like him. Who knows if it will last, but let's just appreciate it while it's happening.

Johnny Damon - A
Comments: Johnny doesn't speak up in class very often, but does make thoughtful contributions to the discussion.

This is probably extending the metaphor a little too far, but Damon goes largely unnoticed by Yankees fans. He's a solid hitter, even for a corner outfielder, rarely strikes out, still hits home runs, can steal bases... The ambivalence obviously stems from his previous team. We've gotten over the initial revulsion of him being on the roster, but he will never be truly embraced or appreciated for what he does in Pinstripes save for some future postseason heroics. Let's just not forget that he's an extremely competent hitter and decent in left field.

Brett Gardner - D
Comments: Despite trying his very hardest, Brett is simply not equipped to handle the coursework of this grade level.

It would be an F, but my expectations for the gutsy scrapper weren't really that high to begin with. Just like he did in 127 PAs last year, Gardner has amassed a line that doesn't exceed .300 in average, on-base or slugging. See Melky Cabrera for more.

Hideki Matsui - B
Comments: While he can not participate in all classroom activities, Hideki has done well with the tasks he has been assigned.

I'm tossing him in with the OF's because that is his natural position, but it doesn't look like he's going to see any action in the field anytime soon. Giving him a "B" is mostly a function of his .410 OBP, which is totally acceptable even if his average and slugging are pretty low. Godzirra is in the last year of his contract and due to his knee problems, it looks like this could be the end of his career in the MLB.

Melky Cabrera - A+
Comments: After failing several classes last year, Melky has shown tremendous improvement and an eagerness to get back on track.

I've gotta give credit where credit is due here. When I launched my assault on Melky a little over a week ago, I didn't bother to compare his numbers to Brett Gardner's. Pretty lazy, I know, but it was 15 games into the season and last year devoured any love I had for the guy. After doing a side by side, it's pretty obvious that no amount of differential in fielding range or speed on the basepaths could make Gardner as valuable as Melky has been thus far. It's gotta be a mirage... Melky is hitting like an All-Star CF right now. It's only 55 plate appearances, so I feel pretty comfortable saying that if his OPS+ is still 150 at the All-Star break, I'll eat a live goldfish. And then you can kick me in the balls. It will be worth it.

Xavier Nady - INC
Comments: Xavier has missed too many classes and may have to repeat the grade if he tansfers to another school next year.

His injury really screws Nady considering that this is his walk year. Even though Boras is his agent, it's going to cost him multiple millions of dollars on the open market. It's not great for the Yanks either. X was the only pure right handed hitter in the OF and was actually hitting at a decent clip when he went down with his elbow injury. Due to Swisher's blistering start, Nady is mostly forgotten about in the minds of most Yanks fans, but it will be nice to get him back off the DL.

April Progress Report: Infielders

[21 games into the season represents roughly 1/8th of the schedule, and the end of the first month seems like a good time to analyze what has thus far occurred. Following a tradition started by Boston Bren, mid-term evaluations are called Progress Reports (not Report Cards). These ratings are somewhat subjective, as they attempt to balance expectations and salary with value contributed to the team.

We already tackled the starting rotation and later today we will weigh in on the outfield and the bullpen.]

(Click to enlarge)

Mark Teixeira - C
Comments: Mark has not been scoring well on his tests, but has shown the desire to improve.

Teix's average is pretty anemic, but as we know, that's a luck based statistic and he has a BABIP of .200 at the moment. Most importantly, he's been getting on base (16 walks, .365 OBP), which tells me he's still taking the right approach, and it's just a matter of time before his average and slugging percentage start to perk up.

Robinson Cano - A+
Comments: Robinson is extremely bright and has made valuable contributions to the class.

Yup, I'm going with the A+. He's on pace for for 39 HRs, 123 RsBI and almost twice as many walks as he drew last year. With a BABIP of .367, you'd expect Cano to came back down to earth a bit, but there's nothing not to like about what Robby has done so far. An early look at his defensive metrics show that he's been above average and he's only been charged with one error. FWIW, he's looked good to naked eye as well.

Derek Jeter - B
Comments: Derek has fared well on important tests so far this year, and has been a joy to have in class.

Captain clutch has come up with some huge hits so far this year, especially with two outs and runners in scoring position. He had one of those just last night, actually. Overall with RISP, he has an OPS of 1.107, and has been markedly better in high leverage situations. That said, his poor defense has been well chronicled, he seems to have lost a step on the way to first, and at least one person doesn't think he's the right fit for the lead-off spot. You really can't complain so far, though.

Cody Ransom/Ramiro Pena - F/D
Comments: Cody and Ramiro have not shown the ability to grasp the material at this grade level.

Their combined line is .177/.253/.292. with 0 HRs and 6 RsBI. For those not statistically inclined... THAT'S FUCKING AWFUL. Never thought I'd say this, but I want "Bitch Tits" back. Immediately.

Jorge Posada - B
Comments: Jorge has completed all of his homework and assignments but sometimes appears tired in class.

Jorgie's numbers are a near mirror image of his 2006 season stats (122 OPS+ for both), and while he didn't make the All-Star team that year, he ended the year with better numbers than both A.J. Pierzynski and Pudge Rodriguez, who did. He might be diminished defensively and painfully slow on the basepaths, but Posada has been hitting and taking his plate behind the dish. That's a lot more than you could say for him last year. (Jose Molina also gets a B for decent hitting and his handling of the pitching staff.)

April Progress Report: Starting Rotation

[21 games into the season represents roughly 1/8th of the schedule, and the end of the first month seems like a good time to analyze what has thus far occurred. Following a tradition started by Boston Bren, mid-term evaluations are called Progress Reports (not Report Cards). These ratings are somewhat subjective, as they attempt to balance expectations and salary with value contributed to the team.

Later today we will weigh in on the infield, outfield and the bullpen.]

(Click to enlarge)

CC Sabathia - C+
Comments: CC is making an effort to reduce his careless mistakes, but has not worked to his full ability.

For a guy who is known as a control pitcher, his K/BB ratio is alarmingly high. But that's not all that out of the ordinary considering his career splits by month. Even in games where he hasn't had his best stuff, Sabathia has absorbed a lot of innings, (hey, I didn't say "ate"!) and that counts for something. He hasn't been disastrous, but he is a long way from meeting expectations.

A.J. Burnett - B+
Comments: A.J. accepts responsibility well, but has been inconsistent in his efforts.

Burnett has had the unfortunate designation of being slotted behind Chien Ming Wang in the rotation which shoved him into the role of "stopper". The Yanks came away with three wins in the three starts after CMW's atrocities, two of which were credited to Burnett. He had one bad start in Boston and a marginal one last night against the Angels, but the Yanks had a chance to win both of those games, for what it's worth.

Andy Pettitte - A
Comments: Andy has shown good leadership traits and is a pleasure to have in class.

Pettitte leads all starters in ERA, WHIP, and K/BB ratio. Considered by many to be the 5th man in this rotation going into the season, his performance thus far places him at #1. His season-long durability is certainly an obstacle on the horizon, but April has been a great month for the crafty veteran. Where would the Yanks be if they hadn't signed him?

Joba Chamberlain - B+
Comments: Justin has shown tremendous potential and is learning to accept more responsibility.

Of the four starts Joba has made thus far this year, three were pretty solid, the one exception being the game against Cleveland. He's struggled with his control (17K/13BB) his velocity is starting to build. It appears as though the Yankees are paying more attention to the number of pitches, as opposed to the number of innings, he's thrown. His pitch counts so far (88, 93, 91, 88) indicate some reluctance to stretch him out too soon. This should change as the weather gets warmer and he gets more starts on his belt.

Chien Ming Wang - F------
Comments: Chein Ming has not put enough time and effort into his assignments and as a result, he has been placed on academic probation for at least two weeks.

The grade is not hyperbole. 6 innings and 23 ER in 3 starts. FAIL. It's one of those times you wish you could use a "G" for God Awful, an "H" for Historically Horrendous or an "I" for Indescribably Ineffective. He's been batting practice bad. Who knows, he could put together a quality start next time he takes the mound. Baseball is weird like that. His performance over the last three years has earned him at least one more chance.

Phil Hughes - INC
Comments: Phillip recently skipped a grade and has been a pleasant addition to the classroom.

His first start this year was truly enjoyable to watch. However, who is to say that the next time out, Hughes pulls a CMW and can't make it through the second inning. Would you be willing to bet your life savings it doesn't happen? Let's give him some time as well.

Game 21: #9

Start spreading the news...

Game 22: #8

Not what I was hoping to capture with that shot. Hang in there Teix.

Game 22: #7

Greetings from Section 122...

Hip, hip...

Game 22: #6

YMCA...

It's never going away. Thanks Lon Trost!

Game 22: #5

I just told everyone in line for Popcorn Indiana that the company is
owned by Isaiah Thomas.

There is no longer a line.