Bleacher Report - Articles by Jonnie Forbes

New Season Haunted by Old Demons; Yanks Drop Road Opener to O's

Jonnie Forbes — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 00:50:09 -0400

Perhaps the pressure cooker comes in road grey as well as pinstripes.

The game was a bit closer than the 10-5 final line belies. The ingredients to this dish seemed like last season's leftovers.

Four cups of inferior starting pitching:

C.C. Sabathia began his Yankee career ingloriously; getting rapped for six runs, walking five, and striking out no one through 4 1/3 innings.

Unable to establish his fastball, he worked from behind in the count nearly all afternoon. Even when handing out an intentional pass, he was unable to induce an out, instead pushing across the sixth Oriole run.

Two tablespoons of blown middle relief:

The offense had made it interesting on round-trippers by Posada and Matsui, cutting the deficit to one. And while Phil Coke was statistically the best Yankee pitcher of the afternoon, he and Brian Bruney were lit up in a four run eighth, effectively sending Mo to the clubhouse early.

A dash of runners left on base:

11 for the afternoon, including three in scoring position with two outs.

You'll get no argument from me that yesterday's cold chicken or pizza will heat and eat just fine today. But for the Yankees, there's far too much new stuff in the fridge to be breaking out last seasons leftovers.

AFC West Shootout: The Chargers, the Broncos, and the Officials

Jonnie Forbes — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 09:18:49 -0500

The game that the Chargers should have won on Sept. 14 is a moot point right now. All the games they should have, and could have won, are meaningless. The game the Chargers must win will be kicked off at 8:15 pm EST tomorrow.

The disappointment that Chargers fans have endured, read about, and felt in the pit of their collective stomachs, loss after consecutive loss, means nothing now. Destiny is now back in the hands of the Bolts.

The game against Kansas City two weeks ago could only have been scripted by Hollywood to see the Chargers win. The football planets had to line up in such a way to see the Chargers overcome an 11-point deficit with three minutes left.

That's exactly what happened—capped off by the onside kick received and fumbled by Kansas City's Dwayne Bowe and later recovered by Kassim Osgood of the Chargers.

If that's a microcosm, while the Chargers as a team were doing everything they needed to keep drawing air, Broncos opponents were doing the same, denying the win Denver needed to clinch.

Now on primetime Sunday at Qualcomm Stadium the records, the injuries, and the Hochulis will be footnotes for what will prove to be the single-game shootout of the AFC West.

San Diego Chargers: A Break-Even Team, or Is There More?

Jonnie Forbes — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 18:32:55 -0400

When the fourth-quarter clock reads 00:00, hindsight starts getting clear immediately. Moments after immediately, it becomes 20/20.

After six games into the season, hindsight should show the Chargers all they need to progress beyond mediocrity. But will it happen?

Currently at 3-3, there are two games in the loss column that just as easily could've been wins. The passionate fans can point at bad officiating and maybe dumb luck on those two games. But the fact remains that while those games were lost in the final seconds, it was the Chargers' defense that allowed those opponents to score enough points to even be in a position to win in the final seconds.

Shawne Merriman is perhaps the most missed man in Chargerland. With his pressure on the quarterback amounting to 16.5 sacks last season, opposing offenses are finding it easier to move the ball without number 56 lurking about.

The Chargers are fourth in the AFC in points allowed, and that stat can be directly attributed to the missing Merriman formation.

Conversely, the Chargers lead the AFC in points scored at 178, and are even one point ahead of the No. 1 NFC team, the Arizona Cardinals. When you normally think Chargers offense, you think LT. But a nagging toe injury, combined with nearly all of his carries being telegraphed to opposing defenses, has lead to his current 3.7 yards per carry average.

No, it's Philip Rivers' 14 TD passes that has accounted for more than half the Chargers Points-For statistic. That stat dovetails perfectly with the fact that two-thirds of the Chargers' losses were literally lost with the defense on the field.

But Rivers cannot do it alone. There has to be a running game to balance Rivers' throwing game. Darren Sproles is exciting coming out of the backfield, but even he only averages five yards per carry. The O-line has to explode off the line to create running opportunities. Force defenses to further clog the middle, to open up the sides for end runs and screen passes.

So what does hindsight tell the Chargers' coaching staff? The Chargers can score points; the Miami game not withstanding. Globally, the defense has to find some raw intensity that can force opposing quarterbacks to rush throws, which can lead to more interceptions. They have to find the smash-mouth element to stop the run; which leads offenses to more rushed passes and more in-completes and interceptions.

The Chargers are not a break-even team. There is more. They just have to find it.

Yanks Broom Friars with Big Bats, Small Bats, and Well... You Know Who

Jonnie Forbes — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 12:33:04 -0400

FriarChick: is the game over?

YankeeGuy: more or less.

Yankee Guy: it's the top of the 9th, the yanks lead 2-1 and Mariano Rivera is pitching.

FriarChick: whatever.

YankeeGuy: just fanned Scott Hairston. One out.

FriarChick: WHATEVER!!!!

Mariano Rivera would go on to strike out the side, preserving the 2-1 lead and completing a three game sweep of the San Diego Padres. It would also be Mo's 20^th save in 20 save opportunities.

Unlike, the first two games in which the Yankees offense averaged exactly eight runs per game, today's one run nail-biter was about pitching, defense and base running.

The Padres, Josh Banks, and Yanks, Joba Chamberlain, were each making their third and fourth starts, respectively.

They also traded respective zeros until the Padres opened the scoring in top of the fourth with Brian Giles scoring on a Tony Clark ground rule double.

The Yankees would tie it up in the lower frame of the fifth without the benefit of a hit, with Melky Cabrera drawing a walk, stealing two bases and scoring on a Molina sac fly.

A-Rod's RBI tie breaking single in the bottom of the sixth would end the scoring for the day on both sides.

Jose Veras and Kyle Farnsworth would make the one run stand, handing the game off to a grimly efficient Rivera who would strike out the side on 16 pitches.

While only one team can win after the last out, this game was up for grabs several times.

Key plays made by both teams would stifle the other teams' efforts to break it open. Joba Chamberlain sweated out a base loaded no one out situation. A wild pitch looked to give the Padres an early lead.

But as a hustling Joba covered the plate, a scrambling Molina ran down the “not that wild” of a pitch and threw to Chamberlain, who put the tag on the runner attempting to score.

Later the Yankees would be set up with runners at second and third with one out.

Josh Banks would face two of the Yankees most recently prolific run producers and retire them both on strikes to get out of the jam.

The Padres also flashed some nice leather in the field, with Jody Gerut and Brian Giles both making hit-robbing, diving catches.

There have been many different Yankee names on many Yankee rosters working innings one through eight to win games.

But once the ninth is reached, there's one name that is approaching immortality one cutter at a time.

"Now pitching for the New York Yankees, Mariano Rivera!"

Andy Pettitte Shoulders Yanks to Avoid Sweep

Jonnie Forbes — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:27:36 -0400

There's an oft asked question that bounces around MLB fans every season. Who would you want pitching if (fill in the blank)?

Today I fill the blank with 'the Yankees lost the day before.' My answer is always Andy Pettitte.

Facing a three-game sweep at the hands of the Orioles, the Yankees sent Andy Pettitte to the hill. Seven innings of four-hit shutout baseball later the Yanks are up 4-0.

In spite of a wide-eyed, speech-stifling run surrendered by Joba Chamberlain, the top of the ninth saw Derek Jeter (who else?) put an exclamation point on the match with three-run double.

It put Mariano out of the save category, but he'd get his work in anyway.

On the surface it looks like your typical Yankees offensive explosion that won the game, but inning by inning it seemed far from that.

It started as a real pitchers duel at Camden Yards.

Pettitte and Trachsel traded doughnuts through the first three frames.

In the fourth, the Yanks broke through with two runs, not via the long ball, but with back-to-back doubles by A-Rod and Matsui, increasing that vital RISP stat.

After picking up his 10th RBI, A-Rod left the game with what would later be called a day-to-day strained quad.

Later the Yanks looked like they were going to make a statement. They had Trachsel on the ropes, with one out and loaded bags in the top of the sixth, but rally-killing Jason Giambi gave Trachsel exactly what he needed a double play.

[Is it a coincidence that GIAMBI and GIDP both start with "GI"? There's an acronym in there somewhere, I just know it.]

In the bottom half of the sixth, Giambi turned a picked-off Brain Roberts into a runner on second, with a throw so bad even MASN would only replay it once.

Roberts would make it to third on what was scored as a wild pitch.

However, a good throw/catch at third would've had him. Only a so-far bulletproof Pettitte ended the threat, battling back from a 3-0 count to strike out Markakis.

In the top of the seventh, Johnny Damon's second homer of the season, a two-run shot, gave Pettitte some breathing room, extending the Yanks to a 4-0 lead.

After an uncharacteristic Joba gave up a run on two hits while recording no outs, Brian Bruney came on to restore order and hand the game off to Mo. But not before Jeter's three-run two bagger sealed the deal.

The overall result was positive.

It's just a "W" in the same fashion that ugly, blowout losses are just “Ls.”

Hopefully, the Yanks, as a team, can take the right cues from the performances of Pettitte, A-Rod, Matsui, and Jeter.

True it's just a "W," but how the "W" came about will be vital on this long road to October.

Hits and Misses from the Past Evident in Yankees' Sweep of Rays

Jonnie Forbes — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 17:17:31 -0400

The New York Yankees were cruising against the Tampa Bay Rays. I was getting ready for my weekly tournament. As the bottom of the seventh inning began, my babysitter was complaining about not being able to get a ride somewhere.

The complaints of the babysitter sounded more like the muffled cries of a cat trapped in a bag, as I watched Bruney give up the first two-run shot in the seventh.

After the second two-run bomb, but before the tying tater actually landed in the right field seats, her complaints had faded away completely. They were replaced by a high pitched ringing whine, not unlike a dentist’s drill.

It was an all too familiar scene: blown lead by the bullpen, only this time it had been done in grand style to the tune of five runs on three hits. I checked the calendar to make sure it wasn’t 2007, or 2006 maybe. Nope, definitely 2008.

New year, same middle relief.

But in the top of the eighth I saw something I felt I hadn’t seen since 1998. A late game comeback in the form of a Robinson Cano dinger to put the Yanks ahead by one. The bullpen would have another chance to redeem itself…and it would do so.

Yanks prevail in the 8-7 slugfest.

I got home from work late and turned on today's matchup around the fourth inning. I was in time to see the Yanks take a slim 3-2 lead by taking advantage of some shaky Rays' pitch control. But it was the following inning that excited me.

With two outs, both Bobby Abreu and Derek Jeter drove in runners from second base with timely, well-placed base hits. It was smart base-running by Jeter that got him in position for Abreu to even drive him in.

It was a microcosm of the Yankee success I’d gotten used to from the past. I checked the calendar again, to see if it wasn’t 1998, 1999, or 2000. Nope, still 2008.

Remember the ’98 season?

It was a season of “can-do” attitude that was more than backed up by actually “doing.” The season that coined the phrase “no lead is safe,” because there was no such thing as a safe lead over the 1998 Yankees.

But alas, it really is 2008. The Yankees left a battalion of guys on base today, but still completed the mini-sweep of the Rays with the 5-2 win.

Yanks Win First '08 Series with Pitching

Jonnie Forbes — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 09:59:10 -0400

Pitching wins championships. We've heard it before and seen it enough times know how true it is.

We've also seen the Yankees try to defy that notion, trying to overcome good consistent pitching with a scouted and paid-for modern day Murderer's Row—to no avail.

But this first series of an infant 2008 season saw the Yankees step out of their normal moniker...they won with pitching.

Over the three-game set, starters Chien Ming Wang, Mike Mussina and Phil Hughes gave up a collective seven earned runs over 18 2/3 innings on 13 hits.

The overall pitching line is even more impressive when you consider that the Yankees won two of three while being outscored by the Jays nine to eight. Those numbers boil down to effective starters, no-nonsense middle relief/setup topped off with a business as usual closer.

Only Mussina's outing generates a frown, which as a matter of fact is no surprise. Every starting five is going to have one guy who doesn't quite measure up to the other four. In the Bronx his name is Mike Mussina. Here's where the bats are being asked to make a difference.

Moose wasn't entirely horrible in game two, but the Yankee offense couldn't make up for what Mussina used to have 10 years ago but doesn't quite have now. Moose will win his games to be sure, they just probably won't be of the 3-2 or 1-0 variety.

Next on the rotation marquee is Ian Kennedy, who gets tonights opener against the Rays, followed by Andy Pettite this coming Saturday. Five games surely isn't enough to make projections, but before swimming a triathlon everyone has to get wet.

Looks like Hughes, Wang and even Mussina think the water's great.