Yardbarker: Dan Giese

Saturday's Headlines

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 12:11:51 -0500

Peter Abraham reported that Ramiro Pena was added to the Yankees 40-man roster following today's game. They reassigned Angel Berroa to minor league camp, and to make room for Pena on the 40-man roster they designated Dan Giese for assignment. R. Pena will wear No. 19.Joel Sherman wonders if Mark Teixeira, C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett are ready for NY. It's not about Texas, Toronto and Cleveland anymore.Following today's game with the Cubs the Yanks placed Alex Rodriguez on the D...

Alba Wins LR Job

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 10:28:05 -0500

According to Pete Caldera the Yankees have optioned Alfredo Aceves and Dan Giese Scranton. And Brett Tomko was reassigned to the minor-league camp, he'll also be at Scranton."I'm extremely disappointed because I felt like I pitched my way onto this team," Tomko said.They both pitched very well, Tomko went 1-1 with a 1.17 ERA. In 15.1 IP he allowed 2 earned runs on 12 hits, walked two, and struck out 12. and Albaladejo had a 0.93 ERA in 9.2 IP, and allowed 1 run on 8 hits, wa...

Albaladejo Makes The Team

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 09:56:37 -0500

Yanks Sweep Split Squad Games

Sat, 14 Mar 2009 22:26:27 -0500

Split-Squad Game 1 FINAL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E Houston 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 5 1 NY Yankees 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 X 3 7 2Boxscore The Yankees won both of their games on Saturday, beating Houston 3-1 and Pittsburgh 13-10.A.J. Burnett started the game against Houston and looked great, pitching four perfect innings, and striking out 3. He threw 40 pitches, 32 of them for strikes.Dan Giese allowed a run on two hits, and struck out thre...

Yanks' Hughes Progresses, Pavano Steps Back

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 21:27:31 -0500

The Yankees are a team with three outfielders who are paid about $15 million each and yet they still feature a starting rotation filled with scrubs like Darrell Rasner, Sidney Ponson, and Dan Giese. That rotation will have to change if the Yankees have any real shot at catching the Boston Red Sox for the AL Wild Card this season. By the way they are five and a half back. That rotation will change when Phil Hughes and Carl Pavano come off the DL. The problem the Yankees have now are a couple of huge question marks, will either return in time to make a difference? And will they be effective once they actually do return? Last night Hughes pitched in triple-A Scranton and shed light on those questions with an impressive performance, but Pavano's sub-par performance makes you think he may never pitch in the Pinstripes again. Hughes' start for Scranton was exactly what he needed, he started last night with a pitch count around 85 and finished throwing 84 pitches and 50 for strikes. In 5.1 innings Hughes allowed just two runs on three hits and one walk to go along with four strike outs. The two runs came in the sixth inning when Hughes appeared to run out of gas. After getting the first batter out that inning he proceeded to give up a ground rule double before walked a batter. He was then pulled and the reliever allowed both runners to score. Before that Hughes was strong all game as he allowed only one runner to get into scoring position and never really allowed the Pawtucket Red Sox to gain any momentum offensively. Pavano was not nearly as impressive, in just 4.1 innings for the Trenton Thunder he allowed five runs on seven hits, no walks, and a pair of homers including one to lead-off the game. He had about the same pitch count as Hughes, 85, but only ended up throwing 79 pitches with 50 thrown for strikes. The rust was evident though, the NY Daily News reported that his velocity sat at around 86 to 89 MPH. He also hit a pair of batters which caused him some trouble. There were a few positive things to take from his start, he didn't walk a batter and settled in after the first inning until he tired in the fifth. His sinker apparently was working last night as he had six ground outs to four fly outs. He also got a big double play in the third and his three strike outs all came in big spots. The problem with Pavano's start is that he is showing the rust of such a long lay-off. His velocity isn't where he would like it to be and the pair of batters he hit comes after his last start where he threw a couple of wild pitches. He is also suffering late in his starts which means he may be more than just one or two more starts away from getting his form back. Essentially he is still a ways away from pitching in the Bronx and if they rush him he'll likely get lit up. Hughes on the other hand looks pretty good. Although he has never had a problem getting minor leaguers out it shows that he is not nearly as rusty and should pick up where he left off before the rib injury. The Yankees would still be wise to give him one or two more starts before calling him up so when he does pitch in Yankee Stadium he will have no excuses about poor velocity or stamina.

Yanks Must Turn To Pavano

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 19:53:11 -0500

With the Yankees rotation in taters and on the brink of losing Andy Pettitte the Yankees are desperate for pitching, but are they desperate enough to consider Carl Pavano as an option? They're going to have to. The 32-year-old injury prone pitcher is working his way back from his latest elbow surgery and is expected on a major league mound soon. Last night he worked three and two-thirds innings for the Trenton Thunder and he put together a pretty impressive performance. In just his third rehab start Pavano threw 63 pitches, 38 for strikes, and showed signs that he could still be effective this season. During the brief performance he gave up only one hit while striking out four. He wasn't without rust though as he walked a pair and uncorked a couple wild pitches. "I'm pleasantly surprised how I feel after the surgery and pleasantly surprised that I'm able to step in and pick up where I've left off previous times before injuries," Pavano said. "I think my location was better than it's been. Velocity-wise, I'm not really interested in that, I'm just worried about location." The 63 pitches is the highest he has stretched his pitch count since appearing in a game against the Minnesota Twins early last season. By the end of the performance he appeared to be very tired, but he said after the game that his arm feels good. "I did hit a wall in that inning. It's the first time I've thrown 60 pitches and as expected, I was a little tired in that last inning," said Pavano "It's just building up the stamina and getting my legs underneath me. I feel like every time I've gone out and deeper into the game I've gotten a better feel." Many thought they had seen the last of the Ferrari crashing pitcher, but he has been aggressive in his return to the big leagues. Probably because if he doesn't show major league teams that he can still pitch this year he may not get any offers to pitch next year. "Yeah, I'm pushing it," he said. "Anything's risky. That surgery's a big surgery, it's a successful surgery. Every day that I feel good is a good day for me. I'm definitely being aggressive, I'm not holding back. I'm throwing all my pitches and I feel pretty good about it." With Ian Kennedy expected to start tonight for the Yanks, their pitching staff barely resembles the one Joe Girardi envisioned having down the stretch. Kennedy is joined by Mike Mussina, Sidney Ponson, Dan Giese, and maybe, if they're lucky, Pettitte as well. Yankee fans must be sure to not get their hopes up for a Pavano sighting in the Bronx. Two years ago they were in a similar situation late in the season when an undisclosed broken rib ended his season. If everything does go well you can expect at least three or four more rehab starts, probably one or two more in Trenton, then another two to three in Scranton, before he makes a trip to the Bronx. Which could mean he has a chance to be on a major league mound by August 27. Just try not to hold your breath. In three rehab appearances combined, Pavano has thrown eight and two-thirds innings and has given up one run on seven hits, three walks, 10 strike outs, and opponents have hit .219 off of him. Last season he pitched in two games for the Yankees and was 1-0 with a 4.76 ERA and four strike outs and two walks over 11.1 innings.

Karstens and McCutchen In Nady Deal

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 13:47:37 -0500

Last night's deal which sent Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte from Pittsburgh to the Yankees was incorrectly reported. Jose Tabata is still the centerpiece along with Ross Ohlendorf, but Jeff Karstens and Daniel McCutchen have become Pirates as well. The reports made the rounds before the Yankees announced anything official. Phil Coke, who was originally reported as being part of the deal was pulled from his start last night after one inning. So it made sense that he was included in the deal. George Kontos was the other double-A pitcher who was supposedly going to Pittsburgh. This deal is probably better for the Pirates, instead of getting one of the Yankees top prospects and three throw ins they are now getting three pitchers who can contribute in the majors as soon as next year. Ohlendorf was briefly part of the Yankees bullpen this season and Karstens has appeared in 15 games for the Bombers over the past two years. In seven appearances last season he had a 1-4 record with a 11.05 ERA and nine walks in 14.2 innings. He was more impressive in 2006 where in eight appearances he was 2-1 with a 3.80 ERA. As a Yankee he looked overmatched, but a switch to the National League could do him some good. He was 6-4 with a 3.80 ERA and only walked 15 batters in 68.2 innings starting for Scranton this season. For the Yankees the deal is about the same, sure they are losing a better prospect in McCutchen, but Karstens stinks so things kind of even out. Although losing a decent prospect like that still hurts. McCutchen is considered the better prospect than either Kontos or Coke. His overall numbers in the minor leagues this season are pretty good, he is 8-9 in 20 starts this season with a 3.14 ERA and 110 strike outs in 123.1 innings. Since being promoted to triple-A in late May McCutchen was 4-6 with a 3.58 ERA. He has been fighting consistency since the promotion, but had a pair of complete game shutouts on July 5 and June 14. McCutchen was also suspended for violating the league's banned substances policy. The drug he tested positive for is rumored to be adderall, which is not a steroid but is an amphetamine and is banned. The changes in the deal might have saved LaTroy Hawkins' ass. Of the four players initially reported as being sent to Pittsburgh last night only one of them, Ohlendorf, was on the 40-man roster which meant that someone had to be DFA'd and Hawkins could have been the guy. Instead Karstens and Ohlendorf will be taken off the 40-man roster and Nady and Marte can just slide in their place. He isn't out of the woods yet though as they still have to make room on the 25-man roster. Either Justin Christian or Brett Gardner will be sent down to make room for Nady. The other could be sent down for Marte as well, but that is less likely to happen. Instead they could DFA Hawkins or send Dan Giese to Scranton.

Pete Abe Interview

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 08:48:31 -0500

Pete Abraham is a beat writer for the Yankees and he was courteous enough to answer some of our question in an Interview. Here is is (Pete answers are in italics): 1. How is the atmosphere in the clubhouse this year as compared to previous years when the Yankees had more success? I don't think the atmosphere has changed much. The Yankees are a little younger this season than they have been in the past, so it's a little looser and a little louder. The mood generally revolves arou...

Sidney Ponson Is Not The Answer

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 10:45:09 -0500

In need of an emergency starter during the double-header against the Mets last week the Yankees went with Sidney Ponson. Ponson couldn't have pitched much better and picked up the win as the Yanks topped the team from Queens 9-0. The Yankees would have been better off winning that game 9-8 as the unlikely success of Ponson just leadthe team into thinking they had a halfway reliable starter in the 31-year-old pitcher. But they didn't, Ponson shut the Mets out and the Bombers thought they had another Aaron Small or Shawn Chacon. But they don't, they have a 260 pound pitcher who's been cut more times than a homeless guy living underneath the Triborough Bridge. The Yankees would have been better off starting Dan Giese or even the other recently released pitcher Chacon. Instead they decided to stick it out with Ponson. The result was a wasted lead in the sixth inning tonight against the Texas Rangers when his lifeless fastball lead to a four run inning off a pair of two-run shots. Perhaps even worse the Yankees are now poised to fall even further behind the first place Rays and have perhaps squandered their best chance to make up ground in the AL East race. The next time the Yankees are going to need a fifth starter isn't going to be until July 12 against the Toronto Blue Jays. I hope when that date rolls around it won't be Ponson who gets the call. There isn't much depth to the Yankee rotation, but they do have better options. Like I said they can use Giese, but if they don't like that option they can sign Chacon as he doesn't seem to have many suitors. If the team doesn't like either of those options they can call up Ian Kennedy, Jeff Karstens (last resort?), or even Daniel McCutchen. My point is just because Ponson has been getting lucky doesn't make him a good pitcher and he shouldn't be trusted. A 4-1 record can't hide a 1.56 WHIP or a .307 batting average against. With those numbers the Yankees might as well have David Wells going out to the mound.

Subway Series: The Next Generation

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 17:29:09 -0500

The Mets and Yankees embarked on a four-game series (one in the Bronx, three in Queens) to see who would be crowned king of New York. The younger generation of owners, Hank Steinbrenner and Jeff Wilpon, doesn't seem to hold any animosity toward each other though. In fact they confer with each other all the time, and often look to their mentor, James Dolan, for advice. "The three of us have all earned our positions of power the old-fashioned way. It's our allowance from our fathers," said Wilpon. "We're always running things by each other. When James was looking to hire a new coach, he told me he saw some film of a high school coach named Ken Reeves. He was impressed by how he took control of his team by making his star player, Coolidge, run extra laps after practice for being a wisenheimer. I had to tell him that was just an episode of 'The White Shadow.' He wanted to hire him anyway. I recommended Isiah Thomas. And he's the one who suggested I unload that Kazmir kid. After watching another rerun of that show recently, he confessed he didn't know that David Lee went to Carver High. I didn't have the heart to tell him that was Salami. And Hank was just reminiscing to me about the old great interleague battles between the Yankees and the George Scott/Robin Yount Brewers back in the 1970s." Here are some random notes about the series: Carlos Delgado hit two home runs and drove in nine runs in game one of the series. Yes, Carlos Delgado. The nine RBIs set a new single-game Mets record. Dave Kingman held the previous mark when he drove in eight (and hit three home runs) on June 4, 1976, at Dodger Stadium. Next up for Delgado: Kingman's team record for most consecutive innings played while not giving a crap about fielding the ball. The pitching matchup of Dan Giese vs. Mike Pelfrey wasn't exactly Ron Guidry vs. Dwight Gooden. It wasn't even Jim Beattie vs. Pat Zachry. Pelfrey "out-dueled" Giese by only giving up four runs in five innings to Giese's six runs in four innings. Hey, somebody had to win. In game two, John Daly, er, Sidney Ponson twirled a gem for the Yanks. He threw six scoreless innings, striking out four and walking four. Here are some other highlights from his career: released by Baltimore on 9/1/05, released by St. Louis on 7/7/06, released by the Yankees on 8/23/06, released by Minnesota on 5/18/07 and released by Texas on 6/16/08. Pedro Martinez, on the other hand, just looks old and droopy. Though he discovered he was tipping his changeup, and some Yankee players confirmed that. There was a real pitcher's duel in game three, with Andy Pettitte winning his sixth straight decision. Johan Santana is 0-4 in his last five starts, but has an ERA of 2.53. Why do umpires let Pettitte balk every time he throws to first? In the great NY shortstop debate, Jose Reyes may be more exciting, athletic and a better fielder than Derek Jeter, but Jeter always does the right thing on the field. Would he ever get picked off second with two outs? I listened to part of the game on the radio and the rest on TV. Going from Howie Rose to Joe Buck is like going from Robert De Niro to Ashton Kutcher. Like going from the Beatles to Right Said Fred. Like going from John Belushi to Carrot Top. Like going from "Seinfeld" to "Small Wonder." Like going from Curly to Curly Joe. Oliver Perez was the show in game four. He threw seven innings, giving up one run, striking out eight and he didn't walk anybody. Maybe he should only pitch against the Yankees. He's now 5-1 against them in his career, with a 2.61 ERA. Ryan Church is back. He went two for four. To make room for him, Trot Nixon was placed on the DL with a strained groin. The Mets won the season series, four games to two. The Yankees hold the overall edge with a 37-28 record. But over the last five years the Mets have gotten the better of the Yanks, going 17-13 against them. Final observation: Why are the Mets bat boys all bigger than Kevin James?

Joba's Transition A Success

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 03:22:15 -0500

Say goodbye to Joba Chamberlain the shutdown eighth inning guy. Say hello to Joba the Yankee Ace. After throwing 114 pitches en route to a 10-0 Yankee victory last night the transformation was complete. As dirty as it looked early on the transition really couldn't have gone much better. Part of the reason it was so successful - and the 4-1 Yankee record during these starts says it was - is because even though it looked ugly they pulled it off perfectly. Thanks not only to Joba's 1.80 ERA in those five games, but also to Dan Giese's more impressive 1.41 ERA during those same starts. Abandoning their initial plan (to send Joba to the minor leagues while he stretched out his pitch count), then denying that it ever existed, the Yankees were relying on Giese to come through. He did - who needs the minor leagues anyways? In his first start, and probably the worst appearance of his professional career, Joba was limited to a 65 pitch count. Things could have gone very badly especially since he used up nearly 40 of those pitches in the first inning. After throwing 62 pitches manager Joe Girardi lifted him for the unknown Giese. The Yankees wound up losing that game 9-3, but Joba and Giese combined for a quality start, six innings and only two earned runs, and gave the Bombers every chance to win that game. Perhaps it was fitting that the bullpen blew the game during his first start or perhaps that's what happens when you face Roy Halladay. Either way the 9-3 loss was worse than it looked and was not a sign of things to come. For Joba's next start he was limited to an 80 pitch count. He was much more himself that night going four and one-third and giving up just two earned runs and a walk with five strike outs. Giese again helped Joba out when he pitched two and two-thirds innings allowing zero runs. Joba and Giese again combined for a quality start, seven innings and two earned runs. The Yankees beat the Royals 6-3 that night. In his third start the training wheels were off. Well sort of. Facing the Houston Astros, Joba still had a pitch count - 95 pitches - but he no longer needed Giese. Eventually finishing with 88 pitches Joba gave up only three hits and held the 'Stros to only one run over six innings. In his very own quality start the Yankees beat Houston 2-1, but Joba was still had no record as a starter. In his next appearance Joba finished at exactly 100 pitches, his limit for that night. While pitching in one of his most dynamic games he only managed to go five and two-thirds, but he fanned 9, a new career high. He would not need Giese again because on this night the Yankees bullpen showed its new pecking order. After Joba left the game Jose Veras came in, filling Kyle Farnsworth's former role as the seventh inning guy. Farnsworth then stepped on the mound in the 8th inning role formally reserved for Joba. He struck out two of the three batters he faced. Of course the ninth belonged to Mariano Rivera. That game showed the Joba could be a dominant starter and the Yankees bullpen, while not as good, could survive without him. The Yankees beat San Diego 2-1. Joba still had no record as a starter despite the Yankees being 3-1 behind him. It wasn't until last night that Joba got his first win as a starter. It is fitting that he wouldn't get a decision until there were no strings attached. He is now a complete member of the starting rotation, something that will help smooth out the Yankees rocky season as they will now look to him to help stabilize the rotation. Which Joba certainly is fit for. Critics said he needed the adrenaline of coming on in relief to be successful, but now we see what a complete pitcher he is. Instead of throwing every pitch in the 98-100 MPH range he now sits at the 94-95 range, but he certainly can still unleash the power when he needs to. Just ask Jason Michaels of the Pirates, who struck out on a 98 MPH fastball to end the sixth inning last night. He has also found a decent mix of pitches now that he is no longer just a fastball/slider guy. Not just trying to strike guys out all the time anymore he mixes in sinkers to pitch to contact and every now and then he busts out a curve ball as his out pitch. Welcome to New York, Joba the Starter.

Give It Up for Mr. Giese

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 23:10:16 -0500

une 3rd, 2008 will resonate with Yankees fans mostly because that was the day of Joba Chamberlain's first career start in pinstripes. While that does outweigh any other occurrence in the state of New York, something else happened in that very same game that deserves to be recognized. Dan Giese, a former 34th round draft pick by the Boston Red Sox, relieved Joba and did a very good job in doing so. In 3.2 innings, Giese gave up only one run on 5 hits, keeping the Yankees in the game and mopping up Joba's mess. After being drafted by the Red Sox in 1999, Giese was relegated to minor league baseball duty, as so many late round draft picks are. In 2002, Giese was traded to the San Diego Padres for Alan Embree and still didn't get a shot in the major leagues. He was then shipped to the Philadelphia Phillies and after the 2006 season, chose to become a free agent. He was a non-roster invitee for the San Francisco Giants, where he made his major league debut after being called up as part of the 40 man roster in September. After the 2007 season, the Yankees picked up Giese and just like every other team he had been on, was sent down to the minors. That brings us back to June 3rd, 2008, the day Dan Giese was called up due to an injury to Chris Britton. Giese relieved Joba in the 3rd inning and performed very well, which allowed him to keep that same role for Joba's next start. The next outing for Giese was even more impressive. Against the Kansas City Royals, Giese went 2.2 perfect innings, while striking out 3 batters. I am not saying that Giese is the answer to all of the Yankees bullpen troubles or that he will even stay in the bullpen by the end of the month. It is just about time that Giese was given this opportunity to succeed in the majors and he is showing so far that maybe he does deserve to stay with the club. It took him 9 years to make an impact on a major league baseball team and it is always nice to see a guy who has been so patient throughout his career, make the most of perhaps his best opportunity to make a big league salary. Giese's story, assuming he can continue to perform at a high level, would be an inspirational tale for the numerous amount of minor league baseball players who are waiting to get their "cup of coffee." His patience and willingness to travel all across the country should show players that as long as you perform and help your team out, one day you will get your time to shine in the big leagues. As for Giese, Joba's next start is coming up soon and he will get another chance to show the teams that traded him, exactly how much he is worth.

Live Blogging: Joba-Mania!

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 21:37:52 -0500

Listen, there was a lot of talk on the airwaves today about this start tonight, and a lot of people echoed a similar sentiment: Strikeout pitchers don't get a ton of ground outs - especially young ones - and a lot of missed bats also means a lot of pitches thrown. Joba complicated matters for himself tonight by missing bats and missing the strike zone as well, and as a result he couldn't make it out of the second inning. Is it a disaster? A failure? Of course not. However tonight's results lend a lot of credence to the argument that the Yanks panicked a bit by moving Joba to the rotation too quickly. The Yanks were already dealing with a dicey proposition when they decided to stretch out their stud righthander mid-season, so the decision to rush the process is a bit of a head scratcher to me. Yes, Ian Kennedy's injury created a hole, but did Joba Chamberlain have to fill it? Wouldn't the Yanks have been better served by allowing Joba to stretch out his arm comfortably in a bullpen role until the team felt confident he was ready to go 5 innings and throw 90-100 pitches? What purpose was actually served today by watching Joba struggle through a 37-pitch first inning and bringing in Dan Giese one-third into the second? I guess that's why they don't let me make the big decisions