GAMEDAY: Yankees @ Rays, 7:10pm

Bullpen status:

Available: Ohlendorf, Hawkins, Ramirez, Veras, Britton
Likely: Mo, Joba
Maybe: Farnsworth

Verdict: This would be a good time for the bats to come to life. It isn't crucial that the top 3 in the bullpen have a rest, but it would certainly be appreciated. If Mo were any other pitcher I'd put him under "Maybe", but...well...he isn't, is he?

Farnsworth is most likely sitting, but Ohlendorf can pitch the 7th. He hasn't pitched in a few days, so we might see him in a game regardless. Ditto for Hawkins, who definitely has improved his standing in the eyes of Girardi and (possibly) the fans. His ERA has dropped from 31.50 to 6.38 in the 16.1 innings since his second appearance at Yankee stadium. He's given up 6 runs over that span, which is good for a 4.08 ERA (keep in mind I'm a History Major, so my math is probably off). Not great, but not that bad, especially for a reliever that's basically 5th in the bullpen pecking order. All that matters is that the walks (7 so far, also not bad) are down. Can't have relievers handing out free passes. The lack of walks has been a clear indicator of how effective this bullpen has been (as if the bullpen's ERA weren't enough :-P )

UPDATE: It's a 3.31 ERA, after all. Told you I'm a History Major.

Moose is pitching the day after Hank made a public statement, so naturally, he should be good for 9 innings, or 10 if the Yankees don't manage to score. ::knock on wood::

Big news from down on the farm: JB Cox was promoted to AAA and Mark Melancon is on his way to AA. Two of the pitchers who were voted "Most likely to do a pretty decent Joba impression in 2008" have hit a groove after their relatively rocky starts to 2008, and they've been dominating for the past month or so. They deserve the promotion, and Scranton could certainly use the bullpen help.

Kevin Whelan, the #2 guy we got from the Sheffield trade, is pitching again. He's a converted catcher with a live arm, and he got somewhere close to 100 strikeouts last year in 80 innings of relief. The catch? He walked about 50 batters. That's definitely not going to cut it in the Majors, but he's on his way.

Steve Jackson, the throw-in in the Randy Johnson trade (behind Vizcaino, Ohlendorf, and Gonzalez) is in AAA Scranton right now. Coincidentally, he's similar to Ross Ohlendorf as far as stuff goes, so we'll see how he continues to handle AAA batters in his relatively new role in the bullpen. Girardi apparently really likes his arm, and if he dominates at AAA, then at the very least he could be decent trade bait.The way the kids are progressing, it's just a matter of time before guys like Heath Phillips, Scott Strickland, and Billy Traber get the boot.

UPDATE (5:54pm): Just realized that I should probably explain the "availability".
Available means that there is nothing stopping the manager from using a certain reliever.
"Likely" applies to a reliever who pitched the day before, but due to his importance, or to the (low) number of pitches he threw that day, he has a good chance of being used again. Generally a guy who throws 2 innings 2 days ago will fall under this category.
"Maybe" generally applies to a reliever who threw more than one inning the day before...again, role/importance is a factor here. You'll notice that I usually put Kyle Farnsworth under this label due to his reputed inability to pitch in back-to-back games.
"Unavailable" is something I rarely use, but it applies to someone who pitched more than 2 innings the day before and threw more than 40 pitches. You will rarely see Mariano Rivera under this category, unless he pitches in 3 consecutive games. I'll also put guys in this category if there are extenuating circumstances (suspension, injury, etc.)

These labels are by no means a sure thing. Girardi can break the "rules" as he pleases, and I know for a fact that Torre did (and still does). But these are a general guideline, and they provide an explanation for a manager's reluctance to use a pitcher, or for a reliever's effectiveness on a certain day.