Farnsworth Injures Hand; Doesn't Expect To Miss Time

From MLB.com writer, Willie Bans:

The Yankees right-handed reliever entered the game in the eighth inning and got the first two Reds hitters out, then gave up a solo home run to Ken Griffey Jr.

The next batter, Brandon Phillips, hit a grounder toward the mound, and Farnsworth tried to snatch it with his right hand. The ball deflected off his hand, and Phillips reached first base on Alex Rodriguez's throwing error.

Farnsworth was taken out of the game, and later received three stitches in the webbing between his pinky and ring fingers. He doesn't anticipate going on the disabled list, as he suffered the same injury earlier in his career. At that time, Farnsworth received four stitches, taped the fingers together and didn't miss an outing.

How Not to Fix the Yankees

As is the norm on our little baseball site, our goal is to shift from the standard deviation of thinking. Every blogger, writer, announcer, fan, guru, and anchorman is voicing their opinion on how to fix the Yankees. Things that need to be changed, people that need to go into the rotation, people that need to be removed from the rotation, etc...

We're working on ways to "Not to Fix the Yankees". Here's what we'd do.

Sign Mike Mussina to a Multi-Year Deal. The Moose has been lights out this season, so it's safe to assume that he'll be dominant for another three to five years. We should ink him now, before there's a fierce bidding war in the offseason. I'd give him 4 years at $11 million per.

Move Giambi Up in the Order. There is no reason that a guy hitting .188 with seven home runs should be wasted in the four hole. Move Giambi into the three, no let him bat leadoff. His low stolen base total (1) is a great way to deceive teams into thinking Giambi isn't the next Rickey Henderson.

Move Joba into Center Field. Why waste all that built up energy for just an inning late in the ball game? You want to spark some life into the lineup? Put Joba in center. Melky could use a day off.

Trade Jeter. This team is going nowhere right now. Now's a good time to start selling the team off for parts. It worked for Billy Beane, right?

Acquire the Best Left Handed Pitcher on the Market. David Wells wants to pitch in pinstripes again? We say "We've got the contract, but we'll only sign you if you put on another 40 pounds". We can't have some skinny guy moping around the dugout.

Designate the Backup Catcher for Assignment. Who needs Moeller when you've got Joe Girardi on the bench? He's the manager, its not like he'd be doing anything different behind the plate!

That's phase one of our twelve part plan. I'll be sitting be the phone, waiting for Hank to call.

ESPN Power Rankings: May 9th

ESPN.com released their weekly power rankings report; take a look at who's on top:

2008 Power Rankings: May 9
	RK	LW RANK	TEAM	REC	COMMENT
	1	2	Athletics	22-14	Frank Thomas is hitting 100 points higher (.267) than he did with Toronto, but he has yet to hit a homer for the A's.
	2	1	Diamondbacks	23-12	It's almost scary how good Justin Upton can be. After hitting .340 in April, he's off to a .429 start in May.
	3	9	Red Sox	23-14	While Clay Buchholz's ERA (4.50) doesn't look pretty, he has allowed only three home runs in 38 innings pitched.
	4	4	Cardinals	22-14	Tag up on Rick Ankiel? No way. He probably could nail a base runner from the warning track -- on the fly.
	5	10	Dodgers	19-15	Andy LaRoche is stuck in Triple-A largely due to the play of Blake DeWitt (.500 BA with a 1.462 OPS in his past six games).
	6	5	Angels	22-14	Bad Vlad? Vladimir Guerrero has one RBI since April 25, which also was the last time he homered.
	7	7	Phillies	20-16	Kyle Kendrick isn't fooling anyone this season: He has given up eight or more hits in four of his seven starts.
	8	15	Braves	18-15	Tim Hudson has allowed just one extra-base hit -- a double -- in his past two starts (16 innings pitched).
	9	3	Cubs	19-15	Carlos Marmol leads all major league relievers in strikeouts, with 28 in 21 innings.
	10	13	Mets	17-15	It's safe to say Ryan Church has been the Mets' most productive offensive player this season.
	11	16	Marlins	20-14	Scott Olsen is 3-1 with a 1.29 ERA in his past five starts, and in three of those outings, he didn't allow a single run.
	12	6	Rays	18-16	Andy Sonnanstine has allowed the most homers (five) of anyone on the Rays' staff, but he hasn't given up one in his past four starts.
	13	18	Astros	18-17	Can't get much hotter than Lance Berkman. The first baseman has 16 hits (three homers), 10 runs and eight RBIs in his past six games.
	14	21	Twins	17-16	If Carlos Gomez is going to be a legitimate leadoff threat, he has to draw more than three walks in 126 plate appearances.
	15	22	Blue Jays	17-19	Shaun Marcum (six) and Dustin McGowan (five) both have more quality starts than Roy Halladay (four).
	16	8	White Sox	16-17	The blowup doll. Ozzie Guillen's profanity-laced tirade. Gavin Floyd's near no-no. A bunch of losses. What a week it was.
	17	12	Indians	16-18	DH Travis Hafner ranks 76th in the AL in slugging (.339). He has three hits and one RBI in 15 at-bats this month.
	18	20	Yankees	18-18	Road warrior: Chien-Ming Wang has dazzled in three starts away from the Bronx this season (3-0 with a 1.64 ERA).
	19	17	Orioles	17-18	Jeremy Guthrie has given up three or fewer earned runs in six of his eight starts, but he has just one win to show for it.
	20	27	Pirates	15-19	The Pirates have three everyday players -- Xavier Nady, Ryan Doumit and Nate McLouth -- batting .324 or better.
	21	11	Brewers	16-18	Eric Gagne has allowed four home runs and blown five saves. How much longer can he hang on as closer?
	22	26	Nationals	15-20	Odalis Perez remains winless (0-3) in eight starts, despite having a very respectable 3.43 ERA.
	23	29	Rangers	16-20	The Rangers have the AL's second-worst ERA (4.80), yet they gave up only one earned run in winning three straight over Seattle.
	24	14	Tigers	15-21	The Tigers are 7-8 with Curtis Granderson and his .956 OPS in the lineup.
	25	25	Royals	15-19	Jose Guillen, who signed with K.C. for three years and $36 million, is batting .185 with three homers and slugging a feeble .339.
	26	24	Reds	14-21	Aaron Harang has to be lights-out to win, because the Reds are averaging only 2.75 runs per game in his eight starts.
	27	19	Mariners	14-22	There's no O in Seattle: The Mariners have hit .195 and scored only 14 runs in their first eight games in May.
	28	28	Rockies	14-21	It looks like RHP Greg Reynolds, the second overall pick in the 2006 draft, will make his major league debut Sunday.
	29	23	Giants	14-21	So far, Aaron Rowand has been a good investment for the Giants (.336 BA-.390 OBP-.523 SLG).
	30	30	Padres	12-23	Considered NL West contenders in the preseason, the Padres face the largest deficit (11 games) of any team in baseball.

MLB 2K8 Video Preview

Here's a recent video release of the upcoming 2K Sports release "MLB 2K8". David Ortiz goes down looking against Chien-Ming Wang.

Video can be downloaded at IGN.com.

MLB 2K8 Video Preview

Here's a recent video release of the upcoming 2K Sports release "MLB 2K8". This clip features a game between the Rockies and Diamondbacks.

Video can be downloaded at IGN.com.

MLB 2K8 Video Preview

Here's a recent video release of the upcoming 2K Sports release "MLB 2K8". Derek Jeter goes yard against Josh Beckett.

Video can be downloaded at IGN.com.

MLB 2K8 Video Released

Here's a recent video release of the upcoming 2K Sports release "MLB 2K8". Troy Tulowitzki homers against Brandon Webb:

Video can be downloaded at IGN.com.

Superbowl MLB: Part I

Here at 108 Red Stitches, we're growing weary of the constant debate and speculation regarding which baseball team has the best chances of winning the World Series. So we bring you part one of our two part installment of "Superbowl MLB; A Look at Which Baseball Team Could Win the Superbowl". Part I covers the American League Contenders.
For argument's sake, well use only a handful of teams to compare, one's that are normally (or would be considered) World Series Contenders. To balance out "position eligibility" catchers will equate to the team's position known as the Center and the team's front line starter will be considered the Quarterback. Every other position is fair game. Realizing that there aren't enough baseball players to fill out a football team, we'll base our studies on the theory that "Offense Wins Championships". Based on 2007 Season Rosters. Let's Begin.

New York Yankees:

Offensive line: The Yankees have one of the bigger lines in the game, consisting of lugs like Jorge Posada, Jason Giambi, Bobby Abreu, Hideki Mastui, and Roger Clemens. They're going to need it to protect:

Quarterback: Andy Pettitte. The southpaw is more of a stationary quarterback, pocket passer. Limited arm strength due to re-occurring elbow and shoulder injuries. Not the team's best option, but their backup happens to be Mike Mussina.

RB/FB: Robinson Cano and Melky Cabrera make up this NY team's version of Thunder and Lighting. It's a very powerful backfield, one that will have to carry the team's offense because of their receiving corps.

Wide Receiver/Tight End: Jeter, Johnny Damon, and A-Rod make up a core receiving group. They've got overall average speed and decent hands. Just don't ask Damon to run a WR Option Pass route any time soon.

Defensive Highlight: Two names: Kyle Farnsworth and Shelley Duncan. They make up the scariest line backing duo in the American League. Finally, the Yanks have found a use for Farnsworth.


Boston Red Sox:

O-line: Slow, large, and lazy. Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz, Jason Varitek, Mike Lowell, and Erik Hinkse make up one of the largest o-lines in baseball. However, they are severely un-athletic and too slow for their own good.

QB: Josh Beckett. Good fit for a QB. He's tall and strong, and throws a wicked slider, same arm motion as throwing a football. Good thing too because he'll need to his his speedy receivers because the run game:

RB/FB- Dustin Pedroia takes a large chunk of the running game. He's small and elusive, but his body can't handle a physical pounding. Boston's offensive game relies on an attack through the air.

WR/TE: Fleet footed green monsters. Jacoby Ellsbury, Coco Crisp, and Julio Lugo lead the league in speed, which translates into running rampant in most baseball team's secondaries.

Defensive Highlight: Kevin Youkillis transforms from the Greek God of Walks into the Greek God of Handing Out Mild Concussions.


Los Angeles Angels of Anahiem:
Finally, a football team returns to LA. Sort of. Not really. Well, at least LA is in the name.

O-line: Undersized, but quick, which in the MLBNFL is not such a bad thing. Most d-lines aren't exactly lining up with the likes of Warren Sapp or DeMarcus Ware. Line is comprised of Catcher Mike Nappoli, Garrett Anderson, Jeff Mathis, Casey Kotchman, and Robb Quinlan.

QB- Ah, finally, a quarterback controversy. Do you go with experience in John Lackey or flash and glamor, bringing in the fans with your new young gun in Jered Weaver. Sure his older brother tanked in the same position, but unlike the NFL, the little brother is better than the bigger brother in the MLBNFL (see Manning).

RB/FB: Riggie Willits and Howie Kendrick give the Halos a nice 1-2 punch. Its not the best in the league, but their offense doesn't have to rely on one aspect of the game.

WR/TE: Fast, but undersized. This seems to be the team's overriding theme. Chone Figgins leads the receiving bunch as Kendry Morales and Juan Rivera are Lackey/Weaver's 2nd and third option.

Defensive Highlight: Figgins (no surprise) is also a defensive back and special teams highlight reel. Vlad the Impaler leads an undersized defensive unit.

Mets Acquire Santana, Hope He Isn't the New Pavano

Pending everyone passing a physical and Johan Santana agreeing to a contract extension, the New York Mets may have pulled off one of the biggest upsets this offseason.
Santana had just about done everything except try on a Yankees or Red Sox uniform, until the dark horses of the NL East came charging back with an offer that, apparently, the Minnesota Twins felt comfortable enough to deal the game's best pitcher. The Mets will send Carlos Gomez, Phil Humber, Deolis Guerra and Kevin Mulvey to Minnesota in exchange for the coveted left handed strikeout artist.
However, the deal isn't exactly "signed, sealed, or delivered". According to ESPN: "Santana has a full no-trade clause and can veto the deal unless he gets a contract extension, and it's expected that the Mets and Santana will begin negotiating as soon as possible. New York and Santana have until 5 p.m. ET Friday to reach an agreement".

If we may step outside of the objective journalist point of view for a few seconds:

"What the hell where the Minnesota Twins thinking? They got screwed over big time. The Yankees and Red Sox offers were far and away better than anything the Mets could have come up with. Humber is not even considered Major League talent by a majority of Major League officials and Carlos Gomez is borderline at best (right now). Sure he was flashy for the Mets last season, but that was with limited at-bats. It'll be interesting to see how he pans out for the length of an entire season. At least with the Yankees offer, they would have been getting a proven outfielder in Melky. The Twins had initially asked for Jose Reyes, and the Mets refused. So now they settle for less? From the team that rejected a counteroffer?"

Whew, glad to get that off our chest. While its not our primary goal to stand on a soapbox and give our opinion (we'd like to think our selves as a news source, not a biased slanted blogcommunist) this situation all but presented itself in a gift basket.

Apparently we're not the only ones that feel the Twins got fleeced. According to MLB.com:
"At a seemingly reasonable price -- swift outfielder Carlos Gomez and young pitchers Philip Humber, Kevin Mulvey and Deolis Guerra -- the Mets have satisfied the Twins. Now, they have until 5 p.m. ET on Friday to satisfy Santana, who, armed with a no-trade clause potentially as effective as his world-class changeup, can veto the trade if the Mets don't make him happy."

2K Sports: MLB 2K8 Release Date Confirmed

2K Sports announced that the latest installment in their baseball video game franchise will be released March 3, 2008. Gamespot.com interviewed Ben Brinkman, 2k8's Producer. In the interview, Brinkman discusses some of the game's new features:

"Well, to start we added 90 minor-league teams to the game, including authentic uniforms, many authentic minor-league stadiums, and a few generic ones as well. Going hand-in-hand with that, we had to do a ton of work on the franchise mode, so you can expect a better and much more complete experience there.

We've also added many new unlockable "special" teams incorporating both current and legendary players. We've also got a pretty cool new approach to unlockables in general. We've implemented a new baseball-card system, in which you can earn players' cards by completing certain tasks. You can then sell duplicate cards for credits to buy new card packs, which consist of 10 cards and may include a stadium or special team. But by far the coolest part of the card system is the online card battles. When you have enough player cards to fulfill the requirements of a full team, you can then combine your cards to create a team and take head-to-head against other gamers' card teams online.

On the gameplay side, the big push was for realism. One area we knew we could improve from 2K7 was the hitting engine. Why am I able to hit an opposite-field home run on a pitch that jammed me off the handle of the bat? This shouldn't be. So first off, we completely gutted and rewrote the hitting engine, and the results are outstanding. Along with this, we tweaked the swing stick from 2K7 to increase your control and give it a better feel overall. This is dubbed "Swing Stick 2.0." The idea was to give batting more "oomph" when you swing. Baseball swings consist of two motions: back and forward. Basically we took the power swings from the swing stick and made them the default way to swing, minus the loft and power boost. We think it makes swings far more responsive, rewarding. and natural. Everything from going the other way with an outside pitch to checking your swing feels natural. My favorite is ripping that pitch in down the line. There is just something extremely satisfying about that!

We've also designed an entirely new and unique pitching interface which is unlike anything that's been done before. The main input comes from the right analog stick. The execution involves matching a gesture to throw the desired pitch. This enables a lot more granularity from the input than a digital face-button approach. We'll reveal more on this later. I know this might be met with mixed opinions on the message boards, but do us a favor and wait for the demo before you rush to judgment. We've spent a lot of time and iterations on this and, frankly, I will never pitch using buttons again. I really love it.

Finally, there is also a new right-stick throwing interface in the field. While you may have seen similar mechanics in the past, we've put a new spin on it which we believe is pretty innovative in its own right. The biggest goal was to give more control to the user and have the results be intuitive and realistic, and we're really happy with it.

Having said all that, we will still provide the option to choose between the pitching, batting, and throwing interfaces from previous years, but we believe once you've used the new ones, you won't want to go back."

Patiently Waiting: MLB 2K8

We here at 108 Red Stitches are scratching our heads in wonder; "Why no updates from 2K Sports on their latest video game title?"

December 8, 2007 was the last update to their site. Refreshing hundreds of times on their landing page, we only get "Image Coming Soon" and "Video Coming Soon" banners.
There's no sneak previews, no screen shots, no hints as to what's coming next. The only info on the game is what's posted in the press release section, announcing Jose Reyes as the next cover boy for the series.

So we thought we could make some predicitions to help you guys out. We know you're looking for MLB 2K8, the folks at FeedBurner are telling us so.

108 Red Stitches Predictions for MLB 2K8:

1. Improved Injury Reporting System: Now, along with missing five games due to a pulled hammy, players can be suspended for use of PEDs. (XBox Cheat Code for administering Flaxseed Oil is - Left Trigger, A, A, Right Trigger, Left Stick Click.)

2. Build Your Own Stadium: EA Sports managed to work that into their system before the series died, now 2KSports has acquired that knowledge. Design every last detail, including the height of your bullpen walls to keep guys like Karim Garcia from going after the fans.

3. Design A Player: Function is improved to include adding custom designed jewelry, grill plates, and add custom designed felonies.

4. Sell Google Adspace On Your Outfield Walls: Just enter your Adsense Account ID and Paypal info into the correct fields, and within minutes, Johnny Damon will be crashing into a Penile Enhancement Ad.

5. Real Time Player Interaction: Is your XBox system running slow or are your Wii Remote Batteries waining? Well, Jose Reyes is designed to run as fast (or slow) as your system prohibits. Want to make sure he runs out that ground ball? Make sure you use Lithium Batteries in your wireless controller!

6. Special Mini Games: Unlock hidden mini games such as BeJuiced or Pin the Tail on the Boras. See how much HGH you can inject into Barry Bonds (excuse me, John Dowd, because Bonds is too good for the Players Union) before he gets caught by that pesky Mitchell guy!

7. Create a Team Function: Draft hidden talent, farm Major League Super Stars, and then trade them away to cut costs, the Jeffrey Loria way!

8. New Bench Coach Mode: Watch the entire game from the bench. There's no real reason for you to be playing in this mode, because you only get to play for whatever team Joe Torre is coaching, and you only get to make one suggestion per game. It usually gets ignored.

9. Superstar Mode: Follow a player through his college life, the amateur draft, the minor leagues, his three weeks in the majors, and then retire and run a car dealership until Ken Burns contacts you to make a documentary on baseball.

10. User Generated Feature: Because We're All Out of Ideas. So 2KSports is letting you, the gamer, handle all of our important PR, development, and strategic decisions from now on. We're washing our hands of all this.

Hey it worked for Doritos.